Rainy season has started, and therefore water and electricity supplies are unpredictable. Some of the other volunteers call me a princess, as I get stressed if my hair cannot be washed, dried and (most of the time) straightened as and when I want! Joking aside, it makes you appreciate what we have in England without even realising it. Here's my top ten little things, in no order, that have made me smile recently....note how none of them are grand, materialistic gestures...
1. Watching Lucas dance in excitement when he can walk by himself - then fall down as a result
2. Sharing a meal with a local family, in awe of the effort taken to cook it on charcoal
3. Observing the already forming bond between a child and her future mother
4. Cuddling a baby, getting caught in a maternal moment then realising they have fallen asleep
5. Walking down a street in Mwanza and feeling 'at home'
6. Hearing the kids wake up at 5am, and the first thing you hear is 'Mama Erika swimming!'
7. Being invited on a break with a mama to share a cup of hot, sugary, powdered milk
8. Buying mango at the market for local price, not 'mzungu price'
9. Practising Swahili by text message and getting it right
10. Eating chips mayai with friends in the dark
It was 2 years ago today that I first came to Mwanza, and I loved it then but I love it ten times more now.
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