It's been a while - Pole Sana (very sorry in Kiswahili)

Here it is, finally....... Must have been more than two weeks since my last post. Connection has been very poor in community and I have been working very hard, most days not finishing work till 7-8pm and even sometimes the same at weekends. I'm still enjoying being here though and enjoying my work (challenges included!)

This cycles volunteers are getting ready to leave and have only 8 days left in community! I can't believe that the time has come around so quickly. We will be holding our community farewell at the weekend and this will be an opportunity for volunteers to say thank you and goodbye to their host families and our work partners. 

My Swahili is coming on now and I've even been learning Kihaya which is the language local to this region. My host mummy has been helping me alot and we have made an agreement that some days we will speak only Swahili as a way to help me to learn more.

I'm making lots of friends in the community and also friends within VSO as there are a fair few western long term volunteers in the region. (Most about an hour or two drive away but gere thats local) It's also really good that i am becoming known by name in the community as I've been making alot of effort to talk with people and it seems to be payin off. I really feel like I'm a part of this community and despite the fact that naturally I stand out, I feel that I have been accepted by the local people.

I'm hoping to travel to a place called Rubondo island which is a few hours drive from here. It's an island on lake Victoria and is a national park having elephant, giraffe, hippo, crocs, monkeys and apparently an amphibious antelope - (which sounds interesting!) Google it.... We're hoping to go, a group of around 8 of us, at some point near the end of Feb before the next cycle of volunteers arrive so I'm looking forward to that. 

I'm still keeping my fingers crossed that some of you will come out to visit me at some point around my birthday.... It would be amazing if I could arrange to spend my 30th in Zanzibar or serengetti or even Dar but would be even better to do it with my mates from back home!