“Remember, it’s a racist dog. It bites white people.”

This week has been a pretty uneventful week for us; some local news from this week is that on Monday a leopard had been spotted running around on the loose just outside of Big Bend. It had been having the time of its life on a cattle murdering spree, so apparently the local farmers were pretty angry.

We've also been introduced to Wandile, the son of Siphewe a teacher at Moriah Centre. Siphewe is rather fond of the idea of Wandile marrying Ashley, and is now always telling her that she can’t wait to put red paint on her cheeks (something Swazi to do with marriage I'm guessing!)

Ashley received her first packages from home this week (so I'm really jealous because mine are still nowhere to be seen), so we had a stroll up to the Big Bend Post Office. In Swaziland nothing gets delivered to your house or homestead, you have to go and collect it yourself; packages, letters, bills... EVERYTHING. Her Mum had sent out footballs and football strips for the kids, so she counted them out and set about the hard task of picking who was going to get one.
Getting the kids into their new football strips at soup kitchen was actually hilarious; this one poor lad was trying to pull on his new shorts over the top of his trousers, which then prompted Aunty Vina to go over to him, keg him in front of everyone (wasn't wearing any pants, bless him!) and pull the new shorts onto a now very embarrassed little boy. They all looked so happy in their new kits though!

All week Ashley and I had been looking forward to this weekend because the plans were to have a weekend away in Durban! We’d been forward planning on the internet what we were going to do, and were excited (and apprehensive) about visiting the boys at the Boys Town project. Unfortunately the plans fell through and we couldn't go in the end, which is probably for the best because on Thursday night I became ill for the first time of being here in Swaziland; this included sleeping on the hostel toilet floor because it was too risky being in my room as I didn't fancy clearing sick up off my things the next morning. 

Ashley managed to go to Injabulo by herself on Friday to teach with Nelsiwe while I was sprawled out in bed trying to keep my stomach inside my body. I also woke up to a really cute phone call from Ashley and the kids at Injabulo; she got them to shout “Hallo Aunty Kate” and “get better soon” which put a little smile on my face!
As well as being told to drink lots of water, take rehydration packets, drink energy drinks and drink lots of black tea, Aunty Rose concocted some disgusting mixture of water, sugar and salt for me to ingest. Apparently it’s some sort of home-made rehydration drink, safe to say it didn't taste too great; but feeling as bad as I did I downed it with the same enthusiasm as downing a dirty pint and then went back to sleep. Some weekend.

I’m looking forward to this coming week though, hopefully my package from home will arrive (I check our pigeon hole for the Post Office slip in vain every day), and on Wednesday we’re having a Halloween themed day with the kids at Injabulo! We've been collecting apples for apple bobbing, oranges for drawing pumpkin faces on, printed off Halloween masks, ghosts and gravestones and we’re going to cover the windows with black bin bags! Unfortunately we’re not too sure that the kids will understand what is happening, even though it is apparent that there’s a lot of superstition over witchcraft in Africa, no one actually seems to have heard of Halloween. Aunty Rose assured us that she understood... “I know Halloween, when the children’s all do a play, yes. I know I know!” We’re pretty sure that she doesn't understand, and I think she’s going on about a Christmas Nativity... so it looks like it’s time to introduce some Swazi’s to the concept of Halloween! 

This currently includes Ashley putting on the masks we printed off for the kids, calling hostel girls to her room and scaring the crap out of them. It’s pretty damn funny, and we've already had one girl drop her carton of juice all over the floor only to end up down there herself milliseconds after!

Trick or Treat

Kate xx