I had an incredible birthday yesterday!! My day started with being woken up by text message birthday wishes, but without meaning to, I turned my phone off and went back to sleep. I find that really easy to do on this phone – it is ridiculous how often I find my phone off! At 11 I headed to the school to see Mr. Nickolas, in the start of our 4th year together. We were baking back to school cookies, and of course, I brought some games to play in between. He pretty much did all the 'work' this time. I turned the oven on, but he was in charge of putting the cookies in when the light went off and taking them out when I declared that time was up. He read the instructions and everything. He is getting so big! Sometimes I forget that he is in Grade 5. He asked me how long I would be his friend for. I tried to explain that technically the program we are in ends when he finishes grade 7. He looked so sad! I told him that I was pretty sure (and I am pretty sure, I wasn't just making stuff up!) that I thought that as long as we were both still in town (I said that in every thing), there is an option to carry onto to the traditional program when he outgrows the in school program. The difference would be that it would be in the community not at the school. I know there was talk of this program, But I think I also heard that it hadn't been a huge success. At any rate, I don't really plan to be here by then, I just didn't have the heart to tell him that yesterday, especially when I don't know for sure what I am doing. He also looked so sad when I told him that I was going back to Africa. I promised it would be for less time than last year (it is), and then I promised him a cool present from Africa. He smiled at that, but still. How special is this relationship? Obviously, I mean a lot to him. It is a common theme in my life that I love and thrive off of being someone special to those I care about. I thrive off of helping people. I told my counselor yesterday that I think I like hanging out with children more than adults because you know the relationship is special, and you know that you are having an effect on their lives. With adults, you know they care, but we often don't tell people how much we need or love them. The words “I love you” are almost so common in this society. I say them all the time, but I mean them – I love everyone, and every time I say it, it is because they have done something to make me feel the need to remind them how much I care about them!
Anyways, I got totally sidetracked in that! Nickolas and I baked cookies, and he made me laugh so hard. We are at a stage where we can “tease” each other a little. We burnt one batch of cookies, and blame each other! He said it was my fault because I didn't let him take them out when they were still gooey! Brat! Hehehehe. He is such a cute kid. We only have 4 more meetings this year – he wants to bake for them all. I said no, but that we would definitely bake again. He wants to make jello. I said I would look into how to make jello shapes out of the cookie cutters I bought last year to make Africa cookies. But, even if we just make a pan of jello, that would be fun for him. Then he can share it with his class still, because I do not want jello! I think I will find us a craft again – maybe something do to with Africa again too, I am not sure yet. Next week I think we are just going to find something to do – outside, on the computer, or out of the activity box.
I think this year when I travel, I will do the “email pen pal” idea instead of the mailed version. Then I can send him real updates of my life in Africa. I enjoy that I can stay in touch with him so easily while I am away, even if he never writes back. I am trying to decide if I want to send Nathaniel a post card or something, so he knows I haven't forgotten about him too. I have a Christmas present for both (a bar of soap (homemade) with a grow-a-spiderman inside. Both boys love Spiderman!) which I think I will probably give to them in January when I see them. I am hoping to see Nickolas for the one week before school starts.
Have I told you about school lately? They misread my application and thought that I lived in Vancouver and wanted me to come in for an interview last week. Then they called me and told me that I didn't live in Vancouver like they thought. They are supposed to call me before I leave – I was sure to give them the date I am leaving the country – to do an over the phone interview. If I haven't heard from them by the end of next week, I will give them a shout. When I was talking to the lady it didn't really sound like it would be a problem to get into the program – I am not sure what the interview is about though. The one that was held in Vancouver last week was a group interview. She also commented on how early I had applied for January, which was when I told her I was leaving the country in November so, it wasn't really early for my situation.
I am avoiding calling the church, and I am not sure why. I have thought about it, I have looked up their phone number, but I have not made the call. Right now, I don't feel like doing it I guess. I know I have to, I am just dragging my heals. I will try today. I also need to call the lady again – but it would be nice to do coffee with her after church or something! Make it a one day affair!
Wow, I am so easily sidetracked! I was going to tell you about my birthday and how amazing it felt! So, after I saw Nickolas, I headed off to the swimming pool. I only had an hour for my swim, and I barely did my 2 kms in that hour. I was a little disappointed in myself, but still felt good. After about 45 minutes, I decided I wanted to swim 2.6 kms in honour of my 26th birthday, however, that was another kilometer that was needed, and I certainly didn't have time for that! Immediately after swimming, I went down to my counseling appointment. We had a good session, it is a little odd to hear someone 'tell' you all about you, but I am getting used to it. She is pretty much just reiterating my words (but it sounds better when she says it!) and then asking why I feel the way I do about whatever situation. It is good to hear it, and almost have it justified. Not justified in a bad, self-preserving way, but in a now that you know the 'problem' you can work on changing it kind of justified. I am sorry that I only have such a short time with this counselor, I think her and I could get far, but she is only at the clinic until December. However, we still have four more weeks to cover my issues.
After counseling, I headed home to start dinner. Joel came down for dinner – he said he hadn't eaten a real meal since the last time we fed him! Him, mom and I had a great dinner, and then we all had to leave: Mom off to the gym, Joel off to do homework, and me off to the rest of my adventures! Randy, Sam and I headed down to Third where the Concerns of Royalty were playing – it is
a band made up mostly of guys I have known since grade 8, and since they were playing on my birthday, I wanted to go see them for the first time. I had no idea what we were in for for the night, but it was a good time! I thought I had been told that Third was a bar, but it is really just a space in which local bands and other small bands from out of town play at. I was surprised to see how small it was, and a little annoyed that there were no chairs at all! The Concerns of Royalty “sound like angels but look like lawn gnomes!” (to quote another band from the evening) and I enjoyed their sound. The next band had a bigger crowd and is called the Magnificent Sevens from Manitoba. They played a completely different sound, complete with fiddles and banjos. Most of the people there had already seen this band, and they were doing a “hoe down” all over the room. I was pretty sure we were going to look as though we had been in a heavy metal mosh pit by the end the way that elbows were flying! I kept backing up as far as I could go, but I am sure the elbows kept getting closer! Almost 3/4s of the crowd were getting their rowdy dancing on! Sam and I went for a smoke on the last song, because we were pretty sure we were going to get injured, and didn't want that risk! The final performer was BA Johnson from Edmonton. He is a bit of a comedian, and he was playing his own songs. Things like “there is a deep fryer in my bedroom” and other bizarre things like that. He spent a lot of time wandering through the crowd (which had grown yet again!), untying people's shoelaces, laying on the floor, rolling onto the couch and kicking those sitting on it off.... At one point he was laying on the floor by us (we were of course at the back) and he kept sliding closer to us (with our backs to the wall). I am convinced that he was trying to look up my skirt. The first time he did this might have been a fluke, but I am pretty sure by the third time he was in our area, he was trying. It was a little uncomfortable for me, but I stayed far enough away, and I think Sam might have stepped ahead of me if he got too close. Although none of us were really expecting the show to be as it was, I know we all still had a good time!GHANA. Because I know you are waiting to hear.
I am waiting for my Visa and passport to come back, but I am sure it will be all good. I applied to go see my Sponsor Child in Ghana – they ask for three months notice, and I am really only giving them one, but 2 before I want to see the child. I sent the application in on Friday, and I did the criminal record search they wanted on Monday. That is all they need for me to go, and to pay for the costs of it of course. I hope I get to go! I want to meet Shamsudeen! But, if I don't get to this time, I hope to at some point later. I want to be his sponsor for a long time – it is only $450 a year to help him and his community get on their feet. So, if not this time, maybe next time I am in Ghana. I want to bring him a school back pack that I have being donated to me, as I don't think it will be too much to see from the point of the other children in the community. He lives up near Tamale as the top of Ghana, and Andrea has to go up there to drop off a soccer kit that was donated, so I am hoping we can travel together. The information from World Vision says that it is 850 kms from Accra!!
I have bought so many underpants! I am not buying anymore! I think that between Erin and I, $150 bucks has been spent mostly on underpants! They vary in sizes, and might still be too big for the little guys, but Canada just doesn't think that bums that little need underpants I guess! I am going to buy some more band-aids and some medical tape and things like that. But mostly, I think I am done shopping for now for them. It looks like I will have a lot of room to take back packs, and I still need to talk to Kelly about it. I am hoping to fit 15-20 bags among my stuff. As most of the orphanage children have just been equipped with backpacks, I want to give them to those kids that have become friends with the volunteers, but still get very little. I am pretty sure that Benjamin and Mawmy receive very little from us, but they are loyal to us. I want to show that I do consider these children my friends as well. We will see, I won't tell Pastor what I have until I decide what I want to do with it all. I think I might set those kids up with some underpants as well. I feel like I am going a little more practically this year, and smaller. But I really do understand that I can buy anything we need in Ghana, and I understand now that the books I wanted to bring them last time were not as practical as I wanted them to be. I am thinking that if they don't have new bowls and stuff, I will buy those as well, but that is best to buy in Ghana. I am still looking for some craft ideas which don't require a lot of thought, as my thoughts on crafts are minimal. Today I bought some wooden shapes that I will buy some paint and brushes for and we can paint them. I love dollar stores for stuff like that! Maybe I will buy some pompoms and stuff like that, and we can glue and create! Crafts are fun! I feel as though I wasn't really involved with the kids last year unless we were playing, and I want to be a little more involved this time. I want to do craft time, maybe story time. I want to help teach them a little, although maybe not in school. But that would be great practice for my upcoming course!
I think that is all I have to say today! Now I just need to convince myself to be active today – maybe I will just walk to the tanning salon and get my tan! That is still a good walk! I get cholera tomorrow and was tested for TB today. That's all I need medically!! I am so ready to go! Now, I just need to kill time until then! And the girls want to throw me “something special” before I go, I am supposed to come up with ideas for it.
Have I told you lately that I love you? Well, I sure do!
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