Happy Day

So, I actually did write this on Wednesday but when I went to post it, I had run out of internet credit.

Today was a happy day. Today was a good day. Well mostly. I woke up around 7, made some breakfast, got dressed, cleaned up and headed into town to class. I had tuition today from 9-10 and it was the most frustrating hour of my life. I was trying to review a girl's exam with her and she just wasn't getting it. Thank goodness for that bell, I think we both felt like we were in some sort of torture. After that, I graded the other students exercises and headed off to my 11AM meeting.

I meet with a woman's group in town for Village Savings every Tuesday or Wednesday. The meetings are nice because the group is small (about 6), they are usually on time, and they understand the VSLA model pretty well now so I just kind of sit there and answer any questions they have. Today was also a special day because it was the end of our "prayer month". Last month, they wanted everyone in the group (me included) to pick someone else's name randomly and you pray for that person every day for a month and then at the end of the month you give them a present. I gave my partner a pair of earrings and I got a nice beaded headband. Smiles.

After that I had to go pick up the money for my next VSLA meeting, find some food, and then meet the other planning committee members of the business fair. We are trying to hold a business fair for May 13 for people all over the county and Nairobi. If it works out, it will be a big deal and make me very happy. If. Today we needed to register the group so that we can open a bank account and start accepting registration money. I was supposed to meet them at 1 so I had about an hour to run errands. I went to pick up the VSLA money that Josephine left for me at a photocopy place and I got scolded for having not come to say hi to them for a few weeks. I promised to do better, went and had some fries at a hoteli and then went to meet Sachiko and Moses. We walk all the way through dusty town up to the government offices area and of course we just missed the registration officer. She's off to lunch. I can't wait around for her because I'm supposed to be at my next meeting at 2. So we take the dusty road back to town and have some good conversation. Sachiko wanted to see the VSLA model so she tagged along at the next meeting, 20km away in a village Rotian. They only squished us 4 in the back of the car so I was thankful for that and the women were almost on time for the meeting. The meeting was supposed to start at 2 and most were there by 3, this is a success these days in my book. The savings and loaning process also went much more smoothly than last time and everybody left happy. Sach and I squeezed into a matatu on the way back where I sat on a sack of vegetables and she sat on a shopping bag filled with who knows what. I got back into town with Sachiko around 5, we went to Naivas (supermarket) and I splurged on some oranges and broccoli. The little things. Back in the tuk tuk on the way home, buy some eggs and kale, drop everything at home and head to my supervisors house to scan some things for the donor. On the way out I run into the kids I was supposed to meet yesterday and tried to explain to them in really bad Swahili that I didn't see them yesterday but we can draw tomorrow. Walking to the house I see some kids playing their own version of "games": rifling through burned garbage, sliding a smaller child on a sheet or coat, or just sitting throwing rocks. Resolve to play with the kids tomorrow.

I get to the house, greet everyone, scan all the documents and try to send them to the donor but of course the internet doesn't feel like working at that particular moment. Decide to wait until the night and go hang out in the living room. Watch a badly dubbed Filipino telenovela that I think I'm beginning to get hooked on. Play with my buddy Sian and head home about 7. In the two minutes it takes me to get from his house to my apartment, the electricity has gone out. Of course. And I used all of my computer battery scanning documents. Of course. Can't take a shower without the electricity so I just lay on the bed and read by booklight. After it's almost 8 and it doesn't seem like the stima is coming back anytime soon, I go make dinner in the dark (brown rice, steamed carrots, broccoli, kale and tomatoes to make up for the fries earlier), eat in the dark, still reading with the booklight. I decide to give the electricity till 10 to come back on before I give up hope of bathing today. At 9:49, I finish my book and the lights come back on. Smiles. Shower, gchat, emails, blog post. 11:49, day is done! Nite nite!