Random Side Notes

The kids at the school yesterday were just as anxious to hold our hands and play with our hair…I particularly love it when an older boy walks up to one of us and touches our hair quickly.  It’s just so funny to me, because despite their age they are still intrigued by us…I just think it’s cute how shy they are about it because they are sixth or seventh grade boys, so they run up touch our hair and run away quickly so no one sees, particularly the ‘Mazungu’ whose hair they touch.  Too funny!

Also, I forgot to blog about this earlier, but the students at my school would often kick a bottle around due to lack of games and equipment.  I think it’s sad in one aspect, because the school does not have the resources to provide the students with games and such.  On the other hand, I think it is a beautiful thing to see such creative children.  In America children are wrapped up in video games and television programs, when here in Tanzania all they want to do is play and be outside, and they find fun in the smallest ways.  Often times after school we would play ring around the rosy, and even the older students had fun with this…at home sixth graders wouldn’t be caught dead playing this game.  I found myself both elated and saddened at the same time in another instance when I took a class of fourth graders outside to play.  When I asked them what they wanted to do they simply said they wanted to play ‘running’ and were thrilled when I said they could.  They merely divided into two lines, one of boys and one of girls and raced each other to the fence and back and then it was the next person in line’s turn—similar to a relay.  They all cheered each other on and had the time of their lives playing this ‘game’.  I feel like many students at home would find this game more as torture and I love that the students here find pleasure in the smallest things.  They sure are helping me to open my eyes to all that is around me.  The littlest things are taken for granted and I need to appreciate all that I have.  After all, sometimes the little things are the biggest things.