I've got WHAT??!

So, for the last week or two i've been getting headaches, stomach pains and feeling run-down, which I thought was just due to the hours in the pool and the carb-loaded kenyan food. Alas, yesterday I couldn't get in the water without feeling like spewing over the little kiddies, so went back to the house to rest. As i'm living with a doctor and his family now (Njery's new house was a little crowded), he told me to come to his clinic and get checked out. One minute I was getting blood tests, next he was telling me I had malaria and needed to get treatment asap. I don't know about you guys but I thought malaria was when you were on deaths doorstep with a fever, chills and various liquids coming out of various orifices. So when he told me I had it, I was very surprised and a little scared. I had been taking my weekly anti-malaria tablets so not sure how I got it. Apparently there are different strains of the parasite and the one I got (from those damn mozzies at night) isn't the severe brain-infected one. So lucky for that. So with a butt-full of needle jabs and enough pills to start up a pharmecutical business, I'm at home today resting and hopefully i'll be back to normal on Monday.

My new homestay
I miss living with Njery and the kids a lot, but I like the Carey's house. I have a room (and ensuite) to myself and there is running water and electricity. First night I got eaten alive by mozzies, even through the mosquito bed net. I think they had been previously trapped in the net from the last guest, now the hungry suckers were eager to feast on me. All night long. Mary the housekeeper is delightful and the three children are great to hang with. They have a tv, and we watch Eva Luna (a spanish soap opera with english dubbing) which is hilarious, as well as Tusker Fame 5, a reality show which is a cross between Big Brother and Australian Idol.

Swimming-project recap:
The time is going by so fast. I'm working on a Teaching Folder for the coaches and future volunteers to use, with information on the schools, coaches, tips on how to teach the large groups, and how to teach the various strokes. I am also looking around for a sturdy fibre-glass/plastic table, which combined with lead or concrete weights would make a decent platform for the little kids to stand on in the water. I think it would make teaching without arm-floaties more effective too. I also grabbed an un-used plastic pipe from around the pool and used it to teach kicking to 4-5 children at a time in the water (they hold on and I support them while they kick accross the pool). It works pretty well.

Valuable Lessons I've Learned From This Project So Far:

• How to take a group of 40 screaming kids and not stress. If you take away the impossible task of teaching every child individually and do lots of group exercises makes it easier. Make swimming fun, not a chore.
  
• How to get past language barriers. Simplifying lessons into actions they can see, and rewarding their good efforts and behaviour (I use the 'thumbs-up" a lot!).
  
• Communicating with the people around you, like the teachers and coaches and lifeguards. Sometimes you need to be the organiser if no-one else is going to do it. If everyone knows what is happening and there is a plan, things go so much smoother.
  
• Realising that people have different styles of teaching. Just because it isn't 'your way' doesn't mean it is bad. Except for throwing little children into the pool and telling them to kick kick. That's just never good. Will explain that interesting story later.
  
• Even if I get through to just one child and i've helped them to love swimming, i've done something. I can't keep thinking I have to turn every kenyan child into an olympic swimmer! Just give them the skills to be safe!
  

Ok, going to lie down now and read a book (I do that A LOT over here..)

Cheers,
Beth