Building 1O1

Editor’s note – due to spotty wifi and busy days we are falling behind on posting. Know that all are well!

Jambo, y’all! Cla(i)re squared coming at you from the lovely BONDO! We know y’all have been anticipating for the iconic duo’s blog post, so sit back and relax while we enthuse you with what’s crack-a-lacking. 

So here’s the deal-io. Wake up call was at 7:30 am. Yes. That’s early for us, but considering yesterday, this was a slice of heaven. After our full carbed out breaky, we were off to Usenge. We were greeted by many smiles and high-fives. After a tour of the school and signing of the guest book, the opening ceremony began. Students from Class 1 through 8 (Grades 1-8) performed an assortment of songs, poems, dances and even clapping games. Not gonna lie, we were treated like celebrities. Wacko, right? We were so touched by their performances that we decided to return the favour by attempting to sing our butchered version of “Jambo Bwana”. Kinda super-duper embarrassing. 

After our gracious welcome, the building commenced This is when things go south in a sense. So basically…we all sucked and it was noticeable. Who thought building a class would be hard, right? There were many roles including mixing cement, getting water and last but definitely not least, laying the bricks (mortaring). We were standing with our little shovels in hand, surrounded by experienced men – the pressure was on. Most of the guys stuck to moving bricks and all that manly stuff, while the gals were being hawkeyed by the instructors.

Next came lunch/bathroom break(hole in the ground) and recess. During recess we got a chance to play with all of the kiddos. Duck Duck Goose, tag, jump rope, soccer, “Dance Class”, and hair patting were crowd favourites. They were ADORABLE, such an unforgettable experience! It was genuine playtime, unlike what we see nowadays back home with kids glued to their iPads.

After the recess we continued building for the rest of the afternoon, slightly more successful this time. We were worn out and looked it, too, so it was time to head back to the hotel. As soon as we arrived back in Bondo, we hit the showers and slipped on our full pieced bathing suits. A swim was much needed! Besides the fact it was a bit frosty and we were being recorded by employees, guests and locals, it was a blast. And that’s pretty much our day, folks. Claire and I are writing this in our double bed with a Bollywood soap on, so we are thriving!

Love y’all, peace out.