The Shim Family Adventures: Rafiki

Sad children all getting in to bed tonight as they bid farewell to their adopted Aunty S. She has been such a lovely unexpected addition to this adventure and they all feel bereft that she flies back to the UK tomorrow. She has medical school interviews to get back for so lots of excitement in store but we shall miss all her hours of playing with the children and the lovely feeling of having someone for them to escape to when the company of sisters become too much.
It is one of the great joys of this trip, all the new friends we are making, some just to enjoy for the here and now, others to stay in touch with. The family we met over Christmas, whom we are going to visit in Arusha, another who we met at Peponi who are linking us in to the expat community in Tanga, the medical students coming for electives here in Muheza.
It certainly makes such a difference as a parent to have another adult to distract/cajole/entertain when you yourself have run out of patience/trying to cook supper/mediate sibling bickerings.
The Australian students leave too this week, and though we were away for 2 of their 4 week stay we have loved more playmates, and the impetus that others exploring, what are now familiar surrounds, brings. We have had a fun weekend, with 2 days in Tanga checking out a new swimming pool we had been recommended at the Tanga Beach Resort (although no beach). A far more enticing pool than the tired Mkonge Hotel with plenty of shady surrounds for us to spread out across. We discovered a whole row of scantily clad wazungu girls being admired by the pool attendants, whom on further enquiry turned out to be nursing students from Norway. We also tried out the spa - why would you not when there are 3 lovely Australians babysitting in the pool! Best pedicure I've ever had (totally self indulgent) - I am contemplating booking all the children in the week of our departure and asking the lady to apply the same level of scrubbing all over - my feet have never been so clean!
We started the weekend off with the hospital party. Official invitations were issued the day before and we were all included in the celebrations for the results of the recent hospital inspection (for which they received 5*). Everyone, from the hospital car drivers and mortuary boys up to the hospital superintendent were resplendent in their finest clothes (I was resoundingly underdressed). They certainly know how to party, with almost the complete reverse of the typical schedule we would expect at a works party from home. We were issued our drinks tokens, with which everyone collects their entire allocation of drinks for the evening. The dancing then immediately kicked off, interspersed with speeches and awards and then finally dinner (at about 11pm), after which there is a mass exodus. The girls initially eyed the large hall filled with tables and grown ups with despair, but we were all soon enjoying our attempts to join the group dancing.
I feel like the fast forward button has been pressed, and I am whizzing through the full range of emotions that every day here brings. From calm conclusion that I would happily home school 2 children, between tending to the dying and training the junior doctors; through frustration at said children refusing to do any of the work I had carefully planned and inevitably requiring completely different input at the same time; deciding that I shall go mad if they are at home all day every day, disappointment with the girl suggested for home tutoring; trauma at trying to get them to have another go at school...………..at least the trials and tribulations of daily life at home in the UK will feel less insurmountable.
We will be half way through next week. Wondering if I will achieve Nirvana on the schooling front before we leave. Need to catch up on all my photos: a few highlights from the last few weeks below...