WEIRDEST/CRAZIEST DAY OF MY LIFE, NO DOUBT

Excitement in the Bu

So it’s 8:15 a.m. on Tuesday and there is a lot of commotion in Bulembu right now. Normally at this time we would be in school, but at 10 to 6 this morning we received a phone call from Cathi-another teacher-saying that there were loads of police around and they had the workers lined up and it was thought that they might be doing a TRP check. TRP’s are the Temporary Residence Permits that you must have to work in Swaziland or to be here for longer than 3 months. I am okay without one right now because my 3 months isn’t up yet. However, my 2 roommates have been here since January and do not have TRP’s. So the way this day has gone so far has been interesting because first we got that call, but we weren’t absolutely sure about it. Then, our new principle, John, came over and said that the police had been here since 11 last night and that a convict escaped from a maximum security prison in Mozambique and the police were here searching for him. We are very close to Mozambique, only a couple of hours away from the capital, Maputo. Anyway, John said we would have school at 8 as usual…but then a few minutes later Corey showed up at the door and he had just gone up to the border and talked to the border police and found out that it was, in fact, a TRP check. Back to square one, which of course is to hide out in the house. So then we were unsure whether or not we would be having school at all or just postponing. Then John returned again later and said that we would probably have school at 11, so long as the police were gone by then. We don’t know how long the police will be here though. We also don’t know if they’ll come door to door or not. So now we are just hiding out and waiting for John to come with the newest info. I think the worst that would happen is deportation. I’m not sure if they also would give a fine or something though. Who knows. Hopefully it will all pass. We have prayed about it this morning. I think it will be completely fine.
What else is going on? Oh, Brian left yesterday. He’s on his way back to America now. We will all miss him. He’s the best volleyball player!!! Plus he’s the only guy around that cooks. He’s a really good cook too. He made some cheesecake a few weeks back that was fantastic. We had a get together/going away thing for him Sunday night at our house. My South Korean roommate, Jo, was cooking him dinner because he wanted her delicious Korean food (she’s amazing). So it ended up being the feeding of the 5,000 because first she said she only was cooking for him and another guy, but then she invited several Swazi friends over, plus we had invited the other interns and people to hang out. We meant for them to all come after dinner, but everyone wanted her Korean food because it’s always so stinkin’ wonderful. So we ended up feeding about 13 people, I believe. We were worried and decided to make some pasta as well because we didn’t think there would be enough, but there actually was plenty…even some leftovers. Didn’t end up making the pasta at all. God always provides. It was cool. And then somehow there ended up being 20 people in our living room!! That’s the most ever. So we were all hanging out chatting and everything…and then Kara and I somehow decided we should turn the living room into a disco and have a dance party. So we pushed the couches back and shut off the lights and she used a flashlight as a strobe light…and we blasted some dance music from the old school and had ourselves a little party. It was hilarious!! The guys were the only ones dancing for so long, which was pretty funny. One Swazi guy, Sparky, loves to dance!!! He was entertaining to watch. But I guess we all joined in at some point. It was great fun. Then after some people cleared out we decided to play Hearts. There were about 10 of us. It’s Brian’s fave card game. We’ve been playing it a lot lately. So, needless to say, I set a new record of bedtime on a school night. I normally go to bed at 9:30-10:30 depending (because I get up around 5:30 usually), but I actually didn’t go til almost 12:30, which was shocking to some people. Brian could hardly believe it, haha, but it was a special occasion. Monday I was so tired all day though!! And then we ended up being at the school from 7:45 until 6:30 with less than a half hour break to run home and grab food at 1:30. That was a first. It’s because our new principle just returned from a training program regarding our school/curriculum for next year and we needed to start these diagnostic tests yesterday and then mark them and everything…plus have a meeting. We are down to the last few days of school though. Only like 8 days of actual school left. Then we have our big prize giving and school play on the 1st. And on the 3rd we head to Pretoria for our training in this ACE program. Training is the 4th through 8th…then I’m going on a little road trip and I fly back to America on the 14th. I’ll be in America for around 5 weeks and then head back here for the whole year!!! Exciting stuff.

Okay now it is Wednesday and I can safely and honestly say that yesterday was the most bizarre and crazy day OF MY LIFE. But I am not able to write more now, so it will have to be continued later…