Insomnia

I have a history of insomnia but in general I sleep better in Nigeria than back home. (At night when the power is out, there isn't a whole lot to do so I might as well sleep.) Of course, there is an exception to every rule and tonight I could not sleep. I woke up several times in the night and I just couldn't stay asleep. I think it might be because of the heat. Lately it has been so hot and it is hard to get comfortable when I wake up drenched in sweat. Oh well. I was planning on getting up soon any way. Once or twice a week I have been going with the nuns to daily mass and we leave at quarter to six when it is still dark outside. So even with a flashlight, I stumble drunkenly around in the deep ruts in the road. Still I like going because it gives me an excuse to leave the compound.

Have a good morning or night depending on where you are in the world.

Mmiri

Water. Mmiri. H2O. Aqua. When you don't have water, it's hard to get water off your mind. I was working today and all of the sudden I stopped and thought, I don't have water to flush the toilet. The worst part was that we didn't know when water was coming. How many days would I have to go without showering? I don't mind roughing it when there is an end in sight, but there are no guarantees here.

We ran out of drinking water today, so Bernie and I walked to a Pure water factory. Around Nigeria there are Pure water factories that purify water and put it in a little bag. So instead of buying bottled water, most people buy a bag for 2 or 3 cents. It turns out that the owners of the factory have a son in Bernie's class, so they gave us two cases for free and we bought two more. So it was nice not worrying about drinking or cooking but that water wasn't for showering.

I had given up on the possibility of showering tonight when I went down to dinner. But to my surprise, the water truck arrived at eight o'clock tonight. I was practically giddy when I heard the sound of splashing water. It is such a relief to drink an entire glass of water without thinking about what else that water could be used for. Tonight I will be able to scrub myself head to toe, flush the toilet, wash the floor, and finally chug an entire bottle of water just because I can.

Where has all the water gone?

We are getting dangerously low on water. Saturday we finally emptied the cistern and distributed the water throughout the house, in bathrooms and the kitchen. We called the water guy and arranged to buy a tanker of water. In typical Nigerian fashion, he promised that he would be here first thing Monday morning and he still hasn't delivered. So I think I am down to a bucket and a half of water in my bathroom. Oh and since this was the last dregs of the cistern, the water is full of little floating flotsam. I put off doing laundry on Saturday since the water was low. I have one more clean shirt and after that I will have to break out the Fabreeze. Tonight we tried to conserve as much water as possible doing dishes. I am not sure how much drinking water we have left and I really don't want to know. So tonight I am going to do a rain dance and then pray that the water man shows tomorrow.

If we don't get water soon, things could get really smelly.

Assessment Week

This week is the second round of assessments at the school. In some ways, it is nice because regular classes are canceled so I don't have to come up with lesson plans. In some ways, it sucks because my normal routine is shot and I am having trouble keeping busy. Yesterday I spent the entire morning typing up test questions for other teachers. Today I started typing up a record of all the text books and library books the school owns. I made it through the first 160 entries and decided it was time to look for different work. I finished the morning in the office, filing receipts from the last six months.

Even though it is Assessment Week, I am still tutoring students in the afternoons. Yesterday I worked with my three boys from the Nursery section. The boys are five or six years old and we practice reading and writing the alphabet. In the last week I noticed that they are improving slowly but surely. I was ecstatic when they remembered how to spell boy from last week, repetition really pays off. My boys are really cute but sometimes they can be a handful.

Today I worked with Princess, who is probably eight or nine. Princess has both physical and learning disabilities but she is a sweet, shy kid. Once again, we started with writing and ended with stories. Princess struggles with simple flashcards so reading a book is out of the question. So today I read her a couple stories including one of my favorites, Curious George Rides a Bike. Princess sat quietly absorbing the story and it wasn't until I asked if we should read another book that I realized how excited she was. Princess cannot read but she has good verbal comprehension. I think I might start reading her installments of chapter books.

Orion

I have always been fascinated by the night sky. Some of my favorite memories of college were the times we would drive out in the country, find an empty corn field, and just stare at the stars. We would lie on top of Luke's car and watch for falling stars (I think the record was 17 in one night). Western Illinois is a pretty rural area and we could easily make out the Milky Way and countless constellations. But my favorite constellation has always been Orion. Orion can actually be seen anywhere on Earth, depending on the time of year. I find it comforting that I will always be able to see Orion, no matter where I go. So it has become my nightly ritual that after dinner I stop in the courtyard and look for Orion. Today I was disappointed to only find one solitary star in the sky. I blame the dust, which has been horrible lately. Have I mentioned that I just love that gritty taste the dust leaves in my mouth? This morning a blanket of dust settled over the area and visibility was low. No wonder I can't make out much of anything tonight. Still, most nights (especially when NEPA isn't working) the sky is clear and I enjoy watching the stars. It may sound stupid to people back home but I am enjoying life's simple pleasures.