Day nine ... To be added to during the day

Good morning ... I just have to start early today ... Fawlty Towers continues this morning ... We rise to get breakfast at 8 to find the manager agitated because it turns out that they only have chairs and tables for a maximum of ten people to eat at any one time ... It's probably because, as Miss Sampson says following our experience of yesterday, that they don't know how many rooms they have or people they can sleep! So with 29 of us we will be eating breakfast in shift ... More later on :-)

We are now at Doha ... A six hour wait until our flight to Heathrow ...

After Basil Fawlty had sorted out breakfast, we worked our way into stone town to visit a couple of shops selling local produce and a mini market to pick up snacks for the ferry. The ferry was busy but those who had not burned yesterday were able to sit outside on the front and enjoy the brisk breeze in their faces ... Very enjoyable.

Then the usual packing cases into one minibus with students in the other and heading for the air port in Dar ... Raffia was very heavy so we were an hour late for check in ... But this is Africa, so we weren't too bothered ... Once in departures we gave the students half an hour to look through the gift shops (I had warned them that they were expensive but sold nick jacks that aren't easy to find elsewhere) but most went straight to the cafe for pizza or burgers!

Now we were getting harrassed because we were the only people not on the flight so we got on with 25 minutes to go ... And we were off ... Good inflight food and attendance and here we are.

As teachers we have been thinking of some nominations for certain awards won during the trip ... The
list is as follows (haven't told the students yet, hoping they will pick it up on the blog as they have scattered to the four corners of the massive airport:
Best debater - Harriet - put herself forwards for the debate and contributed well, quickly picking up Tanzanian debating rules and expressing herself concisely and in a way that was well understood.
Best teacher - Mary - used her initiative, thought on her feet and taught very well ... One of the best pictures I have shows her at them black board doing a maths problem.
Absent without leave - James Riley - with his earphones in place, never knew where he was supposed
to be or when and was the only student to have to be woken most mornings for breakfast.
Best sports coach - Amy R - the cheers from Umonga supporters when she scored in the game against Dodoma were heard across The whole of the city
You've been tangoed award - Mike - who thought it uncool to use suntan lotion despite our best efforts so has been very sore all day!
Braver award - Zac - for his stoicism during the removal of the urchin spines.
Most unsubtle award - Holly - her Australian accent was most appreciated by students but not the
Australians sitting a row ahead on the plane ... But her laugh kept the whole plane awake!
Chivalry award - Brandon - has stepped up, holding doors, taking bags down many flights of stairs for the girls and has been a pleasure to be with ... But his dress sense with his fluorescent shorts kept many Tanzanians entertained.
Brit abroad award - Oli - its been a roller coaster ride from negativity to positivity ... But he has entertained us all with his continual banter and useful suggestions. He refused to use any Swahili in the first few days but managed to teach our Tanzanian  some phrases ... Starting off with with 'let me teach you how we speak in the black country' which we cringed at ... But Samson then called him 'cocker' for the rest of the trip.
Accomplished musicians awards - Amy Beth and Luke - setting the right tone for the camp fire, which was a very pleasant evening for all.
Best present award - Ellie - the little girl she gave the rag doll too beamed from ear to ear for the rest of the day and held the doll so tight it was great to see.

Most infectious laugh - Lilly - she kept the mood light at all times, the lack of suitcase didn't cause an
outward ripple (she was well supported by her friends) and the 'swimming down the corridor' on her suitcase at the hotel in Dar when we were all a little down about the hotel really improved everyone's outlook.
Breakdance award - Will - any opportunity to demonstrate his prowess was taken with relish ... He and Brandon challenged the local street dancers to a dance off ... And he also taught some locals '
the worm'  on the beach in Zanzibar!