(written a few days ago. Just go with it).
This weekend has definitely been a busy one. It was strangely relaxing, but non-stop the entire time.
Friday night, the American School in Maputo brought their theater class to Waterford to perform two student pieces. They were incredibly well done, the first being a spin on the Genesis story in the style of ancient Greek theater, with a leader and chorus and all that. The second was one of those “lots-of-Shakespeare-in-a-short-time” bits, which tend to get overdone, but it was very well carried out, and we were all dying with laughter by the end.
After that, I had rehearsal for the theater performance that I’m in, which debuts next week. Nothing particularly exciting to write about, as it’s just rehearsal, but it definitely keeps me busy.
Saturday, I went to town in the morning to buy sandals with the gift cards that were my prizes from the public speaking competition last weekend. I also wound up buying a phone, because I have a link grandma (more to come on that) and keeping in touch with her was hard without it, as she doesn’t have a computer. Phones in Swaziland are surprisingly simple to buy, because you just have to buy the phone, and a SIM card, but there’s no contract or anything. It’s all pay-as-you-go, so you just buy airtime as you need it.
Saturday night, I went to another theater performance by two of the IB2’s here at Waterford. It was really abstract, but definitely fascinating to watch. It was a really great performance, and they’re actually taking the play to the Grahamstown Arts Festival in South Africa in a few months.
After that, we went out onto the field to listen to music, dance, and look at the stars. We chilled out there until later that night, when it was “Earth Hour,” meaning they cut the power to campus to save electricity, and so everyone went to the assembly hall for some performances for the hour. Some of them were okay, and some of them were really good. A girl from Germany performed on the recorder, which was really cool. It’s not that she was extraordinarily better at music than the rest of the world, it’s just that she was pretty good at the recorder, which is an instrument usually abandoned after third grade music, so it was cool to hear some actual skills on it.
Sunday, I woke up early to do laundry, and texted my link grandma about Easter break.
Okay, I guess here is where I should explain link families. Students at Waterford can request to have a link family if they live far away, and can’t go home very often, like me! It’s essentially a home away from home, if you want to get off campus for the weekend, or need a place to stay for a long weekend, or just want an actual meal once in a while.
Anyways, my link family is a self-described “ancient” Irish woman who lives outside of Mbabane. Long story short, I’m staying with her for Easter break, and I met her this morning for lunch. She’s such a cool woman, and I’m really grateful to have her as my link grandma. I don’t think that I stopped smiling all morning, it was just so wonderful!
After lunch, I came back to school, and lifeguarded at the pool for a few hours. IB students can swim on their own in groups of three, but the younger kids can’t without supervision, so I supervise the pool sometimes on weekends so that they can swim. It’s pretty chilled, and a nice excuse to sit at the pool for a few hours.
Later on Sunday night, I had dress rehearsal for this theater production. I think I’ve enjoyed being in the play and all, but I’m going to be excited when rehearsals are over, just because they eat my time. I’m thinking of joining the slam poetry club here at school, which I can do just as soon as these rehearsals are over. Also, I had to grow out my hair for the play, and while it’s not too bad, I’m looking forward to going back to the much lower maintenance buzz-cut.
Anyways, definitely an exciting week, and definitely an exciting week coming up! And then after all of that, I get to spend the long weekend with probably the coolest link grandma in existence! :)
This weekend has definitely been a busy one. It was strangely relaxing, but non-stop the entire time.
Friday night, the American School in Maputo brought their theater class to Waterford to perform two student pieces. They were incredibly well done, the first being a spin on the Genesis story in the style of ancient Greek theater, with a leader and chorus and all that. The second was one of those “lots-of-Shakespeare-in-a-short-time” bits, which tend to get overdone, but it was very well carried out, and we were all dying with laughter by the end.
After that, I had rehearsal for the theater performance that I’m in, which debuts next week. Nothing particularly exciting to write about, as it’s just rehearsal, but it definitely keeps me busy.
Saturday, I went to town in the morning to buy sandals with the gift cards that were my prizes from the public speaking competition last weekend. I also wound up buying a phone, because I have a link grandma (more to come on that) and keeping in touch with her was hard without it, as she doesn’t have a computer. Phones in Swaziland are surprisingly simple to buy, because you just have to buy the phone, and a SIM card, but there’s no contract or anything. It’s all pay-as-you-go, so you just buy airtime as you need it.
Saturday night, I went to another theater performance by two of the IB2’s here at Waterford. It was really abstract, but definitely fascinating to watch. It was a really great performance, and they’re actually taking the play to the Grahamstown Arts Festival in South Africa in a few months.
After that, we went out onto the field to listen to music, dance, and look at the stars. We chilled out there until later that night, when it was “Earth Hour,” meaning they cut the power to campus to save electricity, and so everyone went to the assembly hall for some performances for the hour. Some of them were okay, and some of them were really good. A girl from Germany performed on the recorder, which was really cool. It’s not that she was extraordinarily better at music than the rest of the world, it’s just that she was pretty good at the recorder, which is an instrument usually abandoned after third grade music, so it was cool to hear some actual skills on it.
Sunday, I woke up early to do laundry, and texted my link grandma about Easter break.
Okay, I guess here is where I should explain link families. Students at Waterford can request to have a link family if they live far away, and can’t go home very often, like me! It’s essentially a home away from home, if you want to get off campus for the weekend, or need a place to stay for a long weekend, or just want an actual meal once in a while.
Anyways, my link family is a self-described “ancient” Irish woman who lives outside of Mbabane. Long story short, I’m staying with her for Easter break, and I met her this morning for lunch. She’s such a cool woman, and I’m really grateful to have her as my link grandma. I don’t think that I stopped smiling all morning, it was just so wonderful!
After lunch, I came back to school, and lifeguarded at the pool for a few hours. IB students can swim on their own in groups of three, but the younger kids can’t without supervision, so I supervise the pool sometimes on weekends so that they can swim. It’s pretty chilled, and a nice excuse to sit at the pool for a few hours.
Later on Sunday night, I had dress rehearsal for this theater production. I think I’ve enjoyed being in the play and all, but I’m going to be excited when rehearsals are over, just because they eat my time. I’m thinking of joining the slam poetry club here at school, which I can do just as soon as these rehearsals are over. Also, I had to grow out my hair for the play, and while it’s not too bad, I’m looking forward to going back to the much lower maintenance buzz-cut.
Anyways, definitely an exciting week, and definitely an exciting week coming up! And then after all of that, I get to spend the long weekend with probably the coolest link grandma in existence! :)
Hi Diana,
ReplyDeleteFirstly may I say how informative and interesting your blog is - I have thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
I've been nominated by the 'UWC National Committee of Great Britain' to attend 'Waterford Kamhlaba' in January 2014. If you have time to contact me on lloydantrobus@rocketmail.com or via Facebook - Lloyd Antrobus (photo with myself and an elephant) I would be ever so grateful. I just have a few questions about life in Swaziland and at 'UWC Waterford Kamhlaba'.
Thank you very much,
Lloyd
('1')
Thanks so much, and congrats on the nomination! I'll get in touch with you!
ReplyDelete