Last week we went to Lira to get some groceries and to use the Internet. This was the second time that I have ever gone to Lira and it’s easy for me to say that it is an awesome city! Judith, our cook, is from Lira so she came with us and showed us all over town. After we used the Internet at a way nice Internet Café, where we ate American pizza, Judith took us to her church group’s little shop where they were selling all kinds of African crafts. There were instruments, hats, pictures, and beads and beads beyond beads. The other interns and I bought a bunch of way cool naturally made things, but every one of us bought an odongo. It is a way cool instrument that is comparable to a hand harp. The kids always are playing them at the orphanage so we all decided that we wanted to learn. That means that the guesthouse has been full of beautiful plucking and strumming of cacophonous strings. At least we are trying.

            Samantha got here last Saturday and I was relieved to finally have another girl intern! She totally is connecting with all of the children and they already absolutely love her. Yesterday while she was playing soccer she slid to kick the ball. A tingling sensation began in her heal but that didn’t stop her from finishing the close game. Finally she looked down and realized that… well I guess the only way I can really explain it is… her heal fell off. It was like a giant flap of skin waving in the wind. Kind of like a massive blister, thick blister, that peeled off… good thing Samantha is one tough cookie!

            We have been introduced to some new games that the children play. One of our new favorites is called Oblada. I would say that it is a mixture between jump rope and cats cradle. They tie pieces of tires together to make a long stretchy rope. The object of the game is to jump in and out of the rope doing different patterns using your feet. It is so unbelievably tiring but a good exercise.

            Speaking of exercise, the children are getting me into such great shape. The other day we were playing in the rain, dancing and jumping, when the kids told me to run. Just to run and they will follow. So I began to run. I ran for about thirty minutes straight and they just followed behind me laughing the whole time. I finally had to stop because I could barely breath, but I think the kids could have gone on forever. I was so tired and ready to go back to the guesthouse to rest but I should have known that the night was definitely not over. Right when we stopped running, they asked me to show them flips. Since I can never say no to children, I did a couple back flips for them. They loved them so much that they asked me to teach them how. I decided to start them at the beginning and teach them how to do back bends. Hours later, when my arms had turned to jello, I told the kids goodnight and went to bed.  If I keep this up I will be one tough cookie to!