Glakhhhhh

...that's my way of telling you I'm sick. I think everyone in town is, really, which is unfortunate because it makes people less sympathetic when I whine.

A year of doing nothing makes it pretty hard to keep up with a full schedule. This kid, Ahmed--a university student--is so gung ho about the reading competition idea that he keeps popping up and asking me if I've done things to prepare for it, then looking scornful when I haven't gotten to something yet. But, that is perfect, and I tried to tell him he's the president of the project, and I'm the vice-president, but he wouldn't have it. We're meeting tomorrow to count books and assign each one a value.

I am getting more and more anxious about the approaching Environment Day festivities (which is happening right in the middle of Reading Competition Two Weeks, good one, Annie), of which I am in charge and for which I am entirely unprepared. As for the club, Karim* apparently recruited a bunch of kids who are addicted to drugs and usually spend all day in the alley...I of course want to reach out to all demographics, but I'm apprehensive about how the dar chebab administration might react.

I also am working on preparing two days' worth of creative writing club material for the camp at the end of March. I attempted it in summer camp and it totally bombed...but now I know what NOT to do, don't I.

The new challenge that I care most about is this: the director of the dar chebab hates the kids and the kids hate him. I don't think any of them is bad and they simply misunderstand each other. I am determined to make a feel-good movie out of this!

And, update on Fadma*'s oppression. She came to the women's association with me yesterday to do aerobics. When we arrived, she got a call from her brother...who is in the army many, many hours away. And he wanted to know where she was. Apparently, his friends freaking call him when they see her out and about to update him about what she's doing (because her father passed away a long time ago and he's the only male in the family). Wow. She knows a surprising amount of swear words in English.

*I'm using different names now, take one last look at the old ones before I go back and change them all