Sunday the 4th of November!

Today we went to meet everyone at school at 1pm. We're going to a party! One of Pastor Henry's friends was having a birthday and he invited all the children from school. We all boarded a very rickety looking school bus and drove to the venue, a chinese restaurant not far away. The tables were laid out ready for us, one teacher per table. I sat with some children from Class B and a few of Jo's kiddies. On the menu was rice, chicken, a whole fish, a strange looking soup which upon closer inspection contained various questionable looking animal parts. This was only found out after eating something and realising it didn't taste like a vegetable. After this, more food was brought out including noodles and battered prawns. One proud skill that I have gained whilst being here is being able to take apart prawns with a fork and spoon. Useful for future life I think! We were all getting full up, some of the children hadn't even eaten that much... when yet more food was brought out. Pork which was still left intact as most of a pig, although it was delicious.

I met the birthday man, named Shiva I think. He was very chatty and seemingly intelligent, as most people do not tend to slip "as Bill Shakespeare once said......" into everyday conversation. I think what he was saying was something like "As Bill Shakespeare once said, a man tired of London is tired of life" or something. Very deep and poetic. When the cake was brought out everyone gathered round and sang Happy Birthday, with a mumble in the bit where you're supposed to say "Dear (and the person's name)." We all sat back round as the cake was cut and brought to our table. A delicious sponge cake with butter icing and normal icing. Shiva had bought all the children a little gift, which he gave out individually, after each table sang happy birthday to him again. Not sure if he was lovin' it a bit too much! The kids loved getting presents though and Jo and I even got one too!

After the cake everyone was just left to enjoy themselves for a while. I was shown some "magic" involving a balancing fork and spoon and played some clapping and singing games with Abigail, who was hilarious as always. We ran back to the bus through the torrential downpour that had started while we were in the restaurant and went home to rest our full stomachs.

The food spread! :D

The magician and the amazing fork-spoon balancing trick