Tuesday, April 26. This is my last official day at the orphanage before I start the second placement at the newspaper. It is a quiet day. Some of the kids are watching TV, some are washing their clothes. I play Monday, a game where you have to jump across a thread in different ways. Of course the girls are far more practiced in this, but I get better with the time. Anthony joins us, so we play Judith and Ruby versus Anthony and me. Anthony and me are not even doing too badly. It is exhausting though and the reactions become more and more heated each time somebody tries to cheat, so I am glad when we stop for lunch. I see that Nelson has some table-tennis bats and ask who he is playing with. Anthony said he is coming but obviously he is not so I go and play with Nelson. The table is a construction of four school desks and a wooden slat as a net. It works, though. Nelson is good, but I didn’t forget how to play either and beat him. I am surprised that Nelson keeps on playing. Normally he is offended when he does not win and walks away, but not this time. After a while I go and get more kids to play with us. Nicolas and John join us, two of the older boys, and Daniel, a volunteer. Nicolas and John are even better players, but I still beat them except for two rounds. They are evidently surprised. Too bad I didn’t start playing table tennis with them earlier. It is really fun. Unfortunately, the sky gets dark with clouds so I decide to leave the orphanage. It would be bad to be stuck in Ansepetu. As I walk to the road and say goodbye, it is strange. This is my last regular day at New Life. However, I am convinced that I will visit them as soon as I have the opportunity.
As it is Tuesday, we have our weekly quiz night, the meeting of all volunteers, in the evening. It is different today, however, because we are not going to have a quiz. Instead, we are going to watch a drumming and dancing performance of a group of young women and men, FODACH. One of us volunteers is dancing with them. At first, we get an introduction but the presenter is still speaking when the group starts to drum and sing. We see a dance to start the performance and welcome us, another one about cows, harvesting and the market and many more. It is impressive and we can see how demanding the dancing is. I feel a little bit awkward watching them with the weekly popcorn in my hand. After the performance, we feel it ourselves. The dancers take our hands and pull us to the front, where we now dance with them. I follow the girl who took me, try to imitate her movements and it is great. We form a circle, one of the dancers jumps in the middle, performs a move, and everybody has to try to do the same. Just after a few minutes, I feel tired. This really is hard work. But it is fun. If only I could move how they move. A group picture as a conclusion, we are invited to join the group and then it is time to say goodbye.
