Wet Sports Day

How familiar is this? Everyone is out on the field for a Sports Day, the sky turns black and advances threateningly from the horizon towards you. Yes, it can happen here too, even when you are sitting under a tree for shade and “sweating plenty”.

This is actually Sports Week for this term. There is one each term with a different focus. All the schools abandon classes whilst everyone gathers to support their team. Today we enjoyed some excellent football and energetic running. Note most of the supporters were sitting in the goal mouth! 

Tomorrow the volley ball tournament is staged. I watched the training and team selection yesterday and it looked very promising for my adopted school. I think I’m supposed to be impartial, though. That is difficult when, yesterday, I presented some PE and maths equipment, donated by friends and my nephew, Victor, to this school. Footballs have already been given to a number of schools around Nadowli. They were delighted despite the serious faces in this photo. I have to work hard to get spontaneous smiles in photos. Also, there was a whole school observing this behind the photographer! The children pictured are stragglers from the neighbouring Kindergarten.

So, suddenly the decision was made to abandon the activities and everybody headed for home. This was the shot I took as I pedalled across the park. The sky was at least as dark as this, the blackest sky I have ever seen.

 The rain has been falling heavily for 2 hours now. Everywhere is very green and lush, unusual for this early in the wet season. Last year we hadn’t had a drop in May. Rain at night is very welcome as the temperature drops and I can sleep like a baby. The drumming on our zinc roof acts as a lullaby! I can’t say the same for the often accompanying lightning and thunder which is very exciting and shakes the walls.

Whilst I sit writing this I am wondering what the rain is doing to the dirt road between here and Daffiama, the next town east of here. I am delivering some training to 41 headteachers there on Friday and took a trip across there yesterday with my friend, Louisa, to ascertain how long the journey would take. 40 minutes it took on Michael, with the return journey reducing to half an hour. I’m still nervous on sand and grit, not to mention the deep crevasses on either side where the rain has gouged channels. It’s a bit of a slalom and I hope this deluge hasn’t deteriorated the surface further. Time will tell and I shall allow a full hour, surely time enough to walk it!!