Water water everywhere...

Ladies and Gentlemen I finally showered! Man alive it was incredible, nice and hot and steamy. They were able to fill our water tanks so it looks like we are in the clear for water here on out. I am going to try and enjoy the privilege as much as possible because next year I shall go the entire school year without running water. I will be living in the village housing assuming the prospective new teachers follow through. Although there are the initial discomforts of no water, honeybuckets and what not, once you get used to it, which I imagine eventually I will, you can use it as an opportunity to connect more the students. Having running water seems to place me on a different plane as the students and once it is removed, I will be further away from the other teachers and closer to the kids. The teachers up here are all right and everything, however the students need someone to help them bridge the gap. As long as I am in the fortress of teachers I am unreachable, except in dire emergencies (like needing a sponsor for open gym) when the older kids would feel comfortable enough to come to teacher side of town. The teacher housing is generally overrun withlittle kids throughout all hours of daylight. Now I understand why, some of the teachers feed them and for some of the kids this is not only a huge benefit, but almost a necessity. While this helps ameliorate some of the immediate problems it does little for the long term solution. I like helping my kids out, if they are caught in a bind I do what I can to try and ease the pressures. It might make me a hypocrite but when I do it I feel like I am given a chance to build a stronger relationship with the student. The stronger the bond the stronger an impact I can have on them and maybe put some wheels in motion to get some things changed out here. I am reminded of the words from my older brother, "No one can make you do anything, you decide for yourself how to act." I cannot force these kids to listen to me and make them stop chewing or destroying their bodies through other means. I can only present a path I would choose to them, and if I am strong enough of character that they can identify themselves with me, they have the opportunity to follow. The character building, thats what I can experience out away from the teachers, away from running water. I have to admit that it was one of the sweetest things today to just wash all of that grime away, but maybe I will look into building a "maqii" or steam shack. It is intriguing the things I find myself dependent on, as more things are removed I think I gain an appreciation of the prospective newfound independence. It is 11:05 PM, foggy but daylight is still kicking around. I am hitting the hay but I shall catch you folks tomorrow.