Dandruff Issues

Tuesday, Oct 8

Castlehaven

Day 35, I learn that instant coffee exists and it looks like baby rabbit turds. 

The parents' coffee ran out at Castlehaven today and I, thinking that if I have trouble making coffee and home, I must not even attempt to make it here, in the land where coffee and tea transfusions occur daily.

I then learn that these coffee turds just dissolve in hot water- no filters involved. I brushed off this lapse of knowledge with a shrug and "Psh...American..." And received laughs. When in doubt, throw in a dumb American joke and it will fly sky high.

I also met Tania at Castlehaven today, a 17 year-old former volunteer. She just returned from a two month holiday in Bangladesh where much of her family lives and where she was recently married. Repeat? 17 year-old recently married. 17 GALS!!!!!

I asked her if it's typical to get married so young in Bangladeshian families and she said yes, that it's encouraged so that girls are able to adapt to their husbands' habits over time. I was raised much differently, clearly, and I was almost too appalled to reply but thank god I reserved my liberal mindset for two minutes and was allowed to just listen. I would never meet someone like her back home, and I feel like meeting her is why I'm here. She is the most respectful and creative person; she showed me her stories that she publishes via this app called Wattpad and she is so cool. 

And cool things happen later in the day. Jenny and I venture to the Foundling museum to meet the rest of our Child Psychology class. And our tour guide's name was Linda King- my beautiful aunt?!??!!? No, not the same Linda King, unfortunately. But LK #2 did know her stuff about London's foundlings, abandoned children who were stripped of their original names upon acceptance to the Foundling Hospital, and were given names such as:

William Shakespeare

Robert Lovely

Julius Caesar

many Dickens' characters

and

A Female Child

That last name is completely serious. Hopefully that female child gained a decent, more humanized and soulful name in short time. 

Billy Elliot tonight!!!! Kendall, Jenny, and I sat in the second row and saw spit, almost died of smoke machine smoke inhalation (during the most beautiful scene where the younger and older Billy perform together), and learned that we have some serious dandruff issues during the 5+ minute Christmas/snowfall scenes. It was amazing.

Thursday, Oct 10

Castlehaven

Youth Club

It's cooking night so Jordan pours milk into Coco Pops as I try to apply a classic Schneider card game upon various members.