Monday, March 21, 2011
March 4th
Christina is back! I was getting very worried; I’ve been asking my neighbors every day for news about her condition and when she might be home. Every response was inconclusive and occasionally very scary. This afternoon, a little girl sombrely came up to my house and told me that the neighbor needed to speak to me about Christina, it was serious. My heart almost fell out of my stomach as I walked next door but once I sat I was told she would be coming home and just needed some financial help. Unfortunately I was unable to accommodate, but within an hour Christina was back and sitting on my couch, telling me she was still weak but feeling much better, happy to see the two faces of her beautiful children.
March 2nd
Funeral
Today was the day of Dona Joana’s funeral. It was for the most part what I expected, very much like a funeral in the states. After teaching two classes in the morning, we went to her house for the ceremony. I arrive just as they started singing and speaking. The men and women seemed to be separated again, and it was the women who did the singing. A priest spoke for a bit in Changana, and then Dona Joana’s casket was brought out. People came up to her and spoke a bit, and the entire crowd broke into tears as her eldest daughter spoke. The top of the casket was folded down and people walked past, viewing the body, and spraying her face with some sort of mist. Because I was myself (I arrived without the other teachers) I didn’t feel comfortable elbowing my way through the crown to view the body. After the whole crowd, including many students, passed by, the crowd piled into about 20 cars (in the backs of trucks) and drove to the cemetery. I walked along with many other students and teachers. Once at the cemetery I stood back in the shade so I couldn’t see or hear exactly what was happening, but I can only assume more reading, singing, and lowering the casket into the ground. Plants and flowers were handed out to some people in the crowd to decorate the grave after it was covered. As we all left the cemetery I realized how many people were gathered it had to be close to 300. As I walked away I could see a sea of people in both directions. It was very impressive. I guess many people went back to her house afterwards and they were told how she died and what from, but I didn’t feel the need. All in all it was a very pleasant ceremony. Joana obviously affected many peoples’ lives and she will be missed greatly.
Today was the day of Dona Joana’s funeral. It was for the most part what I expected, very much like a funeral in the states. After teaching two classes in the morning, we went to her house for the ceremony. I arrive just as they started singing and speaking. The men and women seemed to be separated again, and it was the women who did the singing. A priest spoke for a bit in Changana, and then Dona Joana’s casket was brought out. People came up to her and spoke a bit, and the entire crowd broke into tears as her eldest daughter spoke. The top of the casket was folded down and people walked past, viewing the body, and spraying her face with some sort of mist. Because I was myself (I arrived without the other teachers) I didn’t feel comfortable elbowing my way through the crown to view the body. After the whole crowd, including many students, passed by, the crowd piled into about 20 cars (in the backs of trucks) and drove to the cemetery. I walked along with many other students and teachers. Once at the cemetery I stood back in the shade so I couldn’t see or hear exactly what was happening, but I can only assume more reading, singing, and lowering the casket into the ground. Plants and flowers were handed out to some people in the crowd to decorate the grave after it was covered. As we all left the cemetery I realized how many people were gathered it had to be close to 300. As I walked away I could see a sea of people in both directions. It was very impressive. I guess many people went back to her house afterwards and they were told how she died and what from, but I didn’t feel the need. All in all it was a very pleasant ceremony. Joana obviously affected many peoples’ lives and she will be missed greatly.
Feb 10th
Teaching 9 difference turmas three times a week each can get dizzying. I forget which kids are in which class (I have at least 50 students per turma) or which class has finished which lessons (even though I write it all down). Sometimes I write something on the board, turn around, and ask the students if we’ve already done this lesson before. It wasn’t until 20 minutes into my 5th lesson today that I realized I was in the wrong class. I asked the class “Is it time for English?” “No teacher, it’s physics.” Well, none of them seemed to care that I’d taught for 20 mins and the physics teacher never came in to stop me so I kept on going.
Feb 8th
GOING NATIVE!!
Wow, so here’s my embarrassing moment of the day/ week (year? It’s still only February). So after finished doing a little yoga at my house after school, to decompress a bit from yelling at children all morning, I went outside to get some water to take a shower. Usually there’s a big line at the pump but today I was alone. It was actually kind of nice because I didn’t have to convince anyone I’m capable of pumping and carrying my own water. Anyways, I fill my 20 litre bucket and place it nicely on my head. It’s a bit heavy so I needed two hands to hold it up... Yeah, so I start walking back to my house, which honestly isn’t too far away, and I felt my shirt slipping. Nobody was around so I figured I could walk fast enough before I showed a bit too much... I was wrong. People turned the corner when I was only 20 feet from my front door. I had two options: drop the bucket and fix my top, or let it go. I’m lazy and I really didn’t want to have to pump another 20 litres. I’m in Africa, right?! Yeah, I’m glad I haven’t seen any of those neighbors again since... I think they got a little more of a show than they were prepared for.
Wow, so here’s my embarrassing moment of the day/ week (year? It’s still only February). So after finished doing a little yoga at my house after school, to decompress a bit from yelling at children all morning, I went outside to get some water to take a shower. Usually there’s a big line at the pump but today I was alone. It was actually kind of nice because I didn’t have to convince anyone I’m capable of pumping and carrying my own water. Anyways, I fill my 20 litre bucket and place it nicely on my head. It’s a bit heavy so I needed two hands to hold it up... Yeah, so I start walking back to my house, which honestly isn’t too far away, and I felt my shirt slipping. Nobody was around so I figured I could walk fast enough before I showed a bit too much... I was wrong. People turned the corner when I was only 20 feet from my front door. I had two options: drop the bucket and fix my top, or let it go. I’m lazy and I really didn’t want to have to pump another 20 litres. I’m in Africa, right?! Yeah, I’m glad I haven’t seen any of those neighbors again since... I think they got a little more of a show than they were prepared for.
Feb 7th
I feel like life at site is finally getting back to normal. At least getting back to what I feel comfortable with. I’m teaching on a regular basis, lesson planning almost constantly, drawing with the neighbour kids, cooking at least one meal a day, feeling like I actually have time to sit if that’s all I want to do... My classes are getting a little more comfortable; I’m starting to figure out about how fast each class can move so I’m able to pace myself.
On Friday I decided that not only my students but I also needed a bit of a break. I taught them the lyrics to “Hello, Goodbye” by The Beatles. It was fantastic!! They got so into it. We’ve been learning greetings in class, so when they heard them used in a song they got so excited. “Again Teacher, again!” When I would leave and start teaching another class, students would come stand at the windows and sing while the other kids were learning. It was refreshing to have to much classroom participation and enthusiasm for once this year. Also, today, when I came to school I heard students singing the song, without any prompting from me. It sounded like not only they’d remembered the lyrics but had actually practiced! Now, my mission is to come up with an entire year’s curriculum teaching solely through song. Genius! So, your homework as good blog readers, think of songs that have basic vocabulary and are relatively easy to understand, and email me!!!
This weekend was a pretty great weekend. Even though I missed a few volunteer birthday parties, the superbowl get together, and a REDES exchange up in Inhanbane, I relaxed, played, talked, planned, and got creative. I bought a bed (FINALLY!!). It’s not actually that great but it beats sleeping on a straw mat stretched over metal springs. I got a few neighbor boys together and collected sticks to make a shoe rack. They were more than confused on what was going on, sticks being held together with dental floss (no, they have no idea what dental floss actually is), but in the end they saw the whole picture. A heard a few of them say they were going to try and recreate it at their house. I planned three weeks worth of English lessons, which for me, Miss Procrastination, is a HUGE help. I met some amazing Zimbabweans who I look forward to seeing again in the future.
And I talked to one of my counterparts, Prof Silvino, about how Peace Corps has impacted his life. We were talking about what he was suppose to be teaching; Idols. He said “you mean singers?” I explained what an Idol was, and asked him who his was. His answer was Dillon, from Boston. He was a Peace Corps Volunteer at a teaching school in Xai Xai a few years back. Silvino said the way he taught, how he connected to his students, how confident he was, and how generous he was really made an impression. I spoke to another one of my students, Moises, about how Peace Corps has affected his life. He had a teacher Emily, also in Xai Xai, who helped him apply for the American Leadership Academy. He was one of the 100 finalists in all of Africa. He was so proud; it showed him that if he really tried he could accomplish a lot. I don’t know Dillon or Emily, but if I did, I’d tell them even though you may not have noticed the impact you had on a community, I can see it, and you have changed lives. Thank you. Hopefully I’m making a difference for at least a few people also.
On Friday I decided that not only my students but I also needed a bit of a break. I taught them the lyrics to “Hello, Goodbye” by The Beatles. It was fantastic!! They got so into it. We’ve been learning greetings in class, so when they heard them used in a song they got so excited. “Again Teacher, again!” When I would leave and start teaching another class, students would come stand at the windows and sing while the other kids were learning. It was refreshing to have to much classroom participation and enthusiasm for once this year. Also, today, when I came to school I heard students singing the song, without any prompting from me. It sounded like not only they’d remembered the lyrics but had actually practiced! Now, my mission is to come up with an entire year’s curriculum teaching solely through song. Genius! So, your homework as good blog readers, think of songs that have basic vocabulary and are relatively easy to understand, and email me!!!
This weekend was a pretty great weekend. Even though I missed a few volunteer birthday parties, the superbowl get together, and a REDES exchange up in Inhanbane, I relaxed, played, talked, planned, and got creative. I bought a bed (FINALLY!!). It’s not actually that great but it beats sleeping on a straw mat stretched over metal springs. I got a few neighbor boys together and collected sticks to make a shoe rack. They were more than confused on what was going on, sticks being held together with dental floss (no, they have no idea what dental floss actually is), but in the end they saw the whole picture. A heard a few of them say they were going to try and recreate it at their house. I planned three weeks worth of English lessons, which for me, Miss Procrastination, is a HUGE help. I met some amazing Zimbabweans who I look forward to seeing again in the future.
And I talked to one of my counterparts, Prof Silvino, about how Peace Corps has impacted his life. We were talking about what he was suppose to be teaching; Idols. He said “you mean singers?” I explained what an Idol was, and asked him who his was. His answer was Dillon, from Boston. He was a Peace Corps Volunteer at a teaching school in Xai Xai a few years back. Silvino said the way he taught, how he connected to his students, how confident he was, and how generous he was really made an impression. I spoke to another one of my students, Moises, about how Peace Corps has affected his life. He had a teacher Emily, also in Xai Xai, who helped him apply for the American Leadership Academy. He was one of the 100 finalists in all of Africa. He was so proud; it showed him that if he really tried he could accomplish a lot. I don’t know Dillon or Emily, but if I did, I’d tell them even though you may not have noticed the impact you had on a community, I can see it, and you have changed lives. Thank you. Hopefully I’m making a difference for at least a few people also.
Jan 18th
Sometimes all it takes are a few smiles and hugs and I can have one of the best days I can remember.
I started school this morning, and to my surprise we actually started- there were students when the bell rang at 7:00! Typically on the first day nobody really shows up- students or teachers. Today was different. I taught 5 classes and in all but one of them I had at least 15 students. At first everyone was pretty quiet, probably a mixture of it being the first day and them not understanding a word I was saying, but they got into it after awhile. We sang the alphabet and almost everyone was totally into it. I think I’m really going to like this teaching-younger-kids thing.
I was done by noon so that felt fantastic. I spent the afternoon on my veranda, talking with kids that came by to play and making friends with one of the puppies that’s been afraid of me. Lote and Rafito, the brother-sister duo who lives next door, have become part of my daily life. They come over, come inside to say hi, chit chat (granted I still can’t understand a word either of them says except ‘Mana Ana!’) and play around on the veranda. I helped Lote eat her bag of ice which she was spilling all over herself, and then she and I took a walk around the neighborhood. I went back to their house and sat outside on a mattress and joked around, let them climb all over me, and just laughed. I don’t know how to describe it- usually the kids play around me not really with me, but today I was right in the middle of it all. It felt nice to have them run up to me and not want to let go, or to crawl into my lap, throw their arms around my neck and lay their head on my chest. It really feels like I’m part of something here, not so much an outsider anymore. Granted I’m saying that after spending an afternoon with children no older than 8, none of whom can speak English or Portuguese, but still, it was nice.
I started school this morning, and to my surprise we actually started- there were students when the bell rang at 7:00! Typically on the first day nobody really shows up- students or teachers. Today was different. I taught 5 classes and in all but one of them I had at least 15 students. At first everyone was pretty quiet, probably a mixture of it being the first day and them not understanding a word I was saying, but they got into it after awhile. We sang the alphabet and almost everyone was totally into it. I think I’m really going to like this teaching-younger-kids thing.
I was done by noon so that felt fantastic. I spent the afternoon on my veranda, talking with kids that came by to play and making friends with one of the puppies that’s been afraid of me. Lote and Rafito, the brother-sister duo who lives next door, have become part of my daily life. They come over, come inside to say hi, chit chat (granted I still can’t understand a word either of them says except ‘Mana Ana!’) and play around on the veranda. I helped Lote eat her bag of ice which she was spilling all over herself, and then she and I took a walk around the neighborhood. I went back to their house and sat outside on a mattress and joked around, let them climb all over me, and just laughed. I don’t know how to describe it- usually the kids play around me not really with me, but today I was right in the middle of it all. It felt nice to have them run up to me and not want to let go, or to crawl into my lap, throw their arms around my neck and lay their head on my chest. It really feels like I’m part of something here, not so much an outsider anymore. Granted I’m saying that after spending an afternoon with children no older than 8, none of whom can speak English or Portuguese, but still, it was nice.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Jan 17th
Feels good to be back in the swing of things. School opening was today- it was a pretty typical ceremony- long, hot, somewhat confusing, and conducted in several languages- but it was enjoyable. It was nice to be back with the other teachers, to see some of my old students, and to be recognized rather than stared at. The jarring part of today came when I was told I’d be teaching 8th and 9th grade in the mornings, rather than 12th grade in the afternoon as I’d expected. I was pretty frazzled at first- I was prepared for the 12th graders, their enthusiasm, their knowledge base, their (relative) maturity- and I was all ready to use lesson plans from last year I’ve been compiling. However, in the last 8 hours I’ve become pretty excited about the little guys- I’ve already planned my first 9 lessons and I have the first trimester laid out. I get to teach the alphabet, ‘to be’, colors, body parts, greetings, all the basic stuff, and I can dance around and sing songs and even if they think I’m weird and crazy, they’re young enough they won’t be too cool to join in. I guess one downside is that I’m teaching 30 hours, everyday from 7:00 til 12:00, but at least I have my afternoons and nights free.
I’m not sure how to backtrack and get through what’s happened in the last 2 months... Classes finished, I controlled tests, graded said tests, said goodbye to students, met the new PCVs who arrived in country in October, threw a beach party for the new volunteers, took over complete control of REDES (yikes!), went to South Africa to pick up Will who happened to get stuck in London, spent Christmas with my new family, spent New Years with Will (finally) at the beautiful beach, saw 4 of the big 5 in Kruger, took several hot showers and ate home cooked American food, and... well, started year 2 of being a volunteer.
The last few months have been anything but dull and have taught me a lot about how far I’ve come in the last year. When my brother was here, I was about to show him around, to let him into my life here in Africa. It was fantastic when he met my adoptive families, when he saw my house and my school, walked through the market with me, met my friends, and saw the beautiful country I live in. It felt somewhat like two worlds colliding at moments- I kept having to remember my little brother was actually visiting me in Africa!- but absolutely wonderful. The holidays definitely made me miss home, but coming out the other side and starting school is helping with the homesickness.
Kruger was great!! I didn’t take but one picture, but my brother took at least 2,000 while he was here so I’ll find a way to link you to them if you’re interested in looking. The first few moments in the park we drove upon zebras, impala, water buffalo, and elephants. A few minutes later we ran into giraffes and a rhino. It was crazy!!! And so many monkeys! I’m so glad I finally made it there and I had the best time with Will. It was so hard to leave him at the airport- I wanted to jump on the plane with him.
This year is going to be so different from what I’ve been used to. My teaching schedule is completely different, I’m in charge of one of the biggest secondary projects in the country, it’s the 50th anniversary of Peace Corps and I’m on the planning committee, I can finally speak Portuguese and will be learning Changana, I have friends and family, and I’m for the most part comfortable here. I still have my moments of thinking “what the hell did I get myself into here!” but not as many as before. I promise, now that I’m back in school and FINALLY on a schedule, I’ll start writing more blogs and try to keep you up to date.
Oh, one thing- when I came home I found 5 puppies in my backyard. They’re still somewhat scared of me but I think I’m going to get the best of them- I don’t have to feed them or take care of them but they watch over my house and I get company when I want it. I’m kinda scared to name them because they have the potential to get stolen but we’ll see.
I’m not sure how to backtrack and get through what’s happened in the last 2 months... Classes finished, I controlled tests, graded said tests, said goodbye to students, met the new PCVs who arrived in country in October, threw a beach party for the new volunteers, took over complete control of REDES (yikes!), went to South Africa to pick up Will who happened to get stuck in London, spent Christmas with my new family, spent New Years with Will (finally) at the beautiful beach, saw 4 of the big 5 in Kruger, took several hot showers and ate home cooked American food, and... well, started year 2 of being a volunteer.
The last few months have been anything but dull and have taught me a lot about how far I’ve come in the last year. When my brother was here, I was about to show him around, to let him into my life here in Africa. It was fantastic when he met my adoptive families, when he saw my house and my school, walked through the market with me, met my friends, and saw the beautiful country I live in. It felt somewhat like two worlds colliding at moments- I kept having to remember my little brother was actually visiting me in Africa!- but absolutely wonderful. The holidays definitely made me miss home, but coming out the other side and starting school is helping with the homesickness.
Kruger was great!! I didn’t take but one picture, but my brother took at least 2,000 while he was here so I’ll find a way to link you to them if you’re interested in looking. The first few moments in the park we drove upon zebras, impala, water buffalo, and elephants. A few minutes later we ran into giraffes and a rhino. It was crazy!!! And so many monkeys! I’m so glad I finally made it there and I had the best time with Will. It was so hard to leave him at the airport- I wanted to jump on the plane with him.
This year is going to be so different from what I’ve been used to. My teaching schedule is completely different, I’m in charge of one of the biggest secondary projects in the country, it’s the 50th anniversary of Peace Corps and I’m on the planning committee, I can finally speak Portuguese and will be learning Changana, I have friends and family, and I’m for the most part comfortable here. I still have my moments of thinking “what the hell did I get myself into here!” but not as many as before. I promise, now that I’m back in school and FINALLY on a schedule, I’ll start writing more blogs and try to keep you up to date.
Oh, one thing- when I came home I found 5 puppies in my backyard. They’re still somewhat scared of me but I think I’m going to get the best of them- I don’t have to feed them or take care of them but they watch over my house and I get company when I want it. I’m kinda scared to name them because they have the potential to get stolen but we’ll see.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Passing
When I arrived home after Katie and Michael’s trip I received news that Dona Joana, a woman who worked at my school and had been teaching me Changana, passed away on Sunday morning. She’d been sick in the hospital for about a week, but I’m not sure what she had. The funeral is scheduled for tomorrow, but today I went with two other women from my school, Dona Alda and Dona Augusta, to Dona Joana’s house to pay our respects. Although I have seen many of these gatherings, I’ve never participated. It was quite an experience. When we arrived it sat in complete silence for about 45 minutes. All the women were sitting on straw mats on the ground on one side of the yard and all the men were in chairs on the other side of the yard. After awhile, women started to sing. It was all in Changana but I did catch some words. Dona Joana’s daughters, whom I know, and several other women were laying down in the middle of the group. At one point a woman started crying and wailing and screaming. A bit later, an older woman, started to sob right next to me. It broke my heart- I believe it was her mother. A few minutes later all the daughters started to cry and started yelling “Mama! Mama!” Everyone started cry then. It was so hard to sit there and listen to these women’s pain. After I was there for about 2 ½ hours I excused myself and came home. I was very happy to be there, to experience it and to show my support, but my heart was breaking. Apparently just after I left her body was brought to the house to be cleaned and prepared for tomorrow. I don’t know if I was ready for that. Also, as strange as this may sound, I was somewhat relieved (reassured?) to see so many women showing emotions in public. After the death of my student, when I saw not one tear or bit of emotion, I was a bit befuddled.
Another bit of unsettling news I learned on Sunday, Christine, Eloite and Rafito’s mom also my empregada, is sick in the hospital in Chokwe. She’s been there for over a week now, and I don’t know much about her condition, except she’s not coming home anytime soon. I go over to her house and visit the women that are there taking care of her children and I’m planning on going to Chokwe as soon as I can to try and visit her. At this moment, I can admit that I’m honestly scared that she won’t make it through, but I’m channeling all my good and healthy thoughts her way.
Another bit of unsettling news I learned on Sunday, Christine, Eloite and Rafito’s mom also my empregada, is sick in the hospital in Chokwe. She’s been there for over a week now, and I don’t know much about her condition, except she’s not coming home anytime soon. I go over to her house and visit the women that are there taking care of her children and I’m planning on going to Chokwe as soon as I can to try and visit her. At this moment, I can admit that I’m honestly scared that she won’t make it through, but I’m channeling all my good and healthy thoughts her way.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Michael and Kaite
Their trip was absolutely fantastic! We got to do so many things, see so many people, they were able to see me teach, meet my friends, see my village, and experience just about everything possible in Moz. We stayed in Maputo for a few days, seeing the city and letting them adjust a bit to the jet lag/ time change. Then we came back to my town for a few days. I had to teach, but luckily they were able to come in and watch both a 9th grade lesson and an 8th grade lesson. The kids did particularly well those days- I think they all really loved having some visitors. After a few days in my town we went to the beach, for a night and had a fabulous time- soaking up sun, enjoying one of the best meals I’ve ever had, and catching up. After the beach it was back to my town for a few days, to play with the kids, teach them frisbee, drawing, passearing, and a long afternoon lunch with my family here. Michael killed a chicken (I helped!), Katie ralered and pillared a bit, and we say and looked at each other for a good four hours. Because they don’t share a common language there was a lot of dead air time if I wasn’t standing there, but I think everyone enjoyed themselves. We went back to Maputo on our way out to Kruger. The park was a blast! We didn’t see as many animals as we’d hoped- the grass is a bit overgrown right now- but we did see elephants up close, several times, and lions laying RIGHT on the side of the road next to us. After a few days at the park it was a few days in Pretoria and then goodbye. So hard to leave them!! I wanted to go back to California with them, no question. All in all a fantastic trip, one a few minor hiccups but all were resolved quickly and relatively smoothly. Highlights- Chicken killing, seeing the look on Eloite’s face when we gave her a new dress, dinner at the beach, and getting all the hugs and family love I wanted. Thank you both! Amazing trip and I miss you already.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Struggles
I've been trying to find the right words for this blog post, to try and explain what I've been feeling the last few days. It's a mixture of sadness, grief, regret, guilt, and confusion.
Monday morning during my 2nd class, all teaching was put on hold because one of our students, a 14year old 9th grade boy, was missing. He'd been swimming in the river a few km from my town the day before and never returned home. We got together, about 30 of us, to set out lookng for him. Right before we left, as I was putting on my poncho, I was told the women were going to stay behind- I couldn't go. I told them I too had eyes to help look and I was going.
We went out into the bush along the path to the river. Because of all the rain, the river has formed little pools that people like to 'tomar banho' or to go swimming in. When we reached the pool we saw his clothes in a neat pile-my heart dropped. Several boys jumped in the water to look for him. After about 20 mins his body was found a bit down the river. He was removed from the water, placed in blankets, and carried the 3km back to my town.
One thing that's been hard to handle in the last two days, besides seeing one of my students being pulled from the river, is the lack of emotion surrounding the whole situation. On Monday, the only glimmer of emotion I saw was when Comiche- one of my students from last year- saw the boy in the water for the first time. Naturally, he yelled and swam away, but then went back. There was no crying, no apparent signs of grief or distress, except classes were cancelled for the rest of the day. I guess the lack of emotion comes from self preservation- so much death and loss occurs here that they can't let each incident sink in all the way. I guess this is all part of living in a third world country.
Monday morning during my 2nd class, all teaching was put on hold because one of our students, a 14year old 9th grade boy, was missing. He'd been swimming in the river a few km from my town the day before and never returned home. We got together, about 30 of us, to set out lookng for him. Right before we left, as I was putting on my poncho, I was told the women were going to stay behind- I couldn't go. I told them I too had eyes to help look and I was going.
We went out into the bush along the path to the river. Because of all the rain, the river has formed little pools that people like to 'tomar banho' or to go swimming in. When we reached the pool we saw his clothes in a neat pile-my heart dropped. Several boys jumped in the water to look for him. After about 20 mins his body was found a bit down the river. He was removed from the water, placed in blankets, and carried the 3km back to my town.
One thing that's been hard to handle in the last two days, besides seeing one of my students being pulled from the river, is the lack of emotion surrounding the whole situation. On Monday, the only glimmer of emotion I saw was when Comiche- one of my students from last year- saw the boy in the water for the first time. Naturally, he yelled and swam away, but then went back. There was no crying, no apparent signs of grief or distress, except classes were cancelled for the rest of the day. I guess the lack of emotion comes from self preservation- so much death and loss occurs here that they can't let each incident sink in all the way. I guess this is all part of living in a third world country.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Integration
Sometimes all it takes are a few smiles and hugs and I can have one of the best days I can remember.
I started school this morning, and to my surprise we actually started- there were students when the bell rang at 7:00! Typically on the first day nobody really shows up- students or teachers. Today was different. I taught 5 classes and in all but one of them I had at least 15 students. At first everyone was pretty quiet, probably a mixture of it being the first day and them not understanding a word I was saying, but they got into it after awhile. We sang the alphabet and almost everyone was totally into it. I think I’m really going to like this teaching-younger-kids thing.
I was done by noon so that felt fantastic. I spent the afternoon on my veranda, talking with kids that came by to play and making friends with one of the puppies that’s been afraid of me. Lote and Rafito, the brother-sister duo who lives next door, have become part of my daily life. They come over, come inside to say hi, chit chat (granted I still can’t understand a word either of them says except ‘Mana Ana!’) and play around on the veranda. I helped Lote eat her bag of ice which she was spilling all over herself, and then she and I took a walk around the neighborhood. I went back to their house and sat outside on a mattress and joked around, let them climb all over me, and just laughed. I don’t know how to describe it- usually the kids play around me not really with me, but today I was right in the middle of it all. It felt nice to have them run up to me and not want to let go, or to crawl into my lap, throw their arms around my neck and lay their head on my chest. It really feels like I’m part of something here, not so much an outsider anymore. Granted I’m saying that after spending an afternoon with children no older than 8, none of whom can speak English or Portuguese, but still, it was nice.
I started school this morning, and to my surprise we actually started- there were students when the bell rang at 7:00! Typically on the first day nobody really shows up- students or teachers. Today was different. I taught 5 classes and in all but one of them I had at least 15 students. At first everyone was pretty quiet, probably a mixture of it being the first day and them not understanding a word I was saying, but they got into it after awhile. We sang the alphabet and almost everyone was totally into it. I think I’m really going to like this teaching-younger-kids thing.
I was done by noon so that felt fantastic. I spent the afternoon on my veranda, talking with kids that came by to play and making friends with one of the puppies that’s been afraid of me. Lote and Rafito, the brother-sister duo who lives next door, have become part of my daily life. They come over, come inside to say hi, chit chat (granted I still can’t understand a word either of them says except ‘Mana Ana!’) and play around on the veranda. I helped Lote eat her bag of ice which she was spilling all over herself, and then she and I took a walk around the neighborhood. I went back to their house and sat outside on a mattress and joked around, let them climb all over me, and just laughed. I don’t know how to describe it- usually the kids play around me not really with me, but today I was right in the middle of it all. It felt nice to have them run up to me and not want to let go, or to crawl into my lap, throw their arms around my neck and lay their head on my chest. It really feels like I’m part of something here, not so much an outsider anymore. Granted I’m saying that after spending an afternoon with children no older than 8, none of whom can speak English or Portuguese, but still, it was nice.
Monday, January 17, 2011
A New Year
Feels good to be back in the swing of things. School opening was today- it was a pretty typical ceremony- long, hot, somewhat confusing, and conducted in several languages- but it was enjoyable. It was nice to be back with the other teachers, to see some of my old students, and to be recognized rather than stared at. The jarring part of today came when I was told I’d be teaching 8th and 9th grade in the mornings, rather than 12th grade in the afternoon as I’d expected. I was pretty frazzled at first- I was prepared for the 12th graders, their enthusiasm, their knowledge base, their (relative) maturity- and I was all ready to use lesson plans from last year I’ve been compiling. However, in the last 8 hours I’ve become pretty excited about the little guys- I’ve already planned my first 9 lessons and I have the first trimester laid out. I get to teach the alphabet, ‘to be’, colors, body parts, greetings, all the basic stuff, and I can dance around and sing songs and even if they think I’m weird and crazy, they’re young enough they won’t be too cool to join in. I guess one downside is that I’m teaching 30 hours, everyday from 7:00 til 12:00, but at least I have my afternoons and nights free.
I’m not sure how to backtrack and get through what’s happened in the last 2 months... Classes finished, I controlled tests, graded said tests, said goodbye to students, met the new PCVs who arrived in country in October, threw a beach party for the new volunteers, took over complete control of REDES (yikes!), went to South Africa to pick up Will who happened to get stuck in London, spent Christmas with my new family, spent New Years with Will (finally) at the beautiful beach, saw 4 of the big 5 in Kruger, took several hot showers and ate home cooked American food, and... well, started year 2 of being a volunteer.
The last few months have been anything but dull and have taught me a lot about how far I’ve come in the last year. When my brother was here, I was about to show him around, to let him into my life here in Africa. It was fantastic when he met my adoptive families, when he saw my house and my school, walked through the market with me, met my friends, and saw the beautiful country I live in. It felt somewhat like two worlds colliding at moments- I kept having to remember my little brother was actually visiting me in Africa!- but absolutely wonderful. The holidays definitely made me miss home, but coming out the other side and starting school is helping with the homesickness.
Kruger was great!! I didn’t take but one picture, but my brother took at least 2,000 while he was here so I’ll find a way to link you to them if you’re interested in looking. The first few moments in the park we drove upon zebras, impala, water buffalo, and elephants. A few minutes later we ran into giraffes and a rhino. It was crazy!!! And so many monkeys! I’m so glad I finally made it there and I had the best time with Will. It was so hard to leave him at the airport- I wanted to jump on the plane with him.
This year is going to be so different from what I’ve been used to. My teaching schedule is completely different, I’m in charge of one of the biggest secondary projects in the country, it’s the 50th anniversary of Peace Corps and I’m on the planning committee, I can finally speak Portuguese and will be learning Changana, I have friends and family, and I’m for the most part comfortable here. I still have my moments of thinking “what the hell did I get myself into here!” but not as many as before. I promise, now that I’m back in school and FINALLY on a schedule, I’ll start writing more blogs and try to keep you up to date.
Oh, one thing- when I came home I found 5 puppies in my backyard. They’re still somewhat scared of me but I think I’m going to get the best of them- I don’t have to feed them or take care of them but they watch over my house and I get company when I want it. I’m kinda scared to name them because they have the potential to get stolen but we’ll see.
I’m not sure how to backtrack and get through what’s happened in the last 2 months... Classes finished, I controlled tests, graded said tests, said goodbye to students, met the new PCVs who arrived in country in October, threw a beach party for the new volunteers, took over complete control of REDES (yikes!), went to South Africa to pick up Will who happened to get stuck in London, spent Christmas with my new family, spent New Years with Will (finally) at the beautiful beach, saw 4 of the big 5 in Kruger, took several hot showers and ate home cooked American food, and... well, started year 2 of being a volunteer.
The last few months have been anything but dull and have taught me a lot about how far I’ve come in the last year. When my brother was here, I was about to show him around, to let him into my life here in Africa. It was fantastic when he met my adoptive families, when he saw my house and my school, walked through the market with me, met my friends, and saw the beautiful country I live in. It felt somewhat like two worlds colliding at moments- I kept having to remember my little brother was actually visiting me in Africa!- but absolutely wonderful. The holidays definitely made me miss home, but coming out the other side and starting school is helping with the homesickness.
Kruger was great!! I didn’t take but one picture, but my brother took at least 2,000 while he was here so I’ll find a way to link you to them if you’re interested in looking. The first few moments in the park we drove upon zebras, impala, water buffalo, and elephants. A few minutes later we ran into giraffes and a rhino. It was crazy!!! And so many monkeys! I’m so glad I finally made it there and I had the best time with Will. It was so hard to leave him at the airport- I wanted to jump on the plane with him.
This year is going to be so different from what I’ve been used to. My teaching schedule is completely different, I’m in charge of one of the biggest secondary projects in the country, it’s the 50th anniversary of Peace Corps and I’m on the planning committee, I can finally speak Portuguese and will be learning Changana, I have friends and family, and I’m for the most part comfortable here. I still have my moments of thinking “what the hell did I get myself into here!” but not as many as before. I promise, now that I’m back in school and FINALLY on a schedule, I’ll start writing more blogs and try to keep you up to date.
Oh, one thing- when I came home I found 5 puppies in my backyard. They’re still somewhat scared of me but I think I’m going to get the best of them- I don’t have to feed them or take care of them but they watch over my house and I get company when I want it. I’m kinda scared to name them because they have the potential to get stolen but we’ll see.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Finally...
Long time no blog! I blame the fact that I’ve been out of a computer for a while now. Too many crazy African viruses and she just stopped working. Thankfully I have several very computer savvy co-workers and my computer has been re-vamped and set back into motion. SO! SOOOOO much has happened in the last… 3 months?… not quite sure where to start, how to start... I hope I don’t backtrack too much but here I go…
Science fair, which was in mid September after all the crazy rioting and whatnot, was a huge success for my school considering my student, Vama, won 1st place for all of southern Moz! He won a computer, but it wasn’t until October that I was able to give it to him, in front of the whole school. Mozambicans are very formal in their carrying-ons, so when we finally gathered together people took pictures, made speeches, presented certificates, a trophy for the school, and of course made me get in front of everyone and speak. The students LOVE it when I have to make public speeches- probably because they can tell I get embarrassed easily.
LUCY!!! She finally had her babies- 4 adorable little things… I proceeded to leave town for a few days to go to Maputo, which was fantastic (will describe below) and when I returned I learned she’d fugired- she left on Saturday and hadn’t been seen since (it was by then Tuesday). My neighbors were surprisingly helpful and comforting during the whole ordeal- Mozambicans don’t keep animals as pets really, and when they do they don’t actually care for them lick we crazy Americans do. Regardless, they helped me look for her and didn’t laugh at me when I was upset that we couldn’t find her. Not only do I miss her, I’m left to hand-feed her 4 starving, whining, peeing, uncoordinated babies. It took about 10 days of feeding them by hand with a little dropper that I finally gave up and let them fend for themselves. They figured it out- however before eating/ drinking they bathe in their food- they’ll jump into the milk bowl or walk through the plate of chima. My flood has been covered in food for at least the last week. Still no sign of Lucy- I think she was stolen and eaten- but Snap Crackle and Pop have become more manageable and actually pretty cute to watch.
Maputo- I went down with Scooter and Emily to have a meeting about the REDES project and the whole thing went over with overwhelming success. Also, I made some amazing friends who make living in Moz just a bit more comfortable. Maputo is a big hub for AID organizations, and many people that go into overseas AID work are RPCVs or at least have an understanding of the life that we have here. Well, I made friends with a few of these RPCV families who have graciously opened their doors wide open to me. I love where I live and I have friends out here in the mato, but it feels so good to stay a night or two in an actual house with an American family, with people who appreciate the work we’re doing and let us relax into the amenities a bit. Plus many of the people who live here have so many amazing stories and experiences to learn about, I look forward to learning more about their lives.
One highlight from my days in Maputo, besides the REDES success and the REDES-JOMA prank war that we’ve thrown into motion, was Zac-toberfest with several of my new-found friends. Those of you who know me know I’m a fan of good beer. Well! I’ve found myself in the presence of several people who brew their own beer- heavenly!
Another highlight, getting to see Greg and Lisa, two of my very best friends from training. It’s amazing how after knowing someone for 10 weeks and not seeing them for almost a year you can feel like nothing has changed and so completely comfortable with them.
One giant success for me over the last few weeks/ months has been finishing out the school year. I’m officially don’t giving classes and not only am I happy about the decrease in work, I also feel very accomplished. One year down, one to go… I can only assume that the next year will be easier, already having lesson plans written up, knowing a bit more about classroom punishment, and having made a name for myself. My students seem to like me but also understand that I won’t take any BS. An accomplishment within teaching for me came when I was grading their final writing assignment- to see the growth they’ve made throughout the year. For their first assignment they wrote 10 sentences on malaria- out of 280 students I think I had, tops, 8 versions, everyone else either copied or didn’t do it. Throughout the year less and less people were copying, more people were actually turning in their papers, and this last assignment, 250+ words about their future plans and how finish school will help them, I had almost 100% participation and not a single copied paper, not to mention all of them were actually well written. That may not sound huge, but for me it’s… ugh, there are no words. I’m going to miss my students- I can’t say I’m become personally close to any of them, but they’ve been with me almost every day of the week during the toughest year of my life, helping me through it and giving me the support and encouragement to keep going. Granted, they’ve also contributed greatly to my stress, but I’ve gained much more from them than I thought I would have.
Conselhos- finishing up classes, preparing grades, doing paperwork- conselhos is the vain of my existence. Seriously! Out of the 18/28 (depending on who cares to show up) other teachers at my school, there is one I look forward to working with during conselhos. He’s very Mozambican, yet he has a strong work ethic, works quickly, doesn’t complain, and can pick up on things quickly. With every other teacher it’s like I’m working with a 4th grader. Normally not so, I enjoy my colleagues, but something about conselhos brings out the worst in them. Needless to say I was at school for 4 days, 9 hours each day, and was productive for about 4 of those 36 hours. I did read a fabulous book, Reading Lolita in Tehran, got some journal writing in, and did a lot of waiting, trying to help people get the show on the road. I’m so grateful it’s over.
Halloween! I spent the Saturday before relaxing on the beach, soaking up some much needed sun and solidarity, and eventually met up with 10 other volunteers to have a superhero themed Halloween celebration. I’ll admit, probably my favorite part of the night was watching the VH1 Top Male Video countdown (Michael Jackson #3, John Lennon #2, Elvis #1) with Alicia and Jenna. Tremazing made her appearance, along with Rehydration Girl, Sugar and Spice, and Day Woman (among others).
Embarrassing moment of the month: Today, while giving a preparation class to my 12th graders I turned the corner around a desk a bit too sharp and caught the back pocket of my jeans… Yeah, I ripped the behind practically right off myself. Not only was I in front of people, I was in front of my students, in a conservative village where any exposed skin above the calf is considered intolerable. Awesome. Well, I’d say I usually get flustered and embarrassed pretty easily, however today I just started laughing, joked around for a minute about what a klutz I am, then excused myself to go change my pants. I was more embarrassed by the fact that I can’t even judge my own width anymore.
Science fair, which was in mid September after all the crazy rioting and whatnot, was a huge success for my school considering my student, Vama, won 1st place for all of southern Moz! He won a computer, but it wasn’t until October that I was able to give it to him, in front of the whole school. Mozambicans are very formal in their carrying-ons, so when we finally gathered together people took pictures, made speeches, presented certificates, a trophy for the school, and of course made me get in front of everyone and speak. The students LOVE it when I have to make public speeches- probably because they can tell I get embarrassed easily.
LUCY!!! She finally had her babies- 4 adorable little things… I proceeded to leave town for a few days to go to Maputo, which was fantastic (will describe below) and when I returned I learned she’d fugired- she left on Saturday and hadn’t been seen since (it was by then Tuesday). My neighbors were surprisingly helpful and comforting during the whole ordeal- Mozambicans don’t keep animals as pets really, and when they do they don’t actually care for them lick we crazy Americans do. Regardless, they helped me look for her and didn’t laugh at me when I was upset that we couldn’t find her. Not only do I miss her, I’m left to hand-feed her 4 starving, whining, peeing, uncoordinated babies. It took about 10 days of feeding them by hand with a little dropper that I finally gave up and let them fend for themselves. They figured it out- however before eating/ drinking they bathe in their food- they’ll jump into the milk bowl or walk through the plate of chima. My flood has been covered in food for at least the last week. Still no sign of Lucy- I think she was stolen and eaten- but Snap Crackle and Pop have become more manageable and actually pretty cute to watch.
Maputo- I went down with Scooter and Emily to have a meeting about the REDES project and the whole thing went over with overwhelming success. Also, I made some amazing friends who make living in Moz just a bit more comfortable. Maputo is a big hub for AID organizations, and many people that go into overseas AID work are RPCVs or at least have an understanding of the life that we have here. Well, I made friends with a few of these RPCV families who have graciously opened their doors wide open to me. I love where I live and I have friends out here in the mato, but it feels so good to stay a night or two in an actual house with an American family, with people who appreciate the work we’re doing and let us relax into the amenities a bit. Plus many of the people who live here have so many amazing stories and experiences to learn about, I look forward to learning more about their lives.
One highlight from my days in Maputo, besides the REDES success and the REDES-JOMA prank war that we’ve thrown into motion, was Zac-toberfest with several of my new-found friends. Those of you who know me know I’m a fan of good beer. Well! I’ve found myself in the presence of several people who brew their own beer- heavenly!
Another highlight, getting to see Greg and Lisa, two of my very best friends from training. It’s amazing how after knowing someone for 10 weeks and not seeing them for almost a year you can feel like nothing has changed and so completely comfortable with them.
One giant success for me over the last few weeks/ months has been finishing out the school year. I’m officially don’t giving classes and not only am I happy about the decrease in work, I also feel very accomplished. One year down, one to go… I can only assume that the next year will be easier, already having lesson plans written up, knowing a bit more about classroom punishment, and having made a name for myself. My students seem to like me but also understand that I won’t take any BS. An accomplishment within teaching for me came when I was grading their final writing assignment- to see the growth they’ve made throughout the year. For their first assignment they wrote 10 sentences on malaria- out of 280 students I think I had, tops, 8 versions, everyone else either copied or didn’t do it. Throughout the year less and less people were copying, more people were actually turning in their papers, and this last assignment, 250+ words about their future plans and how finish school will help them, I had almost 100% participation and not a single copied paper, not to mention all of them were actually well written. That may not sound huge, but for me it’s… ugh, there are no words. I’m going to miss my students- I can’t say I’m become personally close to any of them, but they’ve been with me almost every day of the week during the toughest year of my life, helping me through it and giving me the support and encouragement to keep going. Granted, they’ve also contributed greatly to my stress, but I’ve gained much more from them than I thought I would have.
Conselhos- finishing up classes, preparing grades, doing paperwork- conselhos is the vain of my existence. Seriously! Out of the 18/28 (depending on who cares to show up) other teachers at my school, there is one I look forward to working with during conselhos. He’s very Mozambican, yet he has a strong work ethic, works quickly, doesn’t complain, and can pick up on things quickly. With every other teacher it’s like I’m working with a 4th grader. Normally not so, I enjoy my colleagues, but something about conselhos brings out the worst in them. Needless to say I was at school for 4 days, 9 hours each day, and was productive for about 4 of those 36 hours. I did read a fabulous book, Reading Lolita in Tehran, got some journal writing in, and did a lot of waiting, trying to help people get the show on the road. I’m so grateful it’s over.
Halloween! I spent the Saturday before relaxing on the beach, soaking up some much needed sun and solidarity, and eventually met up with 10 other volunteers to have a superhero themed Halloween celebration. I’ll admit, probably my favorite part of the night was watching the VH1 Top Male Video countdown (Michael Jackson #3, John Lennon #2, Elvis #1) with Alicia and Jenna. Tremazing made her appearance, along with Rehydration Girl, Sugar and Spice, and Day Woman (among others).
Embarrassing moment of the month: Today, while giving a preparation class to my 12th graders I turned the corner around a desk a bit too sharp and caught the back pocket of my jeans… Yeah, I ripped the behind practically right off myself. Not only was I in front of people, I was in front of my students, in a conservative village where any exposed skin above the calf is considered intolerable. Awesome. Well, I’d say I usually get flustered and embarrassed pretty easily, however today I just started laughing, joked around for a minute about what a klutz I am, then excused myself to go change my pants. I was more embarrassed by the fact that I can’t even judge my own width anymore.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
ONE YEAR!!!
So, it's been a very exciting few weeks.... First I had my 25th birthday. Exciting! The girls in Chokwe threw me a party with champagne, cake, twister, and movies. I'm so lucky to live next to such amazing girls. Then, for the weekend, I went up to Gorangoza to visit some other volunteers and take a mini-vacation. It was a LONG trip but totally worth it. Five of us that went have Septmeber birthdays so we had a lot of celebrating to do. I'm starting to realize just how different parts of Mozambique are. Down where I am everything is flat and dry- nothing like anything I've ever seen before. Inhanbane is more tropical, with so many coconut and banana trees, and of course gorgeous beaches. And then Manica/Sofala are more hilly and colorful. I felt like I was driving through the states, with the changing colors of the leaves and the mountains (hills really) in the distance. Too bad I dont live a little bit more central so I could travel a bit more. Anyways, I saw my first wild animal!!! It was a baboon- and I was SO excited a punched Colin who was sleeping next to me. Apparently I'm the only one in this country that's never seen a wild monkey because he just laughed at me. During our weekend celebration we went to the river close to Brian and Jordan's house twice each day. It was fabulous! And hilarious actually- a large group of molongos marching down to the river, turning rocks into water slides, playing catch with soap bars, washing our hair then putting on sunscreen... it was great. We cooked amazing food (ok, they cooked, I helped), played card games like we did during training, and camped outside next to the bonfire. Amazing weekend. I'm here with a fantastic group of people.
So, today I am celebrating not only being in country for one year, but also the birth of Lucy's 4 babies. Bright and early this morning she perched herself on my bed and went into labor. After promptly revoming her from my bed I sat with her and tried to make her a bit less confused about what was going on (if that's even possible...) She seemed pretty clueless about what to do once they were born- she kept pacing through my house- but hopefully she figures it out here soon.
One year down, One more to go. I've learned so much, grown so much, been knocked down more times than I can count, but this has definitely been one of the best years of my life. A year ago today I had NO idea exactly what I was getting myself into. I can only imagine what this next year has instore for me...
So, today I am celebrating not only being in country for one year, but also the birth of Lucy's 4 babies. Bright and early this morning she perched herself on my bed and went into labor. After promptly revoming her from my bed I sat with her and tried to make her a bit less confused about what was going on (if that's even possible...) She seemed pretty clueless about what to do once they were born- she kept pacing through my house- but hopefully she figures it out here soon.
One year down, One more to go. I've learned so much, grown so much, been knocked down more times than I can count, but this has definitely been one of the best years of my life. A year ago today I had NO idea exactly what I was getting myself into. I can only imagine what this next year has instore for me...
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
I´m over it
Monday and yesterday (Tuesday) I had the worst two days of teaching since training. My lesson was how to write a resume, something I think is pretty important for students about to graduate high school. I was well prepared, had several activities, and thought it was going to go fairly well. SO WRONG! I think it was a combination of lack of understanding, inability to see the importance, and lack of motivation for any schoolwork that led them to sit there are stare. My students don’t participate a lot, I’ve gotten used to that. But there was something different about these last two days. Each class I’d change a few things and make my lesson clearer, more interactive, more basic, whatever, but nothing got them going. I currently have 2 hours before I have to go back and continue teaching them and honestly, I’d rather just sit here today. I’m trying to find the motivation to persevere but it’s getting difficult…
Monday, September 13, 2010
REDES
Just got back from our provincial REDES conference- it was quite a success! We had about 40 girls in all, 7 Mozambicans, and several PCVs. I brought three girls from my school and they all seemed to have a great time and learn a few things. Also, Paulina Chiziane, the first Mozambican woman to be a published novelist, came and spoke to the girls about her life. She was a phenomenal speaker, and the girls said they enjoyed it so much and were very inspired by her story. Seeing as though I am now the national coordinator for this project, I definitely have my hands full to make the next conference just as enjoyable and educational.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
REDES
Just got back from our provincial REDES conference- it was quite a success! We had about 40 girls in all, 7 Mozambicans, and several PCVs. I brought three girls from my school and they all seemed to have a great time and learn a few things. Also, Paulina Chiziane, the first Mozambican woman to be a published novelist, came and spoke to the girls about her life. She was a phenomenal speaker, and the girls said they enjoyed it so much and were very inspired by her story. Seeing as though I am now the national coordinator for this project, I definitely have my hands full to make the next conference just as enjoyable and educational.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Funeral part 2
The funeral process ended up lasting 4 days, that I’m aware of. The first three days were all the same- women under the tree, singing, chanting, screaming, crying, processionals to the grave with flowers, more weeping. The fourth day was silent but many people were around. I happened to be teaching a lot that day so I might have missed something but from what I could tell it was pretty calm. I’m still very curious what kind of religious or cultural impart suicide has on a family. I’m curious if there are implications for the surviving members of the family, or if the grieving process is the same. There are many funerals around here, and although I haven’t seen too many first hand, like this one, I’m pretty sure there’s not usually a lot of wailing and carrying on. I will do some research and post about it.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Cat Attack
I woke up at 2:30 this morning to something trying to come into my house. I quickly realized it was only a cat, but it wasn’t Lucy because she was with me in my room. So I got out of bed to try and shoo the stray out- bad idea. S/he flipped! This cat tried to jump out the window and got caught, leapt a good 12 feet into the air, meowed and cried for a while, then ran into the kitchen, knocking things off my shelves. Garfield (as I will call him) perched, hollering, for a good five minutes. I didn’t want to get close just in case he’s rabid, so I threw pencils at him trying to get him to move. Finally, at least 15 minutes after I got out of bed, he finally went for the open door and escaped. So I’m thinking Garfield is one of the past volunteer’s cats because this isn’t the first time he’s come into my house to eat Lucy’s food. And to be honest it really wouldn’t bother me except he’s too fat and once he gets in my house he can’t get back out. No good.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Market Day
I spent the entire day in the market this afternoon. I brought my capulana and camped out with a woman all day. The women loved having me there- they’d joke around about how horrible my Changana accent is, or how I was saying the wrong words, or how every other people that walked through the market stopped to ask why I was there. The kids loved it- they gathered around to talk to me or to ask me questions they knew I wouldn’t understand. I learned a fair amount of Changana and definitely got in a few laughs, even if they were at my own expense. It was anything but eventful, but I felt accomplished at the end of it all. I don’t know if I could spend another entire day there anytime soon, but to stop in for an hour and practice my Changana I can definitely do more often.
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