So, I'm off to Dar tomorrow. Going to hang out with the COSing kids I hope. (Volunteers who have completed their two years and are getting ready to head out.) Today was an interesting day emotionally and physically...I'll leave it at that.
Anyway, for some reason people touch me a lot here. Yesterday I had a girl walk by and very intentionally touch my face...unpleasant, but not the first time that's happened. I am not really sure why this occurs, especially to me. I also got another marriage question today--whipped out my ring and said I was engaged. Woot.
There are riots in Dar so I'm hoping things won't be too chaotic there. I'm headed out at 8:00 in the morning, so I'll be there sometime in the afternoon. It was good hanging out with the Lusho crew, though I'm very sad my packages didn't come.
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Thursday, October 18, 2012
October 19, No Notebooks or Paper
I'm sitting at Tumaini right now--the back part. There is an inside restaurant that is warmer, but costs more, and an outside restaurant that is outside and costs less. I've got my Marmot fleece on, plus my north face outer-layer, leggings, a dress, and a khanga wrapped around my legs. It's getting more comfortable as the sun is coming out, but Lushoto is cold this early in the morning. It gets hot during the day, but very chilly at night! Same deal in my village--I sleep with multiple blankets, but during the day it's often in the 80's.
I think I'm going to do some e-mailing, photo-tooling, and possibly start my library write-up. I was feeling inspired on the bus. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL on the way here today. Lot's of fog covering the mountains in very interesting, and frankly breathtaking, ways. I wish I could have taken photos! I try not to bring my iPhone or camera with me since I'm already carrying a lot of stuff I don't want to lose. Plus, I already stick out a lot, and I'd prefer not to look touristy to a bus of tired Tanzanians at 5:30 in the morning.
Yesterday was fairly frustrating. I wrote out my test on flip chart paper to save time and hand cramping. I figured using colored markers to point out important points would also help them understand/follow the exam directions. I wrote the test in the style of the Form II NECTA exam that they'll be taking next November. (Fill in the blank with the correct verb, multiple choice reading comprehension, re-write the sentence correctly etc.) I put the test up on the board, only to find out that NONE of them had paper. Not a single student. Those who did have notebooks didn't have blank paper in their notebooks, or otherwise refused to rip it out. I had been told by my mkuu that it is the students' responsibility to have paper, and they did for the last quiz, so I got pretty frustrated by the whole thing. The academic master (Chambitwe) wasn't around, so I couldn't get access to any paper in his "resources" room. I ended up scrounging around and finding some blank sheets in the staff room in a random notebook (not sure if I was allowed to rip paper out of it, but I'd already emptied my own last notebook so I had nothing else to offer). After that didn't suffice, I had JB find me a couple more sheets. In the end some students had to write on the back of the used pieces of paper I had left in my notebook.
Based on this experience, I think next year I'm going to supply my students with an English notebook. I will probably have to pay for it, but I'm considering asking for donations/seeing if there's some funding I can get to also get them some pens, rulers, etc. I also REALLY want to type up my tests, though it is expensive to do that as well. I think I might do hand-written quizzes and typed tests to save money, but also improve the quality of my assessment measures. Typed tests would save a lot of time (they copy EVERYTHING down when they take a test, so most of them take a long time writing out directions, even if I tell them they don't need to) and help eliminate cheating. Rulers would also be very helpful since they have a practice here of underlining their answers (all answers apparently must be underlined with a perfectly straight line). This is an issue as only a couple students actually have a ruler. They end up passing rulers back and forth all the time, which makes policing for cheating harder to do. I cracked down yesterday on the talking and the looking-back-at-other-people's-desks, but it is difficult to stop on-looking when some of them literally share desks with each other.
I spent my afternoon grading. This round of tests went better than the last quiz I gave. Last quiz I had two students score zeros. This time the lowest score was an 11%. Last quiz the high was also somewhere in the 60% range, and this time I had one girl score an 83! That is HUGE in Tanzania, since passing is 20% and above. Getting an "A" in American terms is pretty much unheard of, so I'm relatively happy when my students get over 50%. To my satisfaction, 15 out of the 33 students who took the exam did get above a 50. (Eleven students were absent--which is sad, but truancy is common.) The average was a 48. Hopefully by the end of the year I can get them to keep raising their scores. By next year I'd really like to have them all passing by my own American standards. Or at least most of them scoring 60% and up. If a student ever got in the 90's I think I'd leap for joy. (Fortunately for them, I am a big perfectionist, but I have only ever applied unrealistic standards to myself. While I'd like to see them really comprehending the material and TRULY doing well, I am relatively satisfied that the average went up by 14 points this round of testing. Let's hope that's a trend that continues! I want to see lot's of 80s next time!)
Reasons for poor subject comprehension/test results in TZ schools:
1. The language of instruction is English for all subjects, even though some of them don't know words like "do" or "when". By the end of four years they are pretty much expected to be fluent in English, and there are many extraneous words on the NECTA that no reasonable person would ever use. My Form I kids have completed 3 out of 16 topics that they're supposed to cover this year, and our semester is quickly ending. It's very difficult to handle, and I'm hoping I can make more progress with next year's Form I class since I'll be starting the year with them. As for the kids I have in Form I now, it's a game of trying to catch them up for Form II, while also not rushing too fast.
2. They don't have their own books.
3. There is no school library or designated study space.
4. Many of them don't have notebooks. Or other supplies a lot of the time. So...I'm not really sure how some of them ever study. (I assume they just don't, or otherwise team-up into groups.)
5. They never have been taught to THINK. Only to parrot, mimic, and regurgitate answers and words without even knowing what they mean. (I.E. When I come in to class, even if I don't ask how they are, they say "We are fine." Sometimes I'll say something like, "Wow that was very loud!" Response: "FINE THANK YOU MADAME")
6. They are expected to do a lot of chores at school and at home. Studying and academic success isn't a huge priority for many families.
7. Illness is common. (There is a fundamental misunderstanding about the importance of using soap and warm water before eating with one's hands. A lot of people use soap after they eat with their hands so they don't smell like fish or what not, but before meals they just rinse their hands with cold, un-purified water. Sometimes it's warm. That's nicer. And some people do use silver wear. But you would never use a fork with ugali, and that's a common food here.....I personally use hand-sanitizer.)
8. They have virtually no test-taking skills. If they don't understand one word, they will skip the entire question. They don't know how to use process of elimination on multiple choice exams, and they don't do the easy questions first and then go back--they just sit there for a long time and eventually skip difficult questions entirely. Yesterday many students left questions completely blank, or didn't make it to the end of the exam because they were stuck. I also had a question that involved a bit of critical thinking on the exam, which was an interesting experiment. I gave them a passage about a girl named Jackie's eating preferences. We have gone over likes, dislikes, and preferences pretty extensively, so I wanted to see if they actually have understood what "prefer" really means. I said in one sentence that Jackie liked spinach, and in another sentence I said that she disliked onions. I asked if the following statement was true: Jackie prefers spinach to onions. To my surprise and delight, two students actually said TRUE, but most said false. Anyway, I hope to change their mode of thinking at least a little bit, but it's very hard to do. Suggestions on how to encourage critical thinking and test taking skills are most certainly WELCOME.
9. There are not many teachers here. Most teachers are somewhat flakey in terms of when they show up, and classes are cancelled for strange reasons. Many teachers are transferred, but then replacements are not given for a long time. This week only two of the three staff were present at my school. Plus, next week I'm going to be in Dar for medical reasons, so I'll miss at least one day of class, meaning once again there will be two staff at MOST. There are no substitute teachers, though I will probably host a make-up lesson or two since I really want to get through our unit on daily routines. But really, the lack of staff is a HUGE problem. They have only had temporary science, English, and math teachers at Mlongwema Secondary this year, so there has been no continuity or regularity in Math, Physics, Biology, Chemistry, and English classes.
10. Students are taught to the test (NECTA) and not taught to learn. This is a hard issue to deal with because ultimately they must pass the exam to move on to higher forms of education....
Despite this, I am very excited about my library project. My mkuu is going to meet with an architect in Lushoto and establish building costs. She is also going to look into solar panel costs and computer pricing. I'm working on the write-up, and Chambitwe is going to get a couple students to say why they want a library at their school. Then I'm going to launch my TZ Reads Campaign, and probably apply to some PC grants.
For my birthday/Christmas, I would love donations (1) So I can buy them notebooks, rulers, and pens for the next academic year and (2) So I can get books and building materials for Mlola's Library Project. I will be setting up an official fundraising campaign once I get everything together, but that won't be for a little while.
Waiting for Amy to show up from her village. I'm always the unlucky one who gets here between 6:45 and 7:30 in the morning.
End rant.
I think I'm going to do some e-mailing, photo-tooling, and possibly start my library write-up. I was feeling inspired on the bus. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL on the way here today. Lot's of fog covering the mountains in very interesting, and frankly breathtaking, ways. I wish I could have taken photos! I try not to bring my iPhone or camera with me since I'm already carrying a lot of stuff I don't want to lose. Plus, I already stick out a lot, and I'd prefer not to look touristy to a bus of tired Tanzanians at 5:30 in the morning.
Yesterday was fairly frustrating. I wrote out my test on flip chart paper to save time and hand cramping. I figured using colored markers to point out important points would also help them understand/follow the exam directions. I wrote the test in the style of the Form II NECTA exam that they'll be taking next November. (Fill in the blank with the correct verb, multiple choice reading comprehension, re-write the sentence correctly etc.) I put the test up on the board, only to find out that NONE of them had paper. Not a single student. Those who did have notebooks didn't have blank paper in their notebooks, or otherwise refused to rip it out. I had been told by my mkuu that it is the students' responsibility to have paper, and they did for the last quiz, so I got pretty frustrated by the whole thing. The academic master (Chambitwe) wasn't around, so I couldn't get access to any paper in his "resources" room. I ended up scrounging around and finding some blank sheets in the staff room in a random notebook (not sure if I was allowed to rip paper out of it, but I'd already emptied my own last notebook so I had nothing else to offer). After that didn't suffice, I had JB find me a couple more sheets. In the end some students had to write on the back of the used pieces of paper I had left in my notebook.
Based on this experience, I think next year I'm going to supply my students with an English notebook. I will probably have to pay for it, but I'm considering asking for donations/seeing if there's some funding I can get to also get them some pens, rulers, etc. I also REALLY want to type up my tests, though it is expensive to do that as well. I think I might do hand-written quizzes and typed tests to save money, but also improve the quality of my assessment measures. Typed tests would save a lot of time (they copy EVERYTHING down when they take a test, so most of them take a long time writing out directions, even if I tell them they don't need to) and help eliminate cheating. Rulers would also be very helpful since they have a practice here of underlining their answers (all answers apparently must be underlined with a perfectly straight line). This is an issue as only a couple students actually have a ruler. They end up passing rulers back and forth all the time, which makes policing for cheating harder to do. I cracked down yesterday on the talking and the looking-back-at-other-people's-desks, but it is difficult to stop on-looking when some of them literally share desks with each other.
I spent my afternoon grading. This round of tests went better than the last quiz I gave. Last quiz I had two students score zeros. This time the lowest score was an 11%. Last quiz the high was also somewhere in the 60% range, and this time I had one girl score an 83! That is HUGE in Tanzania, since passing is 20% and above. Getting an "A" in American terms is pretty much unheard of, so I'm relatively happy when my students get over 50%. To my satisfaction, 15 out of the 33 students who took the exam did get above a 50. (Eleven students were absent--which is sad, but truancy is common.) The average was a 48. Hopefully by the end of the year I can get them to keep raising their scores. By next year I'd really like to have them all passing by my own American standards. Or at least most of them scoring 60% and up. If a student ever got in the 90's I think I'd leap for joy. (Fortunately for them, I am a big perfectionist, but I have only ever applied unrealistic standards to myself. While I'd like to see them really comprehending the material and TRULY doing well, I am relatively satisfied that the average went up by 14 points this round of testing. Let's hope that's a trend that continues! I want to see lot's of 80s next time!)
Reasons for poor subject comprehension/test results in TZ schools:
1. The language of instruction is English for all subjects, even though some of them don't know words like "do" or "when". By the end of four years they are pretty much expected to be fluent in English, and there are many extraneous words on the NECTA that no reasonable person would ever use. My Form I kids have completed 3 out of 16 topics that they're supposed to cover this year, and our semester is quickly ending. It's very difficult to handle, and I'm hoping I can make more progress with next year's Form I class since I'll be starting the year with them. As for the kids I have in Form I now, it's a game of trying to catch them up for Form II, while also not rushing too fast.
2. They don't have their own books.
3. There is no school library or designated study space.
4. Many of them don't have notebooks. Or other supplies a lot of the time. So...I'm not really sure how some of them ever study. (I assume they just don't, or otherwise team-up into groups.)
5. They never have been taught to THINK. Only to parrot, mimic, and regurgitate answers and words without even knowing what they mean. (I.E. When I come in to class, even if I don't ask how they are, they say "We are fine." Sometimes I'll say something like, "Wow that was very loud!" Response: "FINE THANK YOU MADAME")
6. They are expected to do a lot of chores at school and at home. Studying and academic success isn't a huge priority for many families.
7. Illness is common. (There is a fundamental misunderstanding about the importance of using soap and warm water before eating with one's hands. A lot of people use soap after they eat with their hands so they don't smell like fish or what not, but before meals they just rinse their hands with cold, un-purified water. Sometimes it's warm. That's nicer. And some people do use silver wear. But you would never use a fork with ugali, and that's a common food here.....I personally use hand-sanitizer.)
8. They have virtually no test-taking skills. If they don't understand one word, they will skip the entire question. They don't know how to use process of elimination on multiple choice exams, and they don't do the easy questions first and then go back--they just sit there for a long time and eventually skip difficult questions entirely. Yesterday many students left questions completely blank, or didn't make it to the end of the exam because they were stuck. I also had a question that involved a bit of critical thinking on the exam, which was an interesting experiment. I gave them a passage about a girl named Jackie's eating preferences. We have gone over likes, dislikes, and preferences pretty extensively, so I wanted to see if they actually have understood what "prefer" really means. I said in one sentence that Jackie liked spinach, and in another sentence I said that she disliked onions. I asked if the following statement was true: Jackie prefers spinach to onions. To my surprise and delight, two students actually said TRUE, but most said false. Anyway, I hope to change their mode of thinking at least a little bit, but it's very hard to do. Suggestions on how to encourage critical thinking and test taking skills are most certainly WELCOME.
9. There are not many teachers here. Most teachers are somewhat flakey in terms of when they show up, and classes are cancelled for strange reasons. Many teachers are transferred, but then replacements are not given for a long time. This week only two of the three staff were present at my school. Plus, next week I'm going to be in Dar for medical reasons, so I'll miss at least one day of class, meaning once again there will be two staff at MOST. There are no substitute teachers, though I will probably host a make-up lesson or two since I really want to get through our unit on daily routines. But really, the lack of staff is a HUGE problem. They have only had temporary science, English, and math teachers at Mlongwema Secondary this year, so there has been no continuity or regularity in Math, Physics, Biology, Chemistry, and English classes.
10. Students are taught to the test (NECTA) and not taught to learn. This is a hard issue to deal with because ultimately they must pass the exam to move on to higher forms of education....
Despite this, I am very excited about my library project. My mkuu is going to meet with an architect in Lushoto and establish building costs. She is also going to look into solar panel costs and computer pricing. I'm working on the write-up, and Chambitwe is going to get a couple students to say why they want a library at their school. Then I'm going to launch my TZ Reads Campaign, and probably apply to some PC grants.
For my birthday/Christmas, I would love donations (1) So I can buy them notebooks, rulers, and pens for the next academic year and (2) So I can get books and building materials for Mlola's Library Project. I will be setting up an official fundraising campaign once I get everything together, but that won't be for a little while.
Waiting for Amy to show up from her village. I'm always the unlucky one who gets here between 6:45 and 7:30 in the morning.
End rant.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
October 17, Phone is okay!!!
I am in a GREAT mood for the following reasons:
1. My phone is back to normal! Tough little samsung brick phone.
2. My library project is getting bigger and better! Plans of constructing a library complete with computers, solar panels, and a children's section. Save your pennies! Money goes far here and it could be so wonderful for this community and surrounding schools in the area!!!
3. I am not hungry. That may be a bad sign (appetite loss) but it is nicer than feeling hungry but not being able to satisify that feeling.
4. My bucket bath was hot and wonderful.
5. It was sunny! Charged phone and my kindle is allowing me to internet around.
6. I am going to finally get a medical checkup. And my package is coming. Health is much closer now!
7. I will be in Lushoto Friday! YES!
8. I now know where the mango trees are. January will be amazing!
9. I am listening to music loudly. And Chambitwe is away so he won't mind.
10. My test writing is going well. I love projects, planning, etc.
Sorry for the exclamation points. It is nice to actually feel happy, though. Good day today.
1. My phone is back to normal! Tough little samsung brick phone.
2. My library project is getting bigger and better! Plans of constructing a library complete with computers, solar panels, and a children's section. Save your pennies! Money goes far here and it could be so wonderful for this community and surrounding schools in the area!!!
3. I am not hungry. That may be a bad sign (appetite loss) but it is nicer than feeling hungry but not being able to satisify that feeling.
4. My bucket bath was hot and wonderful.
5. It was sunny! Charged phone and my kindle is allowing me to internet around.
6. I am going to finally get a medical checkup. And my package is coming. Health is much closer now!
7. I will be in Lushoto Friday! YES!
8. I now know where the mango trees are. January will be amazing!
9. I am listening to music loudly. And Chambitwe is away so he won't mind.
10. My test writing is going well. I love projects, planning, etc.
Sorry for the exclamation points. It is nice to actually feel happy, though. Good day today.
October 17, Uh Oh Speaker....
I had a pretty good day today. My lesson went really well (Boys vs Girls board race worked!) and I managed to spend my morning alone. The other PCMO, Dr. Sulemanji, called to check-in and actually seems interested in helping me! I am going to Dar on Sunday so I can run some tests on Monday. I have been on my diet for three weeks with very marginal improvement, so I am glad I will get checked out. My package should arrive soon, which is what I am banking on to recover, but it can't hurt to make sure everything else is okay. I am worried about my kidneys....I dunno. It will be nice to just make sure I am fully away of everything happening with my body. I have been sick for a very long time now, so it couldn't hurt to make sure I am not anemic or something by now. And my package is in Tanzania so I hope to get it by Friday!!!!!!!!
I cleaned and cooked, then burnt my trash. Then when I was washing out my trash bin, my phone fell into the water. I removed the battery quickly, but I fear the speaker may be a goner. I am bummed. But hopeful it will revive itself....
I need to write two exams by tomorrow. My head has been killing me, but it must be done. Overall I feel more positive mentally today. When I went to town to get eggs, the local kids all said my name aside from two who shouted "mzungu". I bought candy to give to the three highest test scorers and gave Saumu a lollypop. I felt bad giving Kibena candy yesterday since Saumu seemed a bit jealous. (My mkuu said I am like a mother because I "recognized the importance of Kibena's accomplishment: finishing the NECTA." Nevermind that she is 21 years old and I am only 22. I thought it was sweet and I am glad she appreciated the gesture, albiet small.)
I also have been thinking next year I want to start an English and Creative Arts club. I might also do a writing project with the primary school. Or art workshops. Or English tutoring. I have been flipflopping lately in my long term goals, but I do miss working with younger kids. Right now I am thinking it would be nice to channel these kids' creativity into something meaningul to them. I have ideas...And I will keep everyone posted if such a thing happens. All I know is that my Form One kids LOVE to draw, but have no real resources to explore that part of their brains. Something will come to fruition...I hope.
I cleaned and cooked, then burnt my trash. Then when I was washing out my trash bin, my phone fell into the water. I removed the battery quickly, but I fear the speaker may be a goner. I am bummed. But hopeful it will revive itself....
I need to write two exams by tomorrow. My head has been killing me, but it must be done. Overall I feel more positive mentally today. When I went to town to get eggs, the local kids all said my name aside from two who shouted "mzungu". I bought candy to give to the three highest test scorers and gave Saumu a lollypop. I felt bad giving Kibena candy yesterday since Saumu seemed a bit jealous. (My mkuu said I am like a mother because I "recognized the importance of Kibena's accomplishment: finishing the NECTA." Nevermind that she is 21 years old and I am only 22. I thought it was sweet and I am glad she appreciated the gesture, albiet small.)
I also have been thinking next year I want to start an English and Creative Arts club. I might also do a writing project with the primary school. Or art workshops. Or English tutoring. I have been flipflopping lately in my long term goals, but I do miss working with younger kids. Right now I am thinking it would be nice to channel these kids' creativity into something meaningul to them. I have ideas...And I will keep everyone posted if such a thing happens. All I know is that my Form One kids LOVE to draw, but have no real resources to explore that part of their brains. Something will come to fruition...I hope.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
October 16, Hokey Pokey
Yesterday marked my two months as an official volunteer. Twenty-two to go! I went to the market twice. The first time I went with Saumu around noon...town was pretty dead and many vendors were not there. My tomato and onion mama was, so now I have more tomatoes than I know what to do with. She is very generous.
Going to the village center the second time was much more stressful. I needed to get kerosene and pick up my laptop from the charging duka. I also bought a bunch of banans for two hundred shillings. Going into town I got a mix of Jedi and Mzungu calls from the local kids. Then classes let out. I think I went by every primary and secondary school kid that went to school yesterday. Most of them were very excited to see me. Some wanted me to go back to the market with them. Others sort of mockingly greeted me. I wasn't in a mood to be laughed at, so I was very happy to get back home.
Today I finished class with a couple songs, per Form 1 and 2's pleading request. I had already gone over time, but stayed anyway. (I did reading comprehension today to work on expressing routines and habits. Not pretty seeing that some groups didn't know words like "do" and "when".) I showed them the hokey pokey and I have never seen a group get so excited about that song! I worked with three year-olds for months, and never once did I generate so many bright smiles and so much hardy laughter. They also love the five little monkeys/crocodile song. Sometimes teaching here really is like being a preschool teacher again. But without diaper changing or finger paint.
I plan to do more reading today and some lesson planning. I have to write a final examination soon for the Form One kids. They will be taking it in mid-November. I am testing them on Thursday to get an idea about just how much they have retained since we started this semester. Hopefully I won't see too many improper uses of the present simple. I have been drilling that with them, so they should get it by now....hopefully.
All I can say is ROTE MEMORIZATION is a TERRIBLE hinderance to one's ability to think cognitively or form thoughts actively. Getting these kids to do anything but copy and spit back anwers is very difficult. Spoon-feeding answers does not do students any good. It just means when they need to form their own thoughts and sentences, that they are totally lost. They say words without connecting any meanings in their brain to them. It is hard and really makes me appreciate my teachers. They always asked thoughtful questions and demanded we come-up with our own ways of processing information.
Second sunny day here in my vil. I love it. I want to stay in the sun forever. My teva tan is rockin by now.
Going to the village center the second time was much more stressful. I needed to get kerosene and pick up my laptop from the charging duka. I also bought a bunch of banans for two hundred shillings. Going into town I got a mix of Jedi and Mzungu calls from the local kids. Then classes let out. I think I went by every primary and secondary school kid that went to school yesterday. Most of them were very excited to see me. Some wanted me to go back to the market with them. Others sort of mockingly greeted me. I wasn't in a mood to be laughed at, so I was very happy to get back home.
Today I finished class with a couple songs, per Form 1 and 2's pleading request. I had already gone over time, but stayed anyway. (I did reading comprehension today to work on expressing routines and habits. Not pretty seeing that some groups didn't know words like "do" and "when".) I showed them the hokey pokey and I have never seen a group get so excited about that song! I worked with three year-olds for months, and never once did I generate so many bright smiles and so much hardy laughter. They also love the five little monkeys/crocodile song. Sometimes teaching here really is like being a preschool teacher again. But without diaper changing or finger paint.
I plan to do more reading today and some lesson planning. I have to write a final examination soon for the Form One kids. They will be taking it in mid-November. I am testing them on Thursday to get an idea about just how much they have retained since we started this semester. Hopefully I won't see too many improper uses of the present simple. I have been drilling that with them, so they should get it by now....hopefully.
All I can say is ROTE MEMORIZATION is a TERRIBLE hinderance to one's ability to think cognitively or form thoughts actively. Getting these kids to do anything but copy and spit back anwers is very difficult. Spoon-feeding answers does not do students any good. It just means when they need to form their own thoughts and sentences, that they are totally lost. They say words without connecting any meanings in their brain to them. It is hard and really makes me appreciate my teachers. They always asked thoughtful questions and demanded we come-up with our own ways of processing information.
Second sunny day here in my vil. I love it. I want to stay in the sun forever. My teva tan is rockin by now.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
October 14, 4 Hours of Church
Today I went to church. They had a special guest choir, so it went from ten in the morning to almost two in the afternoon. I enoyed the first hour because there was a lot of singing and dancing. By the end of the singing, angry preaching, and skits, however, I really was excited to leave. I was very hungry and dehydrated, which was frustrating once I got home. Right now I cannot drink near meal times, nor can I eat more than a half-cup serving at a time. Needless to say today was hard that way. Anyway, at the end of Church I was given a papaya. It was the third time I was singled out. (I introduced myself and then was pointed out again as a guest. The church was surprisingly full. Most of Mlola's population is Muslim, but I did recognize a couple students. There were more Christians than I thought there would be!)
After eating lunch I spent a couple hours at my mkuu's house. I gave the papaya to my mkuu, but ended up being gifted another papaya by some students. Holy too much fruit!
TZ Tidbits:
If the government wants you to move, you have to. Ultimately they own your land, even if you buy it.
They have no idea what Halloween, Thanksgving, etc. are. But they do know Boxing Day it seems...
You usually have to bribe doctors in the ER to be seen. Votes are also bought via money or khangas.
Trash bags are not sold. I use plastic shopping bags.
Yams are purple on the outside and white on the inside. Oranges are green on the outside.
It is customary to give guests something as a parting gift. Aka my papaya.
Street children are not uncommon here, as orphaned children have nowhere to go.
If you get pregnant you are not allowed to be in school-- as a moral repurcussion.
There is a swahili word for allergy but no one here seems to know it.
After eating lunch I spent a couple hours at my mkuu's house. I gave the papaya to my mkuu, but ended up being gifted another papaya by some students. Holy too much fruit!
TZ Tidbits:
If the government wants you to move, you have to. Ultimately they own your land, even if you buy it.
They have no idea what Halloween, Thanksgving, etc. are. But they do know Boxing Day it seems...
You usually have to bribe doctors in the ER to be seen. Votes are also bought via money or khangas.
Trash bags are not sold. I use plastic shopping bags.
Yams are purple on the outside and white on the inside. Oranges are green on the outside.
It is customary to give guests something as a parting gift. Aka my papaya.
Street children are not uncommon here, as orphaned children have nowhere to go.
If you get pregnant you are not allowed to be in school-- as a moral repurcussion.
There is a swahili word for allergy but no one here seems to know it.
Friday, October 12, 2012
October 13, Saturday at Site
I am staying at site until next weekend. Technically I should do this every weekend,but it is always nice to get out, have electricity for a little while, and see other PCVs. This weekend I will be cleaning, reading, cooking, and going to church. I am not really a church-goer, but it will definitely make a lot of people happy and I am curious what it will be like here.
The past couple days I have been a bit low in patience. Teaching here can be extremely frustrating at times. Being sick does not make it easier to feel good about how things are going. I am trying to teach them to think not just parrot answers back to me, but it is hard. I am anxiously awaiting my package. Hopefully I can get it by next Friday!!!
I have been reading more often, though people here don't understand anytime I stay alone for any length of time. In TZ people don't have a culture of reading or writing. There is no electricity, so it isn't like people can watch TV or go online all day. Most activities are social, largely because it is nicer to be with people than alone doing nothing. Most people clean, cook, work, and socialize. They just really don't understand why I would want to be by myself as far as I can tell. My mkuu says it will make me sad and homesick. Others see alone time as potentially scary, especially after dark. I am a pretty social person,but I do like doing things by myself. I am an only child and I know how to entertain myself. I also have things to do, like lesson plan, read, blog etc. More importantly, sometimes being around people here can feel more isolating than just being in my house. I really enjoy going to my mkuu's house, but sometimes having my students come here is just disruptive. Other times the language barrier gets in the way when I am visiting people, or it can just be really dull to watch someone cook for an hour without her involving you in it.
Anyway, my point is that I do need space. But that is fairly incomprehensible at times. I have decided I am going to push for my needed alone time anyway. I do socialize as well, but I don't need to be around people 24/7.
For now I am battling sickness and homesickness. Nonetheless, things are going alright. I am enjoying cooking and I am getting more stuff together for my library. Trying to find the happy things every day! Today that means 90's music, seeing if I have energy for yoga, and inquiring amount cement to fix my walls. Plans, plans, plans!
The past couple days I have been a bit low in patience. Teaching here can be extremely frustrating at times. Being sick does not make it easier to feel good about how things are going. I am trying to teach them to think not just parrot answers back to me, but it is hard. I am anxiously awaiting my package. Hopefully I can get it by next Friday!!!
I have been reading more often, though people here don't understand anytime I stay alone for any length of time. In TZ people don't have a culture of reading or writing. There is no electricity, so it isn't like people can watch TV or go online all day. Most activities are social, largely because it is nicer to be with people than alone doing nothing. Most people clean, cook, work, and socialize. They just really don't understand why I would want to be by myself as far as I can tell. My mkuu says it will make me sad and homesick. Others see alone time as potentially scary, especially after dark. I am a pretty social person,but I do like doing things by myself. I am an only child and I know how to entertain myself. I also have things to do, like lesson plan, read, blog etc. More importantly, sometimes being around people here can feel more isolating than just being in my house. I really enjoy going to my mkuu's house, but sometimes having my students come here is just disruptive. Other times the language barrier gets in the way when I am visiting people, or it can just be really dull to watch someone cook for an hour without her involving you in it.
Anyway, my point is that I do need space. But that is fairly incomprehensible at times. I have decided I am going to push for my needed alone time anyway. I do socialize as well, but I don't need to be around people 24/7.
For now I am battling sickness and homesickness. Nonetheless, things are going alright. I am enjoying cooking and I am getting more stuff together for my library. Trying to find the happy things every day! Today that means 90's music, seeing if I have energy for yoga, and inquiring amount cement to fix my walls. Plans, plans, plans!
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