Happy Halloween!
Cool news, I might have a cat by tomorrow. I met said cat in a boutique yesterday but he or she ran away from me and started chasing insects. But that cat will love me, and regardless of its gender I'm going to name it Herman. Herman the cat. I just hope this one is still alive by tomorrow. About a month ago I was supposed to get a cat, but a few days before I was going to buy him or her a dog attacked and killed the poor thing. So I'm really hoping that Herman will be alive by the time I get home tomorrow. I will have to fashion him and litter box and get him rice and fish to eat. Ooh I'm so excited!
School's fine. I gave all three classes a crapload of homework in preparation for their exam in about a week. The homework's difficult and the kids complained, and I lost my patience. I told them that it's their choice to do the work--they're the ones who need to score above or at the moyenne. But I am enjoying some of my students--the ones who take an interest and come to my tutoring hours and learn the material. It's just that when I change the questions around a bit, thereby forcing them to use their brains instead of simply plugging numbers into an equation, I get 80 students saying 'On ne comprend pas.' Reflechissez yo! That's why I gave them difficult homework. Some will struggle, some will ask for help and others will only copy off their neighbors, and then we'll see who really understands the material come test time.
So yes, Halloween in Gaoua! Mom, I received my solar charger package! It got here 3 weeks ago but the volunteer in Gaoua forgot to mention it to me. And I received a letter from Remaroosi--only took two weeks! A bunch of volunteers are here for the weekend--we're going to watch movies and perhaps go dancing--which for me means means moving around in my chair. Just like car dancing! It's the way to go--you get to sit, dance and drink coke at the same time.
And I get Monday off because tomorrow is All Saints Day! Life is beautiful. Trick or treat.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Saturday, October 24, 2009
How long an hour can take
Next weekend is Halloween ! Yesterday I carved a pumpkin with Jillian and her fiance, Ibe, while we listened to Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Njimy belt out tunes from the movie classic Hocus Pocus. I wonder if someone is going to take my pumpkin from my courtyard and cook something out of it. Most Burkinabé don’t understand the purpose of carving a face into a pumpkin and not eating it. I told them that I”ll use the seeds for food, salty seeds! Is it possible to grill them? I am without an oven.
Teaching is going well, though I had a hard time teaching my 5eme students how to place points in a Cartesian coordinate system (something they should’ve learned the year before). But I’ve set up tutoring hours, and tons of students came. It was awesome; I was bombarded with questions, completely surrounded by kids who want to learn and do extra exercises.
But it’s not all fun. This past week I had to discipline some kids because they wouldn’t listen or they’d be disrespectful. Thursday was particularly brutal, and I was in a pissy mood all day. I suppose it doesn’t help that I’m not a very patient person to begin with. Also, I had two bats flying around in my classroom last week. It didn’t do much for the students’ concentration and I myself was distracted having narrowly missed a few collisions to the head. No rabies! I don’t want to be the face of rabies like poor Meredith.
I no longer am doing my own laundry! My water girl, Florida, also washes my clothes for me and now they actually smell clean! When I washed my own clothes they smelled moldy, and that is definitely no bueno.
The week before last I did a hand-washing sensibilization in my classes. I brought in piedmont (chili-esque condiment), asked kids to rub his or her fingers in it and then touch their eyes. And some of them were actually going to do it (something about blindly following teachers instructions no matter what they themselves think; I want to correct that). I then had them wash their hands with water (piedmont still present), and then with soap and water. We discussed the benefits of always washing your hands with soap before eating and after using the bathroom; I likened the piedmont to feces and other nasties to get my point across. It was quite fun.
I’ve found 3 scorpions in my house so far, huge brown ones. I was told that the smaller they are, the more dangerous. I sprayed the crap out of them with insecticide and then tossed them over my courtyard wall using my handy dustpan. I also have a caterpillar infestation, but they’re cute and soft and they curl up into balls when I hold them in my hand.
My plans aren’t definite yet, but I think I’m going to Bobo for Thanksgiving (actually the first weekend in December because of Tabasky), and possibly Togo for Christmas. Hello Mr. Beach and Mr. Ocean. Woot woot!
I made a wish list for things I cannot get in Burkina (SEE RIGHT, por favor). The best way to send stuff is to use the flat rate box, it costs about 40 bucks and should arrive within 2-3 weeks. Thank you to everyone who writes and sends me goodies. I can’t tell you all how much I appreciate it!
Teaching is going well, though I had a hard time teaching my 5eme students how to place points in a Cartesian coordinate system (something they should’ve learned the year before). But I’ve set up tutoring hours, and tons of students came. It was awesome; I was bombarded with questions, completely surrounded by kids who want to learn and do extra exercises.
But it’s not all fun. This past week I had to discipline some kids because they wouldn’t listen or they’d be disrespectful. Thursday was particularly brutal, and I was in a pissy mood all day. I suppose it doesn’t help that I’m not a very patient person to begin with. Also, I had two bats flying around in my classroom last week. It didn’t do much for the students’ concentration and I myself was distracted having narrowly missed a few collisions to the head. No rabies! I don’t want to be the face of rabies like poor Meredith.
I no longer am doing my own laundry! My water girl, Florida, also washes my clothes for me and now they actually smell clean! When I washed my own clothes they smelled moldy, and that is definitely no bueno.
The week before last I did a hand-washing sensibilization in my classes. I brought in piedmont (chili-esque condiment), asked kids to rub his or her fingers in it and then touch their eyes. And some of them were actually going to do it (something about blindly following teachers instructions no matter what they themselves think; I want to correct that). I then had them wash their hands with water (piedmont still present), and then with soap and water. We discussed the benefits of always washing your hands with soap before eating and after using the bathroom; I likened the piedmont to feces and other nasties to get my point across. It was quite fun.
I’ve found 3 scorpions in my house so far, huge brown ones. I was told that the smaller they are, the more dangerous. I sprayed the crap out of them with insecticide and then tossed them over my courtyard wall using my handy dustpan. I also have a caterpillar infestation, but they’re cute and soft and they curl up into balls when I hold them in my hand.
My plans aren’t definite yet, but I think I’m going to Bobo for Thanksgiving (actually the first weekend in December because of Tabasky), and possibly Togo for Christmas. Hello Mr. Beach and Mr. Ocean. Woot woot!
I made a wish list for things I cannot get in Burkina (SEE RIGHT, por favor). The best way to send stuff is to use the flat rate box, it costs about 40 bucks and should arrive within 2-3 weeks. Thank you to everyone who writes and sends me goodies. I can’t tell you all how much I appreciate it!
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Just like a faucet that leaks
I have successfully completed my first week of school! Yay me! And it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I came in the first day of class and I laid down the law; and when students didn't abide by it, I sent them to the surveillant. It was awesome. But I also kept thinking, "golly gee I'm mean." But I'd rather be very strict for awhile so the students know that I mean business, and then ease up later in the year. Pheeeww, it was a long week, but altogether a productive one.
I have two 5eme classes (7th grade) and a 4eme class (8th grade). And right now I'm teaching them about symmetry about a point or a plane, and powers of 10, respectively. I have anywhere between 80 and 100 students in all three classes, but I don't have the attendance sheets yet so I'm not certain of the number. But yes, the class sizes are huge indeed. It's going to blow major chunks once I have to start grading tests. But as the Burkinabé say, "ça va aller."
And the week before last I helped give the polio vaccine to kids five years and younger in the quaint little village I like to call Bouroum-Bouroum, or home. I didn't actually put the droplets in the kids' mouths, but I did mark their crusty little fingers and keep tally of all the people we gave the vaccination to. It was fun, and people gave us peanuts! I find it amusing the number of little kids who are frightened of white people. And their parents know it, too. So what do they do? They shove the kids into my arms to make them start bawling, and then they chuckle chuckle chuckle. It is kind of fun, but I do sincerely hope that those kids aren't scarred for life from being touched by the scary white girl.
And where am I right now? Gaoua, you say? Actually I'm in Diebougou which is about 50 km north of BrBr. The internet hasn't been working lately in Gaoua, so I figured this would be a great time to check out Diebougou and use the lovely internet. So far, so good. Diebougou is more compact than Gaoua and a hell of a lot less hilly, which I dig the way I dig sugar-packed American peanut butter. Yum.
Mayhaps I will buy some baskets and bananas. And of course a coke or two.
I have two 5eme classes (7th grade) and a 4eme class (8th grade). And right now I'm teaching them about symmetry about a point or a plane, and powers of 10, respectively. I have anywhere between 80 and 100 students in all three classes, but I don't have the attendance sheets yet so I'm not certain of the number. But yes, the class sizes are huge indeed. It's going to blow major chunks once I have to start grading tests. But as the Burkinabé say, "ça va aller."
And the week before last I helped give the polio vaccine to kids five years and younger in the quaint little village I like to call Bouroum-Bouroum, or home. I didn't actually put the droplets in the kids' mouths, but I did mark their crusty little fingers and keep tally of all the people we gave the vaccination to. It was fun, and people gave us peanuts! I find it amusing the number of little kids who are frightened of white people. And their parents know it, too. So what do they do? They shove the kids into my arms to make them start bawling, and then they chuckle chuckle chuckle. It is kind of fun, but I do sincerely hope that those kids aren't scarred for life from being touched by the scary white girl.
And where am I right now? Gaoua, you say? Actually I'm in Diebougou which is about 50 km north of BrBr. The internet hasn't been working lately in Gaoua, so I figured this would be a great time to check out Diebougou and use the lovely internet. So far, so good. Diebougou is more compact than Gaoua and a hell of a lot less hilly, which I dig the way I dig sugar-packed American peanut butter. Yum.
Mayhaps I will buy some baskets and bananas. And of course a coke or two.
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