Saturday, January 24, 2009

School has begun!!

So I guess the real reason for my arrival has began. School is officially open, well it has been for the past two weeks but the first week is just fee payment and cleaning. By the way.... if the tachers in the US had the students doing this kind of cleaning, it wouldnt happen. Students wash the dishes for chai, cut the grass, carry water, and sweep the floors. I teach form one and four mathematics( which is 9th and 12th/college levels.) I am the only teacher for both of those levels so I have 100 students per class!!! Someone please tell me how I am going to teach in a different style than lecture with that many kids! Anywho, thus far I have enjoyed it although I am almost certain that my form one students have no idea what I am saying most of the time! In Tanzania, students are taught in Kiswahili for primary school and in English for secondary school (form one). So this is the first time they have been taught in English... and not even their style of English. Evidently (as I have been told numerous times...) American English is wrong English... Bristish english is correct. But so far they seem to be able to do what's asked of them (besides the mocking of my Kiswahili.) When they do that I just speak in English really fast...haha take that!

Other than school my life has been non-existant. I hang out with an older teacher and her two children (who insist on calling me "dada mzungu ~foreign sister ) and try cooking new things. Today I am learning how to cook beans and cocconut. I dont have the patience (it takes like five hours! By the way any time I go outside or even open my door for that matter, I feel like a superstar! All I hear is DADA! DADA! from about the 8 kids that live by my house... haha, talk about paparazzi!!!I have also been chasing kids away from my passion fruit tree. I am very upset that they are taking all the fruit...it's not even ripe yet! I think I am just goign to cut it down. I have been learning how to garden and to use a njembe (kinda like a shovel and rake in one!) The teachers have been telling me that I should stop because I wont be fat anymore. Here "fatness" is a sign of wealth and fertility. That's probably a good thing that I'm working.... By the way none of my clothes fit anymore...I am sad :-(

Things are good with me... Hope everything is ok back in the states!

Oh yeah, I was able to watch the inauguration!!!! Yay! I was so happy, I almost cried...

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Happy New Year!

I just wanted to say Happy new year to everyone and thanks for all the cards and letters that everyone has sent. I don't have a lot of time but just wanted to say that I had a wonderful christmas and a nice new year.... I miss you all!