(movie scene #1 was crashing through the police block: and then the adventure began)
Over to the lumber camp to see if we could hitch a ride out. (remember that public transport in Nyika is non-existant). They were more than willing for us to ride on the backs of the lumber trucks (this time not empty) so I’m not sure where we would be sitting or riding but I did know it would be dusty. We got a ride easily but they had to pump up the tires and then they were leaving. It then turned into having to change the tire…or four…or ??? so we went to another truck. Yes, we’re leaving now, just tightening the straps and then we’ll come by and pick you up (we were near the exit)…Then a pick up was driving out and told us to get in. Two oil barrels (empty tho the back was covered in oil/tar), 3 boys and 3 men in the back…we put down some cardboard, our bags on that and us on our bags and we left. Dropped 2 of the men not far out of camp and continued on. About 7k out of camp (the hill that we last walked up before getting our ride yesterday) the truck was going down and we felt a bump and then saw a tire go bouncing off to the left and front of the truck…yes, the tire had come off the back left and just like the movies bounced away as we rolled to a stop on the rim. One of the boys had leapt out of the back and I thought he was going after the tire though he was too small to be able to bring it back and in fact he didn’t go after the tire. I think he was afraid the truck was going to roll. He got a major yelling at by the man in the back. The driver got out of the truck just chuckling.
At least 2 hours and lots of banging on the rim to refit the tire and we were on our way again. (a truck coming in stopped and the guys on the back lifted our truck to get a log underneath it as we didn’t have a jack) (the truck that was having its tires changed came with some tools and stayed until we were up and running again but didn’t actually follow us out or pass us—good thing we didn’t wait for that one to leave). We then stopped every 30-45 minutes to check the tire and retightened the nuts. No other problems though so that was nice.
From Rumphi (6 hours after we left Chilenda) we continued on to Chitimba…got let off there at 6pm (dark) 10k from where we wanted to stay that night…the 10k is, of course, up a mountain and there were no cars around…but we waited and luck held one did go up and stop to give us a ride (well, rhona had to run after it to ask for the lift)…20 hairpin turns up the mountain…I’m not sure whether I would have preferred to see the steep drop on the side of the road or if going up in the dark was the way to do it…but we did make it to the surprise of everyone we have since told and who know how far we travelled. (yeah us—I think we’re crazy)
Sunday, August 29, 2010
TRUE or FALSE: A plateau is flat. (Monday)
From Webster’s Dictionary: plateau—a level land area considerably raised above adjoining land. While I didn’t have this definition exactly worded in my head it is what I believed about plateaus…of course had a paid more attention on our ride in we would have realized that at least this plateau is not flat…
So after thawing some and having some bread as breakfast we decided to hire (rent) the mountain bikes and bike to Chisanga Falls. When we told them what we wanted to do they said it would take all day but should be good. We imagined we could do it in 4 hours and get a ride back out with Gilbert (man who brought us in). (they told us our walk yesterday would be an all day affair and it took about 4 hours at a nice leisurely pace)…so off we went with lunch and water and ready to warm up. We could have even taken a hint from the first part of the “ride” it was uphill and we had to walk most of it. but we are optimists (really?) and continued on. It was hot (when the sun is out—daytime—it is quite hot) and dusty. We reached the junction (16k from camp) and had 7k still to go to get to the falls. This ride is going to take much longer than we imagined but still doable though not with a ride out from Gilbert. And on we go. The downhills while fun, in the back of my mind I realize we’re going to have to come back up them on the return trip—don’t think about that too much…and it is dirt roads and sometimes softer sand so you have to stay vigilant about guiding the bike around the rocks and getting through the deeper parts…exhausting. We reach a sign that says Chisanga Bridge-3k. so off the bikes and down down down the side of a mountain. We reach a bridge and no falls…maybe they are a little further but no luck. We try to follow the river a little to find the falls but the undergrowth is too high so it is back up the 3k…we decide to go a little farther (500m) on the road where we find the sign for Chisanga Falls-3k. we take stock and realize that we’ve come this far we might as well go for it because it would be really sad to get this close and not see them. However, after 500m downhill the path splits into many goat trails and disappears…so try as we might we couldn’t find the falls. Found some shade to have our lunch and then it was past time to head back.
The way back was even harder as we were already exhausted and I think the uphills might have been longer than in the other direction. Get to the junction and just want the guys at camp to come in their truck looking for us…or to wait for another truck to come into camp but realize we can’t count on either option so we keep going. Get up a hill about 7k from camp and have to take a break…while sitting we hear a truck coming from “outside.” Hoping and praying and almost in tears we flag it down and it stops! It is an empty lumber truck so we lift our bikes on the back and climb on with the 6 people already on the back. We stop to pick up some other Malawians and you can hear the people telling about how they found the azungu on the side of the road…I don’t even mind being laughed at at this point—as long as they don’t make me get off the truck.
Rhona asked if I was ok as I was closer to the edge than she was. I’m fine. Just don’t fall off—that would hurt. Actually falling off and breaking all my bones would hut less than having to get back on that bike…we got a laugh out of that (but I think it might have been true)
Camp staff were quite impressed when we rode up to the office (the truck went to the lumber camp so we did have to ride the last part but knowing the end was close made it bearable). We must have looked a sight—and we couldn’t imagine trying to camp again…so we asked about their cheapest room--$150! There is no way we can do that. They talked to the manager and got us the room with dinner for half price and we decided we’d have to because we wouldn’t make it through another night of frozen camping (turned out there was no frost the next morning). Then being in the pitiful state we were in we asked if they would drive us the 1k (uphill) to the campsite to get our stuff. They agreed and came with us…they even took our tent down for us. got us to our room, built us a fire in the fireplace and all was good for the rest of the night…
So after thawing some and having some bread as breakfast we decided to hire (rent) the mountain bikes and bike to Chisanga Falls. When we told them what we wanted to do they said it would take all day but should be good. We imagined we could do it in 4 hours and get a ride back out with Gilbert (man who brought us in). (they told us our walk yesterday would be an all day affair and it took about 4 hours at a nice leisurely pace)…so off we went with lunch and water and ready to warm up. We could have even taken a hint from the first part of the “ride” it was uphill and we had to walk most of it. but we are optimists (really?) and continued on. It was hot (when the sun is out—daytime—it is quite hot) and dusty. We reached the junction (16k from camp) and had 7k still to go to get to the falls. This ride is going to take much longer than we imagined but still doable though not with a ride out from Gilbert. And on we go. The downhills while fun, in the back of my mind I realize we’re going to have to come back up them on the return trip—don’t think about that too much…and it is dirt roads and sometimes softer sand so you have to stay vigilant about guiding the bike around the rocks and getting through the deeper parts…exhausting. We reach a sign that says Chisanga Bridge-3k. so off the bikes and down down down the side of a mountain. We reach a bridge and no falls…maybe they are a little further but no luck. We try to follow the river a little to find the falls but the undergrowth is too high so it is back up the 3k…we decide to go a little farther (500m) on the road where we find the sign for Chisanga Falls-3k. we take stock and realize that we’ve come this far we might as well go for it because it would be really sad to get this close and not see them. However, after 500m downhill the path splits into many goat trails and disappears…so try as we might we couldn’t find the falls. Found some shade to have our lunch and then it was past time to head back.
The way back was even harder as we were already exhausted and I think the uphills might have been longer than in the other direction. Get to the junction and just want the guys at camp to come in their truck looking for us…or to wait for another truck to come into camp but realize we can’t count on either option so we keep going. Get up a hill about 7k from camp and have to take a break…while sitting we hear a truck coming from “outside.” Hoping and praying and almost in tears we flag it down and it stops! It is an empty lumber truck so we lift our bikes on the back and climb on with the 6 people already on the back. We stop to pick up some other Malawians and you can hear the people telling about how they found the azungu on the side of the road…I don’t even mind being laughed at at this point—as long as they don’t make me get off the truck.
Rhona asked if I was ok as I was closer to the edge than she was. I’m fine. Just don’t fall off—that would hurt. Actually falling off and breaking all my bones would hut less than having to get back on that bike…we got a laugh out of that (but I think it might have been true)
Camp staff were quite impressed when we rode up to the office (the truck went to the lumber camp so we did have to ride the last part but knowing the end was close made it bearable). We must have looked a sight—and we couldn’t imagine trying to camp again…so we asked about their cheapest room--$150! There is no way we can do that. They talked to the manager and got us the room with dinner for half price and we decided we’d have to because we wouldn’t make it through another night of frozen camping (turned out there was no frost the next morning). Then being in the pitiful state we were in we asked if they would drive us the 1k (uphill) to the campsite to get our stuff. They agreed and came with us…they even took our tent down for us. got us to our room, built us a fire in the fireplace and all was good for the rest of the night…
Saturday, August 28, 2010
nyika (sunday)
On the road early to try and get a ride. We’ve been warned that public transport here is very difficult to non-existant. We’d also been told that Nyika on a Sunday was going to be very hard so we thought we could go to Vwaza Marsh instead and try Nyika Monday. So we stood on the road and everyone who asked where to? We said Vwaza. Evidently there is a minibus that goes but it was up as early as we were so we continued to hope for a ride sooner rather than later. Finally a man comes over and asks where we’re headed. Vwaza. Oh, well I was going to Chilenda and thought I’d check. Oh well we’d been told we probably wouldn’t find a ride to Chilenda but if that’s where you’re going and you have room we’d love it. And so on to Nyika (chilenda is the camp that you stay at in nyika). We throw our bags in the back and get in the back seat of his double cab pickup. Gilbert works for the Forestry Commission for Nyika. They are harvesting the pine forest and replanting and he’s in charge. His brother and another guy from the company were also in the car. it was 120 kilometers of dirt road. I’m so glad we didn’t have to ride in the back with our bags…talk about dusty!
The views on the plateau are amazing. Very different from the rest of Malawi that we’d seen. Rolling vistas that you could see for ages. They had done lots of burning for new growth to get through and it seemed like a moon scape at parts. No villages around. When we checked in at reception and asked about the three day hike from Chilenda to Livingstonia that we’d called twice about in the previous 2 days, we were told that it had been put on temporary suspension due to an indiscretion on the part of one of the guides. (why this wasn’t told to us before we came?!). ok then. Went to set up our tent and think about what we wanted to do other than that hike…decided on an afternoon walk to Choisi Point and around to the dams…I think it was about 20k. not bad and a beautiful day for it. we saw kudu and elands (large antelope cousins). Cooked our dinner over the campfire and bundled up as we were told that it gets cold up here (2000m in altitude). Gilbert came to check on us from the timber camp. And after he left…it got cold. We climbed into the tent and ended up not sleeping much as it was too cold. I got up at 2am and stoked the fire back up, warmed up a little but had to get back in the tent as I was tired…woke up to a hard frost and when we opened our tent ice was falling off of it. hard to remember we were in Africa!
The views on the plateau are amazing. Very different from the rest of Malawi that we’d seen. Rolling vistas that you could see for ages. They had done lots of burning for new growth to get through and it seemed like a moon scape at parts. No villages around. When we checked in at reception and asked about the three day hike from Chilenda to Livingstonia that we’d called twice about in the previous 2 days, we were told that it had been put on temporary suspension due to an indiscretion on the part of one of the guides. (why this wasn’t told to us before we came?!). ok then. Went to set up our tent and think about what we wanted to do other than that hike…decided on an afternoon walk to Choisi Point and around to the dams…I think it was about 20k. not bad and a beautiful day for it. we saw kudu and elands (large antelope cousins). Cooked our dinner over the campfire and bundled up as we were told that it gets cold up here (2000m in altitude). Gilbert came to check on us from the timber camp. And after he left…it got cold. We climbed into the tent and ended up not sleeping much as it was too cold. I got up at 2am and stoked the fire back up, warmed up a little but had to get back in the tent as I was tired…woke up to a hard frost and when we opened our tent ice was falling off of it. hard to remember we were in Africa!
going north (saturday)
Get a ride to Kamphata from the eye hospital 6am Saturday morning and jump right on a minibus for Lilongwe! Then a bus for Mzuzu…uneventful trip…next bus to Rumphi where we stayed for the night…our jumping off point to get to Nyika Plateau. Went for dinner at Matunkha (lodge, restaurant that supports an orphanage). Rhona and I both ordered the Matunkha special—vegetarian, pumpkin pie, crispy cheese and stuffed tomato. It sounded interesting and was reasonably priced. When our plates came out it was a plateful of fried foods…we couldn’t tell what was there but went at it. we found fried cucumber (I don’t recommend it—it is just weird), fried cabbage leaves (also strange), fried green pepper, fried banana. The crispy cheese was a stick of cheddar that had also been fried. There was a cold mashed potato rosette. The pumpkin pie was pieces of pumpkin on a thin pizza crust and the stuffed tomato was full of leaves (very nice) tho garnished with a fried leaf. After the meal we wished we had gotten a picture but decided against ordering another just for a picture. (plus fried food all looks the same)
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
town
Many people seem to enjoy going to town. As most of you know, I’m not a shopper. And while getting out of nkhoma from time to time is a great thing going to Lilongwe is not my idea of getting out. As Lilongwe (aka town) is where you have to go to get things done and I try to go as infrequently as possible, whenever I do go I usually have quite a list of things that it would be good to do while there. And you get other people’s errands when you are going in as well as your own. Our list looked like this—
Vet (some chickens were dying of new castle disease so we needed the vaccine)
Bank (need money)
Post office (posting letters)
Immigration (I’m going to be legal—if they will give me my stamp)
Grocery (food is a necessity)
Pharmacy (decongestant so I can breathe at night)
Shoes (rhona needs shoes to wear to work)
Market (fresh veggies!)
Lunch (keep us going)
Internet (faster than nkhoma—not hard to do)
Clinic (reason we get to take a car to town)
Ice cream (treat when in town)
Rhona did her rounds and then we got to leave…it was about 1030 and the clinic starts at 1…so roughly 1.5 hours to run around in town. First things first when we went to get the car we tried to take the wrong one (no worries—it didn’t work as the keys would fit the locks). Got the right one and headed in. at the vet (where we’d never been) we went in to ask for the vaccine or medicine or whatever and he asked are they local or exotic chickens…we had no idea and while trying to find out (from the owners who were in South Africa) he decided to give us the one that would work on either (why not just give us that anyway?!). do you have a way to refrigerate it? no we’re in a car. are you headed straight back? No this is our first stop. Can you make it your last stop? Only if you’ll stay open until 6 (they close around 4). Nope. So he bagged it in ice and away we went…rush to immigration—I’d gotten my letter saying that I could get the 6 month temporary residence stamp…now I’m legal through the beginning of next year! Then to the bank to get money and change money, post letters across the street. Grocery shopping for others as we’d decided to leave town for a week we didn’t need anything. Then lunch and to the clinic where rhona saw 25 patients and I gave out as many drugs as I could that she prescribed (we ran short of one and had to tell them to go to the hospitals to get the rest)…ice cream and then home again—leaving some more on our list for our next trip in to town.
Vet (some chickens were dying of new castle disease so we needed the vaccine)
Bank (need money)
Post office (posting letters)
Immigration (I’m going to be legal—if they will give me my stamp)
Grocery (food is a necessity)
Pharmacy (decongestant so I can breathe at night)
Shoes (rhona needs shoes to wear to work)
Market (fresh veggies!)
Lunch (keep us going)
Internet (faster than nkhoma—not hard to do)
Clinic (reason we get to take a car to town)
Ice cream (treat when in town)
Rhona did her rounds and then we got to leave…it was about 1030 and the clinic starts at 1…so roughly 1.5 hours to run around in town. First things first when we went to get the car we tried to take the wrong one (no worries—it didn’t work as the keys would fit the locks). Got the right one and headed in. at the vet (where we’d never been) we went in to ask for the vaccine or medicine or whatever and he asked are they local or exotic chickens…we had no idea and while trying to find out (from the owners who were in South Africa) he decided to give us the one that would work on either (why not just give us that anyway?!). do you have a way to refrigerate it? no we’re in a car. are you headed straight back? No this is our first stop. Can you make it your last stop? Only if you’ll stay open until 6 (they close around 4). Nope. So he bagged it in ice and away we went…rush to immigration—I’d gotten my letter saying that I could get the 6 month temporary residence stamp…now I’m legal through the beginning of next year! Then to the bank to get money and change money, post letters across the street. Grocery shopping for others as we’d decided to leave town for a week we didn’t need anything. Then lunch and to the clinic where rhona saw 25 patients and I gave out as many drugs as I could that she prescribed (we ran short of one and had to tell them to go to the hospitals to get the rest)…ice cream and then home again—leaving some more on our list for our next trip in to town.
Friday, August 13, 2010
1st day of break
Obviously it went to my head. 6 or 5 or 4 weeks of break…(I haven’t heard for sure when school starts again…it ended Aug 6 and I’ve heard Sept 6, 13, 15 and 16 for starting dates) It makes it a little difficult to plan my traveling but then I don’t really plan much anyway (as you’ve all known or noticed). Of course, I do like to procrastinate so it could be that travel will be too late by the time I get my act together…no worries you’ll get stories…starting now:
We hiked the mountain on Sunday and had jokingly mentioned climbing up again on Friday and staying the mountain hut. We’ve been meaning to do it for quite a while it just never happens as by the time it is Friday we’re exhausted and want to sleep or are headed out of town for the weekend. So Friday afternoon I asked if anyone wanted to go…Rhona and Chris were game so up we went. It was chris’s last night so we had the plan to be up for sunrise and then come down to get him to the airport. Dinner of pasta and veggies was ok—we’d brought angelhair pasta which we over cooked so we had something like dumplings and veggies. Roasted marshmallows and had some chocolate (not quite smores but really good). Outside and at a little distance (we couldn’t tell how far) we could hear what sounded like angry shouting…of course being in the dark on a lonely mountain we decided it might be an exorcism. Not close enough to keep us awake (you could only hear it if you went outside) we knocked off. I awoke a couple times in the night and could hear singing—it sounded happy so I assumed they were successful with whatever they had been doing. (really I think it was different people and was nothing to be worried about)
Up at 430 to hike in the dark to the top of the very windy and dark mountain. 30 seconds after starting our hike we returned to get our sleeping bags for the top…and a good thing we did. Beautiful view of sunrise but so cold…then down the mountain. Once home I made bread (my 4th attempt and 3rd successful attempt) and then met everyone (6 in our 5 person car) to go to town. Taking chris to the airport by way of getting lunch at a restaurant, and then shopping—rhona and I had no food in the house (effectively). Finally left town at 330 and headed back to Nkhoma for Maralise’s birthday party. We were late but as all the missionary community was invited we were sure that it was still going on when we arrived at 5. and we did have quite an audience to our arrival. Maralise thinks there were 50 people there throughout the afternoon. The doctors were called to the hospital—there had been a mini-bus that went off the road and they were being brought into the hospital with broken legs and knocked out teeth…I think that it must have been right behind us as we didn’t see it on our way but it happened very soon after we arrived. So Rhona went to the hospital. I was helping Maralise clean up some and someone came to tell us that some people had been nipped at by dogs while walking home. Went to check on that crew who seemed quite collected and calm (as they had all the help needed already there—really, what did I think I could do). Finally rhona and I made it home at 7…long day and we were hyped up so it was a while before we went to bed…(I don’t know that this write up portrays quite the exhaustion of the day was but that’s ok)
We hiked the mountain on Sunday and had jokingly mentioned climbing up again on Friday and staying the mountain hut. We’ve been meaning to do it for quite a while it just never happens as by the time it is Friday we’re exhausted and want to sleep or are headed out of town for the weekend. So Friday afternoon I asked if anyone wanted to go…Rhona and Chris were game so up we went. It was chris’s last night so we had the plan to be up for sunrise and then come down to get him to the airport. Dinner of pasta and veggies was ok—we’d brought angelhair pasta which we over cooked so we had something like dumplings and veggies. Roasted marshmallows and had some chocolate (not quite smores but really good). Outside and at a little distance (we couldn’t tell how far) we could hear what sounded like angry shouting…of course being in the dark on a lonely mountain we decided it might be an exorcism. Not close enough to keep us awake (you could only hear it if you went outside) we knocked off. I awoke a couple times in the night and could hear singing—it sounded happy so I assumed they were successful with whatever they had been doing. (really I think it was different people and was nothing to be worried about)
Up at 430 to hike in the dark to the top of the very windy and dark mountain. 30 seconds after starting our hike we returned to get our sleeping bags for the top…and a good thing we did. Beautiful view of sunrise but so cold…then down the mountain. Once home I made bread (my 4th attempt and 3rd successful attempt) and then met everyone (6 in our 5 person car) to go to town. Taking chris to the airport by way of getting lunch at a restaurant, and then shopping—rhona and I had no food in the house (effectively). Finally left town at 330 and headed back to Nkhoma for Maralise’s birthday party. We were late but as all the missionary community was invited we were sure that it was still going on when we arrived at 5. and we did have quite an audience to our arrival. Maralise thinks there were 50 people there throughout the afternoon. The doctors were called to the hospital—there had been a mini-bus that went off the road and they were being brought into the hospital with broken legs and knocked out teeth…I think that it must have been right behind us as we didn’t see it on our way but it happened very soon after we arrived. So Rhona went to the hospital. I was helping Maralise clean up some and someone came to tell us that some people had been nipped at by dogs while walking home. Went to check on that crew who seemed quite collected and calm (as they had all the help needed already there—really, what did I think I could do). Finally rhona and I made it home at 7…long day and we were hyped up so it was a while before we went to bed…(I don’t know that this write up portrays quite the exhaustion of the day was but that’s ok)
coming
Thanks for all the comments and emails I get from my blogs. Thanks for the offers/apologies for not coming to dinner…it is ok. It will happen again and the best is to know that everyone is welcome to dinner—anytime, anywhere and even without notice. (though the fare might be better if there is warning, might is a key word).
The opposite or the effect (neither word is what I’m looking for) of leaving is coming. For anyone to come to a place they first must leave another. It is always hard to do on some level. (granted some times it is easier to leave than others but that doesn’t mean it is easy—as I learned while skiing above my level—the sign pointing to easiest way doesn’t mean easy way down). but then you come to a new place, to new people and to new experiences. And they don’t take the place of the old ones by any means but they give the opportunity to grow and share and change...besides things are going to change even if you don’t leave. Embrace it and make the best of it. it is all good—just different. And above all share it.
The opposite or the effect (neither word is what I’m looking for) of leaving is coming. For anyone to come to a place they first must leave another. It is always hard to do on some level. (granted some times it is easier to leave than others but that doesn’t mean it is easy—as I learned while skiing above my level—the sign pointing to easiest way doesn’t mean easy way down). but then you come to a new place, to new people and to new experiences. And they don’t take the place of the old ones by any means but they give the opportunity to grow and share and change...besides things are going to change even if you don’t leave. Embrace it and make the best of it. it is all good—just different. And above all share it.
end of the year
Friday was the last day. We were to finish at 10 with the parents coming in to see the class, talk to the teacher, get their child’s (children’s) work, and take the kid(s) home. At 10 we are on our break. As much as I would have liked to have the parents see our center time or group time singing and/or story it would have been absolute chaos to have the kids stay in the classroom and not give them their break. So when parents arrived the kindergarten class was on the playground. They came in to get the work and talk to the teacher…or her assistant as he speaks Chichewa. When I gave them the workbooks that we’d done during the year they sat down at a table and started going through page by page (oh dear). The workbook was an exercise…and sometimes we followed directions on the page, sometimes I made them up, and most often the child “decided” whether he or she would listen to me or do whatever she or he felt like doing on that day/on that page, etc. Parents were getting explanations from Lawrence but still looking at me like I don’t know what I’m doing. Why did I let their kid draw their 2 backwards…that their eye would develop but hadn’t yet didn’t seem to make a difference to them…or they didn’t understand, or it got lost in translation…I don’t know but I have to admit I was glad when it was over. It felt like deep scrutiny and I don’t know what the outcome was. I think that maybe I’ll get more feedback before school starts again but I don’t know what it will be or if it will be helpful…
Sunday, August 8, 2010
power cuts
I’m sure I’ve written of these before but this week they have come back to their regular frequency. The past couple of weeks we have had power cuts but not the scheduled ones and usually not for too long. The supposed schedule is Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 6 to 8 in the evening…not conducive for cooking for dinner but it was possible to be ready for it and to know that it was coming. Well except for the fact that we never did get used to it and always seemed to plan a meal that involved baking in the oven for those days but that was our fault so ok. And then when we would prepare ahead of time and either get it done early or plan the stirfry meal that can be done on the gas burner the power wouldn’t go out. Murphy’s law at it finest. Last week the power went out maybe once (that I recall being annoying)…of course we’d invited all the guesthouse people to ours for dinner and then our gas tank ran out of gas…but we had a charcoal brazier that we could finish up on…just took a little longer to finish. This week went back to the scheduled days but turned out to be from 530 to close to 9…once you’ve cooked and eaten it is fine but sitting in the dark just makes you tired so we often head to bed pretty soon after the power comes on…but I’m pretty sure we need our sleep so I’m not too worried about it.
more guests
More American helpers have arrived for varying lengths of time. The McCally kids are still here and great help to have around. The Provost family was here for Monday and Tuesday and they brought loads of supplies for the school which have already started coming in handy. Leapfrog reading books to help us with our reading. Balls and dolls for recreation and classroom learning and much more (I haven’t been through all of the boxes yet). They helped in the classes and asked lots of questions. It’s great to see and have people interested and inquisitive as to how they can help and what is going on.
end of the year assessment challenge
For the end of the year I had to come up with an assessment sheet to show what my kindergarteners know and what they should know by the end of kindergarten. As I don’t have any experience in any of these aspects of life or teaching I found it quite challenging. I have resources that I can look at but as Ebenezer is a new school and in Malawi and not America or Canada or Europe (where most of our resources come from) the standards are going to be different even if we are striving to raise them to that level of accomplishment. The basics are easy (to know that they belong on the list)—alphabet, numbers, colors, shapes, etc. however, is it that they recognize the letter (number, whatever) or that they can write it or they know the sound it makes or what it represents…and then how do you actually check that? Asking them in group time gets communal answers, asking one on one gets answers sometimes but they are often distracted as all the rest are cavorting around the room. Depending on which way you ask or when can also change whether the student answers correctly or just gives you a blank look and waits for you to tell them what they should repeat. Makes me feel a bit incompetent but we’re working through it.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
leaving
I seem to find myself jobs where people don’t stay. In other words working with volunteers or short time workers. Of course I often find myself in the same position (the one leaving) but still. Last year I worked for Presbyterian Disaster Assistance as Volunteer Camp Manager and dealt with volunteers coming for a week or 2 at a time to help rebuild on the Gulf coast. This year the people I’m meeting are here for anything from 4 weeks to 6 months. And while you get used to the turnover and people coming and going it is still hard to see friends leave. Of course for a while after they leave you still expect them to show up for dinner—just a little late.
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