lake party

Off to the lake with the Veitch’s again. It was Renier’s (the second son) birthday last week and his party was to take the boys in his class to the lake. James and I left at 12 on Friday to pick the boys up from school. We got the 3 youngest boys and 5 of Renier’s classmates. I took the driving from the school to the lake as James was on some medication for infection in the leg that had gotten pierced when he tried to stop a fight in the village on Wednesday night. The last part of the road is sand but I made sure not to stop (or we’d get stuck)…hit a big bump but just kept going and made it no problem. there are two little houses at the lake…the boys were getting the small one and we would get the big one (with the kitchen so we could cook). They entertained themselves all weekend long, building forts, making fires, setting up shops to sell and trade…I think it was great to have 9 boys…except when we started water fights…I seem to hold up to 8 boys in the water (as I am still alive today) but whew it was close for a little while. (I still think that I might have won in the end). Louis went to Reinette and asked her to help me against all the other boys because if you pull on someone enough you can break them and if a person breaks they can die. So sweet.
Bonfires, fireworks, Risk, Guess Who, great food, good weather, a wonderful weekend. On the way home Reinette, Amanda, Jamie and I stopped to buy pots and at the woodmarket…but before we left we sent the boys off to be returned home…the bus (that I drove in) was squeaking a lot and it didn’t sound good. I was worried about that bump I hit…oh I was hoping I hadn’t broken the bus…turns out it was just sand that we blasted it out with an air pump and all was ok again. Relief flooded thru me…

group arrival

The group from Presbytery of Western NC arrived after a long couple of days of travel…but they looked good and it was good to see them. Dorothy McKenzie is back to visit and help again at the school. She brought with her a friend, Agnes, from Covenant Village (retirement community, she is 80+ with a broken thumb). Teresa, Tom, and Becca came back again and there are 5 more visitors. They are working around the hospital on various projects and at the school—reading with the kids, rearranging classrooms. Great to see them all and very exciting to get a care package from home (choc chips, craisins, tweety bird, and taco seasoning!)

movie nites

Borrowed the projector for some movie nights…the selection is limited to what we can find on hard drives that people bring or dvd’s but that is tricky because they are sometimes formatted for different regions of the world and can’t be played on all computers. The first we watched as a pretty large group was the American with George Clooney…very slow and yet we didn’t turn it off. Next we watched the Vow…better, a Nicholas sparks type romance. And the latest one (back in the cottage) was Ocean’s 13…on a dvd with about 12 other movies so the quality wasn’t the best but fun to have a crowd and a good excuse to have popcorn.

sunrise

There was a crew from the Guest house that was going up the mountain the next weekend. I was invited along and didn’t see any reason not to go…and many reasons to go. I love getting out and being up on the mountain is great. And the girls are very entertaining. 6 medical students (5 english and 1 dutch). We started up and everyone’s bags looked quite large but they were carrying their own so I wasn’t going to say anything. One of the girls even brought her tent-mosquito net to sleep under. It actually sprinkled a little bit on the way up but I couldn’t believe it was possible as we are supposed to be in dry season and really 5 drops don’t count…we watched the sky change colors and set up the fire to cook our sausages and marshmallows. 2 bags of marshmallows and they were kind enough to share and even didn’t mind that I won’t eat the pink ones (eww!). I don’t think we stopped laughing all evening…and even after crawling into our sleeping bags (overstatement—sheets and maybe blanket)…so much fun. It was a cold night so no one slept all that well but it was still very hard to get up at 430 so we could try for the top for sunrise.
Worth it! at the top again it was cold…we were all huddled under my sleeping bag and chitenjis. Sitting as close together for warmth and yet we stayed for a long time because it was peaceful and beautiful.

job opp

to get new teachers for next year!! this was put up at the African Bible College in Lilongwe where (i think) there is a teacher's college...hopefully we get some good applicants!

more strategy

More teaching strategy…maybe…I’ve noticed that often in a family if the parents are calm the children are more calm…if the parents are louder so are the kids…kids really do learn and mimic what they see (nothing new). I think that pets do the same (roughly)…calm owners often (not always) have calm pets…I’m not quite as sure on that one…but there is a puppy that just does not seem to be learning and is in a quite high energy family…anyway..to school. I have noticed that when I start the day quietly—with energy but still calm and collected in class it seems to go much better. The kids pick up on that. Of course I then I lose my temper and it really doesn’t help…to raise my voice just seems to make the class louder. So now I am trying to keep that in mind and I would have to say this last week was much better (though I was still very glad that it was a short week).
A way to help me stay calm I’ve noticed is walking in the mornings…early early but a walk around nkhoma on the tar road with Reinette really does good for my mood and I seem to stay calmer longer throughout the morning…

exhaustion

Teaching is exhausting. Not that this would be news to most of you…but really after my morning (7-12) and then plan till 1 I am beat…home for lunch and then I usually crash for as long as I feel I can…I try to get into the hospital to help but some days it just doesn’t work. Early to bed and early to rise…but I’m not feeling all that wise…just want to say thank you for all those who teach and have that energy!

cottage bound

So Maralise has returned from South Africa so I have moved again…back to the cottage. No more cat, no more crowd, no more shower…but back to my room. And the cottage is full. So is the guesthouse…lots of people in Nkhoma now…the group from Presbytery of North Carolina arrive today (hopefully with all of their luggage and no big travel stories). In the cottage we are 4: myself, Amanda (a dutch nurse here for the year), Ed and Rebecca (drs from England here for 3 months). And the bees…which I think are coming back again…they leave and then come back and then we get rid of them and then they come back…there is a large crowd headed to Liwonde National Park and Zomba Plateau—ed and Rebecca are going with so I think I’ll see what we can do with their room and getting rid of them again…

measurements

I wonder if it is the same in classrooms at home…we can’t keep pencils sharpened (could be bad sharpeners as well)…everything has bite marks on it because the kids can’t keep things out of their mouths…and anything sent home comes back completely crumpled and usually very dirty. The rulers we have at school are no longer straight…bends cracks and teeth marks…and of course once again the curriculum is done in American…inches where as the rest of the world is done in centimeters…but that isn’t too tough as lots of our rulers come in both…I don’t think it hurts to learn them both (maybe because that is what I did) but I’ve heard from the other teachers that parents don’t get why we are teaching in inches…that is what the worksheets are asking for…evidently not a good reason…but the same with the money—though that we cross out and write in tambalas (divisions of the kwacha though they aren’t used anymore)…

mtn cont

Up early in the morning but we took our time to wake up and build the fire for tea…looking at the mountain it was covered in clouds (thought it had disappeared actually). So we took our time and then decided to head up anyway. The clouds lifted quite nicely and we had a good view from the top—not far out but it was nice. The dogs are loud barkers but they are real chickens…wouldn’t lead us up the mountain or back down, but stood right where we want to step. And then when we got back to the guesthouse they tried to eat my cats…not that the cats were helping as they took shelter under the car the dogs needed to get into but finally we were able to get the cats inside long enough to pack up the dogs and send them off…a great time on the mountain with views, chats, and time away…

mtn overnite

Went up the mountain on Saturday with Miriam who I met on the plane on the way here came down from Lilongwe with her 3 dogs (puppies) and we stayed the night at the mountain hut. I went to the market early and bought two bundles of wood and had one of the school boys take it up the mountain (we wouldn’t have been able to carry it). she arrived and we packed bags with all the food she brought…2 dogs on leashes, 1 following/leading us…it was a slow way up but the views (of course) were very nice. Watched the sun set, made a fire to cook our noodles and have hot chocolate and went to bed early (it was dark)…the dogs tried to take my bed as I stayed out a bit later to watch the full moon on such a clear night but I evicted them and slept quite well the night.

hippos

Hippos live in rivers and lakes. They float at the surface. They walk on the bottom. At night they go on land.

horses

Horses gallop. They graze on grass. Long ago, all horses were wild. Today, most are tame.

i'm kind of excited about the blue horse...i feel that maybe there is an imagination in there somewhere!

rewards

How to reward the kids in class…I don’t necessarily want to give them things every time…but to get them motivated is often difficult…stickers work wonders but we run through them and out quickly as there are lots of things that we do each day…they love getting them on their papers (or their foreheads). Sweeties (candy) also works well. I’ve started using it for the minute timed test of addition and subtraction…25 math facts in a minute…if they get them all—and now they are trying whereas before it seemed to be a joke and they would only do about 4 or 9…balloons also do the trick and we have lots of them but I was told by someone that when the balloons pop the children often use the neck as a bracelet and it cuts off circulation…what else is there?? It isn’t too hard to keep them interested but to keep supplies can be difficult…stickers here are sometimes hard to find…

Cape Mac

Went to the lake last weekend with Ute (before she left the country for a month) and her month-long replacement Dirk. We went to Cape Maclear and were lucky enough to get a room as everything seemed to be booked. There was fuel available again so I think that everyone was headed for the lake…Cape Maclear is beautiful with many options for places to stay and eat and even drink within walking distance but I prefer Senga Bay where there are choices to stay but you then stay where you are. There seems to be less traffic and hassle for foreigners…but anyway.
The waters are more still at the Cape, protected maybe but we could see snails in the water (belharzia hazard)…so I didn’t swim as much but then I did still swim. Ute and Dirk went to have dinner with some of the other medical personel there so I went to Gecko Lounge to meet up with some of the people who had come from the Guest House…turns out there were 14 of them…I think it was pretty much the whole guesthouse! And then I turned around and Linn and Mike and some friends were also there…technically from Lilongwe but still the nkhoma connection…we were staying in different places so it was still a time away but everyone was still quite close…
Before leaving I met a group of men from South Africa who had come up on motorcycles…and they also had a connection to nkhoma. One of the men had been before and his son had stayed for a couple of months and his daughter is going to come up with an outreach group this july…I asked who his son was (as I’ve been here so long)…and turns out I know Bertus! (of course-as we overlapped) Bertus was here teaching at the private boys school…such a small world and fun to meet family of someone you know…gives you a more complete picture of the person…

locked out

so one day last week we misplaced the key to my classroom...had to run and get the backup which hadn't arrived at school yet (coming later) but was running late enough that the kids couldn't get in before assembly but i did get back before our bible story with 1st grade was over...

donations

We give away what we don’t want…what we don’t use…what can’t be used any more…but we can’t throw it away…the adage goes that beggars can’t be choosers…but really…I have noticed some of the worst things that get sent to Africa…get paid to come here and then can’t be used…if we are going to pay for the shipping it would be great to actually send things that can be used…it is true that at home we will use expired drugs (not too long off) but a hospital really can’t use them—it is unethical to prescribe them and give them out. Things that were sterilized in 1982…I guess they can still be used but not for sterile practices…if in doubt ask before bringing it over or sending it…there are lots of things that are needed but really bringing things over that then just have to be thrown away or incinerated once here…use that 50lbs or 40 kgs or whatever the weight limit is to bring things that can be used!!

interruptions

Malawi is a culture of interruptions…and no one seems to mind…well, other than the expats. If you arrive in the middle of what someone else is doing, they will immediately stop what they are doing and start to help you (if they are Malawian). And if someone else comes in after you they will start to get helped…this is so frustrating…and I feel causes many of the inconveniences and hold ups for getting anything done…I’m not one to really start and finish one thing before starting on another task (I’m currently in the middle of about 4 books) but I think that when it comes to people it is much better to help the first person then the next, etc.
I notice this in clinic…as I’ve written before—I don’t understand the hierarchy thing…or who is supposed to get helped first…but it also happens at school. I can be in the middle of teaching or a conversation or whatever but as soon as someone arrives I’m supposed to stop what I am doing to deal with the new arrival. Not only do I finally have the attention of the kids (sometimes) but they are so ingrained that I lose their attention right away because I am supposed to deal with the person who arrived…so I can’t finish what I was explaining because I have already lost their attention. And usually it isn’t that earth-shattering what I have been interrupted for…one of those culture things I just don’t get and find it hard to change in myself for their culture…something I should be trying to change? Or integral to the Malawian image?

teaching strategy

Another teaching trick…don’t lose your temper (by the way—extremely hard to do)…stay patient but know what is going to gut the kids…taking away break time, making them stay late, etc…but I looked at it that if they had to stay in for break I did too…then I was told that no…they sit quietly and I can sit just outside the door…if I hear anything they have to stay in again the next day. Hmm. Well I haven’t tried that one yet…usually I find that we just work through half of our break because they weren’t listening at all for the time before that. This means that break is short…it worked (at least somewhat). And I was more able to keep my cool. Granted I still lose it sometimes but I have also noticed that it doesn’t help…I was just at a loss as to how to change it…this seems to slowly be working. Day by day…

science drawing

The science book I have is not interesting…maybe I’m just not right but really…so I found this book…and I don’t know how specific I am supposed to be at this age but again…I don’t know what I’m doing…at least I can admit that…so this book—Draw.Write.Now.—and it has facts about animals and then tells you in so many steps how to draw whatever animal you just learned about…so far we have done giraffes (they live on savannahs and eat leaves) and horses (run, graze on grass, and used to be wild but now most are tame)…and the kids love it…they hate if I ask them to draw something that they have never done before…even cats or dogs or whatever…their favorite saying “I don’t know”. And it is used for everything…how to write you…our…but this is fun…

drawing

The first morning back to school I was taking school fees and making sure things were starting and I also was doing the bible story for first and second grades (we combine and I thought/hoped martha would have something prepared but alas). So I asked the kids to think about their favorite bible story…they have heard so many—this year and past years that they must know at least one story…and then I aksed them to draw a picture of it…well I just told you (or will in an upcoming post) how much they like to draw from their heads. Most of them sat and stared…then a few started drawing…we ended with a couple of manger scenes, moses in the desert, david and goliath (drawn by david), adam and eve (drawn by adam), crucifixion (it has recently been easter so that is big on the mind)…but I would have to say that I am no closer to knowing what stories they like as most of them took their ideas from the person sitting next to them…these first two weeks have been on the resurrection and the good news that brings us…from how we go out and serve God to doubting Thomas and Jesus’ many appearances before His ascension.