sunset at monkey bay
fish eagle swooping in
trip to the lake for water
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
school
This week (now that it is Friday) seems to have flown by. Yesterday afternoon I couldn’t see how the week could possibly have another day in it. Amazing how perspective changes with sleep and the knowledge that tomorrow I won’t have to teach. Monday night I was not feeling well…and my stomach seems to have taken the rest of the week off. I’ve still been eating but breakfast has been hard to swallow (until this morning when we were able to have banana muffins as we finally had gotten bananas to make them with). It has felt a lot like being apprehensive in the mornings—every morning but there wasn’t really anything to feel nervous about…after a month I should be able to do this at least to some extent. (haha)
Breakthrough on Wednesday—at least that is what it felt like. I went outside during the break (snack and recess time) and was surrounded by students. Just sitting right next to me. My kids, while they don’t understand what I tell them do respond to touch. Not always instantaneously but there is a change—I think it calms them (and me).
Thursday afternoon Dorothy (principal/director/housemate) and I went to my classroom and moved everything around to make it into centers…probably not the most ideal time—something completely new on Friday just before a weekend but I figure we might as well get started. Now we have legos, art, reading, play dough, felt board, puzzle, and worksheet stations all around the room. We’ll see how it works out.
Friday was a busy day. Got the kids into the centers idea and it seems to work. Still lots of repetition of rules (keep that toy in the center it belongs to, stop hitting, share, etc) and again Friday might not be the day to start but who knows maybe Monday will be all the better for it since they will have had time to think about (do they think about it when they aren’t there?) it really wore a few of my boys out…too much playing I guess as they went out for break and lay in my lap or on the concrete in the shade for most of break. Or maybe it is just the end of what was a long week. Either way I was wishing I had my camera.
Breakthrough on Wednesday—at least that is what it felt like. I went outside during the break (snack and recess time) and was surrounded by students. Just sitting right next to me. My kids, while they don’t understand what I tell them do respond to touch. Not always instantaneously but there is a change—I think it calms them (and me).
Thursday afternoon Dorothy (principal/director/housemate) and I went to my classroom and moved everything around to make it into centers…probably not the most ideal time—something completely new on Friday just before a weekend but I figure we might as well get started. Now we have legos, art, reading, play dough, felt board, puzzle, and worksheet stations all around the room. We’ll see how it works out.
Friday was a busy day. Got the kids into the centers idea and it seems to work. Still lots of repetition of rules (keep that toy in the center it belongs to, stop hitting, share, etc) and again Friday might not be the day to start but who knows maybe Monday will be all the better for it since they will have had time to think about (do they think about it when they aren’t there?) it really wore a few of my boys out…too much playing I guess as they went out for break and lay in my lap or on the concrete in the shade for most of break. Or maybe it is just the end of what was a long week. Either way I was wishing I had my camera.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
mini-bus experience #2
Back from Blantyre we decided that the express (not that fast and much more expensive) was not worth it so we opted for the local bus. A couple more stops than the other but over all I think it was just as fast…and more entertaining to watch…people getting on and off (more on than off) for the 6 hour trip to Lilongwe, many of them standing in the aisle. (not an enviable position) As we drove through villages we would stop near the market and any conceivable thing that you might want to buy would make its way to the windows to be sold through. I watched one man buy 5 bags of potatoes and 12 cabbages at one stop (no idea where he put it on the bus). Chips (potato wedges), tomatoes, mangos, drinks, fried dough, grilled maize, and if you didn’t see what you wanted if you told someone outside they would find it for you. As we didn’t need to go all the way to Lilongwe to get back to nkhoma we were let off at the turn off to get a mini-bus. The people around us were very helpful in letting us know when our stop was up which was nice as we were in the back of the bus and couldn’t see (and probably wouldn’t have recognized) the side of the road we were to get out at. Climbed over the whole bus of people and debarked.
Mini-bus going from Kampata to Nkhoma has no police checks to go through, therefore, they are in the worst possible shape. Got in and this one had doors that barely shut—even the front doors were rigged. And it wouldn’t start. Shocking. Well, not really. So the plan was to do the rolling start and in reverse as that was the downhill angle. Worrisome for us that was toward the M1 (Malawi highway 1). I wasn’t crazy about this idea, but didn’t have any say in the matter. Luckily there was not much traffic but the reverse rolling start was not working. So then we started going forward on the M1 and I was afraid we’d get to the next village back the way we came before we got the van started. But finally success. So we did a U-turn, picked some more people up and were on out way. There was very hot exhaust coming in from the front, I thought my skirt might catch fire but it didn’t. the guy in the front seat (no longer driving) starting drinking gin and turned to offer me and Rhona some. We declined but he continued making what I can only assume were offers for things we would have absolutely no interest in…finally we made it in one piece to the Nkhoma hospital. Whew. And then home to meet our new housemate, Dorothy, who has come to be director/principal/ librarian of Ebenezer school. In her seventies she so far has seemed to be a fireball full of ideas and energy.
Mini-bus going from Kampata to Nkhoma has no police checks to go through, therefore, they are in the worst possible shape. Got in and this one had doors that barely shut—even the front doors were rigged. And it wouldn’t start. Shocking. Well, not really. So the plan was to do the rolling start and in reverse as that was the downhill angle. Worrisome for us that was toward the M1 (Malawi highway 1). I wasn’t crazy about this idea, but didn’t have any say in the matter. Luckily there was not much traffic but the reverse rolling start was not working. So then we started going forward on the M1 and I was afraid we’d get to the next village back the way we came before we got the van started. But finally success. So we did a U-turn, picked some more people up and were on out way. There was very hot exhaust coming in from the front, I thought my skirt might catch fire but it didn’t. the guy in the front seat (no longer driving) starting drinking gin and turned to offer me and Rhona some. We declined but he continued making what I can only assume were offers for things we would have absolutely no interest in…finally we made it in one piece to the Nkhoma hospital. Whew. And then home to meet our new housemate, Dorothy, who has come to be director/principal/ librarian of Ebenezer school. In her seventies she so far has seemed to be a fireball full of ideas and energy.
blantyre
Saturday morning and we were getting up at 5:30 to rent a land rover and go to Majete Game Reserve about an hour and a half outside of Blantyre. Nice drive really. Got to the reserve and were paying to get in…citizen price-500 Kwacha, residents price- 1200 Kwacha, tourist price- 2800 Kwacha. Julia said that we were all here as volunteer workers for 6 months (averaged out it was true) and could we get the resident price. No problem! Yeah for negotiations. Within 3 minutes of entering the park we saw a herd of zebras. Then some impala. Not bad. Stopped at an overlook of the waterfall coming from the dam—impressive. Continue on and around a corner—an elephant! We back up slowly and then we see the rest of the family come to the water hole. Spraying mud on themselves—they take turns at the water. There were 2 baby elephants as well. And then we saw the bull. He was enormous! We were taking pictures like crazy and then I heard someone ask where’d the bull go? And then we saw him—coming toward us—so we left—got the car moving and went on. That was too cool. Next stop was Mvuu spot (mvuu is Chichewa for hippo) and sure enough in the middle of the river were a group of hippos. We heard them roar and watched them yawn. Other wildlife we saw: hartebeest, impala, nyala, turtle, impala, buffalo, baboons, impala, waterbuck and warthog. In the afternoon we went to the dry side of the park—no longer sure why as the animals of course were all near the water. The elephants were seen again as we were on our way back to the gate. As did a fleeting impression of zebra (they don’t stick around long). The elephants were about 8 yards away from us when we jumped in the car to leave…that’s a little too close for comfort
mini bus
Friday I took my first mini-bus (public transport). Rhona has a friend who is working at a hospital in Blantyre so we went to visit. She got a ride into town early that morning to do her visa extension and join the medical council. I taught and then caught the bus in to meet her by 4:30 for the express bus to blantyre. the minibus—vans with 4 bench seats that can carry more people than you can imagine (think clown car). there is no set timetable, they leave when they are full…so as I went down at 1:30 (keep in mind Lilongwe is an hour away) and was the only one on a bus for Lilongwe we waited for over an hour. I was given the front seat. We moved from the market up to the hospital which I took for a good sign, but then the driver did a U-turn and went back “to pick up someone in the market” where we sit for another 15 min…back to the hospital and finally we’re off. There are also no set stops for the bus, they will stop to pick up or drop off anywhere along the route so we were continually slowing to see if there was interest in someone coming aboard. To save gas he turned the car off to slow down or anytime he was going to stop to pick someone up. The third time the motor didn’t turn over—just clicks. Oh dear. There is a guy who tries to rustle up business for the bus and takes the money once it is moving and he had to move the passengers around to get to the battery behind the driver, wiggle some wires, and magic! It started. Down the road a bit farther and repeat the experience. Down the road even a bit farther and that was the end of my ride in that bus. It was not going to start again. What to do what to do. The driver took care of me and put me on another mini-bus. Thanks. I get bundled on and as soon as we get started I feel a scratching on my shirt and hear my name!? the preschool teacher from my school was on going to Lilongwe! And a good thing—when we got to Lilongwe, the end of the line was the bus station—I have no idea where that is with regards to where I needed to be. It is now 4:20. Pauline takes me to the next bus I need to get to Shoprite which is where I’ll know where I am and how to get to the next bus (leaving at 4:30). Get to Shoprite and have 5 blocks to go…I have to run…which is not done here. No one is on time or in a hurry, except for this bus company who prides themselves on punctuality, service,…get many laughs and comments (“you must be tardy”) as I try to run around the corner and up the street…there is not enough air…a car pulls up and offers a ride the last 2 blocks and I make it only because Rhona has been standing in front of the bus that is still inching forward demanding that they wait for me. 7 minutes late. (not bad when it was advertised that the bus to Blantyre would take 4 hours and yet it took about 5 and a half—how’s that for punctuality)
another week
So it took 4 days to get over being sore. That is horrendous. Didn’t think I was that out of shape. And then on the other hand I guess I’m not too surprised. Evidently keeping up with 5 year olds for 5 hours and walking to the market are not enough exercise to keep fit. The week was a good one. Felt like I was getting my feet under me. Got a new chalk board. Oh the perks of being me. But it was very needed. The kids couldn’t see what I had written on the old board as it was so rough that the eraser didn’t really work. And this board moves up and down so that I can lower it and have the kids write on it. Friday I brought out the dolls that have been loving made and sent over to help the kids learn colors. Each kid got one as they came into class and we played matching games and all sorts. Then we drew our dolls and colored them in giving the faces and clothes. Our other favorite activity is facial expressions. I have some cutouts of different faces-happy face, sad face, angry face, confused face, thinking face. They love the pictures and acting them out. Chapel time was at 11:30. all the kids gathered in my room and recited bible verses (they know quite a few) and songs. I thought it was very adorable and something we would need to work on throughout the week as my kids didn’t know the verses quite as well as the others (excuse: I didn’t know what verses to work on as we need to do the ones they know before going on to new ones)…lots of jumping around during the singing which was fun to watch.
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