New furniture, testing, and pumzika sana

30-3-2010

Hello again. I just got some more new furniture so now my house is
even cosier (though the bats are still there). I got a little book
shelf and a taller kitchen table so i dont have to hunch while
chopping. With a little luck and some thought out arranging of things
i may finally be able to completely unpack. And the furniture was only
2 days late, which is kind of like being done early or at least on
time. He said he was all done and to come get it so me and some
students went to get it but the table was still just boards being cut,
but he still managed to deliver it on the back of his bike an hour
later. They laquered it in my house but at least i got it. Ill post
some photos of the new arangement soon.

I just want to say that as im typing this the teacher sitting next to
me is eating sugar with a spoon.

But anyway, we started midterm exams last week. Ive already graded the
physics exams, and form 1 improved a bit but form 3 regressed a bit.
They havent been cheating as much though, i think because ive been
writing the names of the cheaters down and theyre being punished (ie,
beaten). But i just found a new way they cheat this morning. They
usually write 2 copies of their exams, one rough and one to submit.
Then the students tear the name off the rough copy and give it to
another student who then says its their rough copy. Not a bad idea
except that the handwriting is drastically different.

Since exams started we arent teaching until after easter break. But
the day the school reopens, i start a 2 week training, so ill have
gone a month or more without teaching by the time i start again. So i
plan on heaps of relaxing (-pumzika - to relax). That training will be
super hectic i think, but at least its a break from the frustrations
of teaching. And hopefully ill return refreshed and full of new ideas
to use in the classroom.

For now, adieu.

Photos and Classroom Discipline

20-3-2010

I uploaded some photos to a web album, but I mad it unlisted, so email me if you want the link because I have to share it with you.

And in the classroom. My classes, mainly form 1, are quite unruly, I think largely because I dont beat them like they expect. I know they expect it because when someone is misbehaving and I ask them to stop, they say to just hit them. And usually, its not just one, or even a few who are misbehaving, but like half the class. They just shout and are really obnoxiuos. All the streams of form 1 do this, but 1b is the worst.

In all of them, I threaten to leave if they dont settle down, but then like ten minutes later they are at it again. On tuesday 1b was particularly bad, and I probably should have left then, but instead I said that the first time i told them to quiet down tomorow I was leaving. So on wednesday, I got them to settle down when I got there, but literally as soon as I turned around to write something on the blackboard, they started shouting again. So I told them I had warned them enough and was leaving.

Then I think they tried to tell on me but that plan backfired. The Academic Mistress made them all kneel with their hands above their heads and then went around smacking them in the back. THen another teacher went around smacking their hands with a stick (the normal punishment) and then they were all made to apologize to me. It was quite the punishment, and I had mixed feelings because I think my punishment may have helped, but nevertheless, the next day, all my form 1 classes were impecabbly behaved, 1b in particular.

Thats all for now. Adios

Mahjong, soccer, cooking for one

4/3/2010

Hello all. Its been a little while since I've written but things are still going well. We had monthly exams last week which was basically just two marathon days of exams for all the students. My form 1 math and form 3 physics classes did fairly well, though my form 1 physics did quite bad. The couple physics lessons I have taught form 1 have been far and away my worst lessons. The combination of them not knowing english and me not knowing swahili makes it quite tough. After their exam, I decided to not teach them physics for a couple more weeks, hopefully they will get more used to my teaching and my swahili will improve enough to have more productive lessons at that time.

We had another soccer game vs the students on tuesday, and again, we lost, 3-0 I think. But since the last game, the other people started an actual team, and have been practicing heaps and had subs, so I was kind of the odd man out. I didn't get in til the last 20 or so minutes, but when I did, I played substantially better than I did the first time out. I think it was a combination of playing on a better field and playing for only minutes. It was good fun, but they try to practice I think almost every night. They were playing a different school tonight, but I was so behind on laundry and I didn't want to get hurt before hiking my mountain this weekend, so I stayed home.

While I was doing laundry though, I also baked my first solo loaf of bread, and I must say it turned out quite well. So dinner tonight was bread, peanut butter, and cucumber. This wasn't an ordinary cucumber though. It was round, the size of a small apple, but when you sliced it, sure enough it was a cucumber. Cooking for one is rough though. It seems I go from eating bread only one night to a massive mound of food the next, but I guess it balances out? Like last night, I made this awesome eggplant. It was a bit spicy and the sauce was awesome. But it was probably easily enough for at least 2, if not 3 people. I was originally planning to eat half and then reheat the rest today, but it was just so good, I kept adding “just a spoonful more” until it was all gone.

Thiefs, tire shoes, and banana bread

14-3-2010
Good morning. Sorry its been a bit since my last post, i had one typed
and was going to upload it when i went to town last week but there was
no power. Ill upload that post next time i go.

I went to mnada, our big market that comes twice a month, on friday.
It was extra crowded because its bean season so everyone has money.
When i got there some guy was being a jerk, but thats kinda normal.
But when he walked away another guy was like "wheres ur phone?" and it
wasnt in my pocket anymore so me m that guy started running after
whomever took it. Then the guy who was being a jerk n i think was the
thief just walked up n gave me my phone back. It was really weird. The
only explanation i could think of was that since he didnt get away
cleanly, he didnt want to be murdered by a mob of angry tanzanians,
which is the common fate of unlucky thieves here.

Other than that, the rest of the day was great. I hung out with tara n
amy, two other nearby volunteers who finish soon, n theyre both full
of energy n heaps of fun. I also bought a kithenge to make into a new
shirt next time i go to town. And i got my first pair of tire shoes.
Theyre sandals literally made from strips of old tires and are what
everyone wears here. Im walking around now as i type trying to break
them in a bit.

I also baked a loaf of banana bread the other day that turned out
perfectly. Im getting the hang of this "cooking" stuff, although it
sometimes still takes a bit to get my fire going.

Thats all for now, im gonna go see if the pipe where i get water has
started working yet n if so the rest of the morning will be spent
carrying water n doing laundry. And stay tuned for pictures. Last time
i had internet in town i set up a picassa gallery n uploaded some
pictures but ran out of time before i could make it public. I think
ill be back there in two weeks n ill try n do it then. For now,
cheers.