So I’ve officially been in Namibia for six months. It’s a little unreal, but the idea of having 22 months to go brings me back down to earth.
I guess I could say that the last month has felt like a gradual turning point, if that wasn’t an oxymoron. I am so accustomed to waiting for hikes, cancelled events, and feeling like it’s a success if 60% of my body gets wet during a bucket bath that I have reached the point of no return and consequently no shame. I cannot imagine hopping a plane tomorrow and feeling normal back in the States (well as normal as I get… I did pick up a live crab and try to eat it once).
These days, I watch the same reruns of the few sitcoms that will fit on my hard drive so many times that the concept new episodes of these and (!) newer shows blows my mind, not to mention catching the occasional BBC at my neighbor’s wherein they show off the latest gadgets in the first world market (3D cameras are out?? Say wha?!) Recently, I found myself agreeing with my colleague how incredulous it was that the Animal Kingdom people in Orlando feed monkeys apples when there are starving kids in Africa and feeling very convicted about it when just one year ago I was consistently throwing out leftovers from cooking for one. Maybe some of the newfound sentiment comes from the fact that I am, more or less, one of those starving children. By sending just $20 a month and you’ll pay for my groceries!! (No, really, it would definitely last over two weeks, and if it would enhance your experience, I can send back a picture of me smiling in my ratty clothes and a letter written in crappy crayon.)
Back to my feeling okay here… Although I’m still phased by things like finding a termite mound growing next to my bed and a huge lizard in my bathroom, I have managed to ease into a comfortable pace at school. I actually look forward to some of my classes, and while I’m still figuring out just how far back I need to go for the younger kids, I spend way less time planning, and I can feel them starting to accept my silly ways (group work, creativity, huh?!) and my silly accent. Not to mention, they’ve figured out that I won’t beat them with sticks, so they are far from being afraid of me anymore, which has resulted in the occasional mocking of my accent and begging for food. Of course, I retaliate by returning the jokes and asking them to give me bread and coins. Today, they asked me to sing for them, insisting that I have a wonderful voice. These kids do have a lot to learn. I gave them a little Eminem and Beyonce by request.
I’m still worrying a little over my secondary projects, but it seems like a ball is starting to form that I can get rolling. Last week, I attended a workshop in Rundu on teaching Basic Information Science (BIS). To recap what I learned: All rural schools are struggling for resources, the government has given all schools a certain number of library books (allegedly), but most have been stolen, lost, or damaged, and having a bunch of books shipped here from the States will only result in a storeroom filled with boxes that kids here would never understand. I also learned what the Dewey Decimal System is.
All that aside, I returned to school to discover that my own classroom holds what is left of our library materials. I spent last weekend, with some help from a few wonderful learners, cleaning out and reorganizing the cabinets of materials in my classroom to create a makeshift library then held a meeting with my principal and HOD about the prospect of moving our “library” into the computer lab to make a resource center, and they were very supportive. So it seems that I have a mini-project at hand! Because I’m teaching BIS, I think I will turn this into a research project for my learners. I’ll let you know what plans they come up with for developing a school media/resource center and what kinds of materials we may ask to be donated. Internet, at this time, is a big stretch due to the cost and the fact that learners need to become more familiar with basic word processing before shoveling out the cash to connect the school but it may be in our future, which is exciting. Sidenote: it’s shocking what these kids can do on facebook despite the fact that they can’t master the double-click. I find it to be a metaphor for the entire learning process here. Ask for elaboration.
I think one of the most enlightening experiences I’ve had recently in relation to these projects and classes is the raw thirst for knowledge that the great majority of my learners have. They struggle with so many basic concepts and critical thinking tasks but you hand one kid a book—on any subject, no matter how basic or advanced—and that child will pour over it. Last week, I gave my learners an assignment for BIS to research the history of different information sources, and today I hauled encyclopedias to my classes to get them started. Their eyes lit up as I entered the room with books, and as soon as I began handing them out, their attentions were gone. I had a hard time getting them to write down bibliography information because they were so fascinated by the words and images that began with their respective projects’ letters. It’s incredible how over 50 learners are transformed by the chance to crowd together and share 9 encyclopedias from 1995. They were distraught when the bell rang and I had to take the books to my next class. Furthermore, as soon as I cleaned out the cabinets that have old library books, kids from all grades started coming up and asking me to check out books. One tenth grader requested a book on electrical engineering to take for light reading. These kids continue to inspire me daily.
In terms of daily life, I literally spend all of my time at school. My time is spent:
· Planning lessons that I will inevitably not finish
· Working on grant proposals for community projects and diversity tour
· Grading 200 exercise books weekly
· Decorating the staffroom and my classroom with handmade flipchart posters
· Goofing around with my kids in afternoon study— today we practiced Portuguese and Rukwangali in one classroom, discussed Chris Brown another, and argued over whether one of my ninth graders was related to Obama in another
· Watching BBC and the History Channel, the two channels we receive at school on the computer lab TV
· Attending 3-4 hour long meetings about how inhumane it is to lock kids in a classroom for being late to school or ignore a teen’s pregnancy
Also, it’s hot. It hasn’t really rained all week, and every day feels hotter than the last. I’ve got a couple of staff members commenting, “it’s hotter than one thousand suns,” and as a result, the classrooms are starting to smell unpleasant. Also, my roommates never wear clothes anymore.
One last note. Last week was Valentine’s Day, and, as with every holiday I’ve experienced here, I was pretty homesick. The staff showed up in red and pink and I made a giant card and fudge but that was the extent of the hoopla, and I missed my steadfast valentines, Aspen and Catherine. As a listening activity, I read a history of the holiday in my classes and asked a series of comprehension questions. For homework, I assigned a written paragraph in simple present tense on how people celebrate the holiday. Well, I collected their work on 15 Feb and was overwhelmed by the cards and notes wishing me a happy day drawn in or pasted to their workbooks.
It seems that things are looking up, even if after four weeks of working on it, not one of my 150 kids can write a sentence in the simple present tense.
