1. bucket bathing
2. using a hole in the ground rather than a toilet
3. greetings that last for approx 5-10 minutes
4. putting on a sweatshirt when it's 65 degrees
5. class scheduled for 8 and students starting to trickle in around 8:20
6. grown, educated men debating about foreign conflicts by drawing maps in the dirt with sticks
7. drinking (as opposed to eating) oranges
8. having students drop out of 9th grade (or lower) to get married (maybe as wife number 3)
9. biking in a skirt
10. the majority of my diet consisting of things that come directly from nature
11. biking 45 k because it's more convenient than taxis
12. nosepicking
13. finishing "grocery" shopping with the cost totalling up to $1.50
Friday, February 27, 2009
So it rained?
Dry season- sort of. We've had two pretty big rains- which I don't think is normal this time of year, but I wouldn't know.
Teaching has been going really well and I've been feeling really good about my friends at site and living in my town. I am starting to kind of feel like I don't do anything, so I'm definitely going to try to start a bunch of new things soon. Hopefully I'll feel alittle more productive then.
I went to visit Lisa the other weekend (she greets you all)... and we ended up hanging out at her health center because her Principal's wife had her baby. So we went to meet the approximately 6 hour old baby girl. Awesome. So we were hanging out with the doctor and he was like, oh wait! I want you guys to attend this. I'm going to cut off the newborn's sixth finger. ... So we were liike- well yes! Then as we sat in the "lobby" while he prepared, we started thinking- wait, do we really want to see this? we're in the bush of Africa and this baby isn't even a day old. But then it was time. ANd it wasn't actually like a full-fledged 6th finger. It was like a string of skin with a bulb of finger? on the end of it. So he tied a string and killed it before he snipped it . So Lisa held down the baby's arm and I let the baby grip my finger. It was pretty awesome and we were a little refreshed with how well the doc handled it. Pretty neat!
I baked lemon squares with my Guinean mom at site, Neene Kadiatou (previously I called her Tanty, now she's my mom). But it was probably one of the most fun times. Not to mention delicious? We did the dutch oven thing and used lemons from her garden and it was a big success.
I've also been hanging out at this cafe with my other Guinean family members and they just opened a video club too. SO they've been watching all the football (soccer) games and it's kind of hilarious to see how similar people can be when it comes to watching sports. Most of my older male students were there and they just get so into it. Not to mention it's one of 4 tvs in my entire area- so it's a rarer passtime which automatically makes it more fun. But they yell at the screen and cheer as if they were there. Pretty entertaining stuff.
I think that about wraps up what I've been doing. At least the things of note. I'm coming home for Easter! So I'm pretty unbelievably excited for that and to see all of your beautiful faces!
love and miss you all (comme d'habitude)
~rb
Teaching has been going really well and I've been feeling really good about my friends at site and living in my town. I am starting to kind of feel like I don't do anything, so I'm definitely going to try to start a bunch of new things soon. Hopefully I'll feel alittle more productive then.
I went to visit Lisa the other weekend (she greets you all)... and we ended up hanging out at her health center because her Principal's wife had her baby. So we went to meet the approximately 6 hour old baby girl. Awesome. So we were hanging out with the doctor and he was like, oh wait! I want you guys to attend this. I'm going to cut off the newborn's sixth finger. ... So we were liike- well yes! Then as we sat in the "lobby" while he prepared, we started thinking- wait, do we really want to see this? we're in the bush of Africa and this baby isn't even a day old. But then it was time. ANd it wasn't actually like a full-fledged 6th finger. It was like a string of skin with a bulb of finger? on the end of it. So he tied a string and killed it before he snipped it . So Lisa held down the baby's arm and I let the baby grip my finger. It was pretty awesome and we were a little refreshed with how well the doc handled it. Pretty neat!
I baked lemon squares with my Guinean mom at site, Neene Kadiatou (previously I called her Tanty, now she's my mom). But it was probably one of the most fun times. Not to mention delicious? We did the dutch oven thing and used lemons from her garden and it was a big success.
I've also been hanging out at this cafe with my other Guinean family members and they just opened a video club too. SO they've been watching all the football (soccer) games and it's kind of hilarious to see how similar people can be when it comes to watching sports. Most of my older male students were there and they just get so into it. Not to mention it's one of 4 tvs in my entire area- so it's a rarer passtime which automatically makes it more fun. But they yell at the screen and cheer as if they were there. Pretty entertaining stuff.
I think that about wraps up what I've been doing. At least the things of note. I'm coming home for Easter! So I'm pretty unbelievably excited for that and to see all of your beautiful faces!
love and miss you all (comme d'habitude)
~rb
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Naange no wuli
That is to say, the sun is hot. Damn hot. The cold did not last... at all.
So finished the first semester of school, gave compositions, and tallied grades.
9th grade: 58% fail, 40% pass. nice..
10th grade: 40% fail, 59% pass. a little better.
11th SE: 42% fail, 58% pass
11th SS: 27% fail, 73% pass- my best class.
11th SM: 17% fail, 83% pass.
Some highlights from the tests:
--when asked to translate "comment vas-tu?" searching for the response "how are you?", some students chose to answer the question. One 9th grader wrote, "Ayame fay ind you." (I'm fine, and you)
--When asked "what time is it?" for 14:15, one 10th grader wrote "it is tentyfour tenty-five."
Some real stars in those classes! Haha good times nonetheless.
Got a new cat, his or her meows sound like Donald duck...so that's been fun haha.
Went to Dougaya again, this time with Lisa- same unending hospitality and a lovely time.
And sadly on 8 Feb, I found out one of my best girl students- who's completely motivated and smart- which is a hard combination to find in the girls here, just got married. She'll be moving out of Guinea with her new husband, and more likely than not- not finishing school. Completely heartbreaking for me. Total bummer. Some things in this culture I love, and then there's things like that that totally bum me out.
Anywho- that's about it for now. Love and miss you all- as per usual. Keep me posted on your lives
<3
So finished the first semester of school, gave compositions, and tallied grades.
9th grade: 58% fail, 40% pass. nice..
10th grade: 40% fail, 59% pass. a little better.
11th SE: 42% fail, 58% pass
11th SS: 27% fail, 73% pass- my best class.
11th SM: 17% fail, 83% pass.
Some highlights from the tests:
--when asked to translate "comment vas-tu?" searching for the response "how are you?", some students chose to answer the question. One 9th grader wrote, "Ayame fay ind you." (I'm fine, and you)
--When asked "what time is it?" for 14:15, one 10th grader wrote "it is tentyfour tenty-five."
Some real stars in those classes! Haha good times nonetheless.
Got a new cat, his or her meows sound like Donald duck...so that's been fun haha.
Went to Dougaya again, this time with Lisa- same unending hospitality and a lovely time.
And sadly on 8 Feb, I found out one of my best girl students- who's completely motivated and smart- which is a hard combination to find in the girls here, just got married. She'll be moving out of Guinea with her new husband, and more likely than not- not finishing school. Completely heartbreaking for me. Total bummer. Some things in this culture I love, and then there's things like that that totally bum me out.
Anywho- that's about it for now. Love and miss you all- as per usual. Keep me posted on your lives
<3
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