Friday May 30

Yeah! Andy wrote a blog… finally! Haha.
Anyhow, just a few things going on. I have noticed here with my real lack of work schedule, the day always seems to have a list of things that I could possibily get done, and sometimes, because I am incredibly indept now at being flexible in my work, I feel like I often get things done. Even if it is not exactly the way I had planned, or in the order of things in my mind, it seems to work out for the most part in the end.
Case in point. My “library” idea for the compound. I mentioned the books I come into last blog. For about a week my subconscious, anytime it had a free minute, was thinking of ways to utilize them. I then came up with the idea that I would loan them out, with the help of the older girls, and then eventually give them to the family when we leave. They may choose to continue loaning them out. So, even though I hadn’t done anything concrete with the project, I had mentioned the idea to any of the kids that would come over and look at the books in the house. After that, with some spare time on the computer, I typed up a list of the titles, and made simple bookplates that I printed out at the office. All this while my subconscious is still working on how I would get the kids involved. Even though in a perfect world, I would have liked to take the girls to make the bookplate design, I couldn’t bring them to the college, or the office with me, so, I will look at it like an interest generator, because now I had something concrete to show them, to get them excited about doing work. At the beginning of this week, after going to the nursery school, I was on the front porch reading and MoLamin came and was looking at a book he picked from the stack, when Adja came over and started looking at the book with him. (she is about 15 years old). Then I mentioned my idea again, and brought out the bookplates to show her. We talked about cutting them out and pasting them in the books. Then it kind of went from there where next thing I knew we were inside the house, listening to music, and cutting out the bookplates from computer paper. A girl that lives next store (Jainaba-15 years old also, a Guinean, married! And does not go to school) came over and started helping us paste the bookplates to the inside of the books. After a little while, another girl FatouMata (not our host sister, but a neighbor-she is the one with the bookplate on her forehead in the picture) came over and was looking through the books. We finished soon after and the only thing that was left was to have a dance party… then Ansumana came in! hahah. Where we all pretended to be reading the books that were conveniently in reach. So, progress is being made there. The next day, being inspired by their efforts, I got up the gusto to talk to the carpenters about getting a bookshelf made. I got an estimate, and plan to give the ok maybe tomorrow.

Another similar project that was completed a while ago, but I just forgot to mention it, is the chalkboard on the front porch wall. Adja and I painted it black, and then I got some of the kids to put color paint handprints on the border. They have it memorized who’s hands are which! It is a good thing to use while we want to hang outside on the porch because of the heat. Because I have discovered they love word finds, I will sometimes make up a simple one and put it on the chalkboard for them to do. We have also had races, where I put addition or subtraction problems on the board, divide it into two sides, and have two lines of kids, they run to the board, doing one problem and kind of relaying it between their team members. Whoever finishes all the problems first wins! They enjoy that. It is also just used when the kids want to draw, “play school”, or writing anything they know how.

Enough about “work”.. Last night we had a traditional wedding ceremony for our host mom’s sister. The wife lady gets dressed up, washed by the elders, and a white headscarf is put on her at her father’s compound. I went to her father’s compound last night. People pretty much just sit around, all dressed up and decked out, and food is served (in a large tray to a group of people to share-eating with the hands of course). People sing and serenade the wife and those people are given some money. That’s about it. Tonight, day two of the ceremony, she will be taken to the husband’s compound and her covering will be changed to black. Then there will be a “program” (that will be tonight) where there might be drummers, a dj if they can afford it, and more of the same stuff as the first day. What I don’t understand yet, (and haven’t had the chance to talk to anyone about that can explain it to me) is that the couple has already been together for a while, have two children, and a third “on the way”. The explanation that really isn’t an explanation is that this one is the “traditional” ceremony. Uh…. Yeah… I don’t know. Whether or not I will go to the program tonight, remains to be seen,… I don’t really want to just because of the attention I get focused on me being a “toubab”. The singers and dancers always pester me for more money.
On a quick note, I have a couple basil plants, parsley, and about 8 tomato plants coming up. This weekend I will hang the basil and parsley in the hanging potter I made. But I am still waiting for the tomato plants to get bigger before I transplant them to their upside down growing position.
Next week PC is having a meeting near us about the food shortage problem and how it will directly effects our families and what we can help do about it being in the “grass roots” position. That will be interesting.

Fatou Bintou-Looking very stylish in the hat Cheryl sent me-Thanks!

Smoke

Well, all this week they have been burning trash behind our house, and the smoke smell is literally making me sick! The smell of burning plastic and who knows what else is making my throat feel constricted and sore, especially in the morning. Ugh.
But on a happy note, I haven't really thought about it since we moved here, but I no longer have the problem of jaw-clenching in my sleep and the related pain associated with it. It was just something that Andy pointed out to me, and I was like, "hey! Yeah!" It's nice. Maybe it is because of the lack of stress from the "time-is-money" society, but who knows.
The other night, I didn't have much to do, and decided to tape a physical map of the world on our front table, (coffee table size). It is a good conversation starter especially with the kids that come over and hang out with us on the couch. One night Fatou Bintou (our 6 going on 7 year old sister) was over and I was asking her to point to Africa, (she couldn't find it), and then we found it, and then Gambia, and I said in Mandinka, "you are from Africa" and she vehemently denied it. It was funny.
Andy and I have shifted our routine again due to the weather. Because it is hotter during the day, and we are taking baths later in the evening, we were struggling to find time to fit out individual workout routines in. So, we decided to try this week to wake up in the morning and work out. It has had several advantages. One being that because it is before our front door is even open, we have complete undisturbed time to do all the things that look extremely weird to our family in the name of exercise. I have even cleared an area where I can get up and jump rope in the house, in peace, with no googling eyes staring at me. Then afterwards I get to take a nice cool shower. Though, because of water use, the morning shower takes away from my ability to take an afternoon one to cool off, I still, at this point think it's worth it. Because now at the end of the day, when I just want to chill out, I can, because I think, "well, I've already worked out!" This morning though I had a hard time getting out of bed, because I did not get sleep between the hours of 1:30 and 5 approximately, probably due in part to the malaria meds, it being hotter yesterday and night, and my throat pain, but I did get up and do a little with the intention of taking a nap after breakfast. Which I did try, but to little avail, I was too uncomfortable in the hot house, with my throat bothering me. I got up and went to the college to get online.
At this point I have cut my time at the nursery school to Tuesdays and Thursdays, even though I don't have classes at the college right now. This is because I found that when I went every day, it was harder on me because I saw little measurable progress, and was always compiling lists of things that could be improved. This routine left me feeling discontent with the work, and frustrated. Now we are making plans for the summer, which, if possible to actually achieve, will be a big project. We are going to attempt to rework the entire curriculum, and the school policies and procedures. Can you say daunting!? But it will be an accomplishment if we achieve any improvements on the current curriculum. It is difficult working within the school system, because this whole year I could see things that needed improving in it, but at the same time was working with other more pressing issues, while still getting to know the system and the way people work here. Hopefully we will be able to work out the major portions of it this summer, then be ready to start the next school year off in a better, more workable position.
Ohhh, I almost forgot, I have been struggling to find places to plant some basic herbs and tomatoes here, because we don't have any backyard space, and our compound is lacking too. So through the volunteer info. newsletters I have decided to try the "hanging upside down" tomato plant thing. Where you take a container of some sort with a handle, like a paint can, and poke a hold in the bottom, and stick a tomato plant through it to grow upside down. this way eliminates the need for staking it, and conserves space too. Andy and I went around the bush last weekend, and got some good dirt, found an old enamel pot, and some peanut shells saw some cows, had a nice walk, etc . For now, I have to wait to do the tomato plant thing until I have actual tomato plants started from seeds, which I planted last weekend in paper egg crates (they have started to come up! yeah!) But to satisfy my instant gratification need, I poked holes with a nail in the bottom of the old enamel pot I found (for drainage), and four holes near the opening on the side to string wire through to make a hanging plant holder. We are going to hang it under the eaves of our roof, (I hope it'll hold!). In that pot I planted around the edge parsley, and in the middle basil (started to come up too!). Yesterday is when Andy discovered they were coming up, and I was really glad, because I've had some failed ones before, and was going to be very disheartened if these didn't start to even grow. The funny thing is, the drain that we throw our dishwater out in behind the house is "magic" at getting seeds to grow, just toss some seeds down there and bam, there they are. So, the next progression is to help the tomato plants grow for a little bit, then transfer them to their upside down hanging place, and hope they grow... and once the herbs get a little more along, hang that pot too. Hopefully soon we will have fresh basil....but there are a few worries, one is that from the position it will hang in the back, there might not be enough sun for them, and two, when rainy season really gets going, the downpour from the edges of the roof will ruin them, so we will have to make sure that doesn't happen.
Lately the onslaught of mangoes has begun, where we are eating about 5 a day.... At night it is entertainment and excitement when the bats knock down mangoes and them come crashing to the ground, and because it is early and they may not be completely ripe and smash, whoever is around as far as the kids goes, take off in a race to get to the mango first. Ansumana (sorry used to calling Andy Ansumana) has been known to take part in this race. It is funny, because, last night I was sitting there reading a story to Fatou B., Mo Lamin, and a boy named Dembo, and then in the middle of it, the crackling of leaves and crack! they bolt and I just look at Ansumana like..."dude I'll take what I can get"...
But they really are beginning to appreciate and get the concept of "reading" for pleasure. I recently, through a round about way, came into ownership of some good childrens books. I have decided that instead of giving them to a local school library where they will likely be mistreated, abused, stolen, not used at all etc... I will directly enrich our kids lives. I have decided that I will get a bookshelf of some sort made, and with a little help maybe from the older girls loan them out to the kids in the compound (of which they are plenty). Then after our time here, I will give them and the bookshelf to the family to enhance their relationship with books in their daily lives. I see this as a more fulfilling prospect, because I know I can and already have, taught them a lot about print concepts and the importance of reading in every day life not just in books. This will help ensure that someone will benefit from the books, like I benefitted from having literature opportunities availaible to me when I was a child. But, unlike me, these children don't have a library to go to, to check out books, or a bookstore, or even people to know the importance of them and buy them for their children. I think it will be a proud thing for them to actually own these books. They already have favorites, Fatou B.'s favorite is a book called Rosie's Walk and also one by Ladybird company called, The Enormous Turnip. Mo Lamin is very good about lap "reading" with me, we talk about things in Mandinka that he sees, he repeats things in English, etc. His favorite right now, is the famous, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. I notice that these books that they like are ones that most often involve nature and the things that they see in their daily lives, and we can talk about the words in Mandinka and English. In Rosie's Walk there is a hen, and a picture of a farm, and goats, all of which they are familiar with. In the turnip book, there is a man gardening, a cat, a mouse, etc, which they know as well. The funny thing is, even though I just said all the above, in The Very Hungry Caterpillar book they have never seen things like, pears, plums, orange colored oranges, and until recently strawberries. (Some people have started growing them here through ngo farming type situations, and I bought a little bit from a lady selling the other day, I was dumbstruck that there were strawberries here,... even though I'm kinda allergic we ate them. We gave some to the family too and the kids kept coming to our house all day asking which part it was ok to eat. ) Anyhow, as the book progresses, and the caterpillar goes on to eat things like cake, salami, sausage, etc. they haven't a clue. They keep saying that they sausage is a banana, because it is the only thing they are familiar with that it could possibly be. But it keeps the interest going and the discussion on. We can't find a word for caterpillar, even though they have one for butterfly. I just keep calling it a "butterfly baby". I explain the cocoon concept in my simple Mandinka by saying "and now the caterpillar is fat because he ate a lot of food, (Mo Lamin makes big cheeks like I do when this part comes) and then he goes to sleep in this house, and when he wakes up, he is a butterfly!" hehe.
Well, I figure that is a good long blog for ya, because someone (aka Ansuamana) has not had any inspiration to write lately.... Have a good weekened!

On-the-job

Today, I was thinking about (I know, I know, there I go thinking again) how being here has really put me "on the job" 24/7. Taking the teaching profession in general you become aware that you have to behave a certain way, even when your off the job, because, who knows, you may run into a student and his mother at the grocery store.... and if your the kind to wear daisy dukes, it might be a little awkward.
Here, I feel I am on the job ever waking hour, (and some I get woken up for!) But, unlike the above example scenario, I actually feel the calling to teach at any given moment. This happens because in the course of our daily travels we encounter people we may educate on American culture, the English language, etc. At work, I teach teachers, watch teachers, teach children, and so on. As soon as I get home I come in throw my bags down and there are children immediately at the door (if they haven't gotten to me walking through the compound already) And because I love my job and kids, I take the opportunity because I feel it is limited to do some form of educating.
It may get tiring, and there are times when I will make a cup of tea, sit down with my latest read and ignore them for 30 minutes, but even then in the back of my mind is the fact that we only have such limited time here in these kids lives.
Well, admitedly I am particularly attached to our host family children, especially our smallest host brother Mo Lamin. When I think about leaving him my heart sinks. And even though I try to equate it to teaching a new group of kids every year, it is apparent to me that we are a lot closer than I have gotten with any of those kids. Coming upon our year mark has propelled me into the future of when we will be done with our service here. It will undoubtly be more difficult to leave this place than it was to leave America, not because we love the place or people any more, but because we won't be the postive loving force in their lives, but mostly because we will probably never see them again. When I think of that last statement, I always start brainstorming ways to keep them in our lives, setting up scholarships for the kids to go to school, having them come visit us in America, and least of all calling them on the phone. And all of these thoughts bring me back to the present and the fact that I have to use ever opportunity to teach them something and, of course, for me to learn from them.

ah.. the sweet pitter patter of rain

Well, yesterday was cloudy all day, and in some areas grey clouds covered the sky, even though there didn't seem to be much moisture in the air, it seemed like it would rain. I it made me feel happy and calm. But it did not...
About 4:45 last night I woke up because I needed to visit the pit latrine, but being as that I was sleeping so well, I didn't want to get up, and I fell asleep again till 5. That's when I heard a strange noise, and then all of the sudden there is the pitter patter of rain on the roof. Now, it never fails especially during the rainy season, that when it rains in the middle of the night, I always have to get up and pee. This is especially true if there is a downpour, of which I must go out in the middle of it. But at least our pit area is covered.
Of course, because I had to get up from my wonderful sleep, I couldn't get back to the sweet sleeping place I was before, and lay there thinking, tossing and turning.
This morning I was thinking about a blog I read that was talking about all these "crazy" things that happen here, and how they have become normal, and how I am myself somewhat complacent. And as I was later flipping through a magazine, with adventure advertisements in the back, I felt that sudden urge to move or experience something new again. And it got me thinking about how things here are normal to me now, and our existence here is very comfortable for us. But also how, even though we are living what some may consider exotic, or weird lives here, we are more restricted in our ability to travel and experience things that in America you can just get up and go do. Like camping, hiking, etc., There are many reasons why we can't do here, and in some ways I feel more restricted in that. I know this must sound confusing, but continuing on..Several factors I think contribute to this feeling; and of course the main two are time and money: because we are only here two years, and are likely to never come back again, we don't' feel we have the luxury to travel away from home as we normally did in the states., money: because of our limited income now, and no gains in the markets, and no deposits being made to our banks accounts now, we don't have the money to travel very far, and traveling within Africa is expensive if you want to fly and very difficult to find flights, though it is easier on the pocketbook to travel over land it is often difficult with the bureaucracy, police checkpoints, danger areas, long travel times, and not completely safe transportation... so this is probably the way we will go when we do! hehe.
In short, be thankful for the ability in America to travel down any road any time, and, (as long as your obeying the speed limit!) not have to be stopped or pay bribes etc. You can cross from state to state with nothing more than a welcome sign and a visitors center to stop at, if you want. And a crossing of the state boundaries can lead to experiences and sights and people that could be very different from what you normally experience in your hometown.
But, to keep my feet on the ground, and to not let myself be led down the path of many foreigners think of America as this great golden land, I have to remind myself that even though you can cross those state lines easily and experience change, there will also be the walmarts, cvs drugstore, target shopping centers where you know things will be in the exact place as they are in the store in your hometown. The monotony of it is somewhat sad, though highly convenient!

Well, that's enough of that. Not much going on this weekend, Andy was going to go on a trip upcountry this weekend, but it didn't work out. But I know there are a lot of things around here that we could do, along with our normal requirement of hanging out on our front porch like to old country bumpkins.

OK, I'll write! hehe

Happy Mothers Day! (sorry a little late!)

Ok, I guess people actually do read this thing! So, back to blogging...Though I don't have much.
Well, let's start off with a few random sightings..
Have you ever seen?:
-A large horned cow digging around in a dumpster?
-an ice cream man pushing a cart that says of the side, "ice crime"
-a young girl approach an upside down cocharoach to kill it, and it hop up and start running around the front room, meanwhile said girl just happened to have a machete in her hand, so there she is chasing a cockaroach waiving a machete..
-a frogs googly eyes peeking up at you from where the water from you bath drains
-a man trying to teach at a school for the deaf... and while being observed keeps saying to you the observer, "it's not easy teaching, these students are deaf,.. I don't know sign language very well,... "
-your little brother eating the bits of dough your pinching off from your tortillas because they have weevels or little worms.. even after you tell him they are there and you show him...

OK, enough of those-of course those are daily occurances so, more to come later...

I don't know if Andy wrote about when he planted some trees in our compound, but they have started to come up, there are pigeon peas and moringa. But this morning we wake up to a horrible goat sound baa-ing, and Andy jumps up out of bed and goes outside and there is a goat tied up right next to some of his new trees! I don't know if it ate any of them, (but yesterday some of the chickens dug up some).
Just a few hours later, that goat was in goat heaven, and a bowl of meat was brought to me on my way out the door to work. So, I had to run back inside and put the meat away. (away means in a bowl with some salt water to hang out till this evening when we have to figure out what to do with it). I think someone gave our neighbors the goat for charity. But I'm not sure.

mom and dad had sent us some kids books and one of them was a little golden book Finding Nemo, and a friend over here had the movie, so I told the older girls if one of them read the book aloud to the other kids, we would watch the movie afterwards. And Fatou M. did, she did a great job, and we went over to watch the movie, I even popped pop corn, we started the movie and...... the sound cut out about 10 minutes in...It was very sad, but a week later I got another copy of it, and we ended up watching it. They really liked it!

We just finished our education in service training week from April 28-May 2nd. It was a lot of sitting in a boardroom setting talking from 8:30-5... monday-Friday... but it did make me think about all the things we could be doing here.. which made me more anxious that I don't have the time to finish everything, or even get them started! It also makes it harder to figure out what to do this summer, because all the schools will be on break, and a majority of the major work I have it with the college or the nursery school.
After a short mid-service crisis, two of my goals for the summer are to re write the curriculum with the nursery school, and work at the college on their extension programs if possible.

There are a few parents visiting our friends here this summer, and we are happy because they are to come and stop by our place too. So we can feel a little bit of what it's like to show people around where we live and the people, and our "amazing" Mandinka skills!

Well, hope you kept up with that really scatterbrain entry. I'm sure I will have more to write later this week, till then!

Where is everybody?!

Um... has anyone talked to my family? I haven't heard from them in a while... maybe something is going on with the phone where people can't get through? I don't know. Aside from that,.. I feel like boycotting blogging if I don't get emails or comments from people,.anyone out there!?