Last of 2010

I hope this finds everyone well.

The last time I wrote, it was the very beginning of the term, and now we are having our last teaching days and preparing for the year-end exams. We were warned that Term 3 would fly, but this has been ridiculous.

I told you last time that we were rejoicing over the Corporeal Punishment ban. The problem now is that the teachers know of no other way to discipline. And if we suggest something and they try it once, if they don’t get immediate results, well, then, that obviously doesn’t work! Now they threaten suspension or they send the kid home. But there is a new Minister of Education and he has been doing his homework. A good sum of money has been allocated to educational reform and the list of proposed changes is very long. Most things are targeted for implementation Jan. 2011, such as textbooks for all, recommended practices for discipline, “remedial” training for some principals who are on thin ice (possibly ours), banning of entrance exams which exclude low-level learners, banning discrimination toward foreign teachers & learners…Many very positive and much-needed changes. We are all-the-more excited to be coming back, hopefully to witness some of these changes.

We have to constantly remind ourselves that the country is only 20 years old, and the independence came after 100 years of some very serious oppression. There are many obstacles to overcome and most of them are related to a way of being and attitudes for which there are no quick fixes.

The saga of our car continues. The initial problem occurred Aug. 3, we got it Oct. 29 (it was in the shop the entire time). After we drove it back home, one of the tires kept losing air, then the power steering fluid started leaking & a part had to be ordered. While the car sat for 4 days, the battery died (a ‘new’ one according to previous owner) and even with a battery out of another car, it wouldn’t start. Had it towed to a near-by garage, a blown fuse was replaced, I think Jim ordered 4 new tires, one of the shocks will be replaced. We should have it back in a day or two & then we hold our breath for the next thing!

The construction of a new school building has begun. They started digging for the footings (by hand, of course) and an executive came by & said it needed to be moved farther away from an existing building (so that the septic truck could get to our tank). Fortunately he discovered the potential problem so early. But that is how things are “planned” out. Had learners running up to an end-loader that was moving--I nearly had a heart attack. The workers are making inappropriate (to say the least) remarks to our girls, so I had a talk with the foreman. What I have come to discover in myself is a great need to protect these kids. But there is so much more to be done.

We recently went to a volunteer end-of-year in-service, designed to help us with re-entry issues. It was very helpful. Even though our return this Dec. is not permanent, it helped us realize that there will still be challenges. I remember all-too-well the challenges we faced when we returned from Germany. It took me, especially, a very long time to adjust. I hope it will be easier this time.

It is very hot these days (around 120 in the sun). We are waiting for the small rains to begin--they are late. We do have clouds now, and they are so very pretty & make for incredible sunsets which we are able to watch from our kitchen window every evening. We often sit out to watch the stars before calling it a night. When we arrived, it was the rainy season & the night sky looked like a planetarium. As we moved into the dry season, the stars became less impressive (were we just becoming used to the beauty & no longer appreciative?). What was happening was the air was so full of dust, it interfered with the view of the sky. The winds have settled, somewhat, so we don’t have as much. When we walk the 50 yds to school, and then from class to class, it is like walking on a beach (without benefit of a nice ocean). When the rain comes, that will all become a hard (bumpy) surface. When we get back in Jan., the full rains should have arrived and we will get to see the cycle of planting & growth again.

Jim continues to chase goats out of the school yard every day. We have gotten a pretty good handle on insect-control. The ever-present sand & dust doesn’t bother us so much anymore. We have found sources for most of the foods we want (but we have along list of ‘must eats’ for when we are home). Life has become routine. We no longer flinch when we see public urination, the ever-present mess of trash everywhere is just part of life. Women dressed in traditional dress, carrying large loads on their heads is as things should be. This has become ‘home’

It’s now a week later, & we will be arriving in Chicago 2 weeks from today. The small rains have arrived. So now, it is HUMID!!! We are used to hanging the laundry out & having the first load dry by the time the second load is ready to be hung out. Today, it’s taking much longer. We have, what is to us, a very strange phenomenon when it gets dark. There are insects of some sort that sound somewhat like crickets, but they are much louder & last night there sounded like MANY of them & we actually had a hard time listening to the movie that we were watching. We have not been able to see one--they stop their infernal chirping when we get near them. Jim has thrown rocks in their direction, but it has not made any impact. It is a very annoying sound.

Well, since we are going to be home soon, I don’t need to continue. We hope to see many of you while home.

Have a very Happy Thanksgiving. We all have so much to be thankful for!

Jim & Sharon