Fix yourselves a cup of coffee or a glass of wine & enjoy:
Hello, everyone! I want to share with you a fantastic day we had last Sunday. We had a 3-day weekend in celebration of Namibian Independence which took effect March 21, 1990. We had ½ day of school on Friday, rented a car & took off Sat. morning. We were headed to Epupa Falls in the Himba area of Namibia. If you have never heard of the Himba tribe, look on the internet to see their pictures & get a little background. This was our first venture on our own, but felt quite confident--we had a new car & 3 road maps. Oh, to begin, Jim had talked to someone who said that there is a Roman Catholic church in Ondangwa. So, with our own wheels, we set out to find it before heading out of town. Namibians do not give directions. They wave their hand in a general direction & say, “Oh, just go this way & you will find it.” We saw parts of our town that we didn’t know existed--corrugated steel shanties of the obviously poor. We wonder how many of our learners live in that area. Anyway, we found the church, now we have to find out when they have Masses or some sort of service.
Headed out of town. All was fine ‘til we looked for a certain road that would take us directly to out destination. Again, asking was an exercise in futility, getting different responses from different people. It appeared that one town’s policeman didn’t know how to read a map. He tried sending us back home.
Anyway, after many delays & turn-arounds, we made it to the lodge. We had been unable to secure reservations, but had gotten one message telling us no problem, they had plenty of rooms open. Yea, but they were all luxury rooms, along w/ luxury prices. We signed up for a tour to the falls & Himba settlement. We had been told that we would need a 4x4 to get there & we couldn’t find one to rent. Had to pay an exorbitant price ‘cause it was just the 2 of us wanting to go. And we had to eat there, there was nowhere else to eat & those prices were awful. But we were celebrating our 2 birthdays & anniversary. But it was worth every bit of inconvenience & penny spent.
Left 8:00 Sun & got back to lodge at 6:30. We could have driven it ourselves w/o 4-wheel drive, as it turned out, but one never knows for sure. Stopped at a couple Himba settlements before we found one where the people were home & not out in the garden or tending their herds. Himba women are working very hard to maintain their heritage. They wear only animal skins as little skirts. They never use water to cleanse. Twice a day they cover their bodies with a mixture of butter & ochre powder. They put milk in a pumpkin, hang it from a tree & swing it back & forth for 2-3 hrs to make the butter. They take a reddish colored rock (the land there is red) & grind it down into powder. They start this practice when they reach puberty & continue it for the rest of their lives. They spread the mixture on their hair, “style” it, usually into something that looks like ropes, using extensions which sometimes are made out of the children’s hair that has been cut off, or they buy them in town. After 2-3 months, they take their “do” apart, chipping the mud-mix off their hair. They clean their hair by spreading cow dung on their hair followed by white ash from a fire that burns continually. Then they re-apply the butter/ochre mixture & style it again. They do all of this, because water is so sparse, they don’t want to waste it on themselves. The mixture protects them form the sun. They use water to drink & occasionally wash the children. A young girls demonstrated how they cleanse their bodies. They take small coals from the fire (it is probably something like incense) & hold it so the smoke rises up to their arm pits & then they crouch over the smoke to deodorize the groin area. The butter ochre odor, while not exactly unpleasant, seemed to permeate the entire settlement & I had a hard time washing it away when we returned to the lodge.
A settlement is a family group--could be 20-30 people. Tree limbs are stuck in the ground to form a fence around the kraal. There is a central area surrounded by the same type of fence where the holy fire is kept burning & where their cattle are sometimes kept. The Chief & his wife have a hut, then each of his additional wives have their own hut & her children stay in her hut until about age 7 or 8 when they leave their mother’s & join a hut that is all girls, or one for the boys. They sleep there, but are out & about mixing in w/ everyone else during the day. The Chief’s sons also have their own huts, again one for each son & his 1st wife, & additional huts for each of his other wives & children.
They eat 2 times/day. Both meals consist of porridge & milk. Even though they have very large herds of cattle, sheep, & goats, they only slaughter a goat every 10-14 days, so they then eat goat until that meat runs out, then it’s back to porridge & milk. They only grow the grain for the porridge in their “gardens”. Fruits & vegetables require too much water. They don’t slaughter the animals (except for deaths & wedding celebrations--both last 2 weeks.) because the herds are the men’s wealth. Some of our Americans hoard their money, Himbas hoard their animals. The men tend to the herds & that’s about it. They leave for 2-3 months at a time to take the herds to better grazing land. They also build the huts: they take thick tree limbs & form a tee-pee shaped frame. Then the women cover the frame w/ cow dung. No hole at the top, no windows or other openings--just a “doorway” that is very narrow & low. They sleep on animal skins. The one we entered was maybe 10’ in diameter. They usually cook outside or in one of the special huts made for cooking. The temperature stays constant, not really hot, but very stuffy!!!
When someone dies, they are wrapped in leather & buried. Above their grave they put a tree limb stuck in the ground & from there they hang cattle horns--pointing up to signify a man & down for a woman (or vice-versa). They are also beginning to put stone markers similar to our plain ones.
When the children have all of their permanent teach, the Chief has them lay on their backs on the ground, then he goes to each w/ a stick & a stone & knocks their 4 bottom teeth out. The only explanation I got for that is it’s a tradition.
Women & children may not say their husband’s/father’s sur name. So if we were Himba, & I wanted to refer to Jim, I would say, “Colleen’s father” (or one of the other 15 children’s father). The women want many children. If one has only 3,4 or 5, she is mocked by the other women saying she’s not a woman. One asked me how many I had (our guide was the translator) & asked why only 3. I couldn’t come up w/ a reason! If the 1st wife (who has a greater place of honor than the other wives) cannot bear children, the husband will have one of his brothers impregnate her. If she gets pregnant, then obviously he’s infertile & she remains his wife. If she doesn’t, then she’s infertile, & while she may stay, he takes a second “1st” wife to produce his first off-spring.
The women wear very heavy metal rings around their ankles up to their calves; partly to protect them from snake or scorpion bites. The rings that she wears on her right leg are given to her by her father, the one on the left leg from her mother. When one of them dies, she removes that parent’s rings during her mourning period.
The women who are married wear a metal belt around their waist. If they are married to the Chief, they have special hair ornament that they wear on top of their head--makes them look like roosters.
The 1st wife is chosen by the boy’s father. The boy & girl are not told until a few days before their marriage & they probably have never seen each other. Girl is taken inside her mother’s hut & for 4 days she doesn’t leave it. She is totally cleansed & polished. All the ochre butter mixture is removed. Then she & her family walk to the boy’s settlement where there is feasting & celebrations for 2 weeks. Chief says words of marriage for the ceremony. The boy’s father has to pay cows & goats for the girl. The boy chooses his next wives himself. Usually marries additional wives every 2-3 years.
We asked the chief’s wives how old they are (looked OLD). They didn’t know, just that they were born a long time ago, maybe 1000 years. We stopped to talk to 4 women along side the road. They were collecting water from a well that the government drilled for the area. It had been broken since January, but water was trickling out, so they caught it to carry back to the settlement--they have all the time in the world. Asked them where they live & they waved their hand around & mentioned a name. When the guide asked what country they live in, they looked puzzled. He asked them if it might be Namibia. One said she heard that word, but didn’t know what is was. Didn’t know America (very few Americans visit that area--most of the white visitors are from Europe).
The Himbas hate education. It is a waste of time. The children are needed to tend the cattle. But the government has a policy that all are to go to school. Mobile schools are at a few settlement areas, but the most that go to school are 8-12 year olds & then only if they are not needed at the settlement. When we went inside the one hut, I saw some letters written on the wall along w/ a picture of a house which is typical of a kindergarten or 1st grade student. The girl of that hut who was going to school followed us to the gate (along w/ most of the people ) & she got my attention & announced very proudly “My name is Lucia” Oh my, I wanted to take her home with us!!! There was a little boy (about 2 I think)--who picked up a filthy enamel cup that was all chipped & rusty. A little girl poured filthy water into the cup & drank it! His nose was runny, his body dirty. I wanted to take him back to the lodge & bathe him & give him some safe water!!! But they rarely get sick. Many babies die shortly after birth, though. HIV-AIDS is not an issue among the Himba. They don’t mingle outside their own.
The men don’t use the butter/ochre mixture. They usually wear western clothes. They are not concerned w/ maintaining the Himba traditions. There are many tourists, so the Himbas will probably not exist as such in another 30 years. We were cautioned not to give them candy or pop or anything “western”. But, of course, they are gradually picking up our ways. And as the government makes headways w/ education, that will definitely be the beginning of the end. They are friendly, warm, peaceful people. They have no stress in their lives. If they go 2-3 days w/ no water, it’s okay, they will survive.
I think that is all that I can remember. They are among the earth’s most primitive peoples. We felt honored to be among them, even for only a few hours.
That’s all for now. Sharon
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Saturday, March 13, 2010
It's been awhile
Hello to everyone! I understand that you are beginning to feel that winter is coming to a close. It is still hot here, but the extreme temperatures might be over.
I wrote an entire entry a week ago, but somehow the computer couldn’t post it & I lost the whole thing.
Now, I am finally getting smart. I am writing this in Word & I will just copy onto the Blog & save internet time. We have run out a couple of times--I am spending a lot of time looking up information. Since I am teaching Social Studies, I have to learn about the history & government here. I am glad we came to Africa a year ago--I actually had picked up a fair amount of information then, so this isn’t all totally foreign to me.
Classes are getting better. I am writing out the text information on newsprint, then the learners copy it into their exercise books. It’s okay for the sharp ones, but those who are struggling have a harder time with copying correctly. Texts are on order. The store called a few days ago, but we couldn’t understand them. Asked them to fax the information, but apparently they didn’t understand us. We will need to make a trip there as soon as we have time.
Jim is gone on a 3-day trip with the Grade 7 learners (science, I think). They went to see some falls & I don’t know what else. I’ve seen enough falls, so chose not to go. Besides, I didn’t want to miss my classes. I took Jim’s Grade 5 English for him. He has so much trouble with them, but they were absolute angels for me. I still have my struggles with the learners, but they are becoming less & I think that they really are trying to behave. There are several student-teachers here now & I have noticed that the severe punishments have subsided…wondering if their presence is making a difference. Quite a few in Grade 8 are beginning to show interest & ask questions. They will even catch me outside to clarify points. Grade 6 is asking if they can get books to read. I think I will check some out of the library for them, but they are in such terrible condition. They are yellow w/ age, falling apart, not at all appealing. Most have another school’s stamp in them, & frequently it is an American school. Apparently used books are donated. That’s fine, but like everything else here, they are being used beyond what is reasonable.
I’ve been looking into the possibility of getting desks & chairs. Most are broken. It’s not unusual to be interrupted during class by a learner from another class looking for an extra chair. Or an eraser or cloth to clean off their chalkboard, or a pen or pencil or ruler. They borrow them from each other & when they don’t return them, they have to scrounge.
Last Sunday we finally connected with the nearest Catholic community. We had to take a flashlight at 6am to find our way though the mud from our house to the road & then hail a taxi for the ½ hr trip. When we got to the town, we thought we knew how to find the church, but we didn’t, so after driving up & down several streets, we happened upon it--& the service was just about ready to start. I was so excited! It was so wonderful. It was in English. The deacon led us through everything in the Mass, except for the Consecration. When we received the Eucharist, I realized just how much I had missed it. I couldn’t stop the tears, which became embarrassing when the deacon asked us to stand & introduce ourselves. We will be going there every Sunday, & occasionally there will be a priest. There is supposed to be one on March 28--Jim’s birthday. What a way to celebrate.
Next week we will be celebrating Independence Day. Each class is asked to perform. Hoping to see some interesting tribal clothes, dances & songs. Several have been practicing behind our house. These kids are really talented in music & art. One tradition that I am aware of is that when a young person gives something to, or receives something from an elder, they do so with their right hand. It is a sign of respect. They usually take their left hand and touch their right elbow as they are handing off with the right hand. The girls also do a little curtsey--haven’t noticed if the boys bow or not.
I‘ve rambled on long enough. Keep the prayers coming.
sharon
I wrote an entire entry a week ago, but somehow the computer couldn’t post it & I lost the whole thing.
Now, I am finally getting smart. I am writing this in Word & I will just copy onto the Blog & save internet time. We have run out a couple of times--I am spending a lot of time looking up information. Since I am teaching Social Studies, I have to learn about the history & government here. I am glad we came to Africa a year ago--I actually had picked up a fair amount of information then, so this isn’t all totally foreign to me.
Classes are getting better. I am writing out the text information on newsprint, then the learners copy it into their exercise books. It’s okay for the sharp ones, but those who are struggling have a harder time with copying correctly. Texts are on order. The store called a few days ago, but we couldn’t understand them. Asked them to fax the information, but apparently they didn’t understand us. We will need to make a trip there as soon as we have time.
Jim is gone on a 3-day trip with the Grade 7 learners (science, I think). They went to see some falls & I don’t know what else. I’ve seen enough falls, so chose not to go. Besides, I didn’t want to miss my classes. I took Jim’s Grade 5 English for him. He has so much trouble with them, but they were absolute angels for me. I still have my struggles with the learners, but they are becoming less & I think that they really are trying to behave. There are several student-teachers here now & I have noticed that the severe punishments have subsided…wondering if their presence is making a difference. Quite a few in Grade 8 are beginning to show interest & ask questions. They will even catch me outside to clarify points. Grade 6 is asking if they can get books to read. I think I will check some out of the library for them, but they are in such terrible condition. They are yellow w/ age, falling apart, not at all appealing. Most have another school’s stamp in them, & frequently it is an American school. Apparently used books are donated. That’s fine, but like everything else here, they are being used beyond what is reasonable.
I’ve been looking into the possibility of getting desks & chairs. Most are broken. It’s not unusual to be interrupted during class by a learner from another class looking for an extra chair. Or an eraser or cloth to clean off their chalkboard, or a pen or pencil or ruler. They borrow them from each other & when they don’t return them, they have to scrounge.
Last Sunday we finally connected with the nearest Catholic community. We had to take a flashlight at 6am to find our way though the mud from our house to the road & then hail a taxi for the ½ hr trip. When we got to the town, we thought we knew how to find the church, but we didn’t, so after driving up & down several streets, we happened upon it--& the service was just about ready to start. I was so excited! It was so wonderful. It was in English. The deacon led us through everything in the Mass, except for the Consecration. When we received the Eucharist, I realized just how much I had missed it. I couldn’t stop the tears, which became embarrassing when the deacon asked us to stand & introduce ourselves. We will be going there every Sunday, & occasionally there will be a priest. There is supposed to be one on March 28--Jim’s birthday. What a way to celebrate.
Next week we will be celebrating Independence Day. Each class is asked to perform. Hoping to see some interesting tribal clothes, dances & songs. Several have been practicing behind our house. These kids are really talented in music & art. One tradition that I am aware of is that when a young person gives something to, or receives something from an elder, they do so with their right hand. It is a sign of respect. They usually take their left hand and touch their right elbow as they are handing off with the right hand. The girls also do a little curtsey--haven’t noticed if the boys bow or not.
I‘ve rambled on long enough. Keep the prayers coming.
sharon
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Fundraising
This makes me feel like we are a charity case! Another experience in humility. I just hope no one feels obligated in any way. We had decided to go ahead & buy the books, but since many people sounded as if they really wanted to be part of this adventure of ours, we thought that we would offer this opportunity:) Really!
I had response from someone asking how to send the money. You do no want to send money here. Cash would never make it; we would not be able to cash a check. Maureen is taking care of our financial business while we are gone, so any contributions could be given to her, deposited in our account & when she receives the bill she will pay it. It's so wonderful, we charge things here & she foots the bill! We have such devoted children!
Thanks, Sam for offering your organizational skills.
Just sort of a funny story. Jim has had alot of trouble w/ his Grade 5 learners (English). Today as I was working in the staff room (don't picture anything too great!), I heard him holler "I said sit down & be quiet! How many times do I have to tell you?!" We have been talking about various techniques to address this issue, so I knew he was at the end of his rope. I went to his class, the learners politely greeted me, & I simply walked around the room, taking non-English materials from them, giving them the teacher "look", and generally scaring them out of their wits--without saying a word! They were wonderful! The few that came up to his table to ask a question tried to skirt around me, but I stopped them & told them to just sit down & follow his directions. As I left, I told them how Mr. Jim comes home every night & tells me how awful this Grade 5 is, but they seemed quite wonderful to me. Mr. Jim must have something wrong with him if he thinks they are so horrible. Class was almost over, but Jim said they stayed pretty quiet 'til the end & wanted to know if Ms. Sharon was coming back--she was so nice! These children are so cute!!
'til next time,
sharon
I had response from someone asking how to send the money. You do no want to send money here. Cash would never make it; we would not be able to cash a check. Maureen is taking care of our financial business while we are gone, so any contributions could be given to her, deposited in our account & when she receives the bill she will pay it. It's so wonderful, we charge things here & she foots the bill! We have such devoted children!
Thanks, Sam for offering your organizational skills.
Just sort of a funny story. Jim has had alot of trouble w/ his Grade 5 learners (English). Today as I was working in the staff room (don't picture anything too great!), I heard him holler "I said sit down & be quiet! How many times do I have to tell you?!" We have been talking about various techniques to address this issue, so I knew he was at the end of his rope. I went to his class, the learners politely greeted me, & I simply walked around the room, taking non-English materials from them, giving them the teacher "look", and generally scaring them out of their wits--without saying a word! They were wonderful! The few that came up to his table to ask a question tried to skirt around me, but I stopped them & told them to just sit down & follow his directions. As I left, I told them how Mr. Jim comes home every night & tells me how awful this Grade 5 is, but they seemed quite wonderful to me. Mr. Jim must have something wrong with him if he thinks they are so horrible. Class was almost over, but Jim said they stayed pretty quiet 'til the end & wanted to know if Ms. Sharon was coming back--she was so nice! These children are so cute!!
'til next time,
sharon
Fundraising effort
Sam here.
I'm hijacking the blog for a quick post to try to make sure that any efforts made for fundraising are organized. I've already talked to a couple people who are wanting/willing to help. A few more phone calls to make, and I'm sure a few things to sort out - but when it gets set I'll gladly post something so that everyone is aware of it.
Until something definite is set in motion, if anyone has questions, feel free to email me at smbka_1@yahoo.com
Monday, February 22, 2010
More from Namibia
I hope everyone is doing well at home. Enjoy the cold for me, please. Yesterday it was 124* F. in the sun. The top so far. Today we received our air conditioner & it's quite lovely--84* feels like heaven.
We still have not found a faith community. Jim met a Coptic Orthodox priest at the grocery store. He stopped by our flat to visit & it was a very interesting time. I did a little research & had high hopes that this would be what we were searching for. We went to Mass Sunday. There were only children there. After awhile not more than 10 adults arrived. While they believe in transubstanciation, the service seemed to be over & Father mingled among the people w/ a plate of flat bread (not flat like our hosts) & tore pieces off to give to people as they chatted. Somehow I invisioned something closer to our Communion. We somehow have to figure a way to get to a nearby town for 7AM mass on the 1st 2 Sundays of the month--it will even be in English!
I will be sending out a mass e-mail, but thought maybe this would be a good venue...many people told us before we left that if there is something we need to let them know. Well, my Grade 8 English class of 40 learners has 13 text books which they share. Their command of English is deplorable. Some days I want to cry. My Grade 6 English class (also 40) is blessed with 18 ( but about 4 of them are an older edition & things have to be adapted for them). We are doing okay in Social Studies (same Grade 6 class) with 2 learners per text. What I would love to do is buy 40 texts for Grade 8. The text that they do have is boring & of course there is no teacher's guide, but I found a test that is much more appropriate for 14 year olds.
I would also love to be able to buy each of my 80 learners their own dictionaries. The library has a few, but of course they are reference books & cannot be checked out. In fact, right now, the librarian is on sick leave & no one is able to use the library (I get books occasionally, but it is risky--there is no quarantee that the learners will return them to me).
So, this is my wish list. Both the textbooks & dictionaries run about $15 each (US $). If there is someone out there who would like to spearhead a fundraiser, that would be great. I don't expect to get all that I want...my first priority is the Grade 8 texts. I believe I will order them soon & figure out the finances later.
Jim bought texts for his Grade 5 English class--they were sharing 2/text & driving him crazy! This class is quite a challenge, & sharing didn't help. My Grade 8 is also a great challenge. I am not saying the texts will make everything wonderful, but I can't believe that they won't make a difference.
I hate asking, but these kids are winning my heart! Some are beginning to confide in me, some are asking questions about class material, some give me the biggest, most beautiful smiles you can ever imagine. And when I discipline them, they still talk in class, leave the room without permission, pass notes, paint their fingernails, tell me 15 min. into the lesson that they left their book at home (meaning that at least one other learner is also without a book!). But I love them,
and don't believe that they are getting a fair shake.
We ran out of internet time a few days ago, & at this rate, we will run out again, soon. So I will sign off. We are very thankful for your prayer support. We have needed each & every prayer---some days we can't even pray for ourselves!
Grateful for you,
sharon
We still have not found a faith community. Jim met a Coptic Orthodox priest at the grocery store. He stopped by our flat to visit & it was a very interesting time. I did a little research & had high hopes that this would be what we were searching for. We went to Mass Sunday. There were only children there. After awhile not more than 10 adults arrived. While they believe in transubstanciation, the service seemed to be over & Father mingled among the people w/ a plate of flat bread (not flat like our hosts) & tore pieces off to give to people as they chatted. Somehow I invisioned something closer to our Communion. We somehow have to figure a way to get to a nearby town for 7AM mass on the 1st 2 Sundays of the month--it will even be in English!
I will be sending out a mass e-mail, but thought maybe this would be a good venue...many people told us before we left that if there is something we need to let them know. Well, my Grade 8 English class of 40 learners has 13 text books which they share. Their command of English is deplorable. Some days I want to cry. My Grade 6 English class (also 40) is blessed with 18 ( but about 4 of them are an older edition & things have to be adapted for them). We are doing okay in Social Studies (same Grade 6 class) with 2 learners per text. What I would love to do is buy 40 texts for Grade 8. The text that they do have is boring & of course there is no teacher's guide, but I found a test that is much more appropriate for 14 year olds.
I would also love to be able to buy each of my 80 learners their own dictionaries. The library has a few, but of course they are reference books & cannot be checked out. In fact, right now, the librarian is on sick leave & no one is able to use the library (I get books occasionally, but it is risky--there is no quarantee that the learners will return them to me).
So, this is my wish list. Both the textbooks & dictionaries run about $15 each (US $). If there is someone out there who would like to spearhead a fundraiser, that would be great. I don't expect to get all that I want...my first priority is the Grade 8 texts. I believe I will order them soon & figure out the finances later.
Jim bought texts for his Grade 5 English class--they were sharing 2/text & driving him crazy! This class is quite a challenge, & sharing didn't help. My Grade 8 is also a great challenge. I am not saying the texts will make everything wonderful, but I can't believe that they won't make a difference.
I hate asking, but these kids are winning my heart! Some are beginning to confide in me, some are asking questions about class material, some give me the biggest, most beautiful smiles you can ever imagine. And when I discipline them, they still talk in class, leave the room without permission, pass notes, paint their fingernails, tell me 15 min. into the lesson that they left their book at home (meaning that at least one other learner is also without a book!). But I love them,
and don't believe that they are getting a fair shake.
We ran out of internet time a few days ago, & at this rate, we will run out again, soon. So I will sign off. We are very thankful for your prayer support. We have needed each & every prayer---some days we can't even pray for ourselves!
Grateful for you,
sharon
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Namibia continued
Well, hello, everyone! We have been busy working on school work & trying to make our living space workable, so little time for anything else.
I will try to catch up a bit. More serious teaching started 1/25, but it found both Jim & I struggling to figure out how to teach English with just a syllabus that gives the results expected, but no plan on how to attack it. I spent many hours trying to get an over-view of the year, then tryling to plan from a couple different text books that I found, then doing what we were told to do "teach from the syllabus" & I am no closer to a good plan than I was 2 weeks ago, We weren't turning in lesson plans since the other teachers weren't but then we were all told we had to & we've been scrambling to back-fill as well as working on the week ahead. Today the principal did an observation on me---I was AWFUL! Really!!! I can hear my mother saying, "now, Sharon, I'm sure it was just fine." and my response from college days "You don't understand! It was terrible!" We had that conversation more than a few times! Only this time...I was truly awful. Jim has his tomorrow & I am sure he will be fine. The one who didn't think that he could teach is doing one crack-up job.
We had some "excitement" this past weekend. For one, even though it is the rainy season, it had not rained for two weeks or more. So, we did the laundry, oblivious of the clouds, & ended up with some of our things getting a second wash, compliments of our loving Lord. And no, we are not going to re-wash them. It is amazing how quickly our standard for cleanliness has changed. No, we are not dirty...just not obsessed. So, with all the water from laundry going into the septic tank, we managed to put it over the top. We had a back-up into our shower. The smell was not nice. Fortunately, the honey-wagon came early Mon. afternoon. In some ways the slower pace here is frustrating, but in other ways we see how things that need to be done are done more quickly than at home. Well, some things.
Jim is out getting a haircut. I can't wait to see. We rarely see other white people in our region, so will a local know how to cut his hair?? We heard a story of a young American teacher, girl, who had her hair cut. The woman pulled it back into a pony tail & cut it off w/ one big clip, asking "that is fine, Miss?" She just paid & ran out of the shop.
We had a power outage a few nights ago. It is DARK here w/ no lights!!! We did have a small flashlight handy, but nothing else. Jim is going to see if he can find a candle or two. We have problems w/ extension cords; we seem to buy faulty ones, & when we try them they blow the circuit in the building (what a way to make friends w/ the neighbors!) We have a total of 3 outlets (and they are not double like you have); we have 13 things to plug in. We pick & choose...the fans & 'frig have top priority.
The heavy rains in Angola are putting a strain on our water processing facilities, so water is turned off from 9pm - 6am, 9am - noon, 2pm - 5pm. We make a mad dash to the bathroom before 9pm, hoping we can make it through the night. Over the weekend, we had water all day long, so, maybe things have changed.
So, we are gradually becoming acclimated to this place. There are many, many, cultural differences. Some I can accept...others, well, I just don't understand. When I think that I am being perfectly reasonable, & make total sense, they just shake their heads. & I can hear them thinking "those crazy Westerners".
Tired of sitting. Time to forage for dinner.
Love hearing from each of you.'
Sharon (& maybe bald Jim)
I will try to catch up a bit. More serious teaching started 1/25, but it found both Jim & I struggling to figure out how to teach English with just a syllabus that gives the results expected, but no plan on how to attack it. I spent many hours trying to get an over-view of the year, then tryling to plan from a couple different text books that I found, then doing what we were told to do "teach from the syllabus" & I am no closer to a good plan than I was 2 weeks ago, We weren't turning in lesson plans since the other teachers weren't but then we were all told we had to & we've been scrambling to back-fill as well as working on the week ahead. Today the principal did an observation on me---I was AWFUL! Really!!! I can hear my mother saying, "now, Sharon, I'm sure it was just fine." and my response from college days "You don't understand! It was terrible!" We had that conversation more than a few times! Only this time...I was truly awful. Jim has his tomorrow & I am sure he will be fine. The one who didn't think that he could teach is doing one crack-up job.
We had some "excitement" this past weekend. For one, even though it is the rainy season, it had not rained for two weeks or more. So, we did the laundry, oblivious of the clouds, & ended up with some of our things getting a second wash, compliments of our loving Lord. And no, we are not going to re-wash them. It is amazing how quickly our standard for cleanliness has changed. No, we are not dirty...just not obsessed. So, with all the water from laundry going into the septic tank, we managed to put it over the top. We had a back-up into our shower. The smell was not nice. Fortunately, the honey-wagon came early Mon. afternoon. In some ways the slower pace here is frustrating, but in other ways we see how things that need to be done are done more quickly than at home. Well, some things.
Jim is out getting a haircut. I can't wait to see. We rarely see other white people in our region, so will a local know how to cut his hair?? We heard a story of a young American teacher, girl, who had her hair cut. The woman pulled it back into a pony tail & cut it off w/ one big clip, asking "that is fine, Miss?" She just paid & ran out of the shop.
We had a power outage a few nights ago. It is DARK here w/ no lights!!! We did have a small flashlight handy, but nothing else. Jim is going to see if he can find a candle or two. We have problems w/ extension cords; we seem to buy faulty ones, & when we try them they blow the circuit in the building (what a way to make friends w/ the neighbors!) We have a total of 3 outlets (and they are not double like you have); we have 13 things to plug in. We pick & choose...the fans & 'frig have top priority.
The heavy rains in Angola are putting a strain on our water processing facilities, so water is turned off from 9pm - 6am, 9am - noon, 2pm - 5pm. We make a mad dash to the bathroom before 9pm, hoping we can make it through the night. Over the weekend, we had water all day long, so, maybe things have changed.
So, we are gradually becoming acclimated to this place. There are many, many, cultural differences. Some I can accept...others, well, I just don't understand. When I think that I am being perfectly reasonable, & make total sense, they just shake their heads. & I can hear them thinking "those crazy Westerners".
Tired of sitting. Time to forage for dinner.
Love hearing from each of you.'
Sharon (& maybe bald Jim)
Monday, January 25, 2010
Time is flying by
I can't believe it has been nearly a week since my last entry. We are gradually settling into our flat. We've been out several times trying to find some cheap storage units in order to unpack--the armoire isn't enough for the 2 of us. And the kitchen cabinet was already full w/ basics--pots, pans, eating & cooking utensils--but no place for food. We are almost functional now. The things that are still on our wish-list are not essential to life. Jim went into town now to see if he can flesh out some of my wants. He needed a break!
School is absolutely the greatest challenge either of us have ever faced. We both believe that we have become more patient in our "mature" years, so it is a very good thing that we did not try doing this when we were young! 1st day of school we were able to get our class assignments: English grades 6 & 8 and grade 6 Social Studies for me. Jim has English grade 5 (the class from hell) & grade 7 and Religion & Moral Education grades 8,9,10. The RME is non-promotional & he only has each grade 1/week. He starts out w/ 1 of the classes teaching about several different religions (Jehovah's Witnesses, Islam, and some we have never heard of). there are 8 40-minute classes/day, so we are supposed to be there from 7:45 to 3:00. Since we live on the grounds, we've been leaving early & hope to continue with that. Learners do not have their exer cise books yet (blank notebooks in which they do all of their work--given by the school or Dept of Ed). I have a few textbooks from which to choose for each class--but they are primarily for my own use; there are no more than 14 of the same text for for any of my classes (40 learners per class). A few of them have paper on which to write & I am thankful that they all have pens or pencils, but even when I give them paper, they have no system for saving them. So, I have been giving them some instruction, but it's mostly to keep them busy. They love to talk!!!! but I have classes that are somewhat reasonable & they will listen if it is interesting enough. Poor Jim is pulling his hair out! I told him that is payback for all the times he drove his teachers crazy.
I need to carry chalk with me if I want to use the board--I never know if there will be any in the classroom. There is nothing in grade 6 & 8 classroom except desks & chairs (although not enough for every learner), a teacher desk & chair. Same for Jim's classes--except in one of his, there is no teacher desk. I must remember to carry a rag w/ me--board erasers seem to be a rare commodity.
I need to sign off. I have to prepare a class contract for my grade 8 learners to sign regarding behavior. Grade 6 signed theirs today--one girl didn't want to sign as she didn't want to have to follow the "rules". I told her she didn't have to sign, but that we would need to have a serious conversation about it. She signed.
Oh, no church yet, but our neighbor is from the Phillipines & some of her friends have invited us to a nearby town for Sat. dinner, overnight (if we want) & Mass Sun. am. Mass is available in that town on the 1st Sunday of the month, the Eucharist on the 2nd Sunday, & what is probably a prayer service led by lay people the other 2 Sundays. I selfishly hope they are said in English--that is hard enough to understand. We call it "Namlish".
As I said, I need to sign off.
Please continue your prayers for us!
Jim & Sharon
School is absolutely the greatest challenge either of us have ever faced. We both believe that we have become more patient in our "mature" years, so it is a very good thing that we did not try doing this when we were young! 1st day of school we were able to get our class assignments: English grades 6 & 8 and grade 6 Social Studies for me. Jim has English grade 5 (the class from hell) & grade 7 and Religion & Moral Education grades 8,9,10. The RME is non-promotional & he only has each grade 1/week. He starts out w/ 1 of the classes teaching about several different religions (Jehovah's Witnesses, Islam, and some we have never heard of). there are 8 40-minute classes/day, so we are supposed to be there from 7:45 to 3:00. Since we live on the grounds, we've been leaving early & hope to continue with that. Learners do not have their exer cise books yet (blank notebooks in which they do all of their work--given by the school or Dept of Ed). I have a few textbooks from which to choose for each class--but they are primarily for my own use; there are no more than 14 of the same text for for any of my classes (40 learners per class). A few of them have paper on which to write & I am thankful that they all have pens or pencils, but even when I give them paper, they have no system for saving them. So, I have been giving them some instruction, but it's mostly to keep them busy. They love to talk!!!! but I have classes that are somewhat reasonable & they will listen if it is interesting enough. Poor Jim is pulling his hair out! I told him that is payback for all the times he drove his teachers crazy.
I need to carry chalk with me if I want to use the board--I never know if there will be any in the classroom. There is nothing in grade 6 & 8 classroom except desks & chairs (although not enough for every learner), a teacher desk & chair. Same for Jim's classes--except in one of his, there is no teacher desk. I must remember to carry a rag w/ me--board erasers seem to be a rare commodity.
I need to sign off. I have to prepare a class contract for my grade 8 learners to sign regarding behavior. Grade 6 signed theirs today--one girl didn't want to sign as she didn't want to have to follow the "rules". I told her she didn't have to sign, but that we would need to have a serious conversation about it. She signed.
Oh, no church yet, but our neighbor is from the Phillipines & some of her friends have invited us to a nearby town for Sat. dinner, overnight (if we want) & Mass Sun. am. Mass is available in that town on the 1st Sunday of the month, the Eucharist on the 2nd Sunday, & what is probably a prayer service led by lay people the other 2 Sundays. I selfishly hope they are said in English--that is hard enough to understand. We call it "Namlish".
As I said, I need to sign off.
Please continue your prayers for us!
Jim & Sharon
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
We've arrived!
Last evening we arrived at our site. We were greeted by one of the members of the executive board & our neighbor, a young woman from the Philipines who teaches here. We are located on the grounds of the school. Our flat has exceeded our expectations. It is very spacious. We have running cold water (although late yesterday we had none & thought maybe they shut it off during certain hours, but there was a break in the main). We have electricity, although very few outlets. The ‘frig & gas stove/oven are small, but appear new, same w/ microwave. To our surprise, there was a box w/ wash machine waiting for us. It is a dual-tub: wash on one side & spin on the other. Still have to hang clothes outside, but I am very excited to have this convenience. And we were told that the is an air-conditioner on its way!!! Can you believe it?? We came here to experience the life of the poor African & we will be living like royalty! But I am okay with it…there are enough other challenges. There is a coffee table & futon which has its middle leg missing, so Jim fixed it w/ bricks that were laying around the yard. We don‘t have our shower bag set up yet--the back yard needs mowing & we were warned about the snakes, so Jim wasn‘t excited about going out there last night. We have a small armoire which does not hold all of our clothes. There are no shelves or cabinets, the microwave is now sitting on the table. This weekend we hope to go the next town where there is a Target-like store and settle in--still have unpacked baggage sitting around & can’t find things.
Went to school this a.m. Met the staff & sat around waiting for someone to tell us what to do. One teacher brought us a proposal of subjects that included ART--we both said there was no way we could do that. Ended up w/ each of us teaching 15-40min class/week. Jim has Grade 5 & 7 English, and Grades 8, 9, 10 RME ( religion & morals education). He is also on the Sports committee. I have Grade 6 & 8 English + Grade 6 Social Studies & I am on the Organization committee (no, I have no idea what that is.) Classes run from 8:00 to 1:50, but we have to stay ‘til 3. Some learners stay for extra study hall & we will have to supervise that periodically. There is no lunch time, but there is a 30 min. break mid-morning & in the afternoon when some of the learners leave for the day.
Our principal drove us around town--it is full of shebeens (bars) and bottle stores (mostly liquor). We had gotten a cel phone, but it wasn’t working (we failed to load the minutes onto it). Got that straightened out at the cel phone store, then went to the bank to open an account. We’ve been running around w/ all the cash we brought-p--needed an original statement from principal that we are indeed working & at what rate. We want to give them our money & they want proof that we have income!! Jim has left to get the letter from Principal & hopefully get a ride back in to the bank.
To back up...Mass was such a thrill...it was in German! When we arrived, we found the posted songs in an English book, but then they changed the message board & they passed out these foreign worship aides. It is wonderful that we still knew what was going on, but had our hearts set on English. Nuns we talked to there said that there is a Catholic church in Ondangwa--I don't think so. Another hurdle to jump.
Our trip here was interesting. We witnessed the rather sudden change from metropolitan Windhoek to more of the norm. The homesteads are what you picture when you think of Africa: large sticks pushed into the ground for a fence around the complex. One main structure w/ several round thatched places, either open, enclosed w/ sticks, or maybe mud walls. We only saw poverty. I think all of the wealth is in the few cities.
This is more than enough.
Not sure what you may want to know, but if you have questions please ask.
Love to you all.
J & S
Went to school this a.m. Met the staff & sat around waiting for someone to tell us what to do. One teacher brought us a proposal of subjects that included ART--we both said there was no way we could do that. Ended up w/ each of us teaching 15-40min class/week. Jim has Grade 5 & 7 English, and Grades 8, 9, 10 RME ( religion & morals education). He is also on the Sports committee. I have Grade 6 & 8 English + Grade 6 Social Studies & I am on the Organization committee (no, I have no idea what that is.) Classes run from 8:00 to 1:50, but we have to stay ‘til 3. Some learners stay for extra study hall & we will have to supervise that periodically. There is no lunch time, but there is a 30 min. break mid-morning & in the afternoon when some of the learners leave for the day.
Our principal drove us around town--it is full of shebeens (bars) and bottle stores (mostly liquor). We had gotten a cel phone, but it wasn’t working (we failed to load the minutes onto it). Got that straightened out at the cel phone store, then went to the bank to open an account. We’ve been running around w/ all the cash we brought-p--needed an original statement from principal that we are indeed working & at what rate. We want to give them our money & they want proof that we have income!! Jim has left to get the letter from Principal & hopefully get a ride back in to the bank.
To back up...Mass was such a thrill...it was in German! When we arrived, we found the posted songs in an English book, but then they changed the message board & they passed out these foreign worship aides. It is wonderful that we still knew what was going on, but had our hearts set on English. Nuns we talked to there said that there is a Catholic church in Ondangwa--I don't think so. Another hurdle to jump.
Our trip here was interesting. We witnessed the rather sudden change from metropolitan Windhoek to more of the norm. The homesteads are what you picture when you think of Africa: large sticks pushed into the ground for a fence around the complex. One main structure w/ several round thatched places, either open, enclosed w/ sticks, or maybe mud walls. We only saw poverty. I think all of the wealth is in the few cities.
This is more than enough.
Not sure what you may want to know, but if you have questions please ask.
Love to you all.
J & S
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)