Levitation and Christmas in the Mail

One of the best things about science is the hands-on stuff – aka labs. This is when you can really see science in action. As I brought the Form 1s to the laboratory today, I realized that the best part is also the worst part when it comes to safety. There are a ton of possible safety issues and the problem is magnified here because 1) my students barely (or not at all) understand English, 2) my Kiswahili needs improvement, and 3) these kids have never been in a lab and exposed to (taught) lab safety. Even when my Kiswahili improves, I’m not too sure how much it will help because the local tribal language (Kiiraqw) is so strong I probably have some students who won’t even understand the Kiswahili. Plus many of the students may pick up bad habits before I can explain the correct way so that they understand it. Despite this, I still think it is important and will do labs.

A student was rather sick today and the doctor had to be called. Her friends would hold her head and try to comfort her as she lay in the grass in front of the staff room. We had tried to ascertain (find out) what side of her abdomen the pain was on but got conflicting answers and so couldn’t really tell the doctor much when he arrived. He pressed on her stomach, asker her some questions, and then gave her some pills. I had him write down the names in case she had more problems later but I didn’t recognize any of the three so I’m not sure what he diagnosed her with or treated her for. Anyway, it was now the end of the school day so I joined a bunch of the girls in carrying the sick one to the hostel across the “street” where she stays. In talking briefly with Sister Josephine, it seems the girl only arrived this past weekend so she may have been sick before she came. In the end, she recovered tonight and is now fine.

As I sat at home tonight, my secondmaster Novati stopped by because he had picked up my mail in Katesh today – 3 large envelopes!! Merry Christmas to me!!! I received many wonderful things like a crank flashlight, chocolate, a book, more gum, camera batteries, oatmeal packets, Luna bars, etc. etc. Doesn’t matter that I got them a month after Christmas, it was still Christmas for me and I feel very blessed. Thank you!!!

Water, Water Everywhere, But Not a Drop to Drink

I’m getting into more of a pattern with running and went this morning to make sure I don’t get out of it after not running yesterday. I went running before mass but I think I was a bit dehydrated, which is something I really have to watch. I also need to make sure that I have enough water boiled (& cooled) before I go because it’s really rough coming back from a run and only having a little water left to drink – and having to wait for water to boil then having to drink it hot (usually I opt for cocoa in that case).
After mass, I saw Uma then did some typing. As class mistress for Form1A, I am supposed to take attendance every day and need the names of the students in alphabetical order and separated by gender. I figured the easiest way to do this is to type the names into Excel and then sort them, so that’s what I did.

Up, Up, and Away!

There are 2 kinds of markets here: the fruits and veggies kind (soko) and the flea market kind (mnada). I had heard mnada can get pretty crazy and jumped at the opportunity to be shown the ropes by an expert (aka Kristen who’s been here a year). Uma and I walked down to meet Kristen in Endasak then we all walked to Endagaw a little down the main dirt road. I’m still not sure of what things should cost so I was thankful to have Kristen there to ask and verify if the price was decent. I bought a tea strainer (for if I ever make tea) a kanga, a kitenges (to make a lab coat), a small thermos, and a small metal pot (so I can bake smaller cakes and end up eating less). While walking around, the wind created a dust devil (small dust tornado) that whipped through the grounds. It picked up a kanga or kitenges, among other things, and I watched it go higher and higher in the sky. That fabric must have gone over a hundred feet into the sky – no way the vendor got it back. My sitemate (district-mate?) Lauren lives in Endagaw so we visited her and I finally met her. She’s another Environment volunteer but she does a lot of health work as well. Now I only have to meet Duncan and Charlotte in my district.

A Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins with a Single Step

I’m pretty terrified of running a Chemistry laboratory here not only because of the responsibility it entails but also because the students have had minimal to no experience in a laboratory. Well, you have to start somewhere so I had my Form 3s of to the lab today. Since it’s the first time we’ve entered together, I had them tell me safety rules before we entered and the lesson was just asking them what different apparatus (equipment) are. Supposedly they learned all of the names and uses of the apparatus in Form 1 but I’m not counting on them remembering after 2 years and not using them.

A majority of the time, I don’t call or text people, even in the States. Yet when I do talk with friends, it’s great. Such was the case tonight when I talked with Megan (S) for a long time. I’m not sure if I appreciate such conversations more because they aren’t frequent or if I just forget how great it is.

The Joke’s on Me :-)

My Form 3 Chemistry students do not take the national exam (NECTA) until after next year (after Form 4) but most of the laboratory portions are supposed to be covered in Form 3. Being their 3rd year of chemistry, I was thinking that my students already have lab experience and should know how to use the basic equipment. However, I doubt they know how to use any o fit. When I asked them about some of the Form 2 experiments they were supposed to do, they told me the teacher did them. Great they’re further behind than I thought. And this is the same teacher who wanted to teach my Form 3 students again. I’m glad I told him no because with me they will be able to do experiments themselves and I can teach them proper lab techniques (how to use a balance, read a burette, etc.).
Sports and Games again today and I was tricked a little by some of the girls. On Tuesday, the boys raced down the field in groups so I had the girls do the same and I ran with them. Today they seemed to want to race again. I lined up with them, did the count, and started running. Most of the girls started running but stopped after a couple of steps; only a few kept running with me until the end. I didn’t care too much because I like running and I laughed it off but I can’t believe they thought I would fall for it more than once. I didn’t.
Despite the girls’ trickery, I let them pay soccer because the boys got to play on Tuesday. Turns out the girls never get to play soccer – they play netball and the boys play soccer. It was hilarious watching the girls put on the schools’ set of shorts and shirts. I’m pretty sure none of them had worn shorts before so they were giggling the whole time. When we finally got them settled, I was given the job of referee and I did my best to teach the girls and call the more important things. There was no way I could call everything because the girls did not know the rules so it was very much like reffing 8 and under kids. Nevertheless, there are some girls that are pretty good players and I’m glad the girls got a chance to play. I hope I’ll be able to teach them how to play soccer this term; soccer isn’t just for the boys.

Thank the goat for lunch

In America, agricultural science is only at some universities but here in Tanzania, it is taught in secondary school. My school is surrounded by farm fields and wandering livestock because that’s how the tribes (Iraqw & Barabaig) have made their living for countless years. It should come as no surprise that the students and teachers take the subject pretty seriously – it is probably the most relevant subject to their everyday lives.

Today a goat was sacrificed in the name of education. At the beginning of the teaching day, a goat was bleating (crying) behind the laboratory building. Not long after, there was a cry and then silence. A little later I allowed myself to be shown part of the dissection. The goat’s throat was slit and the students (my Form 3’s) were nearly finished skinning it. When I returned to the lab later, a couple of teachers were arranging and labeling the different organs. Specifically, the purpose of the lesson was for the students to understand the digestive tract of ungulate animals (think those with hooves). Therefore, the throat to stomach to intestines to anus (and everything in between) was spread out on a couple of long (wooden) lab tables. It was interesting to see but I didn’t stick around long because the smell wasn’t great and I’d rather not know what other surfaces came into contact with goat gut fluids.

During chai or in between classes, I was joking with a few other teachers that because of the goat dissection, we would have meat at lunch. I wasn’t sure how much was joking and how much was serious; I don’t think most of us were sure if we would end up eating the goat. Well, we did. I was hoping it’d taste really good because it was fresh meat but it wasn’t cooked very well; at least I ate meat (a rarity for me because I don’t bother to buy & cook it).

Normally I don’t listen too much to conversations in the staff room because I can only catch a word here and there that I understand. Yet I was able to hear enough words today during lunch and string them together to figure out that the results from last years national exam (NECTA) are out and online. Up to this point, I hadn’t told the other teachers that I have a modem but this seemed like a good reason to bring it out. There were about 8 teachers gathered close to me at the computer as I looked up the results not only for my school, but also a plethora (many) of other schools the teachers asked me to look at. I’m not sure what was supposed to get done this afternoon but I spent it and the early evening looking up (mostly waiting for) test results.

Red Light, Green Light

Form 3 is supposed to have 4 periods per week of Chemistry so I tried to go through the timetable (weekly schedule) to make sure all 3 streams have 4 periods scheduled. I tried to go to one class during the period when they didn’t have anything scheduled that I had penciled in chemistry. Lo and behold, they were in biology even though it’s not on the new schedule. I kind of wonder if I will be able to get all 4 periods for chemistry that I am supposed to be teaching each stream per week.

For Sports and Games time after school, I tried teaching the girls some basic games but it was an epic failure. One game I tried was “Red Light, Green Light”. Although none of the students had likely seen a traffic light before, I think they could remember green = go and red = stop. However, they either didn’t understand the stop & go commands or they couldn’t hear me. Either way, they ended up playing some game they know so I actually learned a new game. I don’t entirely understand the rules but I get the basic gist of it.

A, B, C, D, …

With Form 1 in the orientation course, I spent most of the morning in the staff room writing notes for Form 3. At one point, another teacher came in and offhandedly said something about the timetable changes. That’s right folks, after only a week of teaching according to the timetable it was changed. Unfortunately I was told after I was supposed to teach Form 3C so I have to try to make up 2 periods with them later this week. The day wasn’t a total bust though because I typed up an inventory list for the chemical room in the laboratory. I missed chai but it was worth it. In the evening, I organized the chemicals alphabetically and separated the plastic containers (top shelf) from the glass bottles, which I put on the lower shelf so that maybe they would be less likely to fall or be dropped when retrieved. While working on organizing the chemicals, it rained a bit and I was able to see a good rainbow from my lab door.

Kama Kawa

Just the usual mass and baking – bread and cake today. Why mention it? Because I cannot buy them anywhere near my site so they are always a treat J

Give it to me ice cold baby

During the week, I have to get up early for school so I made myself get up early today also so I could go for a run before everyone is out and about and before walking down the hill w/ Uma and Megan. We visited Dana in Endasiwold first on our walk where we talked about water (like the water nerds we are) and looked at the topographic maps for the area. The maps were made by the British before independence in 1964 (or roundabouts that time). They are very outdated but still useful to see major land forms and get a bigger picture of the lay of the land. To the W or NW of my site are 2 major depressions that I’ll have to check out sometime. I’m sure it’ll be an adventure finding them. I can’t wait till I can acquire the same maps but I have to go to Dar es Salaam for them…

With Kristen, we visited a little then went to lunch where we were served deliciously cold soda before we walked back up the hill. Wondering how my legs will feel tomorrow…

Social Networking – PC style

Today was much more lax compared to yesterday because the students have a religious period all afternoon (~12:15 – 14:35). This means I will only have to teach earlier in the day and will have a break later. After school let out, I was able to talk with my friend Megan (M) in hot and steamy Muheza (Tanga region). Although she is having problems getting in the PC cell phone group, I didn’t mind paying the shillings to talk for so long – sometimes it’s just worth it. Also on the social front, I met briefly with Kristen and Uma in Gitting to give Kristen her mail (that I brought back to site when she went to MSC) and to plan for tomorrow. It also gave me a chance to update Uma on the rollercoaster adventure (plight) of Eula, a fellow PCV from our training class.

Rat Chase

Between Forms 1 & 3, I pretty much taught all day – woohoo! That’s what I was assigned to do! Of course it was rather exhausting trying to explain things to Form 2 and get participation from students in all forms. I’ve realized that even when I look up words in Kiswahili before going to Form 1, I inevitably realize while teaching that it would be really helpful to know some other words I didn’t think to look up.

Excitement in the staff room today as 3 male teachers flushed and killed a rat. I couldn’t help laughing as I watched them because sometimes they would jump out of the way of the rat and yelp. I didn’t bother helping, I was being entertained lol.

Head of many things, master of none

Success! I have now taught Form 3! Though I will be teaching more periods of Form 1 (b/c it’ll be Chem + Physics), I consider my Form 3 classes slightly more important b/c they are closer to the national exams at the end of Form 4 that will determine if they continue with schooling or not. Granted, I didn’t do much more than introduce myself and have my students stand and tell me the village/hamlet they are from but at least I got in the classroom.

On the noticeboard by the head- and 2^nd-masters’ offices was the list of teacher responsibilities. I am:

Chemistry Department head

Classmistress for Form 1A

Sports & Games Coordinator

Environmental Care Coordinator

& Computer Room person

When was this decided? Maybe Friday when I was in Katesh to meet the district officials or maybe the headmaster just decided. Why do I have a disproportionate amount of duties? Again, no idea. I hope my coworkers aren’t jealous because I have a Peace Corps imposed limit on the number of periods I can teach per week (thankfully; though I’m still over the limit of 24 since I have 30). With this many responsibilities I think I’ll be busy every day after school lessons (the activity time after lunch). Luckily there are 2 coordinators for 4 things I am listed for so I am not alone, which is great because I have no idea what I am supposed to do.

Pasha, Pasha, Pasha –Choma! Choma! Choma!

Yesterday was a complete bust for teaching Form 1 but today was slightly improved. I learned from the other teachers that there is a section of the English Orientation course that the science teachers are supposed to cover. I decided to go with the first measurement lesson because I thought it’d require little actual speaking. I grabbed a half dozen “meter” sticks from the staff room so the students could practice measuring height and length. My plan (and the lesson in the book) was to have the students measure one another’s height. However, try as I might to explain, the students didn’t seem to understand what I wanted them to do. Maybe they were just shy but I did my best to force some of them to measure on another. I learned that I really need to look up a lot of words in Kiswahili if I am going to survive teaching Form 1 this year. As I left though, they did pasha and choma for me – the Tanzanian hand-clapping equivalent of 3 cheers. For some reason or other they enjoyed my debacle of a lesson…or I am entertainment just because I am a mzungu (white person).

“You teach about Time after chai”

The Form 1 students start the year with an English orientation course because the language of instruction for primary school is Kiswahili but secondary school is taught in English. I thought this was a well-planned thing, like a separate course and a few teachers teaching it. I was rather surprised when Emmy told me today to teach about Time and handed me the book that turns out to be the lessons forth English orientation course. So I spend the morning writing out what I will teach them (rewriting the lesson plan) then at chai break another teacher tells me he has already taught that lesson. Alright, guess I won’t teach about Time. However, the experience taught me a few things. 1) I do have to teach some of the orientation course, 2) there is a book with the lessons to cover, & 3) there is no schedule for who is teaching what or when (it’s a free-for-all).

In the end I did not teach today but am scheduled to teach Form 3 on Wednesday according to the timetable that was fixed today; I went through and edited some of it so at least my schedule is correct (correct number of periods and no conflicts).

JIF & Nutella to-go packets – does life get any better?

I stopped by Uma’s today after mass and we had a great chat. She also gave me a few goodies from her packages: a JIF to-go and a single-serving Nutella. Thanks Uma! Then I went back to Gitting Sec. School and typed up something Uma’s mkuu had asked (really told) me to type. Unfortunately the internet wasn’t working so I couldn’t get very far with fixing Megan’s computer.

I will not be fooled a 3rd time

I woke up around 01:30 because I felt a little wet. In my sleepy daze, I tried to figure out the cause of the wetness. I ruled out a leak (it wasn’t raining anyways) and me peeing the bed, which left only kitty lying next to me. He was all content because the pee was soaked up by my new, yes new, blanket so he couldn’t feel it. I was so tired, I merely fell back asleep to deal with it in the morning, after the sun is up. Thanks to kitty, I had to wash my sheets and blanket today so I also finally fully washed my sleeping bag from the first time he peed on my bed. He is no banished from my room at night and when I am not home. I really don’t have the time (or patience probably) to deal with him peeing on my bed again, especially with school being in session.

In addition to washing my bedding, I stuck around my house doing housework like baking, toting water, and working on my garden. As I was putting charcoal in my jiko, I flushed a couple of rodents from around the bag of charcoal. They didn’t escape right away so I called my kitty in and flushed them out again. Although the large rat got away before my cat noticed it, he did catch the smaller rat or mouse. My other experience with wildlife today wasn’t quite as good. While getting water, I was stung by one of the bees that are always around it (attracted by the water). Anyway back to the baking. I was really excited to make granola bars with the raisons my mom sent in the envelope I picked up yesterday (there was also lots of other yummy things like dried apples, beef jerky, oatmeal packets, etc.) but I accidentally followed the recipe for granola. Then I brilliantly decided it needed just a wee bit longer on the jiko and left it on too long. Good job Amanda. I ate it anyway.

“Rain, rain, go away…”

We definitely can use rain but why does it have to rain both times I go to Katesh to meet district officials? There was so much rain that the road was flooded in parts and the dala basically forded a stream crossing the road as we slowly made our way. Our first order of business was breakfast and we watched CNN because one of the Tz channels carries the show produced in Asia. We learned that there was a shooting in an Arizona courtroom and a little girl dies. Eventually we got to talking about school shootings and I learned that one of Uma’s friends from high school was a victim during the shootings at Virginia Tech. So sorry Uma.

For our official business in Katesh, Uma and I were introduced to all of the top brass of Hanang District, including the District Commissioner. After the official business, Uma and I were free to do our personal business. First stop, the post office. I had received a call from the PO lady telling me I had a package and had authorized the PC office in Dar to take money out of my living allowance to forward a box from my mom. I was really excited…and then really disappointed to receive the box I had left at the PC office when we swore-in because I didn’t want to carry the items (mostly books & rocks) and wouldn’t need them until training anyway. Somehow I wasn’t clear enough over the phone to the Tanzanian in charge of sending PC mail. I tried to be clear that I had left a box at the office and if there was another box from America to please send the 2^nd box. Ok, I can kind of understand her not being able to figure out the box wasn’t from America. Yet there was only one box for me at the office, not 2! Clearly, that box must have been the one I left. What also gets me is that I had written my name and site on the box. There was no Peace Corps address on it to indicate it was sent there and the Tanzanian who forwarded it to me only added Hanang (name of my district) and my cell phone number – not even my school’s address. Sure it got to me but it seems it should have gotten to me before and not been at the PC office of it had been mailed from America. This is why we need to teach critical thinking.

Good news is that I did get an envelope from my mom and Uma got 3 packages from family/friends. She was really surprised and excited so I felt better because she at least made out at the post office.

I’ve been looking for matembele (sweet potato leaves) to plant in my garden but the people I’ve asked don’t know what it is. However, Uma’s mkuu (headmaster) knows what it is and told me to ask the mamas at the soko (market). The mamas didn’t have any but pointed somewhere and said to try behind there. We couldn’t quite figure out “behind where” because we didn’t really see any shops or anything where we thought we were supposed to look. Before we got back on the dala, I asked the guys running the farmish looking shop in the front of where I was supposed to look “behind”. Took awhile to explain what I wanted and for them to understand but eventually one guy disappeared around the corner of the building and came back with a matembele leaf cutting for me to plant. Sometimes persistence does pay off.

We were happy it stopped raining while we were in Katesh because we didn’t have to ford any rivers on the way back (only slight hyperbole there).

When will I actually teach?

Back to school today and back to not teaching. I have to go to Katesh tomorrow with Uma and her mkuu to meet some district officials (again – not sure if I’ll meet different ones) so maybe I’ll actually get to teach next week. I was able to write out most of the review notes I want to give my Form III’s to make sure the have some of the more crucial Form I and Form II material. In addition, I used the computer and internet today, which consoled me for not teaching J.

I asked my mkuu today where I can buy nice buckets to make my water filter and he said I could have some of the buckets the Form I’s are required to bring. Sweet!

“We don’t need no education…”

“Work” 2 days then have a day off? Not a bad schedule as a teacher. Since Zanzibar joined with Tanganyika in 1964 to form Tanzania, we had today off for the Zanzibar Revolution. Megan and I were going to visit the orphanage but she really didn’t have time. She did walk to my hours for a visit though and brought the charger for her netbook so maybe I can figure out what’s wrong with it. Kitty was rather scared of her even though he loves Uma. Not sure if it’s because Megan has a dog (which will eat cats) or because Uma fed him when I was gone. Nevertheless, Megan and I talked for awhile and I found out that Zach had a rat and bat problem here too so the bats kitty catches must be living in my house. Great. In NY, the little brown bat is the most common animal with rabies. Glad PC gave us rabies shots because who knows, I may end up with a rabid bat lol.

I needed some things from the village and happened to head out at the same time as my neighbor Emmy (Emericiana). Although I knew where to go to get the things I needed, she helped take me around to get them because I asked her where I could buy a shuka (think plaid fabric) in Gocho and I installed cartridges in a printer for her. Behind a non-descript door in Gocho (ok, they’re all non-descript) in a tiny room with a computer, printer, & copy machine – did not expect to see that in Gocho. I wasn’t able to get a shuka because the storekeeper wasn’t around but did get a large bag of charcoal for a really good price (2/3 what I paid for my current bag). Right now it is sitting by a shop that I think is owned by a family member (or someone else she knows). Emmy said we’ll send a student to bring our bags of charcoal to our houses, which means I don’t even have to worry about transporting it back.

I still wanted to make it to the orphanage since Megan and I had told Sr. Valentina on Monday that we would come today. She wasn’t there when I stopped by but Joseph the carpenter was (ironic that the carpenter for the Catholics is named Joseph lol). I ordered a table with a shelf underneath and 2 stools, which I paid approximately ½ in advance. I’m pretty sure that’s what I ordered but I’ll know for sure when he delivers it.

Gitting was my next stop and I ended up not only with my usual eggs, tomatoes, mangoes, and bananas but also a kitenges, blanket, and empty Konyagi bottle (liquor) to put my honey in after I boil it. The mama even gave it to me for free J. Uma met me in Gitting and came back to my place to charge her phone and ipod. It was a very social day.