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February 26th, 2007

It has been a while...

A few weeks ago on superbowl Sunday I started to feel ill. Monday morning I felt even worse. By the afternoon I was feverish and spent the next 4 days alternately curled up in a sweaty ball under my mosquito net, or freezing outside in the hammock, because I was tired of laying in, and smelling my own filth. Friday I went to the hospital and got tested for Malaria then spent the rest of the day with what I can only imagine a migraine must feel like. Everyone always asumes you have malaria here when you get sick and again I dodged the bullet. The next day I was feeling better... just tired, and spent the next week catching up on everything I missed.

Friday I was laying in bed feeling sorry for myself when I began to hear some strange noises like large cracking and popping. I stumbled outside to find that the savannah was on fire and quickly sweeping towards our house. A few minutes later I noticed a bunch of hostel boys coming to the rescue with buckets and bushes. As the fire and smoke got closer we dashed into the house to grab a few things in case the worst happened. It didn't. The kids managed to get the fire out before it got to our house. check out the photos though 'caus it was a close call.

Nancy, my field director, came down a week late because Molly's school was striking over their bathroom conditions. We attempted to woo her with good food and wine so that she would look favourably on our teaching abilities. I wish we could see her more and that we didn't keep her so damn busy.

I came back from a trip to Georgetown to find the outdoor shower burnt down from a savannah fire and began the most amazing week of school yet:

Monday - lost half the day to a fire drill and the kids preparing for a rally the next day.

Tuesday (The Rally) - attempted to organize the kids in the morning and ended up just walking around and hanging out (gaffing) with my students all day. I got into a really entertaing debate/conversation/lesson with my fifth formers about everything from evolution and religion to the solar system and aliens. They are all dedicated christians and creationists but are young enough to talk about it without being to closed off, so that was cool. Those are the moments I enjoy the most when I get to teach them something new without being constrained by stuff I HAVE to teach. So... no school, but a good day none the less.

Wednesday - was supposed to be cleaning day but it got put off 'till Thursday. I tried to teah, but most of the kids didn't bring their books in anticipation of scouring the school. Then, in the afternoon all the kids were called into the auditorium because the Church of Christ wanted to "talk" to the students. Some preacher came in and prattled on for an hour in a very thick southern American accent that none of the kids could understand. Awesome.

Thursday (cleaning day) - I spent the morning harrasing kids and getting them to work. I eventually gave up and went home to get my camera so I could take photos of the madness.

Friday (Mashramani) - The reason for this entire week. Mashramani means celebration after hard work, as you can see we definately earned the day off.