The garbage masher! What s wonderful idea! What an incredible smell you've discovered

13Feb2011 

            Yesterday we tried to go to Chokwe but could not find a ride; actually we did not see a single car leave town in three hours. But there was this group of people outside the Majors house singing and dancing with some drums. So I walked over to check it out and Forrest stayed under this tree waiting for a ride. My direct of the school, the major, head of police, and all the important people from town were there. My director tells me everyone is waiting for the Minister or Administrator of Mozambique to arrive, one of those two billets can’t remember which. Anyways, some high ranking political person to come to town. And as everyone was standing there to greet her, I watch Forrest try to hitch hike with them. Haha, it was pretty funny, they did not pick him up by the way. There was the Mozambican version of the secret service escorting her. We ended up just chillin at the house. I ate a big bag of cookies, took a nap, did a push up workout, played music, and watched Across the Universe. Just another exciting day in Mabalane!

            The school has a basketball team and I am going to coach it, so that will be cool. I need to find out more about it but it will be nice to occupy some of the free time I have. I have been taking a lot of naps out of boredom and not sleeping well at night. So I need to try and adjust my schedule some. Having night and morning classes does not help either.

            I have not been working out that much either for some reason. I'm relatively pretty out of shape. When I do a workout I feel all fat and out of shape, but I'm probably not going to get any sympathy from anyone reading this. Maybe Jodi wills, o and Jodi I would be a horrible running partner right now.

25Feb2011

            This week the students were annoying me. I think part of it has been because I have been too nice and now they are taking advantage of me. But the other part I think is that I was teaching a lot of grammar at the beginning and it is super boring. So I have been trying to do more interesting stuff and follow the curriculum. But the curriculum is ridiculously unachievable. Here the class stays in one room the entire time, like grade school in the US. And the students are all in the same class based on grade not ability. I think I mentioned it before but it is difficult to find what level is appropriate to teach so most students can understand. Well I think I was trying to teach too difficult of material and the students were just talking and goofing off because they didn’t understand. So I have had to get the classes back on track. My first quiz, the students did a lot worse than I expected. Lots of cheating, even with the night class (the night class is more like a community college class and the morning is like a US high school class). Even the students that can speak well did poorly. Yesterday I did a really easy lesson (and boring for me) and the students were a lot better, like they actually wanted to learn. I might have to keep it basic for longer. Some students cannot read or write (even in Portuguese) or know very little English. And they never do their homework! Ok enough complaining about my students, because I really do like them a lot.

            I got a little taste of how life really is here. The other day no one did the homework except for one student. So I had them do it in class. They were to write about their family. Out of four of the students paragraphs that I read two of the four, both of their parents had passed away. This one girl has an 11 month old daughter and no parents, her friend watches her baby when she goes to school. One of the 12^th graders joined my 11^th grade class because his French teacher kicked him out of class, he told me she kicked him out because he didn’t pass last year and she said he would not pass this year either. I’m not sure if she actually told him that, there is a bit of a language barrier. But this student is one of my favorite students, and I feel bad. It is kind of is unfortunate to see how the education system works here. The teachers often do not show up for their classes. On Fridays the school is dead. Students and teachers do not go. I had about 12 of 24 students in class this morning and the 11^th grade maybe had 5 or 6 of 40+. The expectations of students are extremely high and the students just get passes along and end up being in 12^th grade without being able to read or write. It is not their fault but makes it hard to teach. But the 12^th grade has a test they have to past to graduate and it is not that easy. So I have to teach them so they can pass that, which half the students that will not be a problem. But how do I teach the students who cannot read, write, or don’t speak English? So this is what I am trying to figure out.

            I could have such an awesome two year vacation if I wanted to be a dirt bag teacher and go live at the beach. But everyone in town wants me to teach them English; the other professors, students, and all the prisoners running the streets. A friend has a birthday party at the beach tomorrow. But I have to teach tonight. So I will probably just chill here for the weekend. Forrest took off this morning because he has no class Fridays, lucky! Haha. Ok wanted to write a little something. But my computer is going to die soon. And I have been rushing to write this. Sorry Will, you’re going to have to deal with the grammar!

            Last weekend had a party in Guija played guitar, joked about the Peace Corps life, back home, and stuff. Peace, love, and do good things

Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid

02Feb2011 THE RAT

            I had a rat try and crawl in bed with me this morning. I heard and felt something hitting to my pillow so I pulled the mattress and there was a rat in the corner of my room under my bed. So I tried to chase him out but there was nowhere for him to escape so I had to chase him out my door. He was running back and forth across my bed frame. Finally I got him or her out. And it runs into Forrest room, haha, my bad. This is about 530 or 6am also. So I was a little tired and did not think where the rat was going to go next. So then we had to find and chase it out of Forrest’s room which is pretty messy, perfect place for a rat. Finally we track him down and chase him out and then he runs around our living area for a while before we can get her to leave. Not the worse way to start my day but whatever.

08Feb2011 Day to day

            So I teach 18 hours a week. I have two classes of 11^th and 12^th grade. One each in the morning and at night. So some of my free time goes to preparing for class. Then the rest of the day is spent reading, cooking, playing music, working out, studying Portuguese, walking to the market, and playing on my phone if it has power. And overall trying to integrate and become part of the community.

            We have a decent variety of food here. Lots of rice, beans, bread, and noodles. Lots of tomatoes, onion, garlic, and potatoes. Not too much different that back home for me. Lots of mangoes and bananas. The mangoes are so good here, im going to cry when they go out of season. Sometimes when can get pineapple, cabbage, green pepper, and I found some oatmeal in Xai Xai. That was so awesome to eat! I miss my oatmeal in the morning. But I can buy it here just have to stock up when I find it. So my diet is good. Then maybe once a week I eat a huge bag of cookies.

            I think that about covers my day to day life. There is a lot of stuff I want to write about but my mind is blank right now. 

Peace, love, and do good things

Jimmy