I don't know where you get your delusions

It’s been a while. I’ve alternating being bored and busy. Ok maybe not busy but having things going on.

I have been chilling on the beach a lot lately. The beaches here are so awesome plus it is summer. So to rub it in a bit I am tanned and constantly out enjoying the sun while it gets cold back home. I hurt my foot but it is better now. I ran the other day on the beach in Tofo. I went surfing twice while I was in Tofo. Google search Tofo, it is very beautiful. The waves were ok but not for me I was getting beat up out there. It was so much effort to swim out and then just getting rolled up by the waves. But it was a lot of fun and a good workout.  I’m in Maputo now. I might go visit Namaacha to see my host family. Then I want to head up north.

I miss traveling. The last week I was hopping beaches and you meet so many cool people traveling. You hear their cool stories. Travelers are so interesting to talk with.

We hosted our first Couch Surfers a couple weeks ago. That was really fun, a couple from Europe. They stayed with another volunteer and wanted to see something different. So she sent them out to us. We cooked, chatted, jammed, went to the river, and showed them around Mabalane. On our walk back from the river I accidently took them through the prison. That was interesting. They were a little freaked out when the guards started yelling at us and had AK47s. Then the guards took us to their office and started giving us a hard time. I knew I wasn’t supposed to walk through there but everything in Mozambique is very relaxed and I didn’t think it was a big deal. Apparently it is. After scaring our guest they let us go. Almost getting locked up aboard was an exciting twist to the normal couch surfing experience.

School is over. I found out my neighbor, who is also the other English teacher stole my test from my computer and was selling it to students in the village. That was cool and a waste of the student’s money because I gave them all lower grades than the students who didn’t cheat. My neighbor said he wasn’t and wouldn’t do that but I know he was lying. Then the first week of national exams was interesting. One of the other teachers was giving students the answers without even trying to hide it. But not all the students, probably just the students who paid him money or he wants to have sex with. But I checked those student’s results and they were horrible, so he must have not know the correct answers either. I told him to stop when I found out he wasn’t helping all the students. But it was good to see those things, I can just imagine how the classes I wasn’t in were. Figuring out how to handle those things is difficult. I just let it all slide. I feel I’m here to teach not get teachers fired and fail students. I might tell my director later but he has to know already, he is intelligent. So I just want to try to reach out to as many students as possible and hopefully they can help improve things in the future.

I gave an assignment before school ended about their happiest day of their life. It was very interesting how a lot of students said it was the day they got their job. Some said the birth of their child or wedding. Many of my 11^th graders failed. I felt really bad and tried to help them by giving more time and extra credit. But so many just didn’t do the work. I feel bad because I don’t think it is their entire fault. I hope next year I can be clearer on my expectations.

Well this blog seems boring to me. Sorry! Maybe next time. I have been reading a lot. I read 18 books the last year. Which is a lot for me, I probably only read about 20 something books before that. I hope to read even more now that I have a kindle. Thanks mom!

I just found out that Uncle Mikey passed away. So my thoughts and love are with him and my Aunt Jojo.

Many of you I want to send personal messages to. Jodi , don’t cut me off. I read all my emails, even if I do not reply so don’t be afraid to write and keep writing. Peace, love, and do good things

Jimmy

Ps I need to go. I didn’t spell check or reread. My bad!