We had a huge valentine's day part-ay here at Mzomtsha last night. It was a surprise for the kids and we staff members spent all day decorating the Hall and then keeping the kids away from it. It was a lot of fun. There was dancing, music, food and lots and lots of fun. It went until after 11pm!! And then we had to clean up!! So the kids are all pretty tired today - so am I! I had fun taking pictures at the party. The kids love it when I "shoot" them. The problem was that when I tried to take some video of the dancing they all dove infront of the camera trying to get me to take their pictures. It was frustrating and funny at the same time.
Things here are going really really well. I am having a great time with the kids and my relationships with some of the staff members have really started to turn into real friendships. Claudia is a new staff member and we get along well. She know a lot of english and loves to chat with me and practise her english. She is fun and great to hang out with. Sisana, the social worker and I have also started to have more of a friendship. She is really good at including me in conversations and has a real knack for interpreting for everyone without breaking the flow of conversation.
The weather has been a little icky. Lots of rain so the gardner has a never ending job of cutting the grass. He uses a weed trimmer and by the time he finishes the whole lawn- a job that takes several days - it is time to start over because the grass has grown so much!! But yesterday it was hot again and today was also pretty nice. I am hoping that the weather holds so I can go to the beach this weekend! I haven't been in more than two months!!
The weekly church service is just starting here in the next room. There is a lot of yelling and moaning going on already. I have enjoyed these services but I still do not understand most of what goes on - not just language wise either! Time to go join in.
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
Crazy Dreams
Wow, can you believe it is already February?! Time is flying!
Things here are going very well. Classes are great, the kids are crazy but good and life is generally good. Joe and Anna Sawatsky arrived on Friday and I spent the weekend helping them at a Bible Conference and getting them settled in Umtata. They have two really cute kids, Issac who is almost three and Moses who is just 8 months. It is nice to have people around again! It is also weird for me to be the one who knows where everything is and has insight into the culture.
Anyway, the only complaint I have is that I have not been sleeping well. I am not sure what is behind this since I go to bed everynight exhausted, but I wake up feeling like I have not slept at all. This has also led to some very crazy dreams! This afternoon I was writing a letter to Pam Hartman, my best friend, and I fell asleep for more than two hours. I had a weird dream that my family was living here in the Transkei. We were driving somewhere and I looked out the window and I saw Caspian the clown walking in the veld. He had lobster claws on his hands and somehow that was normal. It was also normal that he was even there. Then I got home and Diedre and Annemarie were both sewing their wedding dresses on the floor. Then I asked what time it was and they told me it was 8 pm. Then I looked at my watch and it said that it was 30:00 and I got very frustrated because they kept insisting it was 8 oclock but I knew that 30:00 was 9pm. Everyone knows that!! :) Then I woke up and realized that I am going crazy and also that I slept through the recreation session I am supposed to lead every tuesday and thursday afternoon. Oops!!
Well, now I am going to go try to sleep. Wish my luck!
Things here are going very well. Classes are great, the kids are crazy but good and life is generally good. Joe and Anna Sawatsky arrived on Friday and I spent the weekend helping them at a Bible Conference and getting them settled in Umtata. They have two really cute kids, Issac who is almost three and Moses who is just 8 months. It is nice to have people around again! It is also weird for me to be the one who knows where everything is and has insight into the culture.
Anyway, the only complaint I have is that I have not been sleeping well. I am not sure what is behind this since I go to bed everynight exhausted, but I wake up feeling like I have not slept at all. This has also led to some very crazy dreams! This afternoon I was writing a letter to Pam Hartman, my best friend, and I fell asleep for more than two hours. I had a weird dream that my family was living here in the Transkei. We were driving somewhere and I looked out the window and I saw Caspian the clown walking in the veld. He had lobster claws on his hands and somehow that was normal. It was also normal that he was even there. Then I got home and Diedre and Annemarie were both sewing their wedding dresses on the floor. Then I asked what time it was and they told me it was 8 pm. Then I looked at my watch and it said that it was 30:00 and I got very frustrated because they kept insisting it was 8 oclock but I knew that 30:00 was 9pm. Everyone knows that!! :) Then I woke up and realized that I am going crazy and also that I slept through the recreation session I am supposed to lead every tuesday and thursday afternoon. Oops!!
Well, now I am going to go try to sleep. Wish my luck!
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Priorities
Today is cold and rainy. All of you will laugh at me for calling it cold since it is a chilly 24 degrees, but after 35 it feels cold! I am wearing a sweater.
So, my class today was cancelled part way through. Know why? Because of a soccer game. The African Cup of Nations is going on right now and South Africa is playing tonight. They thought the game started at 9, but then it actually started at 8 so class was only a half hour long today. At least we have our priorities straight!!
So, my class today was cancelled part way through. Know why? Because of a soccer game. The African Cup of Nations is going on right now and South Africa is playing tonight. They thought the game started at 9, but then it actually started at 8 so class was only a half hour long today. At least we have our priorities straight!!
Monday, January 23, 2006
Always a new challenge!
Wow. I am so tired! I feel like this day has been going on forever!
It started with a marathon staff meeting. It went on for three hours! And since only half of it was in english - they translated everything for me which was great - I caught myself spacing out pretty frequently. Then I spent time getting ready for my grade 5/6 class which is supposed to be at 4. Supposed to be is the key part of that sentence. I should not have been surprised that it was postponed. I had so much trouble getting that class started in the first place! But of course it was postponed. This time it was because all the girls were moving into different rooms. Of course no one told me that they were doing that at exactly 4 o'clock until two minutes before I was going to ring the bell. C'est la vie.
I just finished teaching my grade 7-12 class. That is really what made me tired. First of all, I have never before realized the difference four extra people can make. Last term I had 21 students in that class and it seemed easily manageable, well at least most days. Now I have 25 and it is a crazy house! Also, several of my kids from the younger class moved up so now there is a pretty large gap in what the kids understand and can do. I had to re-explain a simple assignment five times! Some kids like Mvuso and Bongani were finished in two seconds but it took other kids closer to half an hour! And that was after it was explained to them in Xhosa. I am so at a loss as to how I am going to teach these kids all at the same time! I guess I will think of something - I have for everything else I've come up against so far... Time for bed. Mmmm sleep....
It started with a marathon staff meeting. It went on for three hours! And since only half of it was in english - they translated everything for me which was great - I caught myself spacing out pretty frequently. Then I spent time getting ready for my grade 5/6 class which is supposed to be at 4. Supposed to be is the key part of that sentence. I should not have been surprised that it was postponed. I had so much trouble getting that class started in the first place! But of course it was postponed. This time it was because all the girls were moving into different rooms. Of course no one told me that they were doing that at exactly 4 o'clock until two minutes before I was going to ring the bell. C'est la vie.
I just finished teaching my grade 7-12 class. That is really what made me tired. First of all, I have never before realized the difference four extra people can make. Last term I had 21 students in that class and it seemed easily manageable, well at least most days. Now I have 25 and it is a crazy house! Also, several of my kids from the younger class moved up so now there is a pretty large gap in what the kids understand and can do. I had to re-explain a simple assignment five times! Some kids like Mvuso and Bongani were finished in two seconds but it took other kids closer to half an hour! And that was after it was explained to them in Xhosa. I am so at a loss as to how I am going to teach these kids all at the same time! I guess I will think of something - I have for everything else I've come up against so far... Time for bed. Mmmm sleep....
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