Untitled
on John and Dinah with VSO in Namibia (Namibia), 14/Feb/2008 09:00, 34 days ago
Cold/Wet blogWe are amazed. It's really like a different country. We've gone from wondering how we were going to get enough sleep (cooked in our bed) to having to buy a couple of blankets! Not only that but the days are cloudy and cool. I use the term cool as a relative one, it is still 25 degrees which is like a pleasant English summer's day. I have realised that I need more warmer clothes - I was aware that I'd want proper winter things but now I've been living in the one jacket I brought. Luckily it is very neutral (stone coloured) and goes with all my summer stuff (why I got it). John even put on a long sleeved shirt. If I'm going on about this it's because it really has helped! We snuggle down in bed and sleep much better. We have stopped carrying water bottles everywhere, although I felt dehydrated yesterday and drank alot in the evening. The bottles and our hats were a kind of trademark and I think missed by the learners!This week we started on our fourth time-table in 4 weeks! This time only D affected. I have lost one of my Maths classes (we complained we had too much teaching compared with other teacher trainers). I have however gained 3 single lessons of BIS (basic information services). This is a non-promotional subject which means basically that no-one takes it very seriously. The learners know that they must pass promotional ones to move to the next grade.However I am delighted to get these kids going on computers. Many arrive here without ever having used one even for a game so they start with mouse skills. I wish my parents were at the lessons as they would realise they know a lot more than they think! The 40 min a week thing is a problem and we won't get them computer literate in a year. Also they are 3/4 to each computer. Also if I show them something on a computer I have over 40 learners trying to see what I'm doing. Will have to do each thing 2 or 3 times I guess. If anyone know of some software that would help teach really simple word processing etc. please let me know.All this much less work because no marking and once I get going very little preparation needed. Also teaching 3 lessons instead of 5. I have also lost my 8 period day which I did once and almost cracked. The ghastly truth is that teaching is more tiring than climbing mountains and we are feeling our age!However as yet we are basically only doing our teaching stuff and the training aspect can wait until we feel more on top of that. I also did a timetable for one of the local primaries, very easy as 3 teachers, 3 classes and excellent software left by Julie.The downside of all this rain is that the roads have been terrible. Whereas we sailed along at 80 kph and complained it was rather bumpy we look back on those roads as state of the art. The same roads are now waterlogged, very slippery and worse of all booby-trapped. In some places all the sand has been washed away leaving a chasm. Some of these are 4 feet wide and equally deep and stretch half-way (occasionally more) over the road. The worst part is that they are hard to see until you are nearly in them. We have learnt where the really bad ones are, but had to do so the hard way! They give a hell of a jolt and we are concerned for our poor old car. Our speed has halved so obviously journeys take twice as long and are far more nerve-wracking. I was glad we decided to stay in Mpungu last weekend as the journeys to and from the previous 2 weekends had left us exhausted.We had planned to be here because J was helping run a spelling bee. This was an inter-school competition which has been postponed due to the roads. People without a 4 wheel drive and high clearance (like ours) can forget it.We are attaching pics of the wet roads but I only decided to do a pic after it had significantly dried out so just imagine it twice as bad!! In many places the car was at a terrifying angle as we were right in to the side of the road.The ladies are selling the Namibian equivalent of spinach. I made the mistake of buying some! It was gritty (I thought I'd washed it very thoroughly but much more crinkly than spinach so tricky). It was very bitter - a bit like sea weed. We chucked the veg but thought that you'd enjoy the scene. Also the lady on the right is selling fat cakes (a sort of jam-free doughnut) and showing us one. These are everywhere. At breaktime about 6 ladies come and sell to the learners. I try to resist although it is a very long morning (we are at school by 6.30 and lunch isn't until 1 pm) so I do succumb sometimes. The ladies were absolutely thrilled, as everyone here apparently is, to have a photo taken.I also am attaching the photo of the Kendal Bursary learners. You can see that the Bursary is helping 31 students. You can also see that a couple are displaying their brand new Maths Books of which they are duly proud. Many thanks to the readers of this who are supporting the Bursary and be assured that you couldn't find a better use for your money. These learners are picked for their attitudes as well as their financial circs and their academic performance. They are a fine bunch. Thanks everyone!The views expressed in this blog are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of VSO.