I realized today that I kinda told you about the general stuff about the school but not much about the characters that are in Class 4. Like I said earlier, this school was founded about 12 years ago by a woman and her husband who are still the administrators. There are grades from KG 1 to class 12. The students are placed by their skill level not their age. I believe there is a 23 year old in class 12. Most of my students are 11 when technically they should be only 9. The school is housed in one whole building and a bridge was built to connect the main building to the one next to it which houses the high school on the top four floors. (the bridge is made out of mettle and plastic but I assure you its sturdy just kinda funny to see a bridge in between two separate buildings owned by two different people) My class is on the sixth floor (there is no elevator :)) So I climb every day about 5 flights at least four times a day. Way to go legs! I currently teach all the subjects except grammar and science. I will pick up grammar on tuesday and then the following sunday pick up grammar. I will then teach for three weeks straight all by myself. By the way, I was able to get enough material for the students to make their own homemade compasses in groups. They loved it! I asked them to find out which way America was from inside the building. Since we were studying the Pony Express we needed to know which way was St. Joseph MO so that we could use it :). Then we learned about a map, the key, compass rose and a sun dial. These types of experience helps in learning to read and being able to connect their experience to the reading and make it personal to their own lives. Otherwise, the story becomes boring and useless. So we actually went way over out time for reading but they were asking such good questions!.
Anyway, my characters. Oh what to say about my class? I chuckle because of how funny they are. I have 25 students in my class, 13 boys and 12 girls. Usually they are mixed in their seating but the parents asked if they could be separated because when they are at this age (according to them) they cannot keep their hormones at bay anymore. So they need to be split boy and girl. I have your normal breakfast club students. The clown of my class is A (call him that to protect him). Today we were reading my book that I wrote and he said, "Miss Rachel, your story is so touching. I cant wait to hear the body of the story!" He said it with a little smirk and glint in his eyes. He says things like "If you were president what would you change about our country?" He also says "Your so cool, Miss Hoerner." Most of the students want to be American and so you will hear them say English slang or idioms and you think where did that come from? Then there is F. She has such a valley girl attitude. She thinks shes all that and a bag of chips. She's funny too. There is A. He is super smart. He gets A+ on everything he does practically. I usually grade his test first because it is easier using that then the answer book. There is also P. He is exactly like my nephew Henry. Oh man, they look alike, talk alike, think alike. He even has some of the same mannerisms. S is like the mother of the students. She is super sweet and kind most of the time, but man can she bite back sometimes. Then there is Sa. She is so shy and quite. She has the quietest voice you will ever hear. I feel like I need to be standing right next to her to hear her. This is just a glimpse and there is so much more about them that I could say.
I will say that the households here are much different that you would think. Almost every home has a maid, cook, driver, a guard for the house and other servants. I am told that the students are very rude to these people. It is because they see these people as not people but something lower than human. These jobs are for people who aren't educated and do not help society. It is hard to imagine how these children in my class who are so sweet and respectful toward me can be so abominable to people at home. Often the father will eat dinner and then the children and then the mother and she only eats if there is any food left. The way that you and I think is completely backwards here. This next week for Moral Ed we are discussing courtesy. Somethings that you would think should be just automatic are things that they have never even considered before. Simple ideas like not yelling at people or being rude to them is so foreign here. One day we are going to compare cultures so I will definitely describe the differences. They will be doing a project where they mus find five people that are not related to them and ask them their name, what they do and what they like to do. This is to get them to talk to people that they might ignore for various reasons so that they realize that they are people just like them with real dreams and desires.
Side Note: Passing gas and burping here is totally accepted. I find that when someone burps at the table or in public, where you would think people would be more discreet, it still shocks me. I think, how rude. But here it is totally normal. It can be entertaining to say the least.
Anyway, you can be praying for these next several weeks for my students and my student teaching full time.
PS Thank you to all who have commented or written me emails about my blog. The encouragement is wonderful and keeps me going! Thank you as well for your prayers. May God bless you always where ever he has you!
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
A Mesh of Things
A lot has gone on in the last couple of days. I will start with Saturday. In the wee hours of the morning I got reading to attend the staff picnic. I put on my new outfit that I had got from the tailor. The Chemise (top) is a deep purply red color with a very small dark blue pattern in it. Together it looks like an even deeper purple. The sleeves have a strip of white silk that has silver specs in it. The neckline I drew myself. Kinda wavy to that creates a V neck. It is lined with one string of silver sequence. The Shalwar (pants) is made from the same fabric that the trim of the sleeves are. The pants are baggy and tie at the waist. My Orna (the shawl over my shoulders) is white with a flower pattern sown into it. The center of each flower has a silver bead in it. Then I did my make-up like a native with eye liner that swoops out to the side of my face (just to the end of the eyebrow). I added purple eyeshadow. Then I squeezed on the bangles that I bought which were purple and silver. I pulled back my hair cause I knew that it would be hot.
Alexis and I took a baby-taxi to the school so that we could leave by 7:30am. We arrived on time. However, in native time it was more like 8. The women all came in their best clothes and the men in their nice shirt and pants. We all climbed into the two buses that were waiting for us. The buses were interesting to say the least. The seats were WAY too close for comfort (made for small people). The ceiling had lamps for the night time. It was like the type of lamp you would see in a house over the dinner table. The bus driver started the bus and it roared to life. We pulled out into traffic. I looked at the door of the buss s and it was WIDE OPEN. I looked a Alexis who was sitting right next to me and explained that they needed to shut the door. Apparently, in this country they do not close them. Rather they have a man who stands at the door the whole time (kinda like a conductor) He is there so that when we stop people do think that it is the city bus. Anyway we continued down the road to our destination that was two hours away (I know, that for for a picnic?) Yes, two hours away was a tea garden that we were going to. Most of the way was paved until we spilt and went down a smaller path that would only allow one car at a time let a lone a bus going one way and a car coming the other way. The road was so bumpy that since I and Alexis were in the back, we literally flew into the ceiling. When we came back down, our seat was off the chair. It was like a roller coaster. Then several minutes later, all of a sudden the bus was going into the rice patties that were on either side of the road. Apparently a portion of the road was blown out and they were trying to fit it. So into the rice patties the buss went trying not to get stuck. Finally we reached the tea garden. It was so beautiful. We were by a small lake with lots of trees and places to run and play. The gardens were rows and rows of short little bushed. It reminded me of a vineyard but with tea bushes. We played games and had a wonderful meal. I got a picture! The food was truly spicy that my nose was running and Alexis found a chili that was as long as her hand from tip to the bottom of her palm in her rice. They also had chicken, salsa, veggies, and another gravy chicken dish. It was all so good. I love eating with my hand too! No utensils people. All children would die to eat like the natives do! I was able to talk with lots of the staff people and meet their families, relatives and other children they were associated with. I am so glad that we went! But it was a long day, 8 hours total for a picnic...
Yesterday was mother language day that was made into a national holiday by the UN. So lots of the natives wore white and black and put red flowers in their heads and all over their bodies. Most people walk barefoot to the monuments that are erected for their language. You see another country only wanted their language to be the national language but the natives here fought back. Some soldiers went to the university and killed the protesters. From there this country was an independent country and had its own language. To this day the people are very proud of their heritage and language. My students did a commemoration today in honor of the language by doing a skit while the girls played a song in their language. The program was closed by the singing of the national anthem. What a beautiful and melodious song it is! They did a great job!
In reading class, my students had a chance to do a relay race up and down the hall way stairs to deliver mail to simulate the Pony Express. The kids has a lot of fun with it. It is this type of experience that I want the to have so that they can connect with the stories better. Later in the week we are going to take a look at how to read a map in relation to the Pony Express. I will be making a homemade compass out of a needle, string, magnet and a glass jar. I think they are really going to like the simulation.
In Moral Ed, I am really getting a chance to speak into these children's lives. We are learning about flexibility. Today's lesson was about a quote by Helen Keller. “When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us.” When a situation comes that is difficult, do not focus on the difficulty or yourself but look for the positive in the difficult situation. Learning to have an optimistic attitude can cause one to see the other door of happiness that has been open and then you can move on with your life. Being flexible is adapting to different situations around you no matter the circumstance.
A prayer request that I have is that most people in the country from the time they are little, they are taught to lie if it helps them. In class many of the students will cheat and have someone give them the answer so that they can get a good grade without truly understanding the concept. I am having a difficult time understanding why they are always doing this. I guess it is the spirit of betterment and self preservation. Please pray that I can encourage them to do their best not someone else's best.
This is a long post but such good things are happening that I want to share them all with you. I pray that this blog finds you well! Please keep praying for my students, the staff and my cooperating teacher and I so that we give these children the education that they need so that they may go into the world and speak truth!
Alexis and I took a baby-taxi to the school so that we could leave by 7:30am. We arrived on time. However, in native time it was more like 8. The women all came in their best clothes and the men in their nice shirt and pants. We all climbed into the two buses that were waiting for us. The buses were interesting to say the least. The seats were WAY too close for comfort (made for small people). The ceiling had lamps for the night time. It was like the type of lamp you would see in a house over the dinner table. The bus driver started the bus and it roared to life. We pulled out into traffic. I looked at the door of the buss s and it was WIDE OPEN. I looked a Alexis who was sitting right next to me and explained that they needed to shut the door. Apparently, in this country they do not close them. Rather they have a man who stands at the door the whole time (kinda like a conductor) He is there so that when we stop people do think that it is the city bus. Anyway we continued down the road to our destination that was two hours away (I know, that for for a picnic?) Yes, two hours away was a tea garden that we were going to. Most of the way was paved until we spilt and went down a smaller path that would only allow one car at a time let a lone a bus going one way and a car coming the other way. The road was so bumpy that since I and Alexis were in the back, we literally flew into the ceiling. When we came back down, our seat was off the chair. It was like a roller coaster. Then several minutes later, all of a sudden the bus was going into the rice patties that were on either side of the road. Apparently a portion of the road was blown out and they were trying to fit it. So into the rice patties the buss went trying not to get stuck. Finally we reached the tea garden. It was so beautiful. We were by a small lake with lots of trees and places to run and play. The gardens were rows and rows of short little bushed. It reminded me of a vineyard but with tea bushes. We played games and had a wonderful meal. I got a picture! The food was truly spicy that my nose was running and Alexis found a chili that was as long as her hand from tip to the bottom of her palm in her rice. They also had chicken, salsa, veggies, and another gravy chicken dish. It was all so good. I love eating with my hand too! No utensils people. All children would die to eat like the natives do! I was able to talk with lots of the staff people and meet their families, relatives and other children they were associated with. I am so glad that we went! But it was a long day, 8 hours total for a picnic...
Yesterday was mother language day that was made into a national holiday by the UN. So lots of the natives wore white and black and put red flowers in their heads and all over their bodies. Most people walk barefoot to the monuments that are erected for their language. You see another country only wanted their language to be the national language but the natives here fought back. Some soldiers went to the university and killed the protesters. From there this country was an independent country and had its own language. To this day the people are very proud of their heritage and language. My students did a commemoration today in honor of the language by doing a skit while the girls played a song in their language. The program was closed by the singing of the national anthem. What a beautiful and melodious song it is! They did a great job!
In reading class, my students had a chance to do a relay race up and down the hall way stairs to deliver mail to simulate the Pony Express. The kids has a lot of fun with it. It is this type of experience that I want the to have so that they can connect with the stories better. Later in the week we are going to take a look at how to read a map in relation to the Pony Express. I will be making a homemade compass out of a needle, string, magnet and a glass jar. I think they are really going to like the simulation.
In Moral Ed, I am really getting a chance to speak into these children's lives. We are learning about flexibility. Today's lesson was about a quote by Helen Keller. “When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us.” When a situation comes that is difficult, do not focus on the difficulty or yourself but look for the positive in the difficult situation. Learning to have an optimistic attitude can cause one to see the other door of happiness that has been open and then you can move on with your life. Being flexible is adapting to different situations around you no matter the circumstance.
A prayer request that I have is that most people in the country from the time they are little, they are taught to lie if it helps them. In class many of the students will cheat and have someone give them the answer so that they can get a good grade without truly understanding the concept. I am having a difficult time understanding why they are always doing this. I guess it is the spirit of betterment and self preservation. Please pray that I can encourage them to do their best not someone else's best.
This is a long post but such good things are happening that I want to share them all with you. I pray that this blog finds you well! Please keep praying for my students, the staff and my cooperating teacher and I so that we give these children the education that they need so that they may go into the world and speak truth!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Fat Hands and Fat Feet
One of the most wonderful and tiring but rewarding opportunity that I have in the this country is to design my own clothes. I designed this outfit for the picnic on Saturday that is just beautiful, if I do say so myself. Well, today was the day to pick it up. When I got it, I was completely overwhelmed by how beautiful the tailor did it. The fabric plus detail and custom fitting cost $10 total. Is that not the most amazing thing that you have ever heard of? Since, I was at the shopping complex with a couple of other girls, I decided that I needed bangles to go with my outfit since that is the fashion. So I went to one store and bought matching bangles for my outfit. The natives hands are much smaller because they themselves are small. So it was very somewhat difficult to get it over my hand. Well I did so I bought the set. Then we all stopped at a shoe store. They didn't have anything over an 8 1/2. Too bad I wear a 9 1/2 to 10. They told me that my feet were too big to find shoes. Gee thanks a lot! So that was a bummer. Then I also decided that I needed bangles for my sari that I purchased. So I went in search for deep red and gold. The girls and I went to a little shop. I saw the ones that I wanted and asked to see them. Alexis told me that they were glass. Not thinking too much I tried to put them on. All of a sudden the glass BROKE. (I felt like I was in China Town where there are signs that say 'you brake you buy, we brake we cry') All of our eyes became the size of our entire head along with a huge gasp. I felt so bad that I think my heart skipped a beat. Anyway, I needed to pay for it. The salesman said they were such and such a price but it was way jacked up because I am white and he obviously knew that I would pay for them at any cost. However, the amount that he suggested was just taking advantage. It was a very sticky situation. 3 girls and the rest were men... not good. So we looked at other ones and the man came down in price by a lot and I just purchased them. I now have bangles that ill have to saw off some bone on my hand to get them over. Anyway, I am a clumsy, big American. Oh well, it could happen to anyone. At least im not a LOUD, clumsy, big American.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Rain
It has been dusty here for a very long time. The leaves on the trees are brown, not green. When you blow your nose, all that comes out is clumps of mud. While the children play on the field, they come in dustier than a duster. In the morning Tripti cleans my room and by the afternoon the floor is covered in a thin layer of dust again. However, today it rained. It rained just enough to wet the ground and make the dust subtle down to relax and stay put. You can literally smell it raining. As the rain contacts with the dirt, the smell of earth rises to your nose and refreshes your mind and body. I feel like I am back in my own town. The people are glad that it is raining because the rain is what helps the mango trees to grow and blossom. This country is known for its mango blossoms that are all yellow and orange, dotting the trees. This rain is call the mango rain. They say that the mangoes are very sweet and juicy. A week before I leave to come home, mangoes will be in season, and I can partake of the wonderful gift that He has given us. However, on the negative side, there is so much pollution here that it is acid rain. Its not very concentrated but it can still be harmful. I was told by some people today that the natives loose their hair because of the acid in the rain. Can you believe that? I never thought that could actually happen. I guess I wont be playing in the rain today :)
Any way, I just thought that you might enjoy this little peace of heaven among the dust. i am doing well and looking forward to this weekend when I attend the picnic. I will be picking up my new outfit that I had made for the picnic. Cant wait to meet all the staff's family and commune with them. I will write soon! Love you all!
Any way, I just thought that you might enjoy this little peace of heaven among the dust. i am doing well and looking forward to this weekend when I attend the picnic. I will be picking up my new outfit that I had made for the picnic. Cant wait to meet all the staff's family and commune with them. I will write soon! Love you all!
Thursday, February 11, 2010
A Visit to the Village
I had a wonderful opprotunity to go and visit a village that is an hour away from my city. Several middle school girls a seventh grade boy and one ninth grade boy along with Madam all went in the school van to the PlayPlace for poor village children. It was began by a woman by the name of Mrs. Bower (sp) Her husband was working for a fabric company which was the second leading employment provider in this country besides the government. Since there are NO playgrounds in the country (besides the school), she decided that it would (SICK I JUST SMASHED A MISQUITO AND IT BLEED ALL OVER MY HAND, IT PROBABLY WAS MY BLOOD IN ITS BELLY) be a good idea to create a palace for these children to play. So she brought in playground equipment and it is still there today after many many many years. She then also started art classes for the children and reading clubs. Eventually she gave the place over to some NGO's. She has also written several children's books. Anyway after 30 years or so, she returned for one of the last times. She asked that some children from the school come and put on a short program for them. So I got invited and we went. One student did Tae Kwon Do for them. Another told a national funny story and the other student did a traditional dance (I got it on video...) The kids loved it and the students did wonderful! Anyway, to say the least, I had a joy today playing with the children and being out in the village.
SIDE NOTES
- did you know that cockroaches only fly when they are mating?
- did you know that two weeks out of the year, flying termites come and invade this country (guess what time of year? March!) Apparently, they eventually loose their wings and die. The people here told me that I will see wings everywhere and their black bodies close by. They said as long as I keep my doors closed, no problem... sure right.. thats what they want me to think... really I am going to be eaten a live by things that are supposed to eat wood and NOT fly, but these are super bugs I tell you!!!
Well good night... dont let the termites bite!
SIDE NOTES
- did you know that cockroaches only fly when they are mating?
- did you know that two weeks out of the year, flying termites come and invade this country (guess what time of year? March!) Apparently, they eventually loose their wings and die. The people here told me that I will see wings everywhere and their black bodies close by. They said as long as I keep my doors closed, no problem... sure right.. thats what they want me to think... really I am going to be eaten a live by things that are supposed to eat wood and NOT fly, but these are super bugs I tell you!!!
Well good night... dont let the termites bite!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Joys of the City!
Well it has been some time since I have updated my blog. We are always guessing and trying to anticipate when the electricity goes out, but it is worthless. There is no rhyme or reason to the electricity flow! TIB! So to say the least, when I have time to sit down and write, the electricity goes out or my computer dies. Anyway, despite the that all is going well. I began teaching this week. Teaching in the classroom is so much better than teaching in front of your peers in the college classroom, let me tell you. I find that the children gives me energy to teach. When they are enthusiastic I am too! The students that are in my class are a hoot! I have picked out the class clown. He is a short boy who has glasses. His dad is an actor and of course he takes after his father. He bring such life the room that when our feet are dragging, we are sustained. I have also identified the mother of the room. She is a slender beautiful young lady who opens the student's wrappers for tiffin (snack time). I have also found the trouble maker (not really for they are all really good kids) He is so funny because he coordinates with his buddies and they all talk to each other in their language. I have to brake them up and say 'Uhem, English thank you!' There are so many more students that I could talk to you about. I finally know all their names and faces! It is getting easier and easier. I am also feeling more and more confident and comfortable with them. I have one particular student that I feel I am most here for. He is a student that just arrived a month ago from the States. He has had a difficult time adjusting. I have been working and encouraging him through this process and hes starting to come around SEED PLANTED! Keep him in your thoughts. He just needs someone to be a constant in his life to that he has security. I think He knew what He was doing when He put me with the boy in the states that I baby sat. That job prepared me for teaching her definitely.
There are some difficulties that I face teaching in an all ESL school. I knew that most all of the students did not know any English before arriving at the school. Now they are in fourth grade and are almost fluent. It is amazing. However, in the last two days I have had to teach about humor and idioms. Unfortunately, we are using a North American curriculum. So for a foreigner, it is difficult to get the humor and idioms that they are not familiar with. I know that they have the idea of idioms and humor down but just not the same types they are used to. So it is truly hard to know if they are really understanding. I wonder if they have their own idioms. I am sure they do? Perhaps I should ask them. It is also hard to know what they understand or dont understand in a passage of reading. They are so polite (and the culture does not encourage creativity or thinking for yourself) that they do not ask questions or challenge the teacher. So when I am going over a passage that has vocabular that I think they know, they actually dont and so the understanding of the passage becomes difficult. Learning how to teach ESL is difficult. Where is Annie (my previous roommate) when you need here language skills? Anyway, all that to say I am really getting to know the students and they are so forgiving with cultural mistakes and or confusion in my instructions. I am able to speak into their lives and share the Love with them. I couldn't have asked for a better class or cooperating teacher.
Now on to the fun part. I went to a Bazar the other afternoon to purchase some fabric to take to the tailor. I am having him make two Shalvar Chamise with Orna (long top with baggy pants and a shall) Then I also bought a Sari. It is deep red with gold sequence in a leaf pattern. I cant wait to see it when they are all made. Okay so we drove to the Bazar in the school van. There was a cacophony of people everywhere trying not to get ran over by rickshaws or motorcycles or cars for that matter. Most of the people in the open air bazar were males. However, a good number of them accompanied women to the shops. So imagine, in the middle of this huge crowd, a van full of about six white, mostly tall, Americans get out. Can you imagine all the stairs in our direction? I felt as if I should have placed myself in a glass box for all of them to gawk at me and also for my protection. I am so thankful that we had three men with! But man the circus must have come to town because there was a huge crowd around us. When we would stop on the side of the street, people would actually stop and stair at us from only a few inches from us. They then would call their friends over to take a look at what waltzed in. Trying to cross the street was another venture all of its own. Man if you were not fast enough or alert enough you would get ran over. It is like the yellow and white taxi cabs in Chicago; they dont stop for you at any time. And man do these people use their horns. It as if the horn was an extension of their angry vocal cords. Honk here and honk there... so loud. It amazes me how loud this city is, louder than Chicago sometimes, without the noise of the 'L'. (oh funny side note, the people are afraid of cats. Don't remember if I told you but they are. They don't have any sense of a pet either.) However, annoying and rather irritating the men and people in the streets were with their constant stair of our every move, shopping was fun. I got to barter with with the sales people through a native gentleman from the school. When you walk off the street into a building the aisle is very narrow and on either side of the wall several little alcoves made that housed fabrics all the way to the ceiling. Rows and rows of fabric in all different colors and styles and patterns. There are three different types of fabric alcoves (shops) There were the three piece Shalwar and Chamise with Orna or there are shops with only bolts of fabric and then there are shops that sell Saris. The fabrics that they use here are so New Orleans. It is very gaudy. There are patterns of all different colors and shapes. They might use two different patterns with six colors all together. They are also into embellishments such as sparkles everywhere. It is like a sea whirl of sparkle and color. But then you also have the burqa. It is a black drape over the whole body with a separate black head peace and face mask. But now the fashion is that those are colorful. This is allowed only in some families. But people mostly wear the Shalwar and Chamise... the people that would wear the Sari for everyday wear would be the village people. The city people usually only wear them to weddings and fancy parties. And man can these people party... all hours of the night. The family schedule here is nuts. The children dont go to be until at lease 2 am. They have dinner around 11pm. But anyway, oh man the city smells really bad, especially in this Bazar. Few, it smells of a mix of fesses and garbage. There is so much polution from littering that the city has actually outlawed plastic bags. The bags are not biodegradable and so it was killing their soil. They then were not able to produce crops. So now they only use brown bags.
Well the power just went out :) So I am going to send this before the internet goes. I will write later :)
Love you all!
There are some difficulties that I face teaching in an all ESL school. I knew that most all of the students did not know any English before arriving at the school. Now they are in fourth grade and are almost fluent. It is amazing. However, in the last two days I have had to teach about humor and idioms. Unfortunately, we are using a North American curriculum. So for a foreigner, it is difficult to get the humor and idioms that they are not familiar with. I know that they have the idea of idioms and humor down but just not the same types they are used to. So it is truly hard to know if they are really understanding. I wonder if they have their own idioms. I am sure they do? Perhaps I should ask them. It is also hard to know what they understand or dont understand in a passage of reading. They are so polite (and the culture does not encourage creativity or thinking for yourself) that they do not ask questions or challenge the teacher. So when I am going over a passage that has vocabular that I think they know, they actually dont and so the understanding of the passage becomes difficult. Learning how to teach ESL is difficult. Where is Annie (my previous roommate) when you need here language skills? Anyway, all that to say I am really getting to know the students and they are so forgiving with cultural mistakes and or confusion in my instructions. I am able to speak into their lives and share the Love with them. I couldn't have asked for a better class or cooperating teacher.
Now on to the fun part. I went to a Bazar the other afternoon to purchase some fabric to take to the tailor. I am having him make two Shalvar Chamise with Orna (long top with baggy pants and a shall) Then I also bought a Sari. It is deep red with gold sequence in a leaf pattern. I cant wait to see it when they are all made. Okay so we drove to the Bazar in the school van. There was a cacophony of people everywhere trying not to get ran over by rickshaws or motorcycles or cars for that matter. Most of the people in the open air bazar were males. However, a good number of them accompanied women to the shops. So imagine, in the middle of this huge crowd, a van full of about six white, mostly tall, Americans get out. Can you imagine all the stairs in our direction? I felt as if I should have placed myself in a glass box for all of them to gawk at me and also for my protection. I am so thankful that we had three men with! But man the circus must have come to town because there was a huge crowd around us. When we would stop on the side of the street, people would actually stop and stair at us from only a few inches from us. They then would call their friends over to take a look at what waltzed in. Trying to cross the street was another venture all of its own. Man if you were not fast enough or alert enough you would get ran over. It is like the yellow and white taxi cabs in Chicago; they dont stop for you at any time. And man do these people use their horns. It as if the horn was an extension of their angry vocal cords. Honk here and honk there... so loud. It amazes me how loud this city is, louder than Chicago sometimes, without the noise of the 'L'. (oh funny side note, the people are afraid of cats. Don't remember if I told you but they are. They don't have any sense of a pet either.) However, annoying and rather irritating the men and people in the streets were with their constant stair of our every move, shopping was fun. I got to barter with with the sales people through a native gentleman from the school. When you walk off the street into a building the aisle is very narrow and on either side of the wall several little alcoves made that housed fabrics all the way to the ceiling. Rows and rows of fabric in all different colors and styles and patterns. There are three different types of fabric alcoves (shops) There were the three piece Shalwar and Chamise with Orna or there are shops with only bolts of fabric and then there are shops that sell Saris. The fabrics that they use here are so New Orleans. It is very gaudy. There are patterns of all different colors and shapes. They might use two different patterns with six colors all together. They are also into embellishments such as sparkles everywhere. It is like a sea whirl of sparkle and color. But then you also have the burqa. It is a black drape over the whole body with a separate black head peace and face mask. But now the fashion is that those are colorful. This is allowed only in some families. But people mostly wear the Shalwar and Chamise... the people that would wear the Sari for everyday wear would be the village people. The city people usually only wear them to weddings and fancy parties. And man can these people party... all hours of the night. The family schedule here is nuts. The children dont go to be until at lease 2 am. They have dinner around 11pm. But anyway, oh man the city smells really bad, especially in this Bazar. Few, it smells of a mix of fesses and garbage. There is so much polution from littering that the city has actually outlawed plastic bags. The bags are not biodegradable and so it was killing their soil. They then were not able to produce crops. So now they only use brown bags.
Well the power just went out :) So I am going to send this before the internet goes. I will write later :)
Love you all!
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Week 1
This city is amazing! There are so many people crammed into a such a small area. This country is the size of South Dakota that contains a 1/3 of the United States Population. The people are beautiful. They have a sense of character about them that draws you into their world. The think lines of hard labor etched into there skin invites you to walk in there shoes. I find that I know nothing of the work that these people put into their daily lives to make life even meager. Despite the poverty the people are generous and want to please each other. They strive to make you feel at home and welcomed into their country.
Transportation on the other hand has a life of its own. I was told that modern vehicles were only recently in abundance (last three years). The government decided to give loans to people so that they could buy a car. This shows status and wealth in this country as well as a fat belly. This has made traffic unbearable during the busy hours of the day. It has also created a lot of smog to the once green and luscious land. There are no lines on the street to keep the cars in line so people make of their own lanes and or there is no order at all and it is a free for all... may the best nuddger win. They dont have any street lights either. They do have one that I saw the other day but NO ONE pays attention to it. They dont even pay attention to the traffic controller guy. To say the least, driving is an adventure in of itself. I swear we have been in almost 100 accidents in one week! The tiny side streets are not made for cars let a lone as a two way street. When there are two cares people who are walking just lean against the wall curling their toes so that they dont get run over. Regular people take one of two main transportation, baby taxi or a rickshaw. A baby taxi is kinda like a long golf cart on a motorcycle. There are no doors on these things. I have yet to ride one but as soon as I do, Ill report! The other transportation is on a rickshaw. A rickshaw is a bicycle that has a carriage attached behind it. These carriages are very colorful with tons of sequence on them. The wood canopy over the seat is panted usually blue, yellow or red. Two people can fit on one while a man peddles the bike. The bike peddlers wear skirt looking bottoms with a top on. Can you imagine hauling two people up a hill on a bike and you barely have any meat on your body? I am not sure I want to subject a human being to bike me around to places that I need to go.
On to other business, I absolutely love the school. I have spent a week observing the teachers and I love it. My to be students are super sweet. Several of the girls have already given me notes and asking me when I am teaching. I feel so loved by them that I cant hardly wait to teach them. Most of the elementary teachers are natives. However due to the lack to native teachers, the school has hired Americans to teach while they train a native to take over for the next year. You can be praying that they find a teacher for next year in my class that I will be teaching. They also need a native to shadow the new teacher next year so that they can have to position and be effective. The whole staff at the school are very supportive. They have welcomed me and encouraged me to learn the culture and to experience this wonderful country. I am so thankful to be under my teacher because, her efficiency and organization in the classroom allows her to teach 11 classes a day. She has to do this because they are short so many teachers. I am privileged to take over Class 4 so that she can take a break and focus on her English and reading classes in the other grades.
The school is full of native children. When they come to KG 1 (Preschool) they know no English whatsoever. But by the time they get to class 4 they are fluent in English. All the grades are taught in full English. It is interesting when we are using a North American curriculum because we have to adapt some of the lessons to fit the culture and cut out some idioms that they wont understand. We focus on pronunciation more than we do on silent reading so that they dont have as big as an accent. The school teaches Moral Education. The curriculum uses principles/virtues such as encouragement, flexibility and other principles to teach morality. I was encouraged to hear from my teacher that the lower grades are seed planters for the children. By the time they are in high school, the students are asking questions and searching for answers. I have a real opportunity to show the Love to them so that when they are older they remember from when they were younger and ask questions. It is very difficult for a native to understand why a person from the states would come and teacher their children with out being paid. They cant understand why someone would pay to live her and teach for free. It is amazing at the provision He has provided for these teachers to be here, live and teach these wonderful students who need to be planted and watered so that they too can come to know Him! Most of the long termers has paid for everything in their classroom, including the desks. Donors of the teachers have given money to the teachers so that the teacher can provide a classroom that is suitable for learning.
Well it is getting late and I am afraid I must retire and sleep. For tomorrow is Sunday for me. The work week is different Sunday through Thursday is work week and then church is on Friday and Saturday is chilax day.
Love Rachel
Transportation on the other hand has a life of its own. I was told that modern vehicles were only recently in abundance (last three years). The government decided to give loans to people so that they could buy a car. This shows status and wealth in this country as well as a fat belly. This has made traffic unbearable during the busy hours of the day. It has also created a lot of smog to the once green and luscious land. There are no lines on the street to keep the cars in line so people make of their own lanes and or there is no order at all and it is a free for all... may the best nuddger win. They dont have any street lights either. They do have one that I saw the other day but NO ONE pays attention to it. They dont even pay attention to the traffic controller guy. To say the least, driving is an adventure in of itself. I swear we have been in almost 100 accidents in one week! The tiny side streets are not made for cars let a lone as a two way street. When there are two cares people who are walking just lean against the wall curling their toes so that they dont get run over. Regular people take one of two main transportation, baby taxi or a rickshaw. A baby taxi is kinda like a long golf cart on a motorcycle. There are no doors on these things. I have yet to ride one but as soon as I do, Ill report! The other transportation is on a rickshaw. A rickshaw is a bicycle that has a carriage attached behind it. These carriages are very colorful with tons of sequence on them. The wood canopy over the seat is panted usually blue, yellow or red. Two people can fit on one while a man peddles the bike. The bike peddlers wear skirt looking bottoms with a top on. Can you imagine hauling two people up a hill on a bike and you barely have any meat on your body? I am not sure I want to subject a human being to bike me around to places that I need to go.
On to other business, I absolutely love the school. I have spent a week observing the teachers and I love it. My to be students are super sweet. Several of the girls have already given me notes and asking me when I am teaching. I feel so loved by them that I cant hardly wait to teach them. Most of the elementary teachers are natives. However due to the lack to native teachers, the school has hired Americans to teach while they train a native to take over for the next year. You can be praying that they find a teacher for next year in my class that I will be teaching. They also need a native to shadow the new teacher next year so that they can have to position and be effective. The whole staff at the school are very supportive. They have welcomed me and encouraged me to learn the culture and to experience this wonderful country. I am so thankful to be under my teacher because, her efficiency and organization in the classroom allows her to teach 11 classes a day. She has to do this because they are short so many teachers. I am privileged to take over Class 4 so that she can take a break and focus on her English and reading classes in the other grades.
The school is full of native children. When they come to KG 1 (Preschool) they know no English whatsoever. But by the time they get to class 4 they are fluent in English. All the grades are taught in full English. It is interesting when we are using a North American curriculum because we have to adapt some of the lessons to fit the culture and cut out some idioms that they wont understand. We focus on pronunciation more than we do on silent reading so that they dont have as big as an accent. The school teaches Moral Education. The curriculum uses principles/virtues such as encouragement, flexibility and other principles to teach morality. I was encouraged to hear from my teacher that the lower grades are seed planters for the children. By the time they are in high school, the students are asking questions and searching for answers. I have a real opportunity to show the Love to them so that when they are older they remember from when they were younger and ask questions. It is very difficult for a native to understand why a person from the states would come and teacher their children with out being paid. They cant understand why someone would pay to live her and teach for free. It is amazing at the provision He has provided for these teachers to be here, live and teach these wonderful students who need to be planted and watered so that they too can come to know Him! Most of the long termers has paid for everything in their classroom, including the desks. Donors of the teachers have given money to the teachers so that the teacher can provide a classroom that is suitable for learning.
Well it is getting late and I am afraid I must retire and sleep. For tomorrow is Sunday for me. The work week is different Sunday through Thursday is work week and then church is on Friday and Saturday is chilax day.
Love Rachel
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Just to let you know!
My internet is down at the place I am staying. This means that I have not had access to the internet and I apologize for not writing more. I have lots to say about my first week here! I love it and very excited to share about the country and wonderful students and staff and I am working with. I am using the schools internet right now but I have to get back to the classroom right now so I am not able to expand on my time. I will write later when I can.
Love
Rachel
Love
Rachel
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