1/16/14

2nd day shenanigans 

• pick up on time this morning and got Sebastian's morning rant when I got to school. 
• The timetable (tanzanian word for schedule - in and out of school) was posted today. apparently it will change? but at least it was listed 
• Muhumi decided I would get introduced today so I attended the morning assembly/ parade. The head student ordered them to get in line, march in place, turn around, get quiet etc. Then Muhumi spoke some encouraging remarks about the school year. He said he wanted them to all be successful and to choose to attend school every day. He introduced me and I stepped to the center and gave my little word of thank you, excitement, etc. At the end of my little speech, I announced that I was teaching form 3 math and all of form 3 started clapping and talking excitedly. There was a low rumble than ensued before Muhumi got their attention again. It made me feel welcomed and wanted. 
• No one said anything to me but I had had enough of the sitting around and not interacting with the students. So i checked out the timetable, grabbed a piece of chalk, and went in to meet stream c. It was basically beyond uncomfortable but needed to happen. They were so shy and refused to talk for the most part. I understand that my accent is hard to understand so i have been talking extremely slowly and have been repeating myself or giving examples. Either way, I am glad I did it. We talked about my expectations and I had them tell me what they learned last year. 
• This repeated two more times with a little more interaction from stream a and b which made the classes so much better. I will start the math - relations- tomorrow. 
• saw my first little bit of corporal punishment on the way to stream b. 
• just an overwhelming day overall. 
• talked to muhumi about the ride home situation. I think he wants me to take a pikipiki (motorcycle) home. That will run me about 10,000 tsh a week. Not a huge expense. But he did also mention the bike. Basically it was another talk with no resolution. 
• Chai break. I am still surprised that I like the chai. Very happy about it though. Although I refused Sebastian’s chapati (like a fried tortilla that is still soft and chewy and thicker/more dense), I set down with my cup of chai and a chapati appeared before me. I actually liked it much better than the other two. 
• brought my swahili book with me and studied a good bit today. 
• really funny discussions during chai break that they actually had in mostly english. there was an intense debate about whether to take a bike or a car in dar es salaam. And another talk about sugar and how bad it is to have inside of you. That lead to a talk about diabetes (although diabetes sounded nothing like diabetes) about what it is caused by. Is it stress or is it sugar? 
• Picking noses is definitely acceptable. no trying to hide it here. During a face to face conversation...? Sure! why not? 
• So much talk about free masons. It was hilarious. Apparently a free mason is a satanic devil worshipper. Rick Ross, madonna, old tanzanian president, and many more people were brought up in the discussion 
• spaghetti again for dinner. no eggplant this time though