Monday, May 30, 2005
Sunday eve
There was a beautiful, horizon to horizon rainbow tonight. We have been receiving rain quite regularly, and the land is still green and lush. This has been a surprise, since by now we should be well into the dry season and the landscape brown. It has caught everyone by surprise so no-one has been planting their gardens to take advantage of all this unseasonable water.
Kathleen visited this weekend, from Bunda. It was good to talk with her and share stories. Somehow, with the changes that have occurred in our program, we Lake Region volunteers seem to be getting together much less than we used to. I miss the companionship.
This morning at the gurdwara (temple) Mangit Singh gave me a magazine that gives a lot of background on Sikhism. I’ve been enjoying reading it today, learning more about the Sikh history and concepts.
The first Guru was born in 1469 but the holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib, was codified by the fourth Guru some 400 years ago in 1604, which makes it the youngest of the major religions, and today it has some 25 million adherents. Unlike the other major religions, the content of the Granth was written by the Gurus themselves, not constructed through the memories of disciples decades or centuries later. It was born out of the conflict between Hindu and Islam, and sought to bridge that conflict by recognizing the spiritual worth of every person regardless of their class or caste, gender, or faith. Music is very important to the Sikh, and much of the Granth is sung in 31 ragas and 5699 hymns – don’t ask me who counted the hymns. Perhaps because it is so much younger, the precepts of Sikhism seem to be much more compatible with what we know of the universe through cosmology and science than are the other major religions. Seems rather Unitarian, actually.
The Sikhs have been persecuted along the line and quite a few of their ten Gurus have been martyred. The Mongols invaded in the 1520s, the Golden Temple was blown up in 1762, the British arrived in 1849, and the Moslems turned against them every now and then. The tenth and last Guru said they shouldn’t take it anymore: “Suffering dishonor and repression amounts to cowardice. Justice and liberty are worth fighting for. The use of the sword is the last resort of a man of peace.” - Gobind Singh, 1708
I am enjoying learning about this religion. I’ve wanted to visit India on my way to spend Christmas with Matt and his family in Beijing, and it might be interesting to make learning about Sikhism a focus of my visit there.
My official termination date with the Peace Corps is December 5th. But my teaching is complete when my Form-IV students start to take their National Exams in the second week of October. So I have filed my request to terminate early, on November 5th. That would give me more time to spend in India and China on the way back to the USA.
There was a beautiful, horizon to horizon rainbow tonight. We have been receiving rain quite regularly, and the land is still green and lush. This has been a surprise, since by now we should be well into the dry season and the landscape brown. It has caught everyone by surprise so no-one has been planting their gardens to take advantage of all this unseasonable water.
Kathleen visited this weekend, from Bunda. It was good to talk with her and share stories. Somehow, with the changes that have occurred in our program, we Lake Region volunteers seem to be getting together much less than we used to. I miss the companionship.
This morning at the gurdwara (temple) Mangit Singh gave me a magazine that gives a lot of background on Sikhism. I’ve been enjoying reading it today, learning more about the Sikh history and concepts.
The first Guru was born in 1469 but the holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib, was codified by the fourth Guru some 400 years ago in 1604, which makes it the youngest of the major religions, and today it has some 25 million adherents. Unlike the other major religions, the content of the Granth was written by the Gurus themselves, not constructed through the memories of disciples decades or centuries later. It was born out of the conflict between Hindu and Islam, and sought to bridge that conflict by recognizing the spiritual worth of every person regardless of their class or caste, gender, or faith. Music is very important to the Sikh, and much of the Granth is sung in 31 ragas and 5699 hymns – don’t ask me who counted the hymns. Perhaps because it is so much younger, the precepts of Sikhism seem to be much more compatible with what we know of the universe through cosmology and science than are the other major religions. Seems rather Unitarian, actually.
The Sikhs have been persecuted along the line and quite a few of their ten Gurus have been martyred. The Mongols invaded in the 1520s, the Golden Temple was blown up in 1762, the British arrived in 1849, and the Moslems turned against them every now and then. The tenth and last Guru said they shouldn’t take it anymore: “Suffering dishonor and repression amounts to cowardice. Justice and liberty are worth fighting for. The use of the sword is the last resort of a man of peace.” - Gobind Singh, 1708
I am enjoying learning about this religion. I’ve wanted to visit India on my way to spend Christmas with Matt and his family in Beijing, and it might be interesting to make learning about Sikhism a focus of my visit there.
My official termination date with the Peace Corps is December 5th. But my teaching is complete when my Form-IV students start to take their National Exams in the second week of October. So I have filed my request to terminate early, on November 5th. That would give me more time to spend in India and China on the way back to the USA.
Sunday eve
There was a beautiful, horizon to horizon rainbow tonight. We have been receiving rain quite regularly, and the land is still green and lush. This has been a surprise, since by now we should be well into the dry season and the landscape brown. It has caught everyone by surprise so no-one has been planting their gardens to take advantage of all this unseasonable water.
Kathleen visited this weekend, from Bunda. It was good to talk with her and share stories. Somehow, with the changes that have occurred in our program, we Lake Region volunteers seem to be getting together much less than we used to. I miss the companionship.
This morning at the gurdwara (temple) Mangit Singh gave me a magazine that gives a lot of background on Sikhism. I’ve been enjoying reading it today, learning more about the Sikh history and concepts.
The first Guru was born in 1469 but the holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib, was codified by the fourth Guru some 400 years ago in 1604, which makes it the youngest of the major religions, and today it has some 25 million adherents. Unlike the other major religions, the content of the Granth was written by the Gurus themselves, not constructed through the memories of disciples decades or centuries later. It was born out of the conflict between Hindu and Islam, and sought to bridge that conflict by recognizing the spiritual worth of every person regardless of their class or caste, gender, or faith. Music is very important to the Sikh, and much of the Granth is sung in 31 ragas and 5699 hymns – don’t ask me who counted the hymns. Perhaps because it is so much younger, the precepts of Sikhism seem to be much more compatible with what we know of the universe through cosmology and science than are the other major religions. Seems rather Unitarian, actually.
The Sikhs have been persecuted along the line and quite a few of their ten Gurus have been martyred. The Mongols invaded in the 1520s, the Golden Temple was blown up in 1762, the British arrived in 1849, and the Moslems turned against them every now and then. The tenth and last Guru said they shouldn’t take it anymore: “Suffering dishonor and repression amounts to cowardice. Justice and liberty are worth fighting for. The use of the sword is the last resort of a man of peace.” - Gobind Singh, 1708
I am enjoying learning about this religion. I’ve wanted to visit India on my way to spend Christmas with Matt and his family in Beijing, and it might be interesting to make learning about Sikhism a focus of my visit there.
My official termination date with the Peace Corps is December 5th. But my teaching is complete when my Form-IV students start to take their National Exams in the second week of October. So I have filed my request to terminate early, on November 5th. That would give me more time to spend in India and China on the way back to the USA.
There was a beautiful, horizon to horizon rainbow tonight. We have been receiving rain quite regularly, and the land is still green and lush. This has been a surprise, since by now we should be well into the dry season and the landscape brown. It has caught everyone by surprise so no-one has been planting their gardens to take advantage of all this unseasonable water.
Kathleen visited this weekend, from Bunda. It was good to talk with her and share stories. Somehow, with the changes that have occurred in our program, we Lake Region volunteers seem to be getting together much less than we used to. I miss the companionship.
This morning at the gurdwara (temple) Mangit Singh gave me a magazine that gives a lot of background on Sikhism. I’ve been enjoying reading it today, learning more about the Sikh history and concepts.
The first Guru was born in 1469 but the holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib, was codified by the fourth Guru some 400 years ago in 1604, which makes it the youngest of the major religions, and today it has some 25 million adherents. Unlike the other major religions, the content of the Granth was written by the Gurus themselves, not constructed through the memories of disciples decades or centuries later. It was born out of the conflict between Hindu and Islam, and sought to bridge that conflict by recognizing the spiritual worth of every person regardless of their class or caste, gender, or faith. Music is very important to the Sikh, and much of the Granth is sung in 31 ragas and 5699 hymns – don’t ask me who counted the hymns. Perhaps because it is so much younger, the precepts of Sikhism seem to be much more compatible with what we know of the universe through cosmology and science than are the other major religions. Seems rather Unitarian, actually.
The Sikhs have been persecuted along the line and quite a few of their ten Gurus have been martyred. The Mongols invaded in the 1520s, the Golden Temple was blown up in 1762, the British arrived in 1849, and the Moslems turned against them every now and then. The tenth and last Guru said they shouldn’t take it anymore: “Suffering dishonor and repression amounts to cowardice. Justice and liberty are worth fighting for. The use of the sword is the last resort of a man of peace.” - Gobind Singh, 1708
I am enjoying learning about this religion. I’ve wanted to visit India on my way to spend Christmas with Matt and his family in Beijing, and it might be interesting to make learning about Sikhism a focus of my visit there.
My official termination date with the Peace Corps is December 5th. But my teaching is complete when my Form-IV students start to take their National Exams in the second week of October. So I have filed my request to terminate early, on November 5th. That would give me more time to spend in India and China on the way back to the USA.
Friday, May 27, 2005
Well, all the puppies have found homes now. Whew! They really were cute and fun to play with, but what a bother! Cooking rice for them, moving them indoors whenever it was about to rain, living with their demanding squealing and crying... By the end, Hodie would feed them briefly, then she’d had enough. But the kiddies would chase her and she would do a dance to stay away from them until I let her escape into the house – or wherever else she would be away from the kids. I sure hope I don’t have to go through this again. The vet said she could be spayed in two months. Or, I think there is also an injection that provides birth control for half a year or so at a time, and that should be worth looking into. Cheaper and less traumatic. Chemistry instead of surgery.
But Hodie has been giving me very sad, accusing looks today, and moping around. Ay yi yi. I feel like a heel. Well, not much really, but hey...
The final examinations for the first term begin next week, so this weekend I have to compose their chemistry test. At the last graduation, the speaker became an important benefactor, and gave the school a couple of new computers for the office, a printer and a state of the art photocopier. I help the secretaries with how to Word and the printer, so that gives me privileges in printing some private stuff too. But the main thing is that now I can get my tests printed here at the school instead of going downtown and paying for the copies out of my own pocket.
After the test week is over the school is scheduled to close for a month, mid-June to mid-July. But there is talk that the Form-IV students will stay here during that month so they have more time to study and prepare for their National Exams. I’ve been trying to confirm that, but there are no firm answers. It is all vague maybe’s. If the school is open, I would enjoy helping the students during that time. But if it is really closed, I don’t want to stay here for a month with nothing to do. As it is, I am scheduled to go to Dar es Salaam to assist the Peace Corps with a meeting for incoming volunteers, June 13-15. It would be nice to have an answer, so I could make some plans.
But Hodie has been giving me very sad, accusing looks today, and moping around. Ay yi yi. I feel like a heel. Well, not much really, but hey...
The final examinations for the first term begin next week, so this weekend I have to compose their chemistry test. At the last graduation, the speaker became an important benefactor, and gave the school a couple of new computers for the office, a printer and a state of the art photocopier. I help the secretaries with how to Word and the printer, so that gives me privileges in printing some private stuff too. But the main thing is that now I can get my tests printed here at the school instead of going downtown and paying for the copies out of my own pocket.
After the test week is over the school is scheduled to close for a month, mid-June to mid-July. But there is talk that the Form-IV students will stay here during that month so they have more time to study and prepare for their National Exams. I’ve been trying to confirm that, but there are no firm answers. It is all vague maybe’s. If the school is open, I would enjoy helping the students during that time. But if it is really closed, I don’t want to stay here for a month with nothing to do. As it is, I am scheduled to go to Dar es Salaam to assist the Peace Corps with a meeting for incoming volunteers, June 13-15. It would be nice to have an answer, so I could make some plans.
Monday, May 23, 2005
Saturday.
A cool day, relaxed and pleasant. Kara, Ryan and I played Scrabble last night, and Kara stayed over again to do some errands in town this morning before going back to Sumve. I wrote some emails to family and started reading Isabel Allende’s book Paula on the patio with a puppy in my lap. Tough life.
But at 2:10 Adam came by, wondering why nobody was around for the 2:30 meeting.
2:30 MEETING?
Holy shit! How could I have been so oblivious, after all the effort I’d put into getting speakers from the Rotary Club to come out to talk to us about entrepreneurship, coordinating schedules, getting the school to set up chairs in the Dining Hall, arranging for the girls taking the course at Nganza to join us...
Sometimes I think my brain just slips a gear now and then.
Well, time enough to recover. I checked the Dining Hall. Yes, the chairs were set up and it was ready for us. Mrs. Kasura assured me that our students would be there at 2:30, as soon as they finished eating. Called the Rotarians. Yes, they were on the way but the road had been blocked for construction so they would be late. Called John to see that the girls were on the way – it is about a one-mile hike for them. NO. Seems they were having some kind of school meeting. I just about went off the deep end. He assured me that they would be there – probably his way of getting me off the phone.
The meeting got underway at 3:10. Not bad actually, for a Tanzanian meeting. Dilip gave a powerful off-the-cuff presentation on how he started his business when he just couldn’t stand working for somebody else any longer. He stressed the importance of having a reputation for honesty and hard work – other people will help you when you need it if they trust you and have faith in your plans. And he said you WILL need help along the line, because starting a business is really hard.
The students ate it up, and asked very good questions afterwards. It really is good to have outside speakers like this. It puts some reality onto what they are reading and hearing from their instructors.
The girls arrived about 4:15, so they missed the really important presentation of Dilip’s. I gave both John and Adam a tongue-lashing afterwards for not giving the course a high enough priority at Nganza, and for not protecting the course from all the other unscheduled events that come along.
Maybe the girls can come to Mwanza Secondary School next Saturday, when the Rotary will talk to the other two schools presenting the course.
A cool day, relaxed and pleasant. Kara, Ryan and I played Scrabble last night, and Kara stayed over again to do some errands in town this morning before going back to Sumve. I wrote some emails to family and started reading Isabel Allende’s book Paula on the patio with a puppy in my lap. Tough life.
But at 2:10 Adam came by, wondering why nobody was around for the 2:30 meeting.
2:30 MEETING?
Holy shit! How could I have been so oblivious, after all the effort I’d put into getting speakers from the Rotary Club to come out to talk to us about entrepreneurship, coordinating schedules, getting the school to set up chairs in the Dining Hall, arranging for the girls taking the course at Nganza to join us...
Sometimes I think my brain just slips a gear now and then.
Well, time enough to recover. I checked the Dining Hall. Yes, the chairs were set up and it was ready for us. Mrs. Kasura assured me that our students would be there at 2:30, as soon as they finished eating. Called the Rotarians. Yes, they were on the way but the road had been blocked for construction so they would be late. Called John to see that the girls were on the way – it is about a one-mile hike for them. NO. Seems they were having some kind of school meeting. I just about went off the deep end. He assured me that they would be there – probably his way of getting me off the phone.
The meeting got underway at 3:10. Not bad actually, for a Tanzanian meeting. Dilip gave a powerful off-the-cuff presentation on how he started his business when he just couldn’t stand working for somebody else any longer. He stressed the importance of having a reputation for honesty and hard work – other people will help you when you need it if they trust you and have faith in your plans. And he said you WILL need help along the line, because starting a business is really hard.
The students ate it up, and asked very good questions afterwards. It really is good to have outside speakers like this. It puts some reality onto what they are reading and hearing from their instructors.
The girls arrived about 4:15, so they missed the really important presentation of Dilip’s. I gave both John and Adam a tongue-lashing afterwards for not giving the course a high enough priority at Nganza, and for not protecting the course from all the other unscheduled events that come along.
Maybe the girls can come to Mwanza Secondary School next Saturday, when the Rotary will talk to the other two schools presenting the course.
Nothing is wasted in Africa. You hear the fundis hammering along the side of the road while you are riding your bicycle. They are reshaping bits of scrap sheet metal or flattening sections of corrugated roofing for a second life as frying pans, lids, or other appliances. Yesterday’s cow patties have been turned into swiss cheese today by the dung beetles rolling away sections of this windfall for nourishment of their next generation. Hopelessly worn out clothes turn into soccer balls or floor mops. Plastic disposable cups or plates simply don’t exist here – I guess nobody has figured out how to reuse them.
I was thinking of this as I was reading on the patio this morning The puppies had spilled some of their food – cooked rice laced with ground peanuts, oil, and cooked tomato and banana. Within 15 minutes, the birds that have nested in eaves of the house were there, filling their beaks to take back to their young. Yesterday I bought some more rice, spilled some of it on the patio and swept it off the edge. Right away, the birds were there to claim the grains of rice, but also there were bunches of small ants busily carrying off the smaller and broken grains.
I was thinking of this as I was reading on the patio this morning The puppies had spilled some of their food – cooked rice laced with ground peanuts, oil, and cooked tomato and banana. Within 15 minutes, the birds that have nested in eaves of the house were there, filling their beaks to take back to their young. Yesterday I bought some more rice, spilled some of it on the patio and swept it off the edge. Right away, the birds were there to claim the grains of rice, but also there were bunches of small ants busily carrying off the smaller and broken grains.
Friday, May 20, 2005
*** The Canine Report ***
It was a tough couple of days there for Hodie. At first I really was concerned that she was at least blinded and perhaps even poisoned systemically. The day after I found her hurting and with eyes swollen shut she was still listless, would not eat, and still could not open her eyes. By late that afternoon, when I’d had time to go to town for some anti-inflammatory eye drops with antibiotics, she was able to open her eyes to a slit, at least. I don’t know how much her improvement has been due to the drops or just the passage of time, but she is just about back to normal now. She still has a dark crusty ring around her eyes, but she can open them, the swelling is down, and she clearly sees OK. Whew!
The drops must help, though. She doesn’t like getting drops in her eyes of course, but really she doesn’t fight me on it like she did at first when I was trying to use water to rinse her eyes.
The neighbors are pretty much in agreement that Yep, it had to be a snake. Black Mamba, they say. The weeds around my house should be chopped back to avoid hiding snakes, they say. So that explains why all Africa houses are in the middle of hard-packed dirt from which all vestiges of green growth are removed. The absence of green is also supposed to help in keeping mosquitoes away from the houses. Sounds reasonable enough.
I gave away two puppies today, and got a letter from the White Fathers who have a Center near me that they would like to take two pups themselves, a male and a female. I visited the White Fathers just last week, and in our conversation learned that Hodie’s Mother had been their dog. So giving them two grandchildren would kind-of be completing the cycle.
The first pup went to another Nsumba teacher, a sweet woman who has been very helpful to me and would like a dog in order to feel safer in her place. She will clearly take very good care of the little guy. The second went to my neighbor who has a lot of small children. I had to teach the children how to pet and not poke, but they seemed to be getting it. However this evening they brought the little guy back – he was crying and making so much noise they couldn’t stand it.
It is kind of tough to give these puppies away, no matter how necessary that might be. They are just at that cutest stage – the one where pet stores love to showcase them. Not quite walking confidently yet, but anxious to explore everything. Tails wagging to extreme. Alert, playful. One of them has dark blue eyes. Striking.
It was a tough couple of days there for Hodie. At first I really was concerned that she was at least blinded and perhaps even poisoned systemically. The day after I found her hurting and with eyes swollen shut she was still listless, would not eat, and still could not open her eyes. By late that afternoon, when I’d had time to go to town for some anti-inflammatory eye drops with antibiotics, she was able to open her eyes to a slit, at least. I don’t know how much her improvement has been due to the drops or just the passage of time, but she is just about back to normal now. She still has a dark crusty ring around her eyes, but she can open them, the swelling is down, and she clearly sees OK. Whew!
The drops must help, though. She doesn’t like getting drops in her eyes of course, but really she doesn’t fight me on it like she did at first when I was trying to use water to rinse her eyes.
The neighbors are pretty much in agreement that Yep, it had to be a snake. Black Mamba, they say. The weeds around my house should be chopped back to avoid hiding snakes, they say. So that explains why all Africa houses are in the middle of hard-packed dirt from which all vestiges of green growth are removed. The absence of green is also supposed to help in keeping mosquitoes away from the houses. Sounds reasonable enough.
I gave away two puppies today, and got a letter from the White Fathers who have a Center near me that they would like to take two pups themselves, a male and a female. I visited the White Fathers just last week, and in our conversation learned that Hodie’s Mother had been their dog. So giving them two grandchildren would kind-of be completing the cycle.
The first pup went to another Nsumba teacher, a sweet woman who has been very helpful to me and would like a dog in order to feel safer in her place. She will clearly take very good care of the little guy. The second went to my neighbor who has a lot of small children. I had to teach the children how to pet and not poke, but they seemed to be getting it. However this evening they brought the little guy back – he was crying and making so much noise they couldn’t stand it.
It is kind of tough to give these puppies away, no matter how necessary that might be. They are just at that cutest stage – the one where pet stores love to showcase them. Not quite walking confidently yet, but anxious to explore everything. Tails wagging to extreme. Alert, playful. One of them has dark blue eyes. Striking.
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
I went downtown to attend a meeting of the Rotary club last night so I could arrange their participation in a program to have successful local entrepreneurs talk to our students. Had to take a taxi back home because at 9:00 the daladalas weren’t running any longer.
I had left the puppies running loose in the courtyard, with Hodie outside so she could roam, or sit in front of the door and wait for me.
When I got home, Hodie wasn’t in front of the door. I found her in the back near the door to the courtyard, and she began barking at me. She followed me to the front door, but seemed to be acting funny. Then I saw the problem. Her eyes were completely swollen shut and were obviously bothering her a lot. If I forced them open, her eyes were all red – I don’t even know if she has sight in them or not. She was also spending a lot of time licking her paw, and her paw felt hot. I felt so sorry for her, and didn’t know what to do.
I splashed water on her eyes, as best I could – she didn’t like that at all – and soaked her paw. I tried to call the vet, but the line kept getting cut off. So I held her a lot, and made her as comfortable as I could.
This morning she is listless and won’t eat. Her eyes are still very swollen and bothersome, but she seems to be able to at least open them to a slit.
I don’t know what happened. I first thought of angry neighbors and lye, but she doesn’t seem scarred and her fur is intact – if someone threw a chemical on her would have involved her nose and muzzle too. All I can think of is maybe one of those spitting snakes we read about here did her in. They are supposed to spray venom at the face of their prey, aiming for the eyes. But apart from cages in museums, I have yet to see a snake in Africa either alive or dead, even as road kill, although everyone says they are all around. Still, a snake seems the best explanation of how my chicken died, and Hodie does stick her nose into anything that looks interesting.
The poor pooch!
I had left the puppies running loose in the courtyard, with Hodie outside so she could roam, or sit in front of the door and wait for me.
When I got home, Hodie wasn’t in front of the door. I found her in the back near the door to the courtyard, and she began barking at me. She followed me to the front door, but seemed to be acting funny. Then I saw the problem. Her eyes were completely swollen shut and were obviously bothering her a lot. If I forced them open, her eyes were all red – I don’t even know if she has sight in them or not. She was also spending a lot of time licking her paw, and her paw felt hot. I felt so sorry for her, and didn’t know what to do.
I splashed water on her eyes, as best I could – she didn’t like that at all – and soaked her paw. I tried to call the vet, but the line kept getting cut off. So I held her a lot, and made her as comfortable as I could.
This morning she is listless and won’t eat. Her eyes are still very swollen and bothersome, but she seems to be able to at least open them to a slit.
I don’t know what happened. I first thought of angry neighbors and lye, but she doesn’t seem scarred and her fur is intact – if someone threw a chemical on her would have involved her nose and muzzle too. All I can think of is maybe one of those spitting snakes we read about here did her in. They are supposed to spray venom at the face of their prey, aiming for the eyes. But apart from cages in museums, I have yet to see a snake in Africa either alive or dead, even as road kill, although everyone says they are all around. Still, a snake seems the best explanation of how my chicken died, and Hodie does stick her nose into anything that looks interesting.
The poor pooch!
I went downtown to attend a meeting of the Rotary club last night so I could arrange their participation in a program to have successful local entrepreneurs talk to our students. Had to take a taxi back home because at 9:00 the daladalas weren’t running any longer.
I had left the puppies running loose in the courtyard, with Hodie outside so she could roam, or sit in front of the door and wait for me.
When I got home, Hodie wasn’t in front of the door. I found her in the back near the door to the courtyard, and she began barking at me. She followed me to the front door, but seemed to be acting funny. Then I saw the problem. Her eyes were completely swollen shut and were obviously bothering her a lot. If I forced them open, her eyes were all red – I don’t even know if she has sight in them or not. She was also spending a lot of time licking her paw, and her paw felt hot. I felt so sorry for her, and didn’t know what to do.
I splashed water on her eyes, as best I could – she didn’t like that at all – and soaked her paw. I tried to call the vet, but the line kept getting cut off. So I held her a lot, and made her as comfortable as I could.
This morning she is listless and won’t eat. Her eyes are still very swollen and bothersome, but she seems to be able to at least open them to a slit.
I don’t know what happened. I first thought of angry neighbors and lye, but she doesn’t seem scarred and her fur is intact – if someone threw a chemical on her would have involved her nose and muzzle too. All I can think of is maybe one of those spitting snakes we read about here did her in. They are supposed to spray venom at the face of their prey, aiming for the eyes. But apart from cages in museums, I have yet to see a snake in Africa either alive or dead, even as road kill, although everyone says they are all around. Still, a snake seems the best explanation of how my chicken died, and Hodie does stick her nose into anything that looks interesting.
The poor pooch!
I had left the puppies running loose in the courtyard, with Hodie outside so she could roam, or sit in front of the door and wait for me.
When I got home, Hodie wasn’t in front of the door. I found her in the back near the door to the courtyard, and she began barking at me. She followed me to the front door, but seemed to be acting funny. Then I saw the problem. Her eyes were completely swollen shut and were obviously bothering her a lot. If I forced them open, her eyes were all red – I don’t even know if she has sight in them or not. She was also spending a lot of time licking her paw, and her paw felt hot. I felt so sorry for her, and didn’t know what to do.
I splashed water on her eyes, as best I could – she didn’t like that at all – and soaked her paw. I tried to call the vet, but the line kept getting cut off. So I held her a lot, and made her as comfortable as I could.
This morning she is listless and won’t eat. Her eyes are still very swollen and bothersome, but she seems to be able to at least open them to a slit.
I don’t know what happened. I first thought of angry neighbors and lye, but she doesn’t seem scarred and her fur is intact – if someone threw a chemical on her would have involved her nose and muzzle too. All I can think of is maybe one of those spitting snakes we read about here did her in. They are supposed to spray venom at the face of their prey, aiming for the eyes. But apart from cages in museums, I have yet to see a snake in Africa either alive or dead, even as road kill, although everyone says they are all around. Still, a snake seems the best explanation of how my chicken died, and Hodie does stick her nose into anything that looks interesting.
The poor pooch!
You can lead a horse to water but.....
Man I was really looking forward to teaching this week, starting in on the Organic Chemistry section. My classes really just get a rudimentary introduction to it in this year’s curriculum, but I so much enjoy Organic Chemistry, and it is a chance to again teach chemistry from a systematic framework instead of the straight memorization I’ve had to present up to now. Extraction of metals and Non-metal chemistry. Ugh. That stuff isn’t even taught in US or European courses anymore. But it is in their syllabus, it will be on the National Examination, and so they need to get it.
So I began by talking about Organic Chemistry – why it is taught as a separate topic, why carbon forms so many compounds, how this huge welter of millions of compounds can be simplified into relatively few kinds of reaction groups. My first class didn’t want to hear it. I pasted my flip charts of stuff for them to copy before we talked about it. They didn’t like that – they wanted the discussion FIRST. I’ve learned that that doesn’t work, but it was really hard to get them to copy the stuff down. Some students had borrowed notebooks from older students that had the whole organic course written out. I insisted that they copy my notes anyway, and they didn’t like that either.
I also have some 30 US textbooks left from last year that Shari and her school sent me, and they have an EXCELLENT introduction to Organic. Clear, easy to understand, with color diagrams and easy sample questions with answers. I couldn’t use these books this year until now, because they just don’t cover the boring metal and non-metal reactions. I’d offered them to other chemistry teachers that could have used them, but they didn’t pick up on it. Gotta say THAT bothered me too, but that is another story.
Anyway, I made my pitch to my classes about how great these books are and how they will make learning Organic much easier for them. Since there weren’t enough for everyone, I offered them specifically to the students who had gotten the best grades in the mid-term. THEY DIDN’T WANT THEM! I then opened the offer to everybody, and a couple of students did take some books. In one class, I managed to give away eight books. In my BEST class, NOBODY took one. After I had the students carry the books back to my house, I really pressed them on why they wouldn’t take advantage of an offer like this. They said they were afraid the books would be stolen from them and they would then be in trouble. I believe that about halfway. Maybe less.
The students are already getting up-tight about the National Exams. There are signs in my classrooms ONLY 145 DAYS TO THE NECTA EXAM. I think they are totally fixated on the idea that the only way to prepare is to memorize all the questions from all the old exams they can find, and anything else is a waste of time. This is such a perversion of learning! There IS no interest in learning, there is only worry about passing the exams. And while I am SURE that the way they are preparing for the exams is counterproductive to the extreme, I really can’t fault them on their emphasis on the exam itself. It really DOES determine their future, and it is highly competitive. Consider that of the students who start primary school, about 1% make it all the way through the system and graduate. Based on the national averages, 75% of my current students will not be accepted to continue after this year.
It is difficult to feel that being a teacher here makes any impact.
And the US is increasingly introducing standardized testing to assess student achievement and teacher competence? Come to Tanzania to see where THAT leads!
I’m so glad I got this entrepreneurship program going. It is taught in Kiswahili, so I don’t even know what is happening when I sit in on the classes, but there IS enthusiasm and engagement going on there. And it is presenting information they CAN actually make use of. So my pleasure is vicarious, but it feels worthwhile anyway.
Man I was really looking forward to teaching this week, starting in on the Organic Chemistry section. My classes really just get a rudimentary introduction to it in this year’s curriculum, but I so much enjoy Organic Chemistry, and it is a chance to again teach chemistry from a systematic framework instead of the straight memorization I’ve had to present up to now. Extraction of metals and Non-metal chemistry. Ugh. That stuff isn’t even taught in US or European courses anymore. But it is in their syllabus, it will be on the National Examination, and so they need to get it.
So I began by talking about Organic Chemistry – why it is taught as a separate topic, why carbon forms so many compounds, how this huge welter of millions of compounds can be simplified into relatively few kinds of reaction groups. My first class didn’t want to hear it. I pasted my flip charts of stuff for them to copy before we talked about it. They didn’t like that – they wanted the discussion FIRST. I’ve learned that that doesn’t work, but it was really hard to get them to copy the stuff down. Some students had borrowed notebooks from older students that had the whole organic course written out. I insisted that they copy my notes anyway, and they didn’t like that either.
I also have some 30 US textbooks left from last year that Shari and her school sent me, and they have an EXCELLENT introduction to Organic. Clear, easy to understand, with color diagrams and easy sample questions with answers. I couldn’t use these books this year until now, because they just don’t cover the boring metal and non-metal reactions. I’d offered them to other chemistry teachers that could have used them, but they didn’t pick up on it. Gotta say THAT bothered me too, but that is another story.
Anyway, I made my pitch to my classes about how great these books are and how they will make learning Organic much easier for them. Since there weren’t enough for everyone, I offered them specifically to the students who had gotten the best grades in the mid-term. THEY DIDN’T WANT THEM! I then opened the offer to everybody, and a couple of students did take some books. In one class, I managed to give away eight books. In my BEST class, NOBODY took one. After I had the students carry the books back to my house, I really pressed them on why they wouldn’t take advantage of an offer like this. They said they were afraid the books would be stolen from them and they would then be in trouble. I believe that about halfway. Maybe less.
The students are already getting up-tight about the National Exams. There are signs in my classrooms ONLY 145 DAYS TO THE NECTA EXAM. I think they are totally fixated on the idea that the only way to prepare is to memorize all the questions from all the old exams they can find, and anything else is a waste of time. This is such a perversion of learning! There IS no interest in learning, there is only worry about passing the exams. And while I am SURE that the way they are preparing for the exams is counterproductive to the extreme, I really can’t fault them on their emphasis on the exam itself. It really DOES determine their future, and it is highly competitive. Consider that of the students who start primary school, about 1% make it all the way through the system and graduate. Based on the national averages, 75% of my current students will not be accepted to continue after this year.
It is difficult to feel that being a teacher here makes any impact.
And the US is increasingly introducing standardized testing to assess student achievement and teacher competence? Come to Tanzania to see where THAT leads!
I’m so glad I got this entrepreneurship program going. It is taught in Kiswahili, so I don’t even know what is happening when I sit in on the classes, but there IS enthusiasm and engagement going on there. And it is presenting information they CAN actually make use of. So my pleasure is vicarious, but it feels worthwhile anyway.
Sunday, May 15, 2005
Saturday.
I went to Nganza at 3 to observe the course. Adam wasn’t there, John was just starting to get out the equipment. It seems that Adam hadn’t been at the meeting he had scheduled for 11:00 yesterday either, because of a school meeting or something. Adam never did get there to help present the course.
John was pretty relaxed about setting up for the course. A few girls wandered in. It seems there was a sporting event that many of the girls had gone to, and a religious event that claimed others. Finally some 14 girls were there, of the supposed 40 in the course, and John suggested that we have the course tomorrow instead of today.
I’m not surprised that other things come up on the weekend. . That is why there aren’t any formal school courses then.A better time needs to be established that has some meaning But Adam’s absence is a problem for me. It seems that he has a brother or something who is sick. OK. But he has now missed 3 consecutive meetings that HE set the time for, and this does not work for me, American that I am. I don’t think it should work for a Tanzanian either.
After leaving Nganza I walked over to Adam’s home. There were a lot of people there, who said that he had gone downtown, to the Hospital.
I think Hodie and I need to walk up the hill tonight to watch the sunset.
I went to Nganza at 3 to observe the course. Adam wasn’t there, John was just starting to get out the equipment. It seems that Adam hadn’t been at the meeting he had scheduled for 11:00 yesterday either, because of a school meeting or something. Adam never did get there to help present the course.
John was pretty relaxed about setting up for the course. A few girls wandered in. It seems there was a sporting event that many of the girls had gone to, and a religious event that claimed others. Finally some 14 girls were there, of the supposed 40 in the course, and John suggested that we have the course tomorrow instead of today.
I’m not surprised that other things come up on the weekend. . That is why there aren’t any formal school courses then.A better time needs to be established that has some meaning But Adam’s absence is a problem for me. It seems that he has a brother or something who is sick. OK. But he has now missed 3 consecutive meetings that HE set the time for, and this does not work for me, American that I am. I don’t think it should work for a Tanzanian either.
After leaving Nganza I walked over to Adam’s home. There were a lot of people there, who said that he had gone downtown, to the Hospital.
I think Hodie and I need to walk up the hill tonight to watch the sunset.
Friday, May 13, 2005
Most of the economics program is going very well. But there may be trouble at Nganza Secondary. Everywhere else, the two teachers at each school are working together, double-teaming their groups. But Nganza has been difficult to get started. First, one of the selected teachers opted out of the training when she decided that she wasn’t going to be paid enough for her participation. Good riddance! At the last minute, Adam volunteered to take her place, which is great, although he is on the faculty of Nsumba instead of Nganza.
Now John, the Nganza teacher, has taken off on his own and has presented the first three chapters all by himself. That isn’t good – the plan had been for both instructors at each school to share the teaching. But in addition, he doesn’t seem to have a specific time to hold the classes, and he claims that his classes – 40 students – have had 100% attendance for all sessions, which seems highly improbable.
The problem seemed to be John going off on his own. During his past week, I have tried to pressure both John and Adam to get together to plan their program, but somehow it just didn’t happen. So I invited them both to my home last night, and reminded them of the meeting. John showed up, even 15 minutes early which is unheard of, but Adam did not. John left after an hour, and I walked to Adam’s home to find that he had gone to town. He came over at 8:15 to apologize and say that one of his relatives was sick, he had to go to see him, and he had run out of minutes on his cellphone. I insisted that he talk to John RIGHT NOW, dialed John’s number from my cellphone and gave it to Adam.
Now they have an appointment to talk at 11:00 this morning. We’ll see what happens. John said his next class will be at 3:00 tomorrow afternoon, and I sure do intend to be there.
Meanwhile, I finally found the vet who had vaccinated Hodie when she was young. He had changed his address and wasn’t easy to find. But now all six puppies have had their shots against rabies, distemper, hepatitis, and parvo virus. The pups are almost four weeks old now, and are getting to be a lot to handle. Hodie doesn’t want much to do with them anymore, and I’m trying to get them started on solid food. I guess it is OK, because they are all fat and healthy, wobbling around, falling over each other, biting and playing. I will try to get back the $10 per puppy for the shots – that will sort out the people who have expressed interest in getting a pup to the ones that really mean it.
Now John, the Nganza teacher, has taken off on his own and has presented the first three chapters all by himself. That isn’t good – the plan had been for both instructors at each school to share the teaching. But in addition, he doesn’t seem to have a specific time to hold the classes, and he claims that his classes – 40 students – have had 100% attendance for all sessions, which seems highly improbable.
The problem seemed to be John going off on his own. During his past week, I have tried to pressure both John and Adam to get together to plan their program, but somehow it just didn’t happen. So I invited them both to my home last night, and reminded them of the meeting. John showed up, even 15 minutes early which is unheard of, but Adam did not. John left after an hour, and I walked to Adam’s home to find that he had gone to town. He came over at 8:15 to apologize and say that one of his relatives was sick, he had to go to see him, and he had run out of minutes on his cellphone. I insisted that he talk to John RIGHT NOW, dialed John’s number from my cellphone and gave it to Adam.
Now they have an appointment to talk at 11:00 this morning. We’ll see what happens. John said his next class will be at 3:00 tomorrow afternoon, and I sure do intend to be there.
Meanwhile, I finally found the vet who had vaccinated Hodie when she was young. He had changed his address and wasn’t easy to find. But now all six puppies have had their shots against rabies, distemper, hepatitis, and parvo virus. The pups are almost four weeks old now, and are getting to be a lot to handle. Hodie doesn’t want much to do with them anymore, and I’m trying to get them started on solid food. I guess it is OK, because they are all fat and healthy, wobbling around, falling over each other, biting and playing. I will try to get back the $10 per puppy for the shots – that will sort out the people who have expressed interest in getting a pup to the ones that really mean it.
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
Sunday, May 8th
Clearly the bloom is off the rose. I realized that this morning when I choose to ride my bike to town on the macadam road instead of taking the scenic back way with its unimpeded view of the valley leading down to the lake, big rocks, goats and cows, and the dukas with the women selling papayas, oranges, bananas, limes, cabbage, spinach, tomatoes, avocados, mangos, pineapples, yams, cassava, onions, fish...
It was a beautiful morning. Cool. Bright blue sky behind broken clouds shielding the morning sun. I had plenty of time. I didn’t want to work up a sweat on the way to the Gurdwara. It was just... well... the beauty of it and the african-ness of it wasn’t enough of an attraction this morning. And yeah, going the back way I know I will have a lot more kids shouting MAZUNGU MAZUNGU at me, and it still does bother me. A lot. You are never allowed to forget that you are an alien, here.
Still, it was a nice ride and I arrived early at the Gurdwara, the first person to take a place, crosslegged, on the mat to listen to the Guru singing songs of praise in a minor key accompanied by the harmonium and tambor. I decided that a big reason why I like this music so much is that in addition to being so different, it is intelligent, adult music and that seems so rare here.
In the afternoon I walked over to the compound of the White Fathers to talk with Father Martin. Five days a week he drives over to the Bujora Museum where he works on collecting, preserving and presenting Sukuma culture and oversees the Museum. He was very glad to hear that my family will be visiting overnight on August 9th, and we talked about the activities. I forgot to mention a campfire, but that should be part of it for sure. We did talk about native dancing, and apparently the dance troupe typically ends with a snake dance. Father Martin described in quite some detail how they handle the pythons, which are up to 5 meters long and quite strong. They are fed a chicken a week, and it must be a live chicken. It gets completely crushed before being swallowed whole, and you can follow its progress through the snake. Cluck, cluck.
There were a bunch of noisy monkeys outside while we talked. Cute little things, white with black faces. The same ones I see now and then when I climb the hill to watch the sunset. Fa. Martin first came to this area in 1961, the year Tanzania got its independence. He says at that time there were lots of baboons in the area then too, and many hyenas. The hyenas were killed off with the poison used in the cotton fields, but some are now coming back – I’ve heard sounds at night that people tell me are hyena calls. Fa. Martin says farmers are glad to see a few hyenas return, because they control the wild pigs that otherwise tear up their crops. I’ve never seen a wild pig around here. But then, I’ve never seen a snake around here either, and they say there are a lot of them.
Clearly the bloom is off the rose. I realized that this morning when I choose to ride my bike to town on the macadam road instead of taking the scenic back way with its unimpeded view of the valley leading down to the lake, big rocks, goats and cows, and the dukas with the women selling papayas, oranges, bananas, limes, cabbage, spinach, tomatoes, avocados, mangos, pineapples, yams, cassava, onions, fish...
It was a beautiful morning. Cool. Bright blue sky behind broken clouds shielding the morning sun. I had plenty of time. I didn’t want to work up a sweat on the way to the Gurdwara. It was just... well... the beauty of it and the african-ness of it wasn’t enough of an attraction this morning. And yeah, going the back way I know I will have a lot more kids shouting MAZUNGU MAZUNGU at me, and it still does bother me. A lot. You are never allowed to forget that you are an alien, here.
Still, it was a nice ride and I arrived early at the Gurdwara, the first person to take a place, crosslegged, on the mat to listen to the Guru singing songs of praise in a minor key accompanied by the harmonium and tambor. I decided that a big reason why I like this music so much is that in addition to being so different, it is intelligent, adult music and that seems so rare here.
In the afternoon I walked over to the compound of the White Fathers to talk with Father Martin. Five days a week he drives over to the Bujora Museum where he works on collecting, preserving and presenting Sukuma culture and oversees the Museum. He was very glad to hear that my family will be visiting overnight on August 9th, and we talked about the activities. I forgot to mention a campfire, but that should be part of it for sure. We did talk about native dancing, and apparently the dance troupe typically ends with a snake dance. Father Martin described in quite some detail how they handle the pythons, which are up to 5 meters long and quite strong. They are fed a chicken a week, and it must be a live chicken. It gets completely crushed before being swallowed whole, and you can follow its progress through the snake. Cluck, cluck.
There were a bunch of noisy monkeys outside while we talked. Cute little things, white with black faces. The same ones I see now and then when I climb the hill to watch the sunset. Fa. Martin first came to this area in 1961, the year Tanzania got its independence. He says at that time there were lots of baboons in the area then too, and many hyenas. The hyenas were killed off with the poison used in the cotton fields, but some are now coming back – I’ve heard sounds at night that people tell me are hyena calls. Fa. Martin says farmers are glad to see a few hyenas return, because they control the wild pigs that otherwise tear up their crops. I’ve never seen a wild pig around here. But then, I’ve never seen a snake around here either, and they say there are a lot of them.
Friday, May 06, 2005
I announced the winners of the Essay Contest at this morning’s Parade. Quite a while ago, at Shari’s suggestion, I had arranged with the English Department that the whole school would write essays on the topic “What Education Means for Me.” The best 5 from each class were then sent to Shari at Yorktown High School in Arlington VA, where the school group Young African American Achievers were to judge them, selecting one winner from each class. The YAAA also raised money so they could pay the next term’s school fees for each of the winners ($35 each).
It has been a big deal. There are some other essay contests that the school puts on, but the idea of getting money for winning was unheard of. I also designed certificates that we gave to the winners – also a big item in Tanzania. Certificates are hoarded, and proudly exhibited whenever someone is job hunting.
All thirteen winners were called in front of the Parade. I made a little speech, we handed out the certificates, the Headmaster made a bigger speech, and everyone clapped. I had given my camera to another teacher who I judged to have at least some little bit of savvy to take pictures of the event. At the end, I did the thing of composing the winners for a standing group shot. Two rows, with the Headmaster on one side and me on the other. Our trusty photographer took multiple photos to be sure at least one or two would be good...
I should have known better. Our trusty photographer took 21 photos. Not exciting photos, but a few did appear to have a worthwhile composition. And Every Last Freaking Photo is Blurred Beyond Hope. Gzzzzhrtz!!!!
Lesson learned: Always ask whether a potential photographer has ever actually taken a photograph before enlisting his help.
My last class today was discouraging. It was the last period of the day, so the kids were tired and restless, and it was raining. I was trying to get them to discuss global warming and greenhouse gases, and they just weren’t having it. The bell rang while I was in the middle of an explanation, and it all just disintegrated. I was pissed off enough that I walked home in the rain instead of waiting for it to stop.
Home, I took off my wet shirt and was just standing there, grumpy, when a student showed up at the door. Antidius Henry was unhappy with his Award certificate. He has been baptized, or converted, or saved, or something, and his name is no longer Antidius Henry, it is now Alfred Kafuku. He wants the certificate to say Alfred Kafuku.
I had already finished off my booze the other night, so had to make do with a glass of wine.
It has been a big deal. There are some other essay contests that the school puts on, but the idea of getting money for winning was unheard of. I also designed certificates that we gave to the winners – also a big item in Tanzania. Certificates are hoarded, and proudly exhibited whenever someone is job hunting.
All thirteen winners were called in front of the Parade. I made a little speech, we handed out the certificates, the Headmaster made a bigger speech, and everyone clapped. I had given my camera to another teacher who I judged to have at least some little bit of savvy to take pictures of the event. At the end, I did the thing of composing the winners for a standing group shot. Two rows, with the Headmaster on one side and me on the other. Our trusty photographer took multiple photos to be sure at least one or two would be good...
I should have known better. Our trusty photographer took 21 photos. Not exciting photos, but a few did appear to have a worthwhile composition. And Every Last Freaking Photo is Blurred Beyond Hope. Gzzzzhrtz!!!!
Lesson learned: Always ask whether a potential photographer has ever actually taken a photograph before enlisting his help.
My last class today was discouraging. It was the last period of the day, so the kids were tired and restless, and it was raining. I was trying to get them to discuss global warming and greenhouse gases, and they just weren’t having it. The bell rang while I was in the middle of an explanation, and it all just disintegrated. I was pissed off enough that I walked home in the rain instead of waiting for it to stop.
Home, I took off my wet shirt and was just standing there, grumpy, when a student showed up at the door. Antidius Henry was unhappy with his Award certificate. He has been baptized, or converted, or saved, or something, and his name is no longer Antidius Henry, it is now Alfred Kafuku. He wants the certificate to say Alfred Kafuku.
I had already finished off my booze the other night, so had to make do with a glass of wine.
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
Deja vu. It is the second turn of the seasons, and every now and then seasonal things happen that doesn’t seem strange this time around, but I remember my surprise last year. Like finding that the shower drain was blocked by a frog who chose to live there. Yep, there is another frog in the drain this year, and lots of frogs hopping in my courtyard every night. And last night there were suddenly thousands of the double-winged bugs around my house, the ones that apparently are super-delicious. Paul was mad at me last year for not telling me they were there until it was too late and my neighbors grabbed them all up. So this year I scraped up about half a margarine container of them for him.
Yesterday I really tried to find out what the structure is for grading my Form IV students. They just had a mid-term exam. Do I give a terminal exam in June, as seems normal? Yes. So it seems pretty clear that like last year, their first term grade will be the average of these two tests – other quizzes won’t count toward the grade. But this grade will be used for “Continuing Assessment” and NOT for their final course grade. Then in the second term, there is a “Mock Exam” at the end of July. This is a regional exam, sort of a warm-up for the National Exam. But it is taken very seriously, and results are sent to Dar es Salaam and compared to all the other schools. But does it count toward their final grade? No answer on that. Do I give a midterm exam in the second term? Yes. Does it count, since the final big National Examination is what everything depends on? No clear answer. Do I also give a terminal exam? No. Oh well, I’ll just continue to play it by ear. But this school system has certainly made me very skeptical of the educational value of Standardized National Examinations!
All Hodie’s puppies have their eyes open by now, and they are just beginning to explore their territory. They are a lot cuter – and bigger. Hodie seems to be very thin. I hope she is eating enough, and not losing nutrition through worms or something. Looking at the size of those six plump puppies, it must be a real strain on her system to be producing all the food they need to grow. She isn’t bothered at all when I pick up or carry away a puppy or two, but she growls and snaps if anyone else threatens to get too close for her comfort zone.
Yesterday I really tried to find out what the structure is for grading my Form IV students. They just had a mid-term exam. Do I give a terminal exam in June, as seems normal? Yes. So it seems pretty clear that like last year, their first term grade will be the average of these two tests – other quizzes won’t count toward the grade. But this grade will be used for “Continuing Assessment” and NOT for their final course grade. Then in the second term, there is a “Mock Exam” at the end of July. This is a regional exam, sort of a warm-up for the National Exam. But it is taken very seriously, and results are sent to Dar es Salaam and compared to all the other schools. But does it count toward their final grade? No answer on that. Do I give a midterm exam in the second term? Yes. Does it count, since the final big National Examination is what everything depends on? No clear answer. Do I also give a terminal exam? No. Oh well, I’ll just continue to play it by ear. But this school system has certainly made me very skeptical of the educational value of Standardized National Examinations!
All Hodie’s puppies have their eyes open by now, and they are just beginning to explore their territory. They are a lot cuter – and bigger. Hodie seems to be very thin. I hope she is eating enough, and not losing nutrition through worms or something. Looking at the size of those six plump puppies, it must be a real strain on her system to be producing all the food they need to grow. She isn’t bothered at all when I pick up or carry away a puppy or two, but she growls and snaps if anyone else threatens to get too close for her comfort zone.
Deja vu. It is the second turn of the seasons, and every now and then seasonal things happen that doesn’t seem strange this time around, but I remember my surprise last year. Like finding that the shower drain was blocked by a frog who chose to live there. Yep, there is another frog in the drain this year, and lots of frogs hopping in my courtyard every night. And last night there were suddenly thousands of the double-winged bugs around my house, the ones that apparently are super-delicious. Paul was mad at me last year for not telling me they were there until it was too late and my neighbors grabbed them all up. So this year I scraped up about half a margarine container of them for him.
Yesterday I really tried to find out what the structure is for grading my Form IV students. They just had a mid-term exam. Do I give a terminal exam in June, as seems normal? Yes. So it seems pretty clear that like last year, their first term grade will be the average of these two tests – other quizzes won’t count toward the grade. But this grade will be used for “Continuing Assessment” and NOT for their final course grade. Then in the second term, there is a “Mock Exam” at the end of July. This is a regional exam, sort of a warm-up for the National Exam. But it is taken very seriously, and results are sent to Dar es Salaam and compared to all the other schools. But does it count toward their final grade? No answer on that. Do I give a midterm exam in the second term? Yes. Does it count, since the final big National Examination is what everything depends on? No clear answer. Do I also give a terminal exam? No. Oh well, I’ll just continue to play it by ear. But this school system has certainly made me very skeptical of the educational value of Standardized National Examinations!
All Hodie’s puppies have their eyes open by now, and they are just beginning to explore their territory. They are a lot cuter – and bigger. Hodie seems to be very thin. I hope she is eating enough, and not losing nutrition through worms or something. Looking at the size of those six plump puppies, it must be a real strain on her system to be producing all the food they need to grow. She isn’t bothered at all when I pick up or carry away a puppy or two, but she growls and snaps if anyone else threatens to get too close for her comfort zone.
Yesterday I really tried to find out what the structure is for grading my Form IV students. They just had a mid-term exam. Do I give a terminal exam in June, as seems normal? Yes. So it seems pretty clear that like last year, their first term grade will be the average of these two tests – other quizzes won’t count toward the grade. But this grade will be used for “Continuing Assessment” and NOT for their final course grade. Then in the second term, there is a “Mock Exam” at the end of July. This is a regional exam, sort of a warm-up for the National Exam. But it is taken very seriously, and results are sent to Dar es Salaam and compared to all the other schools. But does it count toward their final grade? No answer on that. Do I give a midterm exam in the second term? Yes. Does it count, since the final big National Examination is what everything depends on? No clear answer. Do I also give a terminal exam? No. Oh well, I’ll just continue to play it by ear. But this school system has certainly made me very skeptical of the educational value of Standardized National Examinations!
All Hodie’s puppies have their eyes open by now, and they are just beginning to explore their territory. They are a lot cuter – and bigger. Hodie seems to be very thin. I hope she is eating enough, and not losing nutrition through worms or something. Looking at the size of those six plump puppies, it must be a real strain on her system to be producing all the food they need to grow. She isn’t bothered at all when I pick up or carry away a puppy or two, but she growls and snaps if anyone else threatens to get too close for her comfort zone.
