A lot of internet problems.
Have had some great, busy days. My friend Vicki Graf visited from LA -- what a great honour to host her. And now we have 12 American colleagues with us talking about what it means to be a Jesuit school. Great conversations.
Okay, gotta head back to Ihumwa from the city. Say a prayer the connectivity gets better.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Whew!
The students have gone home for a three-week break -- it doesn't give us a break, but it does give us a bit of a breather.
I said goodbye to them last Saturday and immediately tested 16 candidates who want to join us for the second term (9 of them made it). I've also been working on some planning for next term, including trying to hire an agriculture teacher (part-time).
Today I toured the Jesuit residence with Sossy (I'm pushing for it to be named Fabre House, but we'll see what happens). It looks as if it will be completed in time to host our 12 guests from Chicago-Detroit Province Jesuit high schools and the 10 visitors from schools of the Eastern Africa Province. It will be tight, but we'll make it, I'm pretty sure.
As I said in the title: Whew!
I said goodbye to them last Saturday and immediately tested 16 candidates who want to join us for the second term (9 of them made it). I've also been working on some planning for next term, including trying to hire an agriculture teacher (part-time).
Today I toured the Jesuit residence with Sossy (I'm pushing for it to be named Fabre House, but we'll see what happens). It looks as if it will be completed in time to host our 12 guests from Chicago-Detroit Province Jesuit high schools and the 10 visitors from schools of the Eastern Africa Province. It will be tight, but we'll make it, I'm pretty sure.
As I said in the title: Whew!
Some More Wildlife
I let Chui out last night because he was restless -- unusual for him. In any case, he ran up to our roof as soon as I let him out, and I thought nothing more of it.
An hour or so later I was in bed and I heard a cat fight. I thought maybe he found his sister, who ran away as soon as she arrived 4 months ago (and whom we see from time to time). It wasn't a long fight. I then heard something hit a rail and then silence. I went back to bed.
This morning I went looking for Chui and found a dead genet just outside our house. Chui took care of us -- but got beaten up. All day long he's been listless.
Here's the dead genet.
An hour or so later I was in bed and I heard a cat fight. I thought maybe he found his sister, who ran away as soon as she arrived 4 months ago (and whom we see from time to time). It wasn't a long fight. I then heard something hit a rail and then silence. I went back to bed.
This morning I went looking for Chui and found a dead genet just outside our house. Chui took care of us -- but got beaten up. All day long he's been listless.
Here's the dead genet.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Language School
We are running our own 3-week language school for students at SPCHS who are struggling with English. Our students are on break, but 7 of them (rather than the 15 expected) showed up this morning.
The morning is divided in thirds. The first third is grammar (taught by me); the second third is writing/speaking, and the last third of the day is reading. I taught all three parts today and most enjoyed the second part during which the students got into pairs and came up with 5 sentences to describe a photograph they were shown.
What struck me is how there is not a bit of a critical faculty that's been developed in these kids. Schooling here is all about memorizing things, about memorizing answers, etc. The idea of figuring out vocabulary from the context of reading -- and struggling to do that rather than simply being given a list to memorize -- is so foreign to these kids. I have to take deep breaths because I get so frustrated (not with them but with how they've been so poorly served).
I cannot wait for the teachers college to get up and running to start helping teachers to do something different in the classrooms.
The morning is divided in thirds. The first third is grammar (taught by me); the second third is writing/speaking, and the last third of the day is reading. I taught all three parts today and most enjoyed the second part during which the students got into pairs and came up with 5 sentences to describe a photograph they were shown.
What struck me is how there is not a bit of a critical faculty that's been developed in these kids. Schooling here is all about memorizing things, about memorizing answers, etc. The idea of figuring out vocabulary from the context of reading -- and struggling to do that rather than simply being given a list to memorize -- is so foreign to these kids. I have to take deep breaths because I get so frustrated (not with them but with how they've been so poorly served).
I cannot wait for the teachers college to get up and running to start helping teachers to do something different in the classrooms.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Gotta Be Honest
There are few things I don't like about TZ. But here's one of them: Disregard for traffic safety. And tonight I witnessed the aftermath of a fatal accident for the second time in as many years. I won't go into the gory details of what I saw along 200 meters of roadway except to say that it was a motorcyclist who lost his life.
There is such disregard for life among drivers -- including traveling at 100 kph on city streets, daring to pass with on-coming traffic. I have had enough of it. Really.
There is such disregard for life among drivers -- including traveling at 100 kph on city streets, daring to pass with on-coming traffic. I have had enough of it. Really.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
A Marvelous Night for a Moon Dance
What a sight last night! The lunar eclipse. It took about an hour for the full moon to turn a dusty orange as the shadow swept across it. It was also interesting to see the stars come out as the moon got darker. Really, a beautiful sight to behold.
Obviously with the title you know I'm thinking of Van... (not the best version).
Obviously with the title you know I'm thinking of Van... (not the best version).
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Wild Kingdom
I won't bore you with another Chui story except to tell you that I was narrating to Sr. Maria Chui's latest kill (a rat that it brought to me for my approval before the coup de grace), when she got excited. "Oh, Father! I forgot to tell you the news of Miyuji" (an area on the northern edge of Dodoma -- rather like a mini-Vatican given all the religious institutions. We're on the southeastern edge.) The news? They shot a leopard (chui) at the Ivreas' novitiate!
A leopard (or any other big cat -- or big wild game of any sort) is very rarely seen in these parts. Two years ago, according to Sr. Maria, five elephants were seen just a few kilometres farther north than Miyuji. Now that's exciting.
The other wildness was the phenomenon of a kimbunga, a whirlwind. I heard the rustling of leaves and looked out my window to see it start under a nearby tree. Within five seconds this mini-tornado gathered strength, shaking loose the dead leaves of the tree, gathering the litter on the ground and heading right toward our building. It passed us and then continued on the field on the other side, moving very slowly and filling the sky with leaves and litter (cement bags from the construction site). All I could think of was the sad death of a Standard 8 boy at the Lutheran Junior Seminary where I studied Kiswahili. His mother had witnessed a kimbunga pass him, and 2 weeks later he died in a horrible accident. She was certain the whirlwind was composed of evil spirts. Having witnessed it, I can see why.
A leopard (or any other big cat -- or big wild game of any sort) is very rarely seen in these parts. Two years ago, according to Sr. Maria, five elephants were seen just a few kilometres farther north than Miyuji. Now that's exciting.
The other wildness was the phenomenon of a kimbunga, a whirlwind. I heard the rustling of leaves and looked out my window to see it start under a nearby tree. Within five seconds this mini-tornado gathered strength, shaking loose the dead leaves of the tree, gathering the litter on the ground and heading right toward our building. It passed us and then continued on the field on the other side, moving very slowly and filling the sky with leaves and litter (cement bags from the construction site). All I could think of was the sad death of a Standard 8 boy at the Lutheran Junior Seminary where I studied Kiswahili. His mother had witnessed a kimbunga pass him, and 2 weeks later he died in a horrible accident. She was certain the whirlwind was composed of evil spirts. Having witnessed it, I can see why.
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