This last month has been a world wind, literately and figuratively! I was able to finish up the curriculum in both my 9th and 10th grade classes! This is a huge relief for me because the last month of school now can be a review of the material they didn't understand! For my 9th graders I plan on using the math books Patty sent me which have lots of fun games and exercises for them. I started doing an in class project each day this last week and it went wonderful. We were doing geometry, often a very boring chapter, but I had them use paper and create a cube which I would give them a grade on and I have never had more of their attention in any other class. So now they look forward to the activity at the end of each class, which makes teaching much more fun for me as well. With my 10th graders it's a different story we have to do a lot of reviewing for the Brevet they have on June 18. Right now out of 60 students, 28 of them will be able to sit for the Brevet and unfortunately the others whom have already tried once, will be forced to leave school and unable to continue on to high school. It's crazy, imagine being told you couldn't continue on? What would you do? A lot of them will go to work in the fields, turn to drugs and alcohol, pick up trades, or become chauffeurs! I also had my 9th vs 10th graders final soccer match with ended with a success, no fights! But I was quite nervous because the 10th graders made me promise that if they won the match they could kill my chicken and I would cook for them. Thankfully 9th grade won and I was off the hook!
Besides that I have had screens put up on the windows and doors, I had a bed frame made and a hay mattress made for my sister. Had a bench made, bought a chair and hung up curtains. It's starting to look pretty homey! Rainy season has begun, which also mean planting season has begun. My neighbors all kept asking me if I could use a hoe, so I finally showed up in their yard with my hoe to show them I could help, and they at first were excited then gradually told me I could stop but to leave the hoe. Their excuse was it was bad for my back, or that they had finished even though they would continue working on. So I think I determined, I am not actually quite skilled with my hoe yet. But I am a good seeder, I've been helping plant cassava, gumbo, and soon we will be doing peanuts and corn!
But the other day I had to walk over and confirm a ride to get Nicole home from the capital, when I casually turned around and saw this pitch black sky coming for me. At first I thought I was in the Wizard of Oz, then realized I was going to water log my phone if I didn't get going. So I started running in my flip flops and pagne (a piece of cloth you wrap around you and try to secure at the top with a tuck in) but had to pick up my shoes and sprint to my neighbors house, with my fabric falling almost completely off. The winds were incredible and I was scared I might be picked up off the ground, but thankfully made it safe to a sheltered area. Everything is starting to turn green again instead of the dusty red and black burnt fields!
I took off today at 9am in a taxi to get to the capital and didn't arrive till 7:30pm, when I got out of the car, it looked as though I had really had become integrated, because my face was black from exhaust and dust! I am just going to paint a picture for you... imagine the worst looking station wagon you have seen in the US, then in your mind imagine that car rolled down a mountain, then put back on the road as a taxi. Yes that's what I was riding in, and because it was piled so high of luggage on the roof, the poor engine kept over heating so we would have to stop at a river side and pour water on the engine. Good fix right! Even worse at one of the check points coming into the capital, our car was stopped and we were all asked for our identity cards. I handed mine over which says PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER... and the officer asked for my vaccination card which I didn't have with me, so he said I would have to pay him 50,000 francs. I said I couldn't do that, and he said I needed to get out of the car. All the women in my car turned to me and said, "Don't you get out of this car" then the men in the car started yelling at the officer saying that I was a volunteer and here to help his country. He finally left me go and said I needed to follow the rules! Needless to say after my long ride then running into that I was so thankful to get to the Peace Corps house and take a nice shower and come back to my natural color! Oh it's an adventure.
Nicole is flying in tomorrow and staying for a moth, so I will make sure to keep you posted on her time here! I will be amazing having her here! Also thank you co workers!!!! I received your package of goodies which I had to do everything in my power not to eat everything. And thank you family for my birthday prensents and more importantly the note! I love you!
