I finished the second trimester!!!! Thankfully it ended on a good note, but I am quite tired and was really looking forward to the break. We had to calculate grades for the end of the semester so the teachers gave me the notebooks and I calculated the grades. I did seventh, eighth, and tenth grades and as myself and another professor were about to start classing the students one of other professors said he forgot to write his grades in. So that consisted of us having to recalculate all the grades. Therefore the professor read each grade to me then I would calculate it on my calculator. We did that for 70 so students. Time consuming to say in the least. Also as we were calculating the grades, sitting in the 9th grade classroom, we noticed a “funny smell”. One of the students must have been in a hurry because he happened to relieve himself on the chalkboard eraser. Interesting.
BODIE got a computer. One of the wealthier “patrons” or as Guineans say “boss” donated a computer and printer/scanner. I was sleeping on my porch, like usual in the afternoon, when I heard a loud beep from a motorcycle. Next thing I knew one of the men in my villages was next to me yelling, “Are you sleeping?” I was faced down on a mat on my porch with sweat pouring off of me. I did everything in my power not to make an inappropriate comment. He made me get up and head to the library. There he showed me the computer and said put it together. In Guinea when there is something new, normally about 25 people stand in a circle and just stare as well as offer their advice on how it should be done. So about 15 minutes later, after setting the computer up and asking people to “please not touch the computer, and no that cord does not go there” I had the computer set up and running. It’s fantastic. Thankfully all the programs are there; word, excel, etc.
That night my girlfriend arrived from the village over and we made smoked hotdogs. I bet your wondering where I got those! Well funny story. There is a German built hospital in our village. Once a year the Germans come and do two weeks where they treat as many cases as possible. They have 24 solar batteries to run the hospital, school and clothe-making store. The generator that runs the solar panels stopped working. So in the middle of class one day, a man showed up with a pamphlet about how to run a solar generator. He explained that it was broken and I needed to fix it. I explained that I am a math teacher and have NOOOOO experience in electrical engineering. He then explained that there were two manuals on how to fix the generator, one in German and one in English. Seeing that I am the only person who can speak English, he said I needed to come and try to fix it. That day after school I went there and spent 4 hours reading the manual, and trying to fix it, to no avail. The next day I went back after reading the manual that night at my house and I touched a few buttons and somehow it worked!! Therefore my reward was German hotdogs! I bet you thinking what an awful gift, but sadly that may or may not have made my day! Haha
The following day, the other volunteer and I headed to the capital. We were able to get a ride with the missionaries to a larger city where we caught a car. We arrived thankfully before dark, where my Guinean friend met us. That night we relaxed in air conditioning, showers with running water, and a stove!!! It would have been a relaxing week, but I had many people to meet up with and Conakry is super hot! (Nicole you may remember visiting when my friends asked us if we wanted to stand outside because we were dripping of sweat) I was able to visit with the Principals family, also my family. It was wonderful because in Conakry they speak a different language then in my village so I was completely lost, but when I was with my family we went back to speaking Pular which made me feel at home. They made me eat about 3 meals, and after I told them I had to leave, I rolled myself to the road and caught a taxi home. I also met up with my students from the last year who had passed the brevet exam and were now studying in Conakry. We planned a day to meet up, and after they came and found me and walked me to a student’s house, we hung out all day. At one point, I told them I understood if they had things to do, and they didn’t have to stay all day. They just looked at me and said we are staying here till dark, because we haven’t seen you in almost a year. So we just hung out, ate, and at one point I started crying because they said they wanted to play a song for me, and when they did, it was a song from last year in English that we had translated into French and made the students dance to. So they all got up and started dancing and singing in what might have been English! Lol
I also went dancing with my Guinean friend at a club one night. We arrived a little late to the club, where there were numerous people dancing and drinking. Drinking is a little strange because it’s a Muslim country, but quite a few were enjoying a few, especially the older couple next to us. Aboubacar got up and started dancing, of course I stayed seating watching all these people dancing so well, until the lady next to me pulled me up and pretty much pulled me in close so we were hugging then placed her hands on my bum and we started to dance. A little uncomfortable but when in Rome….
I also was able to make it to my old host family. When I arrived my mother had cooked 2 entire meals, one of course with rice and sauce and the other is a mango sauce, don’t know what to describe it, but one day I will make it for you. PS: it’s almost mango season here. We ate a ton, I washed the dishes like old times when I was living there, and I also got to see my host brothers and just relax and unwind. I again went dancing there, which was a ton of fun it was Guinean music with a mix of salsa. No clue how to salsa but I think I got the hang of it by the end of the night. Unfortunately, I only spent 3 days there then had to head back. I did celebrate my 21st birthday with other volunteers and my Guinean friends! (Or is it 26th birthday?)
Highlights:
I went to the stadium here in Conakry and got to sit in on a volleyball conference as well as watch girls play basketball and handball. It was really nice to see girls interested in sports and competing against each other.
I went and visited my “sister” the principal’s daughter where she had breakfast waiting for me… sardines, bread and tea. I almost vomited, but managed to get some down. Then about an hour later she made me eat rice and sauce with some sort of meat. Then Mangos, then a soda… it just didn’t stop. The best part is her younger sister-in- law decided they wanted to give me a henna tattoo. Right when she started I knew it was a bad idea, I currently have a white hand, and a black hand. My left hand is completely covered in some sort of design that is just horrendous!
Besides that, life is good. I will be heading back to site tomorrow, and getting ready to finish the school year on a high note. I miss you all and love you a ton. Send books if you can!!!!
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