School
has been progressing as per usual, except that yesterday, that one important
‘me on the school board (whose name/role I still don’t know…) came to talk
about where one of the teachers has been. He has missed a bunch of school
lately and no one knows why. Strangely, though, no one has actually called him
to ask where he is. This problem can be solved in 5 seconds, people.
It’s
getting to that point where I can’t control my classes and the kids who don’t
shut up. Again. Maybe I’m just getting lazy and impatient with my discipline
techniques. The kids tell me to beat the noise makers, but know I won’t.
Managing a class is a case in constant vigilance, which I often forget.
I
went to the orphanage on Tuesday and found a small group of my-age-ish white
girls (Irish, it turns out) with their enormous new iPhones taking photos with
selfie sticks with the little nuggets that normally hang around outside the
building where I tutor English. They were wearing so much makeup and had
straightened hair, and it just made me gag a little bit. It felt a little bit
like orphanage tourism to me, which is not ok. They were with their dads
(maybe?) who were building some stuff for the orphanage like a completely
unnecessary roofed walkway from one building to another, a quite necessary
donkey heater (a kind of water heater), and putting in Plexiglass in the
kitchen windows where the was only cracked plastic sheeting before. Several
times a year, a group from some church will come to the orphanage and either
just visit or do some sort of project.
Happy
birthday, Dad! You survived to 60. 3 score. Go you.
After
almost no sleep or food, I ran for a solid 30 minutes (really good for me) with
absolutely no trouble this morning. So weird. It was just easy. Go me.
I
was left alone with the circus that is my school after the one other teacher left
on a hitch. What? You think I can handle this mess alone? After lunch, I just
gave the keys to a Form B, the choir leader, and told him to give them back to
the lady who cooks when they finished choir practice. I sent all the other
students home. They were hanging around because even if they have absolutely
nothing to do, they normally have to stay until 4pm. Be free.
My
new favorite comedian is Trevor Noah, a South African. I know he now does one
of those late night shows, but I’ve never seen it. I watched two of his stand
up shows this week. I tried watching one of these may months ago, but I just
didn’t understand all his references, but now I do, and it’s hilarious. He is
so on point with his impressions and accents. He did a bit about getting tacos
at a taco truck and the taco guy offering him a napkin (a napkin is a diaper in
SA) and I just about lost it.
T-minus
5 days until I get out of here. My tolerance for my village has slipped way
down. Then it’s off to Swaziland for the Bushfire music festival. But if it
were up to me, I’d just rename it the Bushfire corny dog festival. That’s half
the reason I’m going, honestly. So pumped.
I
brought the form C girls into the library for a solid self-defense session. I
have been asked to teach self-defense at a GLOW (girls leading our world) camp
that some Mohale’s Hoek volunteers are planning in July, and I want to bring
two of my girls to act as my counterparts, helping to teach and translate at
the camp. Normally, when one has a counterpart for some project here, it’s an
adult, but I figure the other teachers won’t really benefit nearly as much as
if I gave this opportunity to my students (who, most days, I like way better
than the other teachers, anyway). A bunch of them seemed really excited to go,
but I can only take two. Decisions, decisions.
Hopefully
after a good run like I had this morning, I’ll be able to sleep well tonight.
I’ve slept like a rock for a year and a half, and now suddenly I can’t sleep.
I’m too antsy and my brain just doesn’t turn off. Ugh.
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