le 11 decembre:
- Last night I dreamt that I was named the country director (for reasons unknown or forgotten upon waking). One of my students , Adama N'Galou Barry approached me after I was distinguished as the CD;
"Monseuir, with this change in role I think I can ask you: where is peace*?"
I was surprised by her question, but was able to respond,
"Peace is in every collaboration. Peace is not yet everywhere, but it spreads each time two new people work together for a common good. It comes little by little."
It's an interesting response, and I don't think it's the usual one I would have given if I was conscious, but I like it all the same. And I'm happy to be collaborating here in Guinea and with Lycee Porekire!
Thursday, December 27, 2012
The four fondamental forces of nature.
le 6 decembre:
- While correcting exams from my 11th grade physics class on the subject of forces I came across a pretty good response:
Q: Quelle sont les quatres forces fondamentales? // What are the four fondamental forces?
R: "Les 4 forces fondamentales, qui sont:
la force du sortir
la force de rentrer
la force de courir
et la force de jouer." //
- The 4 fondamental forces which are:
the force to exit
the force to enter
the force to run
and the force to play.
Tres bien, voici quelques forces fondamentales...
- While correcting exams from my 11th grade physics class on the subject of forces I came across a pretty good response:
Q: Quelle sont les quatres forces fondamentales? // What are the four fondamental forces?
R: "Les 4 forces fondamentales, qui sont:
la force du sortir
la force de rentrer
la force de courir
et la force de jouer." //
- The 4 fondamental forces which are:
the force to exit
the force to enter
the force to run
and the force to play.
Tres bien, voici quelques forces fondamentales...
le 5 decembre (Cold?!)
le 5 decembre (le matin/ the morning):
- I am legitimately cold... I did not see this one coming. I just never actually expected to be cold in Africa.
- With the cold, the dying of plant life with the start of the dry season, and the burning of things, it's really starting to feel like fall! Here we come Halloween! ...
- On the walk to school there was a woman raking leaves. After school, as a result, there were several leaf piles. You can't tell me it's not fall!!?!?!
- I am legitimately cold... I did not see this one coming. I just never actually expected to be cold in Africa.
- With the cold, the dying of plant life with the start of the dry season, and the burning of things, it's really starting to feel like fall! Here we come Halloween! ...
- On the walk to school there was a woman raking leaves. After school, as a result, there were several leaf piles. You can't tell me it's not fall!!?!?!
Saturday, December 8, 2012
le 2 decembre (a chameleon)
le 2 decembre:
- I've always thought myself to be somewhat of a chameleon, able to blend in to any environment in which I find myself. I easily adapt to cultures and customs, like a chameleon chaning the color of its skin to blend into its surroundings. But I now realise that I naively thought by changing the color of my skin to blend in with the grass that I was becoming the grass. In fact, I rest chameleon and do not become grass.
Now that I find myself in an environment where the color of my skin automatically and instatnly define me as different, as a chameleon and not as grass, although initially disapointed and frustrated, I now embrace and celebrate that I'm a chameleon and can live in the grass without being a blad among them. I'm a white American, and like the color white, I'm made up of many colors.
- I've always thought myself to be somewhat of a chameleon, able to blend in to any environment in which I find myself. I easily adapt to cultures and customs, like a chameleon chaning the color of its skin to blend into its surroundings. But I now realise that I naively thought by changing the color of my skin to blend in with the grass that I was becoming the grass. In fact, I rest chameleon and do not become grass.
Now that I find myself in an environment where the color of my skin automatically and instatnly define me as different, as a chameleon and not as grass, although initially disapointed and frustrated, I now embrace and celebrate that I'm a chameleon and can live in the grass without being a blad among them. I'm a white American, and like the color white, I'm made up of many colors.
Monday, December 3, 2012
le 19 et 20 novembre (mobilize the people)
le 19 et 20 novembre:
- Abdoulaye is owrking on writing now. And he can write, but for the moment, only in Arabic. This kid has drive no matter what anyone else here says! All along his arm and leg he practiced writing the alphabet. Also he has a great smile! :)
- Found out that Julie, our country director (Corps de la Paix), is coming Tuesday to observe my classes. Because everything in my village is on an everyone-needs-to-know basis, I promptly informed the cheif, who's currently in Conakry, of her arrival. He swiftly informed the Proviseur who informed the Math teacher to inform Maire Bobo to inform everyone at every prayer time at the Mosque and to inform Maire Dian (the Mayor of Madina-Telico, a neighboring district) so that we'd have a mobilization of people to greet her. My village is awesome! As my Proviseur says, "C'est une communaute vivant! (This is a lively community!)" Tigi tigi! ("truly" -Pular)
- Received a text of a short notice arrival... Julie came at night instead of in the morning. And all though I was happy to welcome her. No one and nothing was prepared. So I took her to see the Proviseur and informed her that preparation for a big welcome party for her was in full swing. En route we ran into the Imam who insisted that she come back again tomorrow morning, as initially intended. That's my village!
Next day:
- Julie came back. So i had to abandon my class of course to greet her. She was well welcomed even if it wasn't the big party that my village wanted to have (she was pressed for time - she planned to come last night en lieu of this morning). But she recieved the cola nuts wrapped in leaves and more bananas than you could imagine, and a bottle of water. We took pictures with everyone there.
Imam; villager; Maire Dian; villager (en haut et 2 en bas); Maire Bobo; le Proviseur; moi; You;
After she left and I returned to my class my students asked if that was my wife who came to visit me... haha nope. Not married. They of course asked why, and I told them I hadn't yet found the "madamoiselle parfaite pour moi" En tous cas, after school I saw my Proviseur on his way home carrying a chicken and some other things. Apparently elders kept coming after Julie had left with more gifts for her. They also told he she was the mother of our school and so she had to come back to see her children, but that she had to notify them at least a week in advance.
Love my village!
- Abdoulaye is owrking on writing now. And he can write, but for the moment, only in Arabic. This kid has drive no matter what anyone else here says! All along his arm and leg he practiced writing the alphabet. Also he has a great smile! :)
- Found out that Julie, our country director (Corps de la Paix), is coming Tuesday to observe my classes. Because everything in my village is on an everyone-needs-to-know basis, I promptly informed the cheif, who's currently in Conakry, of her arrival. He swiftly informed the Proviseur who informed the Math teacher to inform Maire Bobo to inform everyone at every prayer time at the Mosque and to inform Maire Dian (the Mayor of Madina-Telico, a neighboring district) so that we'd have a mobilization of people to greet her. My village is awesome! As my Proviseur says, "C'est une communaute vivant! (This is a lively community!)" Tigi tigi! ("truly" -Pular)
- Received a text of a short notice arrival... Julie came at night instead of in the morning. And all though I was happy to welcome her. No one and nothing was prepared. So I took her to see the Proviseur and informed her that preparation for a big welcome party for her was in full swing. En route we ran into the Imam who insisted that she come back again tomorrow morning, as initially intended. That's my village!
Next day:
- Julie came back. So i had to abandon my class of course to greet her. She was well welcomed even if it wasn't the big party that my village wanted to have (she was pressed for time - she planned to come last night en lieu of this morning). But she recieved the cola nuts wrapped in leaves and more bananas than you could imagine, and a bottle of water. We took pictures with everyone there.
After she left and I returned to my class my students asked if that was my wife who came to visit me... haha nope. Not married. They of course asked why, and I told them I hadn't yet found the "madamoiselle parfaite pour moi" En tous cas, after school I saw my Proviseur on his way home carrying a chicken and some other things. Apparently elders kept coming after Julie had left with more gifts for her. They also told he she was the mother of our school and so she had to come back to see her children, but that she had to notify them at least a week in advance.
Love my village!
Saturday, December 1, 2012
le 16 novembre (the Ole ear and Abdoulaye)
le 16 novembre:
- I'm lying in bed reposing "un peu" after school, listening to the Friday call to prayer, and I can't help but think "mmm... a little under pitch..." - Thanks St. Olaf.
- My heart breaks for my bud Abdoulaye. Today he came over for his French revision, and while we were learning some new verbs, some girls (some of his peers that go to school) came by and taunted him because he doesn't go to school and is trying to learn French now and also because of some skin blemish he has on his forhead. I should have done more but it's hard to know how to defend a kid in a language you don't know. After they left and we continued, two consecutive women (one who never went to school but knows a little French and the other who's a French tearcher "au college") came by and both said "he knows nothing." "Is he learning anything?" Yes! In fact, I'm very proud of how much he knows in just a handful of informal lessons! He can't yet rea but he knows/ understands over 50 words and can count to 100 easily (!) - in only a handful of leassons! He really wants to learn and he's very smart! Unfortunately he still doesn't have the French and I don't have the Pular yet to tell him that... How do you counsel a kid you can't communicate with? Not only that, but also today a petit had stepped on his had and so it was super swollen and he couldn't make a fist. Since words lacked, I did my best to show him I cared with my actions: continued the lesson in spite of what others had said, offered him fruit, and simply took the time to sit with him and be his friend.
- I've never been so interested in ants and termites, but wow they are incredible! Emense societies each member doing its part with all its strength and boy do they have strenght and determination. I feel physically weak and weak willed watching an ant pull something over 4x its size vertically up a wall (!), fall, and just get right back after it. And they fiercely defend their community - if you walk in their path they will attack with a furry! A lot to be learned from these tiny creatures - and I for one have so much respect!
Here's to you, ants!
- I'm lying in bed reposing "un peu" after school, listening to the Friday call to prayer, and I can't help but think "mmm... a little under pitch..." - Thanks St. Olaf.
- My heart breaks for my bud Abdoulaye. Today he came over for his French revision, and while we were learning some new verbs, some girls (some of his peers that go to school) came by and taunted him because he doesn't go to school and is trying to learn French now and also because of some skin blemish he has on his forhead. I should have done more but it's hard to know how to defend a kid in a language you don't know. After they left and we continued, two consecutive women (one who never went to school but knows a little French and the other who's a French tearcher "au college") came by and both said "he knows nothing." "Is he learning anything?" Yes! In fact, I'm very proud of how much he knows in just a handful of informal lessons! He can't yet rea but he knows/ understands over 50 words and can count to 100 easily (!) - in only a handful of leassons! He really wants to learn and he's very smart! Unfortunately he still doesn't have the French and I don't have the Pular yet to tell him that... How do you counsel a kid you can't communicate with? Not only that, but also today a petit had stepped on his had and so it was super swollen and he couldn't make a fist. Since words lacked, I did my best to show him I cared with my actions: continued the lesson in spite of what others had said, offered him fruit, and simply took the time to sit with him and be his friend.
- I've never been so interested in ants and termites, but wow they are incredible! Emense societies each member doing its part with all its strength and boy do they have strenght and determination. I feel physically weak and weak willed watching an ant pull something over 4x its size vertically up a wall (!), fall, and just get right back after it. And they fiercely defend their community - if you walk in their path they will attack with a furry! A lot to be learned from these tiny creatures - and I for one have so much respect!
Here's to you, ants!
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