extrordinarily ordinary

August 17, 2011

I need a date book

<but don’t send me one>

Reason #26 why I need a date book, I just remembered I am a Master International student and I have all sorts of stuff to turn into USF. Whooopsies.

Reasons 1-25 range from

            #5 to make me feel important

#7 because I am working at 2 different schools, Bathuseng, and trying to write two different grants all while refusing to lose sleep or miss an appointment

# 11 I am supposed to be training for a race in November and another in March

# 13 So people think I am busy

# 3 Something else to doodle in

So I guess with all this extra money that I do not have laying around I will make my way to a stationary place, I hate datebooks. It’s a big commitment, usually a whole year! Oh life is such a struggle.

Anyway. 

Things are starting to pick up a bit. The secondary school wants me to help with grade 11 and 12 ‘Life Orientation’ class. By ‘help’ I mean take over, but I am learning from my peers and standing my ground. Explaining ‘sustainability’ and the Peace Corps goals as reasons why I won’t take everything over gave the teachers and principal a glazed over look, but what the hell, I tried. Not to mention I have zero training, but that doesn’t seem to matter. 

From what I understand Life Orientation (LO) is a catch all for subject matter that teens need but are not getting in other subjects or from home. Things such as health, stress management, possible career choices, human rights, and any other subject you can think to throw at teens. I am excited for this subject; I think there is a lot of potential to make it interesting and really helpful. I am most excited about the health stuff and the potential to throw in some gender/youth empowerment and gauge interest for after school clubs. Maybe I’ll actually use my degree? Maybe. High hopes for now, hopefully they don’t eat me alive. 

The primary school principal wants me to work on the curriculum for a couple different subjects, it’s not looking promising. There was an education volunteer here from 2006-2008 and after talking to her I realized they asked me to do exactly what she did. Not only is that school not my primary assignment, but I have no education training and reinventing the wheel seems semi-pointless. Mah. 

My workshop series with the OVC carers is going well. Not exceptional, but good enough. We have been working on goal setting and program planning. I had to extend the number of sessions after I realized just how foreign these concepts are. Now I know why I am here for two years. 

Another reason why I love it here: the OVC carers are sick of fetching water, so they hook up three different hoses to stretch across the road to the municipal tap and fill up a giant Jojo bin intended to catch rain water. But sometimes still walk to the tap and sit there for 45 minutes to get away from the Centre when our staff pissed them off. They also fill me in on the dirt of what is going on. You go girls. 

August 21

It's Sunday. whoop whoop. lived another week. This next week I actually have some legit stuff to do, tomorrow I am supposed to be meeting with a couple teachers from the primary school, too bad the principal still hasn't told me what time this meeting is. Tuesday I will be shadowing the secondary LO class and working out a teaching schedule. They asked me to lead the morning prayer and sing, i said no. They thought I was joking, i then said 'absolutely not' and i think they got the hint.

OH. so friday was supposed to be the carers first planned activity with the kids. didn't go perfect, actually almost didn't go at all. i ended up just playing frisbee with a bunch of kids while the carers played volleyball amongst themselves. ill write about it later and post some pics, despite it not going how it was supposed to i had fun. at one point there was a baby on my back. whats not to love?

My favorite carer is on leave for the next two weeks, she speaks the best english and actually has interest in improving the centre, i think i might alter the workshops while she is gone, do some review of what we have been doing. i also am giving more responsibility to the coordinator, so we'll see how that goes.

I have a 'bagobe' (pap) lesson wed, haha. The favorite carer (Mokgadi) is coming over and we are going to cook pap, i am also cooking her an American breakfast. Should be interesting. I am not all too concerned with learning how to cook but I figure since i ultimately don't have a host family or anyone around me ever i should try and weezle my in somehow.