Yea! It worked! Yay. So lets see. All is well here. Getting well into the second term here and things are progressing. I have been changing a few things in the classroom and am content with the pace we are traveling so thats nice. Those are my form 4's but I don't have a picture of my form 3's yet. Thats like my seniors vs . the juniors. Um nothing too exciting, though lots of people have started making their way to the islands now that the mainland is on break. Its fun to see. Also there is a film festival going on and I saw a movie called " Amazing Grace" last night, and it was quite good. Its about the man who abolished the slave trade William Wilberforce in England. Granted it wasn't actually really stopped until later but there is no doubt he was an extraordinary man and he did a very good thing. There are so many stories worth telling that its funny how when I finally arrive to write them down, I can't think of anything. I've decided not to do the classroom project but instead one to get books for the students. Its a smaller thing but something more in my range. Also I've picked up an English tutoring group. So things are picking up, but its cool cause I'm finding useful productive things to do on my off time. I like going to bed at night tired sometimes from having accomplished t hings. Its nice. I've become an old fogey and yet, I almost like work. How strange right? B ut good cause then you can have fun both at home and at work.
My house has new doors on it! I'm excited cause its improved alot! I did good work. Also just finished reading a great and very disturbing book called the Zanzibar chest. I recommend that and white man's burden as good books to read. On the movie front jon bought some ripped version of the harrison ford collection so I've watched clear and present danger and patriot games recently. Both are good.
Anyway, thats all for now. Sorry can't think of more interesting stories, but will do so later!
Hope all are well.
Ha ppy thoughts and exciting adventure!
Saturday, June 30, 2007
P ictures!
So curtesy of my everloving parents we may have pictures this time. Here's hoping. The one picture is one of a bunch of kids who were helping us do the permaculture at our IST in Iringa. The second picture is my students! Yay. They are my form 4 science students. Then I threw in two of the many crazy hair shots we had at our ist conference. Aren't they works of art? Hope all is well in the US and I shall post more later if it works.
Thursday, June 07, 2007
First semester - Check
So the first semester is over, and I've been on Zanzibar for 6 months. Wow. Is that not crazy. Which means I've been in Tanzania for just about 8 and 1/2 months. I'm reminiscing now specifically because I am now hanging out at our In Service Training (IST), which is a week long training designed to be at this time when we have been in our community for a while and can now look back and see what we've learned and look forward to see what we can accomplish. Like that run-on? Anyway, all the people from my training class are here and its been great thus far. I've learned sooo much, some of which I can not share on this blog due to PC rules but some of which I will.
For instance, did you ever here about something called perma-culture before? Me know, but really it's AWESOME. It stands for permanent agriculture and the man who was teaching us this yesterday is the man I would want to know if the world feel apart or I had to stay forever in Africa. It's a way of growing enough food to feed yourself and family, by using your natural resources to your advantage. Bio-intensive farming goes hand in hand with it and let me tell you it's just about the neatest thing. It's simple, takes a little work, and you can get double the crop for one quarter of the land space. It's awesome! I kid you not. You don't need fertilizers or any fancy stuff like spray's, just some time, and ingenuity. It's designed to break the cycle of dependency that so many small time farmers here get into where they only make enough to pay off last years bills and get them into independence. Also it's just easier once you've started. You don't need to weed, just 10 minutes a day will be enough for up keep once it's laid out. Double digging is the key, and using burms swan's and paying attention to where the water is going and slowing it down and diverting it to where you want it is great. Also suppose it's the dry season and you don't have enough rain. Just a bottle with some wholes in it planted in the ground beside your plan will do the trick. I seriously have to show this to you avid gardners out there! Anyway, we spent a day outside yesterday just planting etc. and it was really cool.
Another interesting story I heard involved the wizard council of Pemba. I kid you not they have wizards on pemba to solve the spiritual problems. Anyway, these wizards have a sort of council of wizards I guess and this council has a head. So there is a head wizard. No joke. Anyway the pcvs on pemba lately have been busy trying to decide if the head wizard of pemba is more of a voldemort or a dumbledore. The question is still up for debate and quite amusing to discuss.
Also just listening to everyone talk about their trials and tribulations in the first 6 months here has been quite rewarding. Misery loves company right? Ha. no. But it's really quite nice to know that you aren't the only one. Even when you know philisophically that's probably true it's just nice to hear it and realize it for real. Pc also has been really listening to the suggestions of the volunteers being sent to the islands, and apologized for not realizing how different the culture was that they sent us to than what we were trained for. Which is really nice and makes me think they will improve it in the future. Also I've mentioned how the education system is quite different to and they have been listening to that. So in general problems are gettting addressed and solved.
The end of the semester happens at my school this Friday (I took off a week early), and well it feels good to be done. Don't quite have all my grades turned in yet but I'm working on it. Everything else is set. I'm glad.
Also found out something great. Am I wrong if I think it's a sign of Brendan's great character that the man can moonwalk?! I mean he can moonwalk like a madman!! How cool is that? AND he can play euchre. Obviously someone cool. Anyway all in all life is good, I am happy and I hope you all are too.
Love much
Sarah
For instance, did you ever here about something called perma-culture before? Me know, but really it's AWESOME. It stands for permanent agriculture and the man who was teaching us this yesterday is the man I would want to know if the world feel apart or I had to stay forever in Africa. It's a way of growing enough food to feed yourself and family, by using your natural resources to your advantage. Bio-intensive farming goes hand in hand with it and let me tell you it's just about the neatest thing. It's simple, takes a little work, and you can get double the crop for one quarter of the land space. It's awesome! I kid you not. You don't need fertilizers or any fancy stuff like spray's, just some time, and ingenuity. It's designed to break the cycle of dependency that so many small time farmers here get into where they only make enough to pay off last years bills and get them into independence. Also it's just easier once you've started. You don't need to weed, just 10 minutes a day will be enough for up keep once it's laid out. Double digging is the key, and using burms swan's and paying attention to where the water is going and slowing it down and diverting it to where you want it is great. Also suppose it's the dry season and you don't have enough rain. Just a bottle with some wholes in it planted in the ground beside your plan will do the trick. I seriously have to show this to you avid gardners out there! Anyway, we spent a day outside yesterday just planting etc. and it was really cool.
Another interesting story I heard involved the wizard council of Pemba. I kid you not they have wizards on pemba to solve the spiritual problems. Anyway, these wizards have a sort of council of wizards I guess and this council has a head. So there is a head wizard. No joke. Anyway the pcvs on pemba lately have been busy trying to decide if the head wizard of pemba is more of a voldemort or a dumbledore. The question is still up for debate and quite amusing to discuss.
Also just listening to everyone talk about their trials and tribulations in the first 6 months here has been quite rewarding. Misery loves company right? Ha. no. But it's really quite nice to know that you aren't the only one. Even when you know philisophically that's probably true it's just nice to hear it and realize it for real. Pc also has been really listening to the suggestions of the volunteers being sent to the islands, and apologized for not realizing how different the culture was that they sent us to than what we were trained for. Which is really nice and makes me think they will improve it in the future. Also I've mentioned how the education system is quite different to and they have been listening to that. So in general problems are gettting addressed and solved.
The end of the semester happens at my school this Friday (I took off a week early), and well it feels good to be done. Don't quite have all my grades turned in yet but I'm working on it. Everything else is set. I'm glad.
Also found out something great. Am I wrong if I think it's a sign of Brendan's great character that the man can moonwalk?! I mean he can moonwalk like a madman!! How cool is that? AND he can play euchre. Obviously someone cool. Anyway all in all life is good, I am happy and I hope you all are too.
Love much
Sarah
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