Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Goats and Chicks
So I think maybe as an American i'm way too sensitive toward animals. There was a baby chick outside oneof the local shebeens the other day and I kept asking where the mother was. The lady who runs the shebeen was saying she didn't know and that the chick would die. A rooster then came out of nowhere and started pecking at the little thing. I of course screamed and the rooster left. About an hour later, sure enough, the chick was dead.
Yesterday I came home to see a goat and its newly born baby outside my door near a tree. The next morning I woke up to find the mother had abandoned the baby and it has been here all day crying. Again, everyone says that it will die like it's no big deal. I however keep thinking of how to rescue this goat without ending up with a goat for a new pet. Letting nature take its course is not really my thing.
Hunter has been missing for some days now. He decided about a week ago that he was too cool to stay here all the time and has been roaming around with the other dogs and hanging at the principal's house where he is fed very well and has learners that adore him. I shouldn't be so upset about it but I feel like maybe I have given up my pet to the African dog lifestyle.
Recently I realized how close going home is (well compared to how long i've been here) and I have started counting down the days. Since I know i'm coming back, I feel it's okay to get really excited to go home and see my friends and family. I've missed everyone terribly and can't wait to spend some time back in the good 'ol USA. First things first, a Dunkin Donuts coffee. I don't drink coffee in Africa and I really miss a nice french vanilla iced coffee.
I really don't have much else to say but I just wanted to keep updating this so that people could keep reading!
Peace and Love,
Chels
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Just to catch you up
Okay so let's start from where we left off. I was in the middle of exams for term 2. We finished exams and my learners did a lot better than I had expected at first. We went from 11 learners failing first term to only 5 failing this term out of the 61 grade 8 learners. I left the school still unsure about my principals decision on my extension. She had me turn in all of the exams that I had marked so that they could be moderated by my Head of Department for languages. So, I tried to forget and I packed my bags for the holiday. We had ten days off and I was really excited to get a break.
I arrived in Ondangwa at Indira's house only to find that her house was completely overflowing with relatives who were there for the wedding. She wasn't there because she was sent to the hospital earlier in the week for what the doctor called low blood pressure. I was greeted by her mom and dad who know me very well since I frequently go to their house on the weekends. Then I met the groom which is Indira's brother. Later that night I didn't get much sleep because the night before the wedding everyone stays up and sings until morning. I was trying to sleep but with the house full Indira had about 5 other people staying in her room.This was all on Friday that week.
Saturay was the start of the two day wedding. One day is dedicated to the church ceremony and going to the bride's house. The other day is for going to the groom's house. The first day I didn't go to the bride's house only because Indira had just gotten out of the hospital and she needed a lot of help preparing for the next day when the whole wedding would be at their house. The big day was on Sunday and apparently everyone woke up around 4 to start cooking. Most people who know me can pretty much answer for themselves whether I was up around that time. I joined in and started peeling potatoes and cutting carrots. The family prepares all of their own food for the wedding and sets up tents for people to eat in. There were tents everywhere and more food than i've seen ever.
Later on the bride's wedding party arrived. It is tradition at each house that the parents are not allowed to go to the other's house and when the wedding party gets there they have to sing and dance. Once the family is satisfied with their singing and dancing, they will let them into their house. After they did this the bride and groom stand behind a table and receive their gifts. Some give money in a basket and others bring physical gifts.
After all of this the serving and eating begins. Then later for this wedding they had hired a DJ toplay all night. I had a really good time at the wedding but I was definately stressed as to how many people were around all the time.
The rest of my vacation was pretty low key. I was pretty excited to get my nails done one day and I was able to drive a car! Of course it was strange at first to drive and sit on the opposite side than I am used to. The drivers in Ondangwa are really aggressive and I got road rage a couple of times. Pretty normal.
When I went back to school I was feeling pretty refreshed and ready to teach.The first day back I went to my first class and then a colleague of mine came to me saying that Indira was asking for me because she didn't feel well and wanted me to walk her home. When I got there she was face down on her desk and mumbling answers when I asked if I could bring her home and if she could stand up. I rushed to get the principal who said she needed to go to the hospital and asked if I would go with her. Of course I said yes and by the time we left Indira wasn't speaking or moving. We loaded her into the back of the principal's truck on a mattress and covered her with a blanket. I sat with her the whole ride to the hospital. When we got there her mom and cousins were there to help her out of the car and into the casualty room for emergency cases.
To make a long story short I will say this, she is fine now but still in the hospital. I was also thinking while I was sitting at that hospital that you really haven't seen pain and suffering until you've been to an African hospital. There are people everywhere. There really isn't enough staff to help all of the cases and people endup waiting all day to get treated. The sound of the babies crying is still with me.
The last update I have for you is that yesterday I was called into my principal's office and told that she has invited me back to teach next year. She said that she will always invite staff back who have improved the learners and that are surrounded by learners all of the time instead of surrounded by colleagues. I was very excited to hear this news. Still trying to srap my head around the reality that i'll be going home for a month but that's only a month out of a two year time period that i'll be away. It's all worth it in the end. I miss home terribly but I feel that what i'm doing is right.
Peace and Love,
Chels
I arrived in Ondangwa at Indira's house only to find that her house was completely overflowing with relatives who were there for the wedding. She wasn't there because she was sent to the hospital earlier in the week for what the doctor called low blood pressure. I was greeted by her mom and dad who know me very well since I frequently go to their house on the weekends. Then I met the groom which is Indira's brother. Later that night I didn't get much sleep because the night before the wedding everyone stays up and sings until morning. I was trying to sleep but with the house full Indira had about 5 other people staying in her room.This was all on Friday that week.
Saturay was the start of the two day wedding. One day is dedicated to the church ceremony and going to the bride's house. The other day is for going to the groom's house. The first day I didn't go to the bride's house only because Indira had just gotten out of the hospital and she needed a lot of help preparing for the next day when the whole wedding would be at their house. The big day was on Sunday and apparently everyone woke up around 4 to start cooking. Most people who know me can pretty much answer for themselves whether I was up around that time. I joined in and started peeling potatoes and cutting carrots. The family prepares all of their own food for the wedding and sets up tents for people to eat in. There were tents everywhere and more food than i've seen ever.
Later on the bride's wedding party arrived. It is tradition at each house that the parents are not allowed to go to the other's house and when the wedding party gets there they have to sing and dance. Once the family is satisfied with their singing and dancing, they will let them into their house. After they did this the bride and groom stand behind a table and receive their gifts. Some give money in a basket and others bring physical gifts.
After all of this the serving and eating begins. Then later for this wedding they had hired a DJ toplay all night. I had a really good time at the wedding but I was definately stressed as to how many people were around all the time.
The rest of my vacation was pretty low key. I was pretty excited to get my nails done one day and I was able to drive a car! Of course it was strange at first to drive and sit on the opposite side than I am used to. The drivers in Ondangwa are really aggressive and I got road rage a couple of times. Pretty normal.
When I went back to school I was feeling pretty refreshed and ready to teach.The first day back I went to my first class and then a colleague of mine came to me saying that Indira was asking for me because she didn't feel well and wanted me to walk her home. When I got there she was face down on her desk and mumbling answers when I asked if I could bring her home and if she could stand up. I rushed to get the principal who said she needed to go to the hospital and asked if I would go with her. Of course I said yes and by the time we left Indira wasn't speaking or moving. We loaded her into the back of the principal's truck on a mattress and covered her with a blanket. I sat with her the whole ride to the hospital. When we got there her mom and cousins were there to help her out of the car and into the casualty room for emergency cases.
To make a long story short I will say this, she is fine now but still in the hospital. I was also thinking while I was sitting at that hospital that you really haven't seen pain and suffering until you've been to an African hospital. There are people everywhere. There really isn't enough staff to help all of the cases and people endup waiting all day to get treated. The sound of the babies crying is still with me.
The last update I have for you is that yesterday I was called into my principal's office and told that she has invited me back to teach next year. She said that she will always invite staff back who have improved the learners and that are surrounded by learners all of the time instead of surrounded by colleagues. I was very excited to hear this news. Still trying to srap my head around the reality that i'll be going home for a month but that's only a month out of a two year time period that i'll be away. It's all worth it in the end. I miss home terribly but I feel that what i'm doing is right.
Peace and Love,
Chels
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