7/1/10: Routines, Routines
It has been a few days since I posted a blog, but that is simply that the girls and I have gotten into a weekly routine, and happenings in Thaba Bosiu seem less noteworthy and novel now. I came to the realization here that routines are an integral party of humanity, that one finds oneself following a regimen despite location, age, or time.
My week-day routine is as follows:
– 7:06 am: I am woken up by the same bird outside my window and a rooster crowing. Every morning. At the precisely same time.
– 7:30 am: I get ready for the day and review the lesson I am to teach one last time.
– 8:20 am: Eat breakfast.
– 8:45 to 9:00 am: Pack up and head to Letsie High School.
– 9:30 am to 12:30 pm: Teach (either mathematics or biology) or work on revising lesson plans
– 12:30 pm: Lunch and socializing with our students
– 1:00 pm: Start tutoring students or provide fun activities.
– 3:30 pm: Return to Mmelesi Lodge
– 3:45 pm: Volunteer at Elohim clinic (we alternate days), read books, write blogs, watch movies, research scholarships for my students, write emails, relax, take a nap, try and find things to do…
– 6:30 pm: Dinner. Refer to the food blog to hear all about the delicious cuisines we prepare…all in a water heater… I’m actually very proud of the meals we are able to make simply with electricity. We use the windowsills (which are colder than the rest of the room) as make-shift refrigerators to keep vegetables and yogurt relatively chilled.
– 7:30 pm: Do whatever I didn’t during the 3:45 time. I usually talk to people back home during this time too and look over the lesson I will be teaching the next day to re-familiarize myself with its content, add additional practice problems and explanations (now that I know how my students learn best I can adjust my lessons to reflect that).
– 10:00 pm: go to bed. I know that I get a rude awakening at precisely 7:06 the following morning…
Routines seem to be inevitable wherever I go. Whether it’s home in Wisconsin, during the school year at Rice, or in Africa, I find myself following a natural progression after a few weeks. Initially everything in Thaba Bosiu struck me as original and fresh; from the situations that our students live in to the ways that they learn information, I felt that everything was different. Now, however, teaching has become more natural and I feel more at ease in front of the class.
The concept of a routine seems to apply to nearly everything; even the rooster that wakes me up every morning must follow some innate clock, some instinctive method of telling time, of reading its surroundings.
7/2/10: “We literally do nothing after school”
We have all decided, after speaking with our students more and learning what they do after school, that following tutoring sessions we will try to provide some means of entertainment and diversion. We have been teaching for three weeks now and our students are starting to view us as friends outside of the classroom. It’s amazing actually; they give us their total respect when we teach (I’ve never witnessed a better behaved group of students), but once 12:30 tolls, we all joke, laugh, tease, and listen to music.
On Thursday I brought three gallon-sized bags full of embroidery floss and beads with which to make jewelry. Every single person in our class participated, boys included. I taught them how to tie the floss and make a friendship bracelet, and how to add beads on and personalize their jewelry. Even the most masculine of the students were opting for pink threads and purple beads. They seemed to have some sense that pink and purple were feminine colors, yet the mild teasing they endured was not enough to change their minds.
It was a fun experience to spend time with our class in a completely non-academic atmosphere. We asked what they usually did after tutoring or school, a question that received the answer of “nothing”. I can’t imagine how bored I would be here without books, a computer, movies, and now secondary applications to work on. But these students clean, do chores, or simply sit around and talk. When we mentioned that we could have designated fun activities (such as movie showings, Thursday jewelry making parties, and card games), the look on their faces confirmed our suspicions. They were ecstatic about the possibility of some fun activities, and we’re pretty excited to get to know them even better.
7/3/10: Ladybrand (It sounds better than Gentlemenlabel) and Updates
We are only allowed to be in Lesotho for 30 (or thereabout) days at a time, so we had to cross the border and go to Ladybrand, the closest city in South Africa. We made the trek into Maseru and then to the border. It took us maybe 5 minutes to get into South Africa, a border-crossing we thought would last several dreadful hours (because of people wanting to get into South Africa for the World Cup). We spent the morning walking around the city and finally made our way to Living Life, quite possibly the quaintest and most enjoyable café and gift shop I have ever been inside. I think the hours we spent there were some of the most enjoyable moments we have had during the weekends. Living Life sold various canned goods, like jams and preserves, but also had different pottery, home furnishings, wall decorations, pajamas, and toys for children. The atmosphere was incredible; it was warm, friendly, and colorful, not to mention home of the best food and dessert I’ve eaten on this trip. They also had seating outside under a thatched patio roof. We opted for indoor seating as it was pretty chilly at the time. I have not seen a venue like this in America, but Beverly told me that Houston has a pricier version of Living Life. I think it would be worth the visit based on how much I enjoyed this café.
So a brief update on my scholarship searching: We went to the American Embassy to research the Ambassador’s Girls Scholarship, which pays for school fees for female students in forms A-C. They were closed, so we will have to make an appointment to speak with the ambassador himself. I heard back from Friends of Lesotho as well. They typically give funding to Peace Corps members, but they said that they may make an exception for me and will review my application soon. I am waiting to hear their decision. We met a woman named Rose who is living right across from the Elohim clinic. She used to be in the Peace Corps and actually knows the president of FOL quite well; she gave me the president’s personal email address to contact regarding securing funds for the students at Letsie who do not seem to qualify for any other form of fee assistance.
A while ago Beverly and I spoke with the principal of Letsie in order to make sure that all students who are double orphans are currently sponsored by the government. They do not have to pay school fees as long as proper documentation is given to prove the deaths of their parents. Letsie is very on diligent about submitting information to the government and ensuring that all double orphans are registered with the government. We informed her that we are seeking funding from outside organizations for the students, and she gave us the names of those who would benefit the most from such funding. The principal was surprisingly aware of the living situations of all of her students; she knew which ones were double orphaned (and already sponsored by the government), which ones were abandoned, and which ones had the greatest financial need. We were glad that she takes an interest in the wellbeing of her students and keeps up-to-date with their latest conditions.