Day 138 - Ami Bobo, Bindende Walike...

Ami Bobo, Bindende Walike...

It was another clear night last night w/ the moon as our electricity, we sat out in the yard and sang this line over and over, except each time we would change the name in front of "Bobo" which means baby in Pular. The line means "Ami (short for Aminata) baby, her heart is content". Any you, my friends, whatever has been going on in your life, I hope it is contentment you've found as well.

The fete marking the end of Ramadan (Nov. 04)
So I put on my traditional Guinean 2 piece dress and wrapped my head in white head scarf and went to the morning prayer with my female students. The morning prayer is in the bushes because the mosque can't accommodate everyone. Again, men and women sat separately. All the women put on beautiful dresses and robes traditional style. I really like wearing the white head scarf for some reason, I think I look prettier that way. I really not fit to pray as I didn't fast for one single day, so I just "pray" for good health for my parents.
I was surprised and glad that my vice principal asked me to eat with all the administrative staff of our village, because I'm the only woman. A little intimidating, yes, but exciting and proud at the same time. Proud of him for not being afraid to sit me with a roomful of men. It really meant a lot to me, as women are so under-represented in the decision making groups of many villages. I'm lucky because my school has been very open to the things I want to do and supportive, yes there are conservatism here, but they are open (somewhat) to new ideas. Little by little, should be the real slogan of Peace Corps, nothing changes over night. I spent the rest of the day visiting people, eating at each place I go. The meal is a little fancier from usual, but not by a whole lot. So school was closed for 3 days, luckily I only had one class that got cancelled. I also made a point to pay my respect to the sous-prefect. His wife sells gas and bagged juice to supplement income, since they aren't from here and therefore have not grown anything to eat. The bagged juice is called Bissap, made by boiling petal of a flower then adding sugar to it. It tastes a little like plum juice. A lot of work to transfer a pot of juice to many small bags for sale. I got a chance to know the work involved in production of another item. I'm always glad to help out when I visit a family, so I don't feel bad about eating their food (yes, I'm always being offered something to eat), also I learn all the work involved in my village's life. By tradition little kids can ask adults for pocket change for this holiday, and yes it was a bit of a headache for me to decide who, what to give. There are too many kids. So I only gave to the kids I knew, mostly little sisters & brothers of my students (yes I'm getting better at remember faces of my student's families, but sometimes I get mothers mixed up). Pocket change is equivalent of $0.10 really. but I'm constantly struggling w/ striking the balance of being generous and not come off as loaded.

Week of School after Ramadan
It was a bit of roller coaster. Kid's body are in school but heart is still out and about. I even have some discipline problem w/ upper classes. Had to kick out some students who made me really angry. I have absolutely no tolerance for students who don't respect me and I let them know. because if I back down now it only means more troubles later. I did visit the families of kids that got kicked out, and hope reasoning w/ them will help. We'll see. another thing angers me is more than half of 7th & 8th grades are nonchalant about doing homework. I made a lab HW for 7th to measure mass and 8th to measure density. 2 concepts that kids often have trouble getting, not to mention when it isn't in their mother tongue. I figure hands on work will help them and I was ready to sit w/ over 200 kids in groups of 2, so they will really learn it w/ me. Only 30% of kids did it, and mostly boys, too. Even after I warn them that I'll take off 5 points on their test score still, very few came to do it. Test score is on 20 point scale, so 5 points off is like 25 points off 100 point scale. 7th & 8th graders are still very much kids, but if I don't get them build a solid foundation now, then it will only get worse. But it is so difficult w/ so many kids and just me. Already, 7th & 8th graders aren't having math classes this semester because the government can't afford to pay the 2nd math teacher, and the village can't afford to either. I can't believe it when I heard it. I've seen how low math level some of my kids are at. I'm tempted to pick up math right now as well, but I think that will be too much for me. Do I choose to concentrate all my effort on teaching physics and math, and not much of community integration like spending time w/ students after class, finding needs of community, or stick w/ physics only right now and have some free time? Any of you out there want to come over and help out? And there is the disappointment w/ girls not as eager as boys. It seems like I've got to talk to a few girls, to find out roots of the problem, whether it is the traditional problem of girls don't like math & science, or another problem, and it looks like I will need to have some talks w/ just girls alone to encourage them. Don't get me wrong, I had some great moments when kids were really getting it. But the difficulties is still there, one being large class size. I can't give all my kids individual attention and some of them really need it.

Misc.
National Geographics is a big hit w/ kids in my family, even w/ my illiterate "mom", she loves flipping through them for pictures. I wish I have the French version so my students can take full advantage of them. As it is they keep asking me to teach English, now that is only 1 math teacher, if I have the time, I should be teaching math.
I wish I could record down singing of little girls in the village when they dance at night. It is really beautiful and sweet. Also the baby goat romping through the yard, sounds like lighter version of horse galloping by.
I have no time to feel lonely w/ living a family having so many students that I can visit. I already had to turn down a few visits because I was busy. Do I feel a need of having a boyfriend? Not at all. No desire or time for it. I haven't had time to do any leisure reading.
I've decided I have to wear pants when I bike. One American culture I must show. Just like wearing helmet, I need to wear pants for safety, much more practical if I fall, even though women never wear pants here. Girls only do it when going dancing in a club. I think there is one female volunteer in country insisted on teaching in pants. Sometimes I wish I decided to do that.
Dance club here is really just a large warehouse. Kids who can pay go in, who can't and young like 5 or 6 years oldjust hang outside till 3am or 4am. There is also ladies who sell snacks. They actually have a pretty good sound system and it is run on a generator. All Guinean put on western clubby cloth like tight butt cheek hugging pants for girls when going to dance club, which is like what we do in U.S., except their club cloth and daily cloth are so drastically different. Yes, there are a lot of cheap looking western styles clothes sold here.
It is getting very dry here. It hasn't rained for 2 weeks. Early mornings and late evenings are cold that skin of my finger tip shrivel up.
So today, Monday (Nov. 14) I only taught 1 class out of 2, because a very respectful person died over the weekend and we all need to go to pay respect, and Tues & Wed, the labor union has called for strike. Oh boy, how am I going to finish my program? Already I have to teach slowly w/ French being a second language for both me and my students and inadequate math level at times. I can only sigh and try to work with what I have. It isn't right that many worker get paid so little, like teachers' salary, more the half of it is price of 50kg of rice, which feeds a family for a month. No wonder people don't eat much meat, and have to work in the field a lot. The exchange b/w dollar and GF has been doubled in 2 years time. Yes, on one side I feel the pain of my villagers, I feel the pain of a country full of resources, but not utilized well, I'm worried one day the resources will be lost, and people are still left poor, and on the side I feel the pain of precious time lost for education. It's great our neighbor Liberia has elected for the first time a female president not only for Liberia, but the whole of Africa. Someone who is an expert on economy, not the football star. It will be great if more Africans who had opportunities to be well educated abroad to come back, the brain draining out of this continent is heartbreaking. And for those of you reading out there and contemplating on join the Peace Corps, go for it and keep at it, as although the difference one can make is miniscule, it's better than nothing, it's the spreading and sharing of information that has helped mankind.
I went to the wake for about an hour. Apparently car tire of the decessed blew and car rolled off road, he hit his head on a rock. The death is sudden and many people from many parts of the country knows him. There were huge crowd and many cars. One of my 7th grader whom I know well is his niece. It was hard to see her cry or hear those others cry. It is time like this, sharing her grief or those others; working together w/ my family in the field, that's really precious to me.
I finally bought something that hold charcoal to cook with, since I want to cook something of great quantity that require lots of heat, I'm afraid my gas tank will run out quick. I want to share things I made w/ my family, my students or bring to class and award those who always try to answer questions. Yes, I have to "bribe" those kids sometimes. I make sure to praise kids who at least try to answer, even if the answer is wrong.
I've also been successful at ending the standoff between two teenage boys in my family. For some reason they haven't spoken to each other for a long time. One is the son of my mom, who is younger, the other is a grandson but older. The grandson's dad died, and his father's mom doesn't want to take him in. I told him that he can't think it is only the other boy's home, it is his family as well, otherwise he will always be miserable. It is so nice to see them playing together again.
My poor little sister Wusai being the only girl in the family has to work so much each day after school. I wish I can work some for her, so she has time to study when she gets home. Elementary school finishes at 5pm.
By the time you read this, it will probably be Christmas. Happy Holidays! We are having a "lock down" because the election that will take place in Dec., travel for PCV is prohibited. I don't really mind though, happy to stay in my village. Now that I'm here in Guinee, my restlessness isn't so strong anymore, perhaps is because all the new changes. I also can't be bothered to suffer through bush taxi to get to big cities. I like the tranquillity of a small village.

Stay warm, eat well, and be happy All!

- Bonnie (Nov. 14th)