pat on the back

As my time here winds down, i've been in a very congratulatory and congratulated-atory [??] mood. That is to say, lots of back patting going on between me and people around me.

A few days ago, I got a visit from whom I would say are two of the most promising students who just finished form 4, Solo and Sengerema. We had a great discussion for about an hour [I was very late to work but couldn't care less], talked about their future plans and what they want in life, etc. I of course stressed the importance of them having goals and plans to help guide their further studies and career searches, while in the meantime when I return home in a little over a month I plan on doing....what? We had a good laugh as well when I reminded them that the guest speaker at graduation had welcomed them to 'citizenship,' which I translated by taking them out to a REAL breakfast of chicken soup and chapattis instead of the nasty crap uji [porridge] they drank every day at school. Now I just hope that they manage to get themselves together and find some odd jobs so that they are able to pay school fees. Both of these two I am 100% sure will pass and be given an opportunity to continue studies, but sadly the 60-70 dollars a year school fees are a potential barrier.

On Saturday I got the opportunity to have a final meeting with the teachers I work with at Butimba TTC. We agreed to have a final emergency meeting since their schedule had changed and this week they will be going into the field to do a teaching practical. So we met at 8pm and, well, it was just a great time. I have been with these folks, about 40 in all, for the entire year, and we just have a blast during our sessions. We have interesting and thought-provoking debates, teach each other funny games and songs ['icebreakers'] to prepare the students before beginning a lesson, and then learn some really interesting topics. As I final lesson I decided to talk about the importance of self-esteem, and we literally did a 'pat-on-the-back' exercise where each person taped a piece of paper on his/her back, and then we all walk around the classroom and write positive things about each other on our backs. They got a HUGE kick out of it, and who doesn't like being told how great you are, you look, you teach, etc? It was very confidence building, and a nice way to end our time together and get a little reminder of the group. I joked to them that 10 years from now, if they are having a shitty day or their boss is an asshole or something, they can take out these pieces of paper and say to themselves, "oh yeah? well for your information, i'm attractive and creative and ask good questions in the classroom and play soccer well too, so shove it."

At the end of the period we all had sodas and distributed teaching materials, which they were INCREDIBLY grateful for. We finished at 11:30pm, and I slept in a room at the college. I will try to post a picture of all this in the coming days. All in all it was a very rewarding experience, and I'm hoping as I wind up other projects in the coming weeks that everything is as positive as this was. I know a lot of these folks will go on to do great things, and to help thousands of students, and I really couldn't help being very proud of that. I could tell they were excited to get out and get some real teaching experience, too. The environment of the teachers college is beautiful, right on the lake, nice weather, lots of rocks and trees, but the living conditions are - well - think about colleges in the states, and then imagine a developing country. My best friend Domi, who is now studying there, lives in a 'room' that has 15 bunk beds basically just lined up along the two walls, with a few tables and desks scattered around the room. So basically he has 29 roommates. Not much privacy. And his is the better situation, another of our friends was late registering and so he is in a room that, for all practical purposes, is simply a barracks. Total of 40 bunk beds, 80 people, no tables or chairs or desks or dressers. The food at the college is, well, it's food that is prepared for 1,000 people so I think that says it all. And the rules are pretty strict, monday-friday the entire day is scheduled, and friday/saturday night they have to be back at the college by 5pm. But all in all, these people seem motivated and excited for an opportunity at further education, and it's really fun for me to be surrounded by urban, intelligent, young people [no offense to all you old, stupid hicks].

To end on a random note - I have become accustomed to seeing men, old young and middle-aged, bathing in the lake. In the afternoon, in the middle of Mwanza city. Just bathing. Completely naked, surrounded by people, cars zipping by [although they are somehow far from the road], LOADS of mamas nearby doing their laundry... This, for me, is NORMAL. Oh boy, am I nervous to go back home...