I found this title necessary, seeing as though it describes only one of the latest, small but comical events that has happened here in the good 'ole Salone. You see, we Sierra Leoneans suffer here. That what I am told on a daily basis by students, neighbors, fellow teachers, taxi drivers, the cookery ladies, strangers passing by, and anyone else born or living in this country. I'm not mocking, but it's the truth and every single time I want to scream "I've been here for almost a year, you don't think I know!?" Anyways, sorry for that rant - back to the main story for which this long lost blog was named after.
It all starts with the day before, Wednesday the 22nd of May (i'm am writing in my library, on Thursday the 23rd, but am actually now typing it at the internet cafe on Friday, the 24th) during our assembly. Mr. Rogers is giving our girl students a long speech on how men are "bad business" and they need to focus on their education so that they can become anything they want to be. Gynecologist and Pathologist were the two professions in particular he named...bless his heart anyways for trying. While the speech was great, filled with good intentions, I was dying for it to end. The raining season is finally upon us, which means so are the black flies. They are these little annoying flies that bite and leave red, puffy marks for a couple of hours and they are EVERYWHERE and loved me that morning because I had decided to wear a knee-length dress. After the assembly Mr. Rogers found me in the library bent over scratching feverishly at my legs. He scolded me for not knowing I should be wearing long pants and told me that's what I have to wear until the students have a chance to clean to the school grounds to get rid of the flies I took this as an opportunity to wear jeans to school for the first time! So this morning I woke up and pulled on my one and only pair of skinny jeans that I brought and am feeling a bit rebellious wearing skinny jeans to school. I'm feeling good, walking to school, about to reach, when one of my students stops to ask me a question. As I stand there talking to him, I feel things biting at my feet. I look down and realize I am standing right on an anthill, where millions of little ants are swarming to. They are all.over.me. I screamed in mid-convo and ran from my student swatting them off of my feet - but no, they already made their way up my skinny jeans. The rest of the walk I look like a baffoon, swatting at my legs relentlessly, sticking my hands down my pants as i'm passing students. I finally get to the school, where the whole Rogers clan is congregated outside for their morning breakfast. Mr. Rogers asks me what's wrong and I blurt out "I have ants in my pants!" and continue swatting. They all stare, giving sympathetic "Eh Bo's" with mouths hanging open. Now, let me give you all a quick vocab word here that I still have yet to use correctly: "Pants" here means underwear, "Trousers" is the word they use for what we call "pants." Mr. Rogers tries to usher me in the house so that I can change and I say "ah, no I mean my trousers - they're just in my trousers." to which then the family lets out a sigh of relief and I tell them i'll be fine and walk away muttering to myself "trousers means pants. TROUSERS means PANTS." I then say a little prayer, thanking God I did NOT have ants in my "pants."
I know I know, it's unfair to give my most recent event when about 7 months of events are missing. All I can say is that i'm sorry, but when everyday is filled with these small comical events and I get on the internet maybe once a month and blogger likes to work only about half of that time, updating my blog is almost as overwhelming as leaving your friends and family to go live in a developing country for 2 years. But I know how much you peeps at home enjoy reading so I promise to TRY to step my updating game up. I said TRY. So now i'm going to try and sump up the last 7 months as bast as i can, so bear with me.
Lets see...
Since the last update, we ended our first term of school in December. After which I had my first visitor: the on and only Michael McMahon. I won't say much considering most of you who read this know my dad and I know him well enough to know that you already probably got an earful of stories. But I will say it was blast and it was extremely nice having a piece of home come here - especially over Christmas time! VISITORS ARE ENCOURAGED!! Shortly after, term 2 started and it only took the students about a week to come back from their villages which is extremely good compared to other schools. After the term started, the students were then divided into 4 houses, pink yellow, blue and white. I was dubbed the pink house master along with another teacher, Mr. Fomba. We then had about two weeks off of school to have football and volleyball competitions between the houses. But before those started we had to have teachers vs. students in vball and football. The principal had a rule that no students could make physical contact with him or there would be consequences, but my being the ONLY female participating did not have the same luxury. Needless to say, I was sore and walking funny for two days.
After this school was about as normal as it can get - until sports, that is. March madness also takes place in Salone - except it had nothing to do with college basketball. Every school has sports, which is basically a two day track and field competition between the houses. And yes, although it is only TWO days, the preparation leading up to it is about two weeks. There are practices involved, building of the house on the field, clearing and making the field, students getting their "bluffing" (showing off) gear in their house colors, and major smack talk amongst the teachers takes place. My favorite was my teacher who was headmaster of the white house pretending everyday that Obama was calling him on his private jet to see how his white house" was doing. To which the head teacher of the yellow house would reply "you mean the "crooked house?" Obama means crooked in Kenya.Unfortunately the "crooked" house won and we came third. It was a lot of fun, but I was SO glad when it was over.
Term two flew by. Right after the sports, the students had their second term exams, which was not the best idea, and then I was off to the north for the malaria bike ride. Me and about 20 other PCVs started in PC town called Kamakwie in the far north and biked 55 miles over the course of 5 days, stopping seven different PCV's towns and educating the people on malaria treatment and prevention. We did skits, bed net demonstrations, football matched, volleyball games, and visited health clinics. I also learned that not wearing sunblock on my lips for bikerides of 17 miles mid day has major consequences. And is also nearly impossible to treat when you re ALWAYS out in the sun.
After that, I was in and out of Freetown for the rest of break for meeting and working on the style guide I created to give out to the group coming, helping them with what to pack.
So now here we are, the third and final term. Al-most-there is what I say i my head every morning. Its been a little nuts because my oldest kids in JSS3 have a test called the BECE they have to pas to move on the the next level of school, SSS or the high school equivalent. My school, with big shout outs to the PC before me, Chrissy, did the best in our district last year, so there is IMMENSE pressure coming from my principal and the other teachers at my school for this years class to do just as good. All 33 of them live on our campus and attend classes from 8 am to 11 pm, with small breaks for them to go and help their families with chores.
There are about three weeks left of school and then i'm off on holiday for abou 2 1/2 months! I wil then be traveling to Freetown on the 19th to go and greet the new group of volunteers, fresh off of the plane from America!
So phew, there ya go! That pretty much sums up the last 7 months, give or take a few thousand stories of the weird happening and unusual occurances that happen on a daily basis. Tomorrow i'll be traveling up to Makeni to take place in a half marathon put on by an NGO, Street Children. There are a ot of other volunteers doing it so it should be a good time!
So like I said, i'll try my best at updating. Just know that even if you all don't hear from me, I am CONSTANTLY thinking and missing everyone back home. I'm doing great and loving life here, but you peeps back home in America are irreplaceable! :)
P.S. If anyone back home has any advice or insight as to how I can possibly explain contact lenses/prescriptions for bad eyesight and that glasses are not just a thing for bluffing, it would be very appreciated!
Peace and Blessin's!
Brooke
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