Cheers! To shaking things up (and out!)

Ok, it has only been a month since my blog…I’m getting better :)
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Well, tomorrow is June which means I am coming up on my 1 year anniversary of leaving the United States of America. A year, wow.
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Things that have happened since my last blog….
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School: Teaching has continued to go well. The students became a bit obnoxious and annoying the past couple weeks because we were getting close to a break. We closed the school Friday for one month, until July 5th. I am super excited about this because I definitely need a break from teaching. I enjoy teaching but I will never teach high school kids again (that is for sure). They can get a little sassy, especially when were speaking different languages. So 2 weeks ago, for my last Health class before exams I did a condom demonstration. It was probably the students’ favorite lesson. Some of their questions were honestly down-right stupid. I don’t know where these kids make this stuff up, but I hope I set some things straight. At the beginning of the class, I teach the ABC’s of sex…but I am pretty sure they have already skipped A and B and went straight to C. Next I did the condom demonstration (what to look for before you use it and how to use a condom correctly). This is when all the stupid questions started rollin’ in. Good thing I had another teacher there to help translate stupidity. Lastly, the students ask for condoms at the end of class. Mind you, I had already handed out one to each student, but apparently that wasn’t enough. I handed out some more and then….it practically turned into a frenzy. I couldn’t hand them out fast enough. I was practically throwing them at the students like they were party favors. It was comical. I also have students now coming to my house occasionally to ask for condoms also. I don’t mind, I told them they could (even though I get the condoms from the health center where they also hand them out for free). But I suppose they feel more comfortable asking me than the doctor. At least they are asking for them, right!
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We also just got done with exams on Thursday, so I have another 400ish exams to correct. I have already graded the exams for my Biology class, about 100. The health exams I will get to later haha.
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Health group: My health group is still working hard. They have been a little flaky in attendance lately because it is farming season, but were still progressing. We have finished learning about HIV/AIDS and have started going out into the village to teach. Our first day teaching in the village went smoothly. We had about 30 people come, so it was a good turn out. Again, (not knowing I was going to) I did another (impromptu) condom demo. This time it was for mostly elderly men and women. At the end of our presentation one of the elders ask about condoms and said he didn’t know how to use them properly. So one of the members in the group showed him a picture from is book and said ‘that’s how, ok?’ He did this because for everyone but me the topic has never been talked about and is highly embarrassing. Therefore, I offered to give a demo. They were a bit hesitant but one of the other members in my group (a very forward thinking elder) said YES! Give a demo. So I did. And they all laugh just as much as my high school students. But I suppose that is was a funny sight to see…me, a white 25 year women from America sporting a side pony tail that day (yup im bringin’ it back) teaching a bunch of African elders. It may have been a bit awkward for them, but all-in-all it went well. They were all happy and thanked me for the demo. Maybe a slight step for fighting AIDS in Africa. YAY.
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On a less world changing note: I had the BIGGEST snail on my front door the other morning. Seriously, I’m not joking. He was 8 inches long and his shell was the size of a baseball. WHAT?! I had left him there and then when my mama came by I showed her. She freaked out and hit with a broom (she’s not scared of a tarantula, but is of a giant snail…I didn’t get it either??). Anyhoo, after she knocked it off my door, I picked him up and put him outside. Oh ya, I got pictures too.
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Other creepy things: AGAIN, I had a tarantula. This time he was in my living room next to my front door. And as always I handled the situation with all the maturity I could muster (which, by the way, wasn’t much). However, I didn’t go get my mama. I decided to handle it all by myself. So, what did I do?!?! First, I got ALL my flashlights and my lantern…I WASN’T going to lose that sucker in the dark. Next, I got my shovel to hit him with it. So that’s exactly what I did. BUT, after I hit him with the shovel I didn’t see him all smooshed up OR run away, so I dropped the shovel (making a very loud ruckus) and ran into the hallway. That’s when I spotted him, CHASING ME! Yes, chasing me. That is when I yelped, yes everyone I yelped a very frantic high-pitched yelp. At which point my cats took over and finished the job. I’m making progress though, don’t ya think?! By the time I get home I will be catching tarantulas with my hand haha.
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The last creepy thing I will mention in this blog: First, a little history. Since the day I have arrived here I have been shaking things out be for I use them. Don’t get it? Here’s some examples…before I get into bed, I shake out my sheets; before I put on my shoes, I shake ‘em; etc. This is just a precaution, so that if there is a bug inside anything it will not get on me when I use whatever I am going to use. So, when I was in my bafu (shower room) the other day and I had finished taking a shower (bucket bath), I grabbed my khonga (large piece of cloth, aka my current towel) and I shook it. What falls out?! A 5 inch long red legged pinching centipede looking bug. I have always though that the day I get comfortable and stop shaking things out, is the day I am going to get bitten in the ass. And that is exactly what could have happened. Bugs, I could certainly live without ‘em.
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Life in general: Thing are going smoothly. I still get more comfortable here with each day. The past few weeks had been kind of hard. I was in a bit of a slump…not sure why. Maybe because it has been almost a year since I left, or because my students were irritating me, or because I haven’t slept well with my crazy cats keeping me awake at night. Who knows?! But no worries! My mood has lifted. I have a break from school and I have some new projects that I am working on to get started soon. Some ideas: I think I might also start teaching at the health center or the primary schools or both, I’m going to start a information center at the health center so patients can read about health care while they wait, and I am going to start an income generating project of making and selling jam with my health group. FUN! I am really excited! I also have friends visiting today, a training to go to in DSM in June, my HIV/AIDS even is coming up in July, and I have gotten a bunch of packages from America lately. So things are looking up!
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Things worth noting:
- Three of my friends are visiting today and are going to spend a few days at my place. I love visitors.
- I often think of Peggy’s steak dinners (seriously, like all the time….with the salad with all the garlic and the cheesy bread, oh the cheesy bread).
- I want to be clean, like REALLY clean. And stay clean ALL day.
- Would it be nuts to say that I actually miss WA and its weather?! Yah guys, it’s still me.
- I have gained so much patience here, it’s unnatural (or shall we say un-cabral).
- Six and a half months until I visit home.
- I didn’t spell check or grammar check this blog.