Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Sweetness

It is the eve before Thanksgiving and I think that I will be too busy to come by and do some interwebbing so here it is my Thanksgiving post. This one will be different then the usual yearly soap box standing and ranting.

We all by now know that we stole our home in America from others who probably stole it from others and everybody thought it was a great idea and that the god of their choice supported it.

This year I am thankful for so much.

I will start with how thankful I am for my bad days. The days that I am wrought with despair and think what the heck am I doing here, those days make the rest of them sweeter then high fructose corn syrup. I am surrounded by jaw dropping poverty, intense hunger, and some of the darkest ignorance I have ever encountered.

I am thankful for the accident that was my birth on a continent in a country that is fruitful and where possibilities are limitless.

I am thankful that I did not grow up only to fall short like the 95% of students don't make it college here.

I am thankful that I was born in a a place of hard work, integrity, and education are the driving forces that will lead to the life that you wish to live.

I am thankful that the work I do here has some impact however small as it is.

I am thankful for the new and old friends that I have.

I am thankful that I was welcomed so warmly to our temporary home here in Kaedi.

I am thankful for the people who have cared enough to try and ensure that Kristy, myself, and the rest of the Gorgol has had an American meal in this place so far from home.

I am thankful for the love that I have found in my wife and that she is always there to support me.

Thank you friends and family for reading and supporting us through this.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

American Pie

Life continues as it often does, it is slow and steady here. Thanksgiving is on my mind a lot, it is really astounding how much more I like America being away from it. I will stand firm on my dislike on the origins of this holiday, don't get me wrong.

I do not really have anything of note to report, and I am merely writing to let all who will see that I am alive and well.

Work is work. Students are not much different the world over. Some want to learn, some want to talk, and I believe that they all crave structure and will press boundaries just to see what they can get away with. My Teacher Trainer stuff is slowly starting I hope that this is like The Tortoise And The Hare and that I will keep a good pace my whole time here.

I am currently learning Hassanya, it is a dialect of Arabic. I never knew that my mouth could make some of those noises. Like any language it is coming along slowly and the more I practice the better I will become.

We have resigned that our landlord is not going to fix our plumbing and have started repairs
ourselves. It is a bit of an adventure going into a hardware store and having to describe what the piece your looking for.

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Ghouls Night Out

I would like to wish everyone a blessed Samhain (Happy Halloween). We were able to spend the night of Halloween with friends we hadn't seen a while, it was a great time, almost too great. Holidays remind me how much I miss home, its kinda a bummer.

It almost doesn't really feel like it is November because it is hot, still. Regardless of how much Mauritanians tell me its cold, I disbelieve it. I am actually looking forward to the cold season that everyone talks about. Supposedly within a few weeks it will be sweater weather until noon for over a month.

I started my classes, its really hard to tell how many students I have. I expect to get a roster within a couple weeks so I will know for sure but from my attendance I have a class of 40 and a class of 45. More kids will filter in though, I know it. There are still even a lot of teachers that are not here yet. I never really thought that work ethic was something that I thought I would miss but I do, a lot. I will do what I can to lead by example. I have hope to be able to start my teacher trainer job soon I have tentative plans to meet with the DREN and director of my lycee {high school} to discuss where I will be most effective, what they want out of my, and to try and propose some of the ideas that I have.