Today the topic of "Kelcey, can you beat kids back home?" came up again. One of the teachers asks me how I keep order without slapping a few kids here or there. I tell him we can threaten to call home, send kids home, taking away points in a class, or send them to the office... Those are our main choices. He said he wouldn't know how to "Not backhand a kid who is taking back. Just bop them in the mouth!" I laugh and say there were particular kids I would have loved to get with the stick for their behaviors, but it just isn't how it is done in America. One teacher says to me "I can get you one tomorrow! We got a bunch of them!" Everyone is laughing.
While sitting in the staff room, right outside I hear a teacher say "I just want to slap you right now" to a student. I look up and laugh. The teacher to my left laughingly comments, "You would hear that and laugh!"
The other topic that comes up often is malaria. The teachers (who have not been out of Africa) are shocked that malaria does not occurs in America. One reached looks at me with a dropped mouth when I say no one sleeps mosquito netting. He just returned after near death with malaria.
I helped teach PE again today. Amazing. Highlights: tug of war using a child, and airplane. With airplane one kid lays on the ground and puts their arms out flat, looking like an airplane. Well, what fun is an airplane on the ground? Not much! One kid grabs the left arm, another the right. A final kid on the feet, take off! The kids RUN around avoiding other airplanes while making airplane noises. Simply the best!
Tonight at dinner a priest who does not eat red meat, which was part of dinner, shared some of his scrambled eggs with me. Possibly the best, most fluffy and amazing eggs I have ever had.
And that my friends, is how to enjoy a Wednesday in Ggaba. (Ggaba is the one of seven hills that makes up Kampala that I am on)
airplane sounds awesome!
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