Sunday was Parish day at the church that is right down the road from the seminary. It is the church that we go to as a school on Friday mornings. I decided I should go see what it was all about. Mass was supposed to start at 10:00a.m. You would think by now I would realize there is nothing that starts on time that I go to here. I found a seat and waited. Madam Sarah, who is the teacher in the nursery section of the school, found me and sat with me. She was translating things that were said over the mic. It was hard to hear because they were using a generator, and we seemed to be seated fairly close to it. After sitting there for a bit a student found us at joined. The student saw another teacher, and went to get him to join us. By the end of mass (some coming during) we had 7 teachers and two students with us. We had seen the headmaster and his wife walk by, but no one wanted to get up and talk to him. Mass started at about 10:45 or so. It lasted until about 2. The precession to take the book up was beautiful. I did not take my camera with me that day though. The women in the precession had pots on there head with fire, which represented the holy spirit. There were 4 men with something that looked like a small hut rested on two poles laid horizontal that they were carrying. I had seen it earlier in the day and asked Madam Sarah what was in it. She said that is a way to house bees. When they got to the alter, the bible was taken out of the bee holder. Later in the week I asked one of the priests about that. He said it represented food. The book was representing food for the mass, and it was presented that way. He said everything that is done like that has special representation, not just to look pretty.
After the mass people were setting up food. We found out our headmaster did not pay the dues for us to be there. We did not find this out until after Madam Sarah and I went up to get food while the others held our places at the seating area. We were told that the two of us could eat, me because I was "a white" and she could since she was with me. We felt very awkward about it, but we could not back out of it now since the man was standing with us in line. We got our plates of food and went back and sat. We shared them between the other teachers. Madam Sarah some how went out and got 3 more plates of food, and a former student snagged one for another teacher. Over all we were pretty well fed. As I was about halfway through my cabbage (raw) one of the teachers said "Isn't that supposed to make foreigners sick?" GAH! I always forget things like that. Nothing happened to me though :). We also did not have forks, so thankfully the matooke is sticky enough that it can pick up the rice as well as everything else on the plate. I had the cleanest hand after the meal. That has taken a lot of practice, from friends in NE can agree with that...
While we sat there, Teacher Fred sent me on a mission to find beer for us. He said that I would be the one able to get it. I walked around the area, didn't see any, so another teacher and I walked down to the store and bought some. For a 16 oz Nile Special (my favorite) it is 2500 shillings. That is just over $1. At home that would easily be 3-5 dollars. The teachers were so thankful for them. We sat and enjoyed the music and the dancing. We had a great time.
The next day at school some of the teachers questioned the headmaster about him paying the dues. He said that he did, but no teachers showed up. He told 3 different teachers that he didn't believe them that they were there. He then asked me in front of the entire staff if I had gone. I said "yeah, and I sat with ______________", listing off all the teachers that were there, starting with the ones he had told earlier in the day were lying about going. He then asked if I ate. I told him "Madam Sarah and I were able to get food because, and the man told me it was because I was white. So we shared the food with the others." He then seemed to start trying to make excuses. He is just a very untrustworthy man. Which is too bad because all the staff at the school is so good.
On Monday afternoon I went to the market. I like looking around at all the things that are being sold. I picked up a few things to bring home, and there is a little grocery store in that area that I always like to go into and look around. I found some chocolate and peanut butter oreo cookies. They were amazing. Halfway through I saw they expired in May. Oh well. Still tasted great!
Wednesday when I was walking back to the seminary for lunch, I saw a tiny puppy in the drainage ditch. I stood over him trying to figure out what to do. He couldn't be more than a month old. He was still pretty little and didn't walk too well. As I looked at him, a woman came up and said "oh, someone thew him away. If you have a cavara (bag) we can just kill it." NOOOOOOOO!!!! I scooped him up and told her I would take care of him. As I continued walking I realize I have no idea what to do with this dog. I live in a seminary, on a continent that is not my own. I isn't like I can take him as a pet. So I start thinking about what priest will take him. But they will all be at lunch, so what will I do with him until people are done eating. Maybe I can give him to one of the workers. Who knows if he will even live because he is so tiny. As I walk he just snuggles into me, not too worried about where I am taking him. I go up the road to cut through the Major Seminary like usual and one of the workers for MTN (a phone company here) is standing by the gate as guard for the people working on the tower. He says "Where is mine?" I ask him if he wants the dog and promises to take good care of him. He says yes and happily takes the puppy. I go to lunch relieved. As I walk back to school I see the man has the puppy happily laying in the shade of a bush. On my way back from school for the evening the man tells me he needs money to buy milk for the puppy. I give him 10,000 (about $4). He is happy. Some adoption agency I am...
Wednesday night I ate dinner with a group from Omaha called Opportunity Education. They make videos and manipulatives to teach science, math, and history. While eating at the table I find out one of the guys went to the same elementary school as me (but he was 5 years ahead of me), same middle school, and same high school. One woman is from ABQ and works at a school that is a feeder school for the school for the deaf. And one man belongs to the church I grew up in. Small world. But also shows just how much Father Michael affects the world, since everyone here from Omaha, has him as their connection.
Thursday I taught an English class to P5. It was a dialog about nationalities. I had 3 people in it. Mary, Sarah, and James. I asked for volunteers for Mary. A boy was jumping up and down that he wanted to be Mary. I asked him if he would rather be James and he said no. He was Mary. Before I could even ask for people to raise their hands for Sarah, a boy named Henry (my favorite, and usually he is SUPER naughty, but he is always good in my class) yells "I WANT TO BE SARAH". He got the part. Then a girl wanted to be James. It was as if the kids had never been allowed to do something out of the social norm, It was a fun lesson.
Right now I am preparing to go on a Safari! Basically every child's dream, if not many adults. SUPER EXCITED! http://www.paraalodge.com/
While getting ready for the weekend Safari, something I realized "wow, it would be nice to have more than one power adaptor for these outlets." It was tricky making sure camera, iPhone, UG phone, and now my laptop for this posting, were charged.
oh! to add to this... it was walking back with the puppy that i stubbed my toe on a rock and i think i broke it. it hurt so bad and i was limping. that night i went to the tv room and asked one of the priests and the brother for their opinion. the priest said he would put stuff on it that would fix it. he sprayed some cooling stuff on it, then gave me a gel to smear on it. i have NO idea with the two meds were, but my toe is still black and blue, terribly bruised, but no pain... i need to find that stuff and bring it home with him..
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