Week 31 (18 - 24 Feb 2007)

On Sunday afternoon we were invited to visit the mother of our neighbour (Lillian). It was a fairly typical home with several buildings and relatives living together on the compound. We were made to feel very welcome and shown around her house which is partly completed. The windows are bricked up until she has enough money for the frames and glass and there is no plaster on the walls. She does have a tin roof because the usual thatched ones need to be replaced each year as they get eaten by termites. If anyone knows of a cure or way of preventing termites eating the wood please let us know. There would be a huge market for it in Africa. We have seen evidence of the destruction they cause and know that there are some in our own home. And talking about destruction, there was a minor earth tremor at 5.30am on Monday morning. The doors and windows were rattling for a few minutes but that’s all. One neighbour rushed outside and was praying frantically. Andrea asked about his wife and 2yr old son. “Well, they should have taken my movements as a sign!” They stayed indoors.

Our temporary home help, Monica, started on her own on Monday. Mary trained her for a week or so but now Mary is about to deliver a baby and will be taking a break from the walk and work. But not for too long! Monica is waiting for her ‘O’ level results before deciding what to do. Her English isn’t as good as Mary’s and she is very reluctant to do or say anything in my presence for fear of being disrespectful. I wonder if she will still be with us when Laura comes!

We learnt to play canasta this afternoon with Cathy Asiki’s children. I’ve played it before but a long long time ago and it’s too complicated to learn solely from a book. It was good fun and in the extended break we’ve booked a further lesson next week.

It was Laura’s 22^nd birthday on Tuesday. Although we missed her and this was the first year Andrea hadn’t made her a cake we were able to speak to her in the evening. She seems to be having a great time without us! Richard even manage to try to phone as we were speaking!

Wednesday was very hot again. Nearly 40C.

On Thursday I acted as chauffeur (thank you for spell checkers as I hadn’t a clue how to spell that one!) to the One who does all. (Andrea came too.) An American family who home school their children were having problems with fractions. To be accurate it was only 2/3rds of the children who were having the problems. The youngest is only four and just learning to read by herself. So they requested the help of a Maths teacher for a while. I spent the time chatting to two visitors from Washington DC and as a result would like to visit there sometime. We then went to lunch with a Canadian family (5/6ths of their children present) and then the 3 Vandermeer girls + 2 Asiki girls had a knitting lesson. It took me about 1/10^th of a second to share my knitting wisdom before handing over to the expert. I spent my time on the computer preparing a scheme of work for Physics. Next time I might join the knitting club.

The main event on Friday was when Andrea sowed some trousers upside down and it was too late in the evening to work out what had gone wrong. Poor Teddy No 2 was naked from the waist downwards for a whole day! While it might be cooler, I don’t think I’ll try it. Anyway, the temperatures dropped considerably and although the maximum was 35C it was only for a short time with the average being around 23C so that I was able to continue lesson preparation during the afternoon.

Some of our (male) neighbours played Ludo all day on Saturday but as it was cooler again they had to go inside. I didn’t join them as I can’t play Ludo. Lillian was sitting outside in the afternoon but was wearing a coat. There was a breeze so a little wind chill factor. We continued to sit out in our shirt sleeves and shorts much to her amazement and were finding the temperatures a refreshing relief! Eventully she excused herself because she was too cold!

Week 30 (11 - 17 Feb 2007)

This week was quiet again - the students have not returned due to the meningitis outbreak. We continued with our painting of the doors and frames and I started on the “shower room”. It was a very dark grey and with two coats of white paint is now at least less grey! I will try to do a further coat next week. It is much brighter already and after the first coat I almost needed my sunglasses! The temperature dropped for three our four days mid-week giving us a welcome respite from the heat – but it’s back again today (Saturday).

We were invited out for lunch with a UK couple (Heather is from N Ireland) who work in Sudan but also have a house in Arua for much needed breaks. They have been in Africa for about 20 years and were able to give us some more tips on survival in exchange for some computer advice. I think we gained more! We also saw their picture of their recent holiday in Zanzibar. Nice place!

Our week ended on Friday with a staff meeting which was both informative and encouraging. We felt much more at home than at the beginning of the last term and were able to contribute to the discussions. A major part of the meeting concerned the ‘O’-level exam results. Just like in the UK, it’s difficult to compare with last year because the criteria have changed! However, I was able to do some subject analysis on both years (2005 & 2006) so that some comparisons could be made. Overall, the results are very good for the area but slightly down on last year. As the school is new there are only two sets of results so far. The analysis was well received, which was encouraging, and the teachers seemed to be open to further analysis and working out what can be done to improve.

Andrea will be taking all four of the Maths classes, at least until a replacement can be found. At the moment, I will take over a second Physics class (S2) which leaves a further Physics class (S3) yet to be covered. [S4 is the ‘O’-level exam and fourth year.] Weekly brief staff meetings have been planned with longer meetings each month. Before now there have just been meetings at the start and end of each term. The Maths/Physics teacher who is leaving is also the Director of Studies and his replacement has been appointed. I have been asked to assist him following my work on the public exam results.

Our one frustration is that due to the meningitis outbreak, all West Nile schools will remain closed for another two weeks – until 5^th March. Our neighbour, John, feels the same saying that he was in danger of “developing long distance lorry driver’s buttocks” i.e. sitting around too much!!! Public meetings have been banned in Arua in order to try to stop it spreading further. The vaccination has been held up as there is an outbreak in DR Congo also and there only one manufacturer of the vaccine in the world. We do not know of anyone personally affected but children have died – so please pray for those affected and the medical teams.

Week 29 (4 - 10 Feb 2007)

At it was a quiet week I thought it would be a good opportunity for you to have a rest from my style (is there you ask?) and draft in a ‘guest’ author. Unfortunately, the Bishop was busy. So, I invited Swmbo (She Who Must Be Obeyed). This is where I ask ‘Which one?’ and am not brave enough to put an answer in print let alone on the web! Therefore, Andrea has for the first time attempted an entry:

We have been a bit in limbo this week as the school holiday now reaches 9 weeks with a further week to go. Mass vaccinations for meningitis have been going on around the district - we were vaccinated before we left UK. The temperature outside has reached 37°C every day - which is the same temperature as your blood so no chance of getting cool. The house is a few degrees cooler and heats up more slowly but also cools more slowly at the end of the day. James has very kindly recorded temperatures at different times of day over a period of days so that I can use the data for my lessons. I regard this as turning challenges into opportunities which is a particularly useful philosophy to have wherever you are in the world!

This week I started painting – not works of art like James does – but DIY type painting. The washroom door and frame are now white instead of tank grey and the transformation had been very pleasing. I think our neighbours have been rather bemused at the fact that I (Andrea) have been doing the painting!

It’s hard to believe, but this is as far as she got and I even had to finish the last sentence. I think she said “The words just don’t flow”. Hm. And she’s not even ill. But she has written most of what we did this week. The reason she started painting was because she was wandering around trying to find something useful to do and couldn’t settle but, at my suggestion, got stuck into the painting. Literally. I hope to help out next week, but I often have good intentions and manage to avoid them without even trying. And just in case you think I’m being idle, I’ve been doing some wood working things again as well as some preparation and reading. Yes, and sleeping and saying “Man, it’s hot” and “It’s much too hot to do anything”. Seems to do the trick!

Week 28 (28 Jan – 3 Feb 2007)

In an attempt to develop the blog entries to make them shorter and less repetitive I’ve been trying to be creative and failed so far. Did I say that I’m trying to be less repetitive? We’ve settled back into the school routine, such as it is without students. The main issue is the heat – hitting 39°C on Sunday and over 38°C for three of the other four days at the time of writing. This is mid-afternoon but the rest of the time it’s in the upper 20’s and has been around 24°C at 8am and 9pm. I think we’re getting used to it and it’s better to be distracted by doing something gentle than thinking how hot it is. Or going to sleep.

We’ve had three excursions this week – church at Kuluva Hospital, a visit from Cathi Asiki, her sister from the UK and her four children for lunch and our weekly trip to town. Some more furniture and bits have arrived and I’ve spent a day or so fitting four posts to our bed to raise the mosquito net. Now we can read in bed without getting the book caught in the net. It took all day because I have now discovered how hard hardwood is. Very hard. And I missed my electric drill for the pilot holes. I’ve still some shelves to put into the wardrobe and few other bits.

The start of term has been delayed from 5th Feb to 19th Feb due to a meningitis outbreak in the West Nile area. Immunisation programmes have started but it’s not advisable to have hoards of children packed into relatively small classrooms. This gives us an extra two weeks to plan especially if the staff turn up for work next week. Some of the teachers have applied for government school jobs which means that they can be posted anywhere in the country. So far, one is going to east Uganda even though he is from Arua. Several others are waiting to hear so there could be several changes and short notice.

Andrea has begun to teach crocheting to some of the girls who work for our neighbours and I have given my first chess lesson to two of the teachers. I need to read the book to find out what the second lesson is! Otherwise, we’re doing lesson planning and preparation as well as Bible study notes in simple English for the students to use.

PS I've just found out the Six Nations Rugby scores - great for Ireland, except that I missed it!!!