Week 49 (24 – 30 June 2007)
The Sunday morning service started late because the preacher hadn’t arrived from Arua – his lift was late. He is one of the clergy at St Philips, a large Church of Uganda in town. His theme was wisdom from God. Sadly, I didn’t seem to receive any and had difficulty understanding what he was trying to say. Perhaps it will take us a little while to re-adjust again to speaking styles and trains of thought. Andrea slept most of the day while I was able to complete my book sorting therapy and cataloguing the 720 books on loan. So at least the bookshelves are tidy and fairly well sorted. We have a good choice of books, from young children’s through to heaver tomes with indigestible titles. Plus a few in French and what I think might be Swahili. As the weather is dull and our battery seemed to completely discharge while we were away we’ve gone back to candles and kerosene lamps in the evening. Atmospheric and cosy in a way but hard to read and we could do without the atmosphere from the burning kerosene.
On Monday we taught our first lessons after an 8 week break for me (Andrea taught S4 during our one week stay earlier in May). I was surprised how exhausted I was afterwards. There are five students on teaching practice for the rest of this term and they seem to have taken over the staffroom. Samuel needs particular prayer. Unfortunately for him, he is taking my S1 Physics class and Andreas S3 Maths class so will have both of us to cope with! Samuel was a bit surprised when I asked to watch him teach a lesson next week. He has been teaching for three years so knows what he is doing, so he says. But I need to see how Ugandan teachers teach – it would be very helpful for me. The big bonus of the day – Mary (and Grace) came and so we had a wonderful lunch. Jonathan, her son born on Good Friday, was very good, smiling at everyone and trying to chat to me as I was working.
The staff briefing was at the morning break on Tuesday although there were no specific items on the agenda. We still managed to run over the 20 min time slot. As John wasn’t feeling well, I took his S3 Agriculture period for and extra Chemistry lesson. I’m not sure how much the class appreciated it! Andrea was feeling under the weather, and a bit tired too so she didn’t attend the Staff Devotions. I arrived at around 4pm and no one was around and had the feeling of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. A few minutes later, Dorothy arrived and reassured me that devotions would take place. When I asked what time she said 4pm. I repeated this to make sure I had heard her correctly. “Oh, yes. It starts at 4pm!” She laughed when I pointed out that it was already 4.10pm. A few minutes later I was asked if I would share anything. I declined politely indicating that I don’t do spontaneous. John later spoke for about 15 minutes and it would be good if I could report what he said but sadly, I’ve no idea although I was listening attentively. I thing the re-entry to Uganda is taking a bit longer than expected!
I can’t remember anything about Wednesday and there isn’t anything of note in my diary, which is the only indication to me that it did actually happen.
I got up early to teach the S1 Physics lesson on Thursday because we realise last night that the S1 Physics and S3 Maths are on at the same time. Samuel, the student is teaching these classes. Past experience did not leave us with the confidence that this would have been sorted in advance. Fortunately, we were wrong and the Maths lesson had been swapped for a Geography lesson. Pity we weren’t told in advance. However, I did teach my S2 and S3 lessons later, rested in the afternoon and spent an hour in the evening helping John to do some bits on Excel. One of the good things about this is that there do seem to be some moves regarding getting the school linked up to mains electricity. The classrooms have been rewired with additional 230v lights in place and there is power from the nearby electrician’s house. This gives us more opportunity to charge our laptops but the connecting wire would hardly pass any EU safety regulations with bare wires in place and a series of normal indoor extension leads across the road and footpath.
Neither of us had lessons on Friday (due to the student teachers) so we spent the morning preparing lessons, exam questions and devotions. We attended the full staff meeting at 2pm not realising that there was a special lunch (chicken) before it. Another communication breakdown. We both tried to remain calm, especially when the discussion centred on the date for the Open Day with an even longer and more heated debate about the timing of the day as the food seemed to dominate the decision. We don’t have deep freezers or butchers as in the UK. The cow or goat is slaughtered on the day, transported to the school then 150kg is cut up and prepared. Cows take 3 hours to cook and goats 2 hours – wood and charcoal fires, remember. So timing a lunch for 1pm means a very early start and a lot of work for the women teachers, especially as the kitchen staff still have to feed the 170 students as well. What about the male teachers helping, you ask? So did I, but later as the discussion was making me hungry and it would not have been culturally sensitive either! But I did suggest quietly afterwards to John, the Deputy, that perhaps a full meat meal might not be needed – what about something simpler, and much cheaper for the school too. So, we’ll see. The date has been set for 21st July. But it might change.
It rained last night having not rained for most of the week. This meant that the roads were muddier and made us more than a little nervous about our Saturday trip to town. We delayed our start and the ground dried a little so we left around 11am. There were no problems – just a few small mud patches. It was very busy in town and difficult to negotiate the cyclists and lorries. I even changed back to 4 wheel drive and turned right rather than left at one junction which is normally difficult but looked impossible today. This is a junction near the centre of town but with massive pot “chasms”. Otherwise, all was well. We had our lunch in the Catholic Centre although this took longer than usual and then visited Cathy and her girls. She gave us some background to student teaching practice – no, the students don’t normally observe other teachers lessons (most teachers don’t like this) and no, they don’t normally get observed by the teachers in the school. Basically they get on with it themselves and learn very little. And unless they are all really bad or do something silly like not turn up, they all pass. Hm. Explains a lot. We were treated to the favourite lemon cake made by the girls, but with cream this time! I also had a special time playing “cars” with Joshua (2 yrs old). I spent most of the evening relaxing with the e-mails. What I mean is that most of the time neither the laptop nor I were doing anything. The weather seems to have made the signal even less reliable that usual so that when I move or even blink the connection is lost, but being Africa, it doesn’t tell me that so I have to keep checking. Eventually, I found a spot that seemed to get better reception but it meant holding the phone in an awkward position. I’ve just put a screw in the window frame as high as possible as so far the connection is OK. Only the laptop has just 42 min left. So no replies or blog update tonight. Again. I’ll just have to give up this relaxing and read a book.
On Monday we taught our first lessons after an 8 week break for me (Andrea taught S4 during our one week stay earlier in May). I was surprised how exhausted I was afterwards. There are five students on teaching practice for the rest of this term and they seem to have taken over the staffroom. Samuel needs particular prayer. Unfortunately for him, he is taking my S1 Physics class and Andreas S3 Maths class so will have both of us to cope with! Samuel was a bit surprised when I asked to watch him teach a lesson next week. He has been teaching for three years so knows what he is doing, so he says. But I need to see how Ugandan teachers teach – it would be very helpful for me. The big bonus of the day – Mary (and Grace) came and so we had a wonderful lunch. Jonathan, her son born on Good Friday, was very good, smiling at everyone and trying to chat to me as I was working.
The staff briefing was at the morning break on Tuesday although there were no specific items on the agenda. We still managed to run over the 20 min time slot. As John wasn’t feeling well, I took his S3 Agriculture period for and extra Chemistry lesson. I’m not sure how much the class appreciated it! Andrea was feeling under the weather, and a bit tired too so she didn’t attend the Staff Devotions. I arrived at around 4pm and no one was around and had the feeling of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. A few minutes later, Dorothy arrived and reassured me that devotions would take place. When I asked what time she said 4pm. I repeated this to make sure I had heard her correctly. “Oh, yes. It starts at 4pm!” She laughed when I pointed out that it was already 4.10pm. A few minutes later I was asked if I would share anything. I declined politely indicating that I don’t do spontaneous. John later spoke for about 15 minutes and it would be good if I could report what he said but sadly, I’ve no idea although I was listening attentively. I thing the re-entry to Uganda is taking a bit longer than expected!
I can’t remember anything about Wednesday and there isn’t anything of note in my diary, which is the only indication to me that it did actually happen.
I got up early to teach the S1 Physics lesson on Thursday because we realise last night that the S1 Physics and S3 Maths are on at the same time. Samuel, the student is teaching these classes. Past experience did not leave us with the confidence that this would have been sorted in advance. Fortunately, we were wrong and the Maths lesson had been swapped for a Geography lesson. Pity we weren’t told in advance. However, I did teach my S2 and S3 lessons later, rested in the afternoon and spent an hour in the evening helping John to do some bits on Excel. One of the good things about this is that there do seem to be some moves regarding getting the school linked up to mains electricity. The classrooms have been rewired with additional 230v lights in place and there is power from the nearby electrician’s house. This gives us more opportunity to charge our laptops but the connecting wire would hardly pass any EU safety regulations with bare wires in place and a series of normal indoor extension leads across the road and footpath.
Neither of us had lessons on Friday (due to the student teachers) so we spent the morning preparing lessons, exam questions and devotions. We attended the full staff meeting at 2pm not realising that there was a special lunch (chicken) before it. Another communication breakdown. We both tried to remain calm, especially when the discussion centred on the date for the Open Day with an even longer and more heated debate about the timing of the day as the food seemed to dominate the decision. We don’t have deep freezers or butchers as in the UK. The cow or goat is slaughtered on the day, transported to the school then 150kg is cut up and prepared. Cows take 3 hours to cook and goats 2 hours – wood and charcoal fires, remember. So timing a lunch for 1pm means a very early start and a lot of work for the women teachers, especially as the kitchen staff still have to feed the 170 students as well. What about the male teachers helping, you ask? So did I, but later as the discussion was making me hungry and it would not have been culturally sensitive either! But I did suggest quietly afterwards to John, the Deputy, that perhaps a full meat meal might not be needed – what about something simpler, and much cheaper for the school too. So, we’ll see. The date has been set for 21st July. But it might change.
It rained last night having not rained for most of the week. This meant that the roads were muddier and made us more than a little nervous about our Saturday trip to town. We delayed our start and the ground dried a little so we left around 11am. There were no problems – just a few small mud patches. It was very busy in town and difficult to negotiate the cyclists and lorries. I even changed back to 4 wheel drive and turned right rather than left at one junction which is normally difficult but looked impossible today. This is a junction near the centre of town but with massive pot “chasms”. Otherwise, all was well. We had our lunch in the Catholic Centre although this took longer than usual and then visited Cathy and her girls. She gave us some background to student teaching practice – no, the students don’t normally observe other teachers lessons (most teachers don’t like this) and no, they don’t normally get observed by the teachers in the school. Basically they get on with it themselves and learn very little. And unless they are all really bad or do something silly like not turn up, they all pass. Hm. Explains a lot. We were treated to the favourite lemon cake made by the girls, but with cream this time! I also had a special time playing “cars” with Joshua (2 yrs old). I spent most of the evening relaxing with the e-mails. What I mean is that most of the time neither the laptop nor I were doing anything. The weather seems to have made the signal even less reliable that usual so that when I move or even blink the connection is lost, but being Africa, it doesn’t tell me that so I have to keep checking. Eventually, I found a spot that seemed to get better reception but it meant holding the phone in an awkward position. I’ve just put a screw in the window frame as high as possible as so far the connection is OK. Only the laptop has just 42 min left. So no replies or blog update tonight. Again. I’ll just have to give up this relaxing and read a book.
posted by J & A McAdam at 3:00 PM
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