Saturday, July 23, 2011

So rainy season= even more sporadic internet . . . .

I apologize for the delay in update, but turns out that rainstorms are not ideal for good internet connection and since it is currently rainy season, access to the interwebs has been limited. Nevertheless, right now it is sunny and hopefully it will let me post this blog. I'll keep it short and sweet. In the last month I've found out my site where I will be living and teaching for two years. I will be a happy resident of Kamabai, Sierra Leone. It's in Bombali district, in the Birawa Limba chieftdom, so I've started learning Limba as my local language. It's challenging, but I love it. Now I can greet in 4 Salone languages (Krio, Temne, Limba and Mende) and I'm excited to learn more. I love the diversity that the different tribes offer and each one has their one traits that they are known for. For instance, the Limbas are known to be big palm wine people, so I hit the jackpot. On my 3 day site visit I got to see my house and my school. I think I'm really going to love it there and I cannot wait to move there in less then a month! Speaking of that I cannot believe that training will be over in 3 weeks! Just as I start to get used to an environment, PC goes and changes it on me :)

We started teaching summer school this week and I'm really glad that I have the opportunity to work out some teaching kinks before I get to site. Classroom management and teaching style is just something that comes with practice and three weeks of practice will be great. I'm teaching SS1 Biology with about 20 students and then JSS II Integrated Science with about 50 students. JSS is a bit of a challenge, those pikin are crazy, but it's probably what I will be dealing with at site, so it's good for me :)

This week we continue summer school and local language and on Friday we are all going back to Freetown to tour the PC headquarters. It will be interesting to see my impression of the city now with 2 months of living in Salone under my belt. Not gonna lie, I was pretty intimidated the first time we drove through it, Freetown definitly is chaotic.

Anyways, thanks everyone for the thoughts and prayers, they are much appreciated. Send me letters! I want to know what is going on in your lives and mail is just fun to get. :)