One week at Mazinde Juu is complete, and in celebration, Nikki and I
got to spend this weekend in the beach town of Tanga, which rests
right on the coast of the Indian Ocean. Never in my wildest dreams
could I have imagined I’d have the opportunity to wade in the Indian
Ocean, particularly in the middle of November, while all of my friends
and loved ones are beginning their winter hibernation. It was also a
pleasant diversion being able to indulge in pizza and ice cream, two
things I have been craving throughout this trip.
I have become the unofficial school photographer since I’ve started
here, and I think I’ve done more picture taking than teaching! The
school is starting to put together their 2012 calendar, and most of
the pictures will be ones that I have taken. I’m flattered that they
have been so impressed with my photos (although, truth be told, I
think they’re far more impressed with my iPhone).
The way the classes are operated at Mazinde Juu are not all that
dissimilar to American high school classes. The classes are a bit
bigger, and they lack technology, but they are quite similar in
curriculum, structure and pedagogy, which has made the transition into
teaching a bit easier.
It is not uncommon to look out of the window during class and see
various forms of livestock peeking in. Grazing cows, goats and sheep
are common sights and distractions for students at Mazinde Juu, and is
still taking some getting used to.
When originally arriving in Africa, I was a little uncomfortable with
the insect life here, but it was nothing that I was not expecting.
However, I had not imagined that those native to Tanzania would be
fearful of the bugs. Many of those I’ve encounter have been
absolutely petrified, and on the occasions that bugs make it into the
classrooms, the students shriek and cower. The most incredible
situation occurred in my Pre-Form I English class last night, when a
giant moth (larger than the average butterfly) zoomed into the
classroom, causing nearly all the girls in the classroom to completely
lose control. Most threw their arms over their heads, while some of
the most extreme cases dodged for cover underneath the desks. Amidst
the pandemonium, some of the girls began to shout “Turn off the
lights! Turn off the lights!” I quickly darted over to the light
switch and clicked off a set of lights. As I did this, one
particularly brave girl stood up and began to follow the moth around,
with fire in her eyes. The other girls were watching her with
trepidation as she suddenly lunged forward and threw herself onto the
ground. In one swift move, she tackled the moth and had it by the
wings. She held it up for the class to see, as it thrashed around
trying to get out of her fingers. As the class let out one final,
collective shriek she raced to the door and let it free. She turned
to me smiling and said “Ok, sir. You can turn the lights back on
now.”
Josh
Comments