dinsdag 21 december 2010
It’s been ages!
It seems I did sort of get carried away with taking on the masters the 2 Dutch schools one of which is at times ridiculously demanding on top of my full time job. I love the students I have at Sanford: 1 of them didn’t show so I have only 13 now. The one that bit me is a real cutie pie with an extremely expressive face. His dad says he talks a lot about me at home and he’ll cling to my legs and give me kisses which is super sweet. And there are others that are a lot of fun, This is the first year that I start a kindergarten class full time and will also finish it and the bond I feel with my kinds is amazing. The others schools are also fun and so is the MA course it is just a lot. That’s the reason none of you receive mails lately or that this blog isn’t updated often. Even at weekends I don’t do all that much, trying to study and sometimes this leads to wasting time. I had forgotten what a terrible student I was.
Nonetheless I have been doing some things. A colleague of mine was really miserable after the summer holiday, she fell in love with living in Turkey and was doubting about leaving. Me seeing how Melissa felt told her that if she was going to be unhappy here she ought t leave with her daughter. She did and it turned out to be a big mistake. It sucked because she was also missed.
Besides a new nursery class was started in September and the new colleague there, Linda, is very different from me and Anna ( the other nursery teacher) and collaborating doesn’t always go smoothly. Anna and me have a ball though, we were the wicked fairy’s in the school pantomime for primary students ( after our kids had left) and were so scary that we made a year 2 student cry. Hihihi. It was loads of fun. We made the kids do aerobics such as stirring the cauldron on Snap’s “I’ve got the power”.
Since the beginning of December a new teacher arrived taking over what Melissa left behind, called Louiza, she was volunteering in India before, is 27 and I believe she may become a good friend.
When Louiza arrived teaching assistants were swapped because I had a real lousy one that many teachers before me complained about but she is close (= goes to the same church as) some people in administration and is therefore impossible to fire.
It was especially bad because she brought a tension to the class atmosphere. Some of the annoying things she did were: not taking proper care of the kids art work, pasting things in or cutting them out crookedly, not dating them properly, an attitude that felt like spying on me, talking to parents and colleagues in Amharic which I do not speak whilst this is against he rules, reacting defensive towards feedback etc. As a result I had even more work because I could not delegate it to her which added to my stress level. I addressed the issue and was told to document everything and then when Louiza came I would get another assistant. This has happened in the mean time and although Elsie is not the quickest I am incredibly relieved.
Linda, who is in many ways very American, organised a thanksgiving party for whoever wanted. My first time celebrating this holiday was really nice. Mika showed up with his new hairdo: one inspired by a minibus driver Nele, Karen and I saw: braids and a curly Mohawk in the middle! I taught it was quite funny for him to meet my colleagues like this for the first time.
We’ve also hosted a couch surfer, Oliver, I met him the day after GYA fired me ( more than a year ago) and he’s been travelling ever since. He has seen the whole of Africa on motorbike: from South Africa, Capetown to the very north, next he’ll go to India and then around Europe before returning to London. He’s living off, renting out his flat in London, good thing the rents there are high. It makes me feel like travelling even more! A friend of TJ’s( = friend in Belgium who just moved to Jo’burg) in South Africa visited us as well with a delicious portion of pork meat she sent!!!! Yummy I do miss pork here!
The Christmas holiday has just begun but it seems I won’t be doing much more than studying. Hopefully I make enough progress so I can visit Harar just after new year. I’d love to get away for a while.
Nothing left to say but to wish you a merry Christmas and a happy 2011!
It seems I did sort of get carried away with taking on the masters the 2 Dutch schools one of which is at times ridiculously demanding on top of my full time job. I love the students I have at Sanford: 1 of them didn’t show so I have only 13 now. The one that bit me is a real cutie pie with an extremely expressive face. His dad says he talks a lot about me at home and he’ll cling to my legs and give me kisses which is super sweet. And there are others that are a lot of fun, This is the first year that I start a kindergarten class full time and will also finish it and the bond I feel with my kinds is amazing. The others schools are also fun and so is the MA course it is just a lot. That’s the reason none of you receive mails lately or that this blog isn’t updated often. Even at weekends I don’t do all that much, trying to study and sometimes this leads to wasting time. I had forgotten what a terrible student I was.
Nonetheless I have been doing some things. A colleague of mine was really miserable after the summer holiday, she fell in love with living in Turkey and was doubting about leaving. Me seeing how Melissa felt told her that if she was going to be unhappy here she ought t leave with her daughter. She did and it turned out to be a big mistake. It sucked because she was also missed.
Besides a new nursery class was started in September and the new colleague there, Linda, is very different from me and Anna ( the other nursery teacher) and collaborating doesn’t always go smoothly. Anna and me have a ball though, we were the wicked fairy’s in the school pantomime for primary students ( after our kids had left) and were so scary that we made a year 2 student cry. Hihihi. It was loads of fun. We made the kids do aerobics such as stirring the cauldron on Snap’s “I’ve got the power”.
Since the beginning of December a new teacher arrived taking over what Melissa left behind, called Louiza, she was volunteering in India before, is 27 and I believe she may become a good friend.
When Louiza arrived teaching assistants were swapped because I had a real lousy one that many teachers before me complained about but she is close (= goes to the same church as) some people in administration and is therefore impossible to fire.
It was especially bad because she brought a tension to the class atmosphere. Some of the annoying things she did were: not taking proper care of the kids art work, pasting things in or cutting them out crookedly, not dating them properly, an attitude that felt like spying on me, talking to parents and colleagues in Amharic which I do not speak whilst this is against he rules, reacting defensive towards feedback etc. As a result I had even more work because I could not delegate it to her which added to my stress level. I addressed the issue and was told to document everything and then when Louiza came I would get another assistant. This has happened in the mean time and although Elsie is not the quickest I am incredibly relieved.
Linda, who is in many ways very American, organised a thanksgiving party for whoever wanted. My first time celebrating this holiday was really nice. Mika showed up with his new hairdo: one inspired by a minibus driver Nele, Karen and I saw: braids and a curly Mohawk in the middle! I taught it was quite funny for him to meet my colleagues like this for the first time.
We’ve also hosted a couch surfer, Oliver, I met him the day after GYA fired me ( more than a year ago) and he’s been travelling ever since. He has seen the whole of Africa on motorbike: from South Africa, Capetown to the very north, next he’ll go to India and then around Europe before returning to London. He’s living off, renting out his flat in London, good thing the rents there are high. It makes me feel like travelling even more! A friend of TJ’s( = friend in Belgium who just moved to Jo’burg) in South Africa visited us as well with a delicious portion of pork meat she sent!!!! Yummy I do miss pork here!
The Christmas holiday has just begun but it seems I won’t be doing much more than studying. Hopefully I make enough progress so I can visit Harar just after new year. I’d love to get away for a while.
Nothing left to say but to wish you a merry Christmas and a happy 2011!
maandag 27 september 2010
Still coughing
Who thought Africa’s air would be cleaner? No way. As it turns out I have another infection of my airways, just like I did last year around this time… PFFFFF
This weekend was Meskel or the finding of the true cross which is why on this Monday I can stay at home and write my blog =)
It was quite cool yesterday, there was a huge fire on the main square which was absolutely packed with people. Especially at sunset when candles were handed out and you saw all the little lights around the fire which was lit shortly after. Pretty. The legend is that the smoke of such a bonfire led them to find the true cross. Now the direction in which the fire falls says something about the harvest for the year to come. ( should be good)
The government decreased the value of the birr (by about 20%) which will make many regular people even poorer. There are some reactions in the newspapers but no real riots about it. To me it makes me feel so sad, so many people have a hard life as it is and now it will be even more difficult for them with all the prices going up… I don’t know much about economy but don’t see the benefits for people not involved in export or another foreign currency paid job. Nobody is getting a pay rise. Thank goodness I am ‘international hire’ by now otherwise I’d earn much less then last year.
And I’ll need my pay his year seeing as I start my ( pricey) MA course next week. It’s got me quite excited and a little scared. I hope I didn’t take on too many things this year.
The Dutch embassy school is quite ok but loads of work. I am finding it hard to be told by a method what to say and how to teach and enjoy my freedom at Sanford even more because of it. I’ll see how it evolves. Enjoy Meskel day!
This weekend was Meskel or the finding of the true cross which is why on this Monday I can stay at home and write my blog =)
It was quite cool yesterday, there was a huge fire on the main square which was absolutely packed with people. Especially at sunset when candles were handed out and you saw all the little lights around the fire which was lit shortly after. Pretty. The legend is that the smoke of such a bonfire led them to find the true cross. Now the direction in which the fire falls says something about the harvest for the year to come. ( should be good)
The government decreased the value of the birr (by about 20%) which will make many regular people even poorer. There are some reactions in the newspapers but no real riots about it. To me it makes me feel so sad, so many people have a hard life as it is and now it will be even more difficult for them with all the prices going up… I don’t know much about economy but don’t see the benefits for people not involved in export or another foreign currency paid job. Nobody is getting a pay rise. Thank goodness I am ‘international hire’ by now otherwise I’d earn much less then last year.
And I’ll need my pay his year seeing as I start my ( pricey) MA course next week. It’s got me quite excited and a little scared. I hope I didn’t take on too many things this year.
The Dutch embassy school is quite ok but loads of work. I am finding it hard to be told by a method what to say and how to teach and enjoy my freedom at Sanford even more because of it. I’ll see how it evolves. Enjoy Meskel day!
maandag 13 september 2010
Happy Ethiopian new year!!!
It’s been a while but luckily I got to see so many people during summer! Thanks to all for making my holiday unforgettable.
I arrived with 10kg bodyweight extra but did, for a change, manage to pack correctly and had (to great relief of Dries again my companion at the airport) no problems checking in. I slept most of the flight seeing as Ethiopian airlines don’t offer you your private tv screen like KLM did on my way to Brussels which is actually quite fabulous. How I longed to go to Belgium in June and now I’m satisfied back in my nest in Addis.
Coming home on Sunday and starting work on that very same Monday wasn’t exactly ideal although otherwise I would have missed the huge great flea market which supplied me with a lot of games to play during the power cuts. Luckily the first workweek was meetings and setting up.
I am still somewhat tired and seem too long to go to bed at the same time my 4 year olds do, meaning around nine. I’ll get to a more normal rhythm at some point I hope.
It was nice to see the people here again, especially my boyfriend off course but I have also met some other cool people. It took Mika and me some time to find our balance back but that’s also coming along now.
As it turns out I have 14 kids in my class, really nice. The first weeks weren’t easy though, many of these kids have never been in an English spoken environment and are thus scared shitless. 1 of them bit me really hard and wouldn’t even let go!!! I was completely at loss for words by the whole thing and now, a full 2 weeks later, still bear the small teeth marks on my underarm. War wounds I suppose. It was scary and exciting to start off my very own nursery class for the first time. I was fortunate, I could actually prepare for it whereas my new nursery colleague’s classroom wasn’t ready until the Saturday night before the students came!
I have good hopes for this to become a fun year.
The other day it was saint Rafael’s day, people want it to rain that day because they say it’s holy water and their prayers were answered not only did it poor it even hailed holy water! I was in a minibus at the time and the driver had no visibility whatsoever no decent ventilation system nor working windshield wipers, without a doubt my scariest 10 minutes in Addis so far! The imam didn’t see Eid on a Thursday which meant 1 day of holiday less for me, darn, however I had fun things planned amongst which making popcorns so it wasn’t too bad.
The new year’s eve (10 September) was quite ok, I went out with some of Mika’s friends and we had a nice time, watched sheik Al Amudi’s firework and went to bed shortly after because I managed to get a severe cold including throat ache, congestion and as a result of that head ache Yahoo= (New year’s day was spent resting on the couch.
Nonetheless I wish you all the very best in this Ethiopian 2003!
I arrived with 10kg bodyweight extra but did, for a change, manage to pack correctly and had (to great relief of Dries again my companion at the airport) no problems checking in. I slept most of the flight seeing as Ethiopian airlines don’t offer you your private tv screen like KLM did on my way to Brussels which is actually quite fabulous. How I longed to go to Belgium in June and now I’m satisfied back in my nest in Addis.
Coming home on Sunday and starting work on that very same Monday wasn’t exactly ideal although otherwise I would have missed the huge great flea market which supplied me with a lot of games to play during the power cuts. Luckily the first workweek was meetings and setting up.
I am still somewhat tired and seem too long to go to bed at the same time my 4 year olds do, meaning around nine. I’ll get to a more normal rhythm at some point I hope.
It was nice to see the people here again, especially my boyfriend off course but I have also met some other cool people. It took Mika and me some time to find our balance back but that’s also coming along now.
As it turns out I have 14 kids in my class, really nice. The first weeks weren’t easy though, many of these kids have never been in an English spoken environment and are thus scared shitless. 1 of them bit me really hard and wouldn’t even let go!!! I was completely at loss for words by the whole thing and now, a full 2 weeks later, still bear the small teeth marks on my underarm. War wounds I suppose. It was scary and exciting to start off my very own nursery class for the first time. I was fortunate, I could actually prepare for it whereas my new nursery colleague’s classroom wasn’t ready until the Saturday night before the students came!
I have good hopes for this to become a fun year.
The other day it was saint Rafael’s day, people want it to rain that day because they say it’s holy water and their prayers were answered not only did it poor it even hailed holy water! I was in a minibus at the time and the driver had no visibility whatsoever no decent ventilation system nor working windshield wipers, without a doubt my scariest 10 minutes in Addis so far! The imam didn’t see Eid on a Thursday which meant 1 day of holiday less for me, darn, however I had fun things planned amongst which making popcorns so it wasn’t too bad.
The new year’s eve (10 September) was quite ok, I went out with some of Mika’s friends and we had a nice time, watched sheik Al Amudi’s firework and went to bed shortly after because I managed to get a severe cold including throat ache, congestion and as a result of that head ache Yahoo= (New year’s day was spent resting on the couch.
Nonetheless I wish you all the very best in this Ethiopian 2003!
maandag 14 juni 2010
Last time to court...
This morning I went to court…I figured I may as well squeeze 1 more update in before I leave. It was strange, really strange. To start with the lawyer told me that my witnesses won’t be heard ( neither was I btw) but then last time I met him he said that may be Nasr should come anyway and that the judge may hear him. This was only last Friday so I called Nasr and he’d made other plans and would then get back to me. He never got back to me, as a matter of fact he hasn’t picked up the phone on me since Friday. Needless to say he wasn’t there this morning. I had arranged to meet the lawyer at 8:30 and the “court” started at 9. Me being really nervous got there at 8, Lester (the American embassy guy) arrived at 8:45 and my lawyer answered my worried message at 8:50 with “I’m on my way!”.
After waiting a while the lawyer speaks to someone and it turns out we only had to be there at 10, which explained why GYA still hadn’t arrived… We went for a coffee returned and had another wait. I was able to identify the witnesses I didn’t know, the timekeeper and a driver. We had to wait for another hour or so and where then called in, I felt miserable as if I was about to faint. The only thing that happened then was that the court established a translator was needed and after that we were sent out to wait another 45min. It must have been nearly 12 when I got in for real. First witness Clement whose pet-name is the snitch wasn’t able to say very much, the second witness I got to ask questions myself which was good and the third one, Asefow, the one higher up the ladder at GYA flat out lied! He said all kinds of nonsense that just wasn’t true such as them calling me relentlessly to get me back etc etc… The verdict will be on the 9th of July. Both me and Lester thought it went rather well but that’s missing out the Amharic bits obviously because they didn’t translate everything at all, actually the translator left after the first 2 witnesses and then the judge did me the favour of translating some of what Asefow had lied about. I’m worried and relieved at the same time, it’s very strange. The lawyer was worried about Asefow’s testimony so I kinda don’t know what will happen. I just keep reminding myself that I wasn’t deported and that I will be staying whatever the verdict and thus already kind of got what I wanted.
I came home exhausted after I called the head of Early years in Sanford school and asked her if she wanted me to come in for the remaining hour and a half and she told me to go home and relax so I did. I am happy to be in Sanford school, I really am.
After waiting a while the lawyer speaks to someone and it turns out we only had to be there at 10, which explained why GYA still hadn’t arrived… We went for a coffee returned and had another wait. I was able to identify the witnesses I didn’t know, the timekeeper and a driver. We had to wait for another hour or so and where then called in, I felt miserable as if I was about to faint. The only thing that happened then was that the court established a translator was needed and after that we were sent out to wait another 45min. It must have been nearly 12 when I got in for real. First witness Clement whose pet-name is the snitch wasn’t able to say very much, the second witness I got to ask questions myself which was good and the third one, Asefow, the one higher up the ladder at GYA flat out lied! He said all kinds of nonsense that just wasn’t true such as them calling me relentlessly to get me back etc etc… The verdict will be on the 9th of July. Both me and Lester thought it went rather well but that’s missing out the Amharic bits obviously because they didn’t translate everything at all, actually the translator left after the first 2 witnesses and then the judge did me the favour of translating some of what Asefow had lied about. I’m worried and relieved at the same time, it’s very strange. The lawyer was worried about Asefow’s testimony so I kinda don’t know what will happen. I just keep reminding myself that I wasn’t deported and that I will be staying whatever the verdict and thus already kind of got what I wanted.
I came home exhausted after I called the head of Early years in Sanford school and asked her if she wanted me to come in for the remaining hour and a half and she told me to go home and relax so I did. I am happy to be in Sanford school, I really am.
zaterdag 12 juni 2010
Some weeks have passed. Lake Langano was really chill. Sitting on the terras paying ridiculous fees for breakfast whilst playing cards. Mostly a game called asshole at which I didn’t really shine;-). Most importantly We also relaxed besides the beach and I got to swim in the muddy water, man I’ve missed swimming! I actually miss having the beach nearby. It’s my first long stay in a landlocked place and I miss the sea, just like my granny from Ostend would I’m sure. I’ll make up for that in Belgium and Bilbao!
Elections were ridiculous but I’ve been told not to write such things online because you just don’t know and I’m in enough trouble as it is. ( tell you all about it when I get there;-)) What mattered a lot to me was that it would be peaceful, although me and my class could have used the extra holiday if it wasn’t. This term is too long and the kids just as me are getting restless.
Most work is done now, we do however have a parent presentation ahead of us where my group will sing a cute pirate song! My kids great me in the mornings with” good morning pirate Corine” even though I’ve told them many times I’m the captain;-)
They’re lovely and I’ll miss them. I had to observe them while drawing and write down what they said and such, after I asked Munirah what she was drawing she whispers ” an alien in an space-ship!” They crack me up! Some are very good at ‘imaginative speaking’ lately and invent the wildest stories for me! Delina, who is so overweight that she doesn’t like getting up, started calling a whale (after a lesson about whales in which was said that a layer of fat keeps the whales warm) the fat fish and completely forgot the word whale!
I’m also definitely going to start at the Dutch school on Monday evenings in September! Yesterday I went to their closing parent presentation and was introduced as the new teacher. It is strange to be surrounded by Dutch people and I find it difficult to filter out my obviously Flemish accent or not to speak English!
Furthermore I’m looking into starting a long distance masters degree seeing as I’ll be here a while longer. It’s quite difficult to find interesting courses and some are ridiculously expensive! (Remember higher education in Belgium is highly subsidised and thus fairly cheap.) At the moment I’m thinking about the South African university or a British one. The last one is really expensive though but at least I can find that sort of information online whereas UNISA gives you nothing but the different degrees they offer, some of which sound really cool!
On Monday I have to go to court again. GYA’s witnesses will be heard, there is no occasion on which they will hear my witnesses next appointment is the verdict according to my lawyer. It’s strange as some of her witnesses are unknown to me. I’ll see how that goes, I try not to let it get to me anymore. A cop at the American embassy is following the whole thing since David ( remember my first flatmate) complained about the school to them. Miss Gibson is still an American citizen and keeping my residence permit like she did can be considered slavery so she may be in real trouble if her embassy takes action against her. However, if this action is taken I will not really be involved which is fine by me. I’m ready to move on! The only thing I’m still doubting about is whether (if I win the case ) I should talk to Saskia’s friends at the newspaper or not. Those are worries for later though as the verdict should only take place after I return from Europe. Your ideas are welcome regarding that issue!
Thus far this update and probably the next one will be live!!!
Remember: Belgium 2/07 to 20/08 with the exception of when I am in Bilbao from 28/07 to 04/08. Hope to see you in less then 3 weeks!
Elections were ridiculous but I’ve been told not to write such things online because you just don’t know and I’m in enough trouble as it is. ( tell you all about it when I get there;-)) What mattered a lot to me was that it would be peaceful, although me and my class could have used the extra holiday if it wasn’t. This term is too long and the kids just as me are getting restless.
Most work is done now, we do however have a parent presentation ahead of us where my group will sing a cute pirate song! My kids great me in the mornings with” good morning pirate Corine” even though I’ve told them many times I’m the captain;-)
They’re lovely and I’ll miss them. I had to observe them while drawing and write down what they said and such, after I asked Munirah what she was drawing she whispers ” an alien in an space-ship!” They crack me up! Some are very good at ‘imaginative speaking’ lately and invent the wildest stories for me! Delina, who is so overweight that she doesn’t like getting up, started calling a whale (after a lesson about whales in which was said that a layer of fat keeps the whales warm) the fat fish and completely forgot the word whale!
I’m also definitely going to start at the Dutch school on Monday evenings in September! Yesterday I went to their closing parent presentation and was introduced as the new teacher. It is strange to be surrounded by Dutch people and I find it difficult to filter out my obviously Flemish accent or not to speak English!
Furthermore I’m looking into starting a long distance masters degree seeing as I’ll be here a while longer. It’s quite difficult to find interesting courses and some are ridiculously expensive! (Remember higher education in Belgium is highly subsidised and thus fairly cheap.) At the moment I’m thinking about the South African university or a British one. The last one is really expensive though but at least I can find that sort of information online whereas UNISA gives you nothing but the different degrees they offer, some of which sound really cool!
On Monday I have to go to court again. GYA’s witnesses will be heard, there is no occasion on which they will hear my witnesses next appointment is the verdict according to my lawyer. It’s strange as some of her witnesses are unknown to me. I’ll see how that goes, I try not to let it get to me anymore. A cop at the American embassy is following the whole thing since David ( remember my first flatmate) complained about the school to them. Miss Gibson is still an American citizen and keeping my residence permit like she did can be considered slavery so she may be in real trouble if her embassy takes action against her. However, if this action is taken I will not really be involved which is fine by me. I’m ready to move on! The only thing I’m still doubting about is whether (if I win the case ) I should talk to Saskia’s friends at the newspaper or not. Those are worries for later though as the verdict should only take place after I return from Europe. Your ideas are welcome regarding that issue!
Thus far this update and probably the next one will be live!!!
Remember: Belgium 2/07 to 20/08 with the exception of when I am in Bilbao from 28/07 to 04/08. Hope to see you in less then 3 weeks!
donderdag 27 mei 2010
no news... nor pics =)
Not too much has happened still. I got a bit moody with
At the Dutch embassy school they were excited about that. I’ve gone and observed and next week will teach my first trial lesson there. It is really nice. 10 kindergarten kids who speak Dutch and something else at home and come to the school once a week for 2 hours. I think I’m gonna love being a part of that. I’ve evaluated my other students and written my report cards. They’ve done well and it’s cool to see that I did a good job.
Furthermore we’ve been doing entrance exams at school for next year’s nursery students, some parents really don’t accept that their kid isn’t ready for our programme and should do the exam again next year. It’s pretty weird and some kids are extremely spoiled and stubborn. Nonetheless I have a couple of extremely cute kids who made it through the test and now have to get through the lottery. We tested 61 kids and some 45 have passed the test and there are 15 places. The lottery is the only way locals get into
We’ve got a long weekend this weekend and after substituting for Saskia I’m going to
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