I haven’t updated this thing in two months – but I don’t think I have too many die-hard followers… so it shouldn’t be a big deal.
My second year as a PCV in Mozambique is going well (I am almost four months into it). I have become a much more approachable person here – colleagues, neighbors, students and even random people in town are much more willing to talk with me and also to ask me for stuff (people will ask for anything). It seems that my becoming more approachable has also coincided with my becoming busier. Not only do I have much more teaching to do this year at my school in Gondola, but I also took on a biochemistry course at a nearby university (a job for which I would be vastly under qualified in the states).
Just for some perspective on how slowly things move in this country (especially construction projects). The incomplete classrooms that I mentioned in my February post are still incomplete. The first trimester of classes will officially end on Friday April 16 and I will have taught for twelve weeks in classrooms that lack doors, windows, and a paint job.
I have developed a very bad attitude towards chapas (the main (only) form of transport here in Mozambique) this year. I think I have mentioned chapas before – they are minivan-sized vehicles configured to fit twenty-plus people in the most uncomfortable position possible. It is a very inexpensive, slow, and unsafe way to travel, but it is the only thing available in Mozambique. Most African countries employ a similar system of transportation with the minivan-sized vehicles in varying degrees of disrepair correlating with the prosperity of the country. The result of my bad attitude towards chapas is that I have been doing a lot less traveling and a lot more staying in Gondola.
The biochemistry course (mentioned above) that I have taken on has been an interesting addition to my course load. I am teaching second-year nutrition engineering students at the Catholic University Mozambique (which is a fairly prestigious university in this country). University students tend to part of a different social/economic class than my high school students. In general, they are much more eager to learn and much more willing to correct my bad Portuguese.
Thanks to heavy rains in February some opportunistic wildlife used our house in Gondola as a makeshift shelter. The highlight was when an owl spent the night (he pooped all over the place trying to get out); the lowlight was when we discovered we had rats. The rains, though, have ended and our home is once again catering primarily to humans and cockroaches.
Overall, my life in Mozambique is moving along nicely…nicely enough that I have begun to start looking ahead to life after PC... it is a scary thought.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Thursday, February 11, 2010
February 3
After my family left in January I spent about a week at school doing work that could have been finished in a fraction of the time with the help of a computer (it is this kind of busy work that irritates me the most about my job here, and I usually do a good job of avoiding it) before heading to Maputo (the capital of Mozambique) for our HIV/AIDS mid-service conference. Just a personal (cynical) note: Peace Corps calls the conference the HIV/AIDS mid-service conference because it is funded by PEPFAR which, (understandably given that PEPFAR is the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) funds a lot of things that have HIV/AIDS in the title, but also draws a lot of parallels to the sponsor decals on the uniform of a NASCAR driver. Moving on, I was in Maputo for a week, learned how to be a better volunteer, got tested (medically) for all kinds of tropical diseases and parasites, and found out (at the dentist) that I am cavity-free after 15 months in Mozambique. I left Maputo (as a much better Volunteer thanks to my excellent training at the HIV/AIDS mid-service conference sponsored by PEPFAR… don’t I sound like a NASCAR driver?) and came back to Gondola where I immediately started school.
My school, like many in Mozambique, is undergoing a rather rapid expansion. In 2003 Escola Secundaria Geral Macombe (my school) offered classes (starting with grade 8) up to grade ten and had just 1,300 students. Currently, we offer classes up to grade twelve and have more than 5,000 students. For those of you who are not statisticians, that is a big increase. As you can imagine, it is hard to keep a consistent quality of education with such explosive growth – but at least the students are going to school. Such rapid growth has also precipitated the need for more classrooms every couple of years. The result is a lot of poorly constructed classrooms. Many of my classes are held in the aforementioned poorly constructed classrooms but so far this year I have also had the pleasure of teaching in unfinished classrooms. Things that shouldn’t have been disruptions, such as rain, caused me to cancel class (because the roof and windows were unfinished). I have also had the pleasure of teaching while construction workers filled in wall-cracks with cement inside of my classroom during my lesson (I can only hope that the construction workers absorbed some of my rousing lesson on atomic structure).
Other than my classroom problems, what may be the last year of my teaching career is going well. I have about 700 students in eighth and ninth grade (which will make grading fairly time consuming), but in many ways it is nice to be busy.
One of the underlying themes in all almost everyone’s Peace Corps experience (at least everyone who writes about it) is that the second year is far more productive than the first year, and I have already found this to be true. It seems like most of our first year in Gondola (our being David (my roommate) and myself) was spent establishing ourselves (we are just the second and third PCVs to live in Gondola) learning the language, the culture, and how to get things done. We both have a lot on our plates this year (in terms of extra-curricular activities) in addition to our vastly augmented teaching loads.
After my family left in January I spent about a week at school doing work that could have been finished in a fraction of the time with the help of a computer (it is this kind of busy work that irritates me the most about my job here, and I usually do a good job of avoiding it) before heading to Maputo (the capital of Mozambique) for our HIV/AIDS mid-service conference. Just a personal (cynical) note: Peace Corps calls the conference the HIV/AIDS mid-service conference because it is funded by PEPFAR which, (understandably given that PEPFAR is the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) funds a lot of things that have HIV/AIDS in the title, but also draws a lot of parallels to the sponsor decals on the uniform of a NASCAR driver. Moving on, I was in Maputo for a week, learned how to be a better volunteer, got tested (medically) for all kinds of tropical diseases and parasites, and found out (at the dentist) that I am cavity-free after 15 months in Mozambique. I left Maputo (as a much better Volunteer thanks to my excellent training at the HIV/AIDS mid-service conference sponsored by PEPFAR… don’t I sound like a NASCAR driver?) and came back to Gondola where I immediately started school.
My school, like many in Mozambique, is undergoing a rather rapid expansion. In 2003 Escola Secundaria Geral Macombe (my school) offered classes (starting with grade 8) up to grade ten and had just 1,300 students. Currently, we offer classes up to grade twelve and have more than 5,000 students. For those of you who are not statisticians, that is a big increase. As you can imagine, it is hard to keep a consistent quality of education with such explosive growth – but at least the students are going to school. Such rapid growth has also precipitated the need for more classrooms every couple of years. The result is a lot of poorly constructed classrooms. Many of my classes are held in the aforementioned poorly constructed classrooms but so far this year I have also had the pleasure of teaching in unfinished classrooms. Things that shouldn’t have been disruptions, such as rain, caused me to cancel class (because the roof and windows were unfinished). I have also had the pleasure of teaching while construction workers filled in wall-cracks with cement inside of my classroom during my lesson (I can only hope that the construction workers absorbed some of my rousing lesson on atomic structure).
Other than my classroom problems, what may be the last year of my teaching career is going well. I have about 700 students in eighth and ninth grade (which will make grading fairly time consuming), but in many ways it is nice to be busy.
One of the underlying themes in all almost everyone’s Peace Corps experience (at least everyone who writes about it) is that the second year is far more productive than the first year, and I have already found this to be true. It seems like most of our first year in Gondola (our being David (my roommate) and myself) was spent establishing ourselves (we are just the second and third PCVs to live in Gondola) learning the language, the culture, and how to get things done. We both have a lot on our plates this year (in terms of extra-curricular activities) in addition to our vastly augmented teaching loads.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
I wrote this first one in November, but I don't think I ever got around to posting it.
November 17
As I approach my second Thanksgiving in Africa I have had the opportunity to reflect on and give thanks to my experience as a chemistry teacher in Mozambique. Although I have had a wonderful time so far, I have come to the conclusion that one of the things I am most thankful for is the fact that I do not have to do this job for the rest of my life. The following paragraphs should help explain why.
The complicated, corrupt and time-consuming process of recording grades occupied the two weeks following the end of classes. David, myself and two other teachers were responsible for the grades of about 650 ninth graders. Even after applying it I still do not fully understand the process that determines who passes to tenth grade and who stays in ninth. However, I can tell you that it simultaneously (and miraculously) leaves room for corruption while still implementing a complex system of checks and balances. I think my favorite example of corruption was when I watched a colleague successfully pressure his fellow teachers into changing the failing grades of his wife (for no other reason than that she was his wife… and yes, his wife is in ninth grade). The list (of corrupt/ bad practices in Mozambican schools) goes on and on, it is all very frustrating and it paints a bleak picture for the future.
After grade processing came the tenth and twelfth grade national exams, which I helped proctor and grade. An overwhelming majority of students were trying to cheat on the national exam and, for me, proctoring was like a high stakes competition in which a good performance by me would prevent an undeserving, cheating student from making it to grade eleven (assuming corruption does not give him a passing grade further down the line). To make it even better, Mozambican students also saw exams as a contest and they generally did not hesitate to complement my roommate or myself on our proctoring skills (which, in both of our cases, are prodigious). It was not unusual to hear: Teacha’, controlou bem in a complementary tone. Which simply meant that I proctored effectively. After exams came the grading of exams. I would rather not go into too much detail regarding the grading process, but I can tell you that not a single student (out of almost 700) passed the national chemistry exam. I have a suspicion, however, that when I come back to school next January quite a few of those students will have moved on to the 11th grade.
I think that is enough about school, I would much rather write about the fun and interesting things I have been doing (though there have not been many recently). The highlight of my last month or so was an early November trip to a nearby lake (Lago Chicamba). The lake was full of crocodiles (apparently the lodge where I was staying occasionally has croc on the menu), but a Zimbabwean guy informed us that crocs do not eat white people – so it was safe to swim (for me anyway). The lodge catered mostly to Zimbabwean fishermen and it was a nice place to get away for the weekend.
I am currently prepping for about a month and a half of traveling through East and Southern Africa (Tanzania, Zambia, Botswana, and South Africa are all on the menu along with Mozambique of course). Assuming all goes, well I will see my lovely family (on the African Continent) for the first time in almost 15 months beginning in late December. In the meantime, however, I want to wish everyone a very happy holiday season.
January 10
Happy 2010! I have recently returned to my home in Mozambique after quite a lot of traveling. The following are some highlights; English teachers should note my use (or over-use) of the present continuous tense.
Eating a Thanksgiving meal (on the beach) of grilled fish and coconut rice in the very isolated Northern Mozambican village of Pangane.
Exploring the dilapidated Portuguese-era mansions on the island of Ibo in Northern Mozambique.
Avoiding the lurking hippos while crossing the Mozambique-Tanzania border via dugout canoe (the only way to cross).
Swimming in the crystal clear waters around Mtwara in Southeastern Tanzania
Walking through the unreal (and extremely old – some date back to the 12th century) Swahili Ruins at Kilwa Kisiwani in Southeast Tanzania.
Browsing the food stalls and spice markets in Stone Town, Zanzibar.
Feeling like I was in the middle of a Corona commercial on the unbelievably idyllic beaches of Zanzibar.
Bunking in a compartment with five Zambians on a 50-hour train ride from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania to Kapiri Mposhi Zambia.
Watching the Zambeze River spill 100 meters over Victoria Falls in Livingstone, Zambia.
Seeing my family in the Johannesburg airport for the first time in 15 months.
Enjoying very cosmopolitan Cape Town, South Africa on my parents’ dime.
Being close enough to touch Lions, Leopards and Elephants on Safari in Kruger National Park, South Africa.
Taking the family on a tour through my village in Gondola, Mozambique.
It was a very satisfying vacation for all kinds of reasons. I would love to share my photos, but my camera broke the day after I left Gondola – so I do not have any. For the time being it is nice and relaxing to be back at home in Mozambique. Things should really start to heat up when school starts again in about two weeks.
November 17
As I approach my second Thanksgiving in Africa I have had the opportunity to reflect on and give thanks to my experience as a chemistry teacher in Mozambique. Although I have had a wonderful time so far, I have come to the conclusion that one of the things I am most thankful for is the fact that I do not have to do this job for the rest of my life. The following paragraphs should help explain why.
The complicated, corrupt and time-consuming process of recording grades occupied the two weeks following the end of classes. David, myself and two other teachers were responsible for the grades of about 650 ninth graders. Even after applying it I still do not fully understand the process that determines who passes to tenth grade and who stays in ninth. However, I can tell you that it simultaneously (and miraculously) leaves room for corruption while still implementing a complex system of checks and balances. I think my favorite example of corruption was when I watched a colleague successfully pressure his fellow teachers into changing the failing grades of his wife (for no other reason than that she was his wife… and yes, his wife is in ninth grade). The list (of corrupt/ bad practices in Mozambican schools) goes on and on, it is all very frustrating and it paints a bleak picture for the future.
After grade processing came the tenth and twelfth grade national exams, which I helped proctor and grade. An overwhelming majority of students were trying to cheat on the national exam and, for me, proctoring was like a high stakes competition in which a good performance by me would prevent an undeserving, cheating student from making it to grade eleven (assuming corruption does not give him a passing grade further down the line). To make it even better, Mozambican students also saw exams as a contest and they generally did not hesitate to complement my roommate or myself on our proctoring skills (which, in both of our cases, are prodigious). It was not unusual to hear: Teacha’, controlou bem in a complementary tone. Which simply meant that I proctored effectively. After exams came the grading of exams. I would rather not go into too much detail regarding the grading process, but I can tell you that not a single student (out of almost 700) passed the national chemistry exam. I have a suspicion, however, that when I come back to school next January quite a few of those students will have moved on to the 11th grade.
I think that is enough about school, I would much rather write about the fun and interesting things I have been doing (though there have not been many recently). The highlight of my last month or so was an early November trip to a nearby lake (Lago Chicamba). The lake was full of crocodiles (apparently the lodge where I was staying occasionally has croc on the menu), but a Zimbabwean guy informed us that crocs do not eat white people – so it was safe to swim (for me anyway). The lodge catered mostly to Zimbabwean fishermen and it was a nice place to get away for the weekend.
I am currently prepping for about a month and a half of traveling through East and Southern Africa (Tanzania, Zambia, Botswana, and South Africa are all on the menu along with Mozambique of course). Assuming all goes, well I will see my lovely family (on the African Continent) for the first time in almost 15 months beginning in late December. In the meantime, however, I want to wish everyone a very happy holiday season.
January 10
Happy 2010! I have recently returned to my home in Mozambique after quite a lot of traveling. The following are some highlights; English teachers should note my use (or over-use) of the present continuous tense.
Eating a Thanksgiving meal (on the beach) of grilled fish and coconut rice in the very isolated Northern Mozambican village of Pangane.
Exploring the dilapidated Portuguese-era mansions on the island of Ibo in Northern Mozambique.
Avoiding the lurking hippos while crossing the Mozambique-Tanzania border via dugout canoe (the only way to cross).
Swimming in the crystal clear waters around Mtwara in Southeastern Tanzania
Walking through the unreal (and extremely old – some date back to the 12th century) Swahili Ruins at Kilwa Kisiwani in Southeast Tanzania.
Browsing the food stalls and spice markets in Stone Town, Zanzibar.
Feeling like I was in the middle of a Corona commercial on the unbelievably idyllic beaches of Zanzibar.
Bunking in a compartment with five Zambians on a 50-hour train ride from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania to Kapiri Mposhi Zambia.
Watching the Zambeze River spill 100 meters over Victoria Falls in Livingstone, Zambia.
Seeing my family in the Johannesburg airport for the first time in 15 months.
Enjoying very cosmopolitan Cape Town, South Africa on my parents’ dime.
Being close enough to touch Lions, Leopards and Elephants on Safari in Kruger National Park, South Africa.
Taking the family on a tour through my village in Gondola, Mozambique.
It was a very satisfying vacation for all kinds of reasons. I would love to share my photos, but my camera broke the day after I left Gondola – so I do not have any. For the time being it is nice and relaxing to be back at home in Mozambique. Things should really start to heat up when school starts again in about two weeks.
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