Yesterday started and ended very well. In the morning was a meeting with all of the HIV/AIDS organizations in town and there were about 7 people representing 4 organizations. This may seem like a lot for an African town, but there are actually about 25 organizations we didn't have there. The next meeting is scheduled to be in two weeks, and there's a ton of enthusiasm about getting a bunch of other organizations on board. Since it's only been one meeting, it doesn't actually mean anything, but there are too many people too involved in this to give up. It's exciting!
After the meeting, I went to Chris' school where it was a holiday - just for the school - and they were having a beauty pageant and HUGE party afterwards. Jake, Chris and I helped judge the pageant which was quite the spectacle. 8th to 10th grade girls (ages 15-20), came out in various outfits, from African traditional wear to swimsuits. It is all very well choreographed and even the losers seem to have a blast just because they're there. And I think we've dropped our American instincts of being automatically wary of being completely superficial watching our own students in various states of undress. Plus, there were some great (and horrible) dance and theater routines in between rounds of the competition. It lasted about 5 hours, which is actually not that long.
Afterwards, just about every turma at Chris' school pitched in to cook and get a DJ, so they could have a private party. They only allowed members of their own turma, but as there are three floors and about 6 classrooms on each floor of his school, there were plenty of people wandering about looking for an open door. It felt just like a state university packed into a Mozambican high school. Except, being Americans, Chris and I got into every party we wanted to. We got fed very well - and because it was put in front of me, I ended up eating two breasts of chicken, but had to pass on the beef. Really, quite a fun party all told. We didn't even have the energy to go to the discoteca afterwards.
This morning I went to the hotel at his site and asked to make a reservation for when my mother visits me. Turns out they only make reservations a week ahead of time, but I helped the guy at the front desk with his Biology studying, one of the waiters with his English, and practiced my Changana with another waiter. I think it's very easy to reinvent yourself speaking another language, much easier than just changing where you live, basic philosophies, etc.
In any case, I got some good analytical thinking in on education here. Taking a step back, I've noticed that it's nearly impossible for me to use metaphors when teaching. I asked myself why this is, and it's clearly that they memorize the metaphor. But the next step in the logical progression is the endpoint - that they copy everything the teacher does. I've been trying to look past this and figure out WHY they copy, but now I know that's unimportant. All that really matters is that they are taught from a VERY early age to copy their teacher and so everything else follows. They copy each other not because they don't have confidence in their own answer (they don't) or because they didn't study (again, they don't), but because the answer of the student sitting next to them is just as good as what could come out of their mouth. Since all that's being asked is to repeat information, there's only one correct answer and it's a copy of what the teacher gave. The teacher is asking the student to copy what they say - so what's the difference if they decide to copy what another student says is a copy of what the teacher said? Cheating is shunned so intensely in the States because understanding is so highly valued and copying means you don't understand. So what initially seems like two major problems, learning styles and cheating, are really one gigantic problem for American teachers here. Not that I have any good answers for it yet.
This is going to be a short, but busy week. Things with Diamentino should be sorted out, the latest activities with my activists should come to a head, English classes will go full steam ahead, my help with the PC training program will be handed over, and a bunch of house projects are on the docket for this weekend.
Here we go!
Peace
John
