So I do not have much time to update this but I have some information for all of you that read my blog
1. On Wednesday August 28, 2013 I become an official volunteer in Sierra Leone. The Swearing In Ceremony will be that day and I'll be decked out in my best Africana clothes.
2. Thursday August 29 I go to site. Basically, all my internet usage will decrease substantially so the best way to contact me is via phone. If you want my phone number email me or facebook me.
3. I'm terrible at blogging.
4. I'm so happy training is almost over.
5. Send me a package!
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Saturday, August 10, 2013
Who's too cool for summer school?
Not me.
Yes, summer school has started and what a wonderful experience it is. Well, I mean it's a change of pace from the usual day of training in the compound, but it really is great. I have two periods in which I teach English to Senior Secondary 1 students and then Language Arts to the Junior Secondary 3 students. I have started teaching the joys of nouns and sentence structure and the students are just loving it (well, in an ideal world they are). All in all, it really is awesome because I finally get to do what we are being trained for. This week was also nice because we had Thursday off because it was Pray Day or the end of Ramadan. As-salaam alaykum!
Pray Day was awesome. I basically spent the day hanging out on the veranda with my host family and greeted a million people who stopped by after praying at the mosque. Also, all the Muslims families around us were bringing food because it is tradition to give gifts on Pray Day. In some ways it is kind of like Christmas because apparently for Christmas all the Christian families makes food for the Muslim families. In the afternoon I went to a play put on by an Islamic youth group. I attended with two other volunteers (Taylor and Annie) and had a great time. The play was supposed to start at 4, but instead we watched a dance party for children 8 and under. And let me tell you, children in Sierra Leone have all American children beat when it comes to dancing. They were putting on all their best dance moves for us. Even though all the dancing was very entertaining, we were wondering when the play would actually start and we only seemed to be the only people attending. By 5 the dancing started to wind down and finally some people were coming in to sit down. But did the play start? Of course not. Instead we watched a skit, listened to some Islamic songs put on by the teenagers, and then finally at 6 the play started. But by that time we could not stay much longer, so only got to see a small portion of the drama, performed in the Krio language, titled "Rich men rarely worship god in the truth form."
Speaking of Krio, I'm really starting to pick it up now and I am also starting to pick up the local language in Bo, Mende. I am also now taking Themne classes, which is the language I will be speaking in Masingbi.
Well, that's it for today. I'm still getting fat according to my host family, so in other words I am very good!
We only have two more weeks left of Summer School/Training and then on August 28th we are officially sworn in as Salone 4 volunteers.
Love and miss you all!
Yes, summer school has started and what a wonderful experience it is. Well, I mean it's a change of pace from the usual day of training in the compound, but it really is great. I have two periods in which I teach English to Senior Secondary 1 students and then Language Arts to the Junior Secondary 3 students. I have started teaching the joys of nouns and sentence structure and the students are just loving it (well, in an ideal world they are). All in all, it really is awesome because I finally get to do what we are being trained for. This week was also nice because we had Thursday off because it was Pray Day or the end of Ramadan. As-salaam alaykum!
Pray Day was awesome. I basically spent the day hanging out on the veranda with my host family and greeted a million people who stopped by after praying at the mosque. Also, all the Muslims families around us were bringing food because it is tradition to give gifts on Pray Day. In some ways it is kind of like Christmas because apparently for Christmas all the Christian families makes food for the Muslim families. In the afternoon I went to a play put on by an Islamic youth group. I attended with two other volunteers (Taylor and Annie) and had a great time. The play was supposed to start at 4, but instead we watched a dance party for children 8 and under. And let me tell you, children in Sierra Leone have all American children beat when it comes to dancing. They were putting on all their best dance moves for us. Even though all the dancing was very entertaining, we were wondering when the play would actually start and we only seemed to be the only people attending. By 5 the dancing started to wind down and finally some people were coming in to sit down. But did the play start? Of course not. Instead we watched a skit, listened to some Islamic songs put on by the teenagers, and then finally at 6 the play started. But by that time we could not stay much longer, so only got to see a small portion of the drama, performed in the Krio language, titled "Rich men rarely worship god in the truth form."
Speaking of Krio, I'm really starting to pick it up now and I am also starting to pick up the local language in Bo, Mende. I am also now taking Themne classes, which is the language I will be speaking in Masingbi.
Well, that's it for today. I'm still getting fat according to my host family, so in other words I am very good!
We only have two more weeks left of Summer School/Training and then on August 28th we are officially sworn in as Salone 4 volunteers.
Love and miss you all!
Saturday, August 3, 2013
Just kidding
My last blog posts haven't been the most informative, so I will try in this one to inform you all a little better.
My daily life during training can basically be summed up as this. I wake up at about six in the morning and start the day off with prayer with the family. I then take my bucket shower (with hot water!) and then eat breakfast which is usually a small loaf of bread with two hard boiled eggs and a ton of Mayo (apparently Sierra Leone beats the U.S. in mayonnaise consumption). I then go on my 30 minute walk (greetings included) to the training site. Then we sit in training until 5:30 and then I go on a jog with other volunteers, go to a bar for a drink, or go home. I then spend the rest of the evening eating, hanging out with the family, taking another bucket bath, or reading. Sounds exciting, right? I guess I'll let you be the judge.
My host family is awesome. I really cannot emphasize that enough. The keep me well fed, well taken care of, and tell me that I am fat all the time (which is a major compliment). I am already planning on coming down to spend Christmas with them when the time comes.
One quick note about Salone culture: You have to greet everyone on the street. No matter who you pass and even if you do not know them you better greet them or you offend them. So that is why it takes me forever to get to school. I also am grabbed by about a million children on the way to school as well. If you ever wanted to know what it is like to be famous, come to Sierra Leone.
I've also learned how to eat fish and chicken bones, I do not complain when my pineapple is covered with ants, and I crave rice like none other. I also no longer know what cheese tastes like and I dearly treasure my peanut butter.
Sierra Leone loves Rihanna, Chris Brown, and Celene Dion. No joke, everyday on the radio there is one hour dedicated to Celene Dion.
The rain comes hard and sporadically. Feeling cold is anything below 75 degrees. And I've finally gained the ability to sleep with a sheet.
Mosquitos attack my feet and talking about poop with other volunteers happens more often than one would want.
To sum it all up, life is good and a tel god tenki.
Love and miss you all!
Josh
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