This last week of school went even better than the last! We, including teachers and learners, seem to be getting back into the swing of things again. I am experiencing much more success in my math classes. They are still really struggling, but I can see the light bulb going off for a few of them! My math classes have been a challenge because of the discrepancies in achievement paired with the expectations of the school and Ministry of Education. In order to prepare my learners for the end of year exams, I am suppose to be teaching them long division and multiplication when majority don't know 3 times 4. I was really proud of my grade 7 last week for doing so well on their multiplication quiz. Quite a few of them were even able to multiply 2 and 3 digits numbers. They have their first unit test on Wednesday....we will see how that goes!
Some of my grade 7 learners and I started a Math and Oshiwambo Exchange. There's about 4-5 learners that have been coming into my office during study time. I give them help with their math homework and they teach me Oshiwambo. It has been great! They are getting the help they need, I'm getting to know them better and my Oshiwambo is improving. Last Thursday they made me signs to put up around my place to teach me household words. My colleagues and friends get such a kick out of me trying to speak Oshiwambo. I often have them laughing hysterically just by saying things like “Andi hole ovula candi hole efundja!” (translations: I like the rain, but I don't like the flood) What really gets them rolling on the floor is when I don't say it correctly or use the wrong word without knowing, like frog (efuma) instead of flood (efundja) or prostitute (oshikumbu) instead of goat (oshikombo). I told a group of my colleges that “I know many animals – like elephants, dogs, fish, donkeys, prostitutes and cows.” They fall in the same category right? Laughter is everywhere here and so contagious! That is one thing that I know I will miss greatly after going home – laughing all day long.
So the chefs in my family will appreciate this next story. As of two weeks ago, I became the best cook known to Ogongo. I earned this coveted title after a sad attempt at chocolate chip cookies. They were thin, slightly burnt, and not enough chocolate. Yet they were pieces of heaven to the residents of Ogongo. I get asked everyday at school when I am going to bring my “little cakes” again. Then I absolutely wowed them with banana bread! One of my colleagues and good friends, Meme Bertha, is a very good cook and has her own catering business. She said that she must learn to cook like me, so I stayed at her house on Friday and spent Saturday morning baking. Fortunately, these batches turned out tens time better than my first! I am thinking about organizing a bake sale for a small fundraiser.
Word of the day: toilet = okandjugo
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