Things are much quieter this week. The Holiday Bible Club went very well (over 100 kids on the last day!), and we had quite a fun weekend hanging out with the team from Charlottesville. Friday afternoon we went to the Apartheid museum then out to dinner at Boston BBQ (which, contrary to it's name, is a very nice buffet place that has no BBQ in it). Saturday we went to the nature reserve where I saw lions, zebras, cheetahs, wild dogs, ostrich, impala, hippos, wildebeast, rhinos, and a few tigers they are breeding (tigers aren't natural to Africa, contrary to popular belief). Then we went out to eat at Carnivore, where these men come around with huge pieces of various meats and offer you a slice. There's chicken and beef, but also ostrich, crocodile, impala, and other things. I'm proud to say I tried it ALL and it was quite good – the impala was my favorite. But it's odd to see them alive in the reserve then eat them later in the day...
Amber is now here! She's another Venturer like Carol and will be here for at least a year helping develop the programs here at the TLC. Side note: my dad was her math teacher when she was a freshman in high school. (Cue small children singing “It's a Small World After All”) We've been helping her feel a little more acclimated to the area and the Centre, and I think she'll be great.
For this week and next week at the TLC, attendance is lower due to the school holiday. So, the staff is on rotation, and we're not splitting up the kids into classes for teaching. In other words, just a lot of structured play time!
I don't think I've told you a lot about the kids, especially my class, because I've been learning how to spell their names first. I can say them all with ease now, but the spelling doesn't match up with the pronunciation, at least in my American mind.
My class, the Puppies, are ages 2-3. A difficult age in any country, I've learned. They're precious, but love to push boundaries and misbehave. And they are incredibly intelligent. Take today for example. I put them down for their naps and left the room once all eyes were closed and they were still, as is normal. Well, they know that's what I do, so as soon as they heard my footsteps leave, a few who were still awake popped their heads up and began talking! When they heard my footsteps again, they immediately stopped before I even got in the room. Needless to say, I've figured out how to sneak up on them and catch them in the act. But that's rare; usually they're good about going to sleep.
The boys love to give me trouble, especially if I take them to toilet. Sihle is quite an instigator and will stare me straight in the face while he disobeys me (by running around the yard or something like that). He's also taken to saying “Mama” when he wants my attention. I answer to it...really, I answer to anything! Oscar will sometimes follow along with Sihle, but many other times he is quiet and reserved.
One thing I've been wondering about is mental disabilities here. I'm no expert, but there are a few children I am concerned about. Siphamandla is one of them. I see a few elements of autism (repetitive motions, very disturbed if boundaries/rituals are not followed), though he can be quite social. Then again, it could be fetal alcohol syndrome. His niece, Nomfundo, is in the Elephant class, and she does several of the same things (yes, I said niece). I repeat: I'm no expert. But how many of these kids may have problems, but are just yelled at and punished for being disobedient? Lindo is another one in my class I'm not sure of. Sometimes he has such a blank look on his face, and he barely makes an effort to attempt putting on his shoes. Today, he wet himself (again), and as Malt was helping him change into new clothes, he proceeded to pee again, standing about three feet from the toilet. Disobedience? Bladder issues? Or a deeper problem? And how do you diagnose things like this in an impoverished area? And how do you get them the help they need when there is no training or staff available for it, or money for it?
Now that I've gotten that off my chest...there's Tshepo, who Joyce calls my “best friend.” The first day here, this adorable little boy always came running up to me wanting a hug. When I was put in his class and made his teacher, he proceeded to always run away from me if I told him to do something. So naughty, but so precious! He frustrated me to no end, but he was so cute that I couldn't be mad for long! About a week or so later, we were outside playing, and I took off my jersey (sweatshirt) and tied it around my waist. Next thing I know, he comes running over to me with his jersey, wanting me to tie it around his waist so he could be like me. It hit me – he disobeyed me because he liked me. Since then, I've noticed that he watches me very carefully, especially if I'm giving attention to someone else. He can still be naughty (he picks on kids twice his size!), but I would take him home in a minute :o)
The girls are another story. Elam is probably one of the brightest. She loves to point out colors and shapes that she sees (two things we're learning). But, she has bladder control issues, and changing her has become a daily occurrence. Emihle is also smart, but wakes up from every nap wet, even if we take her to toilet right before they go down. (If you haven't figured it out yet, a good part of my day is spent taking kids to toilet and changing them out of wet clothes). Rosina looks like a doll baby with these big eyes, but as she's gotten more used to me she's become more disobedient. Today, she was one of the ones talking during nap time. I'm not sure how much English she knows, because often what I say to her she will repeat straight back to me.
Grace goes between silent and mischievous. She was very naughty to me at first (pinching and attempting to bite me), but after I sent her to her mother, Faith, she's suddenly become much more obedient towards me. Her reaction time to questions and directions is slow, so I'm not sure if there is some LD there as well, or if it's a product of her environment. Siphogazi (I think I spelled that wrong) is very vocal, while Ompu is very quiet. And Awande seems to have connected with some of the girls in the Elephant class – during combined play times, they're often together.
There are a few others in the class, but they haven't been here much so I haven't gotten to know them as well. The trick with all these kids is just keeping their attention. They really are sweet, giving hugs and smiling and waving at me. With any kids that age, there's difficulty in balancing the fun and the discipline, while still letting them explore and discover things for themselves. I guess the most important thing is making sure they don't beat each other. Time out works fairly well, though with some of them it's a struggle to make them stay there! An occasional smack on the hand works for a few as well, especially if it's a repeat offense. Some of the other teachers will threaten with “I will beat you,” a common saying here. There's even a hand motion to go with it. Though they never follow through, I refuse to say it myself. In fact, it once slipped out of my mouth and I felt sick to my stomach the rest of the day.
So, those are my kids. I do love them, even if they frustrate me to no end. And there's more in the other classes that I've gotten to know as well, but this entry is long enough so I'll leave it at that.
Oh, and two shoutouts! First, congrats to the new Mrs. Jennifer Marshall!! And a big thanks to Mary-Carolyn soon-to-be-Longbrake for the package – it was just what I needed, and the things for the kids will be given out shortly. And Russell thanks you for the pasta; he's been craving alfredo sauce, but we can't seem to find it.
Happy (late) Fourth of July!