Blasts from the Past

Maan am I missing good friends.

Some of the perks of living in Inhambane, Mozambique for two years was teaching the students, living right by some of the most beautiful beaches, and having a good laugh with colleagues at work in the office. This phot was taken at the going away party for Daniel, another Mozambican friend. He was off to Europe to get an MA. Time files cause he is finished now and on his way back to Mozambique. Tania is the woman in this picture and she was my closest Mozambican friend. Her office was across from mine and we learned to communicate with eyes only sometimes, depending on who was in the office :) Cabo is the guy that took the photo. He is now getting a Masters in something related to transportation in Brazilia, Brazil. He used to borrow my mountain bike for "exercise" (I think he was going to visit his girlfriends-just kidding), and helped me so much when I had to write reports in Portuguese for school. He is a huge music aficionado and exposed me to many a cool tune. I miss them, but this pic brings back good memories.

The pic below was a little Peace Corps Mozambique (MOZ5) reunion dinner we had in Los Angeles when I went to visit before coming to Angola. Thanks for sending the photo, Lisa. (Lisa and I lived together for two years in Tete, Mozambique),

Korean Food..the cure for what ails me

So, without getting into too many details, I have been experiencing some intestinal issues the way I did when I was in the Peace Corps. Now it is different because I don't have crazy drunk Peace Corps Volunteers to discuss poop stories with. My problems have been going on for over a week and since it is just chronic and not explosive, I haven't gone to the doctor yet although I did de-parasite myself thanks to the local pharmacist just in case. I have been eating rather well--lots of fruits and veggies straight from the farm, but I think my body is just getting used to it. I boil things, wash them with bleach water, and drink bottled water (omg, freaking out because I can't filter or boil for this entire year! I hate buying water but here it is a must).

A few days ago I made some doenjang chigae (Korean soybean paste soup) and I seem to have cured my problems. I sent myself three huge containers of Korean pastes in February. They finally arrived here from Luanda thanks to the dean of ISCED who brought them down for me. Bless the Lord for my Korean food. I think it has cured what ailed me ☺.

Expectations

I am very proud of my students for their communicative abilities in spoken English. Many of them went to Nambia or Zambia during the war and did their schooling there. But I am having such a hard time with their writing abilities. I think what happens a lot in education in Africa is that because of historical challenges (war, colonialism, poverty), countries here try to speed through the development process.

I think I am a writer (don’t just judge my ability with this blog for goodness sake) because of the critical thinking and writing ability I have developed since I first started reading and writing—age 4 or 5, I think. After a secondary and primary education that included very minimal writing, my students were “taught,” to different degrees, about how to write a book report in year one here at ISCED. They had other basic reporting assignments throughout the next 3 years. Then, after finishing their coursework they are expected to complete a “dissertation.” Yeah, I wrote the correct word. This work is the most detailed thing, including quantitative research and methods and analysis. In the US, we do this for a Phd. I haven’t even written a paper like this “dissertation” before, thank God. So, how I am supposed to get these learners to write this thang!!??

I don’t often believe in lowering expectations, but when you are faced with so many complications and hurdles (teacher shortages which lead to over worked teachers, no materials, little class and practice time) I really have to rethink it. When you keep the same expectations and continue to fail and regress, what has to change for it all to get better?

What does it mean to be a teacher?

I experienced K-12 in US schools. My mom was a great extracurricular teacher at home when I was a kid. I also went to college and grad school in the US system. My view of what a teacher is is influenced by all my educational experiences. I remember when I was in Spain, I really hated a lot of the classes I had because they were mostly lecture and I never got to know the teachers. I rarely spoke to them during or after classes. To me a teacher wants to empower students to succeed like all of my teachers did.

Right now I am teaching in a country with a very developed tiered system (heirarchy). In this system, the chief is always right and no matter how ridiculous the mandates, those under the chief must do as he or she says. What also happens is that things don’t happen unless the chief pushes people to act.

This has facinating implications for the classroom which, in my opinion, includes teachers empowering students. It seems really difficult for teachers to make their students too good, because that would mean the students would be better than the teachers are, better than the “chief.” Teachers can’t admit that they were wrong, or are challenged by something. I am forever wrong, and am always learning.

What a culture clash! I gotta write this better so I can apply for that Phd already.

Was Michael Jackson a N&%$#*?

This was one of the questions given in response to an elicitation lesson I observed in the teacher training high school in town. I guess the answer would depend on the person you asked. I will hopefully be working on an English Club with these kids, so I will add the definition and history of this word to my to do list.

Literature Lecture

The English department was approached to do a lecture about English literature in honor or the day of the book or something like that. I helped them get some ideas together. In the end, we didn't even know who would show up but a bunch of students did. It was really great to see the Angolan English teachers struggling to give the presentation in Portuguese! I guess it means they are used to doing everything in English.

Professors Sonia and Délcio, of the English Department get their powerpoint presentation ready

I think the news was there filming the powerpoint for some reason.

Professors Sonia and Délcio as well as Head of the Department, Professor Castilho reviewing some material before starting.

IECA Evangelical Gym Celebration

Evangelical Gym
Originally uploaded by mozakisha

One of my students invited me to his Congregational Evangelical Church a bit outside of town a few Sundays ago. I wrote about it on the blog. The Pastor of the church, Pastor Canjila, invited me to come to a celebration the following Sunday. I wasn’t sure what it was, but since he offered me a commemorative orange polo (Dad, I will give it to you when I get back) I thought I should go.

He picked me up early in the morning and transported me to the multi-use pavilion. The location is usually used by Lubango’s Basketball team for games. When we entered, the place was decked out with puffy table decorations and flowers. It felt very Catholic to me, with all the pastors wearing those black shirts with the white square on the collar. The salt and pepper haired head of the church, who came down from Luanda, was wearing a big red robe like a cardinal. He also spoke in a monotone like the Pope. The Boy and Girl Scouts were also out with a vengeance. They were dressed for the celebratory occasion with safari hats, khaki safari shirts, shorts and knee high socks, fanny packs, blue beanies and yellow handkerchiefs, badges on their shirts, and water bottles, rope, and battery operated light bulbs attached to their belts. They guarded the doorways and showed people to their seats.

The main purpose of the ceremony (which ended with a terrifying confetti fire cracker) was to welcome the new provincial head of the church here in Huíla province so maybe the preaching wasn’t supposed to be inspiring. I wasn’t impressed. Salt and Pepper kept repeating that if you accept Jesus you won’t be sick anymore. He said that if you are sick for longer than 6 months, you need to change your life. I don’t agree with this kind of message, but that getting a good sermon wasn’t the reason for my presence. (I get good ones from US podcasts.) I was bout to represent!

So, I was sitting in the VIP section and those sitting next to me started to stand up as their names were announced on the speaker. They included a minister of the government, a general in the Army, the head of the hospital in Lubango, among other church officials from all over the country. The applause for all of these nobodies was typical. Guess who brought down the house, though? “Akisha, the American professor from ISCED,” that’s who! The praise and attention I get simply from being a foreigner shouldn’t amaze me anymore, but it does.

It was pretty cool seeing over 1000 people singing and dancing and waving their Bibles over their heads, even if it was in a gym. I am glad I went. A lot of my students are Christian, more so than I knew of in Mozambique.

You know, one of the promises I made to myself if I was going to come to Angola was that I needed to go to church. It has been hard since Sunday is the only day I really don’t have any responsibilities, but I have a commitment to go. When I spoke about how dry the sermon was, that is one of the reasons I have had such a hard time going to church when I am abroad. I don’t seem to get anything out of it, and people always have these expectations of me as a foreigner. I just leave as dry as I came. I don’t ever hear a decent message. Maybe I am supposed to be in church for a different reason; perhaps to affect someone else. It’s not about me.

Rainy Season

This is from when I first moved to Lubango, Late Feb/March 2010 and got into my apartment.  It rained nearly everyday like this!

My new place

I have moved into my new apartment on the 4th (or 5th if you are American) floor of Prédio 4. The building is just a 7 minute walk to my school and in the center of town. I can see the governor's mansion from the back balcony. There is a cute cafe right below me, but this being Angola, the prices are similar to Starbucks in the US...but the coffee is pretty good. The school provided me with so much furniture it took up a lot of the floor space. After a little moving around I think I am satisfied with the results. I need to put up before and after pics because these pics are from the day I moved in. Now, all my photos are on the walls and it feel like home. Here are some highlight pics:

Christ the Redeemer Statue Lubango is famous for. The is the view from my front door.

Dining room and living room. I love the balcony.

My new kitchen

View of the mountains and small neighborhoods on the outskirts of town.

View of the street from the back balcony at sunset. Yep, it looks like this every evening.

The largest bed in the history of the world. My school is really trying to impress me.

Easter Sunday

It has been really hard to find places to make friends here so I don't have any. The other English teachers are great but they all have families with young children so they don't have much time to take care of their loser colleague. Anyways, because I have no friends I was determined to do something for Easter, even if it meant inviting myself. So, one of my students wrote in his journal that he went to an Evangelical church so I asked him if I could go for Easter Sunday. He agreed and would pick me up Sunday morning early...7:00am! First of all, I was eager to see how long the day would last if I started at 7. Evangelicals tend to be long-winded. Secondly, I hate to wake up early, so this was going to be a challenge. And thirdly, I really didn't think he would come that early so I knew I didn't have to wake up but just in case, I had to.

Sunday came the alarm sounded at 6 am and I woke up at 6:30. Then I waited around until 9:30 when I got a call to say, "Miss, I just want to see if you are ready." Isn't that funny?! I wanted to say, "Are ya kiddin? Get your butt over here." But instead I said yes with positive Easter energy and went down to meet him.

The service didn't last forever, as I expected. My student made lunch for me and I was home by 2pm. However, there were many highlights. Here is my list:

1. Out of maybe 800 people in the church about half were children under 8. No wonder people think I am a freak cause I am so old with no kids. They are everywhere!
2. There was a baby with a bib that said, "Don't blame me, I just got here."
3. The digital camera age has hit with a vengeance. I was amazed that everyone and their mother had one and was recording the festivities. This digital thing has really changed the way photos are taken.
4. My student that brought me to church is the head of the choir and band. He had the whole church singing "Manda fogo sobre mim" in english, "Send your fire over me." Everyone kept looking at me and smiling. I am going to think that they did it just for me :)
5. I was pleased with the "pimp" shoes I saw on many of the gentlemen. White and shiny and really long and pointy.
6. Tshirts on the children and youth choir:
7. "Cheerleaders Suck"
8. A (definitely Chinese) Hotwheels and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles collage
9. "Playboy-www.wantonelove.com" (What the heck?)
10. A bunch of teenage girls were decked out in white dresses of varying bridal styles and time periods. My favorite was an off white number with a three foot train. The chick picked up that train with her tiny arms to walk up and give the offering. She was sweating bullets by the time she got back around to her seat.
11. In Black gospel choirs you usually have some sort of march song you sing while doing some choreographed steps as you come into the church and onto the stage. The "older lady" choir (there as a children's, youth, ladies', men's) did the coolest thing where they would sing, "Tchaka, Tchaka, Tchaka, Tchaka, Tchaka, Tchaka, Tchaka, Tchaka, Doop Doop Doop." For the doop doop, they stomped their feet on the floor. It was the cutest thing I have seen. The rest of the congregation was loving it. They were all smiles and giggles.

After the service I became a politician, shaking the hands of everyone that exited. Then we headed to my student's house for a quick lunch. He brought along a choir friend who walked with crutches. I was on the same kind, the ones where you stick your arm through a plastic hole and hold on to the arm handles, but this guy was amazing. I guess he has been on them his whole life but we were walking on some pretty precarious dirt and rocky roads. he was whizzing through like a pro. We ate sweet potatoes, salad, fish (yes, i ate it), and mango juice while watching the news on tv. Everyone was so nice. It was a really nice Easter.

Think Prom, but in Angola with alcohol out in the open

Here are some vids of the excitement at a party at the school of the husband of one of my students (whew!).  They were having so much fun.

Short Vid of Lubango, capital of Huíla province

Found this on Youtube. I have seen somethings but now I am inspired to search out the rest.

A Sunday walk in Lubango

click on the picture to enlarge it

My new favorite drink: Apple Fanta. It tastes like Appletiser in South Africa

Street view from outside my hotel

Lovely, lovely mountains and if you click, you can see the Christ statue on the tip on the mountain on the left.

Anybody know what this tree is called? I like it.

View of the main plaza from. Don't know where the yellow bus came from. How did they get it here?!!!

The inner sanctum of the Grande Hotel Huíla, my home until my apartment gets bars on the doors and windows.

ANELTA Conference in Lubango

I gave a presentation at the ANELTA workshop in Lubango today, the day after I arrived here. About 100 people showed up and after some questioning, I found out that some of them were teachers, some were students at the teacher training college, and others were just high school students who wanted to be teachers in the future. I was also interviewed on television by TPA(Angolan Public Television). I missed seeing it because my hotel didn't have the channel, but apparently it was good. It was in Portuguese and I spoke about what I was doing as an English Language Fellow, what the US Embassy does to improve English teaching in Angola, and in honor or International Women's Day, was asked about the role of women today. I didn't know what to say about that one and probably ended up sounding cliché, but at least I was able to put a sentence together in another language. Well, actually, I was so nervous I don't remember what I said exactly. If I ever get my hands on that tape I promise to upload but only if you watch it and never mention your reaction to me...ever.

My new school

I will be here until the end of December this year

Heading to Lubango

There was a bit of confusion a few days before leaving about the logistics of getting me down to Lubango from Luanda. The English Language Coordinator was definitely coming, as well as the Regional Security Officer for the US Embassy. There has never been anyone from the Embassy placed in Lubango before so I will be essential in teaching the Embassy how to support someone who is so far away and keeping them aware of the activities that happen there. At first we were taking two cars, then it changed to one, then back to two. We were leaving on Monday, then Tuesday. And we were going to do the 12 hour trip in one shot, then it changed to stopping overnight in Benguela. In the end we took (my "entourage") two Landcruisers and spent the night in Lobito.

The road was really good the 99% of the way. It would put the EN1 from Maputo to Maxixe to shame. The Brazilians as well as the Chinese have been busy. Good roads, however, don't make good videos so here are 2 videos on the strip of about 40 km that was not such a good road.

Mariah Carey came along for the ride. I was having a great time but the song might have been a theme song for some in the car.

Very, very bumpy

I was really amazed at the diversity of landscapes I was able to see while driving down. From green hills full of lush plants, to dry flat dessert looking plateaus, to sweet little seaside villages. It was also telling to see the remnants of the civil war that only ended in 2002: empty bombed out houses, bridges that were destroyed, rusty tanks on the side of the road. But despite these artifacts from the recent past, close by were indications of the future and present: new modern bridges, Hummers with phat rims, all kinds of factories and construction sites, and lots of oil companies from different countries.

The Embassy is not allowed to fly any airline in country so they have to drive everywhere. What a blessing to be able to see the country by land!

Impressions of Luanda

1. So many cars on the streets. I mean, driving on the road, on the side of the road, on the sidewalk, parked in the middle, stopped in the middle. They are everywhere--and really nice cars too.

2. I haven't touched the produce, but although the food is expensive, I have found the supermarkets to have quite a variety. I found sushi rice for $5/1kg. I found a huge government chesse looking block of cheese and had to buy it. I don't know if cheese is readily available in Lubango :)

3. "Candongeiro" minibus taxi drivers are all idiots--I have never seen so many dumb moves in traffic in my life. "Chapas" in Mozambique are similar, but I will never ride in one of them here. Way too dangerous.

4. If I did stay in Luanda I would LOVE the cultural events and shows. We drove by many a culture house, theater, or gallery.

5. Um, when I went to do my big shopping at the market the woman in front of me spent $3000 on her cart full.

6. I had pizza a a really nice restaurant. It had bananas on it. Huh?

7. I give HUGE props to the Fellow that lived in Luanda last year. In the two weeks I have spent here I have had to become totally dependent on others to get things done--waiting for drivers, getting escorted around the Embassy (totally valid for them to do since I have no security clearance, but still made me feel like a child), not knowing enough about the city, or having someone to tell me, so that I could go out and feel safe to explore.

8. I saw two accidents in two weeks with multiple dead bodies on the side of the road. Never want to see that again.

9. I love having had experienced Africa before because when I went into the bank to open an account and was told I couldn't because I didn't have the right kind of visa, I just stared at the clerk until he changed his mind and opened the account for me.

10. A local news reporter was covering a story about 2 South African women and one man that were caught in Luanda's airport with condoms full of cocaine. Tough subject, but it turned Saturday Night Live when the reporter showed how they hid the full condoms in deodorant bottles. She was wearing rubber gloves, held tight to the plastic deodorant container, and popped the condom out. I can't describe how funny it looked. :)

My presentations for ANELTA's Workshop

World Englishes

Using Visual Aids to motivate students to speak

ANELTA "Workshop"

Dramatic Poetry Reading by ISCED Luanda Students

ANELTA is the Association for Angolan English Teachers. It is sponsored by the US Embassy, British Embassy, and lots of other companies I don't have the names of. This year they decided to do a few workshops throughout the country. The first will be in Luanda, then they will move to Benguela, Hawambo, Lubango (my new site--I will present also), and Namibe. I am happy to see that the organization is doing things but the organization of it all has been quite a bumpy ride for what I have observed since arriving a week ago. Hats off to them for trying though.

My first impression of the ANELTA "workshop" was that on the surface it didn't look like my definition of a workshop. To me a workshop doesn't have a formal opening, it just includes a group of people who work on one topic in depth for a few days so that they know it well at the end. This "workshop" looks just like a conference: opening ceremony, different presenters, open question sessions, and the set up of the rooms is the typical blackboard in the front, projector, and desks in rows facing the presenter in the front. About 100 students, teachers, and teacher trainers attended.

I asked each organizing member if they had ever planned or attended a workshop before and everyone said no. How can you produce something that you have never experienced? It is no wonder the workshop looks like a conference. That is what the members of ANELTA have been exposed to. This whole idea reminds me of a new writer I found on the internet named Chimamanda Adichie. I am in love this woman and I have never read any of her books. She speaks so insightfully about what happens when humans are not exposed to different realities. Her talk is called "the danger of a single story. My dad sent me a video link. I have included it below.

To bring this back to my work in Southern Africa, I often see how just providing an awareness of different realities can eventually make an impact. Teaching and learning are so complex, I know I can't teach what I need to in only 10 months. Multiple stories, multiple colors, multiple points-of-view--I think these can really help change to come.

This is longer than just a soundbyte but worth the listen if you have some free time

ANELTA conference in Luanda in the press

So, ANELTA, the Angolan English Language Teaching Association, is having a conference this Wednesday through Friday and I am going to present about World Englishes as well as Using Visual Aids to motivate students to speak in the classroom. I am excited about getting to know some Angolan teachers of English. I already talked to some people involved and similar to how it went during the conference I planned in Mozambique, they are having trouble getting Angolan presenters. As of right now there are only a few but the majority are foreigners. I think there will be someone from the British Council, International House in Cape Town, and myself. In Mozambique it really took some prodding and getting people to rethink that it means to present. Conferences can be opportunities to share knowledge, get new ideas to adapt, or just show what you are doing and get some feedback. Presenting, at least to me, doesn't mean you must have a bibliography or theories to support your ideas. That is just one aspect of presenting. If Mozambique waits to have true, well supported academic presentations, they will be waiting for a long time. Angola has so many teachers of English, what it is that is preventing them from sharing with other teachers? Intellectuals can discuss in private. I want to hear how teachers in classrooms are struggling or striving.