It is now the start of week 5. Hooray!!! :)Is it bad that I'm still counting down the weeks? My good friends/roommatse Tory and Chantelle are leaving this week. The room will be very quiet now. I'll miss them...but one good thing is I'll have the fan to myself! :)
Have had alot of thoughts and muses on different things while traveling on the trotros or even while walking down the street. Wish I had a computer hooked to my brain to output everything.
Snapshot #1: On classroom discipline and being a Crayon Nazi:
Yes, I've turned into a crayon nazi. There comes a point when the nice Tina becomes a disciplinarian. You should hear me in the classroom- "Sit down NOW! I do NOT want to see any hands in this box other than the ones in front of me. What is this hand doing here? Go sit down." We're actually allowed to hit the kids with this reed stick, but the kids know we won't do it and so push our buttons and try to get away with things. I know I'm not being too harsh with them because they behave quite nicely when their regular teacher passes colors (crayons/markers) out to them in rows. When I or Tory/Phil do it, we get mobbed by kids on the other side of the room.
I was getting extremeley frustrated today- 50+ kids talking to each other and not listening to you. I'm learning alot about the different age groups and how much they can take and what they need. The younger classes definitely need more direction and limits. I don't think they can handle markers because caps always end up missing. Am thinking of how to better organize the supplies for the next group of volunteers.
Snapshot #2: On insects and crawling critters:
Thankfully, we've not encountered many horrible insects. we've had a couple cockroaches in the room (Tory, Phil and Chantelle asked the New Yorker to kill it as they don't have them in the UK.) The only bothersome insects are mosquitos and flies. We do have rodents as well, but that's nothing new for me to live with either. Though it was quite a shock to find out after brushing my teeth that my toothbrush had pieces missing from it! Glad I brought 2 toothbrushes.
Snapshot #3: On being Chinese, and race in general:
This one's a lengthy topic to write about. Have been quite aware of race/perceptions/stereotypes and breaking them since college. On a general note- have been used to hearing "Japo" or "Chinese" while in Ghana. I remember in Mexico they coined "Japones" for all East Asians, and here it is no different. There's this one boy in school who loves to come up to me and say "Chinese-American" and leave.
The kids and teachers get a kick out of learning Chinese. I've taught them the few written phrases I know- simple stuff like person, day, big, small, how are you, etc. They're eager to practice with me, and love when I try to speak Ga or Twi to them.
I've also seen a handful of Chinese or East Asian folk around here. Some of them were travelers, others looked like residents of Ghana. Either way, they also get my attention as much as I capture other people's attention. It's quite funny, when I'm with my teammates and we see another Asian, we all look to each other with the same acknowledging look and laugh. (Look, an Asian!)
Will write about my thoughts on being black in Ghana and in America another time.
Snapshot #4: Just say NO:
I'm getting much better at saying no to people and being firm in my answers. Usually I feel a bit bad, thinking that I'm coming off in a mean way. After having my limits pushed in many ways- the kids always wanting something and not listening to me, the market folks pulling me into their shops, trying to persuade me or guilt trip me into buying something, having your arms pulled by local men or getting trapped in talking to them and hearing their unwanted advances is enough to make me step up with being firm in boundary/limit setting. For those who know me well, you're probably thinking- finally!! I'm sure this will help me once I return to NY and start teaching. Hahaha.
Overheard #1: On local noises:
Ever notice how different cultures will make a certain type of noise or have a certain type of saying? For Chinese people, we say "Aiya!" as an exclamation phrase. I've picked up "Oye vey!" from my Jewish friends, etc. etc. Here in Ghana, there's alot of non-verbal ways to get someone's attention. People make hissing noises with their mouths, or kissing noises to both men and women. Or they will snap their fingers quickly at you. For exclamation responses, you'll hear "OOOH!!" or "EHHHH!" Quite fun to hear when a football (soccer) match is on. I hear alot of similar laughs or surprised facial/vocal reactions in the different areas I've visited.
