Every few days I walk over to the primary school to check in and to make sure they don't forget I'm still around (since I've been working over at the Bible Institute the last 2 1/2 weeks). Today, I found three of the guy teachers huddled around one of the new computers.
"Beth! Oh Good! You came at the perfect time!"
Huh? This was not the quiet, yet respectful, greeting I typically received when arriving.
Well, the guys had discovered Chess on the new computer and had no idea how to really play. They were just clicking on pieces and making moves blindly...and thus, kept losing.
"Do you know how to play?"
"Sure."
So, with my limited expertise, I spent a few minutes going over the moves each piece can make, some strategies, the goal of the game, etc. We played a "practice game" while I was there, and they started to catch on, a little, but I could definitely see the wonder growing in their eyes. It's that look kids get when they get a new video game and end up playing for hours...mouth open, eyes wide. I imagine those guys may still be there 8 hours later playing away! I think I successfully managed to give the teachers an excuse not to get any work done this week as they become more and more addicted to the wonders of computer games.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Didi's World
Uganda has an amusement park...yep, an amusement park, and it happens to be just down the street from where I live. So, why not take a trip down to Didi's World on a nice Saturday afternoon?
We pulled in to an empty lot...ah, the first ones here! We paid the Sh5,000 ($2.50) entrance fee and walked into the eerily quiet amusement park.
Nothing was working yet and it was already after 10am, so Kadin and Noah killed some time on the playground. What we soon found out was that we just needed to go get on a ride and wait for one of the workers to come over and turn it on for us. The ride was over when the boys were bored and wanted off. Here's the boys on their first ride...the Orient Express.
Most of the rides were county fair type rides for little kids, but there were a few that they let the adults on: teacups (which the conductor hand-spun as you passed by him), bumper cars (with only 4 them working), and the pirate ship (which made weird creaking noises and safety bars that didn't lock). I tried to get on the motorcycle ride, but they kicked me off before they actually got started.
Half the rides weren't working and the other half looked like they had seen better days, but it was a fun way to kill some hours on a Saturday afternoon. There was even an arcade, which cost Sh1,000 per game, so we just sat and pretended to ride those (we weren't going to pay the Sh1,000 per game on the principle that we only paid Sh5,000 for unlimited rides on everything else).
We pulled in to an empty lot...ah, the first ones here! We paid the Sh5,000 ($2.50) entrance fee and walked into the eerily quiet amusement park.
Nothing was working yet and it was already after 10am, so Kadin and Noah killed some time on the playground. What we soon found out was that we just needed to go get on a ride and wait for one of the workers to come over and turn it on for us. The ride was over when the boys were bored and wanted off. Here's the boys on their first ride...the Orient Express.
Most of the rides were county fair type rides for little kids, but there were a few that they let the adults on: teacups (which the conductor hand-spun as you passed by him), bumper cars (with only 4 them working), and the pirate ship (which made weird creaking noises and safety bars that didn't lock). I tried to get on the motorcycle ride, but they kicked me off before they actually got started.
Half the rides weren't working and the other half looked like they had seen better days, but it was a fun way to kill some hours on a Saturday afternoon. There was even an arcade, which cost Sh1,000 per game, so we just sat and pretended to ride those (we weren't going to pay the Sh1,000 per game on the principle that we only paid Sh5,000 for unlimited rides on everything else).
Friday, April 24, 2009
Cheap Labor
Hiring labor around here is pretty cheap...
Jeff and Christine hired three men to dig a plot of land today...I'm talking like 8 hours of over-your-head, swinging a hoe kind of digging...not easy.
They've been hired at a wage of 8,000 shillings per day...that's equivalent to about $4 for an entire day of work.
Doesn't seem like much to me...but they're willing to take the work.
At dinner, I made a comment about the cheap labor and Jeff so kindly calculated my own wages for the week...
I started working at the Gaba Bible Institute this past Wednesday, since the kids are on holiday from school, and I'm currently working on a project to "fix" student files from the last 3 years, which is necessary as GBI moves toward national accreditation. I worked about 18 hours...I was paid today with a trip to Ciao Ciao to get ice cream ($0.50). That comes to less than $.03 per hour!!
Now, THAT'S cheap labor!
Jeff and Christine hired three men to dig a plot of land today...I'm talking like 8 hours of over-your-head, swinging a hoe kind of digging...not easy.
They've been hired at a wage of 8,000 shillings per day...that's equivalent to about $4 for an entire day of work.
Doesn't seem like much to me...but they're willing to take the work.
At dinner, I made a comment about the cheap labor and Jeff so kindly calculated my own wages for the week...
I started working at the Gaba Bible Institute this past Wednesday, since the kids are on holiday from school, and I'm currently working on a project to "fix" student files from the last 3 years, which is necessary as GBI moves toward national accreditation. I worked about 18 hours...I was paid today with a trip to Ciao Ciao to get ice cream ($0.50). That comes to less than $.03 per hour!!
Now, THAT'S cheap labor!
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Maranatha Christian School...part 1
Recently, I realized that I didn't really have any pictures from school...the students, teachers, etc. that I work with. So, I took my camera to school and started taking pictures like crazy...first in P2, then both P3 classes. Before I could even make it to the P4 class, which I also work with, my battery died...I guess I'll have to take my camera to school again another time!
Here's a picture of the lower primary section (Primary 1-3 classes), where I tend to spend most of my day...construction is always ongoing down here.
I taught the P2 class "The Ants Go Marching" song, to work on rhyming, number sequence, and animal habitats...hoorah, hoorah!
Teacher Peninah and her P3 class...where I usually can be found, even when I'm not teaching.
Teacher Olivia: the head P3 teacher, who works mainly with the struggling students of P3.
Nussula (the middle, back student) is an example of when retaining a student can work. Last year, Nussula was in the bottom 5 students in her P3 class of about 70 students. She was in one of my reading groups and started to make progress, but not enough to move her on to P4. This year, she is at the top of her class and raises her hand confidently! She's constantly helping the other students in her class as well.
Here's a picture of the lower primary section (Primary 1-3 classes), where I tend to spend most of my day...construction is always ongoing down here.
I taught the P2 class "The Ants Go Marching" song, to work on rhyming, number sequence, and animal habitats...hoorah, hoorah!
Teacher Peninah and her P3 class...where I usually can be found, even when I'm not teaching.
Teacher Olivia: the head P3 teacher, who works mainly with the struggling students of P3.
Nussula (the middle, back student) is an example of when retaining a student can work. Last year, Nussula was in the bottom 5 students in her P3 class of about 70 students. She was in one of my reading groups and started to make progress, but not enough to move her on to P4. This year, she is at the top of her class and raises her hand confidently! She's constantly helping the other students in her class as well.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Azuukidde! He is Risen!
Happy Easter! Azuukidde! He is risen!
Despite the rain today, I made my way to Gaba Community Church's outdoor Easter service.
There were three large, white tents to sit under, but the musicians stuck it out in the rain...Yep, electrical equipment, wires, speakers, and microphones were all left out in the rain! (Ok, some of the speakers were covered with blue tarps, as you can see in the picture, and the cameramen had umbrellas, but still!?) Even the tents began to leak. The picture below is of the church choir. Note the white skirts...these Ugandans just don't think about rain!
The service was filled with special music and dance performances. I think it lasted the first hour and a half of the service. All the while, in true African style, people showed up as much as an hour late. Then, Pastor Peter gave a short Easter message, to be followed by what?...yep, more special musical performances. They did have prayers and offering somewhere in there, but there was always a song being sung at the same time. Africans love their music!
In all, it took about two and a half hours, and that was cutting off the last few performances. People were shouting for the last ones, but they decided to wrap it up anyway. Thank goodness!
This picture is of the Mwangaza children's choir...they were definitely the best performance of the morning!
Despite the rain today, I made my way to Gaba Community Church's outdoor Easter service.
There were three large, white tents to sit under, but the musicians stuck it out in the rain...Yep, electrical equipment, wires, speakers, and microphones were all left out in the rain! (Ok, some of the speakers were covered with blue tarps, as you can see in the picture, and the cameramen had umbrellas, but still!?) Even the tents began to leak. The picture below is of the church choir. Note the white skirts...these Ugandans just don't think about rain!
The service was filled with special music and dance performances. I think it lasted the first hour and a half of the service. All the while, in true African style, people showed up as much as an hour late. Then, Pastor Peter gave a short Easter message, to be followed by what?...yep, more special musical performances. They did have prayers and offering somewhere in there, but there was always a song being sung at the same time. Africans love their music!
In all, it took about two and a half hours, and that was cutting off the last few performances. People were shouting for the last ones, but they decided to wrap it up anyway. Thank goodness!
This picture is of the Mwangaza children's choir...they were definitely the best performance of the morning!
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
Uganda's rhinos became extinct nearly 30 years ago, during the time of Ida Amin, due to civil unrest and heavy poaching...
BUT, a few years ago Rhino Fund Uganda started a rhino sanctuary that can eventually house up to 50 rhinos! They started with 4 in 2005, and then received 2 more from Disney's Wild Kingdom last year. They are expecting the first baby rhinos to be born later this year!
Eventually, the rhinos will be re-introduced to Uganda's national parks...
The rhino sanctuary is surrounded by an electric fence to keep the rhinos in while keeping poachers out...and there are rangers who monitor the rhinos 24-7. Visitors are welcome to see the white rhinos from as close as 30-50 meters away.
So, we piled in the car and headed to the rhino sanctuary in Nakasangola district...arriving a few hours later...
Our guide met us at the gate and we headed toward where the rhinos were...driving part way but then walking the rest of the way away from the road.
Just then, we could see the first rhino...laying in the shade of some trees. As we got a little closer we noticed the other three rhinos that were also there. You can just see in the background how close I am to the rhinos!
A couple times a rhino would stand up and we were able to see how large these animals really are...they can reach up to 2.5 tons! They seemed to look right at us...but never came toward us.
The guides know them each by name and call their names to calm them down when they appear to be agitated. After getting our fill of pictures, we headed back to the cars, to lunch, and then back to Kampala.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Something I learned at school this week:
What is soil?
Soil is were you find plants, roots, and nutrients.
Nutrients are small animals that live in soil.
(This was the science lesson in P3 this week...not even kidding!)
Soil is were you find plants, roots, and nutrients.
Nutrients are small animals that live in soil.
(This was the science lesson in P3 this week...not even kidding!)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)