Notes on Interesting Happenings and Learning Experiences

So with every new experience comes a learning curve, and while a majority of my learning experiences include trying to figure out how to discipline a bunch of grade 10 boys who are probably in love with you, there are also those experiences that include carving up a goat. It is pretty typical here for a family of four or five to purchase a sheep or a goat each month (about N$900 = 80 or 90 USD) carve it up ad eat it for about half their meals. A few weeks ago, before the funeral weekend my host dad was home as was other members of the family on a Thursday night. One cousin brought me a beer and told me that in this country Thursday was students night (Wednesday being women’s night and Friday and Saturday being for everyone else). My initial reaction was “oh honey if only you knew the days of the week in college.” So while I drank my beer my mom called me for dinner which was sausage and eggs all cooked in a ton of butter (I am shocked by the way that heart disease is not more common with the amounts of fat some of these people consume.) The little brother then runs in and says he needs a bowl for the goat. I stop eating look at my mom and say THERES A GOAT OUTSIDE? Knowing exactly that this was going to be the next 30 to 40 meals. She tells me Yes I forgot to tell you, and all I can say is CAN I HELP? While I first began by holding the light that was far too disgusting of a job so I held a leg for stability while skinning instead. I mean seriously, you try holding a fluorescent light in the dark of Africa over a dead animal carcass. Seriously disgusting. After the skinning the carcass was hung up on some metal contraption outside my bedroom window and one slit along the gut and plop it all fell out into a strategically placed bucket held by my host brother. It was pretty dang clean because the blood was drained over where the skin and head now lay across an old tree stump (yes, there are trees in Africa, shocking I know). The vital organs including heart, lungs, kidney, and liver were cut out and taken inside (which side note for those of you that saw my Facebook status a few months ago about eating lungs and watching Toddlers in Tiaras, I got the affirmation that they were in fact lungs now that I know what they look like.) My host dad then hacked the shit out of the hanging goat into two legs (which are still in my freezer usually next to my water bottles in an attempt to get cold water), some ribs, and I don’t know what else. The spine was taken inside and hacked up too. We then ate that for Friday lunch.

So I now know how to slaughter and carve up a goat. But here’s the best part – it was all done with a pocket knife. Even though I was raised in the Twp. I’m fairly certain my Survival Rating as seen on Naked and Afraid would increase by at least a few points. No doubt.

So after that excitement and the funeral weekend the following week was kinda dull. Well life is far from dull but it essentially included me telling students to be quiet and sit down. Thursday I reached a small breaking point. After two days of having a bunch of 16, 17, 18 year olds in the library all day with nothing to do but study out of their books. I had reached a breaking point, put the class on lock down and stared at them until they got uncomfortable and began studying.  I have two key trouble makers that have both confessed their love for me and class after class I try to reason with them about their behavior. I have actually confiscated a few toys and they two near-grown boys almost cried. The pleaded for their toys (which was a rubber duck and a half a Disney Princess watch) and begged me to just beat them instead. Some of the other boys in the class even asked why I was wasting my time with them and that I should just smack them. When I replied absolutely not and told them when they treated me and respected me like a teacher then they could get their toys back. One of the boys practically silently cried himself into a nap and then begged me to give his duck back to him at the end of the day because he was good the rest of the time. I told him sleeping in class was not treating me like a teacher. I unfortunately still have the duck and watch.  Anyway, when the class was on lock down these two boys told me they were going to dehydrate to death because this is Africa and they were thirsty and wanted a drink. After my refusal to let them go and reassurance that they wouldn’t die the poop heads and the rest of the boys tag teamed me and distracted me while some of them JUMPED OUT THE WINDOW. Like I now know why Malow and Ike 1) had no windows and 2) had screens and blinds on them that were required to be closed at all times. So yeah obviously I did not catch this but the lady who lives across the street from the school did and called the principal. He then showed up asked who it was. My dumbfounded look was enough for him to discipline half the boys in a slightly questionable manner in front of me. The kids were angels after that obviously but I almost cried three times that day. I’m really glad I didn’t though because just telling them I almost did prompted a slew of Miss give me a hug! I was promptly like No go away. If tears had actually flowed I am scared to think who would have wrapped their arms around me not let go.

The day ended with me supervising the hostel afternoon study. An hour and a half of total silence where the kids that live at the hostel are supposed to silent study. There are usually two supervisors but that day the other teachers had a meeting that I didn’t need to attend. I was still fired up from school so I said I would be fine. I knew I had no hesitation in calling another teacher for back up. About half way in, total silence mind, you someone farts and the whole room erupts into laughter. In my emotional state however it was all I could do to stifle my own laughter so no one got in trouble. Overall it was kind of a hard day but without the hard there would be no good.