Sat Jan 10, 2004
Well, back into work full swing, and I have extra classes this month because of the special Winter program. The thing is that there’s only two boys in the program, which mean a staff allocation of three teachers for the two boys, adjusted schedules and me waking up an hour earlier every day… just for two lads. At least they’re nice boys and they do their homework and everything, but still, it’s a little ridiculous. We also had lots of new students in the other classes and nobody ever tells me I’m getting new students so it’s always a surprise. Consequently, I gave up trying to give them their English names with thought and consideration. “OK, your name is….er….Matt….no….er, Dan, ok? Hi Dan!” Or alternatively sticking my head into the teacher’s room and yelling “Somebody give me an English name, quick!”
And then next month comes graduation. I told my kindergarten kids that I must go home to Canada next month and they were quite sad about it. Poor things, I’ll miss my kids. Well, I’ll be passing the torch along to Dean, I managed to get him my job. I’m helping out a fellow anthropologist and the recruiting bonus doesn’t hurt either.
I must say though that the students were stubbornly lazy after their brief vacation. I couldn’t even coerce them into colouring nicely on their first day back. They just scribbled over the picture with one colour and I started fuming because they weren’t even trying to colour in the lines. I got a bit bored too and started teaching my Green class the story in English and Afrikaans - “Jy kan nie kry my nie, ek is die gingerbroodman” The translation is terrible I know. Anyhow, I soon gave that up because now they actually beg me to read the story in what they call “ugly English”.
Let’s see, what else? Not much to tell really, did I mention I finally got round to watching Lord of the Rings? I was getting annoyed though, firstly because the couple next to me kicked over my drink and I was thirsty the whole movie and didn’t want to miss anything by buying a new one. And secondly, every time Legolas came on-screen all the Korean girls were gushing and swooning over him and making appreciative noises. It’s the long blond hair and boyish face, I tell you, they just love blondies over here, and Legolas is as exotic as they come I guess. But, come on, he’s an elf, not a sex symbol.