Who knew?

This blogging thing is really difficult to keep up with. Not because I am busy or lazy, but internet access is incredibly limited on my side of Namibia. I go for months using only the internet on my phone which consists of Facebook, Gmail (when it works) and the occasional basic Google search. I have come to realize it’s actually a bit sad because my only connection to what is going on in the world is related to the headlines I see on my Facebook newsfeed and the magazines I receive. I guess I won’t be bored when I eventually do make it make to the States and am searching for a job, I’ll also have plenty of time to catch up on what happened over the past two years. I am realizing my unreliable blogging in France was inexcusable, especially because I had wireless internet and yet I still fell off the blogging wagon. Well I guess what I am trying to say in fewer words is that I will do my best to blog when I am able and please forgive me for the inconsistent, sporadic blogging here and there. So the last week was interesting, well I guess Friday was the day when I had two realizations. First you hear in the states repeatedly that it’s not race that causes crime but poverty and economic disparity. Not that I didn’t believe it but during my time here I am seeing examples of this over and over. On Thursday I allowed 3 of my top learners to remain in the library while we had a parent’s meeting just outside the library. They were cleaning the library and researching for an upcoming science fair that I am helping them with. After the parent’s meeting when I was packing my things away I noticed that a chunk of my pretend school money was missing, and then on my way home I realized that one of the settings on my phone had been changed. I confronted them the next day and one of the other teachers interrogated them in Oshiwambo and sure enough they were the culprits who had used my phone and stolen the play money from me. Surprisingly I was less angry then I expected to be. I am not sure if it is because I feel pity for them or if the whole routine of having things stolen is becoming normal as I have had a number of things picked off me. On a lighter note the second realization I made was just how much I care about my learners. I was in the middle of class and my grade 8 learners were completing a preposition exercise when the grade 10 English teacher came in and in front of my class asked me to take the grade 10 learners because he doesn’t feel like he is able to teach them well enough to prepare them for their upcoming exams. He then proposed we switch and he take my grade 8 classes and I will take his grade 10 learners. I told him that I didn’t think that was a good idea to change because I now know my grade 8 learners and have plans for them, but he continued to try to persuade me that I needed to take the grade 10’s for their own good. (A learner can make A’s in all their classes, but if they do not pass English then they do no pass Grade 10, and they will have to repeat and their parents will have to pay another NAM$300 for their exam.) At this point though I was just looking at my grade 8’s who were all shaking their heads and were looking at me with the biggest eyes. At this point my eyes started to well with tears, though luckily they did not spill out and I left it with him that one I needed time to think and two we needed to talk to the principal. As soon as he left all of the learners started to tell me that there was no way they were going to switch to this other teacher and they wanted me. I have realized that despite how crazy they drive me some days, I really do love each of them. It also gave me a glance for just how difficult December 2012 will be. The principal has already suggested I follow my learners to the next grade next year, so if I nearly start balling at the possibility of having to give my learners to another teacher after teaching them for 5 months, I can’t imagine what it will be like having to say goodbye after 2 years.