LAPIA!!!

Lapia! (Hello)

Well it’s been a really long time since I’ve updated my blog. This is not because nothing has happened, but instead because so much has happened that I haven’t had time to write about it all! I think the easiest thing for me to do right now is just to make a list of all the awesome stuff that I’ve done and then you will just have to ask me about it when I come home (or of course, you could call me!).

Awesome stuff that I’ve done:

-learned how to play mandolin (clearly an essential life-skill)

-grilled peanuts and bagged them to sell for 25 F CFA (or about 10 cents)

-shucked corn using my bare hands (which resulted in 5 blisters)

-squeezed enough lemons by hand to fill a 5 litre bottle with lemon juice (this was done while I had the blisters … not fun!)

-learned how to cook pretty much everything that we eat here (I still need more practice in the goat department)

-became cool enough to do a Chadian handshake with friends (you do this super sweet snapping thing that I’ll have to teach you all when I get back home)

-I was given my very own “Chants de Victoire” book (the hymnal used by Chadians … words only, no music is ever written – songs can get interesting!)

-learned how to pee in the bush (sorry if this is TMI but it was a huge accomplishment for me!)

-have turned down 287 marriage proposals… and counting (one of Dan’s goals is to marry 3 Tchadienne women)

-finished teaching classes and gave exams to my students

-entertained visitors from Nigeria, Burkina Faso, and the United States

-learned how to speak a bit of Ngambaye since papa’s older sister and a friend came from the village to stay for us for a couple days and didn’t speak any French

-gave a piano lesson (which is really difficult because music is read Do, Re, Mi etc instead of A, B, C)

-ate cow tongue at Dan’s house

-had cake for my birthday (which was a total surprise! Mama brought out the papaya tray but underneath the lid we found a huge cake shaped in a heart … thank you mama!!)

-Dan taught my students how to sing Happy Birthday in English (and an enormous picture of me was waved around the room by one of my students)

-walked to church with my brother and Dan (Mama and Papa go to church for 8am, but we made it for 9.15am after making a couple stops – it was wonderful to only have to sit in church for 2.5 hours!)

-went to N’Djamena to visit friends (which involved an eventful bus ride … a man somehow managed to smuggle a live chicken on the bus and we had to listen to 6 hours of squawking … we saw camels … there was a lady who was in a huge hurry and wanted the bus driver to get us to N’Djamena in 4 hours instead of 6 which naturally meant that we drove even slower to annoy her and made random stops etc.)

-watched Muslims celebrate Tabaski (in other words we watched sheep being driven around on motorcycles)

-ate delicious food in N’Djamena (think brownies and ice cream, cake, spring rolls, roast beef, hot cross buns, pancakes, cinnamon buns, French fries, chicken wings, pasta, fruit salad, pizza … the list goes on!)

-went horseback riding at a golf course in the capital city (you only need a sand wedge if you want to play!)

-watched the baptism of about 400 people by about 60 pastors in the river (it was long!)

-had a movie night and watched Shrek the Halls, Chicken Run, and Kung Fu Panda

-went tree-slaloming at top speeds through the forest in a truck (this was a TON of fun!)

-learned how to play a card game called “8 Americains” which is apparently the game of thieves (and one that I’m quite good at … not sure if this is a good thing!)

-watched our dog, Juliette, give birth to 6 puppies

-helped translate my brother’s rap songs from French to English (he is extremely talented)

-learned how to repair and change a popped inner tube on a bike

-rode to school on my brother’s bicycle (Chadians can ride with up to 4 people on a bike!)

-had a water fight with Dan, my brother, and another friend

-watched “Remember the Titans” with my English class

-pounded cassava and millet with my sister (think trying to pound a rock into dust … result = 6 blisters)

-walked to the market when our friends from N’Djamena came to visit

-visited with a friend and had a tour of his compound and he explained about all the fruit trees he’s planted and showed us his huge garden

-made a friend from Nigeria who loves to practice her English

-ate banana bread for papa’s birthday

-walked to the river and met a man who was making bricks (it’s so much hard work … and it’s HOT!)

Anyways, I think that was a pretty thorough update of my life! I’ll try and write again soon but it will probably have to wait until January because my family is coming to visit me and then I’m leaving to go to Burkina Faso for a retreat/vacation with other MCC SALTers/workers! Keep praying for me =)

Your Tchadienne sister,

Nodji (This is the name I was given in Ngambaye … it means “one who loves others”)

L'Ecole Tchadienne

La Vie à l’École --- School Life

As a SALTer in Moundou, I am expected to teach English classes at CENTRAM which runs primarily from 16:00-18:00 on Monday to Friday afternoons. The school consists of a concrete building with two classrooms and two offices (all used for teaching), located on the right side of an open field filled with oxen. The classrooms each have three or four blue windows (no screens of course), four to eight wooden tables and chairs, and a blackboard with a rag. There are no charts, pictures, posters, or any other teaching supplies other than the one book that the students have to purchase for 10 000 FCFA (about $20), which is our only ‘curriculum’.

Class begins at 16:00 (which is equivalent to about 16:20 ‘Chadian time’), and runs until 18:00 (or about 17:25 ‘Chadian time’). Getting used to ‘Chadian time’ has been difficult because I am accustomed to showing up ‘on time’ in Canada, which is the time that had previously been decided. However in Chad, if class begins at 16:00, that is the time when the students will begin preparing to leave their homes, flag a moto-taxi, possibly run an errand or two, maybe stop by and say hello to some friends, and then arrive to class … "on time."

Once the students trickle in, class is ready to start. Each class consists of between one to ten students ranging from about 20 to 60 years old. Class usually begins with a reading exercise and comprehension questions, followed by vocabulary, pronunciation, functions, grammar, translating from French to English, and a writing exercise.

Teaching has been a TON of fun since I have so many incredible, and very intelligent, students. I teach Intermediate High 1 on Mondays and Wednesdays, Intermediate High 2 on Tuesdays and Saturdays, and Beginner 2 on Thursdays and Fridays. The other teachers always comment on the high noise level and laughter coming from my classroom since we have so much fun together. I’ve brought in my pictures and videos that I’ve taken here in Chad which are always a big hit, especially if I try and use some of my Ngambaye (the local language) to explain what’s happening!

This past week, one of my classes read a section of a story about having parties when we came across the word ‘teenager.’ Needless to say, I am now greeted as ‘teenager,’ followed by uproarious laughter every time my students see me at school or in the streets.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed getting a quick glimpse of my afternoon work here in Moundou. Thanks for all of the thoughts and prayers … keep them coming!

Your sister,

Katie

Chad from A to Z

Chad from A to Z

Air conditioning is greatly missed
Biking is difficult with craters and ponds in the middle of the roads
Cockroaches are my new pets (Ellen, Dave, and Jesse live in my bathroom)
Disease is common; I’ve been to the hospital twice
Every day brings a new adventure
Fruit is a luxury that is very hard to come by
Guests will stop by at any hour between 5AM and 10PM
Heat radiates from the buildings during the evenings because it is so hot
Installation of a local chief has been a highlight, we even got cake afterwards (the only time I ever have had dessert, and probably ever will have dessert in Chad)
Jobs like plucking chickens and removing intestines are disgusting, but tasks that I have learned
Kids love to smile and wave and laugh as I bike past
Lemonade is made by yours truly every other day, but doesn’t take too much effort
Motos will run you over
Nasara; the word that I hear most (it means white foreigner)
Offering in church is done by everyone getting up (about 1000 people) and walking past the basket at the front to drop in money ... sometimes this happens twice!
Poverty is everywhere, but people are still happy and optimistic
Quiet is something that neither people nor animals partake in, at any hour
Right of way goes to the biggest vehicle on the road
Sundays and Wednesdays are for church and prayer meetings, both are very long
Toads about the size of 2 fists are not uncommon, and often have appear in my bedroom at 1AM
Umbrellas are used for protection from the sun, not the rain because it is so powerful that they would be destroyed in seconds
Village trips are always interesting with lots to see and do (like playing soccer with the kids and teaching them how to play with bubbles and play-dough)
Washing clothes is a longer process than throwing them in the machine
eXam time for the current English session is between September 21st-30th
Yams, cassava, potatoes, corn, and beans are the most common (but still scarce) vegetables
Zebras and other cool animals are not in Chad; instead we have lizards, salamanders, snakes, dogs, oxen, mosquitoes, spiders, toads, and cockroaches

Chad!

I made it! Dan and I landed in N’Djamena, Chad on Monday August 24th, 2009. We arrived at about 1.30am Chad time, and then made our way very slowly through airport security with the help of a local pastor with connections to MCC. After loading up the truck with our luggage (yes it all made it!), we drove to a house where an MCC family will be staying for a 3 year term. We had a quick tour by candlelight and then fell asleep in real beds for the first time since Friday night.

In the morning, after taking my Malaria medicine, we went for a tour of the village and saw “Chad in action.” The crowded streets, the people selling food from their heads, the lizards crawling on the walls, the sounds of horns honking along the road … everything I imagined and much more! It was a hot day with no electricity to run a fan or fridge, and we felt like we were camping in a house.

In the evening, the 3-year term MCC family arrived via Air France and Dan and I were no longer the Chadian newbies. Unfortunately once we got back home to the gate, we realized we were locked out and had to seek help from a neighbour to help us into the courtyard at 11pm. Finally we made it inside, and luckily for our new friends from Manitoba, the electricity switched on and they got the luxury of moving in with lights and fans.

After spending a couple days with the family and meeting local Chadians connected with MCC, it was finally time for us (Dan and I) to head to Moundou where we will be staying for the upcoming year. We climbed aboard a bus for our 5.5 hour bus ride south on the only paved road between N’Djamena and Moundou. At about 5.30pm that evening, we were sitting in the living room of my new home drinking cold drinks for the first time since Akron over a week ago. We had a tour of the house and then a wonderful feast of chicken, potatoes, beans, carrots, bread, and rice with a sauce. Dan’s “parents” then came for a visit and picked him up to bring him back to his new house in Moundou.

The next couple days were packed full of meeting new people, touring Moundou, buying necessary items from the market, and spending time getting to know my new “family.” On Sunday we went to church at EET #8 (Église Évangélique du Tchad) which was a very different experience than church back home. There were about 1000 people in the congregation, 2 choirs, and of course, very hard and very uncomfortable wooden benches to sit on. I also started learning a bit of the local language, Ngambaye, which sounds more like singing when people speak because the pitch at which a word is said changes its meaning.

On Monday August 31st, all of the professors at CENTRAM (the school where Dan and I will be teaching English) got together to plan the courses we will be teaching. I was assigned to teach High Intermediate I and II, as well as run the lab for Beginner I and II. On Saturday mornings, I will also be working alongside other professors to help with the English Club.

Anyways, I think I’ve written more than enough since words can’t even begin to describe the experiences that I am having here (and pictures would never upload with the speed of the internet connection!). I will try and update my blog as often as possible; however, internet here is very limited.

Thank you for all of your continued prayers, keep them coming =)

Pharyngitis, Inflamed Tonsils, Fever, Bee Sting, Poison Ivy ...

Well I think the title pretty much covers it ... I'm sick.

Since orientation last week (which I must say was just incredible!!), a ton has happened. Once everyone had left for their assignments, a couple of us were "stuck" in Akron until our turn to fly out would come. We moved our stuff up to the Main House and got to spend the week with other MCC volunteers, who are really really awesome people!

Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday morning, three of us worked at the Mennonite Resource Centre (I guess it's spelt Center in the US!) making school kits, oil rags and baby hats from old tshirts, packing health kits, and other random jobs too. However on Thursday, I ended up only being able to work for about 30 minutes before my legs wouldn't support me anymore and I got very sick, very fast. I ended up sleeping on the couch while the others worked for the rest of the day.

Wednesday was spent doing grounds work/maintance around the MCC building. We were assigned to pull weeds from 2 of the flower beds, and also remove a patch of poison ivy (which just so happened to be my lucky job). Luckily for me, my body seems to have a very high tolerance to poison ivy and I only managed to get a couple of red spots which did not spread or even itch unless I started scratching them first ... I learned very quickly not to do that! While pulling weeds, we also happened to come across a huge bee nest filled with some VERY angry bees (one of which stung me right beside the ear, ouch!). The most exciting events of the day would have to have been getting to drive the golf cart that they gave us, and seeing 3 huge praying mantasis. I have no idea if that's the spelling or grammatical pluralization of mantasis ... maybe I should find out before I try and teach English!!

Afternoons have been spent (before I got sick of course) researching material and putting together curriculum for our ESL classes that I believe will be starting in October/November. I found out that I will be teaching advanced English 1 and 2, as well as doing an English lab, teaching TOEFL English, and helping out with English Club at the school. It's definitely going to be a challenge!!

Anyways, I need go to take some more painkillers and put the finishing touches on my luggage so that I'm already to leave her in an hour and a half!

Thank you to everyone for your ongoing support and prayers, they truly have been appreciated =)

God be with you all until we meet again,

Katie

Akron Orientation

Hello everyone!



I decided I would start this blog so that you could all see what I am up to while away for an entire year!!



Now where to begin? Well.



Yesterday on August 8th, 2009, my parents and brothers dropped me off in Akron PA at the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) building where I will be living for the next 2 weeks. We moved in all of my stuff and I filled out more forms and finally found my nametag.



At 5pm, I went to eat dinner at my dad's favourite place ever ... the MCC cafeteria. Too bad for you dad, you had to go with the families to an MCC information session while I chowed down!



After meeting up with the Ontario SALTers and making even more friends, we all went outside while a bunch of the guys tossed around a frisbee while the girls all sat and chatted. Not too long afterwards, the information session was let out and it was time for final family goodbyes. While goodbyes are always sad, it wasn't too hard to let go since there are approximately 150 young adults right now living at the compound which makes everything crazy but a TON of fun.



Once all the parents and siblings left, the real fun began. We played some introduction "get to know you games" and then watched an MCC movie called "Second Hand Pants."



Here's the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGhLWXo2VG4 ... now go watch it!



After we all watched the movie, we were given a challenge. We each were given an item from an MCC thrift shop, and we have to wear the item sometime while on assignment and then take a picture of ourselves and send it back for everyone to see. I got a very ... ummm ... stylish ... purple shirt which I would describe as being perfect for whoever is going to be next in the casket (and I'm really hoping that's not wear my picture will be taken!).



In the evening, we had free time and we all went back to our houses. I am living in the Americas house since the Africa house was full and there are a bunch of us "overflow" people who got spread out. We played cards, figured out how to hook up to the internet which wasn't as easy as we thought it would be (maybe MCC is telling us they don't want us online ... yeah right dad!), and hung out until around 10.30pm when everyone was starting to get tired.



I went back to my room and talked with my roommate, Lindsey, for awhile before we headed off to sleep. This morning we had breakfast at 8am and we have a planned devotional session with some singing and a speaker (Bruce Campbell-Janz) at 10am. In the afternoon we will be discussing MCC history and their mission work followed by dinner and a free evening off.



I can't wait to see what God has in store for the rest of my time here =)