Teaching at the University

So I finally started teaching at the Teacher Training college, 6 weeks late. It was delayed because of the elections, nothing starts on time, etc. Then on the first day, I didn't know where to go, so I called another teacher to show me where the classroom is. So a half hour before class is about to start, I call him up. He comes over, but tells me the classroom is in use. Then he makes a bunch of calls and finally its decided that I will teach at 5 pm (6 hours late), just for that class. The other teacher told me he would call me later and tell me where to go. 5 o'clock rolled around and no call. Finally at 5:30 he calls me me and says take a moto to the Bilingual School! So of course I jump on a moto and roll up there. It didn't take long for my students to find me, I kinda stick out.
Then the next week, the class was supposed to start at the real time in the real classroom. But I couldn't get a hold of anyone to give me directions. All I had was a neighborhood name. No one was answering their phones. So I just hopped on a moto and told the driver the name I had. I got off the moto by some university students and asked them. They said oh its not too far, just make a right there and straight down-across from the Women's Center. So I just wandered around for a bit, asked someone where the Women's Center is, and finally reached a building, which sure enough was the classroom!
The class is going well so far, with all 150 students. It just goes to show you that this is a reversy land. Everything that is easy in the US is hard here, and everything that is easy here is hard in the US. C'est la vie I guess!

Real African Adventures- These ants are crazy!

Last night I made some popcorn in a disproportionately small pot because the rest of my dishes were dirty. Unsurprisingly, some popcorn popped right out of the pot onto the floor. I figured I would leave it there until I felt like sweeping it up. The next day, I saw a kernel in the hallway. Upon closer inspection, an army of ants was moving it from the kitchen to an unknown destination, probably their lair. I also saw 6 other pieces moving mysteriously. I didn't have the heart to kill them all. I wanted to see how far they got. At night, hours later, I went into my bedroom and found a pile of popcorn. Apparently they had gotten stuck on my fan cord. That is when I thought enough is enough and swept up the popcorn (and some ants) to throw out.

Tabaski November 6, 2011

We celebrated the feast of the ram or tabaski on Sunday. On saturday I got henna on my arms by one of my students and they fed me good beef jerky and cookies. On Sunday I went to watch the prayer around 8 am and then I walked back with my neighbor Amaya. Aie stayed at home because unfortunately her grandfather died so her grandmother is very sad. Well, we all are. So a little after we got back the iman and the macabo came to cut the throat of the ram. Well, something wasn't right. We gathered around the animal and we going to sit and pat it while it took its last breaths, but it wasn't right and it was thrashing and putting up a fight. The girls yelled for me to help them and we had to hold the poor guy down for like 15 minutes until it died. Then they cut it up while we just chatted. The girls did my hair and we took pictures. I also went to a co-workers house and Louise's neighbors house. The women spend all day cooking and preparing different dishes with the mutton. My neighbors gave me a big hunk again and I marinated it overnight with spices sent from the states and then slow cooked it for an hour an a hour. The day after Tabaski was Monday and school was cancelled. Everyone eats more mutton the day after, so I went to visit another friend and had some more. Its mutton breakfast, lunch and dinner for at least 3 days!