I woke up this morning and the sky was ominously dark. Not the black dark of night, or the gray dark of an approaching thunderstorm, but the low glowing orange darkness of the sun being blocked out by dust so heavy that your eyes water and your lungs scream out in pain as you try to inhale the thickness. This mess knocked out the generator a couple of times, so trying to do anything that took electricity was a little difficult to say the least.
I managed to make it to school with minimal difficulty, but upon arriving, I found that, unsurprisingly, there was no internet. I also had to attempt to figure out what else to do with my students today because I was sure that they would finish what I had planned, and I wasn't sure if I really wanted to do what I was thinking about doing initially. I decided I would just stick to the plan and went to class.
The storm became worse, and the students were all complaining about it. The power in the classroom shut off, so there was no air conditioning, and we couldn't open the windows because of the sand. The temperature rose steadily into at least the mid 80s, and the students were fanning themselves and complaining about the heat instead of doing what we really should have been doing.
The second class wasn't much better, and then I had to supervise the students in the computer lab. This wasn't really much fun, but I suppose one has to do what one has to do. After that was lunch, a typically uneventful time for me. Today, however, it was anything but. I sat with a group of students and they started asking questions about whether or not I was married and what kind of person I wanted to marry, and things such as that. As we neared the end, they had me getting married to the other teacher and to one of the students as well. And, since I am allowed to marry four women here, I am still considered free to look around for another wife. It is an amazingly odd culture I have landed in.
At the end of my afternoon class, we were talking about food and what people can cook. For homework I am having them bring in recipes for their favorite Kurdish dish. They tried to describe some for me, but it didn't work...hopefully some of them will get confused and think I actually want them to make something, and I will have lunch tomorrow, but I guess I shouldn't hold my breath (but I will definitely let you know if it does happen).
When I arrived home, I just rested a little and then visited the Bangladeshi who works helping to clean and keep things running in the houses here. He gave me food (rice and chicken and some vegetables) which he gets from his friend who works at a restaurant. There was too much for him to eat, so he made me come join him so he didn't have to through it out. As it turns out, his friend also brought him a 50 pound bag of rice!! What is one small Bangladeshi boy who doesn't eat much going to do with 50 pounds of rice?
I finally was able to get online. I received a response from my email that I sent to the dean who is away in Lebanon on a business trip. It seems that my concerns are the same that are coming from the one who is supposed to be writing the curriculum. I am glad we are on the same page. I would hate to see my students miss out on an opportunity that others get to have because they came through our foundation program. The dean reassured me that this wouldn't happen, so I am happy about that.
That is all for now. I hope all is going well wherever you may be.
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