It’s HOT! I don’t know exactly how hot because I haven’t seen a thermometer lately but I’m guessing around 120-140 range in the past couple days. I know I’ve been a terrible blogger lately (and by lately I mean for the past four months or more) and I know that this is pretty much the same opening line I’ve been using in all those terrible blog posts I’m now referring to as terrible. Since I’m writing this on Microsoft word I haven’t really got a clue what I’ve already written about so I’m just gonna dive right in. Maggie’s stitches from getting fixed last month in Nouakchott have healed up fine and she’s back to keeping me up all night by barking at the feral cats who live in the cinderblocks in my yard. The GMC opening was a dud but that’s okay because we never have to do one again and we’ve also finally got the damn thing running (with a brief intermission so that the presidential guard could stay in the GMC for his visit and make us remove everything and then filthy the place up so that the mayor made us lose another week of classes while he got the place cleaned, but I’m not bitter…) In any case, we’re now in session five days per week thankfully doing computer classes for both adults and girls, as well as English club for adults and one other random session a week for the girls (health, English, math, etc) We’re also thinking of opening it up for study hours during exam week. Undecided.
Now on to the why. As in “Why am I finally writing a blog post even though I’ve been slacking off on that front for months?” The answer is simple oh faithful readers, I’m bored. I’m in Mbout alone for a week without my dear sitemate or anyone else who speaks English and the limiting factor this has on my conversations means that I’ve found another outlet. You.
Yesterday I taught computer classes for four hours with a couple potential mentors from town. One is the Hakim’s (regional governor) secretary and the other is the local Condition Feminine representative. The Hakim’s secretary sat at one computer with a girl and helped her individually whereas the other, Haye, took a cue from me and walked around trying to offer help where needed but not being too hands on. Interesting. If there’s a mentor’s conferende this summer I think I’d advocate taking the CF lady and maybe as a chaperone to the Girls’ conference in
Also to keep me busy I’ve been trying to concoct a recipe for an African opaque beer (made from millet and sorghum) from
Well I’m off to do a bit of prep work for the classes this evening, maybe I’ll write again soon.
