The remaining days!!

Good day to all....well, what can I say....the time is nearing the end...I have very mixed feelings about that....There is always something happening here in this town...This week has been flying by....I taught on Monday, trying something new with my students..I asked them to answer an essay question....I told them to take out a piece of paper from their notebooks....well, they just looked at me with great confusion...Their notebooks are sacred to them....they have never ripped out paper before...I assured them that all would be ok.....ha.....so, I tried to get them to write to me.....in a narrative form....some caught on to that and most others created a type of outline form.....you have to understand that the only method of teaching here is lecture. The teacher lectures on the material and the students write down what the teacher says...that is all they know....they have been conditioned....well, I am trying to shake things up...it has been an interesting challenge....
I gave a quiz last week just to see how much they are learning from me....there is a boy in my one class that got a "Zero." I talked with him after class and came to discover that his glasses broke about 3 weeks ago and he has no money to fix them. He told me that he can not see the board at all......he sits near the back of the classroom....I felt horrible about it...I told him that in the next class I am going to move him up to the front by me....he was so appreciative..
I explained the situation to my co-operating teacher and he was very unaffected by the whole story. But, I am going to take the situation into my own hands and try to correct it as best as possible.
Yesterday was Presidents day...they were celebrating the 25 year anniversary of the SAME president....it is interesting to talk to the locals about their political views.....my consensus was that most Cameroonians are not happy with the government....it is a very sad situation for the people here...no jobs, corruption, no economy......it is very heart wrenching.....John and I went out to dinner and made a joke about how I was going to start an uprising....I am very disturbed about how a lot of these people live.....there is not much hope....very sad.....We ended up walking over to the internet and spoke with my dear friend that works there...John kept telling him not to get me too excited about the presidential celebration...I have some words to say about that.....!!!! We laughed about it....but, I still have my own personal views which I would be more than happy to share with you if you would like...once I return..!
After John and I left the internet....we began our journey back up the hill to the house....you have to realize how DARK it is on the road.....Well.....guess what...Nancy slips and falls once again into the trench on the side of the road.....I smashed my other knee and scraped my leg. I have another egg on my knee and a big bruise on the side of my leg.....!!! John was astounded that this could happen again to me...he was amazed once again that I did not break anything...I just want to be ok for the climb up the mountain. I have been training for the climb....running up and down the hill almost everyday....wow...it is a workout. Yesterday I took a visit to Amadou...who will be our guide up the Mountain...we talked about the preparations....very, very nice man....He said that he saw me running the other day and he told me how impressed he was with my strength...I felt good about that! I asked him about the wildlife on the mountain...he said that we may see gorillas...anteloupe...snakes....etc.....mmmmm.....that would be wonderful to see gorillas...snakes...I could do without....
I believe that we will take the trek not this weekend but next....I have a couple of other African friends that want to join....it should be an experience....
I have a few more lessons to teach to my students....I am savoring every moment....I feel very blessed to have had the opportunity to be here in Africa...you would not believe the life here...I do not even know if I could describe it with the justice that it deserves...it has changed me....I will never be the same after this experience....I believe that this is a door leading to many other opportunities in my future days....
Hope that the weather is not too cold...it is perfect here....hot...beautiful blue skies...I love it....
I miss you all and I will see you very shortly.
Take care and my love to all....Nancy~