The cold season has arrived overnight. I return from runs in leggings and a henle shirt with numb, swollen fingers. Once refreshing bucket baths seem to drill the insides of my bones. Midday, the sun is so strong it cracks the ground and makes you sweat, but in the shade, you realize how cold the air still is. When the sun sets, your breath appears. Javit (my Chichewa tutor and best friend) said, "And this is only the beginning." Yikes. Somehow though, I never have time get a fire going in time each morning to heat my bath water.
In the village, they say there is nothing to do but drink, gossip, and have sex. As a single woman who does not drink and does not have a deep enough command of Chichewa to spread rumors, I am shocked I manage to stay as entertained as I do.
The recent gossip has been about Holli, the love of my life, who is, it turns out, not a compulsive theif. Song randomly lied that Holli stole money (perhaps bored village gossip), which we found out when Holli appeared two Saturdays ago, the day before a game. Needless to say, Song isn't really coaching us anymore. They tried to make me coach, which is laughable, but I have taken over their physical training regime. Holli had quite working for Song and decided to run off for a bit and returned for the next game (he is captain after all). He is missing again as of Tuesday, but as Javit told me Wednesday that this is just because they didn't have their usual Wednesday game, and Holli is not a thief, he just likes to "borrow" bikes, this time his uncle's, and come back a few days later. I told Javit to remind me to never borrow Holli my bike (yes, Malawians use 'borrow' the way one should use 'lend') and, though he insists Holli would never steal from me, Javit said, looking at my shiny South African mountain bike, that that would probably be a safe choice not to test this theory.
I have started turoring my good friend Beckham (everyone in Malawian villages has a nickname, or 7) to take his JCE exams, a national exam you take after sophomore year. He just got a really amazing job working in an HIV-counseling and testing center near the trading center, but it is really for people who have passed MSCE (senior exams). He worked so hard and interviewed so well, that they gave him the job, but conditionally, that he should pass his JCE next year. Again quoting Javit, "That one was a terrible one," always smoking pot and fighting with his parents. He failed his JCE and did not return to secondary school. He is HIV positive. Both his parents died of AIDS, and all three of his sisters are positive. He and his wife are positive, but they just had their 7-month-old Van Persie (named after Arsenal's star striker) tested and he is negative, and now no longer being breast fed, so he will stay that way. Now, when he is fit, he plays with the team, usually just for a half though, and is their manager. He is Holli's best friend, so the two come to my house for occassional (and I stress occasional, as Becks is busy with work and Holli is busy stealing (borrowing) bikes. They are defanitely fun sessions though. It has inspired me to work even harder with Chityiola to make the adult learning center at the youth center when it is finished (funds are in and bricks are being baked as we speak!).
Speaking of work, teaching is a little OK (oh god, now I sound Malawian), some days unrecognizably better than others. I am working on the grant for a school kitchen and pots now, lunch will begin next term. I'm also starting water treatment for the school water and setting up hand washing buckets by the Chimbuzi (pit latrines). Of course, the primary school team is still rolling well. I am beginning to look for funding sources for the 'acadamy camp' as well, and desperately seaking cleates (no matter how poor their condition.. they generally sew together the soles of second hand American cleats bought in the market to the leather of normal shoes or even canvas or fertelizer sacks) and shin gaurds.
Two girls said that teachers hit on them this week. The deputy had given a school loan to one's, and said she didn't have to pay it back if she slept with him. The other says the assistant deputy proposes (a word used to ask for sex) to her in his comments on her English essays. Both girls are in Form 2 (10th grade). It is disgusting and I am going to Kasungu for my midterm break or the next to the division of education and bringing the book as evidence. I talked to my boss, and she said this actually works. We'll see. It has to stop though.
What else? Chickens dug up my carrots, beans, and mustard greens, so I planted more carrots and brocoli. I was furious. That night we had a dinner for the team and a dance party using the battery and radio from one of the village bars (literally a thatch mud hut with home brewed liquor. I bought a bunch of reggae tapes from the market. IF ANYONE HAS OLD TAPES, WE WANT THEM... NO ONE USES CDS! I volunteered to kill the Chicken (which I have on video, don't worry) And man, Malawians can dance! They got down from 6 till 11:30 when Martha kicked them out. I am seriously toying with the idea of a regular village youth disco as an income generating activity for the club. Sweet.
I have tons of pics, especially of the team and the party. My parents will bring them on a CD and get them out. Speaking of...
I am so excited for my parents to visit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please visit me too. Like I said, I love you all too much.
XOXOKB
5.23.2008
We are the champions!
This last week I have been very very very busy, but in a good way... mostly.
FIRST OF ALL, DZOOLE MEDICALS WON THE DYSON CUP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It was amazing. They trained so hard leading up to it and played a phenomenal game, so fun to watch. Martha and I cooked dinner for the team the night before, nsima, greens, soya burgers (ground up soya pieces, bread, eggs and onion--- they call them soya buuugas), and guacamole... which they also love to say.... guacaMooooolaaay. Then, the next day, we walked over with the team to Indolera village about 2 hours away and watched them win 3-1. My close friend Gerald Tchitchola scored all three goals... a hat trick. Interestingly enough, Tchitchola hadn't practiced after a fight with the coach, who it turned out everyone hated, and wasn't going to play in the game till I talked to him and had his wife (my closest Malawian woman friend) talk to him.... he is very whipped. So thank god for that.
The coach, Song, continued to incite problems though. I HATE him... he is a womanizer and always saying bad things about Tchitchola and Bernard for being old... although they are the best people on the team. He told everyone that the money from the trophy, 12,000 kwatcha, a little less than 90 bucks, should be split up. But the team is huge, and it would not be well spent. However, invested, the team could buy 2 really nice balls (balls are expensive here) or save up for a trip. Suddenly, the team was divided and pride and egos were clashing. It was a mess, and two players from my school now refuse to play for the team. That was Sunday, the day after the cup.
That night, I had a nightmare that my friend Holli, the team captain, left with his brothers (who were visiting to help play in the game) and never came back. Now, don't be shocked by this, but I am in love with Holli... he just doesn't know it. It is the reversal of every situation in Malawi, where men propose to us all day. I eat a scone every day for tea, because he works in the scone bakery. It is ridiculous on many levels... his hands are always covered in bread flour, he didn't go to secondary school... um, he is MALAWIAN, and doesn't even speak English!
Well, Monday morning, he rode by on his bike with his bro on the back and stopped to say hi. That afternoon, he wasn't there so I had sweetpotatoes with my afternoon tea. I ate at Tchitchola's house and then discussed plans we're hatching for an adult learning center. We got the idea because he is the hardest working teacher at primary, wow. This guy and his wife have the coolest kids and work so hard. But our friend Becks on the team is HIV positive and got a really great job at St. Gideon's counseling center for HIV, but it is a special contract that is conditional that he pass his JCE exam within 2 years (the exam all Malawians take after sophomore year). Tchitchla said Holli was talking about trying ot get his JCE and wanted to join mine and Beck's tutoring session, but the next day, no Holli. Wednesday, no Holli. The excuses became odd,... he was here or there or other odd reasons for his absense. Thursday, no Holli. Finally, on the way to my bday party (more on that later) our star defender and my closest friend (and my Chichewa tutor) Javit started laughing and said that Holli had taken a loan from his bro to start his own bakery (he does all the work at the current one and gets paid NOTHING by the owner (incidently, the team coach), and money from the weekly break flour, which he has sneakily asked for from Song and Song's bro. No one knows where he is, but he never came back.. with 16,000 Kwatcha ($110 bucks.... more than he makes in a year or even two!). There are rumors that he is in Midisi (the next trading center, like 30 KM from us.
I wanted to cry. The love of my life is the prodigal son of Dzoole.
So, the one who doesn't know I love him will probably never know. But, when Javit said he wanted to go and find him on Friday when I left for Lilongwe and convince him to come back before it was too late, I said he could use my bike.
My party was GREAT. I made beans, rice, cabbage, and guac. It was me, Martha, a Njondo ( a friend who used to live in Dzoole and was visiting), players from the team (Beckham, Kondwani, Tchitchola, Bernard, and Javit) and then Justice (my favorite student and right hand man). We jsut laughed and laughed and listened to the radio, ate tonnnns, and laughed more. Awesome... even if Holli wasn't there.
In Lilongwe, two really cool Norwegian volunteers took me to a very expensive and FANTASTIC Indian restaurant. It was awesome. Then we went strait out dancing... in fact, we danced till 5:30 and got home at 6! I had ot wake at 7 to come to do work here at the computer. I feel like absolute death. Awful. But it was soooooooooooooooooo fun.
Today was a mess. The school said that the transport I had arranged for their sports field trip didn't come. It turned out, the driver went to Lilongwe instead! Never told anyone. I called and yelled at him pretty harshly, a no-no in this indirect culture, but I told him that 45 really disappointed kids had been waiting for 4 hours. He felt so bad that he arranged a replacement. All worked out. They are playing the game now, but I couldn't make it because I am drafting up grants for Peace Corps Summer school (more on that in coming weeks/months). I think they will win though; we have been holding training every day for 2 weeks.... god I am exhausted!
There is no water at the transit hour. A pipe broke. I haven't showered. No toilets. I am going ot bed, hoping it is cleared by tomorrow.... which it won't be because what pumber would come Saturday night? and going back home to my site tomorrow morning for a bucket bath.
I love you all. I miss you all. Keep the letters, emails, packages and phone calls coming. They make me very very happy, especially when I am dirty and tired and homesick.
Just a reminder, you can see all my past emails at my blog. http://battingforthepinkteam.blogspot.com/
XOXO
KB
FIRST OF ALL, DZOOLE MEDICALS WON THE DYSON CUP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It was amazing. They trained so hard leading up to it and played a phenomenal game, so fun to watch. Martha and I cooked dinner for the team the night before, nsima, greens, soya burgers (ground up soya pieces, bread, eggs and onion--- they call them soya buuugas), and guacamole... which they also love to say.... guacaMooooolaaay. Then, the next day, we walked over with the team to Indolera village about 2 hours away and watched them win 3-1. My close friend Gerald Tchitchola scored all three goals... a hat trick. Interestingly enough, Tchitchola hadn't practiced after a fight with the coach, who it turned out everyone hated, and wasn't going to play in the game till I talked to him and had his wife (my closest Malawian woman friend) talk to him.... he is very whipped. So thank god for that.
The coach, Song, continued to incite problems though. I HATE him... he is a womanizer and always saying bad things about Tchitchola and Bernard for being old... although they are the best people on the team. He told everyone that the money from the trophy, 12,000 kwatcha, a little less than 90 bucks, should be split up. But the team is huge, and it would not be well spent. However, invested, the team could buy 2 really nice balls (balls are expensive here) or save up for a trip. Suddenly, the team was divided and pride and egos were clashing. It was a mess, and two players from my school now refuse to play for the team. That was Sunday, the day after the cup.
That night, I had a nightmare that my friend Holli, the team captain, left with his brothers (who were visiting to help play in the game) and never came back. Now, don't be shocked by this, but I am in love with Holli... he just doesn't know it. It is the reversal of every situation in Malawi, where men propose to us all day. I eat a scone every day for tea, because he works in the scone bakery. It is ridiculous on many levels... his hands are always covered in bread flour, he didn't go to secondary school... um, he is MALAWIAN, and doesn't even speak English!
Well, Monday morning, he rode by on his bike with his bro on the back and stopped to say hi. That afternoon, he wasn't there so I had sweetpotatoes with my afternoon tea. I ate at Tchitchola's house and then discussed plans we're hatching for an adult learning center. We got the idea because he is the hardest working teacher at primary, wow. This guy and his wife have the coolest kids and work so hard. But our friend Becks on the team is HIV positive and got a really great job at St. Gideon's counseling center for HIV, but it is a special contract that is conditional that he pass his JCE exam within 2 years (the exam all Malawians take after sophomore year). Tchitchla said Holli was talking about trying ot get his JCE and wanted to join mine and Beck's tutoring session, but the next day, no Holli. Wednesday, no Holli. The excuses became odd,... he was here or there or other odd reasons for his absense. Thursday, no Holli. Finally, on the way to my bday party (more on that later) our star defender and my closest friend (and my Chichewa tutor) Javit started laughing and said that Holli had taken a loan from his bro to start his own bakery (he does all the work at the current one and gets paid NOTHING by the owner (incidently, the team coach), and money from the weekly break flour, which he has sneakily asked for from Song and Song's bro. No one knows where he is, but he never came back.. with 16,000 Kwatcha ($110 bucks.... more than he makes in a year or even two!). There are rumors that he is in Midisi (the next trading center, like 30 KM from us.
I wanted to cry. The love of my life is the prodigal son of Dzoole.
So, the one who doesn't know I love him will probably never know. But, when Javit said he wanted to go and find him on Friday when I left for Lilongwe and convince him to come back before it was too late, I said he could use my bike.
My party was GREAT. I made beans, rice, cabbage, and guac. It was me, Martha, a Njondo ( a friend who used to live in Dzoole and was visiting), players from the team (Beckham, Kondwani, Tchitchola, Bernard, and Javit) and then Justice (my favorite student and right hand man). We jsut laughed and laughed and listened to the radio, ate tonnnns, and laughed more. Awesome... even if Holli wasn't there.
In Lilongwe, two really cool Norwegian volunteers took me to a very expensive and FANTASTIC Indian restaurant. It was awesome. Then we went strait out dancing... in fact, we danced till 5:30 and got home at 6! I had ot wake at 7 to come to do work here at the computer. I feel like absolute death. Awful. But it was soooooooooooooooooo fun.
Today was a mess. The school said that the transport I had arranged for their sports field trip didn't come. It turned out, the driver went to Lilongwe instead! Never told anyone. I called and yelled at him pretty harshly, a no-no in this indirect culture, but I told him that 45 really disappointed kids had been waiting for 4 hours. He felt so bad that he arranged a replacement. All worked out. They are playing the game now, but I couldn't make it because I am drafting up grants for Peace Corps Summer school (more on that in coming weeks/months). I think they will win though; we have been holding training every day for 2 weeks.... god I am exhausted!
There is no water at the transit hour. A pipe broke. I haven't showered. No toilets. I am going ot bed, hoping it is cleared by tomorrow.... which it won't be because what pumber would come Saturday night? and going back home to my site tomorrow morning for a bucket bath.
I love you all. I miss you all. Keep the letters, emails, packages and phone calls coming. They make me very very happy, especially when I am dirty and tired and homesick.
Just a reminder, you can see all my past emails at my blog. http://battingforthepinkteam.blogspot.com/
XOXO
KB
5.01.2008
Enjoying too much
had yet another Malawian meeting yesterday... 5 hours long to accomplish NOTHING. Plus it started 2 hours late. I am on the planning committee for the Cocacola cup, a tournament for school kids. It's actually pretty cool, a regional tournament that has schools then go to district and then a national level. Then, people are supposed to also scout a team to make regional all star teams as well. Very up my alley. I am enjoying too much, as they say here.
Our football team in in the finals this Saturday! We have been training HARD. I have been running with the team in the afternoon and, of course, doing lots of Yoga. I am making some of my students come, and we're making facepaint with crumbled blue chalk and oil. Martha and I are making American ndiwo (relish- what you eat with nsima... to see what nsima is, here is a link that explains it (think smoothe, unsalted, hard grits cooked into hard paste that you roll into balls and eat, dipped in sauce http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nshima). We're making bean or soya pieces and guacamole... they eat avocados as fruit, not savory, so its really cool for them. PLUS, they love to say guacamole.
Samantha gave me a nice idea; she wants to get me a copy of Romeo and Juliet for next term and asked what edition. If you have an old coppy to send, that rocks, but if you get a new copy, I would recommend:
Romeo and Juliet Shakespeare made easy, parallel edition
http://www.amazon.com/Romeo-Juliet-Shakespeare-Made-Parallel/dp/0748702555/ref=pd_bbs_sr_11?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209647141&sr=8-11
or, we are in desperate need of poetry books,
Unsung song, an anthology of Malawian writing in English
http://www.amazon.com/Unsung-Anthology-Malawian-Writing-English/dp/9990851344/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209647550&sr=1-1
That is what we are reading right now. It is actually quite good... I love the poems, which is what were are reading. If you get it, you should read it first.
Next year, we have a novel (Smouldering charcoal) and short stories from Africa (looking for a rain god), which is AWESOME and includes short stories form all over africa.
http://www.amazon.com/Looking-Other-Short-Stories-Africa/dp/0333604490/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209648171&sr=1-1
In fact, I reccomment you reading it and then sending the copy to me haha. it will be a challange to read the novel and the short stories next year. Because students don't have books, reading is a huge challange for them, as is any english, but reading especially.
Check out some Malawian music. It's very cheezy and poppy, but really fun. It's the stuff we played at our school dance last week. It was awesome... danced so hard the room filled with sweat. THey love Zambian music, like teh Third and Jimmy. the song its over over is awesome. THe black missionaries are the most popular Malawian band.. rad.
I love you all,
KB
Our football team in in the finals this Saturday! We have been training HARD. I have been running with the team in the afternoon and, of course, doing lots of Yoga. I am making some of my students come, and we're making facepaint with crumbled blue chalk and oil. Martha and I are making American ndiwo (relish- what you eat with nsima... to see what nsima is, here is a link that explains it (think smoothe, unsalted, hard grits cooked into hard paste that you roll into balls and eat, dipped in sauce http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nshima). We're making bean or soya pieces and guacamole... they eat avocados as fruit, not savory, so its really cool for them. PLUS, they love to say guacamole.
Samantha gave me a nice idea; she wants to get me a copy of Romeo and Juliet for next term and asked what edition. If you have an old coppy to send, that rocks, but if you get a new copy, I would recommend:
Romeo and Juliet Shakespeare made easy, parallel edition
http://www.amazon.com/Romeo-Juliet-Shakespeare-Made-Parallel/dp/0748702555/ref=pd_bbs_sr_11?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209647141&sr=8-11
or, we are in desperate need of poetry books,
Unsung song, an anthology of Malawian writing in English
http://www.amazon.com/Unsung-Anthology-Malawian-Writing-English/dp/9990851344/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209647550&sr=1-1
That is what we are reading right now. It is actually quite good... I love the poems, which is what were are reading. If you get it, you should read it first.
Next year, we have a novel (Smouldering charcoal) and short stories from Africa (looking for a rain god), which is AWESOME and includes short stories form all over africa.
http://www.amazon.com/Looking-Other-Short-Stories-Africa/dp/0333604490/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209648171&sr=1-1
In fact, I reccomment you reading it and then sending the copy to me haha. it will be a challange to read the novel and the short stories next year. Because students don't have books, reading is a huge challange for them, as is any english, but reading especially.
Check out some Malawian music. It's very cheezy and poppy, but really fun. It's the stuff we played at our school dance last week. It was awesome... danced so hard the room filled with sweat. THey love Zambian music, like teh Third and Jimmy. the song its over over is awesome. THe black missionaries are the most popular Malawian band.. rad.
I love you all,
KB
Shakespeare and wooden penises
I wasn't sure how to get around the condom demonstration I wanted to do, but the administration would not allow. The students don't know the definition of abstenance (but say it as the answer to every question incolving AIDS...it's usually the answer I'm looking for, but still useless if they don't UNDERSTAND it), they can't define AIDS as anythign other than "a killer disease," and they say that if they have sex, they won't use condoms because condoms are not 100 percent effective (so a sure 0 percent is better?). So, I arranged for my articulate friend Crispin, the head of the People Livign with HIV support group to talk to the kids in Chichewa. He was fantastic. The kids were cheering and loving the class. It was fascinating, ebcause they loved the Chichewa, but when asked what is AIDS, they couldn't answer in Chichewa, but only with memorized, but not understood, English. I almost had a heart attack (as did the kids) when he pilled out a huge wooden penis and passed out condoms to the entire class, making kids put the condom on the model. I was a little worried about gettign in trouble, but happier to see soem guys, ones who i know are sexually active, shoving handfuls of condoms into their pockets. They said that they are too scared to go to the health center, because their parents will know they went. SOOOO, every time a student is late, I have a new rule that they have to go and get me three condoms from the health center. That willl work even better than gardening.
Speaking of, I've had late comers water my garden every day this week! My beans have produced, and I ate fesh beans (they cook in 10 minutes!), I've been lovng bean leaves, which you cook like spinach with onion and ground peanut flour, and my pumpkins are rocking! Soon i will be able to eat their leaves, which I love. Pumpkins do really well here. Lettuce never works in my village. But my rasishes look ok, as do my carrots. Rape greens are also coming along :)
And on the subject of food, I just spend 20 minutes loading 50 50 KG bags of rice into the back of a 2 tonne truck. Yes, that is 2,500 KGs of rice for the school lunch program next term. Now we have to figure our firewood and labor. Oh man.
I felt a little bad, because as we were there, you could just see the school committee's eyes wide with all the rice they were gonna cook for themselves. I lied. I said that American NGOs were big on accountability (true) and said that each week i would be doing an inventory of the bags (also true), so I guess it was a half lie. In a full lie, I said that if any bags were missing, the NGO would come to teh village and take back the rice All the school committee could do though was ask what else they are giving us. Jeeez. It's terribel They are awesome, but it's cultural.
I am in the city for tonight (as I had transport to there and figured I'd just stay till tomorrow, but have to head abck tomorrow morning, for a school DISCO. It is at 3:30 pm, and we're using a tape player. But I got a copy of a song called "it's over" by a Zambian band called Jimmy. Look it up, I love it. There is gonna be some DANCING.
I was allocated my new subjects. I am teaching English form 1 (like last term) and Lifeskills 3 and 4 (also like last term) and then two new classes, form 4 business and form 3 English Lit, a newly required class. I cannot emphasize how absurd it is that we have to teach English lit, a class that reads 4 required texts in 2 years. My school only had 1 copy of each of the 4 texts, African short stories, Malawian poetry, and African novel, and get this, Shakespeare. WHAT THE HELL???? These kids can't even answer the question, "how are you" without stuttering, who speak worse English than I speak Chichewa (in 6 months of learning), and MAN, they need to read Romeo and juliet (of which there is 1 copy)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now comes my appeal... any copies of Romeo and Juliet, perhaps a copy of the Baz Lurman film (we do a movie night once a year and rent a generator... maybe we coudl tag that on! and any Romeo and Juliet for children, in plain English. SEND THEM TO ME>
Kathryn Brand PCV
US Peace Corps
PO BOX 208
Lilongwe, Malawi
AFRICA
I love you all.
KB
Speaking of, I've had late comers water my garden every day this week! My beans have produced, and I ate fesh beans (they cook in 10 minutes!), I've been lovng bean leaves, which you cook like spinach with onion and ground peanut flour, and my pumpkins are rocking! Soon i will be able to eat their leaves, which I love. Pumpkins do really well here. Lettuce never works in my village. But my rasishes look ok, as do my carrots. Rape greens are also coming along :)
And on the subject of food, I just spend 20 minutes loading 50 50 KG bags of rice into the back of a 2 tonne truck. Yes, that is 2,500 KGs of rice for the school lunch program next term. Now we have to figure our firewood and labor. Oh man.
I felt a little bad, because as we were there, you could just see the school committee's eyes wide with all the rice they were gonna cook for themselves. I lied. I said that American NGOs were big on accountability (true) and said that each week i would be doing an inventory of the bags (also true), so I guess it was a half lie. In a full lie, I said that if any bags were missing, the NGO would come to teh village and take back the rice All the school committee could do though was ask what else they are giving us. Jeeez. It's terribel They are awesome, but it's cultural.
I am in the city for tonight (as I had transport to there and figured I'd just stay till tomorrow, but have to head abck tomorrow morning, for a school DISCO. It is at 3:30 pm, and we're using a tape player. But I got a copy of a song called "it's over" by a Zambian band called Jimmy. Look it up, I love it. There is gonna be some DANCING.
I was allocated my new subjects. I am teaching English form 1 (like last term) and Lifeskills 3 and 4 (also like last term) and then two new classes, form 4 business and form 3 English Lit, a newly required class. I cannot emphasize how absurd it is that we have to teach English lit, a class that reads 4 required texts in 2 years. My school only had 1 copy of each of the 4 texts, African short stories, Malawian poetry, and African novel, and get this, Shakespeare. WHAT THE HELL???? These kids can't even answer the question, "how are you" without stuttering, who speak worse English than I speak Chichewa (in 6 months of learning), and MAN, they need to read Romeo and juliet (of which there is 1 copy)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now comes my appeal... any copies of Romeo and Juliet, perhaps a copy of the Baz Lurman film (we do a movie night once a year and rent a generator... maybe we coudl tag that on! and any Romeo and Juliet for children, in plain English. SEND THEM TO ME>
Kathryn Brand PCV
US Peace Corps
PO BOX 208
Lilongwe, Malawi
AFRICA
I love you all.
KB
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