Hello everyone,
Well I can’t believe that I have now been in Namibia for a month, a third way through my stop here. It seems to have flown by!
The week stared with the bad news that Norwich had lost again, this time to Bristol City. Life at home doesn’t seem to change does it!
Monday was all about getting prepared for the workshops I had coming up, or so I thought. I met with the Principal of Mupewa Junior at 1.00 pm, and he informed me I was running my first workshop for his staff at 2.00. I think things may have been lost in translation, but I don’t remember that agreement. As it was I spoke to them for one and a half hours, and they seemed to love it. After that the Principal scheduled another four workshops, in the next two weeks. Which is really good news, as I was getting a bid fed up of just planning!
Tuesday was another planning day, but I made very good progress and managed to finish one and a half workshop plans in the day. However, one point of note was the invasion of the northern Namibia by millions of Frogs. I am told that the adult frogs bury the eggs in the sand a year ago. When the rains come they hatch and grow into froglets, all underground; and for some reason they all appear at he same time and swarm everywhere. It is quite odd walking around the schools and streets with thousands of frogs jumping every time you make a step. I attach a picture of one for you to see. I suggest that Heather and my Nicole avoid this area at this time of the year!!!!
Wednesday was my first scheduled workshop at Nuuoma Secondary School. We had to run a fifty-metre extension cable to the science room so that I could do my PowerPoint presentation. Heather would have a fit over the Health and Safety issues here. The workshop itself went very well, if a little rushed, as is the Namibian way, we started late. It introduced them to types of special educational needs, which is all very new to teachers over here. Most were very interested and didn’t know that they may have them in their classes.
Thursday was planning for a workshop to explain ‘Cumulative Record Cards’, which is like Norfolk’s Phoenix E1 Database, but in a card folder. I am supposed to put a training workshop together that explains how to use them in the whole region, some 450 schools. That’s another thing here; they tend to send out new bits of paperwork and forget to tell the schools what they are for or how to use the.
Well it was Friday the 13th and I was filled with trepidation. It was also the weekend of Valentines, which is a really big thing over here. I had been invited to join the children for their Saturday Valentines Ball. I politely declined, as I was told that there was a prize for the best Mr and Miss Valentine, and I couldn’t take the disappointment and rejection I would have to go through. As usual I couldn’t print anything, this time because the printer had run out of ink.
On Friday night I discovered that a group of volunteers and locals were taking a trip to Etosha Wildlife Park on Saturday and was invited to join them. It was a two hour drive so we set off at 6.00 a.m. to see the animals at sunrise. We had a great time and saw loads of different animals quite close up. I attach some of the pictures I took. In total we travelled 640 kilometres (400 miles), which made it a very long day, but well worth it.
On Sunday I realised that I had now completed a month in Namibia, a third the way through. I also remembered that it was half term next week and nobody would be at school, so I hope that somebody reads this. Sundays have a routine now; shopping, travelling back to my placement, washing and cleaning. How exciting is that!!
Best wishes to all.
Barry
Well I can’t believe that I have now been in Namibia for a month, a third way through my stop here. It seems to have flown by!
The week stared with the bad news that Norwich had lost again, this time to Bristol City. Life at home doesn’t seem to change does it!
Monday was all about getting prepared for the workshops I had coming up, or so I thought. I met with the Principal of Mupewa Junior at 1.00 pm, and he informed me I was running my first workshop for his staff at 2.00. I think things may have been lost in translation, but I don’t remember that agreement. As it was I spoke to them for one and a half hours, and they seemed to love it. After that the Principal scheduled another four workshops, in the next two weeks. Which is really good news, as I was getting a bid fed up of just planning!
Tuesday was another planning day, but I made very good progress and managed to finish one and a half workshop plans in the day. However, one point of note was the invasion of the northern Namibia by millions of Frogs. I am told that the adult frogs bury the eggs in the sand a year ago. When the rains come they hatch and grow into froglets, all underground; and for some reason they all appear at he same time and swarm everywhere. It is quite odd walking around the schools and streets with thousands of frogs jumping every time you make a step. I attach a picture of one for you to see. I suggest that Heather and my Nicole avoid this area at this time of the year!!!!
Wednesday was my first scheduled workshop at Nuuoma Secondary School. We had to run a fifty-metre extension cable to the science room so that I could do my PowerPoint presentation. Heather would have a fit over the Health and Safety issues here. The workshop itself went very well, if a little rushed, as is the Namibian way, we started late. It introduced them to types of special educational needs, which is all very new to teachers over here. Most were very interested and didn’t know that they may have them in their classes.
Thursday was planning for a workshop to explain ‘Cumulative Record Cards’, which is like Norfolk’s Phoenix E1 Database, but in a card folder. I am supposed to put a training workshop together that explains how to use them in the whole region, some 450 schools. That’s another thing here; they tend to send out new bits of paperwork and forget to tell the schools what they are for or how to use the.
Well it was Friday the 13th and I was filled with trepidation. It was also the weekend of Valentines, which is a really big thing over here. I had been invited to join the children for their Saturday Valentines Ball. I politely declined, as I was told that there was a prize for the best Mr and Miss Valentine, and I couldn’t take the disappointment and rejection I would have to go through. As usual I couldn’t print anything, this time because the printer had run out of ink.
On Friday night I discovered that a group of volunteers and locals were taking a trip to Etosha Wildlife Park on Saturday and was invited to join them. It was a two hour drive so we set off at 6.00 a.m. to see the animals at sunrise. We had a great time and saw loads of different animals quite close up. I attach some of the pictures I took. In total we travelled 640 kilometres (400 miles), which made it a very long day, but well worth it.
On Sunday I realised that I had now completed a month in Namibia, a third the way through. I also remembered that it was half term next week and nobody would be at school, so I hope that somebody reads this. Sundays have a routine now; shopping, travelling back to my placement, washing and cleaning. How exciting is that!!
Best wishes to all.
Barry
2 comments:
so when are we going there next year!? and if necessary i will see the frogs from a very safe distance away!
Is it just me or did anyone else spot how remarkably like Barry the baboon looks in the last picture!!!
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