when i grow up....

I dream of being a:
-doctor
-nurse
-pilot
-policeman
-engineer
-shopkeeper

Yes that's what my P4 (primary 4) kids dream of being. We learned the word dream today and then we drew ourselves in our dream occupation. I told the kids that when I grow up I want to be a doctor. I think really I just want to be a good person. A good lover of people.

This is what I did today:

I didn't get to teach class this morning because Paul had a very nasty wound on his knee (remember that Paul is my student crippled from polio). Paul drags himself around by his arms so I am assuming it began as just a bad scrape that has gone untreated for a long time. I was most concerned that I could not get the bleeding to stop. But eventually was successful and now we have an adequately bandaged knee and a very happy and brave Paul. I'm pretty sure it hurt badly. As soon as I finished bandaging Paul's knee I looked up to find that the children had formed a line for treatment and as soon as I got done with that line, students would point me to their friends who were too scared to come forward. I think I used half of the supplies in my medical cabinet today.

My Luganda handbook has come in handy because they have NO idea what I'm saying in English...especially the nursery children. It's really awesome though when we have a breakthrough and I can finally ask them the right question in Luganda and get an answer I understand. It's also really cute when they have been treated but still hang around the clinic because they like their mzungu nurse. I have to literally escort them back to class about 5 times. Still....very cute.

This afternoon I taught P4 and WHO KNEW that duck duck goose could be the greatest game in the world. apparently chasing someone around a circle makes it past language barriers. Hokey Pokey still wins. Simon Says...although it's really difficult to teach the rules where they understand...finally worked today and it was pretty much the best too. Oooo...and today when did the chicken dance...and i look like a fool and love every second of it.

Tomorrow...we begin Charlotte's Web with P6. My favorite.

This afternoon Gertrude took her carving knife when I was outside with her cooking (did I mention our kitchen is outside?) and drew a time signature, all the notes on the staff, and a treble cleff in the ground. She has been practicing and I couldn't be more proud. I taught her 4 more songs today. She loves You Are My Sunshine as well, and we learned Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Zippidy Doo Dah, and Supercali---however you spell it. Did I mention that I love music?

Must sleep now because I have to get up early and catch taxi in the morning and then walk the 2 miles to school. But it's so worth it.

when I grow up I dream of being...

a teacher. for now.

love,
me