In The Company of Adults

Last Sunday afternoon we had a meeting of the Zambian Board of Chishawasha. It was a good and productive meeting of enthusiastic members and everything went well. As I stepped out into the warm afternoon sun, I had the most expansive feelings of well-being. Yes, it was a good meeting but it couldn't have had such an effect on my emotions. Then it came to me that I had been in the compnay of adults for a coupel hours and engaged in conversation on topics other than math or the alphabet and the sounds that letters make. What a wonderful feeling! I had even enjoyed the 'prevelidge' of taking notes, something I always avoid is such meetings.

How many seeds in a banana? Or where is the maize?

In science class we recently covered flowers and flower parts and pollination and fertilisation (as we spell it here). So in our class this week we were working on what becomes of those fertilised flowers. In prep for the class, I got permission to go around and filch stuff from the gardens. I had been warned about getting permission lest I be shot. I inquired of the mother who gave me the okay, as to whether she had a gun. She was unarmed. I used mostly things that were aged beyond use in the kitchen: small pumpkin, small squash, some red impwa (egg plant: when edible they are green or white and are the shape and size of an egg), picked my first okra and finally took three ears of maize. I suplimented these with a couple of apples, plums and bananas from the store.

Students were supposed to cut these open, draw them and note the number of seeds. Some adults here, previous to the class had assured me that bananas have no seeds. So I made sure that we counted them, or rather estimated the number. Each student got a narrow, measured section of a banana and counted the seeds in that. Then with the length of the banana, they could roughly estimate the total number. Rather than have them count the seeds in an ear of maize, again suggested another estimate: count the seeds in an average row and then multiply that times the number of rows. While I was doling out measured banana slices to one group of students, I gave the maize to another. It wasn't until near the end of class that I realized that the maize had disappeared. Very few kids had seen it. Well I knew the fruit should be watched closely and kept my eye on that, but I hadn't thought the raw ears of maize would be such tempting items.

I think I traced those ears back to the culprit. So for our next class, he will get to estimate the seeds on three ears of maize and then count them to see how close he was. But worst of all, he will have to give it all away afterward, getting none for himself. What a diabolical teacher.

School Work?

Much work is being done on the school building and grounds. Some badly needed gutters have been installed. Rain from the roof of the school has been carrying away our playground and was laying bare the foundation in places. And finally our new concrete walkways have ended abruptly at the edge of the high covered porchway connecting the classrooms. There was an awkward step up or down that this old teacher always tried to do gracefully, but rarely succeeded. Well now we will have steps. On our next school day the concrete should be dried and set.

New Generator

Our new generator is connected and fueled up. It automatically starts 5 seconds after a power outage and shuts off when it comes back on. Now that would seem to solve all our power problems, right? No, this is Zambia. Now that we have this generator, our electric company it seems has hooked up many more folks to the same transformer, so the power doesn't just quit, it goes off and on, and of and on, rapidly enough that our generator doesn't want to get involved. Its hell on computers and other equipment and your well-being in general after a half hour or so.

House Rotation

Early on in my sty here, it was decided that each house would get me for a month for supper. Prior to this, I was getting passed around and would go to supper with who ever came to get me. But communications got scrambled and a couple of times I missed my evening meal. A monthly schedule was instigated. So starting in April, I will get to adapt to a third new house and their customs which keeps the routine from being too routine.

Bird Report:

Bulbuls, boubous and sunbirds. The sunbirds have been feeding 'in' the large blossoms of a common foxglove species just outside my classroom window.

How a chameleon can change more than just its color.

It was mentioned in conversation that chameleons were common in this area, yet I had not seen them now or on my first visit. So I asked the kids if they found one to let me know. It happened and I thought it strange that they came and took me to the chameleon. It was a bit of a walk and a chameleon might disappear in the mean time. Seems they could have picked it up and brought it to me. Well it was on the ground surrounded by somewhat apprehensive looking kids. They were more upset when I picked it up and put it on my sleeve. I walked back with it to get my camera and no one came with me. I didn't realize how strange that was at the time. The statement that 'I am going to get my camera' is usually the equivalent of the pied piper at work. So I took the pictures in peace without incident and left the reptile on th banana leaf which had served as my wildlife studio.

Somewhat later, several of the girls came to do a special cleaning for the board meeting. While hardly through the door, I began being quizzed regarding the whereabouts of 'that animal'. Sensing how much they disliked it, I lied and said that it had gotten away inside and would they please take care not to step on it. "Oh! is that it next to your head?"

So now I have a powerful defense. Several of the younger girls have had much fun informing me that they are witches and might harass me on my way home in the dark and have tried to hide behing the foliage to frighten me with much laughter. Nothing I could come up with could counter their determination, I was sure to be frightened. But now all I have to do is mention my friend, the chameleon, and I have way more protection than anyone would need. The night time paths are safe again.