Computer Lab Fix-up

Hey team,

Remember that project that I asked you all for money for? Well it's done! Pretty great, huh? Everything worked very quickly and smoothly actually, once the money was available. Within two weekends everything was finished. Win!

So, my school administration seemed surprisingly unexcited when I told them we had gotten funding and could start doing the project. It may have been because I kept reminding her of their contribution, because I had a secret fear that they wouldn't hold up the end of the bargain and then I'd have to return all the money and feel like a failure. But, such was not the case! Huzzah! We got to work and one day some guys showed up and demanded the keys to my room and they started hacking away at the walls with pickaxes. It was very disconcerting, but then they just poorly cemented over the holes they had made and sealed those window frames in. Then another day this guy came to drop of the glass, but not install it. Another day these guys came to install the window as well as grind down this door that would make a horrid schreeching noise when it was opened. And then a few days later these really adorable old guys came to just look at the room and the next day they came back and installed the air conditioning units. And just like that everything was done.

In my excitement, I moved all the tables in my classroom into this neat U shape so that all the tables were pushed against the walls and windows and I could easily walk around and no one would step on cords and my desk was strategically postioned right in the air flow of the fans and/or ac units. But then it turns out that the people who wired the school building for electricity, sucked at it so there wasn't power to run things. I was horribly worried that I wouldn't be able to even run one a/c unit and the computers, but luckily that worked out. However, it is incredibly hot here and that room is large so one a/c unit doesn't do the job, that's why we got two. I was very discouraged for a few days feeling that everything that I did was a waste because they would never pay to upgrade the electricity and blah blah blah.

A few days ago, my administration said a guy was going to come in and repaint the room so it didn't look so ugly (didn't think about that ahead of time so not in the budget) as well as get an electrician over there to find out the feasibility and cost of augmenting the power (again not in the budget). I was surprised and excited because this was a huge contradiction to the talk I had had with her the day before when she said that wouldn't happen till the summer and went about the next few days feeling very happy. My walls got painted, I met with the electrician and he looked around, bemoaning the crappy initial installation and giving me much encouragement as to the cost and easiness of upping the power and I went about this last week of school very pleased.

Jump forward to today, my directrice came into my classroom and handed me a little piece of paper with the bill for the paint and a quote from the electrician, I just looked at it and said,"hm, yes....I see." And then when I didn't take it, she left. I went to see her in her office after class and she just straight up asked if I could get her more money. Nope. Really? No, we asked for a certain amount and luckily  we got it all very quickly, but we used it all. There isn't anymore. Well, can't you ask for more. No. Can Peace Corps help? Not for this. This is for you to do. Are you sure? Yes. Well okay then we'll have to wait till next year to see if we can afford it. *sighs* okay, it is really important though so you should really try and do it. Okay, we'll see.

So that's that. The room looks great and it's amazing how much dust those glass windows keep out. Really very impressive. Anyone anywhere who has a computer lab must get glass windows, it's really awesome how much less dust there is over everything in there! And the a/c units are installed and work one at a time so that's great. Thanks a million for your help everyone, it is a success. I'll lean on these people non stop till I leave to make sure they up the power. Yay! Here are some pictures of the work being done. Enjoy that!

Thanks again, it's really awesome and everyone is really impressed and excited and jealous of the kids being able to enjoy air conditioning for an hour a day! :)

And school is out so I'm off to Ghana! SO EXCITED TO SWIM IN THE OCEAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Malian adventures

Good news everyone! My project got funded! Woot! Now I just have to wait for the money to arrive and keep my fingers crossed that my school will hold up their end of the bargain and then everyone will enjoy the hot season so much more with air conditioning. Huzzah!

Happy 2012 everyone! I've been looking forward to this year for a while because I feel 2012 is far easier to say than 2011. Also 2012 is when I make my grand return to America. Don't ask me when (September probably?) or what I'll be doing (...) but I'll be coming back. So get ready for me to eat all your food and make weird observations and be overwhelmed by the cleanliness of everything and so many television channels. I really look forward to the television channels.

I've spent all morning uploading a ton of photos from my Mali vacation. It was really great, look at all the pictures. We went to Mopti, which people there like to call the Venice of Mali, becuase there are two rivers that run through it. And then we took a sunset canoe ride on said rivers, explored the city a bit, spent two days sitting around a pool and reading at our hotel. Then for four days we hiking around in Dogon Country. The countryside was pretty reminiscent of the American southwest, and a very nice change from the bland, flat world that I live in. Our daily schedule was to hike all morning stop in a village around noon, wander about while they cooked us food, ate and then hiked on until we reached another village where we'd spend the night. It went like that almost everyday. We stopped in Ende and watched a mask festival dance. They do it mostly for tourists now but it started as an animist tradition during funerals to guide the spirits.

It's real interesting actually. Look it up, learn about the Dogon people and animism. I could tell you all the things I learned, but I don't want to. I'm also real bad at blogging now, for which I apologize. There's going to be real trouble during that writing section of the GRE I'm taking in two weeks. Yikes.

Stay sweet. Get ready for hot season and mangoes everyday!

Don't poke out any eyes with your new BB guns

Merry Christmas! I'm definately feeling the December/Holiday spirit. The other day I ate a watermelon and then drank raspberry lemonade. Then I got a package from my mom and I gave candy canes to all my neighbors- they were very confused about what they were. I explained it was candy in the shape of a cane and that you suck on it or bite it- as you choose. And my neighbors all said 'eh! Those white people are forte, making candy look like things...' And then I gave out some holiday stickers and colored some Christmas themed tableaus with little kids and they loved me forever for it, I'm sure.

Then I abruptly left for my Christmas vacation, really only telling one family where I was going and when I'd be back. But now I"m on vacation! I went to visit my friend Dani at her site and we went on bike rides and star gazed and I got to see what life would be like without electricity (basically the same but I'd go to bed around 8 pm). I also learned how to make a delicious cabbage and peanut sauce dish. Now we are in Bobo, another big city waiting to eat a lot of food tomorrow and then going to Mali on Monday.

Very exciting stuff. There was a slight hitch in the plans, in that I forgot my passport at my house. After briefly contemplating passport fraud and smuggling, I felt it was safer if I just had my neighbors break into my house and get my passport for me. So after the help of several wonderful people who will each be rewarded accordingly for their bravery and hassle, my passport will arrive in my hands tomorrow like a lil' Christmas miracle!

I hope you all have lovely Christmases and New Years. I will. In exoitic places. See you all in 2012, the year when I'll return to America. Look forward to neat pictures.

Also, don't forget about my project! We only need $600 more dollars! It's so close and I'll be incredibly sad if I doesn't go through. Do it for Christmas or New Years. Don't wait till next year. Donate and feel warm and gooey inside.