Today was challenging

I was relieved that at the end of this morning the other teachers at school were also feeling frazzled. It seemed that some of the children that have particular difficulties all decided to be exceptionally challenging today. Just got to school in time by the skin of my teeth. My language class on idioms didn't go so well as it would have been better to give a print out than try dictation (I had written them on the board yesterday but some students just don't finish getting it down. Not being able to print is really a problem - still no sign of being sorted out any time soon - ZESA says it's beyond their control, great!) My one student who really struggles with processing information was sitting gazing out into space and left far behind. We then had a bout of people losing their books which became very frustrating. Another student as soon as I stopped talking would keep asking about getting electrocuted. This had nothing whatsoever to do with what we were working on. One boy got frustrated and started talking to himself in the front. The two things that went well were doing public speaking. One of my girls was very excited when I said we could do a class debate next time. It's the most excited I've ever seen her. The other success was P.E., where I got them to do a two team relay tic tac toe running exercise. They seemed to enjoy it.

Can't tell you how pleased I am that tomorrow is Friday. I will have my two Chinese students after school though. The father of my five year old has lent me a phone to hotspot Zoom for tomorrow's lesson to his son in China. It's my mum's birthday today so will be going to lunch on Saturday and it's another friend's birthday bring and share tomorrow night (hopefully I don't fall asleep). Trying to think what I am going to wear to school tomorrow as I am supposed to be dressed up as my mum and wear slippers.

My poor personal trainer got an earful during my gym session this afternoon after my morning. She got me to use the foam roller - think it was a good option. Next week I will have her cousin taking me again as she is off on honeymoon. The other trainer does push me to do things I wouldn't think I could do, so I am bracing myself to be challenged. Mind you, I'm getting a full arm workout everyday carrying all my books - gosh they weigh a tonne.

Went this evening to the opening of an exhibition at The Corridor Gallery at Sorellas. Had a glass of red wine which was a good way to end a rather stressful day.

A bit shattered ... and this is a 4 day week

Today has passed in a bit of a blur of writing on the white board (not with a permanent marker this time) and lots of marking - loads of it! Due to the learning difficulties facing the children I have to mark every single thing they do - it adds up by the end of the morning and today there was also homework and more kids back than yesterday. Both yesterday and today I have excused myself from tea halfway through break and gone back and marked. I also had to do reading with two girls who came late today. Am going to need to build stamina for this, as I am exhausted now and it's only been two days. As we commenced yesterday, it's a four day week but next week I will have to keep going for five. No wonder teachers go to bed really early (when they aren't marking 😬).

I got the kids to write about themselves for their first creative writing assignment today. It gave me a little insight into who they are and what they like. A lot of them like hands on stuff like building things and fishing. I asked them to say what they wanted to be and the one boy who really struggles said he just wants to pass his grade 7 exam. I thought this was a sad indictment of how the education system just doesn't cater for kids with a learning disadvantage and how everything hinges on passing exams that are geared towards only people who can think in a certain way. This particular boy is probably going to move with his family to England as there just isn't an option really for his high school here as he will not cope with IGCSE. For children in this country who don't have the option of emigrating there are so few options.

I have to bear with my ADHD students too. In the middle of explaining something the one boy suddenly piped up that there was a plane flying over the school, could he go look at it. I don't think I've ever been asked that before. Almost said yes, but it was right in the middle of things. My one autistic boy wrote in his essay that he really likes World Wrestling Federation matches on tv. His all time favourite wrestler apparently bites people and this seemed to really impress him. Knowing that autistic children can bite and having been bitten by my student last year, I wonder if my current student does too. It all is certainly going to keep me on my toes and there's never a dull moment or really a chance to get bored.

Met up briefly with my friend out from the UK, who is doing his PhD research on NGOs in Zimbabwe and their role  in democracy and human rights. It was good to catch up. This morning at tea we had talked a bit about elections and someone said people in the rural areas are being told that if their whole constituency votes against ZANU PF there will be trouble for them. My friend said this is old news and started months ago. We laughed a bit though about how the British Ambassador is very pro the whole ED regime. Apparently Boris Johnson is set to visit Zim in the coming weeks and the Ambassador was photographed recently sporting an ED scarf outside Downing Street. I didn't know the ED scarf was a thing, but apparently it is a big deal. I was told you can now buy these scarves for $15 at the Churchill/Borrowdale Road intersection from the vendors. I did not know this! This is where you can still buy your Zimbabwe flag that became symbolic with the #ThisFlag movement.

Catriona Laing on Twitter: "Good discussions with No 10 officials on prospects for #Zimbabwe. It's been a busy and productive week.

We also talked about HIFA and Freshlyground's reappearance and Chicken to Change. My friend had gone to the Thomas Mapfumo concert at the Show Grounds. He had been exiled for a number of years due to songs he had written about Bob. I don't think I would have lasted to the end of the concert. My friend said the supporting acts went on until 2 am, having started at 7 pm, and Mapfumo only appeared after that and went on until 6 am. Wow.
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Do it all over again tomorrow & International Slipper Day

I think the most stressful part of today was trying to get to school by 7 am. The issue is that I have to get through each of my students doing their daily individual reading before school starts at 7.45. With the slower readers this can cut it fine. Turned out six students were absent today but I only just got through everyone. I really will have to try get to school before 7 - groan, it was dark when I woke up this morning and it's going to get colder, but I must just suck it up and ... drink coffee! If I could just have it intravenously just before I have to wake up ...

Sadly some of the missing students today might not actually come back as it is an issue over fees being paid. This makes me very sad as they are good kids. The one boy already had to miss an entire term of school last year over fees. It's also tricky as it means what I taught today might need to be retaught when some of them return as they won't know it. So apart from the early morning push it generally went OK. There were a few minor hitches of things I had overlooked/forgotten about and otherwise hadn't been told yet. It is rewarding actually teaching after all the prep though, as the interaction with the kids is fun and some of them come up with quite delightful things. I became the subject of some of their sentence constructions - I am going to have to get used to that but they wrote nice things - for now :P  Really could do with the option of printing notes for the slower processors as some were left far behind when they had to take notes. There is a significant disparity between some. Took my first P.E. lesson at the end of school on the tennis court and used some ideas from personal training and then improvised a  bit with balls and hoops.

On Friday they are having a dress up day and I will have to show spirit and dress up too. As it's Mother's Day on Sunday here, it was decided to get everyone to dress up as their mother. The boys in my class looked aghast when this was announced and one said at the end of school he might try swim across the Atlantic rather! It is also International Slipper Day so we also have to wear slippers to school. The money raised will go to cancer research.

Had personal training this afternoon and my instructor said to de-stress me, she was going to have me do cardio. I did at several points feel rather tired but she was right, it has made me feel good. Managed to finish all my marking by 2 this afternoon and have just finished preparing for tomorrow. Now need to work on next week's time table as on Friday I have to submit my term timetable, records and forecasts. I also need to start thinking about what I'm going to do as an assembly. Usually they have a motivational story about persevering but I might ask if I can do environmental themed ones or some other slightly different things. If not I will look for some moral themed stories, we can do biblical ones.

So the last bit of HIFA was really good. I think Freshlyground was my big highlight. It was really super to finally have them back at HIFA after their deportation and cancellation last time. They didn't disappoint and were even brave enough to play Chicken to Change - a little risky but hopefully the new regime won't have qualms. I am not that familiar with their newer songs and must admit I mostly prefer their older ones which bring back memories of my time studying in Cape Town. They played some of their classics and then a mixed bag of newer stuff. Earlier in the day I also watched Graffiti Classics, who were full of Irish humour (my one student today said he saw me there and I didn't see him! Oh dear, I will have to be more observant in future). A friend had a spare ticket for Tcheka from Cape Verde and Mário Laginha from Portugal. They were also really good and well suited for the more intimate Global Stage.

One of my favourite original songs by Freshlyground.

OK, I had better resume preparing for next week and get an early-ish night so I can wake up tomorrow and do another round.

Live-videoing? and reconnected

I have been sitting an my computer most of today surrounded by my books and planners. It was only midway through the afternoon though that I suddenly noticed my laptop camera was on and there appeared to be a red record button on my Facebook tab. Have just switched from using Safari to Google Chrome and not sure what I've done, but am hoping against hope I haven't been live videoing unintentionally and unconsciously all day. So embarrassing if I have! Please no. Any enlightenment on what was going on with my Facebook and laptop much appreciated.

I had my lesson with my five year old which began with me connecting on Zoom to him midway through a massive temper tantrum. (Possibly my Zoom was still on with the camera - I really hope it was just that). I managed to get my student to subside by playing him another version of The Prehistoric Animal Brigade that has realistic models of dinosaurs and mammoths. This got his attention and he calmed down and we were able to have his lesson. For his reading there was a rat on a skateboard. He had never heard of skateboarding so I showed him a video. We both found the bit where the person goes through the window (at 37 sec) really funny and the lesson ended on a good note (and he now knows what a skateboard is). I will see him online again tomorrow. His dad has offered to pay the cost for using wireless off my phone via a hotspot. Could mean I could try teach him during the week but am just going to have to see how my first week goes. Last night at HIFA a teacher at the French School said they are always looking for Zimbabweans who can speak both French and English and she said I could put my name forward to them. I am already committed though.

Getting there with preparation. I decided not to go to the International School play tonight though and press on. Unfortunately couldn't get my friend's phone to work with my SIM card but have been lent another phone and although had an issue initially trying to get Apple to let me download stuff without a credit card I FINALLY am reconnected with a phone. Although it is a material thing I found it a bit trying and did feel withdrawal symptoms - probably good for me, but it was hard. So please send me your numbers, I sadly have lost them.

Tomorrow I will see two last shows at HIFA. Graffiti Classics from Ireland (doing a comic rendition of classical music and broadway) and then Freshlyground (a group of us are going so it should be fun). Freshlyground should be allowed into the country this time with the new regime after their video Chicken to Change caused them to be deported in a previous HIFA when we still had Bob. Well they actually weren't allowed to leave the plane I think. Here's hoping dear ED thinks better of them than Bob, we are after all supposed to now be "open for business" in the new Zimbabwe.

Looks like I might be doing a fairly long stint of house sitting. Next week I will be looking after a friend's cats for about a month in Avondale and then I may be house and dog sitting two Rhodesian ridgebacks in Highlands until August. Both will allow me the use of their car which will be a big bonus as it means I can get to school independently from my mum in the morning and may mean I can get to school a little earlier (winter is going to be hard and I really must not tell myself 5 more minutes - it can be fatal!) Going to miss my dogs who are right now curled up by my feet. Will have to make regular trips home to see them, but not quite the same.

Trymore, Oneway and the awesome Beatenberg

Had so much fun at Beatenberg last night. As one friend said, if only the centre of town could be like HIFA all the time. Ended up with a group of friends and we danced and jived to some of their more upbeat songs. There were a few that were better suited to a lazy afternoon on the lawns of Kirstenbosch, but I really enjoyed it. We then went and hung out at the Elephant and Pineapple sipping gin and tonics and occasionally wondering what the tarot reader upstairs was doing when the floor boards shook and at one point leaked! Met up with a friend I haven't seen in ages and suddenly wondered if I have given back his Korean version of Settlers of Catan (he lent it to me five years ago but as it is in Korean I haven't played it). Harry if you're still reading my blog, I think I did give it back to you, I've looked again this morning :P Was going to get a lift home with a friend but it turned out my mother was still talking to people at the craft market in the Global Quarter, two hours after she said she was going home. She does love to stop and have deep conversations with each and every stall owner - I despair at times and move on. I found her talking to a guy called Oneway, who makes sculptures out of scrap metal. My mum is going to take him a whole load of stuff from our garage (yay). It did mean I got home slightly earlier though as the others were keen to go to Toby2Shoes playing at Tristan's - would have been fun but I have a lot of work to do today as I lost a whole day yesterday running round sorting out my phone.

It proved to be a little frustrating yesterday with Econet trying to get a SIM card with my same number. I went to Borrowdale first and was first into the shop but it turned out the card was under my mum's name and I needed her to change it to my name, needed her with me in person that is. So she managed to get leave from school to come with me to Avondale. Got to the front of the queue only to discover we needed a form and photocopies of IDs. Did this, rejoined the queue to be told, sorry, the system was down, I needed to come back after lunch. The guy was pleasant though and had the apt name of Trymore. So I went off to Harare Central police station - my goodness the traffic is awful down there. At one point got sandwiched between a massive ZUPCO bus and a lorry, with commuter omnibuses pressing in on either side. If the bus had reversed it would have squashed me - not pleasant. Found the police central. The interior is sadly so decrepit with the linoleum cracked and scattered and the parquet a haphazard patchwork. It must be a bit soul destroying working in there day in and day out. Having said that though, I was actually really impressed that the police had my report and had started processing it already and it was a quick visit in and out. Well, at least I was referred to a Constable Chakara but he wasn't there and so far I haven't been able to reach him on the cell number I've been given. If all else fails I will try get his number on Zimvine before thinking about going back into town again. I went to find out how much the phone I lost is now selling for and the shop assistant had high hopes that the police might be able to find my stolen phone as he said it's not that common a phone. I'm not sure if I have such optimism but a friend did get their phone back so maybe.

Last night we followed my friend Lucy's advice and parked behind the craft market and it was much better lit and felt safer than going round Monomatapa. The power has come back on at home, praise God. I really did worry our area's transformer might also have blown. I would be hamstrung if it did. Must maybe invest in a solar invertor at home as I cannot afford to be without power during term time with all the work I have to do. Saying this, I must get on now and get everything together that I have to have printed to give to my head on Monday. To work!

Slavic Soul but no power and no phone

It started bucketing with rain last night just before we were supposed to go out again to listen to Slavic Soul Party at HIFA. Luckily it eased off and by time the concert started it was dry. Waiting for it to start a friend said his brother who is a priest in Mbare had had his phone stolen with a classic manoeuvre where the thief stands on your foot and then slams into you. Funny story - that's exactly what happened to me going into the Harare Gardens from Monomatapa. Two guys who I took to be drunk veered into me, the one pushed my foot into a puddle and then pressed his body against me. Between he and the other guy they managed to get their hand in my pocket and made off with my fairly new phone :( It all happened so fast and I only realized my phone had gone when I got through the HIFA gate and wanted to take a photo.

Went and reported it to the police who have a stand in the gardens. To begin with they were really slow and I could feel my heckles rising and even though I was reporting something I felt the old fear of the ZRP. They seemed to do a double report and kept asking me the same questions. They wanted to know my age for some reason. When I said 34 they did a double take and said did I not say 24. They couldn't believe I was in my thirties not my twenties and said I looked so young - well that made my day and after that they were a lot friendlier and pleasant. I now have to go along to Harare Central police station with my phone's serial number - sigh, I don't really want to be running around with all of this. We got back to no electricity at home though so I am a bit hamstrung with my work as we don't have a generator. Praying it's not our area's transformer now too as if it is I am in trouble with work for next week.

After all that bad news, Slavic Soul was great and I loved at the end when the band came down into the audience along with the Zimbabwe College of Music band and there was a great vibe. Going to Beatenberg tonight. Will just have to be extra careful navigating the street outside and not take valuables if I can help it. At the end of the day my phone is just a material possession. I did feel slightly violated though, especially when the guy got right into my personal space. A good friend has very kindly lent me their phone til I can sort out getting another one. Just got to get a replacement SIM card.

Beatenberg

Handlebards & Hedy Lamarr

Suddenly had to alter some maps this morning for a pending case on wetlands going to the high court.  Had been going to go back into school before going to HIFA but as it turned out the other teachers weren't going to be in today either and there is still no electricity - sigh. I need to have prepared everything for next week by Monday so I can go in and can give what I desperately need to be printed to the head and some sort of plan is going to be made. Will just have to do board work as much as possible but homework is a bit of a stretch as we don't have text books for each student and they usually get hand outs.

Just got to Girls High School in time for the play on Hedy Lamarr performed and written by Heather Massie. Fascinating to hear how Lamarr created frequency hopping. Food for thought that if the US had recognised her invention in WWII and used it as was intended to detect torpedoes, the war might have ended sooner and possibly might not have needed the atomic bomb. It was only in the '90s that Lamarr was credited when frequency hopping was used to develop WIFI, GPS and bluetooth. Heather Massie is in fact a physicist herself and uses theatre to show women in science.

I had some time to kill between Hedy and then the Handlebards. My mum and a friend Vee were going to Baroque 2000 (a classical ensemble from Durban) and then a play titled Bessie about Bessie Head. I pottered around the craft market and then decided to go in to the National Art Gallery to see the photographic exhibition by various photographers of the events here in November. They wouldn't accept Ecocash at the door though unless you were paying for five people which was a bit ridiculous. Found I had $2 in bond notes but would have otherwise walked away. I still had a bit more time, so had a strong cup of filter coffee at the Elephant and Pineapple before meandering to the Handlebards' Glade by the Monomatapa. I ended up being the first in line but some others joined me fairly quickly. We strategically didn't sit in front so we wouldn't get picked on for audience participation but it turned out the actresses picked on someone in the second row and he had to be both Romeo and Juliet at one point. It was very funny and luckily the trees offered some cover when it rained (yes it is still raining quite heavily - it should stop now as it's practically winter, but you do sometimes get wet HIFAs).

We hit peak traffic on our way home and there was a car accident to top it by Alan Wilson school (thought we were never going to move). We are headed back tonight for Slavic Soul Party (I shall take my raincoat).