The Work Begins

The Work Begins!

So tomorrow, I start REAL work…teaching! Last night I had a meeting with everyone who signed up for English classes (the computer classes are on hold until we can arrange a few more computers) and there were 78 people. They range in age from 9 to 43. Although some of the people have completed high school (and the required English in high school) nobody speaks a word of it. So, my first challenge will be figuring out how to divide everyone into classes. The first month will just be introductions (hello, good morning, good night, My name is, how are you, introduce the verb “to be” etc.) and will give me a chance to evaluate the students and figure out the best way to separate everyone. Anyway, I’m looking forward to it, and have been making lesson plans and planning “props” for class, to keep it fun and interesting. I’m a little nervous because some people are walking up from Cruzinha or down from Garca to come to the classes. There will be three per day, for one hour each, starting at 5 and lasting until 8. That means some people will be walking home for an hour after dark, and I definitely want it to be worth their effort. All of the teachers form Cruzinha, Garca and Chan di Igreja are also going to be attending, so that makes me even more nervous. But, I’ve got a good game plan, I don’t get nervous in front of people, and I can speak English, so all I gotta figure out is the teaching part right? Prolly easier said than done, but I’m certainly gonna give it a whirl.

In other news, I’ve now added fijou branca (white beans, cabbage, tomatoes, mantioch, onion, pepper and pork fat), ganga (a soup with mantioch, potatoes, curry, malageta, cabbage and beans), caldo di pecsi (soup with potatoes, carrots, curry, rice onions and fish), and pizza (a thin bread topped with a tomato based sauce, chorizo, cheese and pineapple slices) to my cooking repertoire. If most of those sound like they taste the same, that’s because they do. Benvinda taught me the ganga and the pizza, and Marlen taught me to make the caldo and the fijou. I’ve also given up trying to cook American food for my neighbors and friends. I’ve made some delicious fried rice, beef tacos, ham and cheese omelets, and spaghetti and meatballs, and everyone keeps telling me “bo precisa empregada.” (You need some help around the house.) Anyway, I’m content to keep eating my own delicious food when I’m able to find the right ingredients (or have them sent form home). I’ve decided that out of that humongous care package from The Culprits, the best things were (aside from the humongous plastic garbage bag full of pornography) these 2 little multi-spice containers. They’ve got salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, sage, oregano, rosemary, and basil in them. As the little shakers say…”Every cook’s favorite companions, conveniently packaged in one place!” What could be better, really? (Except I DO still need some crushed red pepper )

Also, Benvinda has come over a few times to cook and watch movies on my computer, and next weekend, we’re going on out first official “date,” if such a thing exists here. We’re going to pack a picnic lunch and walk 4 hours to a place called Ribiera Alta. And back I think. This Ribiera Alta place is on the other side of the mountain (the opposite direction from Provencao) and is, I believe, one of the most remote villages in the country, and therefore on the planet. There are no cars that go there, no power, no indoor plumbing. I’m really not sure what they DO have there, but I wanna check it out and Benvinda said she’d show me the way. She says we can dispense with all the subi y dixi (climbing up and down) and just follow the coast to the next Ribeira and hike up it a ways.

Also, it turned out that my Associacao didn’t have the money to pay for internet in town after all, so that is now disconnected. I’m working on a solution to that, but I may be off the radar for a while.

So that’s all the news that’s fit to print. If someone gets bored, please feel free to copy and paste some headlines from MSNBC or somewhere and attach them as a Word Doc to an e-mail so I can catch up on what’s going on back in Civilization. I especially like to hear about the Cowboys and the Texans. Also, I heard somewhere that Osama Bin Hidin’ has released some new albums recently? What did they say? Is he still pissed?

I hope everyone is well and taking good care of each other.

Caley