WELL IT'S BEEN QUITE SOME TIME SINCE I'VE BEEN ABLE TO UPDATE THIS BLOG OF MINE, BUT LET ME BLAME THAT ON A COMBINATION OF INSUFFICIENT INTERNET OPPORTUNITIES AND MY OWN LAZINESS AS OPPOSED TO A LACK OF INTERESTING, HILARIOUS, CONFUSING, ANNOYING, MISERABLE, SATISFYING AND EUPHORIC EXPERIENCES SINCE MY LAST INSTALLMENT. RATHER THAN PAINSTAKINGLY RECOUNTING ALL THIS IN NARRATIVE FORM, I'VE CHOSEN TO USE THE OFTEN-PREFERRED (AT LEAST BY ME) BRACKET METHOD. HERE ARE THE CONTENDERS:
NJOMBE JAM / BEST BASKETBALL GAME EVER. CUE THE EUPHORIC EXPERIENCE REFERRED TO ABOVE. SO NJOMBE JAM WAS BASICALLY A BIG GATHERING OF PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEERS OVER EASTER WEEKEND, AT THE END OF THE MIDTERM BREAK WEEK. WE TEAMED UP BASED ON OUR HOME REGIONS IN TANZANIA AND DID DIFFERENT EVENTS, KIND OF LIKE AN OLYMPICS. ANYWAYS THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE WHOLE THING WAS A 3-ON-3 BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT (ON A COURT THAT WAS SLIGHTLY PREFERABLE TO THE SURFACE OF THE MOON). WE WERE DOWN 6-2 IN A GAME TO 7 POINTS IN THE FINAL AND CAME BACK TO WIN IN OVERTIME, 10-8. UNFORTUNATELY THE SPORTSCENTER CREW WE HIRED COULDN'T MAKE IT IN TIME TO DOCUMENT THE AMAZING COMEBACK, SO YOU'LL JUST HAVE TO TRUST ME THAT IT WAS AS EXCITING AS I'VE MADE IT SOUND...
LAKE MALAWI HIKE #1 - MIKONDE. CUE THE AFOREMENTIONED MISERY. MYSELF AND TWO OTHERS DID THIS HIKE FROM NEAR NJOMBE TO LAKE MALAWI OVER THE MIDTERM BREAK. THE HIKE, WHICH APPARENTLY USUALLY TAKES 7 HOURS OR SO, TOOK US CLOSER TO 13 IN ONE DAY. IT RAINED PRETTY MUCH NON-STOP FOR OUR TRIP, WHICH BASICALLY MADE IT THE WORLD'S BIGGEST SLIP-AND-SLIDE GOING DOWN THE FACE OF A MOUNTAIN. IF IT HAD BEEN CLEARER, WE WOULD HAVE HAD AN AMAZING VIEW THOUGH, AS YOU REACH THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN BEFORE GOING DOWN THE OTHER SIDE, YOU CAN SEE CLEAR ACROSS THE LAKE TO THE MALAWI SIDE. THEN IT'S SOMETHING LIKE A 4,000 METER DROP STRAIGHT DOWN TO THE LAKE. DEFINITELY THE TOUGHEST HIKE I'VE EVER DONE. IT WAS REALLY NICE, ASIDE FROM THE RAIN.
MATHLETES LEAGUE. IN AN ATTEMPT TO FURTHER PROMOTE MATH PRACTICE AMONG MY STUDENTS, WHILE SATISFYING MY OWN LOVE FOR KEEPING STATS ON THINGS, I STARTED A COMPETITVE "MATHLETES" LEAGUE AT MY SCHOOL. I QUICKLY LEARNED THAT MANY OF THEM ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE WORD ATHLETE, LET ALONE ABLE TO SEE THE HUMOR IN THE PUN, AND I CAN SAY FROM EXPERIENCE THAT ME TRYING TO EXPLAIN IT GOES A SHORT WAY IN GETTING US ALL ON THE SAME PAGE. FORTUNATELY DESCRIBING IT AS A SOCCER LEAGUE BUT FOR MATH WAS GOOD ENOUGH. I SPLIT THEM INTO BALANCED TEAMS BASED ON THEIR PAST TESTS AND MADE MY BEST STUDENTS CAPTAINS, HOPING THAT IT WILL HELP THEM DEVELOP LEADERSHIP SKILLS TOO. THEY TAKE WEEKLY QUIZZES AND I USE THE TEAM AVERAGES TO GIVE THEM WINS AND LOSSES. NOW TO FIND A WAY TO KEEP THEM FROM COPYING OFF OF EACH OTHER....
WORKER'S DAY (AKA TANZANIAN LABOR DAY). FOR THE HOLIDAY MOST OF THE SCHOOL STAFF WENT TO A BIG WORKERS GATHERING PARTY IN A NEARBY VILLAGE. THE CLOSEST VOLUNTEER TO ME, WHO TEACHES AT ANOTHER SCHOOL THERE, ALSO CAME, SO IT WAS NICE TO HAVE ANOTHER AMERICAN TO SHARE IN THE HUMOR OF EVERYTHING THAT WENT ON. AFTER PILING 16 PEOPLE INTO THE SCHOOL PICK-UP TRUCK, WE ARRIVED FASHIONABLY, TANZANIAN-LY LATE, WHICH IS ANYWHERE FROM 1-3 HOURS AFTER THE STATED ARRIVAL TIME, WHICH WAS FINE, GIVEN THE ACTUAL STARTING TIME OF ANYWHERE FROM 4-6 HOURS AFTER THE STATED ARRIVAL TIME. WHEN WE FINALLY GATHERED TOGETHER, THEY WERE DOING A KIND OF "WORKERS VS VILLAGERS" COMPETITION THAT I CAN ONLY LIKEN TO SOMETHING BETWEEN THE TV SHOWS NICKELODEON GUTS AND MXC. COMPETITIONS WERE IN SOCCER, OF COURSE, BUT ALSO SHOTPUT AND JAVELIN THROWING (QUESTION MARK). I DIDNT KNOW THOSE THINGS EVEN EXISTED HERE, THOUGH THEY MAY IN FACT NOT, JUDGING BY THE WAY THEY ALL THREW THE SHOTPUT LIKE AN 8-POUND BASEBALL. I WATCHED THROUGH CRINGES OF WAITING FOR THE FIRST ONE TO THROW THEIR ARM OUT. THE INTERMISSION WAS BY FAR THE MOST ENTERTAINING THOUGH, AS WE ALL GATHERED AROUND AND FORMED A BIG CIRCLE, INSIDE OF WHICH WERE 4 TANZANIAN WOMEN AND A MAN WITH A WHISTLE HOLDING A LIVE CHICKEN. MY HOPEFUL ASSUMPTIONS WERE CONFIRMED WHEN HE LET THE CHICKEN GO AND WHISTLED THE START OF THE CHASE FOR THE MAMA'S. IT TURNS OUT THAT EVEN FOR LARGE, MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO TO MAKE TANZANIANS MOVE QUICKLY IS TO PUT A CHICKEN UP FOR GRABS. IN MY HEAD OF COURSE I WAS PLAYING THE BENNY HILL THEME MUSIC AS I WATCHED THE CHICKEN DODGE, DUCK, DIP, DIVE, AND DODGE PAST THE LITERALLY DIVING MAMA'S UNTIL HE WAS FINALLY TACKLED. AS I LOOKED AROUND, I SAW THAT ALL THE OTHER TANZANIANS WERE LAUGHING ALONG WITH ME, BUT I COULDN'T HELP BUT THINK THAT IT WAS SOMEHOW FOR DIFFERNT REASONS.
LAKE MALAWI HIKE #2 - MBAMBA BAY. A DIFFERENT ROUTE TO A MORE SOUTHERN PART OF LAKE MALAWI, THIS HIKE WAS DONE AFTER THE RAINY SEASON HAD ENDED, WHICH THEREFORE MADE IT INFINITELY MORE ENJOYABLE THAN THE PREVIOUS ONE. IT TOOK ABOUT 6 HRS TO REACH THE LAKE, THROUGH MODERATE UP-AND-DOWNHILLS, AND WE STAYED AT A RELATIVELY NEW GERMAN-OWNED CAMP ON THE BEACH. THE PLACE WAS HEAVENLY, WITH SHELTERED TENTS SET UP TO SLEEP IN, AND PRETTY MUCH OUR OWN PRIVATE PAVILION SINCE WE WERE REALLY THE ONLY ONES THERE FOR THE WEEKEND. THEY MADE US AMAZING FRESHLY CAUGHT FISH FROM THE LAKE, AND BONFIRES ON THE BEACH BOTH NIGHTS. PERFECT WEATHER, AND WE DIDN'T EVEN RUN INTO ANY OF THOSE PESKY CROCADILES WE'D BEEN HEARING SO MUCH ABOUT. THE ONLY PROBLEM WITH THIS TRIP WAS THAT IT ONLY LASTED FOR A WEEKEND.
UP, UP MATH DAY. AN IDEA THAT WAS ACTUALLY BROUGHT UP BY ANOTHER MATH TEACHER AT MY SCHOOL, WE GOT ALL OF THE STUDENTS FROM THE WHOLE SCHOOL TOGETHER ONE SATURDAY TO PROMOTE / DISCUSS THE IMPORTANCE OF STUDYING MATH, SINCE THE VAST MAJORITY OF STUDENTS QUICKLY DISMISS IT AS BEING TOO DIFFICULT, OR SIMPLY THE "NATIONAL DISEASE" AS IT IS OFTEN DUBBED. I HAD A PROBLEM-SOLVING ACTIVITY PLANNED AND WANTED TO TALK ABOUT WAYS THAT THEY USE MATH IN THEIR EVERYDAY LIVES AND IN OTHER SUBJECTS. AND A FEW STUDENTS WHO ARE REALLY INTO DRAMA DID A FEW MATH-RELATED SKITS WHICH EVERYONE REALLY ENJOYED. THE DOWNFALL, I LEARNED, WAS IN GIVING TANZANIANS FREE REIGN TO SPEAK FOR AS LONG AS THEY DESIRED, WHICH MORE OFTEN THAN NOT IS A REALLY REALLY LONG TIME. WE HAD ANOTHER TEACHER'S BROTHER, WHO IS GOING ON TO STUDY AT UNIVERSITY, TALK AS A GUEST SPEAKER, WHICH WAS REALLY NICE, AND A FEW OTHER TEACHERS WHO USED THEIR OPPORTUNITY TO COUNSEL THE STUDENTS ON WHAT I CAN ONLY ASSUME TO BE THE MEANING OF LIFE, BECAUSE IT WAS FAR MORE COMPLEX AND LONG-WINDED THAN MY ATTENTION SPAN COULD HANDLE. THE SAME COULD BE SAID FOR THE STUDENTS APPARENTLY BECAUSE THEY WERE ALL FALLING ASLEEP IN THEIR CHAIRS. IT WAS STILL A GREAT THING TO DO FOR THE KIDS, BUT I THINK THEY COULD HAVE GOTTEN MORE OUT OF IT IF IT WERE MORE INTERACTIVE.
WAGENI (VISITORS). NEWS OF THOSE TO COME, THAT IS. I AM EXTREMELY HAPPY TO HAVE LEARNED THAT OVER MY JUNE AND AUGUST BREAKS, I WILL BE VISITED BY 3 GHOSTS, I MEAN, MY SISTER CHRISTINE AND RAFIKI NICK GIANGRANDE, RESPECTIVELY. CHRISTINE WILL BE HERE FOR HER 4TH OF JULY BIRTHDAY, SO I'M ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THE NEAREST BOOM CITY IN TANZANIA TO BUY SOME FIREWORKS. OTHER HIGHLIGHTS SHOULD INCLUDE ZANZIBAR BEACHES, FROLICING WITH LIONS AND GIRAFFES, AND OF COURSE SPENDING AT LEAST HALF OF OUR TIME TRAVELLING ON LONG BUS RIDES. KARIBU ANYONE ELSE WHO CAN COME THIS YEAR OR NEXT!!
AVOCADO SEASON. OH YES, IT HAS ARRIVED. ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS I HAVE BEEN GIFTED BAGFULS OF GIANT, FRESH AVOCADOS AT SCHOOL, AND IN TOWN THEY ARE ALL OVER THE PLACE AND VERY CHEAP (EQUIVALENT OF 15 CENTS OR SO APIECE). LOOKS LIKE WE'RE OVERDUE FOR ANOTHER BATCH OF 50-AVOCADO GUAC-IN-A-BUCKET DELICIOUSNESS.
SO THOSE ARE THE PLAYERS, HERE'S HOW THEY MATCH UP IN TERMS OF BEST THINGS TO HAPPEN SINCE MY LAST BLOG POST....
ROUND 1
NJOMBE JAM------
----------NJOMBE JAM
LAKE HIKE #1-----
NOT MUCH OF A CONTEST HERE. SPORTS, FUN AND FRIENDS VS FALLING ON MY BUTT 20 TIMES.
MATHLETES--------
--------WORKERS DAY
WORKERS DAY-----
AS MUCH AS I LOVE MATHLETES, IT'S TOUGH TO BEAT GROWN WOMEN CHASING AFTER A CHICKEN.
LAKE HIKE #2-----
--------LAKE HIKE #2
MATH DAY---------
DID I MENTION WE DIDN'T GET EATEN BY CROCADILES? NO WHAMMIES HERE.
VISITORS----------
--------VISITORS
AVOCADOS--------
...PROVIDED THEY BRING EVEN MORE AVOCADOS WITH THEM
SEMI-FINALS
NJOMBE JAM------
--------NJOMBE JAM
WORKERS DAY-----
6-2!!
LAKE HIKE #2----
--------VISITORS
VISITORS--------
TWO! TWO VISITORS! AH, AH, AH!
FINALS
NJOMBE JAM------
--------VISITORS
VISITORS--------
I LOVE HAVING PEOPLE COME TO SEE ME!!! HINT, HINT...
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