writer's block...

11/3/2002:
it's Sunday evening. haven't gotten much school work done. but i did read through that yale bulletin. their school of forestry and environmental studies. has some attractive programs. MS in Env Management, Science or Forestry... opportunities for dual degrees in management or int'l relations. the school sounds good. really good. but living in connecticut? i don't know. we go see... insha'Allah.

i need to write rama a letter. and to email OMZ. i'm trying to get through a little-big writer's block. right... what to say? i'm also procrastinating. got a couple exams to write. tests, actually.

we're in week 2 of GLOBE, and people are still interested. but we need to keep it growing/going. more stuff to do and stuff to do it with.

i made a comment about this journal getting beat up in my lumbar-pack... between my raincoat and my nalgene [bottle]. something about the dry season or Ramadan coming soon. so i'll stop carrying either or... or both. Ramadan is in a few days, insha'Allah. and, until today the rain had ceased. but it's been raining all afternoon. i'm sure my notebook can survive a few more days of bends and bruises.

"Place where pussy di chop Chrismas, rat no fit pass for dat side."

...this is Ibrahim's pidgin translation of a proverb from the BBC's Network Africa. it was aired in English, but i like the pidgin version much better.

we just put the rain gauge up

10/26/2002:

• string for magnet
• ice-water
• pH timer (20 secs)
  
• beaker
• significant digits: 0.0 or 0.00?

...this is the list of items for some GLOBE protocols. i met with a handful of students yesterday up at school. we installed the thermometer, rain gauge and took some cloud measurements. small is beautiful. students were saying that most of the m weren't around, and that we should postpone the meeting. i denied. 1st next week, then next month, then... you know how it is. just do it.

yeah... on that front. Maggie and i were contemplating the trek (Nkambe-Wum) as early as next week. before Ramadan. but i check say i no go walka [pidgin: i think i'm not going]. i'm afraid (and i know she's disappointed... a little) that i'm backing out. school commitments. i go shiddown fine for dis side [pidgin: i'm going to settle down here].

i've got books to mark before i go out to GHS [Govt High School] again to do GLOBE measurements. BTW, it stopped raining yesterday. well, at least it didn't rain for a day. the irony... we just put the rain gauge up.

provincial ecology...

 

10/1/2002: EE To Do

Provincial Ecology: by next meeting in Jan/Feb
(NW/W and SW/L Provinces with Eli)
-Ecological zones
-Relief
-Climate/precip.
-Flora & Fauna
-National Parks
-Conservation issues
-NGOs
-Cash Crops
-Map

GLOBE letter: by 10/2/2002
-testimonial to my [educ.] APCD
-ask agro APCD about teacher packets
-BBC Focus on Africa July/Aug/Sept, with Eli

EE Photos: also 10/2/2002
-Christmas Card (Mt. Oku)
-"On the Street" article with Tara
-Koko resources, copy for List and me
-EE mission on CD?

...things moved much smoother/faster today with EE. the notes above have to dos for our next meeting and for tomorrow. gonna get to a few of the items in the office early AM tomorrow, insha'Allah.

the words coming out of my mouth

9/26/2002:
i need to release. tired now. just walked back up from GHS [govt high school] to GPS [govt primary school]. hot sun. need water.

OK. Maggie and i did the EE Club at GHS this morning. i talked and talked and talked. big class. timid students. weren't understand the words coming out of my mouth? and i barely gave Maggie or Chindong a chance to speak. it was terrible.

i was talking about our GLOBAL VIEW of the environment/earth. you know, space picture, astronaut quotes, people you know... trying to get them to think about our global/interdependent environment. passed around photos/globe/map and GLOBE equipment, just to make it less abstract.

did it work? did they understand? i don't know. but i do know that i over-talked... felt bad for Maggie. even apologized. but if anything good came out of this morning, it was that maggie and i agreed that we need to sit down (the two of us with Chindong) and think through / plan out what and how we'll do for this club: topics, activities, schedule, etc.

now... let me put that behind me and "listen attentively" to this NPA seminar i've just arrived at (quite late!).

1st step is the toughest

9/22/2002:
all this [GLOBE @ School] went all right yesterday. better than all right, actually. quite well. good having so many other "teachers" around. i need not speak as much. students learn more. they were asking all the right questions. about GLOBE, that is. when to measure? how to measure? who will measure? all that.

and we put the post in the ground. that was nice to see. 1st step is the toughest, n'est-ce pas? the post needs 2 screws. the ones the carpenter put in were too short. and we need to "sensitize" the GHS student body. can do the GLOBAL view with their EE Club this week. introduce clouds, temperature and rain to my students, as well. GPS [Govt Primary School]?

i'm at Sufyanu's chop-house. it's raining. just had Arabic class w/Sufayn for the 2nd week, before dhuhur. supposed to have a meeting with the Bubas, etc. about Moral Instruction class. i'm waiting for them now. we need to discuss/develop topics and a syllabus. to establish a teaching style or structure, and a schedule. and to select a couple of books worth following.

GLOBE @ School

 
9/21/2002:

EE Club Meeting #2: GLOBE @ School

Objectives:
-view GLOBE study site (GHS campus) as an organic whole, i.e. our environment
-understand what GLOBE entails in terms of measurements, equipment, etc.
-hear why GLOBE is important from Alain and Joe (Maggie, Chindong and I?)
-select instrument shelter/rain-gauge location, stating why the location is ideal for rain/cloud/temp. measurement
-install the above
-hold elections

Special Place Questions:
-sit quietly, experience and observe; use senses to explore (eyes, ears, nose and body)
-what do you see / hear/ smell / feel?
-BIG picture: from sky to ground... biggest features?
-SMALL picture: immediate environment... what do you notice?

Reflection:
-what strikes you most about observ?
-man-made vs. natural?
-beautiful vs. unattractive?
-questions?

Representation:
-how would you represent this, all you observed / experienced?
-how would you pass that info on to someone? e.g. pictures, numbers, words, etc.

...representing observations qualitatively and qualitatively is Global Learning & Observation to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE).

(too much) to do

things to do on 9/19/2002:

GTTC [Govt Teacher Training College]
-Present HIV/AIDS Awards
(invite 5 winners to meeting Sat. 3:30pm)
-Announce EE Club meeting
(explain elections and GLOBE)
-Assign questions on EE article
(notebooks collected Friday by 9am)
-Record time-table!

GHS [Govt High School]
-DM: HIV/AIDS?, clearing garden plot.
-Chindong: Maggie and I meet w/him to discuss EE Club
-VP: Health Club? HIV/AIDS point-person?

GBSS [Govt Bilingual Secondary School]
-HIV/AIDS and/or EE?

GTHS [Govt Technical High School]
-HIV/AIDS and/or EE?

Medical Center: HIV/AIDS meeting
Alain: pay him for the GLOBE post, discuss mounting box
Maggie: EE Club and library (curriculum and scheduling) meeting

insha'Allah!

easier for me to get into

9/14/2002:
...the GLOBE meeting went well. think students are still a little unsure of exactly what they're getting into. abstract. will become clearer as they see and do... measurements/observations/etc.

the little HIV/AIDS session also went well. they know the info. educated, i guess. do they practice it? are others? do others know? the "uneducated." hmmm...

Ozone was here today. he's a piece of work. let me just say i need to keep an eye on him if not keep him in check.

final note: been doing maghrib/isha' [sunset and evening prayers] at the masjid [mosque]. every now and again... as i'm exiting, i find my shoes turned so i can just slip into them as i walk out. someone took the time to make them easier for me to get into. good people. whoever they are. all of them.

GLOBE + HIV/AIDS

9/14/2002:
there are elections tomorrow. districts where something went awry and they're re-voting. Kumba, Bamboutos and a place or two in the Center [Province]. anyway... i couldn't find that latter. c'est dommage. will check HPI and the post office on Monday.

looks like the 30-45 min time-slot during the seminar for HIV/AIDS is ours. and the GHS DM will do the Yo! poster program. announcement on Monday. i'm putting together the accompanying papers.

OK... students will be here shortly (well, a couple hours) to do GLOBE intro. Joe/Ozone and Alain will be here. video at Paul's. the agenda:

Intros: introduce someone else

Agenda:GLOBE, EE Club, HIV/AIDS, AOB

GLOBE:
Earth Photos / "Quotes"
-Geographic areas/features?
-Evidence of life?
-Affect other parts?

Who do you know?
-Where do they live?
-Warmer/colder?
-more/less rain? snow?
-soil? crops?
-pollution?

Learn from students around the world
-how does Earth support life?
-what challenges do we/Earth face?
-50 and 100 years from now?

Intro. GLOBE is... LETTER!
-International – Earth as biosphere
-Real research – Scientists use data (letter)
-Students important – global data!
-Study area/sites – next week!

Video!

EE Club:
What will we do? Student facilitated...
-GLOBE
-Field trips
-EE activities
-presentations

HIV/AIDS:
Transmission
-What? infected fluid...
-Where? portal of entry...
-modes and prevention:
sexual – biologic (ARV, STD Rx), behavior ('AFC')
injection – biologic (sterilize), behavior (IEC)
transfusion – screen/test blood (before trans./dispen.)
perinatal – drugs or alternative to breast milk

Condom demo!

Manka', Paul and William... facilitators for Thursday's seminar

another blah (staff) meeting

9/12/2002: Staff Meeting

Calendar of Activities / Timetable to be finalized by Monday...

...yeah, another blah meeting. seems the VP is boycotting them. he may be boycotting work under Auntie totally. DS' [dean of students] chance, i guess. he's agreed to give Paul and i a slot on the timetable for our lecture. Wednesday October 23 or 30th? i forget. i hope the 30th. moms is coming on the 30th of this month and stay for 20 some days. God Bless Her Soul.

GLOBE will be off the ground shortly, insha'Allah. Alain, Maggie and i spoke to Mr. Nanji and scoped out a spot. students will meet me here [at the house] Saturday for an intro/prep meeting. video and all.

to do in school tomorrow:
-speak to DS about HIV/AIDS slot for seminar on Tues.
-look for my letter
-speak to GHS DM about Yo! poster.
-look up Margaret in the dictionary

back to school

9/9/2002:
twenty past seven in the AM. will be off to school soon. although classes only begin après-midi:

• ENV. ED. 12:20-1:15PM 2nd Year
• APP. SCI. 2:10-3:05PM 3rd Year

...mixed emotions about "back to school." that whole optimism/pessimism thing. anyway. looking to develop SOWs (schemes of work or curricula) for this year this week with the input of students. we'll see if they're even there today. the condition of the road (no vehicles and a 2,500cfa fare) coupled w/everything always being late???

"...later that evening."

wasn't so bad. today went well. hamdillah. only 5 students at school, though. twice as many teachers. Delegate of Education and the DO [District Officer] came around. Auntie in rare form. VP bitter. DS flustered. teachers just showing up to sign-in and split.

i sat down and talked GLOBE w/Alain this afternoon. that was good. we'll scope the site on Wed and begin w/students on Saturday, insha'Allah. he's excited and experienced. unfortunately, he goes back to school (Bambili) in October.

phone is still funny. not much headway on SOWs. Auntie will bring that new syllabus booklet tomorrow, insha'Allah. students... who will bring them??? Wednesday, PPIs [Provincial Pedagogic Inspectors]. Thursday, staff meeting.

got a lukewarm reception to the lecture series / workshop request. we'll see and push when the time comes. i'm no longer greeting Mr. Temikum [a GTTC colleague]. the man beat his recently delivered wife at the hospital! saw him in the market. excommunication is tough.

GLOBE

 

again 5/11/2002:
oh... the GLOBE equipment arrived. the PC admin assistant from Yaounde (Barnabas) brought them. much more than i expected! would like to begin the program but my students won't be around this summer. more and more i'm sure that i will be.

i'd love for a few of the 1st and 2nd year (plus upper forms from other schools) to stay and continue EE activities this summer. GLOBE, excursions, lectures, nurseries, plantings, preparing for the camp, etc. i'll think about it... talk to Maggie. talk to the students. we'll get it done. insha'Allah.

GLOBE...

4/10-11/2002:
GLOBE Program Conference: (Yaounde)












. . .












. . .

too much travel

4/9/2002:
at Central Voyages [bus company] in Douala. going to Yaounde. for that GLOBE conference. i didn’t want to go, at first. still kinda blah... but my APCD called. and as he’s expecting me, i should go. i will go.

was gonna go to Nkongsamba [a city in the Littoral province] to see Sandy... that would’ve been nice. will call her. another time... i think i’m seeing too much of this country. at least these parts. too much travel. cities are calling me back. and i have to go back. to post, that is.