10/29/2002:
2 positive notes:
i'm in the kitchen again. mama came just in time b/c i was sick of the place. barely stepped foot in it while she was here. God bless her! now it's taken me a week to really step back in there. Ibrahim actually made the observation to me earlier today. he dropped in for zuhur [midday prayer] as the rain started to fall. yes, the rain fell. anyway, i'm not trying to spend all that much time in the kitchen. Ramadan is coming, insha'Allah. that'll help!
i'm also getting out and doing things again. out of bed. out of the house. go see that man. talk to that women. get that. buy that. don't just sit there. get up, get out and get things done. discipline. insha'Allah it'll continue. no excuses. get out there.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
3rd Year EE SOW
10/28/2002:
Proposed 3rd Year EE SOW [Env. Educ. Scheme of Work]
Proposed 3rd Year EE SOW [Env. Educ. Scheme of Work]
- Intro to Ecosystems (review Biotic, Abiotic and Edaphic factors)
- Energy Flow and Pyramid of #s
- Biodiversity and Conservation
- Deforestation and Bush-fires (Carbon Cycle)
- Global Warming and Greenhouse Effect
- Desertification and Drought (Food Crises)
- Urban Migration and Population
- Agroforestry (Nitrogen Cycle)
- Alternative Energy Sources
- Air/Water Pollution and Waste Management
- Lake Nyos Disaster Case Study
Arabic lessons
10/28/2002:
Mu'aathu came over this evening for his 1st Arabic lesson. went well. very well, actually. i was worried. b/c his level is higher than Sufyan's [another friend i was teaching Arabic]... not sure i could "keep up," if you will. on the contrary. it seems that Mu'aathu's lessons may go smoother/better than Sufyan's. he knows enough that i don't struggle... i can speak Arabic more easily and freely. he understands some. even reads well. let's hope both lessons keep going well. all is going well.
Mu'aathu came over this evening for his 1st Arabic lesson. went well. very well, actually. i was worried. b/c his level is higher than Sufyan's [another friend i was teaching Arabic]... not sure i could "keep up," if you will. on the contrary. it seems that Mu'aathu's lessons may go smoother/better than Sufyan's. he knows enough that i don't struggle... i can speak Arabic more easily and freely. he understands some. even reads well. let's hope both lessons keep going well. all is going well.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
sometime he go broke corn, give you
10/26/2002:
Ali came over yesterday. brought me names of the girls in school for the EDDI scholarships, insha'Allah. he stayed a while. there was a brief – very brief – moment when i was unsure what to talk about. i brought up the topic of the dead/dying chickens... that's all it took. 1 hour and 45 minutes later, with Ali talking and my occasional "na true - for sure - na so it be - that is it," we prayed dhuhur [midday prayer] and he left.
what did we discuss? everything! Ali was dropping knowledge. imparting wisdom. seriously. he get sense ya! and a way with words. can turn a phrase like nobody's business. pragmatic. unbiased. witty. honest/forthright. progressive. we/he talked about farmer-grazier conflicts, court-case corruption, endless/useless bribing, fulani-native relations, the Ardu [local Fulani chief] and his people, Ukpwa land issues...
Ali is open and honest. tells it like it is. he'll break down the issues but not leave it at that... he gives his opinion on solutions. what he would've done. simple but direct solutions. and i think that makes all the difference... someone who has the insight into problems but proposed solutions, as well. practical solutions. with compromise and understanding. gotta respect someone like that.
two things he said that i'm not trying to forget and thus practice, insha'Allah:
Ali came over yesterday. brought me names of the girls in school for the EDDI scholarships, insha'Allah. he stayed a while. there was a brief – very brief – moment when i was unsure what to talk about. i brought up the topic of the dead/dying chickens... that's all it took. 1 hour and 45 minutes later, with Ali talking and my occasional "na true - for sure - na so it be - that is it," we prayed dhuhur [midday prayer] and he left.
what did we discuss? everything! Ali was dropping knowledge. imparting wisdom. seriously. he get sense ya! and a way with words. can turn a phrase like nobody's business. pragmatic. unbiased. witty. honest/forthright. progressive. we/he talked about farmer-grazier conflicts, court-case corruption, endless/useless bribing, fulani-native relations, the Ardu [local Fulani chief] and his people, Ukpwa land issues...
Ali is open and honest. tells it like it is. he'll break down the issues but not leave it at that... he gives his opinion on solutions. what he would've done. simple but direct solutions. and i think that makes all the difference... someone who has the insight into problems but proposed solutions, as well. practical solutions. with compromise and understanding. gotta respect someone like that.
two things he said that i'm not trying to forget and thus practice, insha'Allah:
- power is with the majority, not the leader. it is with the people. (this was in reference to going to leaders to work out farmer-grazier conflicts instead of working them out as neighbors... with the people... i think???) a wise leader follows his people as much as they follow him.
- and strength is in family/community. nowhere else. a man with no family is without true allies. and often without strength.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
we just put the rain gauge up
10/26/2002:
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.
- string for magnet
- ice-water
- pH timer (20 secs)
- beaker
- significant digits: 0.0 or 0.00?
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.
Monday, June 13, 2011
a glimpse of leadership, and dead chickens
10/25/2002:
hmmm... thought that i'd not written in here for a while. not so. yesterday and today were long days. both good. the lecture [a pedagogic seminar that i helped organize and present on learning/teaching styles] went well yesterday. have not talked to Peter and Paul about it, but i imagine they also feel the same. the VP had nothing but praise for the effort.
in fact, he really surprised me yesterday. several of his comments were right on the mark, timely and helpful. explaining, emphasizing and even making missed points. he really did show a glimpse of what we need in our administration. insight. leadership. motivation. knowledge.
he said something to me about the fact that most teachers conveniently left before 1pm. he said that people who don't produce have a certain view on people who do. 'nough said. the VP... a man of 2 faces. if he just had some scruples. c'est dommage.
another dommage is "my" chicken. the one "Iron Lady" brought mama the night before she left. i gave it to Ibrahim to keep until... and the thought crossed my mind that "what if it dies?" BAD LUCK! it did. got sick and died. but it doesn't end there. 7 other chickens, all Abdou's [Ibrahim's brother], got sick. had to be slaughtered. and there are still 3 more sick chickens. subhan Allah!
hmmm... thought that i'd not written in here for a while. not so. yesterday and today were long days. both good. the lecture [a pedagogic seminar that i helped organize and present on learning/teaching styles] went well yesterday. have not talked to Peter and Paul about it, but i imagine they also feel the same. the VP had nothing but praise for the effort.
in fact, he really surprised me yesterday. several of his comments were right on the mark, timely and helpful. explaining, emphasizing and even making missed points. he really did show a glimpse of what we need in our administration. insight. leadership. motivation. knowledge.
he said something to me about the fact that most teachers conveniently left before 1pm. he said that people who don't produce have a certain view on people who do. 'nough said. the VP... a man of 2 faces. if he just had some scruples. c'est dommage.
another dommage is "my" chicken. the one "Iron Lady" brought mama the night before she left. i gave it to Ibrahim to keep until... and the thought crossed my mind that "what if it dies?" BAD LUCK! it did. got sick and died. but it doesn't end there. 7 other chickens, all Abdou's [Ibrahim's brother], got sick. had to be slaughtered. and there are still 3 more sick chickens. subhan Allah!
GTTC #s
10/24/2002:
GTTC 2002 Admissions #s:
NWP [Northwest Province]
GTTC 2002 Admissions #s:
NWP [Northwest Province]
- Bamenda = 46
- Fundong = 23
- Mbengwi* = 23
- Nkambe* = 6
- Wum* = 15
- Ndop... new!
- Buea = 76
- Bangem = 24
- Fontem* = 13
- Kumba* = 56
- Mamfe* = 14
- Mundemba* = 14
- Limbe... new!
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