Can't believe it's been over a week since I last wrote - time does pass quickly here! (I also can't believe that the Simpsons is on the TV here AGAIN, I thought it must have been a one-off! It's in French though so doesn't have quite the same impact...) Had a relatively normal week last week in comparison to the others - except from being ill which hasn't been great. School as normal, and am settling into the routine there. Even offered an individual lesson to one of the pupils the other day! It was however declined by a non-showal but I'm trying. I have decided on the other hand that I am not at all cut out to be a teacher. 3 months will I think do me just fine! Am in my 4th week of teaching here though, which means that technically I change subject next week as opted to do 1 month of each English, French and History. (Combined with Geography as it's the French system that month will definitely be interesting to say the least... I am still getting lost here. Pretty much every day. I am so glad my school is literally opposite my house otherwise I might not be working so regularly as I currently am... Mind you that doesn't say very much as I can get myself lost in Oswestry which is neither big, nor noisy, nor in a foreign language, nor unfamiliar!)
Was given the challenge of preparing a lesson for the 5é classes this weekend who are approximately aged about 13/14 although that does vary here as you end up with children of all ages - there is a particuarly troublesome boy in 4é, the next age group up, who is 21... So prepared this lesson, including vocabulary such as 'to shave one's beard off' and the grammar point 'The use of what/what a/what an in exclamative sentences'. It takes some serious thought - I sat for ages going, how do we use what in an exclamative sentence? Normally we just use it! For most pupils, this is their third language as they speak Ewé fluently as it's always spoken in the home, and French obviously so although their level is relatively quite poor it is unsurprising. The pronounciation is also difficult... the difference between 'bow' and 'bow', 'how' and 'who'... It's no wonder they find it hard to follow my lessons! In the end, thought the lesson preparation was quite good; it all seemed to make sense and I could explain it. However, it's the execution which really shows and unfortunately judging by the response I got the execution was immensely atrocious! We didn't finish even a third of the lesson so will continue tomorrow and see what happens then! Also had much interest in my Cosmic Anti-Dust chalks (thanks Grandma!) because they are in rectangles instead of the rounded sticks that are more normal - do these work on Togolese blackboards? Really?! They look like sticks of chewing gum... Well just try it and then see!
The major event since last weekend was the wedding yesterday. The couple are Jehovah's Witnesses, so didn't go to the actual ceremony (went to the pool instead, so much more culturally enriching!) but yesterday was the reception in which we were dancing. Will put pictures and videos up very soon I PROMISE. I have been saying this since I arrived but it's a bit tricky here! We were told to be there at 2.30 prompt for a 3pm start so being in Togo we arrived at 2.40 to find nobody there, nothing set up and the restaurant still serving clients... It turns out that the guests were also the decorators and caterers so everyone arrived at 3 in their nice dresses ready to blow up balloons and tie ribbons! Wasn't very much decoration in the end, apparently it had all been used at the wedding itself the day before but there was a lovely tableau with shells in the couple's initials. The reception itself was so much fun! It's hard to describe but it followed the format of basically bride and groom enter under arch made by I think close family and friends which they then joined and so that went round and round for a while; then we sang some Jehovah's Witness hymns/songs (don't know the correct terminology...) very enthusiastically, exchanging harmony for general noise; then was the time for surprises for the bride and groom, interspersed with games of Musical Chairs with 3 chairs, music and dancing. First surprise - a woman dressed as Charlie Chaplin who did a very amusing sketch with another young girl, some of the photos were fantastic! Then Emeraude (my friend who organised the dance etc) sang a song with the bride's brother which was very good, and then it came to our two dances. They warrant no description - I got them both filmed so will put them up, and just remember I had one week to learn these two and about 4 hours of training...! After that, there was a song by the bride and a group of her friends. Here it is better to just say that it is definitely the thought that counts the most. And that I will not be singing at my wedding reception...
Then the food and juices started coming round and it was basically a free-for-all on the dance floor! We had such fun, but it was very tiring as we didn't get home until 8.30pm! Apparently that was rare and was due to the high proportion of white French who were the only ones left by 9... Had a really good time all in all but was so tired by the end!
Today had another Ewé lesson and tomorrow our PA cultural activity is a conference about children - very applicable and hopefully useful too! Learnt some key phrases in Ewé for school (it's technically forbidden but everyone speaks it and it should make them listen if I do speak it) such as 'spit that out!' 'close that!' and 'give me that!' Had to confiscate another phone today and had to make one girl throw her juice away... I felt bad because I know just how good they are! Succeeded in translating some sentences today - the snake is under the mattress... da la le aba la (have forgotten under!) Hope I won't be using that one any time soon...
x
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