I had a TIA (This is Africa) day last Friday!

Lilac Breasted Roller (they are beautiful and probably the bird I see the most often)

It started with another flat tire, but since we saw it was flat on Thursday before heading to bed, once again it wasn’t a huge deal.  Andrew put on the spare on Friday morning and took it to the tire place while I enjoyed a cup of coffee, checked work e-mails, and stayed with the kids. The rim of the tire was bent (same one as 3 weeks before) but in no time at all (close to 10am) I was on the road and heading for one of my schools. I had communicated (text message) with the head teacher (principal) about being a bit late due to the flat tire. I know he received my message as I got a short response.

Andrew changing the flat tire
 (this was the first Friday)

On the way I had to slam on the brakes so I didn’t hit a baboon. TIA. (Trust me - I thought about hitting it - I have about the same opinion of them as a gopher - but they are quite a bit bigger). I had seen another one dash in front of me, but these two must have been hiding in the bush just waiting for the car to get closer.

A small mammal also ran across the road in front of me (no brakes needed this time). I’ve decided to just tell myself, “it was a mongoose” so I don’t keep getting frustrated about not being able to ID it. (I’m 90% sure it wasn’t a mongoose!)

I showed up at the school a bit after 11. (No animals were harmed during the mornings travels). The head teacher (principal) proceeded to tell me that all his Grade 1-4 teachers (the ones I came to see) were at a workshop at a nearby school.  TIA.  After we discussed that yes, when you contacted me this morning it would have been okay to let me know and reschedule. TIA. And oh, there was one teacher who would come at 1:00.  But the kids have an “assembly” at 1:00 so perhaps it would be better to come at 1:20 or 1:30. Okay, so I’ve been in Zambia for a year and a half now so this didn’t phase me.  I figured I was supposed to be mentoring this one teacher specifically this time. I also realized I didn’t want to sit there and get stared at by the head teacher or the pupils for 2 hours. So, off I went to the next town, where there happens to be a private BIC school that I check in on once in awhile as time allows. Plus lots of new missionary friends who have recently come to work at this school.  I hadn’t planned on driving the extra 15-20 minutes down the really badly potholed road (takes 5-7 minutes usually during dry season) but who makes plans?  TIA.  I was welcomed at the school and jumped into helping serve hot chocolate to almost the entire school (they came in shifts, a couple grades at a time). 

A bit after 1:00 I went back to the first school. The Grade 2 teacher welcomed me into her classroom warmly and together we set up a word wall (in Chitonga) in her classroom. I was even able to teach a bit.  It made me realize how much I actually miss teaching.  In typical fashion the class was sitting quiet and still in their desks while we put sticky tac on letters and put them on the wall.  As I was putting the letters on the wall I heard whispers “F...... G..... H..... I...... J”  I took the teachable moment and I started to hold up the letter and ask them what letter it is. (The teacher translated at first, but then we got into a pattern). What is a word that starts with (this letter)? When they were silent I was able to provide a word in Chitonga, though my pronunciation was off, I’m sure!  We eventually started putting up words on the word wall and I had fun going around the class asking them to read the words (which most of them didn’t know) and then sounding it out until they recognized the word.  Then the whole class would say it. I’d pretend to put the word on the word wall under the wrong letter, and the class would say “PEEPE” (NO!) loudly. I’d move it to another wrong letter and once again “peepe!” Finally I call a student to come and help me put it in the right spot.  We had fun. 

Driving home later that afternoon (with only the usual animals: cows, guinea fowl, chickens, goats, and sheep) I realized that I had had a really good day.  

Because THIS IS AFRICA.

A cow wandering near a school (safer to take a photo of this instead of while driving!)
They sure look different compared to the cows we see in Canada! Eh?