Saturday
28 February
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| Kheni school from the nearby Lhakhang |
The first week of the academic year has
absolutely flown.
I interrupted my lesson planning last
Sunday to take myself for a walk up to the Lhakhang. Apart from the fabulous views (which I also have from my
windows) and the value of getting out in the fresh air and the exercise of
climbing the hill (easier in my runners and trousers than in my dress boots and
kira) the pure peacefulness of finding a small promontory on which to sit and
observe the river and the hill opposite with its dominant Lhakhang (which I
think I want to visit at some stage) was just lovely. I managed to successfully communicate with a couple of
villagers who inquired on the way where I was going – with total lack of common
language. I will make an effort to
learn some after I have mastered my student’s names - all 120+ of them.
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| The Lhakhang on the hill opposite - survived the fierce fires a month later |
I was intrigued on Sunday evening by what
appeared to be processional music on the village street, but on going down to
investigate realized it was coming from my landlord’s house – which is the
apartment immediately below mine.
Monks were busy chanting, drums and trumpets providing the ritual music
for a puja: in this case an annual ritual performed by households to ensure
good luck for the coming year. I
had observed the children shaping clay earlier and had inquired as to what they
were making (having seen them being quite creative previously) and their
response was karma. These models
were all part of the ritual. The
process continued until late in the night and commenced early again the next
morning, drums, trumpets and chanting included.
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| The school and sports ground sitting high above the river valley |
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| Kheni Cluster Village and the valley looking towards the peaks in Arundel Pradesh |
A minor household repair (fixing a fluorescent
light in an internal room) was needed and my neighbour and colleague Assistant
Principal, Kinley, had kindly advised my landlord, and told me that I needed to
get home promptly after school to provide access for this work. The electrician came, unsuccessfully,
and having communicated that the light fitting was non-functional, indicated he
would go to fetch something needed and come back – the assistance of some
students provided a timeframe for this. Assistant Principal, Kinley came with
the school electrician, Singay, who swopped various components to come to the
conclusion that the light fitting was well and truly not working and installed
a light globe alongside it – easier than using a torch anyway.
In the meantime 5:30pm had come and gone (BFT
- Bhutan Flexible Time at work again) and my friends and colleagues Madam
Zangmo and Madam Phub had arrived to collect me, and neighbour Sithar has
wandered in. As they were dressed
in kira, I thought it appropriate to make a quick change of clothes (that could
be an oxymoron when changing into kira, wonju and taego). My piece of purchased weaving was
commented upon, and the price remarked upon, and it was suggested in future
that if I am offered weaving to purchase I consult Sithar for expert
opinion. We sat and chatted for
some time – an hour or so – until there was evidence of other guests arriving below
in the local equivalent of a marquee in the garden: some corrugated iron to protect against the evening breeze
and a tarpaulin above. Assorted
seating had been arranged but as there were few people we were invited to the
house.
Traditional seating is cross-legged on mats
on the floor. While I try, I
cannot achieve cross legged with both knees on the floor as I used to be able to
– and my friends’ suggestions that I would be more comfortable to get my knees
lower have me admit that it is not possible – I do not have the flexibility in
my hip joints. I am therefore
embarrassed, albeit more comfortable, by arrangements for me to sit on a chair.
I get to observe the ritual around offering
of “seconds” (and thirds and fourths…..) especially with the ara – the local
home brew whiskey equivalent. Our hostesses’s ara is a good one, but has a kick
and I request a smaller amount than the full mug that is being served to
everyone. I am given a small cup,
but still brimming, and the principal and vice principal tell me that if I
cannot drink it all, its OK to leave it.
There is a lot of pressure from the hostess to drink more, but the senior
staff tell me that they have requested for my health and well being that I do
not get the same level of pressure, very sweet of them as I consume half of
what I have been served during the course of around 3 hours and its definitely
packs a punch. The ritual is that
of offering and refusal a couple of times before accepting a top-up or refill,
sometimes with more protesting and pressuring than other times.
Assorted snacks are served, including a
deep fried rice cracker that is a bit reminiscent of the prawn crackers which
can be purchased commercially at home – but is made by our hostess; deep fried
dried salted fish and a dish with a mixture of zao (roasted rice), noodle and
chilli; our delightful vice principal warned me that there was chilli in the
dish and all responded well to my comment “chilli in Bhutanese food? Really?” Its nice to know my sense of humour is appreciated by those
for whom my language is probably their third language.
As ara consumption increases, mainly by the
men, I am told that I look a bit like Princess Dianna (presumably the parting
on one side hairstyle and the fact that probably all western women look the
same) and I have been exempted from SOD allocation (staff on duty – ie the
staff member who will report for duty at the boarding house at 6am, conduct
assembly, oversee afternoon prayer and boarder evening study….) and express my
appreciation but protest that I should be sharing in staff
responsibilities. I think the
response was that I already have much more of a load than I should have. Not sure how that works, my load is
similar to everyone else’s; maybe
the role of Literary Coordinator is way more that I think or maybe it is more
about the load that is expected for BCF teachers, but we are paid more than the
local teachers so there is no way I want to be doing less.
Around 10pm I suggest that it is getting
towards time for me to leave and am promptly told that I will not be allowed to
before dinner is served. Whoops,
serious faux pas there, I did not realise there would be dinner as well. Dinner is duly served and I am told
that I can go now if I wish. A
couple of kids accompany me up the steps – I wonder if they have been delegated
to ensure that the very short journey happens safely – a necessity that can
only be appreciated by those who have navigated in third world countries after
dark –I have enough challenge coming down the steps in broad daylight wearing
dress shoes and kira - with the sloping, uneven surface and the regular
occurrence of dogs on the steps who have no intention of removing themselves to
allow me to pass.
It was wonderful to be invited to the
party; much of the conversation was not in English – as would be expected, and I sat and listened and occasionally
picked up the topic of the conversation and allayed suggestions that I might be
bored. It is so kind and generous
of people to include me and I really appreciate it.
Classes are interesting; I ask my home
class to think of ways they can make their classroom more beautiful and am
highly impressed by a written note from one of the class captains suggesting
cleaning the windows, whitewashing the walls, buying fabric to make a “subject
corner” and organising pot plants for the window sills as well as cleaning the
desks (I have purchased, with the 5 Nu collected from each student a broom and
dustpan for sweeping the classroom and stuff for cleaning the desktops) he also
suggests organising of student books (currently students bring all textbooks to
class and these are stacked on their desks) he suggests collection of a further 10Nu per student for
this. This young man is definite
leadership material.
Discussions with the principal suggests, as
I had thought it probably would, that whitewashing walls is not student
responsibility but perhaps this can be brought to the attention of the
maintenance coordinator.
The students are polite, hardworking, and
will happily copy anything I write on the board, very neatly, into their books,
but when it comes to asking them to answer individual questions, much more of a
challenge. If I am doing
class work on the board and they recognize a pattern, I will get an
enthusiastic chanting of the pattern, but ask individuals if they understand
and I get an inscrutable flick of the head. I am disappointed when I look at the test results from
revision of last year’s work – I have run it as a pre-test for the first unit
on number, and am disappointed, not so much in the poor results of many, but in
the fact that they have not asked for help, or advised me of their lack of
understanding. There are a couple
of individuals who have asked for help and I have every intention of rewarding
that early next week – let’s hope that vicarious reinforcement continues to
work well. Including those
prepared to say they do not understand is one young man named Thinley. He has given me homework this
week: his book of quotes,
motivational bits and pieces, proverbs, etc – he asked me to write something
for him, so I was very glad to have internet active that night…
The pre-test results show me that I have
much to do tomorrow with lesson planning for differentiated lessons. I seem to have a range from one or two
students who do not understand subtraction through to some who are very capable
and possibly mathematically gifted. Complicated by those who possibly have some visual processing
issues judging by the results of copying pre-test questions from the
blackboard, visual spatial learners – though I am not sure how to go about
activating visual spatial brains in the teen years. I thought I had a reasonable level of understanding in class
8, as they laughed when I talked with them about test strategy (don’t copy all
questions then start the answers, because if you run out of time, all I will
know is that you can copy from the board, and I already know that) but not so
sure.
I am presented with the blackboard metre
ruler which I asked about and which the vice principal organized for the school
carpenter to make for me to my specification (a metre long piece of wood with a
handle – and he has marked 10cm intervals). I feel privileged; apparently there is one blackboard ruler
for the school. It is great to be
able to draw straight lines on the board; when I want students to use rulers,
it’s a bit hypocritical if I am not modeling that.
We finally receive our registers: to be filled out each day and balanced
each day and names listed on a new page each month. Not sure where these have been stored but mine is very musty
and makes me cough every time I open it.
Perhaps I should find a spot in the sun for it for a while. There is also a chart in the staffroom
for recording of monthly percentage attendance for each class.
I have borrowed 2 thermometers from the
science lab for the year, procured a notebook, and we have started our
temperature recording as part of our data collection – weather monitoring
project for the year. A couple of
the boys volunteered and I delegated them to recruit a few more and organise a
roster. As we get closer to the
rainy season, we will need to make a rain gauge. I have one plastic juice bottle almost empty, and will need
to buy something that comes in a container has a suitable funnel shape and work
out how to do the scale from the size of the makeshift funnel. I had naively assumed that I could buy
a minimum-maximum thermometer in Thimpu as well as a rain gauge. One of the boys subsequently informs me
the thermometer is broken. I bring
the one that I was using at home to the staffroom, but that gets broken also in
my absence. The frequent presence
in the staffroom of a rather naughty preschooler son of a staff member is
suspected as a reason.
I am being asked pronunciation and assorted
other bits and pieces by my colleagues and had not really realized what a
resource I might be to the school in more ways than just by being here to teach
the students.
Afternoons are very windy (good for drying
the washing – especially hand washed sheets, towels, kira…) and the weather is
getting milder. I have not
switched on my electric heater for the past few days. It was 21C in the sun this morning at 7:45am and it’s going
to get very toasty over the next few months. The Principal suggested today during SUPW that if I am
finding it difficult standing in the sun, I can bring an umbrella. A good idea considering a sun hat is
not acceptable, and more comfortable than a hat. He really is very considerate of my health and wellbeing.
And did I mention SUPW – socially useful
productive work. Period 4 on
Saturday, as well as 15 minutes before assembly each day. Each class is allocated an area to keep
free of litter, clear of weeds and undertake general gardening and garden
improvements. With areas being
judged at the end of the year.
This I all knew, but did struggle to keep a straight face when it was
announced in assembly that Kheni Lower Secondary School had won 3rd
prize in the district in the clean toilet competition. While the importance of educating some
of these very rural students in basic hygiene is critical, there was something
almost monty-pythonesque about the competition concept. The students are very rural, my home
group numbers 32 and only 5 are day students – the rest are boarders whose home
villages are located more than an hour’s walk from the school – no road access. The other grade 7 group is similarly
structured.
And on the topic of hygiene – I now have
the shower promised by my landlord -installed on Tuesday afternoon. Pure luxury. Fully adjustable: it turns on and off (assuming the water
supply is working – it has gone off twice this week – that is why I keep the
buckets of water beside the toilet and the sink). I had already been told I have the best house in the village
and the adjective “clean” seems to impress – the fact that it is new and fresh
makes clean much easier to maintain.
The shower will be particularly appreciated once the weather starts to
get really warm. It is refreshing
now at the end of a school day when I feel hot and dusty and covered with
chalk.
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