John's Next Step

We got a new ICT teacher this week.  The headmaster did not have a choice in the matter.  The new teacher seems fine, he was a teacher at the local senior high school, but circumstances changed.  I don’t know, and don’t need to know, the whole story. The big impact is that he is teaching all of my classes starting this week.  It has been nice hearing the students come up to say they would rather have me teach them, but we are making the best of it. So now what am I to do?  One thing is certain in the Peace Corps.  You will be placed in an environment that has plenty of potential work. I hope to be able to take some of the more advanced students through some programming theory and practice using a programming language called “Scratch” from MIT that takes a lego approach to writing programs.  I need to get started on this soon. There are other things that could be done with the computer to make them more useful at the Junior High level, such as...

Camera issues My camera battery and or charge is/are spoiled – African electrical current.  So the easy way to take pictures is not available.  I’ll still try to get a few snaps with my phone. Fresh clementine from the store in Rabat Morocco Display of some ceramics in Casablanca airport Slowly getting back into school Last week I was not at school and the students were busy with a lot of work around the school.  I understand few classes were held. I got back on Tuesday afternoon after my class time was over, but that was only a single class.  I was able to work on my lesson notes. I was able to teach three hours of lessons on Wednesday and give a quiz to the form 3’s this week. Thursday would have been another busy day of teaching, but all the schools in our district had a meeting.  Some of our girls provided entertainment in the form of a few songs. Dondometeng D/A JHS girls signing during district meeting My place My plac...

I received great medical care for my teeth while in Morocco.  The doctors also worked on my sore shoulder – nothing major – a bruised muscle that will take more than a few months to heal.  And then I have a recurring problem growing a fungus in my ear canal – so that is also being treated. The food and the people of Morocco are great.  I stayed in Rabat but was able to chat with some of the local Peace Corps Volunteers.  I left Morocco on Friday night/Saturday morning. I’m now back in Ghana, but I cannot get out of Accra until Monday night as the bus is full for Saturday night and Sunday night.  So it will be a little bit longer before I get to site on Tuesday afternoon.  I should get some teaching in and I will check on my other projects.  However, I’m also to come back for an ENT visit to check up on my ears in a couple of weeks. I don’t have a lot to say this time, so I figured I would show a few pictures of Morocco. Cathedral of St. Pete...

My medical conditions were enough for the Peace Corps to send me to their regional medical center for West Africa – Rabat Morocco.  It is here that I’ve seen the dentist, ENT, orthopedic doctor, and physical therapist. My tooth was both worse – with a major chunk broken off on Christmas and better – as no root canal was performed.  The original plan was a root canal, but the doctors in D.C. wanted a more conservative approve.  The doctors in Morocco have to follow the directions of the doctors in Washington D.C. like everyone else abroad in the Peace Corps. I have a temporary crown and should have a permanent one on Tuesday if all goes well.  (No pain that would indicate a root canal.) I have yet another fungal infection in my ear canal which is impacting my hearing.  Nothing serious – I have drops now and will have a salve later. My shoulder is a bad sprain of the supra-something or another (I know what it is but will have some semblance of HIPPA secu...

Happy New Years!!!  I realize many people back in the states started having their spring storms early this year.  My heart and thoughts go out to the people dealing with the displacement and damage.  Support your neighbor and your local Red Cross. We are in the dry season here with the blowing dust of the harmattan.  I’m spending my time in the capital Accra.  The city does experience intense rains and flooding during their rainy season. As way to show life in Accra – I took a couple of pictures on the way to the bus station (to pick up a package).  The pictures are not the most outwardly flattering for the city or the country, but this is their life and people are making the best of it.  I admire their happiness in their day to day efforts. Look down the canal - with traffic and a new highway under construction Women walking.  Yes, the one women to the right is carrying 36 eggs on her head. The man is buying somet...

Christmas It is Christmas and I’m in Accra due to some medical issues.  I wanted to be at site for the holidays, but the medical problem seemed more severe so I came down early.  However, after an initial consult it was seen that I have a chipped rather than broken tooth so it can wait and as nothing can be done during the holidays.  I can stay in Accra or travel to site and back (which would be very difficult and I would spend more days traveling that at site if it was even possible to travel on the holidays.) Of course I would prefer to be a site or back at home in the states for Christmas.  Being a traveler during this season is not most people’s preference.  But, there is a precedent for experiencing Christmas that way.  At least I have a bed to sleep in rather than having to sleep in a barn worried about a pregnant wife about to give birth. Part of why I joined the Peace Corps was to learn to simplify my life.  Can I be happy without a full...

I got all the grades completed and helped with the final paperwork.  Now I have free time, but I find myself on the road to Accra soon to have my tooth looked at.  I did not want to go down during the holidays, but there is nothing to be done about that now. On Saturday we had a ceremony that installed the village chief and the queen mother.  The two people are not related and typically not related.  The local chief has a lot of power as they were set up by the British to help with administration.  The queen mother is responsible for women issues and in some places helps to decide or even is responsible for choosing the next chief.  Both appointments are for life. In the local language the chief is called Naa and the queen mother is called Pognaa (Pog being woman).  The program, below, said that Mass would start of 9:30.  In African time it started at 10:30.  The paramount Chief, the head chief in the area came during the sermon ...