The weather outside is frightful, but...I know it soon will be delightful! Let it snow, let it snow! Actually, in my little town, we got a big day of rain, but many areas got a lot of snow...all much needed as the country has been in a drought. Price of seed potatoes very high, as well as other planting items. Sounds like I'm still in Montana! So how cold is it, you ask?! I could see my breath in my house this morning. And since I hadn't washed my hair for nearly a week, I heated water on the stove and had a bucket bath that made me move pretty quickly, I'll tell you! Went to Marrakesh just for the day, got a computer/printer from a volunteer who is leaving soon, so will be able to use it to help with work projects, and if and when we get internet in my town, I can take it to the cyber and enjoy the English Microsoft as all the computers at the cybers are in French. You can switch most to an English keyboard, but not the instructions. Am spending the night with another volunteer who has DSL in her apartment. A former attorney from Chicago. Sure are a variety of people serving in the P. C.!
I am getting into the swing of things by now teaching computer and English classes. I teach two people at a time on the computer, both young girls and the women. They are very interested in learning the computer, and do not know how to type or keyboard so we really are starting from scratch. I have six hours of classes a week, and demand for more, but I am sure that after awhile some of them will not be interested any more and others can jump in. The boarding school next door (for the rural high school students who stay there during the week) really want classes as well, but it's tough to teach computer when there is only one to work from! And we are having fun doing a bit of English. Most know French, so I am learning a few French basic words/expressions as well. I think this summer, when my Arabic teacher (an English teacher at the high school) goes home for a couple of months, I will engage someone to teach me basic French, as it is spoken by many, esp. those involved in the tourist industry, and most certainly government.
I've also had interest expressed in aerobic classes at the neddie, which came about accidentally. My town has very little amenities; one day we were discussing what they wished they had, and one said "sport", referring to an exercise place esp. aerobic classes, so I blurted out I had taught aerobics several years ago, and they jumped all over that. So I may try to work up a couple of simple routines and we can pull the curtains shut and give it a go. Should be quite a fun experience for both them and me. All the women, and most of the girls, are scarved, and the majority of them all wear jellabas over their clothes when out in public. I'll get a picture of some of them and post on my blog later one.
And, am getting ready now to actually start on my work project. Little by little...
Am most ready for the cold nights to be gone, and for my language skills/retention to improve. My tutor is certainly learning how different it is teaching language to a mature learner, compared to high school kids. Memory isn't worth...a darn!
On a lighter note, I have found sugar free gum, and some herbal tea...not much, but between what I've received from friends and can buy at the weekly souk or in the big store in Marrakesh, am set for awhile! My tutor is going to show me how to make whole wheat bread next month. Oh, yes, the pressure cooker is used all the time in the kitchen; guess it's the Moroccan microwave.
That's it for this time!
I am getting into the swing of things by now teaching computer and English classes. I teach two people at a time on the computer, both young girls and the women. They are very interested in learning the computer, and do not know how to type or keyboard so we really are starting from scratch. I have six hours of classes a week, and demand for more, but I am sure that after awhile some of them will not be interested any more and others can jump in. The boarding school next door (for the rural high school students who stay there during the week) really want classes as well, but it's tough to teach computer when there is only one to work from! And we are having fun doing a bit of English. Most know French, so I am learning a few French basic words/expressions as well. I think this summer, when my Arabic teacher (an English teacher at the high school) goes home for a couple of months, I will engage someone to teach me basic French, as it is spoken by many, esp. those involved in the tourist industry, and most certainly government.
I've also had interest expressed in aerobic classes at the neddie, which came about accidentally. My town has very little amenities; one day we were discussing what they wished they had, and one said "sport", referring to an exercise place esp. aerobic classes, so I blurted out I had taught aerobics several years ago, and they jumped all over that. So I may try to work up a couple of simple routines and we can pull the curtains shut and give it a go. Should be quite a fun experience for both them and me. All the women, and most of the girls, are scarved, and the majority of them all wear jellabas over their clothes when out in public. I'll get a picture of some of them and post on my blog later one.
And, am getting ready now to actually start on my work project. Little by little...
Am most ready for the cold nights to be gone, and for my language skills/retention to improve. My tutor is certainly learning how different it is teaching language to a mature learner, compared to high school kids. Memory isn't worth...a darn!
On a lighter note, I have found sugar free gum, and some herbal tea...not much, but between what I've received from friends and can buy at the weekly souk or in the big store in Marrakesh, am set for awhile! My tutor is going to show me how to make whole wheat bread next month. Oh, yes, the pressure cooker is used all the time in the kitchen; guess it's the Moroccan microwave.
That's it for this time!
posted by Connie Genger | 2:50 PM
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