The New Miss

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  Kathmandu, Nepal
Friday, April 20, 2007

It's been a little while; unfortunatly I have been sick.  Apparently I was being slowly poisoned by the mosquito coils that I have been incessantly burning.  It's a tough choice really, get eaten alive all night and get no sleep or sleep like a baby and have extreme migraines all day from the poisonous smoke you've been inhaling for the past eight hours.... Don't worry, I think I have reached a compromise with the new thingie I bought that simply plugs into the wall and emits no smoke.
Last week I arrived at the Akriti Boarding School in Koteshwor.  It is so freakin' cute, I love it!  First of all, I live in the school which certainly fulfills a childhood fantasy.  Am I the only little girl that always wanted to go away to boarding school?  It's not exactly the Swiss Alps, but there are mountains here haha.  The classrooms are very small and really only consist of benches, tables and a black or white board. I have to hoard any chalk or markers i get because there is no more. Their playground is this tiny dirt field. Their monkey bars are old swing sets with no swings.  Despite how little they have, every student has a little uniform with a tie, even the three year olds.  And every morning they line up in the schoolyard, by height, and the teachers check to make sure that their teeth and nails are clean.
In a day I teach grade three through seven in a random order that changes everyday.  It is really bizarre because it's always a different subject and the course book is thrust into my hands like 5 seconds before i walk into class.

Aunu ans Susu

I am supposed to be teaching Learning to Communicate, which is like english conversation but half the time they don't have that book or they normally have a different class, etc.  Some of the students don't even have all the text books.  Yesterday I had to teach grammar to grade seven.  That may not sound hard but seriously you try and explain what a reflexive pronoun is..... At least the classes are only 45 minutes so I can ususally fudge my way through it if i have to... So much for lesson planning!
My favourite class is class five, there is only six students and they are sooo cute.  The most difficult class is class three; there are 15 of the little buggers and my throat is definitly strained after that class. Trying to make them sit down and do work is hell. And if you let one of the little bastards go to the bathroom, well then they all want to go.  They don't speak much english but they do understand SIT DOWN!  Funny, I thought I might have a problem being authoritative!!
The kids are really good though, just REALLY excited to see me.  Teachers are called Sir, M'am or Miss.  I am known as "The New Miss" usually accompanied by whispers and giggles.  Everytime they pass by its "Good Morning Miss!" and when you leave the room its "Thank you for teaching us Miss!"  Every morning I am bombarded with flowers, candy, stickers etc. and they all beg me to teach their class.  And the more time they spend with me the more questions they ask.  "Miss, how come you have yellow colour in your hair?"  "Miss, what is your last name?" "Miss what is your mother's name?" "Miss what caste are you from?" (they were all quite shocked to hear we don't have a caste system is Canada) "What religion are you?" (another toughy, I usually mumble something about being Christian...) "Miss why is the hair on your arms so white?" "miss are you from the same part of Canada as Avril Lavigne?" (they really like her here, they always want me to sing her songs.) etc.

Manuj and Nisha Class 6

etc. At the end of my day I am so exhausted! And then I spend half the evening trying to think up ways that will actually help them learn when they don't have books and the books they do have are really innapropriate, usually either really hard or really easy and concerning topics that have absolutely no relevance in nepal.  I salute all teachers! I don't know how you do it....
My headmasters family is really awesome though, they live downstairs from me but I eat meals with them.  They have two children in grades seven and ten and their cousin's also live in another part of the school.  The cousins are named Onu and Anu and they are both ten.  All the girls wear their hair in long braids and wear ribbons that match their clothes.  In the evenings we play games, especially Badminton which they love. It's very Sound of Music.  Onu and Anu are in my grade four class and they are adorable.  They always come and knock on my door and say stuff like "I am disturbing you no?" and if I say no then they come into my room and we have chat.
Soon is a Buddhist holiday (Buddha's birthday I think) and me and the family are going worshipping then pick-nicking.  It was the son's 12th birthday the other night and I was forced to drink whiskey and water (out of politeness of course). When i declined a second glass my headmaster said "of course, you have a duty tomorrow.  But when we go pick-nicking, no Duty!" I sincerely hope he brings some beer.....
It's great though, a really new experience for me and lots of fun.  I am glad though that I will have some free time after this. I will need the RnR!
 
 

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Me and my Nepali mother

Students in class 6

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