learning new things and trading my currency for right answers

22/9
Yay for this week. Truly the best part of it has been spending a few hours with the women of the cooperative. I've learned to embroider. And Ma, if you read this, I'd love some embroidery floss to practice with and maybe a few patterns. (I realized this as soon as we got off the phone). Now I'm baking oatmeal cookies and prepping things to head off tomorrow to Kigali. I'm excited cause by complete coincidence, some of my favorite people will also be there tomorrow, albeit in transit, and we'll get to spend the night together. It's amazing to think about only seeing your best friends once a month or so. I never would've even thought of taking that for granted in the states, but everything seems like you take it for granted when you compare it to things here.


24/9
So I mentioned before how much the kids love to touch my skin. I've taken it to a whole new level and may have created a monster. I started instituting the high five as my incentive for right answers and participation in my pre-school classes. This seemed like a great idea at first. It was a great motivation. Pay attention...say things right, get to touch teacher. It has been very successful in Top & Middle classes. Of course, in Baby Class (3-5 yr. olds...things get warped. It's become a quest to touch me and my clothes whenever I'm anywhere near them and I have to dodge and bob and weave to get away from them sometimes...funny though. There are so many things they do that i have to try not to laugh at, cause it's hillarious, but it's usually things they are not supposed to be doing.
One great moment, luckily, sans rule-breaking was when I was teaching the kids how to make paper airplanes. It sounds really funny, but for them, it's like one of their 3 toys, if that. And when I told them they could decorate them any way they wanted, they died. They loved it so much and they're starting to learn to fold paper, which seems simple but they never really work on motor skills here so it's really great! But the other day, one girl was folding but had her hands full so she just took her cheek and slid it along the paper on her desk and I just laughed out loud. I could see her confusion and then her solution and it got me through the day. But the kids' reaction to my laughing out loud was equally amusing. I have a feeling they don't see it often. It's odd, and this is a very personal observation, but I have noticed a lot of reservation with that sort of thing. It's a high compliment here to be called a "serious" person. I'm sure you know how I feel about that...all very interesting. Still in the observation phase...still learning so much. I'm excited to get back together with my training group Health 3 in a month to discuss everything for a week at our In-Service Training! Just counting down the days and loving my time with my friends in the city this weekend.