Exam Woes

3 July 2008

I've concluded that exams are by far the most infuriating time at Kalumbu CDSS. Students are not being taught as they wait hours for their exams to begin. I was told by my form three students that my classes were the only ones they have had all week. This happened last term too and it's unbelievably frustrating to see students punished for lateness when their teachers don't even fucking go to class! Sorry -- but all last week I just wanted to scream in the staff room...but realized that it probably wouldn't have the desired effect.

In more uplifting news...I am getting braver :) Last Wednesday I went to the big market twice. I hate the Wednesday market, but I am getting less intimidated by the whole affair. Somehow the huge market in town is more manageable. Maybe because it's not mine. But I bought myself a pair of shoes. Brand new. And then I just sat and looked at them for a while. But humorous moment at the market: I was looking for a tin bucket [because I can now carry almost 50L of water on my head] so I stopped and asked about price. The man quoted and I got him down to more reasonable figure but then had to admit that I really didn't have enough with me and would buy it next week. He agreed - but only if he could move in with me. It took me a second to decipher his Chichewa idiom, but then I clarified that I was really only interested in the bucket -- not a man.

My electricity project is on hold...mainly because the transformer keeps exploding and sending some small business stall up in flames. Puts a bit of a damper on the whole thing. And it's making me rethink the solar option.

As I write this [on paper to be typed in town at the computer next week] I am proctoring the Chichewa Composition Exam. Whoever made the proctoring schedule is having a laugh I'm sure :)