Thursday, September 13, 2007

Corn Shucking

We have come up with a new tongue twister for our students: How much corn can a Muzungu shuck if a Muzungu could shuck corn. Muzungo refers to white person here. The kids really do run along side the car or van, yelling "Good morning, Muzungu!" We are not sure if it is an endearing title or not. It seems it is to the kids anyway.

Well I am happy to say that I have shucked my last ear of corn. Three hours
in the hot sun shucking corn was all I could take today, and the kids
with great sympathy suggested I rest. And I did. Happily they finished
today so tomorrow we go back to class. I have never looked so forward
to teaching than I did today when it was announced the shucking was
done. I am bringing them all tasty treats and the boom box and a Stevie Wonder CD and we will celebrate tomorrow.

I just received an email from Camila who oddly enough is also shucking corn in Colombia. She has moved from Bogota to live with the Peace Community that she has been supporting. This is a community of farmers and corn I suppose is a major crop there. Please send positive thoughts her way as this is not an easy or particularly safe environment to be working in.

Jaali is back in the Bay Area living in Oakland with his dad, Jon, and attending
fourth grade at Thousand Oaks Elementary School in Berkeley. I Thanks
to Natasha for her generous help in getting him settled in school. Camila says that Natasha and Jon have made plans to get together to speak Mandarin! Great news.

hope you all are well.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Interesting to know.