life

Student Quotes of 2011

2011-12-22T09:01:00.000-08:00

Students really do say the funniest things. Here is a record of some comments, conversations, etc from the first semester. Enjoy!

**Me: If your swearing becomes habitual, then you will have to stay after school [instead of doing pushups].
Student: Does habitual count?

**Me: You’ll probably break that (using a badminton racket with a volleyball)
Student: If you break it, we won’t tell. Just bury it.

**Teacher 1: You need a sphere (best item for projectile motion)
Teacher 2: We could make spears!

**Student: Sometimes I feel like I’m too smart.

**Student: I’m not checking you out. I’m finding your derivative.

**Me: I can’t say the letter r.
Student: That explains why you sound like a pirate.

**Student: Do you know why it’s (the graphing calculator) trying to teach me French?

**Student: If you use big words like constitutes, it makes it seem like you use the word-a-day toilet paper.

**Student: What is this unidentified object on my [calculator] screen?

**Student: Can we turn the air off? [I’m freezing.]
Me: That’s the heat.

**Student: We pompous calc students should do great on the *pre-calc test

**Student: Is this the ruler ______ chewed on?
Me: Yes, but he hasn’t chewed on it this week.

Is math invented or discovered?

2011-11-11T15:13:00.000-08:00

I had my students write their initial thoughts on the question: Is mathematics invented or discovered? Then they had to read a few people's opinions, discuss their ideas with the class, and then write down their final thoughts. Here are three student responses:

I believe that mathematics is a combination of both discovery and invention. As Dr.Mellendorf had stated, “What was discovered was how to mold the model to fit reality. What was invented was the model itself.” It was discovered how to use mathematics. Yet, the processes and whatnot were invented. As Einstein once questioned, “How is it possible that mathematics, a product of human thought that is independent of experience, fits so excellently the objects of physical reality?” Even Einstein believed that there had to be some for of math on the earth before we invented the process of mathematics.
The use of mathematics has been there since the beginning of time. However, it took human thought to develop forms of mathematics. For centuries, our world was using math without knowing what exactly it was called. People have always used forms of addition and subtraction without knowing the technical terms. Math hadn’t come out of thin air, it was discovered. We had just invented the processes and technical terms for the different areas of math. All in all, math has been on the earth since the day it was created. It just took humans some time to pinpoint exactly what mathematics was.

People say that it is there to be discovered, that if it was only invented
anyone could come out and say that 2+2=4. They say that math is there for us to discover. But yet
there are people out there that say math is invented, made by us, that math was not there before
humans. I am somewhere in between the two viewpoints on this topic. I believe that math has
always been there, created by God along with everything else to make the universe go round. I
believe that Newton discovered gravity, he did not invent it. But, I believe that we invented the
system, or the language, that we use to interpret mathematics, but not the “math behind the
math”. Take Newton and Leibnitz for example. Both discovered calculus around the same time,
yet when you look at their theorems, they have many different notations and ways of expressing
the same thing. The calculus they both discovered is the same thing, but they invented different
ways of interpreting it. It would be next to impossible for men who have virtually no way of
communicating to both invent the same thing around the same time. Say the great mathematicians
of old had decided that 1 was really 2 and 2 was really three. Wouldn’t that mean 2+2 would equal
3 when there were really only 2 objects there? (If we were adding objects) Theoretically if the
mathematicians wanted everything to equal tree, then our notation would be different types of
trees, but it would mean the same thing as what we have today. After reading Eugene Vigner’s
quote that said mathematics is a gift, when you think about it, it really is. Mathematics, along with
everything, is a gift from God, therefore not invented, but discovered.

I think that it is both. I believe that the actual concept of math was invented, but I would say that the inner workings of it must be discovered. I’m assuming that people first started to use math in order to make building and other such tasks less difficult, so like discovering fire, it made our lives easier. It’s a tool. Although on the other hand, mathematicians today are still looking to divulge themselves into deeper knowledge of the subject. A prime example of how parts of math have been discovered is Calculus. Regardless of whether or not it was Leibnitz or Newton who discovered it, the fact remains the same; Calculus was discovered. It’s these new discoveries that expand our knowledge of mathematic world.

- Later on, we found that what made this so difficult to answer was the definition of “Math.” After a lot of discussing, we came to the conclusion that math can be defined as both the language of math, and how we use it / describe it, as well as the actual math itself. The actual math itself can be described as the truths and the fact that everything fits and how it works, which is discovered. The part that’s invented is the language of math.

rough notes on interest rates, loans, etc

2011-09-27T18:01:00.000-07:00

If you teach math, perhaps your students ask this: When will I ever need this in "real life?"*
We have been studying exponential growth and decay, and I was just waiting for this question. The past few days we have looked at car depreciation and why that is a big deal in "real life," but I wanted to take it up a notch.

Here are the rough notes for a project I am going to do with my advanced math students. I worked with my brother who is in the financial industry to help me design it. I still don't know how I am going to have the kids present what they learned to me. Perhaps I will do interviews, have them make a recording, or write a paper.

Project:

You need to take enough notes so that you'll be able to tell me what you learned. Take notes, screen shots, etc. so that you can reference them.

Read http://www.bankrate.com/finance/auto/the-price-of-long-auto-loans.aspx. What does it mean to be "upside down" in a loan?

Find a new car and use http://www.money-zine.com/Calculators/Auto-Loan-Calculators/Car-Depreciation-Calculator/ to figure out what value of car will be in 2 years. (I think we underestimated using 15% in class.) [Remember that you put in 0 for current age.]

Go to loan amortization sheet.
http://financialsoft.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=financialsoft&cdn=compute&tm=32&f=10&su=p284.9.336.ip_p504.1.336.ip_&tt=11&bt=1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//www.mdmproofing.com/iym/products/loan-amortization/
Use 5.25% as the APR and 1/1/12 as the start date.
Compare total payment of loans for 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 years. What happens to the total amount you have to pay? Why?

Compare your car value at 2 years to each of these loan values. What do you notice?

Read http://www.lendingtree.com/auto-loans/advice/buying-a-new-car/how-much-to-put-down-on-a-car/.
Now go back to the loan amortization sheet and put $5,000 down in the first payment. Now what do you notice? According to this article, can you be "upside down" in a loan even if you take out a 3-year loan?

Reflection questions
Why do most financial experts advise consumers to take car loans of 4 years or less?
Why do people take out loans for longer than 5 years and what can happen?
About what % of a car's value should you put down and why?
At my first job, I brought home approximately $23,000. Suppose my typical month of bills was $900, what advice would you give me if I wanted to buy a new car?

*I do acknowledge this is a valid and important question. I just wanted to set the tone of the blog. :)

One week down...How many more?

2011-08-19T19:23:00.000-07:00

Well, we successfully made it through the first week of school. Yay! I told my students that today I felt jet lagged, and I hadn't even traveled anywhere. :) Honestly, it feels good to get back into the routine. I can't believe I am in my sixth year of teaching. It's been fun to reflect on how I've grown and yet, realize how much more I want to grow. I am trying some new things this year. My big project is Standards-Based Grading for Geometry and Algebra II. I'm sure I'll be blogging about that as the year goes on. I'm also serving as a mentor for a new teacher. I look forward to this role. I miss mentoring students like I did in Africa.
It should be an exciting year. There is one certainty in education--you never know what the day will hold! :)

Guess my #

2011-08-18T14:06:00.000-07:00

Number puzzles always fascinated me as a child. When I learned the algebra behind them,I liked them even more. :)

Now as a teacher, I like to start Alg/Alg II with this activity. The students are usually amazed when you first do them. Then you can draw them in so they don't mind writing and simplifying expressions because they want to know how it works. Here are some of the basic ones I started with:

Guess my Number
1. Pick a number between 1 and 100.
2. Double it
3. Add 100
4. Take half the result
5. Subtract the number you started with.

Number 2
1. Pick a number
2. Add 9
3. Multiply by 3
4. Subtract 6
5. Divide by 3
6. Subtract original number.

Number 3.
1. Pick a number.
2. Multiply it by 9
3. Subtract 18
4. Divide by 9
5. Subtract your original number.
6. Add 2

Then I have the kids write their own and show the algebra behind it. We are still at the basic stage, but I am still proud of their work during the first week of school.
(Dan Meyer has some great ones to help the kids move from completing puzzles to creating them.)

1. Pick a number
2. Multiply by 4
3. Subtract 10
4. Divide by 4
5. Add 5
6. Subtract number started with

1. Pick a number
2. Add 12
3. Multiply by 2
4. Subtract 4
5. Divide by 2
6. Subtract the number you started with

1. Pick a number
2. Subtract 3
3. Multiply by 3
4. Add 9
5. Divide by 3
6. Subtract the number you started with

1. Pick a number
2. Subtract 15
3. Divide by 5
4. Subtract 3
5. Multiply 5
6. Subtract the number you started with

1. Pick a number
2. Add 6
3. Multiply by 3
4. Subtract 3
5. Divide by 3
6. Subtract the number you started with

What? You just said that? LOL

2011-06-04T05:40:00.000-07:00

If you're a teacher, you know that students say the funniest things. A friend of mine encouraged me to keep a running list of these humorous moments. As the year winds down, I thought I'd share them with y'all.
Caution: Some of them may not be as humorous to the outside reader as context is everything. :)

*Miss Pettit, you always want to talk about math. (after I kept trying to get class to stop talking about movies)

*Excuse me Miss Pettit. I need to moonwalk.

*Miss Pettit, can I go get a pencil from my cereal box?

*Oh my gosh. I can’t concentrate when people talk about milk.

*Girls want real men...Men who eat beef jerky.

*Women.
(This was a class of a few girls and lots of boys.)

*Me: Are you okay?
Student: I can’t feel my arms. (after doing his pushups)

*I’m not gonna lie. My boxers are longer than your shorts.

*You know what that’s from? It’s from whipping our hair.(on why their neck and head hurt)

*I am right and you cannot argue with me. (end of student’s math paper)

*NASCAR is the lazy version of track.

*It makes me feel smart. (student talking about Sigma notation)
Student 2: It makes me feel like an alien.

Tunes, part tres

2011-05-25T13:45:00.000-07:00

For my algebra class, the students had to create a song that covered a topic from the current school year. Here is the last example. Enjoy!

Graphing
Song: Friday

Seven a.m., going to math class
Gotta be smart, gotta go to school
Gotta know how to graph, gotta get a pencil
Graphin’ everything, the pencil’s always moving
Tickin' on and on, everybody's workin'
Gotta get y by itself
Gotta draw my lines, I see my answer, my answer

B is the y-intercept
M is the slope
Y is the answer
This is so easy

It's Graphing, Graphing
Gotta get down on graphing
y=mx+b, bbbbb
Graphing, Graphing
Gotta know graphin’
Y=mx+b, bbbb

Graphin' and, graphin' (Yeah)
Graphin' and, graphin' (Yeah)
Math, math, math, math
Lookin' forward to the solution

2:37, we're getting out of class
Knowin’ so much, I can do my homework
Math, Math, thinkin’ about math
You know what it is
I got this, you got this
My calculator is by my right
I got this, you got this
Now you know it

B is the y-intercept
M is the slope
Y is the answer
This is so easy

It's Graphing, graphing
Gotta get down on graphing
Y=mx+b, bbbb
Graphin, graphin
Getting down on graphing
Y=mx+b, bbbb

Tunes, part deux

2011-05-25T13:41:00.000-07:00

For my algebra class, the students had to create a song that covered a topic from the current school year. Here is example two of three. Enjoy!

Exponent Rules
Song: Black and Yellow

CHORUS
Yea uh-huh you know what it is
Mathematician, mathematician, mathematician
Every time I multiply, I add
Mathematician, mathematician, mathematician

Yea uh-huh you know what it is
Mathematician, mathematician, mathematician
Every time I divide, I subtract
Mathematician, mathematician, mathematician

When you times, you gotta remember to add
Mathematician, mathematician, mathematician

When you divide, always remember to subtract
Mathematician, mathematician, mathematician

VERSES
Exponent rules, always crazy
Use all forms, don’t get lazy
Add when multiplying, subtract when dividing
If you don’t get it, keep trying

It’s not hard to be learnin’
Just get that brain juice burnin’
Remember what term goes with what
So you won’t be confused and stuck.

CHORUS
Yea uh-huh you know what it is
Mathematician, mathematician, mathematician
Every time I multiply, I add
Mathematician, mathematician, mathematician

Yea uh-huh you know what it is
Mathematician, mathematician, mathematician
Every time I divide, I subtract
Mathematician, mathematician, mathematician

When you times, you gotta remember to add
Mathematician, mathematician, mathematician

When you divide, always remember to subtract
Mathematician, mathematician, mathematician

Tunes

2011-05-25T13:36:00.000-07:00

For my algebra class, the students had to create a song that covered a topic from the current school year. Here is one example. Enjoy!

Equation of a line
Song: Forget You

Song 1:
I’m getting kinda frustrated with y=mx+b and I’m like forget you
Ms. Pettit’s helping me out but still I’m kinda confused and I’m like
Forget you and forget math too
I said if I wasn’t smarta this’d be a lot harda
Ha, now aint that some shhhh
But I need to get my homework done even though it’s no fun
So I’m like forget you

So, m’s the slope
Now isn’t that just dope
As for b, it’s the y-intercept
But I didn’t know
Straight’s the only way to go
Between two points, that is
I pity the fool who doesn’t know these rules
Oh
Well
Ooooh, I’ve got some help for you
Yeah, go tell all your little friends

Chorus:
I’m getting kinda frustrated with y=mx+b and I’m like forget you
Ms. Pettit’s helping me out but still I’m kinda confused and I’m like
Forget you and forget math too
I said if I wasn’t smarta this’d be a lot harda
Ha, now aint that some shhhh
But I need to get my homework done even though it’s no fun
So I’m like forget you

Line 2:
So before you go solo
Make sure that you know
To put rise over run
Another piece of info
Is it’s gotta be in slope
Intercept form to work
I pity the fool who doesn’t know these rules
Oh
Well
Oooh, I’ve got some news for you
I’m a graphing beast now

Investigations (not wasted days)

2011-01-29T14:49:00.000-08:00

My classes have been doing investigations (or will be doing investigations) based on ideas we have come across in the world outside the mathematics classroom. We haven't analyzed the data yet so I have no idea what it will show. I used to fear that these would be "wasted" days in the math classroom. Now I want to have more of these days. Why? I want my students to read/see something and ask questions.
"Is this true?"
"Could we prove it?"
"What would happen if...?"
My students aren't independently there yet, but I hope I can guide them there.

Current investigation 1: We looked at the Noah basketball website http://www.noahbasketball.com/optimal_arc.php
and the press it is getting http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FEmBY-n71Y to set up an investigation in advanced mathematics. We used flip cameras(?) to videotape students shooting 10-20 shots. We shot from the free-throw line, three-point line, and half court. Next week we will analyze the data to see if it fits the Noah site and discuss why our results match/don't match as well as drawbacks in our data collection.

Upcoming investigation 2: The math and physics involved in sledding. I need to collaborate with the physics teacher to get some equations so we know what data to collect. Now hopefully we get a fresh batch of snow soon. (It's Iowa so I'm sure I won't have to wait too long.)
I also hope to fit quadratic models into this investigation as well. Snowballs will need to be used...Oh boy, I think this will test my classroom management strategies, but I can't wait!

My favorite math lesson

2011-01-10T13:20:00.000-08:00

So I guess it's time to start fulfilling my "New Year's Resolution." We'll see how long it lasts. :) Basically, I want to post a weekly blog about something that is happening in my classroom. If you are a new reader, please understand that this blog was previously my location for describing my missionary experiences in West Africa and then a place to post ramblings as I transitioned back into American culture.
Enjoy :)

The Sine Function
Here is my favorite math lesson to teach and I get to cover it at VM next week! It's over the sine function and how it is created from the unit circle values. I love hands-on activities, and I had that "Aha" moment when I completed the activity the first time.
(Note: This was adopted from an NCTM article that appeared many years ago. They used cooked spaghetti. Perhaps someone has the original article and can share the link with everyone!)

Supplies: Bulletin board paper (a large piece) and pull-n-peel licorice

My preparation beforehand:
Take a large piece of bulletin board paper and draw a large set of axes. Then make a circle with the radius equal to the length of one-pull-n-peel licorice strand. Create a unit circle marking the standard points. (I usually have my students fill in the point values and the radian measurement.)

Introduce lesson by asking them how we graph functions
1. Explain sine, cosine etc are functions. Ask them why we can’t call it a function on the circle.
2. Explain to the students how the circle was made.
3. Complete the following in groups.

Pull-n-peel Trigonometry

1. For the marked points, label the angles on the circle. (Use radians)
2. Place the string along the circle with one end at 0 radians and transfer the radian marks from the circle to the string.
3. Stretch the string along the line and transfer the marks on the string to the line. The end of the string that was at 0 radians on the circle must be placed at the beginning of the line. Label all the new points with the radian measures.
4. Use the pull-n-peel (pnp) to form a right triangle on the circle. (Pretend we are using pnp instead of drawing all the triangles.)
5. Move the piece of pnp that is the vertical leg of the triangle to the line and place it perpendicular to the line at the appropriate radian measure.
6. Now make a dot on the paper at the top of the piece of pnp to show the length of the vertical leg of the right triangle.
7. Do this for all the points.
a. Remember to think about values on the axes as well as what the triangles would look like in the 3rd and 4th quadrant.
b. Also, think about all the triangles and whether you need to construct them all.
8. Show Miss Pettit what your new graph looks like. Then connect all the points.

Questions:

1. What does the graph look like? Why?

2. What would the graph look like if you used the horizontal legs of the triangle instead of the vertical ones? How do you know?

3. What concept did you use to create the scale on the x-axis?

4. What would happen if we wanted to continue the graph. What value would be at 5π/2?
At -π/2? How do you know?

5. Explain why you really only needed to make 3-6 triangles instead of 14-17.

6. Explain how the sine function is created. Be specific. It is important that you know this.

Living in the Moment

2010-10-31T15:15:00.000-07:00

As I was walking around Iowa City yesterday, I was struck by how much I live in the past or the future. Does anyone else feel this way too (about their own lives)?

Maybe it's natural at this point as I am still settling into American culture. Reflecting on the past is one way I am acknowledging I am a different person than when I left for Senegal. (I mean, I looked at the tailgating scene like a person who had just seen it for the first time.)

Or maybe I try to use it as a confidence booster for my current situation. I mean, I'm starting over at a new school, new church, new everything. Seeing Tipton people-former students, parents (well still parents but you know what I mean), and colleagues helps me know I can do it again.

This morning, I started to think: "What if I would have done this instead of that" or "Lived here instead of there." It's at these moments that I need to think, "God has me here for a reason." He answered my prayers to bring me to each place (interesting stories if you want to hear them sometime) and has taken care of me each step of the way.

As I receive affirmations from the past or questions about the future, I need to remind myself that God has me where He wants me. My worth is not in being "a favorite teacher" or "a missionary" or ...It's being a child of the King.

3 months

2010-09-17T06:40:00.001-07:00

I have been back in the US for three months now. Kind of strange. Instead of gearing up for the hottest month in Dakar, I am wearing layers, many layers.

Overall the school transition hasn't been too bad. I think I'll always have those moments when I want to shake my kids and say, "Don't you know how lucky you are?" I think living in a third-world country will cause that attitude at times. Really though, let's be honest. Sometimes I need to shake myself and say the same thing.

From August 20th

2010-09-07T16:48:00.000-07:00

This is an excerpt from my journal on August 20th:

First day with all the teachers. Thought I should finally start journaling. I know I should’ve started earlier. But when I first encountered all of this, I wanted my writing to be “perfect.” Now it’s past my bedtime so I don’t care what comes out. So here you have my first ramblings.

My first reaction was “Eek!” How can I reinvent how I teach? I mean, on some level I have been successful-kids like my class, students have gone on to be successful in math-related majors, my AP kids killed the exam. I don’t write this to brag. My closest friends know that I need more confidence in myself. But I always knew I could do more. That’s what appealed to me about this job. How can I go further?

The Present:
So far I have had my students start blogs, shown movie clips, focused on more real-world apps, and basically am trying to take risks. This shall be an interesting year...

Testing 1, 2, 3

2010-09-01T09:04:00.001-07:00

My students have to create blogs so I am testing some things for them. Blogging in math class huh? Sorta crazy but I think it'll be sweet.

Review is good for all

2010-08-13T12:20:00.001-07:00

I wrote this sometime in the past and recently came across it on Joe's facebook page. As a teacher, I really don't like to review. I find it boring. However, I see the merit of it, especially in our walk with Christ. I thought I'd repost this as it seems to be constantly true in my life:

Lately I’ve felt that God is teaching me to see Him for who He truly is. I tend to want to put Him in a box (or more accurately a lamp that I can rub when I want something). My God, the God of the Bible is so Big, so Powerful, so Merciful, so Perfect. He is really beyond description. When I start to view Him as another human being, that’s when the trouble starts. Sure, God did manifest Himself as a human through Jesus Christ, but God is not first and foremost human. I cannot approach my relationship with Him casually and then act like a pouting child when things do not go my way. My prayer for you (and myself) is that we would study the Scriptures and worship the God that is found there. He is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G

a blog for Hannah

2010-08-02T05:35:00.001-07:00

My sister keeps telling me that I need to blog again. She is probably right, she usually is. After all, there was my trip to Guinea (AWESOME!!!!), the last College World Series at Rosenblatt (bittersweet), another trip up north to Lake Belle Taine (fun as always). Life this summer has been good...Now I feel like I'm venturing out into the unknown. You see, my family has visited Senegal. They have some idea about my experiences and why I act/react the way I do. Reentry into the US has been pretty good. Granted I haven't wandered down the aisles of a grocery store yet, but that'll come soon. I guess the first real test will be visiting Chicago in a few days. I always feel leery around all the opulence and money. We'll see what happens this time. I love America. I really do. The thing that saddens me the most is the huge culture of "me" that has seemed to take over our hearts. We have to wait in line-we complain, they don't have the one cereal we want (out of 100s)-we complain some more...I'm not immune to this. It's just that I don't want this to be me. May we be able to take a step back and thank God for our blessings (because we have soooo many).

Over and out from Senegal

2010-06-05T05:55:00.000-07:00

My last blog from Senegal. Sigh. I leave for the airport in 20 minutes. I plan to write a reflective blog later but I wanted to write about my adventures from yesterday.

My roomie and I went to walk around a place with really cool rocks. As we were driving there, we saw a taxi take a corner too fast (coming into the area around the Plaza de Independence). His door flew open. No worries though. He reached with BOTH hands to shut it while still in motion. Oh, how I'll miss the drivers here.

Anyways, to make a long story short (because of time), my roomie and I were sitting on rocks letting our feet dangle over the edge. The water really wasn't coming up so we weren't in any danger. Suddenly a huge waves comes, soaks us, AND sweeps my roomie's purse into the cove along with one shoe and part of a hamburger from Times Cafe. At first we were shocked. Then I asked where our truck keys were. You guessed it-they were in the bag. By now the bag was about 50 feet away. Since we were in a cove, I told my roomie not to dive in b/c the currents were tricky. Suddenly I saw some men and flagged them down. They bravely dove into the water and retrieved all the items. What an afternoon.

Well, over and out from Senegal.
Thanks for reading.
Annie

Oh, in case you care....My last meal was a hamburger complet (hamburger, fries, egg, tomato, lettuce, cheese, ketchup, and mayo), nems (sp?) glass-bottled coke, and Biskrem.

Senegal happenings

2010-05-17T02:12:00.001-07:00

Guess what? I actually have some humorous stories to share with you.

Last week I was returning to my classroom after lunch and I hear “She’s coming, she’s coming.” I’m thinking, “Oh no. What have they done this time?” I get up to my classroom and I see a toilet paper barrier (like yellow police tape) around my window. I look down and there is a dead bird. Yes, a dead bird…in my classroom. Side note: sometimes birds fly into my classroom but they always make it out.
Here is our theory:
A bird flew in the window and then somehow turned around and tried to fly out. Instead of going out the open side, it flew into the side that was closed. And yes, there are pictures. Check out facebook.

Not for the faint of heart (or stomach)
I am staying at someone’s house and I grabbed a box of cereal out of their cupboard. I noticed black specks in it but I thought they were seeds b/c the cereal contained dry fruit. After several bites, I realized the fruit in the box wouldn’t have seeds. I picked up one of the “seeds,” examined it, and thought it looked like a seed. I ate it and realized it didn’t crunch. I leaned closer into my bowl and saw the other “seeds” had legs. (This can be fairly common. Bugs do get into our food.) And yes, I quickly dumped the cereal and moved onto box #2-one without “seeds.”

For the end-of-the-year banquet (junior-senior banquet), the juniors make a senior predictions movie. I had to take a few students off campus to film one clip. As we were coming back, one student wanted a coke so I pulled over by a boutique. It happens to be on a roundpoint and there was no place to park. The other students told me to just keep driving around the roundpoint. I went around once but the student still didn’t have his coke. I went around again and started to get dizzy. At least this time I saw him talking to the boutique guy. We started around again. I told them I wouldn’t be able to do more than 3 times because I was getting sick. Fortunately we saw the kid on the side of the road with his thumb out so all was well. We picked him up, turned the corner and drove STRAIGHT home.

oh to be a kid again

2010-04-29T01:16:00.000-07:00

Random comment before I begin...the blog page came up in English. Wahoo! (Usually it comes up in French and I have to guess which button to push.)

Do you ever have those days when you wish you were a little kid? When you just want to fold your arms and ignore the world around you? As an adult, those days stink because you know you can't do that. Christ still calls us to be righteous, to turn the other cheek, and to keep living for Him. I must admit, I have had days here when that's tough. For perhaps the first time in my life, I really have to rely on the fact that my worth is from nothing else but Christ. His opinion of me is the only one that matters. While the barrage of opinions, advice/criticism, etc pours in, I must find myself in His arms. That's hard for me. As a people pleaser, it's painful to know that I can't please everyone. No matter how hard I try, I can't do it here. And perhaps that is one of the biggest lessons God is trying to teach me.

I am here...or there

2010-04-13T13:47:00.000-07:00

I know, I know. I never seem to have time to do this anymore. This is a belated blog about Europe.

It was green. It was cool. The end. JK

Here are the highlights:
Our flight was delayed out of Dakar so we missed our connection in Lisbon. No fear. TAP gave us vouchers-16 Euros each (which I think is about $24). The catch-We had to spend it in one spot. My friend Danielle and I scoured the Lisbon airport looking at all of the eating spots. Then we saw it--McDonalds. We shared one voucher (with two other people) for breakfast. Three hours we were back on the hunt. Again, we ended up in front of McDonalds. We spent another voucher, this time with no help.
I think that's the first and last time I'll eat McDonalds twice in a day. Aren't you proud Schmoe? ;)

We got to Kandern around 10:30 pm, only 5 hours later than we planned ;). The next day, my super, awesome friend Anne took Danielle and I around a neighboring town where we hiked up to castle ruins, ate Doner Kebap (German style with lots of cabbage) and went shopping. Can you say H&M?

The best speaker at the conference was Wess Stafford, the president of Compassion International. What an amazing testimony. Book recommendation-Too Small to Ignore

After the conference, Danielle and I spent time in Zurich. We just wanted some first-world living. I was quite proud of us and the Swiss transportation system. We took a train, tram, and bus to get to our bed and breakfast.

Our bed and breakfast was a new one so we got a pretty good rate. Let me tell you, it was fancy. There were more switches than we knew what to do with.

Our Zurich adventures: shopping, “hiking” around a mountain, lake cruise, AND seeing snow. The views were amazing. We could see the Alps from our bnb window. We kept commenting that they looked painted. They were just so picturesque.

The thing that surprised me the most about Zurich were the costs. A McDonalds value meal was approx $15, and that was one of the cheapest meals we saw. We got creative and went to grocery stores most of the time but still…

Last adventure-landing in Zurich. After going down the steps onto the runway, we saw a man with a sign that read SAL-Dakar. Danielle and I debated about asking if it was for us. Finally I worked up the courage and it was. We (and a few others) got to take our own van and enter in our own door in order to make our connecting flight.
Lesson learned-Don’t be afraid to ask the “dumb” questions.

Well, that’s the shortened version of our trip. Feel free to ask about our adventures such as seeing an adult onesie on a rack in Zurich.

I guess there is something to write about after all.

2010-03-14T13:26:00.000-07:00

I just finished my monthly update letter. It’s funny. I always think I have nothing to blog about anymore, and then I spend a page of my update letter talking about all of the events that have occurred in the last month.

We had Junior Carnival on Friday. I’m just happy the community had fun. I’m not going to lie. It was a lot of work. Life would be so much easier if there was a Wal-mart here. (Perhaps I should be their advertising manager.) Someone pointed out that Carnival wouldn’t be as special then. I guess that’s true. We did request a large amount of food from the States-Velveeta for mac-n-cheese, sliced American cheese for Big Macs, Oreos, and M&Ms for McFlurrys, etc. I believe our menu was a hit.

Some things that stood out to me:
The most popular booth was my favorite as a kid-throw a dart at a balloon and win a prize. I still remember trying to win those mirror pictures at Hoo-Doo days.

I asked one of our Embassy kids to help with dishes. I asked if he could dry them. He said yes, and then proceeded to ask how to dry dishes. I was proud of him though because he didn’t shy away from the task. He jumped right in and worked with three mothers.

I didn’t get to see this but I guess we had chameleon races. They were supposed to be frog races but the frogs escaped/were stolen.

A six pack of Root Beer went for $20 in the silent auction. Enough said.

On a totally unrelated note, I have received encouraging messages from students in the States. They are really living for the Lord and it makes me smile. It can be tough to do this in the States and I love hearing from them. I hope I can have an impact on students when I return to the States. I sometimes fear that Tipton was this special school and I won’t find a place like it again. What if the kids don’t like me at the new school (wherever that may be). I guess that’s a worry for another day. Or better yet, a big prayer request.

Until next time
AP

random things to write about

2010-02-23T11:26:00.000-08:00

So I'm sitting in the dorm trying to put up with slow internet. I asked them what to write about. Here's a list:

1. "E": Write about "E" throwing candy at you. "E" throws Haribo gummy at me.
2. "S" (boy): Write about "S" sitting in a room with the freshmen girls.
Editor's note: The freshmen girls are so giggly right now.
3. "E" to "K": Turn off that country song.
Editor's note: The song that came on was African.

Okay, I think I better write about a coherent topic now. Senior Cafe is over which means I can spill the beans. I danced as Miley Cyrus to Hoedown Throwdown. It wasn't my idea. Trust me. You see, I had the junior girls over to watch the newest Hannah Montana movie. Don’t laugh. It’s a good one. My friend suggested we learn the dance so there were 15 of us trying this thing out. Then someone mentioned the brilliant idea of doing it for Senior Café. A week went by, and I thought the idea died. Then one Monday during lunch, I go to a “meeting” in my room where I see the girls with a cake that says “Pretty Please.” They get down on one knee and ask me to be Miley Cyrus. How do I say no to 13 girls on their knees? Seriously, I couldn’t do it. That began the two week ordeal of learning the dance and getting ready to perform. We ended up winning first place. I must admit, it was fun. However, I don’t think there will be a repeat performance ;)

you see, here's why

2010-02-14T01:02:00.000-08:00

So people ask me why I'm leaving....hmmm...How do I explain it? Do I reveal my innermost thoughts? Do I give the quick answer-I feel God is allowing this move (which is true). What do I say?

It's hard. I will miss it here. When I tell people aloud, I never look them in the eye because I don't want to see their reaction. I do feel like I'm disappointing them, and I hate that. After talking to the student I view as my younger brother here, I thought, "Am I doing the right thing?" Then I get home, have a facebook conversation with a former Tipton student and think, "yes, this is a reminder of why I am going home."

You see, I do love teaching in public schools. For some strange reason, I think God has gifted me to work in that varied climate. Some of the students that I bonded with the most were opposites-good athletes, good mathletes, struggling mathletes, loved school, disliked school, supportive parents, absent parents, etc. At Tipton, my room always had kids in it-before school, during my preps, during lunch, after school. It didn't matter. Sometimes I couldn't figure it out. After all, I am not a people magnet. Sure, I get along with people, but I am not my brother who has tons of friends. But perhaps one of my weaknesses (emotional health) is actually a strength in the classroom. I just try to treat each one of my students as someone that matters, because they do. After all, that's how I want to be treated.

In the end, I know the students at DA will be all right. Most of them know and love the Lord, they have teachers that love them, etc. I can't say the same for most of the students in the States. That just breaks my heart.

I've basically hinted at why I'm leaving after this year and not next year or the year after. Looking back over this year, I can honestly say that my mental health hasn't been the greatest. God has taught me great coping skills, but I miss being healthy. I miss being the person that smiles all the time. I had a student in the States that asked me once what was wrong b/c I wasn't smiling. He said I always smiled. I miss that. I'm tired of being on a roller coaster. I'm tired of just "surviving." I know that God is big enough to heal me. I do. It's just that after months of praying, I feel like God has indeed given me the release to go home. And after I felt that, I smiled.

I don't regret coming here. I know that God worked in the two years I was here. Some parts wish there could be many more, but I hope my close relationships don't end once I leave. It will be sad in June. I will cry. Next fall I will miss being here. There will be days when I deeply regret my decision, but I have to keep reminding myself that God can use me wherever I am. I just need to trust in Him.

Much Love
Miss Pettit aka Annie

My Bowers Travel Badge

2010-01-01T02:45:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time, there was a missionary family that lived in Mali. They entertained people with their travel adventures. When you heard them, you thought, "Now those are missionary stories." Then a young lady named Annie went to stay with them. Her journeys to Mali went smoothly, perhaps too smoothly.

Fast forward to New Year's Eve, 2009. The family was to camp near some gorgeous waterfalls about 4 hours away. The trip would involve traversing some rough terrain, but the trip was worth it (or so I was told).

We started off early in the morning, stopped to see the location of the new Mali dam and basically bounced along enjoying the company. There were times when we were able to drive in third gear and everyone was happy with the progress we were making. Then we hit the rocks (which I later named the rocks of despair). We had to put the vehicle into 4-wheel drive which proved to be fatal (to the vehicle). We lost all the oil in the vehicle AND got a flat tire. We quickly determined the vehicle would not hold oil anymore.

The time: 11:30.
Time into the trip: 3.5 hours (only 3 hours of driving)
Location: approx 6-7 kilometers from a village

Danielle's dad was able to get into the village and find a mechanic. Little did we know it was someone trying to be a stunt driver. We were tied by a small rope and the man was going way too fast. (I am not exaggerating here.) After several stops for rope breaks, we made it close to the village. The last task-climb this big hill. Unfortunately the car couldn't make it up and we had to end up pushing the car up the hill and being towed by another vehicle.

The time: 1:30ish
Time into the trip: 5.5 hours
Location: some village I cannot spell

We had a small problem, besides the broken down car. There were other people waiting at the waterfalls with tents. They weren't going to leave until we arrived. There was no cell phone coverage so we had to hope they would get into range, drive by etc. This meant we had to sit alongside the main road and wait...and wait...and wait. I am sure we looked quite funny in our chairs, reading books, completing Sudoku puzzles, etc, especially since we were the only white people there. I started to take pictures of things that came down the road pretending I was watching a parade. (If you want to see pics, check out my facebook page.)

The time: 5:00ish
Time into the trip: 9 hours
Location: same village I cannot spell

We were able to get a hold of a family friend around 3 who was willing to come and tow us home. Unfortunately he wouldn't arrive until 7. After sitting for such a long time, I proposed that we find the river. Us kids (and Chester the dog) set out. After some climbing, it was a success. The views were beautiful.

Around 6:45 we arrived back in the village. The sun was starting to set which meant we couldn't read anymore...Alas, I was with the resourceful family so we read by flashlight. Then we looked up to see the "full" moon. I remembered reading on someone's facebook page that it was to be a blue moon. Only the moon didn't look full so I justified it by saying it must have been full last night. (more to come on the moon)

The time: 7:10
Time into the trip: 11ish hours
Location: same village

Our hero arrived ready to tow us back! We hooked up to the back of his vehicle and we were off (much slower this time). As we were driving, we noticed the moon getting more full. We pondered this and came to the conclusion that it was partially covered by a cloud before. (Later we realized that we had witnessed an eclipse!)

The tow trip was going well, all things considered. We were getting covered in dust but that could not be helped. Then kathunk...several things fell off the roof rack. Fortunately, Ben realized that some things had fallen completely off the rack and he ran down the road to find the grill and mats. After retying the items, we were off. (Our only other problem was coming unhooked on top of a bridge).

The time: 11:40
Time into the trip: 15.5 hours
Location: home!

Needless to say we stayed up until midnight to ring in the New Year. (I'm still wondering if this was just a ploy to get me to stay up so late.) ;)

Thanks for reading my short story.
AP

shoulda made a list

2009-12-29T09:04:00.000-08:00

Oh how quickly the break is passing. I can't believe I'll be sitting in professional development meetings in one week. Oh my!

I've used this break to do something I love-read. I've read, read, and read some more. In between reading stints, I have had some "fun"

I have a big fear of snakes. Just the thought of them makes me shudder. As my friend and I were slowly jogging one day, I asked her if there were snakes around here. She told me she hadn't seen one in years. I'm sure you know where the story goes from here. A few days later we are jogging again when I see something emerge from the brush about 10 feet in front of us. This HUGE snake slithers across the dirt path. It's so big it covers the path which was about 3 feet long. Let me tell you-I did a "happy" dance and quickly turned around.

One tradition the "English" speakers have here is to sing carols while cruising on the river. There were about 20 people in our group consisting of Americans, Hondurans, Swiss, and Germans. Oh, and by cruising, I mean renting a pirogue for an hour. After being on the water for about 15-20 minutes, my friend leans over during a carol and whispers, "We're taking on water." She wasn't kidding either. I guess it's common and fortunately the boat guy didn't try to be a hero. We went back to the bank of the river and switched boats (without crossing over to land). You should have a great mental picture because my balance stinks.

What else?
I'v been out to a village where I climbed rocks in flip flops and a pagna. I've been in a car when it got a flat tire. I found Mt Dew in a boutique. I helped my friend make homemade marshmallows for our upcoming camping trip. She even had to make homemade corn syrup so that we could make the marshmallows.
Adventures? Naaaa...just life in Africa.

Catch ya in 2010. (Now is it two thouand ten or twenty ten? I've wondered this for a while.)

Crossing the Border

2009-12-18T04:05:00.000-08:00

Alas, I finally have something to blog about. At this moment, I am sitting in Kayes, Mali. You may be asking yourself, "What is so significant about Kayes?" Well, my good friend Danielle grew up here. I had the opportunity to spend Christmas with her so I jumped at the chance. Oh, and Kayes' other claim to fame is that it is the third hottest city in the world (based on average temp).

Our journey:
We, as in Danielle, her two siblings, and myself, left for the bush taxi area in Dakar at 4 am. We arrived shortly thereafter where Danielle had the responsibility of bargaining for luggage prices, getting seats, etc. (If you've never been to a 3rd world country, you've never seen bargaining quite like this.) Anyways, we were off and running at 5:15 am. The "we" now included the driver and 3 other African men.

Now, you may be asking yourself, "How big is this bush taxi?" Good question my friend. Picture an old station wagon that holds 8. Roomie? No. Functional? Yes. We joked that this was a magic taxi because the gas gauge always read empty, the speedometer 0 kph, and the temperature 0.

I have heard Danielle's bush taxi stories and knew anything could happen. I was warned the journey could take anywhere from 12-18 hours to the Malian border. We were (hopefully) prepared for anything. We had food, snacks, money, pagnas to use as blankets, pillows, a bed if needed, books on tape, grading. Thankfully we had a great and speedy trip. We made record time and arrived in Kayes 13.5 hours after we left Dakar! (FYI-Dad, good thing I am used to not stopping much. See, I knew my abnormal way of traveling would pay off.)

Danielle's parents met us at the border with Coke. :) Shortly after crossing into Mali, we saw a couple packs of baboons. Danielle always claimed that Mali was superior to Senegal. haha

I haven't ventured outside the house yet so I don't have many things to write about Kayes yet. My credible source (Danielle's dad) said the ave temp right now is low 90s with 25% humidity. I can tell you that equals dry. :)

Over and out from Kayes.

finals week

2009-12-14T02:39:00.000-08:00

It's finals week. It's kind of an odd setup for my classes. Most of my classes fall at the end of the exam slots so I'm free at the beginning and then have to cram to finish things at the end. It could be worse though. I could be grading essays. ;)

I am gearing up for my roadtrip to Mali. It shall be interesting. I saw the vehicles we will have to take. Eight people will be in a station wagon...hmm...adventure? Fortunately I will have good company, plus some motion-sickness pills.

I haven't been feeling well the past couple weeks-some stomach bug. It's weird to run through the progression of illnesses-virus, worm, parasite, etc. I'm hoping for the first one, but I have taken a worm treatment just to be safe. Gross I know, but it's reality.

I have had many Christmas parties and time to prepare for this festive holiday. I watched Miracle on 34th Street in black and white last night. It reminds me so much of my Grandma Pettit. We always watched that movie at her house. Remember Joe? ;)

It is getting cooler around here. The thermometer on my alarm clock reached 79 degrees for the first time all semester. The air is very dry and the cool breeze makes it feel nice. I do miss the seasons, but at least we have this change in the weather.

Not much else is new. Just treasuring the moments I have, the friends I've made all over the world, and the fact that it's Jesus' birthday.

Much love from Senegal
AP

surprise

2009-10-26T13:04:00.000-07:00

Surprise Hannah. I am posting without a reminder. :)

You know, I don't really have anything noteworthy to write. Perhaps I'll just ramble and see if anything interesting pops out.

Let's see-it's the last week in October. That is just craziness. I am anticipating cool season so much I can almost taste it. Do you think that cool season can have a taste?

I got to square dance on Saturday night. Big deal-dancing here and all. I guess it was like riding a bike. Remember when square dancing was a big deal in 5th/6th grade?Mrs. Elliott would have been proud of my promenading put perhaps not the do-si-do (sp?) My partner and I kept going left first instead of right.

I have been staying at a friends' home the past week or so. My walk here sounds something like a route a back alley spy would take-go out the gate down the dirt road, around the round point and avoid all the crazy kids at the school on the "corner." Then take the dirt road and avoid the cars, take a quick right and then a left through the bricks. Watch out for the rams butting horns (happened on Saturday). Walk up the dirt gravel hill, behind the generator of an apt building, and through a sandy path. Then I'm here.

I am almost done with the Left Behind Series-all 12 books. I started around August 6th. I told the librarian I deserve a sticker. hehehe ;)

Well, I hope there was something interesting in all those ramblings.
Over and out.
AP

just following orders

2009-10-21T12:33:00.000-07:00

My sister told me I had to update my blog. When I asked her for a topic, she said to write about my favorite things. What a great idea Hannah. I wanted to include things that may not be well known, even to my family.

First off Hannah, I love listening to you laugh. You have the cutest laugh so we need to talk on the phone more. :)

I love the feel of the first cool breeze, when the weather is starting to turn from hot to cold. I also love the opposite in the springtime. You know, when it feels like everything is coming alive again.

I love ice-cream sprinkles. I don't know exactly why. Perhaps it's the color and the small amount of crunch they add to ice cream.

I enjoy getting lost in a good book, when the characters and setting become real.

Learning something new, especially in math, makes me excited. I enjoy getting to tell my students about new discoveries.

The sound of the ocean; the sense of standing at the edge, looking out to the horizon, and knowing that only God could have created something as majestic as that. It always brings a smile to my face.

Thanks for being an amazing sis Hannah and bringing a smile to my face tonight.

a week in my flip flops

2009-09-30T01:11:00.000-07:00

A Day in the Life of…ME!

I believe I did this last year, but I thought it’d be fun to do again.

My alarm goes off at 6 am. Well, technically it’s 1 am CDT. For some reason, my alarm clock resets itself to U.S. time so I always have to account for the time difference. I get ready, have devos and am out the door by 7. During the day, I teach 5 classes: algebra, calculus, 2 geometry, and trig/pre-calculus. My classroom is located on the third floor and it’s not air conditioned. Most days I don’t mind. The climb is nice exercise and my room is like a free sauna…haha Today though, it was quite hot. The heat index was 104º so you can imagine what it felt like in the classroom.

After school I complete a workout program called P90X. I highly recommend it. It’s pretty intense, but it’s also quite addicting. I’m even liking all the push-ups now. On Monday I have French, Tuesday-dorm relief, Wednesday I watch the sports teams and mentor a student in the evening with Thursday and Friday evenings free. On the weekend there is usually some school activity like intramurals, movie night, etc.

As you can see, the days wear me out so I go to bed early. During this hot season, I cool myself down by sticking my head under the cold water and letting it drip down my back. I also take a couple ice cubes and just let them melt on my arms and legs. Considering my alarm clock thermometer reads around 86º (not counting humidity) at night, the ice is a welcome relief.

On Saturday, I like to do my shopping. I take my big teaching bag to the store where I buy French bread and other things for the week. Then I hit up the fruit stand where I usually buy oranges, bananas, and some type of vegetable like salad or potatoes. Then I go home and bleach the produce that doesn’t have a thick skin. If I’m motivated, I’ll cook my food for the week. Since the meat isn’t the best here, I try to eat lots of beans and eggs for protein. I am also trying to eat more rice but that also needs to be run through filtered water 2-3 times before it is cooked. Yes dad, I have had lentils and rice several times now.:)

Sometimes I’ll go to the Saturday clothing market which is held in the middle of a street. Most of the clothes are in big piles on the ground. You dig through the piles that have preset prices to hopefully find some treasures. There are also some nicer clothes hanging up which you have to barter for. (Yes, I have done this several times.) Believe it or not, you can find some great clothes.

Sunday involves attending an Anglophone (English speaking) African Church. It usually lasts two hours and includes lots of music and a 40-45 minute sermon. After that, I’m usually pretty tired so I take a nice nap. Occasionally I’ll hit up the beach. Right now the water feels like bath water, and it is quite refreshing. Believe it or not, the water will get cold.

Well I think that includes the large aspects of my life. There are the little nuances like making sure to greet the guards, drinking tons of water, etc. I hope this gives you a small glimpse into my life here in Senegal. :)

I guess this is why it's called life

2009-09-15T04:48:00.000-07:00

I didn't realize how long it's been since I've written on this. I guess it's because nothing seems to really stand out as newsworthy. Perhaps the larger reason is that I don't feel like I have anything happy/funny/poignant to write about. I don't want to write a blog that makes people sad. To be honest, it's been very tough for me to be back. I don't know if it's Dakar, my poor emotional health, the time of year, a combo, etc. I keep waiting for the moment to pass, but it keeps going strong. I hate this struggle. I know God is faithful. I really do. I know He is keeping the big waves from crashing over me, but the small waves are tiring.
Please pray for me my friend.
AP

P.S. On a happy note, it's dorm Tuesday.

ovens to the extreme

2009-08-26T01:16:00.000-07:00

What to write on the blog…I seem at a loss. What’s new…hmm…

Well, I don’t think I mentioned my scary stove incident. We have a new oven, and it burns quite hot. (With our oven thermometer, what should have been 325 º turned out to be 500 º). Anyways, the pilot light does not stay lit so we have to light it each time we use it. I went to light it the other day, and I hear this loud whoosh and this gas ball comes out. (My roomie was even in the other room and she thought the door had slammed.) Fortunately I had my glasses on and I pulled back, but I still got singed. My eyelashes, some of my eyebrows and hair were burned. I am just thankful nothing worse happened. Needless to say, we have figured out another way to light our oven.

I know I've returned to Africa when...

2009-08-16T08:04:00.001-07:00

I go to the grocery store and my change is paid in mints.

I tell myself I will hang my mosquito net at 8 pm and then have an electricity cut happen at that time.

I'm still sweating after stepping out of a cold shower.

I buy pink toilet paper.

Seriously, life is pretty good. We've had three days of school. It's going to be a very busy year for me, but I am looking forward to building more relationships. That is my favorite part about teaching.
I've already had my ups and downs with the heat and illnesses, but I am going to focus on God's hands.
Thanks for being such an amazing support system. I miss y'all.

Much love.
AP

The Greatest Show on Dirt

2009-06-18T09:25:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love the CWS. It's a great event with an electric atmosphere. It's hard to put into words really. I enjoy seeing the series again through the eyes of first timers as they look wide-eyed at this event known as the CWS in Omaha, Nebraska. If you've never been, I urge you to come. Next year is the last year of Rosenblatt Stadium.

Some highlights from last night:

Hi this is Hannah. I have never written on a blog before! Annie said to write anything so I will tell you about the CWS game we went to last night. First of all I have to say this "Hook em longhorns!" anyway last night we got home at 11:50 at night! Second of all I got two for one cotton candy! yum! Third of all I got 9 autographs from the Virgina bullpen plus I got Robin Ventura's autograph, whoever that is?!? Annie just said I should get his autograph so I did! Tomorrow we are going to Chicago to see Joe! I will let Annie tell you the rest! See ya!Hannah

Isn't my little sister adorable? Last night we attended a great CWS game. I took my sis and one of her friends. We got there early enough for autographs and many of the Virginia players signed. The UVA relief pitchers were playing this crazy warmup game where several balls were tossed at once so we found that quite entertaining. I hope to post the video on facebook.

The game went 12 innings so the girls got to see many of the players who signed their program. It was an amazing game with Arkansas hitting a ninth-inning, two-out homerun to send it into extra innings. They eventually pulled it out in the 12th, but UVA had their chances.

In the bottom of the 12th, there was a foul ball hit down our way. Marvin and Dustin Benning were there with us so Marvin yelled to Darr (who hit the RBI double in the top of the inning) for him to throw it to the two little girls. Dustin caught it and Hannah P (dot) graciously gave it to Hannah L (dot). I guess that whole sequence of events was on ESPN! The girls were so excited (almost as excited as the two-for-one cotton candy) ;)

we'll call this "A Short Story"

2009-06-12T08:53:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Iowa. Right now I'll call it "The Land of Green." I am thankful that I live in the country and that every direction I look, I see fields of green. I didn't realize how much I missed the green until I got back. It's beautiful and at times, I swear it is glowing. The temp has been amazing as well. I love warm weather, but I am enjoying these springlike temps. I thought I'd be cold, but I'm finding the weather to be so refreshing. I've considered it a small gift from God. I do apologize to the rest of you here that are wanting summer temps ;) Hold on...they are coming.

I realized I better blog about my last night in Dakar and about my trip home. I went out to dinner with one of my friends. After dinner, we went to this little shack and ordered crepes. We were commenting on the nice atmosphere as we were in this little artist area along the ocean. Then all of a sudden, we see two ladies break into a fight in the restaurant/bar right next to us. There was pushing, hair pulling, yelling, etc. I've never seen a chick fight before. It even seemed to have two rounds. Craziness...

Then on the drive home, the car in front of us hit the Mercedes in front of him. We heard the crunch and my friend was like, "That wasn't us was it?" Driving the roundpoints, you get pretty close to the vehicles around you. Fortunately we were able to maneuver around the accident and escape seeing a fight there as well.

Overall, my flights went well. Nothing major really. We had to deplane in Minneapolis after boarding late because of mechanical problems but they found us a new plane within the hour. Considering the whole trip, arriving 3 hours late was not that bad. I was impressed with how kind all the passengers were about this. I guess that's what happens when you fly into small-town USA ;). I didn't have a phone so this lady let me use hers to call my parents.
There were four other things that stood out about my travels:
1. In the security line at JFK, I was behind a girl going to the Gambia for the summer. My thoughts: small world
2. Everyone is so clean in the U.S.
3. I amused the guy behind the candy counter at the Minneapolis airport as I stood and stared for several minutes before making my selection. The final verdict: sugar babies.
4. My first meal back in the US was McDonalds: sausage, egg bisquit and hashbrowns. It was heavenly. ;) It was ironic that they had to give me $16 in ones because they were out of other change. I guess it is better than getting candy/matches like in Africa.

I think that's about it. Oh, the College World Series starts tomorrow! Wahoo!!!!!! Look for me on the left-field line.

Over and out...
Annie

these are the days

2009-06-05T04:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a lovely day. Another teacher and I took 5 students to the beach. The ocean is getting warm enough to swim again. It's a Senegalese custom to eat around a common bowl, but we took it one step further. We bought 1.5 L of ice cream and sat around the common container.

Then I was reminded I live in Africa when I returned from the beach and there was not a drop of water coming out of the faucets. Fortunately we had a plastic jug of water so I could take a bucket bath before graduation.

Graduation was beautiful, and we got to say our good-byes.

The next time I post I'll probably be in the U.S.

that's life

2009-06-01T05:01:00.000-07:00

It’s hard to believe it’s June 1st already. Where has the time gone? In less than a week, I’ll be back on U.S. soil. It is interesting to reflect back and see how many things have become “normal” here. Here are some highlights from the past two weeks that have reminded me that I indeed live in Africa:
*We got a small fridge last Saturday. It is nice to be able to refrigerate our food again although it was not as hard as I thought living out of a freezer. I guess if I had to do it all the time, it would get old.

*Roaches have taken over our microwave. They have climbed into the panel and made a nest, and we cannot get them out. Unfortunately that means more and more roaches in our cupboards. (I look forward to a bug-free house in the U.S.) I am afraid we are creating a new species. One of our staff members says that roaches are probably the only things that will withstand a nuclear disaster. Haha (I think it’s a joke anyway.)

*My students made ABC books for geometry. Many of them had the world as their representation for a great circle or hemisphere. It was interesting to see that all of them had Africa at the center. That makes sense because Africa is their home, but I’m so used to seeing the Americas as the featured drawing.

*I was helping one of the missions cook food for their reception and there was an electric stove in the kitchen. It is the first electric stove I’ve seen here. It was a great cultural lesson observing the two MKs figure out how to turn the oven on and off. We figured it out so all was well.

*I am a junior class sponsor next year which means I have to help plan the big banquet. Another sponsor, a couple class officers, and myself were out looking at reception places when we saw an interesting site. This man was standing in the middle of the road by a round point (not unusual), but he threw a bucket full of something at a passing taxi. The bucket bounced off the taxi and got stuck under our grill. We were behind a bus (remember there are men who hang off the back of busses) so they kept pointing at our car. We quickly pulled over and I dislodged the bucket before the man could catch up with us.

That’s it for now…thanks for reading.

have your cake and eat it too

2009-05-15T23:52:00.000-07:00

I was in charge of making birthday treats today. I made the famous crumb cake that calls for….drum roll…a box mix. My roomie commented, “Whoa Annie. You’re going all out.” It sounds funny that box cakes are a treat, especially since we have homemade (as in from scratch) cakes quite frequently. There’s just something about a box cake here that makes it melt in your mouth and taste like the most wonderful dessert. I guess that can be said about a number of American foods, especially peanut butter. I think it’s the transatlantic travel…it infuses something into the product…lol.

I’m so excited to come home. It’s hard to believe I’ll be home in about 3 weeks. Sometimes I feel like I just blinked and the entire semester passed.

The fridge drama continues…we are now back to living out of a freezer for the rest of the year. I’ll let you know how it goes.

More to come from life in Senegal…

yay yay

2009-05-13T08:18:00.000-07:00

Happy Note of the Day: Fridge is fixed again...for like the 4th time. No electrical currents yet ;)

That's all...hehe

Just another day

2009-05-11T03:34:00.000-07:00

So this weekend I had an unusual, yet usual day. It sort of encompasses how much life is different here.

I took a bold step and drove a car home from work. It was my first time driving a stick shift by myself. It was early enough in the day that I knew I wouldn't encounter any traffic. I backed up okay, got it into first, and then didn't stop until I parked the car. Let’s just say it was a slow Sunday drive. :)

Then my roomie and I went to Ngor Island. We always seem to have adventures when we go there. The water was really rough so they handed us life jackets. The boats to transport us are not sturdy metal boats. They are wooden fishing boats with motors attached to them. People have told me they have tipped on occasion. Let's just say I muttered a prayer for safety. We made it there in one piece, a bit wet, but at least I didn't fall this time.

We had our time of devotions as we watched the waves crash into the rocks. Then we moved to get a different perspective to read. My roomie nudges me and says “There is a naked man behind us. He’s walking.” We were like, “Do we move? What do we do?” We don’t want to look. Fortunately he bent down and started bathing. It’s common here I guess. Not everyone has indoor plumbing. The people bathe outside in the house down the way from our apt. It’s pretty common to see people going to the bathroom outside as well.

My roomie and I are now living without a fridge for the last month of school. It keeps going out and sending out electric currents when we touch it (not shocks but an actual current). We'll see how this goes. Fortunately I am a Pettit so I know how to live out of a freezer. (Thanks for the preparation Grandma and Dad.) I took the evening to cook up my food and freeze it. Now let’s hope our freezer doesn’t go out as well. :)

the other side of the box

2009-05-01T02:21:00.001-07:00

On Wednesday, I had the opportunity to hand out some of the shoeboxes that are filled for Operation Christmas Child through Samaritan's Purse. My roommate and some of her 4th grade students partnered with a church to hand out boxes to some of the Sunday School students. I have always enjoyed filling the boxes in the States so I was excited for this opportunity.

It was really so global. Half of my roommate’s students were there, and they represented 6 birth countries: US, Canada, Nigeria, Korea, China, and Russia. The boxes came from the US and Canada, and here they were being distributed to Senegalese children.

There was a little program, talk, and then the boxes were handed out. It’s hard to describe in words really. It started out with about 30 people there. It was done outside because the church meets in a garage. Then it kept growing and growing and growing. That’s what happens here. If there is an event happening, especially with Toubabs, people just come.

It was a great lesson in culture as most of the kids quietly walked up to get their box and they returned to their place without opening it. I learned here that they don’t really show emotion when it comes to things like this. You could tell they were pleased though.

We ran into a small problem towards the end…Perhaps you have already figured it out.

You see, the church had a set number of boxes for their kids. Other kids kept coming to watch (including one of my Jenga partners from the center I volunteered at over Spring Break). There was one box left. While happiness and joy may not be readily expressed in public among the Wolof, aggression is (not mean aggression if that makes sense). The poor 4th graders got pinned against the cars as kids kept trying to grab the last box. We all made it out in one piece.

A good reminder:
I’ve mentioned several times how I “forget” I live in Africa. At first, I kept thinking that the shoe boxes are packed for children in poverty so I wondered why they were being distributed here. You, being the reader may be thinking, “duh Annie. You are living in one of the poorest countries in the world.” That is true, but when I go about my day-to- day business, I forget about it. It doesn’t hit me until I take a step back. For example, I looked at the pictures from the event and thought, “This looks like Africa. I don’t remember it looking like this when I took the pictures.”

*I hope to have more pics uploaded to Facebook so you can see this wonderful event.

the things I seem to leave out

2009-04-22T13:49:00.000-07:00

There seem to be a number of things that happen that I forget to write about here.

For example, friends and I were looking for Goree Island several weeks ago. We got lost and stopped to ask for directions by pointing at the brochure. The guy we asked immediately jumped into the car with us to show us the way. (I was told this could happen.)

I am house sitting for 1.5 weeks. I consider it my trial run at parenting. So far so good...I think. At least we're both still in one piece. I had a slight disappointment though. I wanted to make us really good smoothies. I had the recipe all ready to go. It was from a missionary that was an amazing cook. Unfortunately the recipe flopped b/c it tasted a lot like banana. We don't like banana flavored things. We were so excited for smoothies too. Sadness.

The sand is starting to get pretty deep. My roomie and I got stuck in it with a truck. Fortunately there were a bunch of vendors selling sunglasses and they pushed us out.

That's it for now...I think ;)

addition

2009-04-18T14:21:00.000-07:00

Ooo ooo. I thought of something I left out of my last blog. So on Tuesday they announced over the intercom we were running on chapel sechedule (which means shortened classes). Our study hall was convinced we had an important speaker, say the ambassador from Botswana. Then we learned that we were having another lice check. Hurray for getting to comb through students' hair looking for bugs ;)

...then I remembered I live in Africa

2009-04-17T14:53:00.000-07:00

It's strange, but sometimes I forget I live in Senegal. Life has become routine which I guess is a good thing. Then little things pop up that remind me that my life is very different compared to this time a year ago.

For example:

Bob the gecko is back. I'm letting him stay b/c he's eating lots of bugs...or so my roomie tells me.

I bought some cheap cereal and noticed there were bugs in the box. I started eating the cereal b/c I thought they didn't penetrate the plastic...I was wrong.

I sat down to watch a movie with someone tonight and the electricity went off. Fortunately it came back on in 15 minutes, but it wasn't too surprising to experience the power cut.

There have also been good things about living here.

Examples from the last two days:
I am house sitting for a family. I was able to watch a movie, eat Ben & Jerry's from the carton, and have a nice time. I love being able to build into my students outside of school.

I can speak openly about my faith, my struggles, etc in youth group and not find it awkward.

I have a study hall who is like a family. They pretty much rock. We now have our secret stash of candy which they really enjoy.

Spring Break

2009-03-31T23:25:00.000-07:00

Greetings friends. Many things have happened in the last 1.5 weeks with it being Spring Break. This will be a quick synopsis of things that have happened. If you want more details, feel free to write.

*I found a new granola recipe. It’s delicious. I’m munching on it now. (I think the secret is the apples.)

*We had our mission retreat at this French resort outside of Dakar. I love getting out of the city. I feel so free and relaxed. We played volleyball, ate 3 buffets a day, worshipped, and mainly enjoyed each others’ company. We also came to the conclusion that we are glad the youth of France are changing beach traditions if you know what I mean. Oh, oh…I also saw monkeys just running around. :)

*I got my haircut. I told one of the missionaries to cut it however she wanted. I think it looks fab. :)

*I rode a camel. It felt weird. You sort of rock back and forth. Getting up and down was almost comical. Perhaps I’ll get the video on Facebook soon. I don’t know how my great grandpa did it. It was an awesome experience and I’d do it again though.

*I camped in the desert. I mean, the type of desert where there are just sand dunes. I felt like we were in an entirely different country.

*I went to Goree Island which used to be a slave island. It was surreal. It was like visiting Dachau in a way. It’s something that everyone needs to do. It made me stand even more in awe of William Wilberforce.

*I’m getting better at bargaining. On Goree, I was getting frustrated with the vendors, especially when they said they were just charging African prices. I told them I lived in Dakar (in French) and they immediately lowered the price.

*A student and I did a March Madness Tournament Challenge at school. My bracket was awesome this year. I had MSU, UConn, and UNC in the final four. I had ‘Nova in the Elite Eight. I may win back my own candy. :)

*For the first time, I really feel homesick. I think I’m also hitting the low point during the cultural transition. This probably explains why my blog is so blah. I wanted to make it exciting. After all, I saw monkeys, camped in the desert, rode a camel, ate crab legs for lunch, etc. That’s pretty exciting stuff. If you want, look at my pics on Facebook. They’ll help explain my awesome trips.

Until next time…

Oh, and don’t worry about me. God is good and will get me through.

That last day of school feeling…

2009-03-19T09:16:00.000-07:00

Today we celebrated Π Day in three classes. Let me give a word of advice if you are a sugar addict like me…do not schedule 3 parties in a row. We started at 12:10. By the time 2:20 hit, I had consumed:
*1 rice krispie bar
*2.5 pieces of pie
*2 brownies
*1 piece of cake
*1 cookie
*popcorn
*chips
*4 pieces of licorice.
*3 small glasses of pop
*1 antacid ;)

I never like to see food left because people go through the trouble of making it. At least that’s what I tell myself…lol.

During my last class, we had a fire drill. My class was excited for the party so we didn’t understand the voice telling us to evacuate. We thought it was a lockdown drill so we closed the windows, bolted the door, and sat on the floor behind my desk and table. Then I realized it was a fire drill so we bolted up and got outside. I am proud to say my kids did two drills in the time we were supposed to spend on one. Talent I say…

We have two weeks of Spring Break. The first few days will be spent at a resort in Saly which is right on the ocean. I will have 4+ days of relaxation and fellowship with other C&MAers. Plus we will get 4+ days of French buffets. Ooo la la.

Then I will come back for a night and then head up north in Senegal to ride camels and camp in the desert! We will be in a setting where there will be large sand dunes and nothing else around. I am so excited. I remember fondly the stories my grandma would tell me as a child of her dad riding camels in Lebanon.

I am thankful for these breaks and a chance to fellowship with people. This has been a busy and emotionally trying quarter, but God has seen me through. He is so faithful.

I can’t wait to tell you all about my adventures.

Much love…
AP

randomness

2009-03-08T03:03:00.001-07:00

It's been a while. I actually had written something last week, but the computer didn't save it. I honestly didn't want to write something for a while because I didn't want anything on top of the post about my grandma. I know I must continue pressing on so I decided to write a post of some of my favorite things about life in Senegal. These are just spontaneous things that are popping into my head as I write.

*Fresh fruit, especially pineapple. I love that it's pineapple season.

*Long socks. I think if I was younger, I'd play soccer just to wear the socks. ;)

*Facebook. It has been a great way to stay in touch with so many people.

*Friendships that continue to grow across borders, oceans, etc.

*The ocean. It's starting to warm up again and I can't wait until trips to the beach become part of the weekly Sunday routine again.

*Fanta Lemon. I'm not a big pop drinker, but this is one pop I could drink regularly.

*Getting to know new people, especially missionary women. I hope some of the friendships that have started will continue to grow.

*Beans. I know. Weird. I just never liked beans much before I came. I have come to appreciate rice and beans, lentils and rice, etc.

*Being able to run outside all year round.

Well, church is starting soon so I must bring this to a close.
Much love.

much love

2009-02-16T07:42:00.001-08:00

It is 2:17. I just finished my last pack of Necco hearts, you know the ones you always get on Valentine’s Day. I was waiting to eat them until this moment—after the dreaded phone call came. You see, my Grandma Hall always used to buy us Necco hearts when we were kids.
I have been blessed with great grandparents. They always attended my school events and continue to be active in my life. That is why today is so hard. I keep trying to find the perfect words to write in this blog, but I know they’ll never come. Those of you who knew my grandma know the amazing lady she was. So here is what is bouncing around my head.
Memories:
The ER. My very first memory as a child includes my grandma. It is an event that she probably would have liked to forget—having to take my brother to the ER as a baby while she was baby-sitting us. It all turned out okay in the end so no worries.
Gravy and parsley. My grandma knew how to cook. She made the best gravy. One of my life goals is to learn to make gravy like my grandma. I loved stirring the roaster of gravy on Thanksgiving and being the taste-tester. Another one of my Thanksgiving duties was to decorate the turkey platter with parsley. She always commented on how nice it looked even though I was just putting green stuff around the bird. I’m sure if you look at all the turkey pictures we have stockpiled, you can see my handiwork.
Blueberry pie. My mouth waters just writing about it. You see, my grandma and I used to go pick the blueberries fresh from the woods of Northern Minnesota in order to make the pie. It was a job—taking the Cadillac in places they are probably not supposed to go, bending over to find the plants, swatting mosquitoes and deerflies, and avoiding ticks and poison ivy. Man the pie was so worth it though. The funny thing is that my grandma never really liked the pie. She did all of this year after year for us.
My grandma did more volunteer work than anyone I have ever met. She’s been recognized by governors, sworn into the 4-H Hall of Fame, and probably received more certificates and thank-yous than anyone in the state (or at least SW Iowa). She never did it for the glory or honor. It’s who she was. (Man, it’s getting hard to write in the past tense—“was” keeps making it more and more real.)
It’s been interesting to reflect back on her traits and realize I have some of them. I think my pioneering spirit comes from her. My grandma was adventurous. Case in point, she always wanted to go to the moon. If they would have taken regular citizens, she would have signed up in a second. She’s been all over the world, and I know she would have come visit me here in Africa if she could. Second, my stubborn will or as my grandpa always said, “it’s the Ingerswen in her” kept us both marching down the paths we thought we should take. Finally, my love of learning is something my grandma would love. She was always reading, always listening to things. She still has the original Time (or Newsweek) magazine for the moon landing. How cool is that!?!
When my grandparents reached the time when many of their friends relocated to the South during the harsh Iowa winters, my grandparents stayed. My grandma never wanted to miss our events. She wanted to be around the grandkids.
You see, even though I am in Africa and cannot go home, I am a fortunate one. I had a life filled with my Grandma Hall. I got to see her over Christmas, and I was able to say good-bye last Friday. Even though she couldn’t respond, my mom said she heard me. I will get to see my grandma again in heaven. That’s our home anyway. We won’t be there for our volunteer work or anything like that. It’s because we both believe in Jesus as our Messiah, God’s Son who saved us and makes it possible for us to spend eternity in the presence of God.
Well if you made it this far, I’m proud of you. I wrote this first and foremost for myself, my grandpa (who I love very much), and my family. Even though I am not there with you, I send you my love.

making my daddy proud

2009-01-26T03:04:00.000-08:00

Softball started up Saturday. What a day. We won both of our games (both shutouts) which brings our record to 6-2. Woot! Woot!

I played catcher for the very first time. It's not that hard b/c the ball has to bounce on the plate and wooden piece around it for it to be a strike. Well, it's not supposed to be hard at least. The very first warmup throw, I took it hard off the ankle. My leg went partially numb and I now have a nice knot to show. Needless to say, I iced it and played through the pain.

In the first game, the other team had bases loaded and the batter hit it back to the pitcher. The pitcher tossed it high so I had to stretch into the baseline but fortunately the player coming home was nice and took the fall instead of knocking me over. (He is a nice DA student :) ).

In the second game, we had a stellar play between us girls. There was a single to right field. The rightfielder tossed it to the second baseman. The player at third decided to test the 2nd baseman's arm so he ran. She threw it home to me, and I stretched to get the batter out by inches. This was the first game us girls wore our 2-in-1 baseball socks so we figure it must be the socks...lol...

Other newsworthy things from Saturday:
1. I got my first hit to the outfield. Granted it rolled out there but it made it past the infield.
2. One of our opponents lost part of her hair while sliding into third (hairpiece)
3. I was warming up with the bat and hit the backstop pole. Not cool...

3 more weekends of softball...but who's counting ;)

I survived Outreach '09

2009-01-21T06:47:00.001-08:00

I know this post is long overdue, but it's been pretty crazy since I've returned to Senegal. I landed in Senegal with enough time to take a 1 hour nap before starting professional development here at DA. I had four days to get ready for classes, and then we all hit the ground running.

Last Friday was another Outreach. I did not come down with malaria (Yay!) so I was able to participate in all the events.
Schedule:
*Meet at school at 5:00 am
*Depart by pushing one of the busses/vans out of the parking lot
*Ride four hours to the YWAM Center which was very nice for the African bush. The YWAM Center had squatty potties (a hole in the ground) and showers that had water most of the time. It also had foam beds for us adults!!!
*Depart for the various locations: drama, roofing, foundation, medical, VBS, and basecamp. I worked at the basecamp setting up tents and filtering water.
*Eat supper at 6 pm. We ate out of the common bowl. That is, 7 of us sat around a big bowl and shared the contents.
*Depart for the evangelism campaign which started at 8:45 and ended at 11:30 pm. At the campaign, we sang songs in French, Wolor, Serrar (tribal languages), and English. There was also drama, speaking, and a video.
*Bed time

Saturday pretty much looked like the schedule above except my job was different. I made bricks. That's right, I made bricks by hand. It was fun. I worked with 3 of my students, and we had a great time.

On Sunday we were able to worship at a church that the DA students helped with last year. It was awesome to hear that there had been 50 baptisms at this church in the last year. God is really moving in this part of Senegal. It's humbling to think that we are a part of it.

Other events:
*It is cold. That's right, cold. I know I shouldn't be complaining b/c it's probably in the upper 50s, lower 60s in the mornings, but that is cold for here. I definitely did not bring enough warm clothes so I keep wearing the same thing each morning. ;)
*We had to do a lice check on our students. That was interesting. I feel like I know my students pretty well now after picking through their hair. I mean, how do you politely ask someone if they have dandruff? Ah well, we all survived. The students are used to this so it wasn't that big of a deal.
*Softball starts up again Saturday. I bought baseball socks for us girls on the team so we are going to wear them for the first time on Saturday. We figure we can at least look good playing this game. ;)

Well, I think that's all the news in my life right now. Thanks for reading.

quick thoughts

2009-01-10T08:24:00.000-08:00

Highlights of Break:
-Having so much time with my family
-Seeing old roomies, colleagues, students, and friends
-Being able to continue great relationships that were formed in Tipton
-Sledding
-Iowa fb victory
-Having parents who are amazing cooks
-Eating roast and potatoes four times
-Graeters, apple dumplings, Baklava, peanut butter balls, fudge, caramel corn, etc
-blueberry pie shake from Hamburg Inn
-cutting down the Christmas tree
-having soft hair (no soft hair in Africa)

Lowlights
-not having my Gma Hall home
-Ice, ice, and more ice whenever I was traveling
-The Detroit airport
-MM’s injury
-sledding over the cherry tree

Saddening things
-seeing the self-centeredness and “victim” mentality that is permeating more and more of society
-seeing what people fill their lives with in order to be happy

Overall it was a fabulous vacation. It was great to spend time with my amazing family and to catch up with people who have helped me become who I am today. I love Iowa, but I know right now that God wants me to make my home in Africa.

now that's unique

2009-01-02T13:33:00.000-08:00

She walked in the door with a slight bend in her posture and a cane in her hand. She then started to walk slowly around the indoor track while the 6th grade girls shot hoops. As I was finishing my workout she appeared in the door, caneless, and settled down on a weight machine.

I always wish I could write a book that took place at the Neola community center It's such a fascinating place. I mean, there are probably few other places in the U.S. where you can find yourself working out with a former Miss Basketball and an 80+ person. I love watching the elderly lift weights. It's so cool. And don't be fooled by their age-those farm women are strong!

Today is my last full day at home, that is, if the weather cooperates. Tomorrow I begin my Eastern Iowa journey to Ames followed by 2+ days in Tipton. It should be fun. It's hard to believe how much my life has changed in the time since I last left these two towns.

My adjustment to the US was fine. No real culture shock. I didn't like shopping at Walmart though. Halfway through I started getting frustrated with all the choices. I couldn't decide what type of canned chicken I wanted. Fortunately there was only one type of canned ham so that settled me down. (We'll see what these taste like in Senegal.)

Highlights:
"sledding" with Hannah. It was all icy and on my very first run, I knocked over the cherry tree in our yard! Then we decided to be brave and sled in the pasture. We flew down that hill. Hannah only slipped 18 times on the ice that day. ;)

seeing my grandma gradually improve from her stroke that occurred the same day I came down with malaria

cooking with my dad. It's funny that we don't know what we did when we only had one oven in the house. ;)

an Iowa bowl victory...in convincing fashion I might add

the every day events with my family. I love them so much

Next post should be from the other side of the Atlantic!

a trip home

2008-12-16T23:15:00.000-08:00

It's 7:15 am on Dec 17. I leave at 3 am to go home for Christmas. I have been waking up between 4-5 am each morning for the last two weeks. I'm thinking it's partly malarial effects, excitement, stress, etc. I'm just telling you this in case the following doesn't make sense...lol

It's hard to believe I've been here a semester. I'm wondering how I'll react when I go home? In some ways I think the culture shock will be worse going home than coming here. I mean, after living in a poverished nation, how can I not feel the effects of returning to the wealthiest nation in the world?

Don't get me wrong. I am really looking forward to seeing friends and family. I am looking forward to seeing snow, being cold (for a bit anyway), drinking real milk, drinking water from the faucet, eating cereal, pork, good beef and chicken, and using towels that are nice and fluffy from the dryer. I'm excited to help cut down the Christmas tree on Saturday, to tell others about my experiences here, and to visit Tipton.

Speaking of which, God really blessed me by placing me at Tipton. I really did have great coworkers and students. I am so fortunate that many people have kept in touch, and that I can continue those relationships. That was my biggest adjustment-a new school. I mean, I love it here, but I have no history here. I had a history at Tipton. The students knew me, and I knew them. That is starting to come here, and I am loving it. I realize I'm not betraying my former students by forming deep relationships here. I can do both. It's not like I left Tipton (which was good) in search of something better. I was just being obedient to God. He has provided here too. It is a great experience. The kids are great, and I enjoy teaching them and getting to know them. I know time will bring more good things.

Well I better go prepare for my 2 exams this morning.

God bless and Merry Christmas. May you seek God and be surrounded by His love this season.

The Alphabet Game

2008-12-08T23:57:00.000-08:00

On the malaria roadtrip, my friends and I played the alphabet game to take my mind off how I felt. Since there are really no road signs here, we decided to list things that can be boughten out your car window on the side of the road. That's right folks, you can buy all of these things while staying in your car or even cruising along in neutral. I tried to recreate the list two nights when I couldn't sleep. That means this isn't an exhaustive list. ;) Happy reading:

A-axe (during Tabaski), apples
B-boxers, baby walkers
C-crackers, CDs, cots
D-dates, duffle bag
E-eggs, electronics
F-fruit
G-games
H-hats
I-iron, inflatable toys
J-jackets
K-knifes
L-luggage
M-machete (during Tabaski)
N-nuts
O-oranges
P-phone cards
Q-q-tips
R-radios, rams (during Tabaski)
S-shirts, shoes
T-tea
U-undershirts
V-vegetables
W-water
X-xylophone ***haven’t seen this out the window of the car; have seen at beach
Y-yo-yos
Z-zucchini

Ouch

2008-12-05T03:11:00.000-08:00

Well, people keep saying I’ve become a veteran of Senegal. I survived my first bout of malaria. Let me tell you, I hope I never get it again. I have never been in so much pain (and I’ve had the true flu and missed a week of school). I couldn’t move but I couldn’t get relief from just lying around. I couldn’t even watch a movie because it hurt so badly. I don’t mean to whine. I’m just trying to portray what I went through. What’s sad is people go through this all the time around the world. I read on the CDC website that 350-500 MILLION people get malaria every year. Wowzers. I am so thankful the Bush administration dedicated a lot to malaria in Africa because it is a problem here.

CDC website: http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/

I was fortunate because they started me on medication right away. I was in a village on outreach. We were supposed to roof a church, create a soccer field, treat some medical problems, and do evangelistic campaigns. I felt sick within the first 45 minutes of arriving. Malaria takes a while from the bit of the infected mosquito until the symptoms show so it didn’t occur in the village. I felt so bad because I felt so helpless-both to helping others as well as helping myself. Fortunately, I work with AMAZING people who did everything they could to help alleviate the pain.

Well I guess that’s a general description of what is new. I wish I could blog about the outreach, but I spent most of it lying down. I can tell you the kids were great workers. They worked hard in some tough conditions. I am so proud of them.

Well I better tackle some schoolwork. I missed four days this week and my plan book shows it.

I hope to see some of you in less than two weeks. Yahoo!

and we continue on

2008-11-19T03:14:00.000-08:00

It was 7:50 pm on Sunday night. The Muslim call to prayer was ringing in the background. My roomie and I were waiting for the fruit man to finish.

How much my life has changed.

It was 8 pm on Monday night. I was returning to my apartment when I saw a bat fly overhead.

How much my life has changed.

It is November, 19. I am still wearing skirts and short sleeves. (Yeah, those three cool days are proving to be an anomaly, but at least the humidity levels have dropped.)

How much my life has changed.

“Retreating and Returning”
They say after you have been somewhere for 6 weeks, you don’t notice many new things anymore. I have been here longer than that of course, but I am surprised that I don’t notice new things anymore. Sometimes I have to take a step back or have another newcomer point something out before it registers.

I have gotten used to the poverty in Dakar. I see it every day. I don’t want to say I have become blind to it, but it doesn’t stand out anymore. (sad I know) This past weekend, I was able to get out of Dakar for the annual women’s retreat. We went to Saly which is a resort town in Senegal. I must admit, we were spoiled. There was a pool, a beach, corn flakes, and chicken that did not taste like rubber! And of course, the company was fantastic. Anyways, I was talking with a lady who came to help with the retreat, and I asked her what stood out the most about Senegal. She talked about the poverty. When we drove back into Dakar, it’s like the poverty and dirtiness of the city hit me all over again. The sand, the shacks, the cars spewing out black exhaust, etc stood out like new again. Maybe it’s a good sign. I don’t know. I hate to think that I will become so comfortable with the status quo that I will no longer feel anything for the Senegalese.

Upcoming Events:
Friday: Movie night outdoors at DA
Saturday: Softball game
Tuesday: Turkey bowl (football games at DA)
Thursday: Thanksgiving
Friday: Outreach to a village

Stay tuned for the details!

Is it that time again?

2008-11-06T09:22:00.000-08:00

Greetings. I do apologize for the length between posts these days. I just haven't found anything exciting to write about. I mean, I was walking by the office this afternoon thinking that 3+ months ago, I would have never thought lizards crawling on the walls would be "normal." How time and experience change things.

You may be wondering about softball. Well we are 2-0. I got my first hit the other game. Yay, yay! I am getting to know the kids better through the game so that is nice. I guess it's worth the embarrasement of never catching fly balls...;)

I am just finishing 2 Corinthians and I thought it was an interesting read during the election campaign. (Yes, I did wake up at 4 am to come find out the winner.) What surprised me the most here was all the focus on the candidates' words. Don't get me wrong. Words are great and powerful. However, I think we fall into a dangerous trap when we evaluate anyone based on their words. The addage "Do as I say, not as I do" kept coming back. I found myself wanting to ask people about the candidates' actions. What have their actions shown. That is what reveals something about a person. Sometimes we as believers can focus so much on our speech that we miss our actions and character. What do people see when they look at you? Have you stopped to think about that lately?

P.S. I didn't change for DST so I am now 6 hours ahead of CDT.

the day by day

2008-10-27T00:48:00.000-07:00

Life has certainly become busy these days. Every afternoon brings an activity and the weekends have not become a reprieve to the crazy schedule. I am learning to better balance my time through this, and I do relish the times that I get to know the students better.

I was talked into playing softball-slow pitch softball. For those of you who know me from my younger years, I was not known for my stellar softball skills. I am viewing this as a ministry, a time to better get to know the kids. Plus they can’t say too much because there have to be three girls on the field and there are only four girls on the team.

I have been experimenting more in the kitchen. I made crackers the other day. They didn’t taste half bad. Well except for the little accident. I forgot two pans in the oven while watching a movie and they were burnt to a crisp. I hated to throw them out because of the time and labor involved. So I have compromised, and I eat them with my homemade, weak, salsa. That is followed by lots of water.

Yesterday I made two apple pies with a couple students. I am a big fan of apple pie. I have learned I’m an apple snob. Haha. I like Granny Smith apples in everything. You can’t always find them, but they did have them yesterday when I went to the fruit stand. I made a big deal of this and the students looked at me like I was crazy.

Then after that, two students came over and made chicken curry. It was fabulous and a definite learning process. You cannot buy chicken breasts. You buy a whole chicken and you have to debone, deskin, and remove all the yucky inside organs. Fortunately, one of the girls was an expert at this.

I know what you’re thinking-I’m making my students cook for me. That’s not entirely true. As you know, getting to know the kids outside the classroom is my favorite part of teaching. It is encouraged here because our lives are so interconnected. I like to cook and I find a lot of my students like to cook as well. It is such a fun time of hanging out, joking around, and building great relationships.

Last night I went to our church’s choir concert. There were 9 choirs there. Let me tell you-it was an African event. The singing was amazing! It was also a great reminder that time is not the most important thing here. The concert lasted four hours. Unfortunately I did not stay for it all. I took video and hope to piece some of it together when I come home so you can enjoy it as well.

Hmmm…what else…
The diplomat spoke at our school the other day. She is a strong Christian and it is great to have people in public service that desire to follow the Lord. I find myself buying into an international view of America, and I don’t always like that. Sure, America has its problems, its vices, etc. I’m not ignorant of those. However, we tend to gloss over all the good features of America-our giving spirit, the chance of opportunity, etc. I am proud to be an American. I wish others around me would be proud to be Americans too instead of focusing on all the negatives. The same should be said of you in America. Yes, acknowledge the problems and try to change them, but don’t ignore the things that make America truly great.

Until next time…

That punched-in-the-stomach feeling

2008-10-16T00:43:00.000-07:00

Written on 10-15:

Life is hard. I keep saying that to my roomie lately.

Today I received the news no teacher likes to hear-a loss of a (former) student. How do you process that? Should I be writing on here, should I be journaling, should I be _______ (fill in the blank). I figured I'd continue this post in hopes that my rambled thoughts can be an encouragement to someone halfway around the world.

I received the email. I bawled. His face kept flashing in my mind all day. I looked at the desk in the second row of my current algebra class and I saw him. I thought about his late arrivals to algebra, his “love” of graphing, and his wonderful facial reactions.

How do you explain to someone the family that is a small school? How can you explain the pain you feel but also the pain you feel for your former students? I mean, they were always more than students for me. They were my kids. What can I do from Senegal? I can’t wrap them in big hugs and take away their pain. That’s what I want to do. I want to take the punched-in-the-stomach feeling away from them.

Americans don’t like grief/the grieving process. People need to know it’s okay to hurt. It’s okay to cry. It’s okay to be angry. “I’m sorry” never seems adequate. It’s the truth though. I’m sorry it happened. I wish I could rewind time. I do. Kids should not have to handle so much pain.

What can I do from Senegal? I can pray.
I know that may sound shallow and trite right now. I mean, I love God. I really LOVE Him, but during the initial news, I reacted in anger towards God. I wanted to control the situation, to know the “why”, to make life fair and not so hard. Then I had to remember. I’m not God. I don’t know all. Some things in life are hard and we may never know the reason “why.” God is not a security blanket for weaklings. He is the Truth. The Truth that does not owe us explanations. I wish we could know everything. I do. I rest in the fact that God does know all. His living Word reveals God’s nature. That is where we need to go to for comfort.

John 11:35 Jesus wept.

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Isaiah 43:2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.

Isaiah 40: 28-29 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth…He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might He increases strength.

Psalm 71: 12 O God, be not far from me; O my God, make haste to help me!
Psalm 46:1, 10a God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble….Be still and know that I am God.

Into God’s loving arms I run.

Dichotomy-say that three times ;)

2008-10-08T05:09:00.000-07:00

So I’ve lost count on how many times I’ve tried to write this blog. I think this is the sixth or something. (Power cuts, internet problems etc keep getting in the way.) I really wanted to say something profound, but now I just want to say something. This may not be eloquent as the heat index is 99 degrees (88 with 70% humidity) at 4:30 pm.

I went on a weekend vacation outside of Dakar. One of the missions has a beach house. While there, thoughts started to gel in my head. I’ve hesitated to write about what I see each day. I didn’t want to form opinions too quickly in fear they would skew what I see for the years to come. I guess this is what PFO termed “delaying judgment.”

I’ve come to the conclusion that Senegal is one big dichotomy. (Well, actually it’s probably a bunch of little dichotomies, but you know what I mean.) I think the best way to illustrate is with pictures I took on vacation.

This is a view at the beach house in Ngaparou. Beautiful isn't it?

Standing in the same spot as the previous picture but looking a little bit lower. Those white things in the picture are dead fish.

There are many other examples: I see begging children walk by a parked Mercedes on my way to school, beautiful flowers with piles of trash underneath, etc.

Living here, I understand how our views are shaped by our perspective. I could see the beautiful ocean or just the dead fish, the flowers or trash. What is your perspective at this moment? I’m not implying that it’s good to focus on one while ignoring the other. Seeing both are good. It’s just that if I always focused on the dead fish or the trash, then I would be missing so many wonderful things.

Perspective…

still alive and kickin'

2008-09-27T04:05:00.000-07:00

Hi all. I just wanted to write a quick message to let you know all is still well here. We haven't had Internet for the past week at school. I am at a friend's house now. Sorry not many stories to share. I spent an hour writing my update letter which most of you receive anyway.

We did have our first movie night at DA. We set up chairs outside and watch movies as an entire community as a fundraiser for the students' junior-senior banquet and senior retreat. We had burritos and some great kettle corn (for the movie). We watched Flushed Away and Fly Boys. It was fun. I enjoyed the experience.

That's it for now...

the hamster is a bit slow

2008-09-20T07:52:00.000-07:00

Greetings. Please excuse my frustration of today. The internet is so slow. I feel a really big hamster is having trouble turning the wheel today. When I start to think like that, I make myself stop and appreciate the fact I do have internet. I can do something in Africa and my friends and family can see it in the US. That's pretty amazing.

I have added more pics and videos to Facebook. I tried to take some "day in the life" videos. They are short but they give you a small glimpse into my life here. You may be wondering why I've never taken any pictures of the poverty. Well I'm just starting to process that myself. I mean, it's here. It's all around. I just feel uncomfortable taking a picture of someone in need. It seems too intrusive.

Oh, I forgot to blog about my adventures of last Saturday. We went to a clothing market. It was crazy-a good crazy though. It's held in the middle of one of the streets here. There are just piles of clothes. I bought four shirts and two shorts (workout clothes). My roomie bought 3 or 4 shirts. I spent $8 and she spent $5. I know it sounds cheap but I need to clarify the clothes. Most of them are used and come from the States. Some of the clothes still had Goodwill Tags on them so they were clothes Goodwill couldn't sell. As some of you know, I am a big fan of t-shirts that have interesting sayings on them so I was in heaven looking through some of the piles. I bought one that talked about science camp and junior scientists in the making. My roomie had me buy a shirt that says Just Talented. (I said it needed to have humility on the back.) My roomie and I bought mainly out of the piles which have fixed prices but there are also clothes for sale where you need to barter. I bought a nice pair of soccer shorts that way.

This past Friday, we had a staff retreat at a local hotel. It was so nice. I felt like I had just climbed out of a brown hole when I saw all the color at the hotel-bright blue water and green grass!!! The hotel was right on the ocean so we could go swimming, walk along the ocean, and then eat at the buffet. We didn't spend the night or anything but it was still fun.

Well I am off to bake. We have a C&MA get together tonight. Woo-hoo!

Beach

what's three more days

2008-09-12T11:44:00.000-07:00

I started this on Friday night. I guess if you wait a few days...

Friday:
I know I've hit the six week mark because I can't really find anything to write about that stands out. They say once you live in a place six weeks, things start to seem more "natural" or "routine."

I guess one thing that stood out this week was the big realization that I lived in a Muslim country. I was playing volleyball last Wednesday and the call to prayer really stood out. I don't live by a mosque so the voice is not that loud. It just seemed like I was in a movie.

Monday:
Whew. Today is a day where I have to look at the glass half full. I mean, I'm sitting here wishing I could have seen Big Z's no hitter. I can't even watch the highlights because the internet is sooo slow right now. I haven't checked the Iowa score b/c of the same reason. However, I am thankful I do have the internet.
It hasn't rained in a while so it's quite hot and steamy. At least we did have a good rain this year though. I guess this attitude is what gets us through life. There will be small frustrations that turn into big ones if we let them. The key, especially here, is not to let them grow too large.

I made a lot of food this weekend. It's all from scratch of course, right down to buying the veggies, soaking them, peeling them, etc. I even had to make the tomato sauce b/c it's a lot cheaper to buy tomato paste.

Now before I tell you what I made, I need to relate a story from my past. My parents were into really healthy food when I was a kid. My brother and I used to love nachos and it became our meal of choice after church. Then something terrible happened-baked chips were invented. Now, I am not talking about the baked chips that are out now. Those are fabulous. No, I am talking about the original, cardboard ones. It quickly squelched our nacho craze and we still talk about those baked chips today.

Fast forward to last night. I had finished making spaghetti sauce, limeade, salsa, and chips. To make the chips, I had to cut up tortillas and bake them. Now, I think that's exactly what the creators of the first baked chips did. However, being removed from the States made them taste wonderful. I am not a big chip fan, but having my chips and salsa, which probably would take like cardboard and tomato paste to someone in the US, was amazing. I couldn't stop eating them.So I guess after all these years I can thank my mom for buying those baked chips and preparing me. Thanks Mom. ;)
BTW-Homemade limeade is amazing. Mmmm....

Okay, time to try and talk to the Internet nicely so I can watch Big Z. :)

Oh, and I almost forgot. I may be coming home for Christmas. More on that later.

Josephine has some power

2008-09-04T09:09:00.000-07:00

So two nights ago we had this really bad storm where the wind was actually being sucked out my bedroom window. I believe the name of that storm is now Josephine. Let me back up. You may or may not know that hurricanes start off our coast. Whenever we get a storm, it has the potential to turn into a tropical storm/hurricane. It takes anywhere from 7-15 days for the storm to reach America. I guess it's no surprise then that our rainy season and hurricane season last for the same length of time.

It's starting to get hotter and more humid. I guess Sept is the worst month and then it'll cool down. Fortunately I'm made for hot weather but 80% humidity is wearing.

What else is new? Hmm...I signed up to play intermural handball. I guess it's an Olympic sport. It's kind of cool that we can have a mixture of ms students, hs students, staff, and dorm parents on the same team.

It is now the 3rd day of Ramadan. It is a month where Muslims fast all day. As a Christian, we must ensure we don't tempt a Muslim by carrying open food or water. Please pray that God would be moving during these times and Jesus would reveal himself to our neighbors and some of our students.

another anniversary

2008-08-30T04:47:00.000-07:00

I have been here for one month...actually one month, six hours and a handful of minutes. I think, no wait, I know culture shock is setting in. It's not really a reaction to the environment as a reaction to who I am. College football has started back home and for the first time since I was like 10, I won't know what's going on or be able to watch it. A whole lot of my knowledge is useless here. Plus,I can't be the teacher I was at Tipton because I'm not at Tipton. Everyone goes through this. It stinks but it's reality. It's a mourning process and a time to push through to the reality that our worth is found in only one place: in the hands of Christ.

It's been a while since I've updated this thing so I don't even know what to write. I tend to have these great stories in my head, but then I never get a chance to record them. I guess here are some happenings that stand out:
1. We had a great rainstorm the other day. Rain is a treat here. The kids go crazy. One of my junior girls was standing outside and admitted that she was giggling inside. It was a great storm. The wind was blowing cool air and the temp dropped like 20 degrees. Then it just started pouring. you could see the storm coming from the distance. I let my students stand outside. It was hard to resist. It felt so nice.

The storm

2. I bought some UHT milk instead of powdered milk. It's one thing I really miss from the US-milk and cereal. (If you've never traveled outside the US, it's hard to describe how our milk is so much different than the rest of the world.) Anyways, I paid about $2.50 for 1 liter. The first time I poured it, I spilled some. Whoever said, "Don't cry over spilled milk" has never paid $2.50 for 1 liter. ;)

3. It's still hard to get used to how expensive food is here, and we're not buying prepackaged food here. If we want chicken, we buy a whole chicken (that still has all the insides intact). I know after a while I'll just have to get used to the fact that I'll spend more on food here than the US

4. I'm starting to get to know the kids better. I'm liking that.

I guess that's it for now..

Yep, I'm living in Africa

2008-08-24T10:06:00.000-07:00

A friend asked me today if it has hit me that I'm living in Africa. This weekend I can tell you it has.

I made it through my first week of school. Pretty uneventful. It's taken me a while to get used to teaching on a regular 8-period schedule. I think I'm starting to get the hang of it. I need to learn to slow my planning a bit.

On Friday night, we had a potluck in our apt building and then watched a movie on the roof. They hooked up a projector and showed it on a wall. It was surreal really. Here we were, watching Next, on top of our roof in Africa!?! During the movie, we saw two shooting stars. It was so cool.

In a 24 hour span on Sat/Sun, I think we had no electricity more than we had electricity. We had four power cuts, all lasting 2-3 hours. Three happened at night, one early Sat morning and two early Sunday morning (boo) and one when I was trying to talk with my family (double boo).
My roomie and I had a family over for dinner on Sat night so we had 4 pizzas. During that process, our mixer broke.
(We couldn't win that day.)
Fortunately we had a great time with the family. They have 5 kids, 4 joined us for dinner so we had 8 people around our table. After dinner we played spoons.

I was hoping to post pictures today, but my laptop will not work. I don't know why.

My roomie told me we can stress about these things or we can roll with it. We've gotta roll or we wouldn't make it.

Things to pray about:
1. The plane crash in Madrid. It has affected Tres Cantos, where I spent 6 weeks last summer.
2. One of our students has a bad case of malaria. It's a reality here, but it's still scary.

the ups and downs

2008-08-20T10:24:00.000-07:00

Note: This was started 8-20. In the middle of it, we lost power so now it's a post that spans two days.

Today, for the first time, I can honestly say I wanted to be back in the states. Tipton started school today, and I wanted to be there. I guess that's a good sign as I did try to pour my heart into that place. Some days were better than others...

The day did progress nicely here though. I received some affirming words from students here which is what I needed for that day.

Life without constant electricity and water is interesting. The former is not too bad (unless you're trying to sleep), but the latter is challenging. My roomie and I were without water for over 13 hours (long story), and we were also without electricity during part of that time. Simple things like showering or using the restroom suddenly become really complicated. ;)

I've noticed that life without electricity makes us slow down. Take last night for instance. My roomie and I were able to pray, share a meal, and sit outside and talk while enjoying the cookies we made the day before. There were no distractions of computer work or watching a movie. It's nice in a way. (Don't get me wrong. I love having electricity.)

Random things:
1. There is a snail outside the computer room door that is as long as a pen.
2. My classroom was painted 1.5 years ago, and the paint still hasn't dried completely.

I feel like I'm leaving so many things out. It still feels like a dream. Instead of living in a snow globe, I feel it's like a sand globe. Weird I know...It's just so much different than life in Iowa, but yet random things don't strike me as odd. I mean, seeing goats run around outside near our apt doesn't register. It's like my life has always been like this. (Maybe it's the honeymoon phase.)

More to come...

three days down

2008-08-17T05:22:00.000-07:00

School has officially begun at DA. I have taught for three days and am still in one piece. The school is really the center of life. There are kids playing games and hanging out all the time. It is more than a school-it's a family and community.
I forgot how hard it was to start over (and what it's like to be new), and I hope to build some great relationships. I do miss Tipton and all the people there. Fortunately there is facebook and email to keep relationships going. :)

Interesting things about school:
1. There are 5 different buildings so it's like an outside school.
2. I alone have kids from 11 different passport countries. There are MKs, Ambassador/Diplomat kids, etc
3. I can't escape Husker nation. A boy in my class (who is only here for a semester) wore a Husker shirt the other day. :(
4. I find myself wanting to do hall duty. Only people in Tipton will find this humorous because I never made it to the hallway like I was supposed to. Nobody stands in the "halls" here.

Other things I've been pondering.
1. Sometimes it comes rushing at me that I live in Africa. Take for instance when I don't finish my food. Growing up I always heard "there are starving kids in Africa." I always said they could send the food to Africa. Now these people aren't a continent away. They are half a block away. Reality is hard sometimes. Really hard.

2. Begging is a natural part of life here. In fact, there has to be beggers. I know that sounds foreign to Americans, but in Islam, one of the pillars is giving to the poor. If there are no poor, then they cannot complete this pillar. I was downtown last week and I saw a beggar shopping for earrings. Don't get me wrong. Not all the beggars are like this. Some really wouldn't survive without it.

More later...

I live in Africa

2008-08-08T03:21:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it hits me at random times to think I actually live in Africa. No matter how old I get, I can tell people I've lived in Africa. I know that may sound weird, but that's what pops into my head at random times.

Nothing really new to report. I've been busy with orientation at school. My roomie arrived yesterday, and I think we'll get along well. We, well really she, made pizza last night.

What I've learned:
*I don't really like bleach. We have to put it in our dish water and it does a number on the hands (and clothes). It's a good think I like polka-dotted clothes ;)
*We can in fact have hot water. My water has always been cold so I figured that's all we got, although I found it funny we had two knobs on our faucets. My dad informed me that my water heater probably was not on. haha
*Skype is a beautiful thing. I've already talked to my parents so if you would like to talk, let me know. It's a free program you can download, and it totally rocks.

Well back to more training. Perhaps my next post will be written by a 27-year-old. Eek. ;)

mas/more (I wonder what it is in French)

2008-08-05T09:12:00.000-07:00

I am finally using my laptop with the wireless at school. Woohoo. I'll keep this post short, but I wanted to share more pics with y'all.

Okay, so my computer is being really weird and not letting me see the images so the captions are down here.
1. My lovely tent/bed.
2. a lizard at school; There are a lot of them, and they are surprisingly quite quick.
3. a flame tree; I love the color.
4. the soccer field and track at school; I guess this is as green as it'll get.

More things I've learned and haven't shared:
1. You pay for a taxi ahead of time and it's rude for them to ask for more money (although Danielle and I have had it happen). It costs around $5 for a 10 minute ride (I think).
2. Surprisingly we can do a lot without electricity. It has gone out every day, but it isn't too bad unless you're trying to updage a blog or sleep. :)
3. Too much bleach is definitely a bad thing! We filter our water and we add bleach. My first batch was fine but my second was not. Ouch!

Until next time...

48 hours

2008-08-03T12:57:00.000-07:00

First off, I guess I sent the wrong address so if you need my correct one, please let me know. :)

Now onto the good stuff. :)

I don't feel like I'm doing a good job of portraying my experiences here so sometime I hope to take videos. I mean, right now I hear the call to prayer from the Mosque, am sitting in mid80s at 8:15 pm, and yet am using the computer to write this blog. I am getting used to the idea of two showers a day, always having sandy feet, daily power cuts, and greeting everyone in French and hopefully soon, Wolof. The taxi rides (and bartering) are crazy. Luckily I don't do it, my friend does. No words can describe the driving really. I mean, how do you explain to most Americans that part of the "interstate" here has no lines, people walk alongside and across it, and that playing chicken on smaller roads is part of the driving process. On a side note, the prices here are comparable or more expensive than the US. It may be hard to believe but it's true. Fortunately I haven't bought much but taxi fares and a camel key chain.

Culture shock has not set in yet. Fortunately, I have been welcomed by several ladies who have taken me under their wing so I haven't had to really venture out alone (except to walk to school).

Here are the details of my last 48 hours in case you're interested:

I have been hanging out with one of the other teachers, and Danielle has been kind enough to show me around. Yesterday we went downtown. It's quite a place. Lots of stands selling things. People of course, tend to approach us, but luckily Danielle speaks French very well. She went to high school at DA so she knows how to handle situations. Yay! We ate at a local restaurant where I had chwarma (sp?). Basically it was a tortilla/flat bread with meat, french fries, tomatoes, onions, and sauce inside. (Good but different Hannah. ;) )

I went to an international church today that is in English. It was awesome. Most of the people that attend are from other African countries: Nigeria, Sierra Leone, etc. It lasted over two hours. (We never know when it'll end, just like HAC. Just kidding Pastor Ray) :) The vibrant singing and dancing were beautiful.

After church we went to the beach. I love the ocean and could get into the habit of going every weekend. The water was warm and not too rough. There were lots of guys playing soccer, people selling things (again asking us all the time), and music blaring. If I closed my eyes, it almost felt like an American beach as hip-hop and rap blared through the speakers. Then I'd be jolted back to reality by lots of voices speaking languages I don't understand: French and Wolof. Everytime someone approached, I would look blankly at Danielle who would answer. The people next to us offered us juice so we couldn't refuse. It was sort of a maalox consistency and taste with a bit of fruit. Interesting but that's life abroad.

I hope to start running tomorrow. That may be an adventure. My goal is to hopefully be able to run the sandhill with the soccer players but we'll see what happens. I was huffing and puffing walking up a teeny-tiny incline from the beach. :)

More to come...

by popular demand

2008-08-01T05:45:00.001-07:00

I took some pictures this morning from my apartment.
This is a view from the roof. There are a lot of unfinished buildings in Dakar. People invest their money in buildings so when they can afford a wall, they build it. It may take several years before they can build another wall, but this is how they slowly build their houses.
This is looking the opposite way, more towards the neighborhood. It's pretty green right now because we have had a lot of rain.

Notice that our neighbors have a trampoline. I thought that was cool. :)
This is basically the view from my bedroom window. Unfortunately the goats were not there yet, but they like to climb on this old jail. Soccer players also come and run this hill.

Things I've learned so far:

1. How to flame bread to get the bugs off. (Some people don't flame it, but I'm new so I thought I'd better.)

2. Power cuts are much better during the day. We had two last night so sleeping in 85 degree heat at night (according to my alarm clock) with no moving air can be difficult.

3. Ca va (how are you) can be used as a question, answer, all around term. (Thanks Anne for teaching this to me and having me practice.)

4. Eggs can be left on the counter. That's where we keep ours anyway.

5. There are not as many mosquitos as I thought there would be. Yay!

Well I better go work in my classroom. More pics and updates to come.

Stay tuned. :)

JFK to DKR (with 30% more free)

2008-07-30T09:07:00.001-07:00

Greetings from Africa. Perhaps next time I'll throw in some French, but today I will stick to English. It is currently 4 pm Senegalese time. I have been here 10 hours already! I have to admist I had a pretty good entry started on my computer, but I can't connect it to the Internet yet so I will give you some of the rough details. Please excuse any incoherent parts. (chalk it up to jet lag)

My journey started at 3:30 am CDT in good 'ole Neola. I made it to and through Detroit without any problems. Yay! When I landed at JFK, I realized it was a whole nother world in terms of airports. (If you've been there, you know what I mean.) I was waiting in this big open room which was supposed to turn into a check-in area (I was hoping anyway) when a lady approached several of us who were waiting and asked where we were going. I explained I was going to Senegal and she said she was too. She had missed her flight the previous day so she spent the day in the airport. She was originally from Senegal but had lived in the US for quite some time.

Anyway to make a long story short, she was having trouble getting a ticket for the plane and she was having trouble maneuvering around the airport. I told her I'd help her so together we went up, down, to different terminals, etc and finally got a ticket. (Aside: I had prayed on the first leg of the journey that God would bring someone into my life with whom I could get to know on this trip. I also prayed for an uneventful trip. First one check, second one sort of...:) )

Then we started through security. I spotted a Senegalese man in the security line whom we had met in the elevator while on our wild goose chase around JFK. The lady was in a different line so she was unable to communicate with this man but I did my best to motion to him to take off his shoes, keep out his boarding pass, etc. He didn't speak French (well neither do I) but Wolof, the local language.

So what started out as a journey alone was no longer. I now had two companions and we were still growing.

As we started to board the plane, we saw a young mother with her infant son strapped to her back. She was trying to push a bag, suitcase, carry a car seat and something else. She didn't speak English either so I told the woman I was with to tell the lady we would help her carry her things. (The two women had conversed earlier.) So now the woman is carrying a car seat, I'm pushing a bag and carrying my own while motioning to the gentleman that we are boarding and he should come even though they didn't call his seat.

I originally hoped to rest at the JFK airport since I don't sleep well on planes. It was nice though being able to help them. The first lady said God always provides someone to help you. I told her it was so true. I helped her at JFK and she helped me when I landed in Dakar.

So I guess this perhaps wasn't the most exciting travel story, but it was fun for me as I saw our group grow. Helping others really does transcend language.

You're probably wanting to hear about Senegal, my new home. Well I'll probably have to provide more details later as I haven't had time to process it all. It definitely is a different world. Waves of calmness and panic have both come. (It's funny though-even though I'm halfway around the world, I was still able to talk with a friend I met at PFO who now lives in Malaysia as well as talk with a former student. The familiar can still be here even though things look and sound different.)

The traffic is crazy. It makes Chicago look like Neola (or Tipton). Drivers weave, there are no lane markings really on many roads) and people will walk along busy streets. I'm glad to be a passenger. :)
My apartment is nice. It has all the furnishings. We did lose electricity earlier today for a few hours but it wasn't too bad. I could hear several goats outside my window today. They walk in the torn down jail that used to be next to my apartment. (catch the words used to) There are some beautiful trees with bright flowers. Gorgeous.
It has been rainy so it's not that hot today. Humid but not hot.
We walked to the school and I saw my classroom. It's not air conditioned, but I haven't taught at an air conditioned school yet so that's not different.

That's a small glimpse into my life. More details to come. Oh, and I will post pictures later. I want to process more before I start snapping photos.

HAC

2008-07-27T14:43:00.000-07:00

No worries...life is good. I haven't left yet, but again I feel compelled to write. (I'm glad my friends talked me into starting one of these.)

I must say I have the most amazing church family ever--Harvest Alliance Church. It is always nice to come back "home" to this church. Today they had a commissioning service for me. The congregation may be small, but it has a heart for missions. Like usual, I started weeping. I don't know what it is, but I always get teary when I talk at church. I think it may be the fact that I can feel their love when I'm standing up front. Seeing my family and members of my church family that I know are praying just gets overwhelming (in a good way).

Well unless I decide to write tomorrow, my next entry will come from the other side of the ocean.
Good-bye!

randomness

2008-07-23T19:21:00.000-07:00

I feel compelled to write. I don't know why. I'm tired, really tired. I'm in the middle of the unorganization they described at PFO. Fortunately they described that even organized people go through this time where everything is just everywhere so I'm not going crazy...yet.

I'm ready to go. Really ready. If I could step on the plane tomorrow, I would. I guess that's a good sign. It's a step into the unknown, but yet it seems completely right. I mean, I've been going down this path for four years. It's like I've arrived, but it's still just the beginning.

More to come...most likely from the other side of the Atlantic.

Can it really be?

2008-07-10T09:40:00.000-07:00

excited. nervous. ready for adventure. at peace.

When people ask me how I feel about moving to Dakar, Senegal, one (or many) of the previous thoughts run through my head. Can it really be true that I'm moving to Senegal? Sometimes I wonder who signed me up for this. When that thought pops into my head, it serves as a great reminder that the Lord is faithful. He often provides little moments that make me so excited to go. For instance, I was at PFO (more about that later), and I woke up so excited to be working in a Muslim country. I mean, I was really excited. I cannot explain it except to say that God has really opened my heart to these people.

So you may be wondering what PFO is. Pre-Field Orientation is a two-week training program for people going to work at Christian schools around the world. It was great mental preparation as I get ready to leave for Dakar on July 29th. We focused on Third-Culture Kids (TCKs), transitions, culture, and teaching. I also had the privilege of meeting some wonderful people. I got a chance to reconnect with old friends from Spain as well as make new friends. It was such a blessing to be around other people who are going through the same things. Sometimes, I found myself thinking or saying: "I feel the same way" or "me too" or "I'm normal." (well the last one may be open to debate ;)) It was inspiring to be in a room with people that would literally be scattered around the world in a few months. Just among my roomies, we were covering four different continents: Africa, Europe, South America, and Asia.

Well I better bring this first post to a close. I hope to update this site regularly with my thoughts, feelings, and happenings in Dakar. I cannot promise that it will be thought-provoking or an English masterpiece, but hopefully, it will give you a glimpse into my life.

Stay tuned as I touch-down in Dakar on July 30th.