Things I’ve Learned Update

Month Eleven: 13 May- 12 June 2009

–         My new mantra: Humility, Sincerity, Grace

–         People everywhere are resistant to change, pretty much no matter what. So its interesting that I picked a job with the sole purpose of creating, implementing, forcing, starting change.

–         How to make really good pita bread.

 

Month Twelve: 13 June- 12 July 2009

–         You can go home again.

–         Don’t whistle at marmots

–         Three margs is too many.

–         When people tell you who they are, listen.

–         10,000 miles is one heck of a long way!

–         Africa is a serious place.

–         Everywhere people are most concerned with their own problems. But can ya blame them?

–         Men do silly things for bachlorette parties.

–         All about wedding dresses.

–         There is no easy answer to “How is Africa?”.

–         In any way that really counts, people don’t change.

 

Month Thirteen: 13 July- 12 Aug 2009

–         I have a wonderful host family

–         Sometimes things are lost and either they are replaceable or they will find their way back to you.

–         We can reprogram our neurological pathways in order to experience things more positively.

– To knit from Grandma Della’s book

–         The history of Liberia

–         All about the most influential people in the world this year.

–         That 300 helium balloons tangled together won’t fly after 3 hours in the sun.

– Sometimes change happens in microscopic increments, and often goes undetected by the human eye.

Long Time!

Aug 13, 2009

Long Time No See!

Hello all you out there. It’s been a while since I have written. Let’s see, I had a wonderful trip home to the States in June. It was so fun to get to be at Tanner and Sarah’s wedding, throw Allyson a bachlorette party and win some money at mini golf. Plus I am really lucky to have such an awesome family, who lives in a great state. Thanks so much to everyone who helped make my trip wonderful.

I have been back at school for about a month now, and to be honest it’s moving very slowly. If I have learned anything in the last year it is that the old saying “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink” is completely true. Just like everyone else in the world, the teachers I am working with are a little bit resistant to change. Change is hard and uncomfortable, and it is just so much easier to do things the way we know how. So even though in my American mind I wish change were faster in coming, I am trying to stay relaxed and focus on the small changes I can implement. I am still working with grades 5-7 on literacy and our project this term is to create a school newspaper. I am also teaching reading to grade 4 and computers to educators. I am really hoping to be able to teach computers at the higher primary school (grades 5-7) but the computers have been fixed several times in the year I have been here, and still don’t all work at the same time. So hopefully soon they will all work!

A couple of weeks ago I got to meet the new SA PCVs during their first week in country. We talked about learning to be happy in this new and uncertain place. I hope they got something out of it! I am headed back to spend a few more days with them next week, and will be talking about a couple of education topics.

Yesterday was the official halfway point of my service. 395 days down, 395 to go. Thanks Trevor for figuring out the exact count! Crazy!

I would like to remind everyone that I REALLY like getting mail, especially postcards that I can show kids. So here is my address again, in case you had misplaced it.

Leah Taylor PO Box 1964 Maja 0719 RSA

I hope you are doing well where ever this finds you! Much Love.