The Catholic Parish of
Saint John Henry Newman

 Covering most of East Leeds

Ghana Greetings

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First Published - March 24th 2001 - Anne Marie Pickles

Dear Friends

Hello again - this isn't bad is it, emailing just one week after my last installment!

Well, we're in Kumasi again and so I thought I would take advantage and catch up with you all again. I have (as predicted) started teaching now. It was sooo scary at first but having done a weeek of it, I am starting to get into it a bit more and it is taking me less time to plan lessons - or at least I am panicking less and so I know that I can get something together a couple of hours as opposed to a couple of days before I need to!

Yesterday was a little traumatic though, it has to be said. I didn't end up teaching as I was supposed to be. I got really upset because while I was waiting outside the class I was going to teach, there were about 4 teachers in there already, caning the boys and I just couldn't bear to hear it any more so i went to the staffroom and broke down. When the staff realised why I was upset, they ridiculed me for it and that made it worse. Luckily, that lesson has a break in the middle of it and the school is only 2 minutes walk from our house so I said that I would come back after the break. This I did but as I went to the staffroom, one of the older teachers came up to me, asking for money. I didn't know what he was saying at first but then I was really shocked. I explained rationally about being a volunteer and having no money but he persisted. I went into the staffroom to get away from him but he came in as well and I was so ma! ! d with rage that tears filled my eyes again. Annoyed that he would see me like this, I shouted out so the other teachers knew that he had been asking me for money. Then I flipped and said I don't know why I was working for his stupid school anyway and I left.

Most unlike me. I was just in shock I think and it had taken alot to come back after the break to think of teaching anyway that he was just the straw that broke the camel's back. He did later apologise, saying that he was only joking, but I am not sure he was. Anyway, that was a one-off I hope. The previous day, had been really good. I taught a good second year class at the Vocational School - I taught them all about Homophones - I was inspired! And it went quite well. Then I tried some tye-dying and bought some material and made myself a skirt with the help of Atsuko - our Japanese housemate. She is really lovely and teaches crocheting and needlework at the Vocational school and will be in Ghana for 2 years - so that's good in case I want to come back and visit...



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Published Thu 6th Dec 2001 01:14:56

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