message and movie

May 24, 2009

We are now over half way through our PST or Pre-Service Training. It’s hard to describe how tiring this is, even though the PC does an excellent job of trying to mix up the instruction with language and discussion groups. Having finished the second practice language test, the next big item on the agenda is the announcement of site placements which will occur on Saturday, May 30. The staff posted a list of vacancies for the various tracks, so obsessive speculation and guesswork among the trainees about where they will be placed is rampant. We have been told that it is all meaningless though, since the PC has a number of priorities to take into account beyond one’s personal preferences. Maureen and I have really taken the approach that all of the sites will have advantages and disadvantages, and our experience will be mostly what we make of it, so we have held our anticipation in check. In all reality it is very hard to know what to wish for, not knowing the various towns and worksites in any depth. I guess it is much like what I used to tell college applicants applying to schools. You may think you know where you would like to be, but you can’t really know for sure. The admission department has a much better sense of whether or not you would fit on their campus than you do. In the end, most college experiences turn out well, and our PC experience will too. We are trusting that the PC will find an appropriate site for us.
Since Botswana is a high desert like Colorado, the temperatures vary a lot during 24 hours. It may be 70 and sunny during the day and dip to the low 40’s during the night. Since the homes are unheated, the inside temperatures dip with the sun. As I type, I figure it is about 55 degrees in our room. (Maureen is wearing her outside jacket…you get the picture!) In an effort to minimize G and R (see our previous post if you do not know what G and R is) I broke out my sleeping bag. It is due to get even colder over the next month before it begins to warm. Maureen says she doesn’t want to use her sleeping bag yet, because doing so may somehow make it less effective when she really needs it. I am sure there is some logic there, but I can’t quite figure it out yet. It must be a woman thing.
One of our fellow trainees told us of the experience at her host family. She had come home after a particularly draining day of training and began washing her clothes. Out of the corner of her eye she saw movement, which on closer inspection turned out to be the family rooster having his way with one of the chickens. In her description however, it was more of a sexual assault than a romantic tryst. Afterwards, the chicken appeared somewhat dazed and disoriented. The host family daughter came out, broke the chicken’s neck and the family ate it for dinner. The trainee mused “And I thought I had a bad day…”
We have been observing our family rooster, Mr. Jack for some weeks now. Although I am not a farm boy and am not totally sure I would recognize chicken sex if I saw it, there has been nothing resembling this on our premises. We have put this together with the fact that our host Mother has said that she bought the chickens for eggs, but none have ever appeared. This therefore has lead us to wonder about Mr. Jack. Although he struts conspicuously, we have considered suggesting a veterinary consultation. My concerns have been heightened by the fact that when I sit outside, the chickens have taken to pecking at my leg. I cannot decide if I am being hit on by the chickens or if I have begun to smell like corn.
That’s it from Lake Woebegone for this week.

Kip

Below find another movie. I took this one on our shadowing experience two weeks ago in Charles Hill and includes both Mike the host volunteer and Steve who is a fellow trainee from Idaho.