"You're not fat!" & My Life as a Father

So a few days ago I was taking a walk with my Bojangles and decided to visit my host mother in her garden. After saying hello, she tells me that she has heard that I’m pretty good at climbing trees. “Mwen enmen moute pye bwa” (I love climbing trees) I respond, “especially the grapefruit tree in front of my house”. She then asks if I can climb a different nearby grapefruit tree for her and pick some. After picking a bunch she gives me one to eat. While I’m peeling it I hear her say “I’m sorry.” I confusedly respond, “for what?” I hear her reply, “I fat.” “What,” I ask, perplexed as to why my 69 year old host mom who works in the garden nearly everyday would be concerned about, and more puzzling, apologizing for her weight. “I fat” I hear her say again. “No you’re not,” I assure her. “You look good.” “No, no, I fart…I pass gas out the back,” she says, finally bringing the added clarity (and awkwardness) to the conversation. “Oh…ok,” I say chuckling. Yet another classic encounter with MaPego

After having done my laundry by hand for awhile now it’s not nearly as much of a pain as it used to be, and I think my clothes smell decently after washing them (I don’t know if that’s to say they’re really clean though). It made my day though when my elderly neighbor Sil saw my white laundry hanging up and asked me who did it. After jokingly telling her white guys can scrub a bit too, she laughed and told me she was impressed by how white they were and didn’t believe a man could wash so well. Her comment was flattering, but I’m sure she wouldn’t have been so complimentary had she taken a closer look…

So I’m excited to be starting my very own garden. Despite being from Kansas, I sadly know very little about gardening. Fortunately, however, a farmer from the area who I met on a walk allowed me to tag along with him for a day and learn a bit/help him out over the Christmas break, and told me that if I purchased some seeds from the Farmers’ Cooperative he would help me plant some things (“do a little ting” as they say they it) on his land. I’ve since planted some cucumbers and hope to also have a try at some watermelon, carrots, and okra.

Fatherhood has generally been treating me well, although it does have its trying times. Don’t worry…I’m referring to the dog, not a baby Bojangles (although I did have an old guy seriously tell me that I should “leave at least 2 mixed babies down here when I go” ) I’ve been working to break him of his aggressive possession of food (aggravated by ornery school children who try and simultaneously feed and play with him when I’m gone), as well as rid him of his tic infestation (I picked 10+ off of him at one time…have since gotten a tic/flea collar). He’s a sweet dog though and people in the community always ask me without fail where he is if I pass by without him.

So between half-washing my clothes and having awkward conversations with my host mom, what have I been doing, you might ask? The New Year has brought some new projects to work on that I hope will be successful. I’ve started a reading club at the primary school. I meet with the kids for about a half hour before school, read to them (currently “The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe”), and ask them questions about what’s going on in the story. I’m encouraged by how engaged and attentive the children are. During the normal school hours trying to get even a small group of students to follow along as each student reads can oftentimes be like pulling teeth, but when it’s in the context of being read to, they usually quickly congregate. I’m hoping that the reading club will help them realize that reading can be fun and enjoyable. Last week was also the first week that I started teaching the 3rd graders how to play the recorder. It was quite the challenge having 30 of them all together at once, each with an object that has the potential of making noise at their disposal. The lesson went alright, but it was challenging to keep them quiet and get around to each one to see whether they understood what was being taught.

I’ve also started working with the Farmers’ Cooperative to put together a proposal for available grant money through the Global Environment Facility (GEF), a United Nations program that gives out grants to CBOs and NGOs that address global environmental problems at the local level. We’re hoping to build off an organic farming GEF project that is already underway by doing something with composting (using a shredder). We also might look into the possibility of using coconut husks as a means to produce seedlings. It’s still in the early stages, so who knows where it might go. I feel a bit out of my element with the agricultural side of things, but I’m hoping that I’ll be able to assist with the proposal writing and coordinating of the project details.

I’m continuing giving the violin lessons and have started with more students in another community. I now have 17 students and am encouraged by the progress that some of them are making. The chance to help with the tennis program I mentioned previously unfortunately ended up falling through, but I’ve been playing on Fridays with a junior national girl’s champ after violin lessons. She’s a solid player and it’s been great to have the opportunity to pick up my racquet again.

I’m excited that my parents are coming in late February to visit for about a week and a half. It should be a lot of fun showing them around and introducing them to people, etc. If anyone else feels the need to escape to a tropical paradise for a little while, know that you’re just a plane ticket away! American Airlines just started some really reasonably priced flights out of NYC, depending on the time of year…