Today was a special day at the school. The medical team visits once per year. They do eye tests, a bit of hearing, take a blood sample (for blood typing I think) and there is a dentist. The PP students all had teeth pulled 5 minutes before I was to teach them. If I thought they were distracted before, it was nothing compared to bloody wads of cotton, comparing holes in their mouths and some genuine distress. I soldiered on. Too bad about the language gap because I would have loved to do something about the teeth instead of alphabet and Apple green Apple red, Apple fell on Dorji's head.
Two teachers watched me and the entire gong show was filmed on their phones.
Most of the rest of the day Catherine and I worked in the library with the struggling readers. Both of our sponsor teachers were there as much as they could be, and are sincerely trying to grasp how we are working. They are going to ask the principal to have free periods scheduled while their English classes are in the library next year, so they can continue to assist the weak readers. In my mind, if that is the only thing that comes from our visit, everything we have done is worthwhile.
On the home front I made Chile for dinner. Soaked kidney beans, stewed up chile powder a la Bhutanese, peppers, onions and the world's yummiest garlic. I even threw in a splash of Takin wine. Catherine and I are both FIGHTING the germs behind the green slime that is constantly dripping from the kid's noses. Sometimes it looks like little snakes peeking out - constantly present, sometimes sniffed back inside for a rest. The perils of primary teaching without Kleenex.
Hey Heather, the K PP kids don't look much smaller than you!
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