ANOTHER PIGGIN' DAY IN PARADISE

15TH May 2008

Opportunities to sleep at night here are few and far between, for the following reasons:an abundance of dogs, who are relatively quiet during the day but at night they behave like wolves and howl and bark incessantly, usually right outside our bedroom window.John has a mug of water at the ready to chuck at them when things get desperate.Then there are the cockerels, which, I have always understood, are supposed to crow at dawn. Not here!All through the b.....y night.Then of course there are the inevitable drunks, who shout and bawl their way about the place during all hours of the night (we sometimes find them at the school gate in the morning!).Add to that the domestics, which go on at all hours and are frequent and worrying, coupled with the numerous happy clappy church brigade, which are numerous and of all denominations, who seem to have a singing convention every week-end.Mix with this the thumping of disco music from anywhere and everywhere and you have a recipe for bog-eyes!Mind you, we've got the hang of synchronised turning over in bed now, so that's something!

For the teachers amongst you, the second staff meeting (our first) of the term was riotous!We have quietly stirred certain matters up with receptive members of staff and this is beginning to bear fruit, (manipulation is acceptable under dire circumstances!) I have raised the issue of disgusting staff and student toilets with several staff (you all know by now that I have a toilet fetish - sorry!) so it was debated very encouragingly at the staff meeting.You won't believe this, but everyone beelines for the seats in the staffroom that are the furthest away from the toilets, as they stink so much, permeating the staffroom! Can you believe we have a teacher i/c toilets (now there's a claim to fame for you) whose job it is to keep the students' toilets clean.I raised the issue with the head initially, citing typhoid, girls in particular staying away from school and a hygiene and education issue.He alleged that many of the children came from the bush and didn't know how to use a flush toilet and I suggested - politely of course - that as an educational establishment, maybe we had a responsibility to teach them.It was debated at some length at the staff meeting, but the issue (not tissue) of toilet paper was raised and it was suggested that the children bring in and hand in their toilet paper at the beginning of each day and if they needed some they had to ask a teacher - can you imagine!I suggested that whoever cleaned the toilet needed cleaning materials and it was reported that there had been no cleaning materials since last year!!!Imagine!! I am so incensed by the whole lack of hygienic toilet facilities for pupils throughout the province, that I have raised the issue with the senior standards inspector and the provincial adviser and I shall continue making a fuss until something is done.Can you believe that in some rural schools, there are no toilets at all and the students have to do their business in the bushes!

After the toilets, the point was raised that a year planner might be a good idea in the staffroom so that staff knew what was going on during the year, no-one has a clue from day to day at the moment.Now there's a novel idea!However, it didn't go through on the nod, oh no - it was suggested a committee was formed to organise this and it should be trialled!!!By this time John and I lost the will to live - it has to be experienced to be believed.

However, the workshops have gone well.We've had some very positive feedback from staff, although we had not catered for the teachers'lack of knowledge about the most basic educational thinking and although they are supposed to teach in English, their command of the language is very poor.We have offered individual and departmental support and already 5 teachers have come for help and we only offered yesterday, so that's positive. Mainly through our workshops, we have identified many (like hundreds!) of areas from our classroom observations and interviews with staff and students where improvements need to be undertaken in school in order to improve teaching and learning, none of them rocket science, but I have a feeling the executive team rue the day we appeared on the scene, as I suspect we are a thorn in their side!We've also flown a VSO computer techie up for a few days, to sort out the school computers and help us put together a funding proposal to improve current facilities. It looks as though I may be doing some dance demonstration lessons and even possibly doing some extra curricular dance and yoga - my intention was to avoid teaching at all costs, but I'm getting sucked in, as the PE teacher, a delightful young woman, has never done any dance and has been looking for a book on how to do it!! The trouble is, there are no facilities.Even if we cleared a classroom of desks, the floor is just mud and full of holes!We'll find a way I'm sure - the students are so keen and delightful.John and I watched a high jump session to-day.One landing mat and students throwing themselves over the bar from a two footed take off into a Fosbury Flop!How there weren't any broken necks I'll never know.

We are flying to Karamui next Thursday for a week.There they have no electricity or running water and although we have got a house to sleep in, there are no beds or mattresses so it's sleeping bags on the floor!!I dread what John's bones are going to be like after a week, I doubt he'll be able to get down onto the floor never mind get up off it!!Apparently, these teachers are expected to be even more behind that the ones here, so heaven help us.

Richard and Jo sent us some gorgeous photos of Mollie (grandchild), Lucy (our dog) and Richard, in a wood carpeted by bluebells - needless to say that is now on our screensaver.It made us feel homesick, as we have constant hot sunshine here (not complaining), interspersed by torrential tropical rain, so a warm spring English day seems a long way away.However, not quite the same but interesting, there are hedges of deep red poinsettias here (and it's not even Christmas) and in a colleague's garden in Goroka I found some stunning amaryllis (hopefully photo attached). We used the computer at the last workshop (we put soothing Katie Melua songs on before starting, to entice staff in and keep the atmosphere calm) so many of the teachers remarked on the screensaver and were fascinated by the bluebells. The latest anyone has turned up to our workshops have been 10 minutes, otherwise they've all been punctual and stayed in the whole time - our project manager came to see what we were up to and was amazed, as apparently, to be an hour or so late for anything isn't unusual!.I think they are frightened of John, who gave them a bollicking after a few were late on one occasion.

If we get back from Karamui, we'll fill you in on its attractions.They have plenty of wild cassowaries there, to be avoided at all costs and leeches too - yippee!Apparently, food may be scarce, so John and Maarten (project manager) have been assigned to go out and catch one if the going gets tough so we can eat!Hope the elastic bands hold the plane together!

Enjoy the sunshine and the bluebells!!