Chicken and Rice

Chicken and Rice

It’s what we have for supper. Every night. Granted, it’s good chicken and rice. We buy the chicken from a little cold store just a block away, and I marinate it in peri-peri sauce, pineapple juice (courtesy of your friends at Minute Maid), onions and tomatoes. It’s tasty, and that’s a good thing, because I don’t really have a lot of options in terms of “switching it up.” Unless I want to change proteins and add hot dogs soaked in brine. They come in a can, and they look disgusting.

Moving right along.

We taught our first lessons at school this week. It really went well. These kids are brilliant, especially when it comes to recall memory. I am amazed every day at how they can recite, verbatim, definitions from their readings, or even from a previous lecture. They can be a little rowdy, especially if something even remotely funny happens. But that’s what happens in a room full of fifty-five young teenagers. However, if you catch them on a good day, they will amaze you.

For one of Kaylee’s lessons last week, we brought in her laptop so that I could read a letter her sister wrote to the class. It was really nothing spectacular to us. But the kids just loved it. And her mentor teacher, Mr. Owusu, spent about five minutes after we were done thanking us (and making the kids thank us too… Mr. Owusu is quite a guy. More on him later). After the letter, nearly everyone in the class asked for Sydney’s contact information. Syd, you’re bound to get some Facebook friend requests.

So Mr. Owusu. I’m honestly not quite sure what holds this guy together. I think it might be his clothes, actually. He can’t weigh more than 90 pounds. He is always so happy to see Kaylee, and anytime he is not in class, he is smiling ear to ear. That being said, we think he has an alter ego, ‘cause that man disappears when he steps in front of students.

(In a mean voice)

“You are confused. Your head is not in the room.”

“This is your one warning!”

“You didn’t go during break?! Sit down! You lazy, lazy boy!”

This guy was honestly upset when corporal punishment was outlawed. It suited him so well. I cannot begin to describe the joy it brings me to watch this incredible transformation take place every day. No wonder Kaylee’s students love her so much.

I am fortunate to have two mentor teachers: Mr. Eman, and Mr. Ben. Neither one have the striking characteristics of Mr. Owusu (literally), but they are enjoyable and endearing men all the same. Mr. Ben is more like the “social studies,” black-sheep kind of guy that I enjoy. Eman is a little more “up tight.” (He does like Eminem, however. And the guy wears some tight polo shirts, by the way… he is a bigger guy.) The kids enjoy both of them, and I enjoy teaching these classes. All I teach is the history of Ghana. Which is a learning experience for me along with the kids. How odd that an obroni is teaching Ghana’s history to native students…

Oh! And we are staying put here in Ghana. We honestly thought that we would be on the next plane home, thanks to some serious issues we were facing in terms of meeting our student teaching requirements. But it looks like they’ve been ironed out, with the exception of where Kaylee is supposed to be teaching. She might have to be transferred to a high school pretty soon, which would devastate me and our dear friend Mr. Owusu. Hopefully this can be delayed for a while, so that she can gain more experience here while still meeting the requirements. Pray pray pray pray pray.

Our DVD player is not working. And we went to the mall today to watch a movie there, but we were called home because the washing machine leaked everywhere (we were the last to use it, so automatically we were blamed. I don’t get it). Either way, we think God is telling us to play more cards. Gin rummy, here we come.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. We are really enjoying this place. Every day brings something new. And we have decided that the only things that stress us out are the issues involved with our requirements. If it wasn’t for them, we would be care-free. GST, why you gotta bring us down?!

Thank you all for your love and support.


The Freemans