novidades

Not much has been going on here in Cuamba.  The small bridge linking our school to the town proper is flooded, so we are a bit stranded at the IFP. . . I'm exaggerating--there's another, bigger bridge, but it is much farther from where we live.

About three weeks ago, prospective students at the IFP took their entrance exams, the results for which arrived late.  Last week we finished interviewing the students that passed the English exams.  I witnessed a director changing the score of one applicant, from a failing score of 8, to a passing 10.  I reason with myself, thinking that 10 out of 20, 50% as passing for Mozambique, is not really passing in the outside world.  Or, at least the applicant is only trying to be an English teacher, not a physician.  Can you imagine your doctor only barely passing his/her exams?  Sheesh.  

Still, I couldn't help but wonder what the point was of us teachers averaging and deliberating on scores only to be changed by someone who was never even at the interview.  And what the hell is up with these teachers laughing at the applicants?  Ok, so some of students probably should not have even applied in the first place, but there's no need to humiliate them.  Give them a non-passing score and send them on their way.  Teachers would laugh and look at me, expecting me to participate.  Ugh!  As one of the interviewers, I felt like it was as if they were beating a dead horse.  No, worse.  As if they were rejoicing around a drowning horse.  

Anyway, so now we are waiting for the results of those (dubious) past assessments.  I know secondary schools have already started, but we haven't yet, and so I've just been reading and writing, though there were a few days last week when I was just binging on chocolates and True Blood.  

I've almost finished Joseph Campbell's Power of Myth.  I've also just re-discovered my love for olive oil.  I guess I've been trying to escape, a little, from the everyday work of integrating in my community.  I need to get back into the swing of things. 

At the risk of seeming like a total bum, let me admit I was excited to hear about "Beer Olympics."  But the more I think of it, the less sure I am of going.  I want/need to see fellow PCVs, but Vil is so, so far!  But then if I don't go, I may never see some PCVs from Cape Verde, or from PST 2.0. . . depending on whether I COS (Close of Service) this year or not.

So.  I don't know.  I don't really care about the drinking, nor the activities associated with it.  I just want to see y'all again.