A new Namtastic school year

We have just come to the end of Term 1- Week 3, and it again feels like time is flying! The start of a new term, let alone a new school year, is quite hectic for the whole country... In these first few weeks, timetables (schedules) tend to change several times, new teachers are still arriving to replace those who have left, and learners are slowly coming back to school from a long holiday at the farm or village. For teachers, it is an important time in terms of making first impressions and setting the tone for the classroom (in other words: laying down the law!).

Athletics (Track & Field) is perhaps the one thing that is off to a quick start, taking precedent over many academic and other things! At our schools at least, ALL of the learners train for Athletics after Afternoon Study. And all of the teachers coach, including all the older (and heavier) ladies at my school!

But without the expertise of real coaches and focus on the training of only the motivated learners (as a result of this exercise being compulsory for all), Athletics feels quite half-hearted to Kevin and me... Each day practice starts late and ends early, teachers and learners "dodge" if they can get away with it, out-of-shape and unmotivated ("lazy," as they are called here) learners complain about their every discomfort, ache, pain, thirst, etc so they can quit practicing and rest. Ironically though, in theory Athletics training is supposed to be intense because learners only have a few short weeks  to get into shape for competitions after a long holiday of very little physical activity. We hope that the atmosphere of Athletics for the remainder of the term will improve after the Interhouse, the meet of our own learners only competing against each other to determine who will go on to represent our schools in competitions against others.  We figure that at that time, the least interested of the learners will be weeded out so those remaining can handle more intense practice.

Weather can be an obstacle as Athletics falls in the middle of summer and rainy season.  Regardless, overcast days with some rain are a welcomed relief from the strong sun and heat. Here at our site, we are actually quite happy with the summer weather as we realize many other volunteers in the country experience much more extreme weather conditions (eg: heat, humidity, flooding). Plus, we find the summer nighttime temperatures to be quite pleasant. But hey, even without AC, maybe we are just getting used to it!