D R I F T L E S S

Traveling is always a nightmare in Uganda, especially when using public transport. There are various means of transportation, depending on where you are in the country and where you are traveling to.

These include but are not limited to:
-Mutatus (A van taxis which should only hold 14 but the further you are from the capital, the more people get packed in. The most I’ve seen is 25.)
-Corolla Taxis (A car taxi the size of a Toyota Corolla which should fit about 5 people, but I have been in a car with 20.)
-Buses (Usually should stop filling when there are no seats, but here you have people sitting and standing in the aisle.)
-Post Bus (By far the best option, leaves at scheduled times and does not stop and pick up people along the way.)

Here is another horror story regarding transportation:

The day the conductor got arrested.

*Please note that this story is based on true events and any resemblance to actual events is NOT coincidental.*

On my way to Masaka (purpose: to check my post box) I found myself in a fairly turbulent situation. The journey began before sunrise, where I found myself wandering the streets at night trying to find the pickup location for the early morning bus. After finding the bus I was looking for, I bought my ticket and found an empty seat. Within minutes I had fallen sleep (don’t worry, I had my bag on my lap to dissuade thieves) and the bus was moving. After about 20 minutes, the bus pulled over on the side of the road, reason unknown. After about an hour, the conductor (the man in charge of collecting money, assigning tickets, and indicating stops) came on the bus and said there was something wrong with the bus and that we would switch to another bus. After another 20 minutes the second bus came and all the patrons of my bus exited and made our way on a treacherous ledge to the second bus. After almost falling three times, I finally reached the other bus only to be told we would be re-boarding the first bus. Frustrated, I turned back to the first bus, boarded, and fell asleep again. After what felt like 30 minutes, I woke up to realize a few hours had passed and I was just outside of Masaka. I sat patiently, waiting for the bus to reach the bus park, only to notice that the bus was passing Masaka. Not sure what was going on, I approached the front of the bus only to find the conductor missing. I asked another patron about the stop we were supposed to have in Masaka, only to find out that we passed it and could not turn around. Why? Apparently this trip was “illegal” in that it was not a registered route. I asked the patron where the conductor was and he said “oh, the conductor was left behind, he has been arrested”. Not really sure what to do, I tell the passenger I need to go to Masaka. The passenger’s only response is “sorry, we will try to get you a taxi”. I walk back to my seat, nervous about not being able to get off where I need to get off and having to figure out how to get my butt home. The “helpful” passenger comes back to my seat and says the driver will find a taxi for me. I indicate that I will not pay and the passenger says he will ask if the driver will pay. Finally, after what seemed like some hard negotiating, the passenger comes back to my seat and says the driver will indeed pay for a taxi back to Masaka. Relieved, I wait patiently for the bus to stop…20 minutes later we are still moving. At some point, we stop and I board another bus going in the opposite direction, only to find there are no seats available. The conductor on this bus makes a young girl stand to allow me to have a seat, however I tell the girl to sit with me in the seat (since I’m used to squeezing more people than should be in any designated area). I also give her a piece of candy for her trouble. At some point I finally reach Masaka, where I am able to check my post box and turn around to go back to my site.

In other news, I am pretty sure I am going to test positive for Schistosomiasis, also known as Bilharzia, next time I have a run in with medical. I was walking back from the market in town when I ran into one of the guards from the nursing school. I followed him, not really walking with him as his stride is easily three of mine, when I noticed him turning onto the shortcut (which I mentioned earlier was flooded). I asked if the path was clear and he said yes, I asked if it was dry, just to clarify what I meant by clear, and he said “yes, it is okay”. So I followed him rather than walk the long way.

Big mistake.

While the water had receded a great deal, there are still areas where I had to walk on rocks and my feet went under the water. At one point I stumbled in the water (thankfully only my feet fell in) and I lost a shoe in the mud. The guard doubled back and fetched it for me, but I am pretty sure this exposure, plus the whole rafting in the Nile scenario, pretty much guarantees a positive test result for Schistosomiasis.

Awesome.

Sometimes I question the life I lead here in Uganda, but I guess I shouldn’t complain. At the very least, it is always interesting.

Update on my cooking endeavors:
I received an amazing package with macaroni and cheese packets so I decided to get my Julia Child on and cook up some macaroni and cheese with green peppers and tomatoes. I also added garlic powder and parsley.

IT TASTED AWESOME! And, big day, no pee butt! It tasted somehow like my mom’s macaroni casserole, but obviously not as good. I shared some with the pastor and he seemed to really enjoy it. I noticed when I make one of the macaroni packets there is easily enough food for three people, so I may have some of the staff members over for dinner one night, when I am feeling inspired yet again (really, whenever I am bored).

On another unrelated note (aren’t my transitions amazing?), it has come to my attention that I often forget how cute and sweet Ugandan children can be. We (and by “we” I mean foreign volunteers) can get so jaded and blinded by the kids who always run around screaming “mzungu” and other words meaning foreigner, getting lost in the frustration we feel when it seems all the kids want is candy or money, that we forget they are just kids. It isn’t necessarily their fault they think foreigners are full of money and candy. That is all they see and all they are taught. It’s really up to us to change the stereotype and correct the misinformation they are given. Sure, it is not going to happen overnight, nor will it probably change within the two years of service, but hopefully, by the time I leave, one parent will be able to teach his or her child not all foreigners have money and candy to give, our names aren’t “mzungu”, and we truly just want to help make a difference for the future of these children.

You are probably wondering, Aditi, what brought on this sudden affirmation that Ugandan children are worth the effort?

Well, all it took was a young girl and her little brother (or sister, I couldn’t really tell based on the clothing he or she was wearing) singing and dancing at church service (yes, I apparently go to church service these days). Their innocence was illuminated and I realized I need to change my attitude and try to help more, try to change the ideas these kids have of what we, as volunteers, do and what we have.

 

The Polar Express

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Hopefully the New Year brings a renewed sense of vigor to everyone (I feel as if I’ve said this before).

Normally, I’m not really a fan of New Year’s resolutions because I have never been able to really keep any. I’ve done the standard resolutions:
-I’m going to exercise more
-I’m going to eat healthier foods
-I’m going to spend more time helping my community

All these standard resolutions are good and fine, but it seems that things always go back to normal (and “normal” for me seems to be doing yoga, abs, push-ups, maintaining my vegetarian diet, and volunteering in whatever community I am in…do you see the irony in me having these standard resolutions?). I’ve decided to make some fairly specific resolutions this year:
-I am going to be more involved at the Rakai Red Cross office and God Cares (organizations in Rakai Town)
-I am going to be more involved at the Rakai Aids Counseling Association in Rakai Town
-I am going to start a peer support group at the nursing school

My goals with these resolutions are to be more active and do more in Rakai as well as to try and help the nursing students by broadening their perspectives. I’d like them to see and understand that there are many different things out in the world so that when they encounter foreigners, the conversation doesn’t turn to the standard list of questions about the differences, but rather an investigation as to why there are differences and what can be done to improve things in Uganda.

On an unrelated note, the New Year has already produced some interesting adventures. One in particular I will share (mostly because it just happened). I was walking back from town a little after 7:00 pm, playing chicken with the setting sun. Now, keep in mind I live in Uganda, East Africa, where electricity does not exactly “light up the sky”, if you know what I mean (and my fellow PCVs can attest to this), so it tends to get very, very dark when the sun sets. So, as I am slowly losing my game of chicken with the sun, I decide to call on the help of a staff member at the nursing school. He agrees to meet me in town where we can walk together up the mountain (seriously, I need to really emphasize that I live on a mountain which I have to hike whenever I need to leave the nursing school). I continue walking towards the shortcut (which cuts through some shrubbery and woods taking off about 10 minutes of walking time, the long way goes far away from down then turns back which is about a 20 minute walk, at least…and I walk slow so it would probably take longer for me) and the staff member meets be right at the start of the short cut. Now, while I was in town, I ran into another staff member who warned me there was water on the path and I should take a boda back to the school (a boda is basically a taxi motorcycle, known for its high speeds and death defying maneuvers, making them illegal for PCVs to ride). I told the staff member in town I was not allowed to ride bodas and thus would have to walk. When I met the helpful staff member, he did not seem concerned about this apparent water on the path, making me more confident of my choice not to break the rules. As we started on the path, we talked about normal, daily, routine things, when suddenly I see mounds of gravel blocking the path. The staff member accompanying me says there are due to recent floods (the mounds are an apparent attempt to keep the path functional). We spent the next ten minutes or so climbing four to five mounds, avoiding water (which I can only assume was infested with Schistosomiasis a.k.a. Bilharzia) which flooded inland from the lake (which is really just an inlet of Lake Victoria). On the final mound, I look forward and realize there is no way to continue further, the only thing in front of me is water. I have a mini-panic attack, realizing the only real way forward is to go back and take the long route (with no street lights, this seems a bit precarious). The staff member laughs at my sense of panic and points out some nursing students coming in from a parallel path in the direction of the district hospital. They are walking in the swampy water without any shoes on. I panic, thinking that I am going to be expected to do the same, however to my relief the staff member asks the students for their gum boots (why they weren’t wearing said gum boots is beyond me). We wait on the mound (getting bit by malaria infested mosquitoes) while the students pass through the water and bring me the gum boots. I changed into the boots on the mound (falling twice, thankfully not into the water) and make my way through the water, which is knee deep, barely below the top of the gum boots. Thankfully I made it across safely, without falling and without touching the water (though after rafting in the Nile, trying to prevent myself from getting Schistosomiasis is probably moot at this point). The whole adventure took over 45 minutes, a walk which under normal circumstances takes 10 minutes.

When I got back to my house, I noticed there was a hole in my skirt (one my mom had just sent me in the mail too). I can only conclude the hole was a result of the treacherous climbing of the gravel mounds and the falls I suffered as a result. I decided to test my sewing skills and patch up the hole. To my surprise, I did it relatively successfully (my mom would be so proud). It looks a little dodgy, but it works for the most part. We’ll see how it holds up when the woman who washed my clothes washes the skirt (I figure, if it can handle a Ugandan woman’s washing, than it can withstand anything).

What a life I lead here in Africa.

 

Persuasion

It’s always interesting when religion is the topic of conversation with Ugandans. I never had any doubt that Uganda was a very religious country with deep roots in many different religions. I always respect those who have a religious calling, who feel they have been “saved” and know they are speaking “the truth”. I would never make the argument that someone is wrong in their faith, I feel that is quite insensitive. Everyone needs something to believe in, even if it is a belief that religion is only a product of society, used as a means to control people. I, perhaps naively, expect the same respect in return.

This is generally the case here in Uganda. Sometimes I don’t disclose my specific religious preference; rather I say I have a very personal faith which I practice alone. I often disclose, quite truthfully, that I believe faith is a very personal thing and does not need to be flaunted. These statements sometimes are met with curiosity, but most of the time I get a nod of approval and am left alone, for the most part.

When I moved to my site, I encountered a similar scenario. A staff member asked me to participate in the Seventh Day Adventist church services on the nursing school campus (which occur six days a week at 8:00 am and 8:00 pm). Initially I gave my standard reply and was met with the same nod of approval. Now, as you have read, I have recently been asked to speak regularly at the church services. At first I was very hesitant, but now I see it as a door to potentially create groups within the nursing school for things I am interested in, such as a meditation group, a peer-mentor group, etc. After putting a great deal of thought into it, I decided to concede to the pastor’s request and agreed to speak once a week to the students.

Before the students broke off for the winter holidays, I agreed to give my second “sermon” (which you all know about, and it went quite well). Before this sermon, I had a conversation with one of the staff members about why the nursing school made it a requirement for students to attend church services daily (it should be known that in Uganda, individuals often practice one of a number of different sects of Christianity, along with Islam and Hinduism, though Hinduism seems to be the minority). The staff member suggested it was a way to control the students and keep them in line (okay, he didn’t say it in these exact terms, he actually said something along the lines of practicing religion and being religious helps the student maintain good behavior and keeps them well balanced). I suggested maybe it would lead them to be closed off to different ideas of faith. The staff member rebutted with the fact that students slept through lectures which were required when it rained. I didn’t understand what this had to do with requiring attendance at church services, but I suggested this would happen either way, as it often does in the U.S. The staff member then rebutted with the idea that students in the U.S. have no discipline and can end up being wild (again, I am exaggerating, he said there was a lack of self-control in youth in the U.S., but that’s not so far off from my analysis, right?). The conversation pretty much ended there as another staff member somehow interrupted the “debate”, asking for help looking for a microphone. I didn’t get to really finish the conversation, but I thought it was interesting. I’d like to hear more of the staff member’s views on religion and how it affects the individual’s behavior.

On a completely different note, I hope everyone had a very happy holiday season. I hope Christmas was nice and full of family and I hope New Year’s proves to bring a renewed vigor! I spent some time with other volunteers from my training group and it was interesting to see the dynamic of the group after not being together for a couple months. It was interesting to see how everyone would come together and what we would talk about, which always seems to center around gossip. This is somehow understandable though, seeing as everyone will want to know what has been going on with people they may not have seen or talked to in quite a while. The holidays have proved to be pretty relaxing, which was nice compared to the high activity level of Thanksgiving. While it would have been nice to do something big, it was also really nice to be able to relax and just catch up with friends I haven’t seen in some time.

 

Dark Star Safari

I often find myself wishing money wasn’t as big of a necessity as it is in life. Issues of money seem to ruin everything, relationships, projects, plans, and essentially the fun in life.

You’re probably thinking, Aditi, what is wrong? Why such pessimistic reflections so soon into your service?

Well, two experiences of late have really shown me the integral part money plays in the lives of EVERYONE. The first is more personal so I won’t bore you with the details; let’s just say fun can get very expensive, even in “developing” countries. The second is more serious in nature. I recently went on an outreach/community service “mission” with a group from my nursing school (side note: I do enjoy the change in possession, as I have come to call the nursing school at which I work “my nursing school”). We went to a hospital near Kyotera/Kalisizo (about 30 to 40 minutes away from my town). Upon arrival, we prayed and distributed goods to the patients in the different wards. The items distributed included clothing items, soap, bread, bananas, and accessories (and by accessories I mean purses for women). I really enjoyed the outreach/community service because it engaged the students to do more for others. I also found it nice after having a conversation with one of the staff members, who indicated lack of preference when it came to doing community service (when I say “lack of preference”, I mean to say that the staff member has indicated the students and the school does not give preference to any hospital with any specific religious affiliation over others, the school helps all that they can). I thought this was nice, especially after all the looks of confusion at my lack of attendance at church services. While at the hospital, I realized this kind of work is really necessary because the patients more often than not bring their own supplies to the hospital (including blankets, water jugs, razors, soap, food, etc…). Even with the government assistance of the hospital, or complete funding at the district level, it seems that the hospitals do not have enough money to provide some basic services to their patients. I have even read articles about hospitals which require their patients to pay for electricity should they require medical services which need electricity (such as some surgeries). It is very eye-opening to see the stark difference between medical care provided to us, PCVs, and that provided to host-country nationals. The difference is parallel to the difference between the private health care centers and the public ones. After experiencing this level of sadness and having a renewed need to do more outreach and work to help these patients, I spoke with another staff member about doing outreach more often. I ran into another wall, as I was told we needed money to buy the food, soap, and other essential supplies (we were also at the whim of those who donate the clothes and accessory items). This was somewhat disheartening, though it makes perfect sense. While I’m a huge believer in teaching people to fish, not just feed them, I do not believe giving donations is a bad thing. I hope to engage the community in donating more over the next two years in order to be able to do more outreach. I also hope that future outreach endeavors include some educational component (maybe not at the hospital per say, but at other outreach events). After all, it’s all about sustainability, right?

On a more positive note, I am happy to report things are improving at the nursing school in terms of my interaction with other staff members. I think participating in the outreach really helped on both ends, allowing the staff members to see that I wanted to participate and allowing me to see what exactly “outreach/community service” entailed. After the outreach initiative, I spent most of the remainder of the night talking with the staff members who had remained behind about the outreach and how it went. The next day it seemed that they now considered me as a friend, as they greeted me in the morning, we talked about different things and I was invited to a football match later that day. After the football match, I spent some time with the pastor and other staff members, and the pastor even prepared supper for me that night! I feel like I’m making some read headway, putting not only my foot in the door but allowing these staff members to really become friends of mine. While these all probably sound petty and miniscule, I believe it is small steps like these that make all the difference in the world.

Mpolampola nja kukola njawalo mu Rakai. *Trivia: if someone can translate what I wrong in Luganda to English, I will send you a postcard!*

This evening I have been asked to give another “sermon”. I am going to read Peter 3:8-11:
“Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. For “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.”

Following this, I thought I’d speak about what I thought these words mean, especially now, during the holidays:
“During the holiday season, it is important to honor these words. Christmas is a time for giving, loving, and showing kindness to all. You must all take this time away from your studies as a time for good and seek peace. Do not forget about your commitment to serve. As health workers, your duty is to help others and during your time away, this commitment may often get lost. I pray you do not lose yourself in the superficial nature of the holidays, where often we find ourselves wanting more than we are giving. I also pray the New Year brings a new quest to forgive those that have wronged you and show them the kindness that all deserve. Allow your enemies to become your friends this New Year, let us start 2012 with love and kindness and let go of the hurt we may have felt. May peace be with you during the holidays and through the New Year.”

I hope the students get something out of it…

 

THE PAINTED VEIL

Let’s start this off with a laugh.

While laying down, just awaking from a nap (because that is the most productive thing I have done today, okay…lie, I have read over 100 pages but that isn’t as fun and interesting as saying napping is the only productive thing I do at site) I hear a knock at my (what can only be termed as) back door. At first I thought it was one of my supervisor’s sisters who stopped by yesterday asking for help with an application to a college in the U.S. However, that was not the case today. Today, the knock was a student in the Red Cross Link group (what they call their student Red Cross club here) at my nursing school. I was pleased to see her after working closely with her during the Red Cross Youth Camp and not having seen her since. Also present, to my surprise, was one of the administrators from the Rakai Branch office who was also present at the Youth Camp. Apparently the two have an issue that needs sorting out.

Pause.

I have just barely been awake for 10 minutes when this comes to me and suddenly I feel like I have some kind of clout here. Of course, within two seconds I realize I have no decision capabilities whatsoever, but I digress. Anyhow, wrapping my head around the fact that they’ve come to me, a mzungu, for assistance in this matter took me off guard for a second or two.

Resume.

The issue seems to be that the officer has asked my student to accompany him to the regional Red Cross Youth Meeting in Mukono, which is easily 5 hours away. This meeting is supposed to last two days. Now, initially, I think this is a great idea. The students here can get some ideas on activities to do as well as meet other students from other branches. Win – win, right? Well, after realizing that I have no decision making capabilities here I turn to my supervisor (and by turn I mean I call him right then and there because of course he is nowhere to be found, again). He goes on a mini-rant about the lack of communication from the branch manager as well as the lack of trust he now has in the student events they put on. The end result is that he does not want the student to go to this meeting. This is what I tell the two at my door, who then stand in silence (apparently pondering what to be done now, though it seemed slightly obvious that nothing would be happening to improve the situation), for a good 10 minutes outside my door. Finally I apologize to the two for not being able to do anything more and suggest to the administrative officer present that his branch manager should do a better job of communicating these things to either me or my supervisor (preferably both of us, since the communication between me and my supervisor often breaks down). The two leave, discussing something further which I don’t really hear because they are walking away and I am in the process of closing the door. Hopefully this situation leads to some kind of improvement in the communication style between the branch office and the Link group here (at the very least, maybe they’ll give us a week’s head’s up on things).

I have to admit, however, I am glad it isn’t just me who is frustrated with the communication (or lack of) between the higher-ups and the rest of the individuals involved (in any event, meeting, etc…). At first I was beginning to think it was just me, or just my mzungu nature. Negative, it’s frustrating for everyone.

More drama at the nursing school:
After a two and a half hour staff meeting, I have come to realize a few things:
1.EVERYONE at my nursing school is frustrated with the lack of communication, organization, and physical presence of my supervisor.
2.It seems as though the nursing staff doesn’t provide a sense of autonomy to the students.
3.There isn’t a solid evaluation system for the students to evaluate the tutors and the course material.
4.Dormitories are huge fire hazards.
5.Students who have failed (here they call it referring) cannot accept this and thus are in denial and proceed as if they have passed.
6.The staff members initially participate in the meeting just as much as students participate in class.
7.Apparently I have many foreign concepts of teaching which I MUST teach to the staff members.
8.We need to spend more time in the community.
9.Taking a semester of leave is termed a “dead semester” here.
10.I will never, ever, in the next two years, get out of praying (to Jesus that is).

In the words of one great Stephen Cormier, HERE WE GO!

 

Loving Frank

So yesterday I was requested to give a brief speech to the 7th Day Adventist Church on the nursing school campus. The pastor is a staff member and friend (and by friend I mean I see him everyday), so I thought it wouldn't do any harm to give in to his request. He asked me to read a passage from the Bible and then give some advice to the nursing students.

Freeze. I'm a Hindu. In Uganda, we are termed muhindi. That seems to mean that they realize that we, Indians, have different religions (including Christianity).

Resume. So they've asked a muhindi to give a speech to a non-Hindu Church...yeah. So I read the only Bible verse I really know and like: Corinthians 13:4-8. For the pleasure of my non-Christian readers, I have included it below:

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away."

So I tried to tie this to my "advice" to the nursing students, so I basically said that this idea of love doesn't simply apply to the relationship between men and women, but also between all human beings. To the nursing students, working in healthcare, it is important to be patient, show compassion and understanding. Also, between the students, it is important to support one another and not get wrapped up in the competition of education. It's like the Beatles said, all you need is love. Love can be a solution to problems, health or otherwise.

Apparently the students really liked what I said because they wanted me to speak again today. I told them I couldn't but that I would be happy to give another "sermon" next week. Now, I just have to find myself another Bible passage that I can talk about.

I was thinking about something about Family, since it's close to Christmas...any ideas?

 

ATONEMENT

Organization can be a frustrating concept when working in Uganda, or any foreign country for that matter. The concept of organization often differs from person to person and from group to group. During the Red Cross Youth Camp, organization seemed to be an afterthought. At the nursing school, at least superficially, there seems to be a westernized concept of organization, with schedules being made and time tables being printed. However, this is only a superficial act. Upon further analysis, it has come to my attention that all the work done to create this sense of organization is futile, as things change, often within 10 minutes of action. Even then, those changes often do not hold true.

Case in point:
Last night, at approximately 9:00 pm, I was told I would be doing a lecture, of my choice, today at 11:00 am. I discussed my lack of preparedness and explained I could only lecture on community mobilization, which luckily I had prepared on a whim out of partial boredom and interest in the subject. I was told this was fine and that I should be ready to lecture at 11:00 am. Awesome…great…yes, I was nervous, but the prospect of actually doing some potentially substantial work was overpowering my nerves.

Fast forward to 9:20 am this morning:
I received a call from my supervisor regarding the previously mentioned teaching endeavor asking if I was ready at the moment to teach. I said no, I had to print some things, so he asked if I would be ready at 9:30 am. I explained that I would not because I was prepared to teach at 11:00 am. There wasn’t much further communication as we exchanged “Okays” (mine more out of confusion than confirmation of a set plan). After hanging up, I frantically went to the computer lab and printed my notes (almost in tears out of frustration and lack of preparedness). I met my supervisor in his office, where he was meeting with two individuals (he asked me to come in regardless and sit and wait, while people came in and out of the office, lasting about 20 minutes). Finally he took me back to the computer lab to make sure that my computer was compatible with the projector, only to tell me that I would be lecturing later because there was someone else lecturing at the moment. As of 10:36 am I still have not been given any further instructions as to when I will be lecturing…

Cue frustration.

Fast forward to after lecture:
Well, I finally gave my lecture at 12:15 pm. Funny how things work out in the end. When I was finally able to “set up” (and by set up, I mean plug in my computer into the projector whose projection on the wall was barely visible due to the sunshine) I felt that maybe I would be able to turn the day around. I tried to be as engaging as I could, asking questions, trying to capture the attention of my audience. It seemed, however, that all the students wanted to do was sit and stare. I have no idea if the students got anything out of my lecture. I tried asking them questions throughout the lecture, gave examples they could relate to, but the faces never changed. There was always a stoic, almost bored expression on all the faces. None of the students took notes, only one gave me any sort of feedback unless I asked if “we were together”, then and only then would the whole class erupt in a united “yes”. At the end, I asked if there were questions (of course, there were none) and closed up shop. A couple of student clapped, some thanked me, and others just remained in their seats, quiet. I didn’t know if I was supposed to wait for them to leave first, so I just packed up my things and started packing up the projector. Finally, one student came to my side and we talked about my future lectures (though after this one I’m not sure if I even want to bother giving any more). She seemed genuinely interested in what I would “teach” next and she also helped me take the projector to the computer lab.

Maybe I engaged one mind after all…