Nigeria: Monday We Go to School

This computer is so slow -- I am grateful that you will forward
messages. If I were to write individual letters it would take hours
-- takes almost 20 minutes for yahoo to get up anbd about 2 mionutes
oif pressing the keys to get any action within it. I am so grateful
it is here I can't complain. OK -- here is my story for today.

I think probably the hardest part about this trip is that I am totally
in the hands of others. It has been made abundantly clear that this
is a very unsafe place and I can't do anything on my own, and my
interests differ, I think from those who are with me. My biggest
angst today was clothes. I came with all the wrong clothing. My room
had no air conditioning and last night there was no breeze so I
sweated all day yesterday and last night and our host said last night
he would get me a new room today. The rooms are all falling apart.
The plubmbing doesn't work, etc. Well Linda got a new room yesterday
and actually had a choice of 2 rooms, so I just decided to take the
one she rejected -- it had airconditioning. I moved before we left
today. At least I will have air -- and there is one desk lamp in the
room that should provide enough light for reading and one light in the
bathroom. I flushed and it works. I am happy be! cause for some
reason I am sweatnig a lot more here and it is very hard to get
clothes dry -- I washed socks and undies night before last and they
are still wet -- I figure wearing wet underware might make on cooler,
so maybe it is not such a bad thing. At least I am laughing about all
of this. Back to clothes. I so wish I had been able to get a light
cotton skirt and top. My tops are way too hot. I put on one of those
dressy polysester tops with pants this morning and I was dripping. I
changed to a cotton shirt without an undershirt and I am so out of
place it is pathetic. The women we work with all wear headpieces and
dresses that match just like Sunday/ Whoever sent back the message
that slacks are fine did not go out into the schools -- she was only
on campus, where, yes, you can see Western attire on the young people
and even our host wears a white shirt and pants. I was so embarrassed
because first we went to the English dep! artment faculty meeting and
were introduced -- fortunately I could plan ahead what I said and I
told them about Sam and showed them a book, and smiled a lot so I made
up for my out of place appearance. Then we went to another office and
took another lady with us -- who is in the education department. The
car was crowded with three in the back seat and no air, of course. I
now know why Ife is the way it is. The college is huge and the vast
majority of faculty live on campus and the whole thing is gated.
Ourside there are dirt roads full of ruts. A shocking contrast.
There was a fairly good paved road (no lines) from Ife to Ilesa where
we were headed. The downtown of Ife is a few shacks on the side of
the road. That is about it. Ilesa (pronounced Ilesia) is a large
city with sort of paved streets that are very crowded and lots and
lots of businesses in shacks - open air stores. Up hill and down.
This is much more the w! ay I had envisioned Nigeria. I just wish I
could have gottn out and walked the streets. We were then introduced
to the head of all the schools -- a woman who looked in control -- she
had nothing on her head at least. The car bottomed out twice as we
entered her building. She took us on a ride through the city to a
school and finally we got to observe some classes. The look
remarkably like the classrooms in colonial days with wooden seats that
held from 2 to 4 children side by side in four or five rows -=- 40 -
60 or more children per class. Everything seems top be done by rote.
And call and response. One child leader used a pointer to chant each
letter of the alphabet and a word that corresponded to that letter.
One teacher was probably taking a break from academics and doing
exercises. The kids in the primary classea re ages 3 to 7 and some
are multiage while others have one age. The intermediate class the
children w! ere all about ten and were learning about simple machines.
The teacher told them she was going to teach them about simple
machines. When you go to open a bottle of Coke (no kidding) what do
you use to open the bottle? An opener. A bottle opener is a simple
machine -- in chorus. She used a door latch and one other thing I
have forgotten. I would have liked to have stayed there a long time
but we had to go off to our teaching. That was in another part of
town and there were 4- teachers there -- when we arrived they did a
sort of cheer. Again formal dress. We were just supposed to meet the
teachers, but for lack of something else to do, Linda started her
language experience approach lesson which was the first one she was
supposed to teach. She patiently asked each woman's name and wrote it
on the board. I had suggested that there were inumerable skills you
could teach from a list like that so I tried to copy it -- old chalk
th! at crumbles and old chalkboard made some of it hard to see. I am
supposed to write it out again and get copies for tomorrow. Anyway we
had not idea how long we had so I showed them a book with a name in it
and explained that they could write about their own names. Too long
to go into but I discovered that Linda wants to teach the IRA
curriculum pretty much by script since she helped write it, and I want
to be a lot more informal and teach in response to what they do --
again I feel out of control here -- I try to defer to Linda because
number 1 she used to live here (which has been a wee bit awkward at
times, as her husband is dean of the college of education) and number
2 she wrote some of this stuff and it is good -- it may just not be
me. My contribution was to say that I had just seen a lesson on
simple machines and here is how you could teach reading with it -- but
I don't know as it was appreciated. It is hard to co-teach under any
circumsta! nces, but I shall just shut up and try to follow the script
and enjoy the people. The teachers obviously were very pleased that
we were there. Foprtunately they brought in drinks for all of them
and for us -- food is a real challenge -- and so are drinks. I have
drunk all my stuff from the states so am purifying water with my pills
-- it is bottled water so should be good but I am not taking a chance.

What is overwhleming here is that there are all these kids being
taught by rote with no materials to read. It is ideal for writing and
then reading each other's writing but that doesn't happen much either.
Not sure why. YOu see miles of schoolkids along the sides of the road
walking home -- as we did on our way back here -- all in uniform.
Linda wanted a akara so we stopped by some kids hawking food and ate
some on the way home -- it is bean curd fried -- they take out the
eyes of the black-eyed peas and the skins off and ground it and add
spice and fry it like a conch. Good.

Well I guess that is the report -- today the computer room is not air
conditioned, so I will go to my cool room and read and reread the
stupid lesson from the stupid book that an IRA person wrote about
football (soccer) and see if I can get the folks through that lesson.
It will not be easy. But I wll do it. Like I said I wish I could just
get out and walk the streets and be here -- I don't like to be just an
observer. I must have hit a key or something to make things itallic.
So long for now. Miss everyone so much, but this is a real education
in a lot of things for me and the teachers are purely delightful.
Sort of natural teachers who walk the front of the class and are
dynamic -- guess you have to be with 40 or so kids in your class.
The other thing that is hard is keeping clean -- I awake every morning
with dirty finger nails. I think that because it has not rained much
the dirt is red and we have been on dirt roads and such so there may
just be more dirt in the air. But it is kinda strange.

The one thing I have learned about the Nigerian cultures is that
children respect their elders in a really big way. It is lovely.
And, women cursy as they shake hands -- very gracious. More tomorrow

Nigeria: Sunday is for Meetin'

Your messages are a godsend, believe me. I just could not wait to get
back from church and dinner today to write and to read,but of couse
the servewr was down. Now you are at church, I suspect, and my did I
think of all of you today. Church was awesome other than the fact
that I was sweltering. It was near campus in a good-sized rectangular
building with wooden pews maybe twice the size or ours, and jalousy
(can't spell that word) windows that were all open. We were assigned
to a Bible study group when we arrived, and then at 10 the women all
went to the left side of the aisle and the men to the right side, and
the guists from America to the front row of the women's side. We were
easy to spot because we were the only women there without headwraps.
I word my LL Bean winter skirt and sneakers -- thought about sandles
as most people here wear open toed shoes with no socks -- but Linda
and I decided they would be too casual.&n! bsp; I wore Danling's china
top with the high neck and it does not breathe. I was reallyhot the
whole time we were out-- actually I am really hot all the time because
the "air conditioner" in the room sends in what ever air is outside
without discrimination. Anyway there was a processional -- can't wait
to establish that tradition in our chuuch -- and then the choir sat on
one side and the church service participants on the other. There were
four small rows of choir folks including a man on a keyboard, one on
drums and one with a tambourine -- I am eager to get those things
started in our church as well. The music was moving, good soul stuff
and the words were either in their bulletin (which is a 6-month
bulletin) or in their hymnal. They sang two hymns that are in our
hymnal! I really felt at home with the music and the praise kind of
singing and service. Amen Hallaleyah! I also felt at home because
(I don't know if Paul would appreciate this, but you can share if you
would like) of the British dialect of the speakers and the pentacostal
touch. I really did enjoy the service. The main sermon (there were
several) was very closely linked to Bible passages. There was a
special time to praise the start of the new school year and welcome
the few students who were there. They mentioned us twice. The
communion service is tonight, and you can only take communion if you
were Baptised my immersion at the age of 12. The service lasted 2and
a half hours -- DON'T TELL PAUL THAT! I think I was more connected to
the service than Linda was -- probably because I loved the music and I
am not sure she does. I was slightly swinging away at the first beat.
The women looked spectacular in their colorful dresses and headgear
-- many of the dresses had stitching on them. Just beautiful.
Matching shoes. The younger girls and boys wore modern dress.&n! bsp;
The men wore robes like the women, some with caps that matched. One
husband and wife matched-- at least in color.

The road to the church was incredible. It is only 2 blocks from
campus and on campus all of the roads are paved, but once you get off
the main road, there is not street maintenance and the roads are
incredibly pitted and full of holes -- you drive 2 MPH everywhere on
these dirt roads.. I used to make fun of Niki Daley's illusterated
picture boks because on each book and almost on each -page of each
book, he has pictures of hens and geese (He is a South African
illustrator). Well let me tell you -- chickens and goats are
everywhere loose and a few small cows as well --right in the
neighborhoods. On tiny dirt roads.

After church we went to Emeka's house for dinner. Clearly this was a
somewhat political occasion. His dean and husband, department chair
and wife and kids, and other professors, and another preacher from his
church and his kids were there. His house was very interesting, and
not unlike the housing that the University provides. Emeka explained
that the university provides housing and free health care but that
when you retire you will then not have a home, so he is building his
home now to prepare for retirement -- he has been working on it for 10
years. There are no such things as mortgages. You save up and build
gradually. Well his home looked like a fortress. There was a wall
around it and a huge metal gate that you had to buzz tobe let into.
On top of the wall were many little spikes so that no one could
getover it -- sort of like a prison. Inside the home had a large
living room like the one we saw yesterday ! with furniture around the
outside and nothing in the middle. Adark brown sofa and two matching
chairs and then hardback chairs. A television in the corner. Jalousy
windows (a lot like the house we lived in when we first came to
Florida -- or Elaine's old home. There is a lot of terrazo here in
the flooring as well). This floor, though was a sort of tile. The
walls were just plaster with some pictures hung on them. The dining
room had no floor and just rough plaster and the kitchen had a sort of
concrete looking floor and was small. It looked like it was his
daughters who prepared the mean. It was a serve yourself affair with
two kinds of rice (rice comes with every meal and I am eating a lot of
it because you have to boil it to cook it so it should be safe. Then
there werefour meats -- well fish that was in batter and fried with
bones in it, turkey, something that looked like I don'tknow-- hard but
like liver, and one other. I tried the fish because then I could pick
at it for a long time and look like I was eating -- and plankton.
There was mango for dessert and I forgot I am supposed to be allergic
to it so I ate two bites before the knowledge appeared on my radar. I
don't think I am that allergic to it actually. Anyway at dinner we
each stood and introduced ourselves, kids too, and I was glad I as at
the end because I could then thank them for having us and tell them
how delighted we were to learn from them and hopefully be helpful. It
was kinda awkward but maybe that is just the way itis. I tried to
engage the kids in conversation with a little help and one elder lady
has five grandchildren and she asked about books. I told her I would
leave some for her. There are NO books in any of the Nigerian public
schools. Can you imimagine that?

After dinner we were all transported (each car drove) a short way to a
Books without Borders building. This is incredible. This lady from
New Zealand visited and found no books here so she got all the kids
across New Zealand -- classes of kids, to donate books to Nigeria and
there are four rooms full of boxes of books. Emeka was showing this
off. He wanted to give the books to8 schools, one in each school
district, but the federal government wants him to send them to 24
schools -- so he is cataloguing all the books and deciding who gets
what and doing a followup on their effectiveness. I wish we could get
a version of that in the USA -- but the problem with such programs is
that the books tend to be not the best and that certainly was the case
here. The three kids who were with us devoured the books as we looked
around.

Then we came back here and I tried to race into the internet cafe
where it is cool to write but the server was down, so I asked for some
toilet paper (they arenot delivering any -- and the woman said that we
have not paid our bill -- that only the first night was paid for. I
explained to her that we were staying for another week and that the
man who was paying would be here to pick us up at 10 tomorrow and I
would have him speak to her and could I please have some toilet paper.
I mean now that I am in a room with a toilet that flushes I can
actually wipe -- imagine that! This whole thing is one screwup after
another -- but still just for things like today it will be very much
worth it. Linda brought her camera and we got some pictures (I
thought it might be impolite to be snapping pictures but Emeko said it
was fine -- and Inoticed that he showed us pictures (all posed) of
some of his work and such. Of course my pictures are more like! ly to
be of the impossibly bad streets and hens and goats -- and kids
reading. One of the mothers told me that her daughter (at dinner)
said that I looked like a "real American." Linda with darker skin
color did not qualify, I think. I laughed.

To sum it up -- it is hot as hell and this conference center is the
pits, but other than that -- getting out is wonderful. I never
expected a university city with no paved roads excepton campus. I
never thought there would be so much traditional dress and baskets on
heads and things I am intrigued with. I also thought it would be
easier to understand the language -- I don't know how we are going to
be able to teach kids -- as the British spoken here is a really thick
dialect with a lot of different terms for things. We shall see. I
also did not expect to be in a sort of unsafe situation as much. By
the way thebook boxes came in shreds because immigration thought they
contained concaine. I have been walking with Linda but I don't think
she wants to walk this evening, so I can't -- it just would not be
safe. That is comething I am really not used to. I am waring mjy
shorts around here and a t-shirt -- haven't seen anyone els! e in
shorts anywhere, but I also have not seen a white person since I hit
Africa so I am already different and shorts are a comfort -- a big
comfort in this small conference center. Yesterday and today there
were religious groups here -- all dressed to the hilt -- one went from
4 to midnight but they were still making noise at 1:30 AM.

Please keep my letters so I don't need to handwrite them.

I think of you guys all the time -- and of Bev and well everyone. I
do miss you a lot. I am counting down the days -- Ileave in a week.
But once I hit the schools I will probably feel differently.
-- there are absolutely no postcards that I can find anywhere so I
guess these e-mails are my postcards to people. I may walk to campus
tomorrow morning since we don't leave till 10 (Emeka has to teach a
class) and see if the campus bookstore has anything of interest. It
should be safe in the morning with all the students around.

The contrast because those who are gracious and kind and welcoming and
those who are not, is so striking -- the people at this conference
center really are not happy campuers. The folks who are professors
and students and church goers seem very friendly. I try to take a
back seat to Linda. I think she may be a bit uncomfortable especially
today because her husband is head of education and these folks all
know him (and some knew her). She says things like, "even though
Ihave been here before, I am eager to see the schools and work with
your teachers." I really don't think many of these people have any
contact with the real folk at all except as servants. Very class
divided society as far as I can see.

OK -- myhour is about up

Nigeria: Getting Cool & Other Profound Saturday Thoughts

Hekko again. I think Linda and I gravitated here to get cool -- takes
about 10 minutes of my 60 minuites to log on. These computers are old
and the mice require special attention. Right now it is 3 or so in
the afternoon on Saturday and things have been up and down. The down
was that last night was pretty bad. The toilet doesn't flush, the
light is poor (I swiped a light from another room to alleviate that
situation, and it was hard to get to sleep -=- then in the middle of
the night the electricity (and airconditioning) went out for 3 hours.
It was out this morning for 4 hours. Anyway by morning my room stunk
and I had had enough. I went to the receptionist and she asked me
what room I was in and she said -- oh, the toilet does not work in
that room. I asked if I could change rooms, and she said yes -- after
noon when the present guests left. So this morning I packed back up
my stuff (I had all my books out an! d stuff like that) and tried to
read books but it was hard. I was up at 5:30 ate a granola bar, took
my meds, and hung out. Linda didn't wake up until 10 -- so we went to
a table and tried to figure out what we could do under these changing
conditions. She liked some of my books. But we pretty much have to
stick to the script but it was helpful to hear her talk about
connections. I'll know a lot better Monday what we really are doing.
We are going to a town 45 minutes away by road, beep, beep -- and will
observe and then meet with about 70 teachers -- introductions or
something. Then we come back here for food because they think the
food here is safe. Who knows. The girls in this restarant take our
money and say they have no change. Today the guy who is coordinating
our educational events, Emeka came while we were waiting for lunch --
you order and it takes up to 45 minutes while they prepare it. And
Emeka rode the w! omen out about their treatment of us. Anyway --
after noon I changed rooms and took my light bulb with me. I hope it
will fit in a socket because in this new room the airconditioner
barely works and there is only one light in the bathroom which is
missing 1/3 of its tiles, but the toilet flushes (I checked).
The good part of the day was that Emeka took us to meet his department
chair who is a woman and who was absolutely wonderful -- in her home
(she drives a new toyota station wagon. In her home. Wemeet her
husband who is a professor, too. They have a daughter in Atlanta. We
had some good conversations about her sturggle to get women
recognition on campus. Then he drove us to campus to meet his dean.
He has invited them and their families to his home for lunch tomorrow
after church. He will pick us up at 9:15 and take us tohear him
preach (His dean is a preacher too) a pentacostal service. So
tomorrow should be very interesting.

By now my clothes are all dirty and it takes days for them to dry.
Linda suggested putting them out on the roof and I shall try that
today -- if it does not rain. I wish I had a skirt that was not hot --
we are soooooo hot. No air conditioning in cars -- but at least we
can open the windows. Well, Monday we go to our school and I can stop
worrying. I will feel more comfortable there -- 40 - 60 kids in a
class -- can you imagine?
Things I have noticed. Faculty have little buildings behind their
buildings for servants. Looks like old days in the South. People feel
free to call faculty at home.
People invite you to their home for meals.
Some people are very friendly (professional peole) and some are not
(waitresses). Everything in Nigeria is falling apart since the economy
went under. This whole campus is 20 years old -- nothing has changed,
and in 20 years, things deteriorate. I've already described how
pitiful the conference center is. It is all kind of sad. Up until 4
years ago a professor made 400 a year (dollars) now they make 4000
which is a livable wage. All cars are stick shift.
All cars have whiney horns.
All drivers drive like bats out of he__
OK I guess I exaggerate, but that is my experience so far. I really
can't wait till I get with the kids. Living here is very hard (all
kinds of flying insects in the cafeteria (and we are about the only
ones eating here) because when the electricity goes off they open the
sliding glass doors. I don't think I would eat there at all if Linda
were not here, but I feel obligated to keep her company and she me.
Linda is kinda cool. She is so good to be with as she can transcend
cultures having lived here for 2 years.
Well, I don't know how soon I will be able to get back here -- with
electric outages and committments -- certainly moset of tomorrow will
be taken up with church -- good thing I have that LLBean skirt -- it
will be sooooo hot -- but I can't wear -pants there. I am looking
forward to hearing Emeka preach and attending a real NIgerian service.
There is a temple here, a catholic church here and a Protestant
church here -- all official churches -- then there are a ton of other
unofficial churches of which his is one. The impact of missionaries
here is phenomomel. I am having mixed feelings about that. They
bring with them English and native languages die out -- like in
Alaska. They make people Christian and native religions die out. I
just think that is kinda sad. I wish I could find a flashlight. There
is a store for students on campus and sometime next week if we are
here in the afternoon I shall walk there and get one.

Nigeria: What's It Like Here?

OK -- what s it like here? The University is falling apart and the
conference center is no xception. There are very few people here and
everything is old and dirty and malfunctioning. I am in my camp
mentality so I am not going to mind it much.
The rook is dirty and wet and moldy and the air conditioner is
sporadic -- though it gets more air than Linda's does. I am glad we
are together as this would be very hard without another person. What
will be hardest is the light. There is no light in the room that
gives enough light to read by -- infact they are all rboken except for
one in the bathroom and one really dull one over the bed. I wonder
how I will go to sleep without reading. I unpacked and pulled down
the sheet to pt my camp sheet down and killed three live bugs in the
process, There are moth balls on the floor -- I left them there as I
think they chase away critters. The air conditioner leaks water and
is all broken in front. I have a view of the roof and nothing else.
The bathroom leaks. I am glad I am prepared, except that I forgot to
put the lare\ger flashlight in my suitcase -- I can't believe I did
that. I took the little one out and i! ntended to put the big one in
-- ohy well you don't need a flashllight. There is no way we could
ever go to puchase something. The electricity has gone off four times
since we got here -- once for a couple of hours. But it is on now and
I am writing to you and that makes me oh so happy -- save these darn
things because without light I can't write them on paper. Besides if
I am going to teach kids I need everybit of the paper I can get. It
will be hard because they won't understand me or I them. Sunday at 2 I
will learn more. What will we do tomorrow? Who kn ows. This evening
we walked all the way to the campus -- probably over a mile -- but
tomorrow nothing will be open -- in fact today not much was -- only
studcents leaving for theweek3end -- the semester starts Monday. We
noticed there is somekind of performer on Wednewsday night -- no idea
what -- but we may go in to it -- otherwisew there is nothing to do
here. We! ll my hour of Internet use\age ius about up so I'll send
this off for now -- Linda is OK -- nice companion -- I am glad she
likes to walk. We are compatible -- and Ihad to tell her that the
lady who lives iwth me is feeding my pets -- lordy. Plus I walked in
shorts and have not see anyone in shorts since I got here -- but it is
so hot that I just could not stand walking in slacks. I am a tourist
-- wore the camera around my next in case there was any question. I
have not seen a white person since I got to Ibaden -- actually they
only white person I have seen in Nigeroia is the white woman who is
mattied to the Nigerian and who is in some way coordinating operations
for this affair. Bye for now -- more later --

Nigeria: From Atlanta to Amsterdam to Abuja to Ibadan to Ife

-----
Well Hallaluyah - somehting has gone right!!!!! You can forward this
to anyone you want to.

A little summary -- Made it to Atlanta. Made it to Amsterdam -- made it
to Abuja -- thosw were very long flights and I just could not sleep.
At Amsterdam we met the other pair of trainers -- Pam and Pat and all
four of us flew to Abuja. We were supposed to have meetings and
briefings there today but for some reason that did not happen and
instead, we flew to Ibadan (you will have to get a map to make any
sense of all this. Abuja was kind of frightening. Pam had luggage
with 4 laptop computers in it that were donated to her to distribute
to teachers here and it did not come through in luggage so we stood
around and waited for ajavascript:void(0)n hour in an unairconditioned airport with
unspeakable facilities until plans were made for her luggage if and
when it every gets here. 30 people were in the same boat! . My guess
is that since people going to Africa tend to bring with them a lot of
stuff, there was too much stuff for the plane, so they just left some
for the next plane that had room/ The long flight planes were crowded
with narrow aisles -- not possible to walk much at all so I just
pretended I needed to go the bathroom a lot to get up a little.

People had warned me about drivers in Nigeria but nothing could have
compared to the experience. The airport is about 45 minutes from
Abuja and it was night -- and that is only if you drive at about 80
MPH. You cannot see the white dots doen the middle. I give our
driver credit -- he tried to drive slower but cars cut in and out
constantly =-= and they beep as they do it -- bumper to bumper -- a
harrowing experience. At the turn to the hotel the driver bottomed
out his car big time twice -- too much weight. But we made it.

The hotel was primitive. Much mold and dampness and leaks in my room.
The others had supper but I could not stomach a thing so I just sat
and got directions. Plans had changed -- that is the one consistent
thing about this whole trip. Now Linda and I were to leave the next
morning to fly to Ibaden because there is no flight on Saturday to
Ife. So we had not planning meetings. I slept some in my little
sheet thing but I got wrapped up in it and ate granola bars for supper
too -- I did not want to risk the food. The woman guiding us is
married to a Nigerian and has lived here most of her life. It is
struly scary inn many ways, but I am sure I will adjust.

This morning we changed money into dinos -- and it cost me more
because I had small denominations -- wish they had shared that
information in advance. I had an hour to wait and the lady was going
to find a cafe so I asked if I could come along for the ride and see
some of the city, sh\o I came with her and her husband in anotheer
harrowing ride. I actually was the one that found the Internet cafe
for her, but Ijust stayed in the car as she was in a rush and I wanted
to just look. Most people who aremiddle class or better don't drive.
They hire a driver. The moset common taxi is a motorcyclle with
someone on the back -=- they are all over the place weaving in and out
of cars. Horns consteantly -- but a different horn -- higher in tone.
In abuja people wear everything lots of traditional dress and many
younger people in western clothes. Only women carry things on their
heads but they sure do carry a lot -- wood for fire3s.&n! bsp; Linda
says they have a mat on their head that helps insulate from bouncing
and such -- still it is very amazing. There are booths set up under
umbrellas everywhere. In the country there are car parks with markets
behind them.
Anyway today we made it to Ibadan, then by car to Ife and on that
journey there were 8 military checkpoints who were stopping cars and
making riders get out and empty their cars -- since most vehincles had
tons of people in them (one truck had people hanging on all around the
outside of the back and people across the top of the load -- ir was
amazing. So was going through checkpoints.

Here wer were lf\eft and the man told us that plans had changed -=- we
were not teaching college professors but teachers and children in
schools. Monday we observe and then Tuesday thouguh Firday we teach
in some way -- he will tell us more on Sunday at 2. Meanwhile we are
on our own. I will write more but want tos end this before the
electricity goes off again -- it is an adventure