04 September, 2002 - 13:45

My old entries are not showing up in the older entries page. So, there are about six entries that don't appear publicly. How annoying.

I have been working so hard today, I can't believe it. I'm preparing to teach a lesson on Thailand, so I had to draw a huge map of South East Asia and the students and I will attempt to label the map in its' blank form. We're also learning some Thai words and Thai food.

My housewife private student (Noriko) came over last night. She's so rad. 45 years old, doesn't have a job, does pottery, listens to music, goes shopping with her husband's credit cards.... ummmmm, oh. This sounds like someone else I know! (Tu te connais bien!) Ha. That's funny.

I have been roped into playing the tuba for my school's culture festival in October. So, today I have my first practise. I don't remember anything about the bass clef, tuba fingerings, or maybe even time signature. I wonder if it'll come back quickly?

I spoke to Alexis last night and it was great. We haven't spoken on the phone for about 11 months. She was in Angola for quite some time doing development work.

People around me who have gone to Africa make me feel the need to go there. I've got this feeling that Africa is the last frontier in a lot of ways. Ce n'est pas le tier monde. But it seems like it's the last of any kind of binary opposition to the stupid new world order.

Southern Africa, especially holds so much interest for me. When people tell me it's the dark continent and ask why I would want to go there, it give me all the more impetus to get there as quickly as I can.

Alexis was telling me stories about Angola where children walk around in sand that is so riddled with garbage, diahhrea, glass, vomit, dead animals, pee that they get cuts and scrapes and infections so bad that they can't walk. But that still, they pick the garbage up and put it in their mouths. Because it's what you do. So, there are nineyearolds walking around with shards of glass in their mouths just for something to chew on. And there are kids walking around with dirty kleenex in their mouths just for something to suck on.

Sometimes, I think just seeing Africa would be too indulgent, though. I don't think I travel only as a voyeur - or at least I haven't up to this point. I like to meet people, not watch them.

That means I can never take another stupid tourist bus tour ever again.

Yeah!