I got up for an early shower and headed up to breakfast and some more great coffee. I managed to get some writing in before we met this morning. We had to get together early this day to walk to the school where Des once worked as a teacher and headmaster. It was a brisk walk again, mostly uphill, so I felt like I was breathing heavy the whole way....but I did well! I was proud of myself! The walk was fun too, because we were walking through throngs of children, all smartly dressed in their respective school uniforms and heading off the school. We talked to some who passed, and some who attempted to walk alongside us for a way. There were several schools on our way, but we were headed to the Sandford International School.
When we arrived at the gate, we were greeted, of course, by guards, and they seemed very concerned that we were trying to get in. They finally calmed when they found out that we were supposed to be there for a visit, and some of the teachers and the current headmaster came out to greet us. It was like old home week for Des, since many of the people with whom he worked 22 years ago were still there. Several of the teachers talked to us about our interests, and then broke us into manageable groups to tour the various classes and spots we wanted to see. The group I was with attended an IB1 Math class, where, unfortunately, the teacher was absent. The students in that class, however, were working diligently in his absence, but allowed us to interrupt them for a bit of conversation about their school lives. We found out that several of them have relatives in the US, and one young man was actually born in Alexandria, VA, and goes back there each summer!
We then stopped by the English and Drama teacher’s room, but found the teacher, Stephanie Nelmes outside on the steps working, so we had a question and answer session with her for a while. She was born to missionary parents in Addis, but had done some of her growing up in New Mexico. She and her sister both lived in Addis, and before leaving again for the states, her sister worked as a nurse for one of the surgeons at the Korean Hospital, which we would visit later in the week. This young woman was very knowledgeable about teaching in the international arena, and she shared some very valuable information with some of our young people.
Next stop was a music class, where we were invited by the teacher, Mr. Underwood, to sing along with the kids as they learned some very familiar tunes like “Monster Mash,” Alan Sherman’s classic “Hello, Muddah, Hello, Faddah,” and the ever-popular “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing.” The kids were great, and we had such a good time with them!
We also visited the art class, and the teacher, Mr. Wondowossen Beyene, showed us many works that both he and his students had created. He was wonderful to talk with, and his artwork was amazing! He showed us pictures of a recent art show he had shared with a photographer friend, and one painting that was hanging in the Sheraton in Addis. This is a very talented man! We exchanged email and website information, so I hope to keep in touch with him.
We had some time to spend with Tim, one of the education teachers, again about international teaching, and how to get involved. I could see the eyes of some of our young people light up thinking about the possibilities as he spoke. He was then called away, so we broke up and did some exploring on our own.
I walked around the grounds a bit and took some photos and video of the children, the buildings, some wildlife, etc. It was a great time to just breathe and reflect on all I’d learned about the school during the morning. As I walked, the computer teacher came out to talk again, and we chatted about his career, his time at the school, and then he led me around the corner to a small monument that the school had built in memory of his son. Seems that this gentleman and his family were visiting Dubai a couple of years ago, and they were involved in a tragic accident in which his 15 year-old son was thrown from the vehicle and killed. He had been a well-loved student at the school himself, and so this little memorial in the garden was erected in his name. It was a very sad story, but Mr. Kumar seems to be dealing with it very well.
After lunch, we stopped by the hotel for a few minutes while our driver patiently waited for us, to drop off laptops, cameras, etc. and headed back to the Mecato for a last visit. Most of us had a better idea this time of what we wanted, where to look for it, and how to barter with some finesse! We were immediately recognized from the day before, and descended upon by sales people from everywhere. It was almost funny! Even the beggars on the street who followed us were the same ones from the day before! We went into the market building, made our decisions, purchased our goods, and gathered up to leave in a relatively short time. As we left, however, there began to be an almost overwhelming swarm of people around us. I noticed the girls in our group in front of me had banded together in twos and threes with arms locked together. There were young men around them, trying to talk to them, get between the groups, etc. When I saw one young man begin to put his arm around one of the girls, I ran ahead and pushed his hand away, and pushed him away. He and his friends backed off, and by this time, we were almost at our van, where we jumped in, still surrounded by people, and shut the doors and windows, and our driver pulled off. We were glad to be on the road again.
We went back to our hotel, and once again, had some down time to rest before going out to dinner. Some of us purchased a few odds and ends from one of the showcases at the hotel. I had some time to put my feet up and rest, so I took advantage of that!
Dinner that night was great! We met our driver at 7:30, and he took us to one of Des’ old haunts, an Armenian restaurant. We had some great things to eat, including Kabobs, wrapped in flatbread! This was a quaint little place, quiet until, of course, we arrived, but had some great artwork painted on the walls. I enjoyed it a great deal!
Back to the hotel we went that night for an early bedtime. We had a long day planned the next day, and we were going to need our rest!
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