I’ve been living a low-key lifestyle. Haven’t had a beer since New Year’s Eve. Beer, in relation to everything else here is expensive, which leaves with money to buy school supplies such as hand-outs.

The video below is a view of the only street in my town. I shot it from a bus.

I’m preparing my English Club which will start next Friday. Don’t know what I’ll do exactly but it’ll be fun and conducive to using English. At my site, I hiked up the tallest mountain nearby. It was a little tough. At times I was going almost vertical using all four limbs. I had to take a break. A coffee break. I had to trailblazer which has me scratched up and cranky. That’ the last time I climb up that mountain. But the big one on the west side I’ll do again.

People still look at me like I’m some Hollywood celebrity minus the paparazzi. I’m cool with it because for them seeing a non-Malagasy is extra ordinary. But, sometimes I just want to be left alone, to be anonymous.

One day I was teaching a class, my rowdiest, and like usual they were talking up a storm and not being respectful so I decided to institute a seating chart. They didn’t like it and getting them in their assigned seats was like herding cats. Part of me was going to erupt in anger but I didn’t, instead I remained calm and after some time got the kids where they needed to sit. I was so proud of myself. Years ago I would have gotten pissed, yelled at someone then regretted it later.

I started the English Club. I wasn’t sure what to expect: how many students would attend or what I was going to do in the Club? But after our first meeting I learned a bit. We played some games in English and for the next meeting I plan on showing the BBC Show “Planet Earth” with the English subtitles turned on.

I now have a Malagasy tutor. I really need to learn more. I’ve been lazy. Also, I just ordered a snazzy projector from Amazon, because although showing movies on my laptop is good enough, I don’t my students to strain to see the screen and subtitles. Perhaps, I can use it in my classrooms, too.