Things still surprise and delight me here. A few from the last couple of weeks:
- Tamatave had a bar called ‘ABD Beach’. I thought it a nice variation on ‘ABC Beach’. However Malagasy does not contain a ‘C’, so children learn their ‘ABD’.
- The Bank of Madagascar has launched a new high value 20,000Ar banknote. This is twice the value of the previous high value 10,000Ar note. This is worth about £5,EUR6 or US$7. The largest UK banknote is £100, US is $100 and Brunei/Singapore is $10,000 (about £5000). My wallet is not large enough to fit my Malagasy rent into, however many shops cannot find change for 5000Ar.
- When starting the ‘Modern Teaching Methods 2’ course, I asked how the first course had changed teaching. One student told me she tried to help an ADHD student by giving them a sponge to squeeze. Unfortunately the student ate the sponge.
- Sometimes locals stare at white people. Recently I caught myself staring at white people.
- A malagasy proverb: ‘If a tree will make a good boat, it comes from a good bed’.
- I made my own coconut milk, rather than buying it in a tin. Take an old coconut, have the coconut seller grate the white stuff, boil it in a little water and then strain the pulp through a seive.
7. An idea for trendy cyclists in the UK
- I realise what I do here is successful because of the grace and favor of God. So many things have just ‘happened’ coincidentally. One example is when flying here in September I found myself sitting next to Tim and Maz who run a very complementary ‘leadership for life’ course. Many teachers have now completed both their and my courses.
- A woman took our course. After the course her mother commented that home discussions are much more orderly and that her daughter is much more creative…she made a clothes box into a comfortable seat. It’s awesome to see the course has wider effects than I might think.
- We trained a Physics/Chemistry teacher in practical science. Now his class think he is a magician. This is a problem as magicians are associated with witchcraft here. Maybe I need to include a section on ‘avoiding being burnt at the stake’ when I write the science course book.
If you pray, please pray for clarity about how to lead the organisation forward, and for what I should do next. I need to step back a bit form day to day running and training, but am unsure what to focus on now.
‘Vision without action
is only dreaming.
Action without vision
is only passing time.
Vision with action can
change the world’ – Joel A Parker
The last year has seen vision with action. Now I need a renewed vision.
I’m coming home at the beginning of July. I have no summer plans, though would love to join with some people and do some things…any suggestions?
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