October 25, 2011

The yellow leaves on the tree outside my kitchen are placidly falling to the ground, fluttering on their way to creating a carpet over the alleyway down below. The pomegranate tree is sporting some red globes and someone has carved a vegetable garden next to the concrete fence with a few rows of peppers already bearing fruit.  The temperature has dropped to 43 degrees and I kept the heating on all night with the bedroom door open in the hope of catching some warmth. There’s been no word from my landlady about getting me a portable radiator.

Went to get copies made of the handout I had previously printed and the place wanted to overcharge me for them. Instead of the 35-40 dirams per page the dean told was the current rate, the cashier quoted me one somoni per page or more than double. When I protested, they lowered the rate to 50 dirams. Proceeded to the PedInst as Pariso had called to ask me to come in earlier to complete some paperwork. When we sat down, here’s the list she gave me (literally):

1. Application
2. Personal form (leaf)
3. The copy of all kind of diplomas
4. Autobiography
5. Medical reference
6. Characteristics/reference description
7. Copy of passport
8. Working book
9. Two photos 3 X 4
10. CIN (absolute number of worker)
11. Reference from place of residence
12. Black folder (file) for documents

All documents were to be submitted by the following day. I laughed really hard and told her the request was simply hilarious, neither Pariso nor her colleague present had ever heard this word and had to look it up in their dictionary, as I didn’t even understand what exactly the administration wanted and except for my curriculum, passport and photos, I had no access to any other document. Pariso took offense to my lightheartedness and insisted this was a serious matter if I wanted to continue teaching at the PedInst. To appease her, I told her I’d contact Tahmina by email with the list of documents and let her handle the situation. Pariso wanted to call Tahmina on the spot, but I reminded her that Tahmina had left for Garm that morning and might not be available.

Pariso also informed me that my 1:25pm class was having their grammar exam and I agreed to observe. After about five minutes of waiting with the students, she came back to tell me that their professor could not be found and to please proceed with my lecture. This class had never seen the word “handout” and more outstanding yet, the word “hate”. They couldn’t believe that I had sprung for my pocketbook and paid for the copies instead of collecting money from them as other teachers do when they have an exam. I talked to the students first about the activity from the previous week and the fact that they lacked sufficient vocabulary to participate in speaking activities. I tried to impress on them that without vocabulary their knowledge of grammar was simply useless as they could not tell me what their thoughts or feelings were about anything. We proceeded with the activity of interviewing each other about their likes and dislikes while talking about food, drinks, movies, sports, hobbies, vacations, and so. It went much better than I had expected and even the surly student who had refused to participate last week by loudly stating that he spoke no English told me through his classmate that the activity was interesting and he wanted to learn to speak English fluently.

I had a break after my second class and req1uested the key to the Resource Room donated by the British Council so I could peruse the contents of the materials left behind by Beth. He handed it to me and said a copy would be made later on and I proceeded to ask numerous students and administrators where the room was as I couldn’t quite remember. No one, not even the Rector’s secretary, knew where this room was located. Back to the English Language faculty where one of the male teachers agreed to accompany me there after telling it was located in Building #7. I hadn’t even noticed that the buildings had numbers on them. While walking there, I related my decision to focus on vocabulary building with the students instead of grammar points and his reply was that the students needed to learn the material necessary for them to pass the exam they’d take every six weeks. To think that I had come half way around the word to teach interactive lessons and  to then be told I’m to teach to the test felt like a slap in the face. Where am I? Back in Florida? FCAT time perhaps?

The Resource Room in question is located off a dingy hallway, dark as usual, and unless you have been taken there, you’d not find it as there is no sign on the outside. Once inside, I was looking at a large, bright room with two computers, both unplugged, one large printer, three CD players, two of them new and still in their respective boxes, an entire wall of bookshelves groaning with books on teacher training, leveled readers, dictionaries, grammar books, novels and magazines. I’m going to venture that since Beth left in June or thereabouts, no one has set foot in this room. I found a large whiteboard and even an overhead projector, something I desperately need. Most of the materials had a label indicating it had been donated by the British Council. I found a copy of the book “Zero Prep”, which Beth had indicated had been very helpful for her lessons. In addition, I found another titled “Lessons from your Rucksack”, written by a British author who has taught TEFL for years and decided not ask for permission and just take those home to peruse their contents for as the saying goes: “It’s better to apologize than to ask permission.”

My last class of the day seems to be the one with the least fluency. They struggle to read even simple instructions and cannot understand spoken English. When asked why they were learning a foreign language, some answered they were doing it  so they could go to America. No one mentioned gaining the ability to communicate with people from around the world. Prior to the beginning of this class, Pariso lectured me about not laughing in class as the students were talking about it in the hallways and specially not to laugh when I was talking to the professors in front of the students for it made them look bad.

Trolley #1 was packed and I was surrounded by some riders who had chosen not to use deodorant. It seems to be a choice made mostly by young men. Will have to look into it at some point. The staircase was already chilly and I allowed a young girl to go ahead of me as she was running to get to the third floor. Her mother had opened the door and this was the woman who almost knocked my door down the day of the flooding in my bathroom. I tried to ask her if the damage to her ceiling had been fixed, but when I looked into her hallway, I couldn’t see any damage. She asked her daughter to interpret for her, but she spoke little English. I did find out that she teaches Tajik history at the Slavic/Russian University around the corner and had studied English in the past. I told her I was interested in offering a conversation class there and she asked me to stop by tomorrow.

Mariam had completed one of my outfits and I went to retrieve it. The other one will be ready tomorrow and she asked50.00 somonis for each or about $10.00. It’s indeed too cold now for me to wear them unless I can find a turtleneck sweater to wear under the tunic.