January 18, 2012

A beautiful frosty morning greeted me when I stepped outside my building. Headed to the Teachers’ Training Center and carried out the second part of the session once Caroline left to go to MultiKids. I tried to show the teachers how to use the “Odd One Out” game to sharpen their students ability to detect patterns, similarities and difference among a group of words and to use logic to explain their choice. What should have taken 30 minutes took over an hour and they still could not see the logic behind some of the selections. I feel really sad when I see fully-grown human beings unable to free themselves from the long-ingrained patterns of learning that have taught them to simply memorize and recite facts and figures. An older teacher, who obviously had never used a computer, indicated that a mouse was out because it was an animal and not part of a machine. When I mentioned that this game was a good practice for those taking exams such as the TOEFL, no one knew what I was talking about.

On my way to Caritas International, ran into Ryan who acted surprised to see me and acknowledged he had been back for some time but was lying low for a while. We talked about perhaps having lunch on Sunday. The group at Caritas had a great time playing the games I had provided for the teachers last week and which many of them found way too advanced. We played “Concentration” using common collocations, “Giving Advice” to practice modals and “Have you Ever…” to practice the present perfect and simple past. Takhmina was laughing so hard she tears in her eyes. It was a great session.

On my way home, I stopped at the butcher and got some meat to cook on Sunday. I simply forgot that I was to meet with Caroline, Aziza and Gulnob at the Serena Hotel at 3:00 for tea as neither one of us had mentioned before her leaving. Instead, I walked all the way home grateful to have the warm sunshine on my face. Maryam and Nilufar were in front of the building as Nilufar was getting ready to take her baby out for a stroll. I followed Maryam and she indicated I should go with her to her friend’s flat on the first floor. Natasha knits the traditional Pamiri socks and wanted to know if I was interested in buying a pair. I was offered tea, bread, cookies, jam, and candy. The apartment is full of plants, some of which I had never seen. Her grandson, Firuz, was expected to talk to me in English, but of course he couldn’t even answer the most cursory of questions.