random yesterday

Another busy Thursday - eating breakfast before Morning Prayer, celebrating the Eucharist, then off to school for the last day of regular classes.  Was happy to note on the way there that the Justin Bieber billboard advertising an acne product (#thingsthatmakeyoushakeyourhead) has FINALLY been replaced. 

a "Dance for Life" billboard is a definite improvement

Traffic was terrible, so my ride was late and so then was I.  On the last day of class.  Aaargh... Thank the Lord for cell phones - at least these days you can call the office so no one sits there and waits, wasting precious minutes when work could be done or Facebook checked in the computer room. Or, as I think happened, they could hang around the breakfast table just a little longer, no doubt commiserating over upcoming papers and exams.

Just as in the US, there is always some idiot who can't wait his turn and needs to pass.  On a busy two-way street at rush hour, no less. 

Taught two classes, celebrated the Eucharist with the seminarians and preached a mini-homily, wondering when I developed the nerve to do that without notes.  Ate with them and taught two more. 

We began our final English class by writing fortune cookie fortunes, putting them in a bag, and taking one of the others. "You will get a doctorate in theology and teach at the seminary."  "You will be bishop." "You will be very happy." "You will be wise."  "You will be a good teacher."  "You will work at [the church where you grew up]."  Wish I had had a bag of real fortune cookies for examples, but I did bring in one that I've kept handy:  "You have so much to be thankful for."  No, it's not an example of the future with "will," which we were practicing, but it's from a real cookie. 

And besides, it's true.

I'm so aware of that today.

We wrapped up the year by practicing Eucharistic Prayer A, which they'll be recording for me as a small portion of their exam.  And we did it with the gestures, too. I loved seeing them do that.  Someday I want to be there when each of them celebrates the Eucharist for real. 

I still can't believe classes are over.  Yes, I have a review session next week and an exam to give the week after, but no more classes.  I had forgotten how much I love teaching, and I'm sorry to have finished.  Never, ever enough class time. Only a teacher, right?  Although I do remember crying all the way home from the last day of first grade because I wouldn't have school all summer and I wouldn't have my beloved first grade teacher anymore.  ... What do you mean I'm a geek?

Seriously, though, I would love to have had more hours for the English classes, at least.  One short class a week is simply not sufficient, especially when you have beginning through advanced students in the same group.  But I've enjoyed the time I've had with them, whatever it is, and I give thanks for the blessing it's been. 

After classes ended for the day at 5PM, I headed back home with the other sister who teaches there Thursday afternoons. 

cutting through a side street to avoid some of the traffic

 

a very tidy vendor

It always makes me happy to see construction underway.

Of course, if you leave your backhoe sitting for too long, someone is going to make use of it to display their merchandise.

tired merchants leaning on the bucket of the backhoe at the end of a long day

motorcycle taxi stand at a major intersection by a supermarket

the vesper light...
end of the day sunlight giving one last charge to the new solar street lamps

Home again to supper (bouillie de banane and bread with peanut butter - comfort food, just right for the end of a long day)  and dishes.  Recorded Eucharistic Prayer A so the students could practice at home before recording it for me themselves. 

No power, so we had Compline outside on the porch - and this time not by flashlight.  It's definitely summer now.

Listened to another side of a novel on cassette tape while getting ready for bed.  Yes, cassettes. Books on tape are often free these days because no one wants them, so I still listen to cassettes.  I wonder if my niece would know what one was if I were to show her... Even my seminarians looked at me in great amusement when I said they could give me a cassette tape if they didn't have access to an mp3 player.  I was informed that at least one phone in the room could do that now.

Oh. Right.

Have I ever mentioned that I first regularly used a cell phone in Haiti in 2009?  People were a little shocked to have to show an American how to save a phone number and put in the name.  Explaining that (at that point) sisters in MA did not have individual cell phones was unconvincing.

Finally, just before the end of the tape, by the light of my trusty kerosene lamp and solar flashlight, I headed to bed.

And then I woke up in the middle of the night: lo and behold, there was power.  Sent the recording, checked my email, and started writing what was going to be a very short blog post.  Really.

I think it's time to head back to bed. 

Happy Friday, everyone.