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Published: February 25th 2010
Absent on Thursday
Although I dosed myself up with various things - got some Vick and inhaled it and put it on my -I still woke up with no voice at all this morning so could hardly go in and do oral work with six groups of Grade 2. I am trying resting it for today in the hope it will come back. It is a rather essential requisite for what I am doing.
I went out and got a local paper - the hotel don’t get them for you and you have to grab one of the few that come in and we are always in a rush to be ready for a 7.15 pick up. There were various meetings and visits from the education off ice in our first week and “seven hour teaching day” was in the vibes. The teachers in our schools usually leave when the children leave which makes any joint preparation impossible as the breaks are short. I had a quick glance a a weekend paper last week and saw the outline of the State of the Nation speech by Zuma and there was a précis in last night’s paper too. Apparently he is saying that teachers in previously black schools do an average 3.5 hour day and in previously white schools do a 6.5 hour day but that they should all do 7 hours a day at school and there will be performance measures etc. This may have a familiar ring to the educator’s among you. There were words like targets and outcomes and measures to get rid of poor teachers.
In my school teachers are called educators and I am Educator Sue! We have had to find distinguishing names for the three Sues and have incorporated bits of surnames so I am Souffle- light and fluffy!
Just to cheer some of you Lesley who have been waiting for this pointed out that I had three grey hairs last night. I think it is the stress! I will probably have pulled them out before I see you.
I had a quick walk along the beach as it looked as if it would be hot later but it has clouded over. I was checking the bluebottle situation and clearing my head. I bumped into a woman walking her five dogs who I presumed was local so I asked her about them Apparently they have little barbs which they wrap round you and the sting is quite painful. They look very pretty like something out of Nemo. The best cure is to wee on the sting which could be quite awkward on the beach.
Interesting coincidence - She had just returned from a month in Southampton. She was very impresses with Beaulieu and the Isle of Wight. I wasn’t very verbal but told her what I was doing. She told me that before the strict racial areas of apartheid she ran an informal clinic and soup kitchen in one of the townships but that once the boundaries were set up, she was not allowed to go in although people sometimes found her home with their children who needed food or medical attention.
I took my packed lunch, already prepared for school, out onto the verandah in the front but the sun was baking my knees. I think my early walk was at the best time as it was sunny and slightly breezy.
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Christine Hooper
non-member comment
Hello Souffle
I liked your new name, it really suits you. Sorry to hear about the voice, I hope it gets stronger soon and that the cough goes too. Maybe your day off with have done the trick, do you feel guilty about taking the day off? When you mentioned the bluebottles and dogs it sounded like the dogs had barbs on them! I just cannot imagine it being hot enough for the sun to burn your knees, it is pouring down with rain again here. Lovely to hear from you again Souffle. I hope the weather clears up there and that the bluebottles get lost somewhere else. Love form Chris xx