I hope all is well with you. I am still having a great time here in Djibouti.
Guess what? This week Keith, Kristin, and Malcolm went back to school! OK, they didn't really go to class. But they did visit a school where students are learning English.
I really didn't want to go to English class, but I wasn't going to argue with Kristin. Now I am glad I went. The school didn't look like any school I have ever visited. The school was in an old building near the center of the city on a very dark road. The "road" was actually mud. Can you believe it? I thought all roads in cities were streets like they are in Muscatine. Kristin says there are many places in the world that do not have paved streets. I had no idea!
The school had only three small classrooms. It didn't have desks like the ones in my school. Instead the desks were long tables and the seats were benches. Very strange.
Kristin says members of the military base visit the school once a week to help the students learn English. They don't use books. Instead, the soldiers talk with the students. Kristin says this helps the students talk better. Who knew!It was very HOT in the school and there were SO many students that Kristin could barely walk around. So I decided not to have my picture taken.
Here's Kristin and Malcolm taping some of the discussion. The students and soldiers were talking about women and sports.
And here's Kristin interviewing the head of the school program. Notice the funny looking lights? Those are Malcolm's lights for TV. Kristin says they make her look "good." I'm not sure what she means by that but she does look different when Malcolm's lights are on!
The day after the English class, we went to an orphanage just down the road from the military base. Kristin says an orphanage is a place where children who don't have parents live. I have never heard of such a place. I thought everyone had a Mom and Dad. Kristin says there are many children around the world that do not have parents. Kristin says this is why people from the base come and visit. The soldiers play sports games with the boys that live in the orphanage. I think this is very nice.The orphanage is not very nice. The buildings are very old and don't have glass windows.
The soccer field does not look like the soccer complex in Muscatine. The one at the orphanage is full of trash and does not have goalie nets.
I told Kristin that I would not want to live here. She says I should be thankful that I have a nice home. I think she is right.When Kristin told me the boys do not have parents, I thought the boys would be very sad. But they looked very happy playing soccer, basketball, and volleyball.
Here I am watching a basketball game.
It was REALLY hot outside, so I fell asleep in the car on the way back to the military base.That's all for now. Until next time....
