School visit4 - Miss Pinky學校考察四之Miss Pinky

I went to G.N.S. Meluf to see the progress of the consultation on 25th Feb. The windows are already done and they have started the ceiling.
The nursery two students had lesson outside the school because of the construction and I played with them. They started to call me Miss Pinky instead of Kimbon, which means white man. I learnt some songs of them and they are interesting!
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I am a banana;
Children and monkey
They like to eat me
And they call me yellow!
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Labour for learning before you grow old
For learning is better than silver and gold
Silver and gold will vanish away
But learning itself will never decay
For a man without learning wearing good shoes
is just like a silver ring on the pig’s nose.

二月二十五日，再到G.N.S. Meluf 監工．已開始安裝窗了，亦開始安裝天花了．
由於課室正進行工程，幼兒高班的小孩子都於課室外上課．跟他們玩了些遊戲，他們終於都不再叫我Kimbon 而叫我Miss Pinky 了．

About life – public transport 生活篇之公共交通工具

In Kumbo, there are two main public transportations – taxi and motorbike.

Taxi: it is a cheaper and safer transportation. However, you need to wait for more passengers until it is full. The size of the taxi is smaller than the HK one and the definition of full is with 8 people. Imagine how it feels to share the seat with the driver!! Moreover, if you travel for a long distance, people will also bring luggage or maybe a goat.
It is also very hot to travel by bike since the windows will be closed because of dusts.

Motorbike: there is no fix price and therefore you need to bargain for a reasonable price, especially when you are not black. A motorbike can carry three people including the bike driver.

在Kumbo 裡主要有的士及電單車這兩種公共交通工具．

的士：較為便宜及安全的交通工具，但你需要等待更多的乘客，直至的士滿座．這兒的的士較香港的細小，而滿座的定義為八人．還有，若你是到一個較遠的地方，乘客們還會帶大包小包．試想想跟的士司機共坐同一個坐位，而另一位乘客帶著一

School Visit 3 - 學校考察三之助教 - Asistant teacher

Visited G.N.S Meluf again today. There is a primary school on the way to the nursery school and the students in the primary school always stare at me when I pass by.
It was break time when I arrived the nursery school. The kids rushed to me and shouted, 'Kimbon! (white man)'. I replied with my smile, 'I am not a Kimbon and my name's Pinky.' A teacher came and said, 'Return back to your seat. She is your teacher!'
The most difficult part to be a nursery teacher is, that you never know if they understand your instruction or not.
今天再到G.N.S. Meluf，到幼兒園的路會經過Meluf小學，小孩子們見到我也定眼地望著我．到了幼兒園，正值休息時間，老師都不在，那兒幼兒低班的小孩子都衝到門前，大叫「Kimbon！Kimbon！（白人）」，我便笑著對他們說：「我不是白人，我的名子是Pinky」．老師走了過來，說：「返回自己的座位！她是你們的老師！」
教小朋友的難處是，你很難知道他們到底是否明白你的意思．

Taiwan and China

I didn’t expect to be asked this question: Do you think that Taiwan is part of China?
I was being asked twice, by Natsuki, the Japanese girl living with and a history teacher here. And, ‘Japan government wants Taiwan to be part of China because she did something bad to China in the past and she wants to keep a good relationship with China’ Natsuki said. It is an interesting discovery to me that the Japan government admitted that she did something bad to China in the past!

教書

教書來到這兒以前，我沒有想過這個國家竟缺乏數學老師！今個星期五開始，我便會到一間職業訓練學校教授基本數學．這所學校的學生都是都沒有完成中學的，而他們會修讀工程、機械或財務等實用科目．而他們自去年開始便沒有數學老師，這真的令我感到驚訝．我看過書本，都是一些很基本的數學概念──小數及分數的四式運算、單利率及復利率、時間速度和距離等．若果沒有這些基礎，他們又是如何學習那些實用科目呢？
今天，有位碩士研究生到來辦公室，他正研究一個關於非政府組織對地方發展的題目，跟他談及數學老師的問題，他說這兒的人都很怕數學，所以很少人於中六、七時選修數學，以致缺乏數學及物理老師．
到了星期五，當我真正接觸學生，便會知道他們的實際情況．

學習

二月十六日，我應邀請到了兩位修女所組織的小型圖書館幫忙．首先，小孩子可以閱讀自己喜歡的圖書，我們則會在旁陪伴，若他們遇上不認識的字我們便會幫忙．然後，年紀較小的小孩子都會聚在一起，聽故事姐姐說故事．故事姐姐並不只是單單地說故事，她還會問許多的問題，小孩子們都很勇躍地回答問題．
香港的學生都常被批評不主動學習，這是因為最初的教育問題嗎？大部份小孩子也充滿好奇，但我們的課堂設計又有多少機會讓我們去發揮這個小宇宙呢？

甚麼是貧窮？

去年三月，我到了烏干達參加了一個由AIESEC舉辦的國際學生會議，討論一些關於非洲的問題．很多的非洲國家也面對著貧窮的問題，可是，到了那個境地才不算是貧窮呢？
－＞流浪漢，沒有足夠的錢租住房屋
－＞一家人住在一所房子內，但錢只足夠每人每天吃一餐
－＞一家人，三餐並非問題，但沒有錢讓孩子唸書
－＞在香港，一家人的衣食住行也勉強足夠，但沒有錢買電腦讓孩子做電腦科功課．
－＞在某個國家，唸醫科的費用很昂貴，某學生有足夠的能力唸醫而他的志願是當醫生，他沒有足夠的錢唸醫，但他的錢足夠他唸其他的科目．
－＞某人憧得多國語言，而他的理想是環遊世界，把所見所聞結集成書，在他的國家，他所能賺取的金錢永遠也不足夠他離開自己的國土．
談到這兒，我想討論的問題是，到了那一個憬像，我們才算是把貧窮的問題解決呢？
若果貧窮的沒有足夠的能力或金錢以滿足生活的基本需要，那何為基本需要呢？
最初是衣食住，然後我們會覺得教育是非重要的，其後我們又會談及夢想、理想．於香港，我們都評論時下年青人欠乏理想，然而，當生活需要的更底層出現問題時，我們又能否談理想呢？

天主教學校與神父

新年快樂!
二月十四日．我到了一所天主教學校參觀，那所學校很大亦很美．接待我們的神父很慈祥．

The youth day

11th FEB
Students gathered in the field and performed marching. Kids from nursery schools are cute!!
學生們都聚在廣場並表演步操．那些幼稚園生都很可愛呢！

Hong Kong, China 中國香港

Whenever I make new friends, they ask me where I come from. Sometimes I answer HK, sometimes HK China and sometimes China. Once, Jason, the volunteer from Canada, was very surprised when he heard giving the answer of China. He thought that HK people make it clear that HK is different from China.
Actually I am interested to know if people in Macau face the same situation or not. How would they answer the question ‘where are you from’?
By the way, when I and Jason was talking about the issue, a kid living nearby came in. I asked him if he knows where I am from. ‘The next door’, he answered unexpectedly.
Actually, all of us are living on the Earth!

每一次認識新朋友，他們也會問我是從哪兒來的．有時我會答香港，有時我會答中國香港，有時我會答中國．某次那位從加拿大來的義工Jason聽到我答說我是中國人，他感到很驚訝，他還以為住在香港的人都很清晰地把香港跟中國分開，他還說這兒的人都認識香港，我不用怕他們不知道而說中國．
除了在入境時（因為待遇不同）及遇上認識以前香港來的義工的人外，我也會答說我是從中國來的．我想現在大部份港人也不會很著意地把香港獨立分開來看罷．
我很有興趣知道住在澳門的人外遊時有否遇上同樣的情況呢？而他們又會如何回答「你是從哪裡來的」這個問題呢？
順帶一提，當我跟Jason討論著這個問題時，有位住在附近的小孩子走了過來，我便問他知不知我是從哪兒來的，怎料他答：「隔離的房子．」
其實，我們都是住在地球上呢！

How to help 如何幫助

Those kids near by always come to play with me. Sometimes, they help me cook and do house work. I have never felt bored with them! I heard that the family is facing financial problem and Nat buys food for the youngest girl sometimes. The fact that they have only one meal a day while I am having three full meals makes me feel sorry about them. However, I do not feel good in giving them money nor food as I do not want them to reply on me or other volunteers. A few days ago, a kid said that she wants to be a doctor but science subjects are too difficult for them and this inspired me to think of another way to help them – providing free tutoring! Hope that it does help them!
住在鄰近的家庭，那些小孩子都很可愛，有時他們會來幫忙煮飯切菜、洗衫，有時他們會來我家玩，陪我解悶．他們正面對經濟問題，有時奈月會買食物給那位最小的女孩．當我每天吃飽飽的三餐，有時還會再買些小食時，他們每天只有一餐半餐，心內也不是味兒．但我又不太想經常接濟他們，畢竟我資金有限，而且我不希望他們依賴義工的幫助呢．有次，一位小孩說他想當醫生，但理科科目都太深了，這使我找到了另一種幫助他們的方法──替他們補習！ 希望這能多少幫到他們呢．

About the project 學校考察

With the reason that we do not have enough donations, we would like to change the target school to Government Nursery School Meluf, which needs less amount to finish the construction.The school got another amount of donations in 2008 but it is not enough for them to complete the school. After the school interview, I found that they also need a toilet. However, the amount of money we have is only enough for the two classrooms.If you would like to support this project, please make your donation to the HSBC bank account: 168 736296 002 and send an email to pinky.navtifoundation@gmail.com to notify me the amount you have deposited.

學校考察由於資金有限，跟Navti foundation 的主席討論後，我們改了資助的學校．現在我們幫助的學校名為Government Nursery School Meluf．是一所幼兒園．於2008年，這所學校籌了一些錢來重建，可惜資金只足夠購買磚頭、屋頂及門，他們需要資金來興建天花板、窗、水泥牆及地板．雖然我有的資金還不太足夠，我跟Joseph 現正想辦以更低的價錢買到足夠的材料來完成這所學校！二月八日，我到這所學校考察．我認為他們還需要建一個?所呢，現在小朋友都是在屋後的草地如?，可惜我籌的錢都不足夠．若果你還希望捐助這個計劃，請把善款存入我們的銀行戶口：（匯豐銀行） 168 736296 002 ── 戶口名稱：Navti Foundation HK．然後請發電郵到: pinky.navtifoundation@gmail.com．我便會把錢匯到這兒．

熱情款待

在喀麥隆的第一個周未，Navti foundation 的員工—Odette邀請我和奈月(Natsuki)到她的家玩．她的家在Kuvlu，都是在Kumbo 的範圍內（註：前把Kumbo誤寫為Kimbo），由Tobin 到那兒大約要一個半鐘車程．到了那兒，我發現我住的地方已經很先進呢──有石油氣爐、浴室及西式馬桶．先進與落後，只是比較罷了．
那兒的早上及晚上均是非常寒冷！大概只有攝氏十度左右吧！而浴室及?所只是在室後用禾草圍成，若非這般寒冷，對著星空洗澡可說是別有一番風味呢．她們一家人也很熱情呢，她們用肉及魚招待我們呢！在這兒，肉很昂貴呢！
星期日的早上，我們一起到教堂，這兒的主日學(由於我不是天主教徒，所以我不肯定主日學這名稱有否用錯)沒有些甚麼儀式，只是唸一些聖經，然後便唱歌和跳舞，也挺有趣呢．奈月說雖然她並非教徒，但她每星期日也會到Tobin的教堂呢．

沒有電的一晚

二月五日的晚上停電，摸黑從餐廳走回家，幸好有手提電話的光呢．最麻煩是洗澡，要將蠟燭放於高處，以防被水沖熄．晚上寫日記只能靠燭光，寫了一半便放棄了，還是早點睡吧！
Btw, I think that it's quite difficult to upload photos here, provided the slow internet connection.

在Kumbo 的頭兩天

二月四日的下午六時, 我.終於來到了Kumbo! Kumbo由不同的村落組成, 而我住的村落位於Tobin. 比起市鎮，這兒多了一份親切感.
現在我跟和另一個本義工同住在Navti foundation 的義工居所內，她的名子叫Natsuki. 這兒還有另一個由加拿大來的義工--- Jason, 他住在相鄰的房子裡.
在這兒的第一晚, 我們到了Jason 的房子裡吃晚飯.
二月五日(星期五),
吃過早飯後便跟Navti foundation 的員工, Joseph討論未來三個月的工作，由於今天是國家的雙語日，大部份學生也會聚在廣場內，所以不能開始工作，星期一我便會和Joseph到Government Nursery School Meluf進行考察，看看他們有甚麼需要．此然，Joseph 說我可以每星期兩至三天到附近的學校教數學呢．
然後，我便到了廣場，那兒有很多學生，他們一堆堆走到台前，英語學校的學生會以法語發表演說，反之亦然．由於Kumbo 的大部份學校也是英語學校，而我不暗法國，所以也不太明白他們在說些甚麼．在廣場的四周，有許多人在擺賣小食，熱鬧得很！我還看到鄰家的小女孩在擺買冰棒，她把最後的一支冰棒送了給我，然後我們一起走回家．看著她搬著那又大又重的冰箱，我便幫她一起拿回家，二人一起抬那空的冰箱，走這樣長的一段路，我也覺得有點重，早上這個十四歲的小女孩是如何把這滿滿的冰箱抬到廣場的呢？
然後，我跟Natsuki 到附近的餐廳吃午飯，滿滿的一碟飯，加些洋蔥汁，只是300CFA(註：$1 = 60 CFA)．然後，我們到另一個叫Bui的村落(in Kumbo)，Natsuki 平時是在這兒教書的，而那兒有市集，有食物、衣服鞋、家用品、手工品及各式各樣的東西．我買了一匹布，回到Tobin時找了住在後方的裁縫造一套非洲衣服，星期一便可以取得呢！
在這兒的交通工具有電單車與的士，但人們很少坐的士的，因為這兒大部份的路也沒有鋪上石屎，都是不平坦的沙泥路．順帶一提，Kumbo總是沙塵滾滾的，所以人們見到我，也會說：Welcome to the dusty Kumbo!
在這兒，他們會稱白人為Kimbon，雖然我是黃皮膚，但對他們來說我也是白人呢．遇上不認識的人，他們可能會收取Kimbon 價－貴一些的價錢．

On the way to Kumbo

After 6.5 hours on the bus, I'm currently in Bamenda and waiting for the bus to Kambo. It will take another 3-4 hours. The temperature is so different in Douala and Bemenda, it was very cold yesterday night, in Bamenda. It's warmer now but still cold. I heard that it will be even colder in Kumbo! Hopefully it won't be that cold during the whole day - I don't have enough warm clothes.

1st day in Cameroon

After 21 hours, I'm in Cameroon finally. I got the member committee president of AIESEC in Cameroon, Eric, and a member from Navti foundation Cameroon, Marcel, to pick me up from the airport. I'm currently staying in Marcel's friend's family in Douala, the city where the airport is located, for a few hours. Afterwards, I will take another 10 hours to Kumbo, the town where the school is, at around 10pm (it is 7 hours earlier than HK here)

There are 7 chirden in the family and half of them are working. The youngest son is still in primary school. They looked very delighted when I said that it's okay to have African food. I did expect to get into the culture.
The meal inculded rice, fish with tomato (similar to HK) and a white thing, which I've tried in Uganda last year. The rice and fish tasted good while the white thing made by corn flour, which tasted weird to me, was sweet and powder-like. The mother of the family said that there will be lots of that white thing in Kambo. Hopefully they have something else. Otherwise I have to get used to it as soon as possible.

While they saw me visiting HK websites (Chinese words are able to be displaced here!), one of the daughters, who is at the same age with me, asked if I could teach her some Chinese. I showed her my name and the word "hello" (nei ho) in Chinese.
They speak French/local English to each other and English to me.

I will try to upload some photos after arriving at Kumbo.