Primeiro dia em Banguad. Às 5 da manhã já estava a ouvir os galos mesmo aqui ao lado. Desta vez arranjaram-me um quarto na escola.
Os olhares curiosos começaram a surgir e impediram-me o cigarro da manhã. Eu contra-atacava tentando reconhecer as caras.
Na cerimónia da manhã lá me passaram o microfone para dizer umas palavras. Quebrei o gelo tentando me lembrar do nome de alguns alunos.
A professora de inglês apresentou-se e ainda é mais difícil falar com ela que com o X.
Acompanhei-a nas aulas e tudo o que o professor Dave e tinha alertado estava ali a decorrer em frente dos meus olhos. Quase não falam inglês e as actividades não passam de copiar os que sabem fazer qualquer coisa.Um miúdo de 16 anos ficar a olhar para os lados a pedir ajuda quando lhe pergunto qual é o seu nome não é normal tendo em conta as horas de inglês que já teve na vida. Ainda assim a professora diz que estes são melhores que os da outra escola onde esteve (talvez os voluntários que aqui passaram fizeram a diferença). E é para fazer a diferença que vim para aqui. Imaginei-me nas aulas apenas pelo meu sotaque e assim não iria resultar. Propus dividirmos as turmas para que possa aplicar o sistema do professor Dave e ela aceitou. Não é um trabalho fácil nem rápido mudar esta mentalidade mas é isso que me motiva e sinto que tenho todo o apoio do director.
Fui matar saudades de jogar à bola com os miúdos. Com os mais novos, pois as minhas costas já se ressentem com facilidade.
É estranho estar a viver tudo isto novamente. Ver miúdos que tinham 16 anos serem agora homens. Uma grande diferença é que a febre do voleibol passou agora para o futebol. Parece que a máquina de marketing ocidental do futebol funciona na perfeição. Parei para descansar e fiquei triste em ver um miúdo mandar um papel de pastilha para o chão. Havia mais lixo em redor. Terá isto também mudado? Fui buscar um balde e apanhei exactamente o mesmo papel para o balde para que ele visse. Imediatamente todos os miúdos em redor começaram a apanhar tudo o que era lixo do chão.
Nem tudo está perdido e parece que afinal faço mesmo alguma diferença.
Fui jantar ao único restaurante da aldeia e a comunicação foi muito difícil. Acho que vou aprender tailandês antes de eles aprenderem inglês. No caminho de volta para a escola, já de noite os cães estão constantemente a desconfiar mas os alunos não deixam o professor ir a pé e dão-me boleia todos orgulhosos.
Chego ao quarto, vejo um ratito a passar, e vou à janela para finalmente fumar um cigarro e beber uma Leo. O que é que me está mesmo a apetecer ouvir? Norah Jones. E penso: Que maluco é que se vem meter neste fim de mundo?
First day in Banguad. At 5 o'clock in the morning I was already listening to the roosters next door. This time they got me a room in the school.
Curious looks began to appear and prevented me from smoking in the morning. I counterattacked trying to recognize the faces.
At the morning ceremony, they gave me the microphone to say a few words. I broke the ice trying to remember the names of some students.
The English teacher introduced herself and it's even harder to talk to her than X.
I followed her lesson and everything Professor Dave had told me was happening right in front of my eyes. They almost do not speak English and the activities are no more than copying those who know how to do something. A 16-year-old boy seeks help when asked what his name is not normal given the hours of English he had in his life. Still the teacher says these are better than the other school where they were before (maybe the volunteers who went here made a difference). And it's to make a difference that I came here. I imagined myself in the class just for my accent and it would not work. I proposed to distribute the classes so that I can apply Professor Dave's system and she accepted. It is not easy or quick work to change that mentality, but that is what motivates me and I feel that I have the full support of the director.
Finally I went to play footbal with the children. With the younger ones, because my back already resents easily.
It's strange to live all this again. Seeing kids who were 16 being men now. One big difference is that the volleyball fever has turned into football. It seems that the western football marketing machine works flawlessly. I stopped to rest and was sad to see a child sending a packet of gum to the ground. There was more trash around. Has that changed too? I took a bucket and picked up exactly the same package in the bucket for him to see. Immediately all the children around began to pick up what was trash from the floor.
Not everything is lost and it seems that after all I make a difference.
I went to have dinner at the only restaurant in the village and the communication was very difficult. I think I'll learn Thai before they learn English. On the way back to school, at night the dogs are constantly mistrusting but the students don't let the teacher go walking and give me a ride proudly.
At the room, I see a little mouse crossing the room and I go to the window to finally smoke a cigarette and drink a Leo. What do I really want to listen? Norah Jones. And I think: What crazy guy comes to this end of the world?
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| O meu quarto - My room |
Curious looks began to appear and prevented me from smoking in the morning. I counterattacked trying to recognize the faces.
At the morning ceremony, they gave me the microphone to say a few words. I broke the ice trying to remember the names of some students.
The English teacher introduced herself and it's even harder to talk to her than X.
I followed her lesson and everything Professor Dave had told me was happening right in front of my eyes. They almost do not speak English and the activities are no more than copying those who know how to do something. A 16-year-old boy seeks help when asked what his name is not normal given the hours of English he had in his life. Still the teacher says these are better than the other school where they were before (maybe the volunteers who went here made a difference). And it's to make a difference that I came here. I imagined myself in the class just for my accent and it would not work. I proposed to distribute the classes so that I can apply Professor Dave's system and she accepted. It is not easy or quick work to change that mentality, but that is what motivates me and I feel that I have the full support of the director.
Finally I went to play footbal with the children. With the younger ones, because my back already resents easily.
It's strange to live all this again. Seeing kids who were 16 being men now. One big difference is that the volleyball fever has turned into football. It seems that the western football marketing machine works flawlessly. I stopped to rest and was sad to see a child sending a packet of gum to the ground. There was more trash around. Has that changed too? I took a bucket and picked up exactly the same package in the bucket for him to see. Immediately all the children around began to pick up what was trash from the floor.
Not everything is lost and it seems that after all I make a difference.
I went to have dinner at the only restaurant in the village and the communication was very difficult. I think I'll learn Thai before they learn English. On the way back to school, at night the dogs are constantly mistrusting but the students don't let the teacher go walking and give me a ride proudly.
At the room, I see a little mouse crossing the room and I go to the window to finally smoke a cigarette and drink a Leo. What do I really want to listen? Norah Jones. And I think: What crazy guy comes to this end of the world?
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