Walking to school today, it really strikes me just how many children carry their tools around with them. The tool is sometimes a curved handled shovel, but usually, it is a machete. These tools can quite literally be the length of the child themselves. They seem to use them just before and/or just after school.
Taking such implements to school will clearly save time going home and whatnot. It feels very strange seeing so many potentially lethal weapons being carried around by people so young, particularly as many of them are on the way to school. It's almost like it's bad form not to go to school all " tooled up". I guess this must be how a tourist in Glasgow must feel. To be fair, the kids here don't have a hammer in the other hand.
I spoke to man after-school today who was very keen to learn about British politics. It is very confusing (for all concerned) to try and explain about the whole UK/ Great Britain thing. You have to explain that the Queen is in charge, but isn't really, that Scotland has a parliament, but in a way doesn't really, and the same for Wales, Northern Ireland etc....
Like many other people here, this chap was very distrusting of the whole political thing. There are free elections here, with the President then making his own choices, which is almost understandable....But surprise, surprise he enjoys power so much that he recently changed the law to give himself a life presidency. Mr Bea had originally changed the law to prevent something like this happening, but had a wee change of heart. Power is a very strange thing.
Corruption is rife. Politicians are well known for embezzling/ stealing billions of francs of public money, and my friend tells me the system is set up for it. When the crooks do get caught, they get a soft jail term in a soft prison, where they can continue to spearhead operations. The public don't really care much for the jailing of these people- they simply want their money back, and rarely ever see any of it. You know the system is wrong when private sector workers leave their jobs for the bigger perks and salaries of a public sector job. Surely it is normally the other way around?
Nobody comes to SOW (School On Wheels) today, and this is a little bit disappointing. I figure the Monday afternoon village visit has been very sporadic since I arrived, and this must play a big part in the lack of attendance.
We end up taking the school bus back to downtown, as (fortuitously?) it is taking the children home from extra lessons this evening. To say the bus is crammed full of people is a massive understatement ( It always is). "Standing room only" is a slight misconception too; more like "croutching and contorted in agony room only". A tin opener is usually required when we make it to our final destination, where every one crawls out for breath. Not thinking things are cramped enough, a very young looking Finch in his first week of aeronautical school flies in the drivers window, and sit's on his knee. Quite extraordinary.
I enjoy a fun evening with C and S, both of whom are in very good form, and many a laugh is had. S is preparing her baby's baptism invitations for next month. Baby is getting baptized on Christmas Day, which I find rather a fine idea.
Random saying of the day: " I am coming."
Translation: " I am going, and might not see you for some time."
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