Home

Taylor Swanson's Journal

Class Five and The Female Body
27-May-2006

(apparently I cannot update twice in one day so this entry is coming from the FUTURE!)

Today's class 5 English class was rather eventful...

First, the accountant came into the class with her cane and started yelling at the kids-I mean absolutely laying it on them- about the state of the classroom(uneven rows, dirty floors etc...) and then she told one girl to clean up a bowl that had water in it and the girl slipped while trying to pick it up and spilled water--she got caned... Then I asked the students to pull out their books and two students didn't have their books--well she went crazy...she grabbed the boys by the belts and started whipping the cane as hard as she could...the boy fell to one knee and started crying so she pulle dhim up, told him to stop crying and hit harder--the barbaric look on her face almost made me sick..I wanted to tell her to stop or at the least leave the room...she started yelling at all the kidsand smacking desks and threatening kids with her cane...the ten year old children were shaking with fear and when she would ask a question they would stutter out a whispered response in fear...

Latter that class, one of the boys licked the back of my arm as I was walking away...I didn't know how to respond so I didn't say anything and he did it again...I walked away a little more quickly the second time..I don't know how to take that...

After class, the accountant saw me listening to my mp3 player and has now claimed it...she told me that I should give it to her when I leave...I told her I wanted it, she said I could buy another one, I told her I didn't have the money, she said it didn't matter, I told her it was a gift, she said it could be a gift again...

...an excerpt from "The Female Body" by Margaret Atwood:

"This is why men are so sad, why they feel so cut off, why they think of themselves as orphans cast adrift, footloose and stringless in the deep void. What void? she asks. What are you talking about? The void of the universe, he says, and she says Oh and looks out the window and tries to get a handle on it, but it's no use, there's too much going on, too many rustlings in the leaves, too many voices, so she says, Would you like a cheese sandwich, a piece fo cake, a cup of tea? And he grinds his teeth because she doesn't understand and wanders off, not just alone but Alone, lost in the dark, lost in the skull, searching for the other half, the twin who could complete him."



Previous Entry: The Adwinie Address • 26-May-2006

Taylor Swanson's Entries

13-Jul-2006
An uneventful/unplanned finale

29-Jun-2006
A Farewell to IVs

21-Jun-2006
Ghana by the Dashboard Lights

14-Jun-2006
Coincidence? Fate? Ha.

7-Jun-2006
Hungry Girl

6-Jun-2006
A weekend in Cape Caost

30-May-2006
The Dream

27-May-2006
Class Five and The Female Body

26-May-2006
The Adwinie Address

25-May-2006
A question of scruples

Taylor Swanson's Profile

Taylor Swanson in Ghana Teaching

My name is Taylor Swanson. I am from Vancouver, Canada. I am 19 years old and have just completed my second year of university at Simon Fraser University where I am studying Molecular Biology and Biochemistry.

Other Ghana Teaching Entries

Kiki Fornito • 18-Jul-2008
Last few days :]

Kiki Fornito • 17-Jul-2008
KUMASI!

Kiki Fornito • 23-Jun-2008
Clubs, potato salad, & soccer

Kiki Fornito • 20-Jun-2008
been a while!

Kiki Fornito • 15-Jun-2008
More weekend adventures..

Kiki Fornito • 13-Jun-2008
halfway!

Kiki Fornito • 9-Jun-2008
already been 2 weeks..

Kiki Fornito • 8-Jun-2008
Two words: CAPE COAST

Kiki Fornito • 6-Jun-2008
:)

Kiki Fornito • 5-Jun-2008
"ridin in style"

Ghana Teaching Links

Volunteer in Ghana