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Thursday, May 6, 1999-Page 16 FEATURES Letters from Abroad: Former WMC students share their experiences living abroad and making a difference Our Peace Corps training is now ing from a rain water collection When the fence was finished, I over, and Iam officially a fish cul- barrel behind my house. But now gave the gifts as promised. Then ture volunteer. I work here in Ga- that it's the dry season, Ihave found one evening, the children asked me bon as an extension agent for the some difficulty getting water. to join them in a soccer game with project pisicole rural. Despite the current weather the new ball on their makeshift My job is to search for poten- conditions, [ started to dig a veg- field. I agreed to play. tial fish farmers, and if they are in- etable gardenin my backyard. One That's when it dawned on me terested, to help them find a suit- day, a kid named Lehons crawled that Lehons, the kid who first asked able place to build a pond (prefer- over to me and asked if I would for the ball, was about to partake ably in a valley) and to show them bring him back a soccer ball from in a running and kicking game de- how to construct a barrage in a Mbigou. spite the fact that he is not able to stream and divert water 'down a Iexplained to him that if Igave unbend his' legs at the knee joint canal to a spot where we will use him a gift, then all the other kids (it's a birth defect) and therefore clay to build the pond, one shovel would want something, too. He can't walk. load after another. said that no, he "would share the How's he going to play, I pon- With the pre-existing fish farm- ball with everyone." dered, anxiously waiting to see him ers, some two dozen in the area, I "And if there are kids who don't in action. assist in {he maintenance of their play ball," I asked, "what about Then there it was in front of me, ponds, including the tasks of fill- them?" He seemed bummed out so a boy on his hands and knees crawl- ing (he fertilizer/compostcage with I made a compromise. Ing as fast as he could towards the green leafy plant material and di- I told him that if he does SOJTIe- ball and then "kicking" it with the rectly feeding the fish with termite thing for me -like help me build backside of his hand just before a larvae or other types of plant a bamboo fence around my garden kid on the opposing team ran for leaves. to keep out the pigs, goats, and it. Also, I help in the harvest and chickens, Iwould give him the ball. Now that's remarkable, I sale of the fish they raise - tila-. Before we got working on it, I thought, what a kid will do to play pia. had a team of children offering to ball. I just recently moved into my lend a hand, hoping as well for a As for how everything works tin roofed, mud brick house. I am gift in return (batteries for a radio, out with my fish farmers, I'll have posted in Mikouandza, a tiny vil- for example). to keep you posted. lage located about 30 km from They worked hard, some carry- Mbigou. ing huge bamboo pieces on their Jonathon Shacatgraduated Since the population of shoulders for a long-distance trip, from Western Maryland College in Mikovandza is only 40 people, PHOTO COURTESY OF JONATHON SHAC!>T others splitting them with an axe 1998. He provides periodic reports there is no water pump. I get most 1998 Western Maryland College graduate Shacat works on a rural and tying each strip to the posts 0/ his Peace Corps experience. of my water for drinking and wash- extension project in Mikouandza, a small village in Gabon, with vine cord. Christian Wilwohl on student teaching in Marseilles Bonjour WMC, mon annee Living in Marseille is like liv- majestically above Marseille keep- yet!). of a thousand people. d'assistanat a Marseille m 'a ing in a another world. Even the ing watch over her dear city. The coastline adjacent to the The French are also very syn- beaucoup enrichi. people who live here will often say Climbing up to Notre-Dame city is dotted with "calanques" or dicalist; the high school students I've been teaching English to they're Marseillais before they say offers you a panoramic view of the little inlets, where cliffs rise were on strike when I arrived bere primary school pupils here since they're French. After all, Marseille city, from the beaches in the south abruptly above the sea creating in October. Even I have demon- last October, and thus far it has been is the oldest city in France, cur- to le Vieux-Port to l'Estaque in the great places for sunbathing and strated with my colleagues at the most unique experience of my rently celebrating 2,600 years of north. Architecturally, old meets swimming school, and with my fellow stu- life. I just hope I can paint for you history. new in Marseille; the typical In February, I went to Camaval dents in Aix. The French education a clear picture of the past seven The French national anthem provencal tiled roofs cover build- in Nice. The city was alive and full system is in need of reform, which months. owes its name to the city. In addi- ings rub shoulders with modern of merriment; everyone was in dis- has been a hot topic since I arrived In the classroom, I've discov- tion, l'Estaque's contrasting scen- structures. guise. Every time I leave Marseille, here. ered just how rewarding and frus- ery, the sea, rugged terrain, and via- The city's diversity is not only I realise that every place I visit is For example, it's been proposed trating teaching can be. My pupils duct arches inspired artists such as reflected in its provencal tiled particular. For instance, I've been that those holding a university de- are mostly between the ages of nine Georges Braque, Paul Cezanne, roofs, but also in its population, auditing a literature course at la gree would have to sit for exams and eleven. Kids are kids. One mo- and Auguste Renoir, to name a few. being equally as evident in the Faculte des Lettres in Aix-en- every ten years to renew their de- ment, they're complete angels; the In fact, Cezanne's "maison de classroom as it is strolling down la Provence since February. gree. Personally, I don't blame the next, they've shed their halos, and sejour" is just around the corner Canebiere, the most famous bou- As much as I appreciate the students for marching up and down they're threatening me with their from where I teach. levard in southern France. town's quaintness, with narrow the streets of Aix over that one. pitchforks. As a city, Marseille has much Geography has played a major streets and buildings dashed in pas- So, from teaching in the notori- Our first lesson consisted of in- to offer, although it's not as pleas- role in Marseille's history and de- tel colors, it's almost a bit too ous QuartierNord to giving private troducing ourselves, i.e., "Hello, ing to the eye as London or Paris. I velopment. As a port, the city is a much. On the other hand, English lessons to a retired doctor my name is .... " Initially, I spoke a think one must spend an extended major destination of immigrants Marseille, a working city, is hardly who lives in la Corniche lot of French to the pupils. How- period oftime here to appreciate it. from the Mediterranean region, bourgeois. it's much more the real (Marseille's "Beverly Hills"), from ever, we've progressed a bit since I often stumble across quiet comers Armenia, and even as far away as McCoy than Aix. exploring Provence to sunbathing that first lesson, and I began speak- within the city. Cambodia. Diversity is certainly Just like we have our extremes in les catanques, from literally ing more and more English to them. For instance, when I walk one of the aspects [ appreciate most as Americans, the French have dancing on the bars in la Plaine to My pupils have proven them- through le Panier, I feel like I'm in about Marseille. theirs as well. attending a squatter's soiree in an selves to be quite clever; they un- a village even though I'm just a Marseille's location has been For instance, this is the bureau- abandoned factory, the parameters derstand what I'm saying through short distance from the hustle and perfect for excursions in Provence cratic capital of the world. My red- of this experience have known no gestures and drawings on the board. bustle of the town center. and to la Cote d' Azur. I've visited tape must be a mile long by now. I boundary. My only regret is that it From time to time, I taught them From most parts of the city, one some very picturesque villages as applied for my "carte de sejour" in will be over soon. Nursery Rhymes, and they love to has a spectacular view of Notre- well as les gorges du Verdon, the October, and I just received it last play "Simon Says" and "Hang- Dame de la Garde. La Bonne Mere, "Grand Canyon" of France (I week. It seems like my documents Christian Wilwohl graduated/rom man." as the Marseillais call her, rises haven't even seen ours in Arizona must have gone through the hands WMCin 1998.