Katy Maeda’s 8th grade class questions
Peace corps/Job related
· How much money do you make?
Technically, I don’t make any money. That is, I don’t make a profit by volunteering with Peace Corps. I do, however, get money every month. It’s called a living allowance, and it’s money for me to use to buy food, clothes, things for my house, and other everyday stuff (like toilet paper). My living allowance is close to 125,000 CFA every month (after taxes), the same as about 8 dollars a day. The idea is for me to have enough money to be happy, but not so much money that I can’t understand how people in my village live. Also, when I finish my two years of service I will receive a little bit of money for every month I served.
I make about 125,000 CFA a month and live off of about 75-85,000 CFA of it. That puts me at about 7 dollars a day. The average day laborer makes about 2 dollars a day. I’m not complaining too much, because, hey, I like to buy my corn flakes and paint my house pretty colors. (But maybe life in village would be a little easier if I wasn’t SO rich comparatively.) The readjustment allowance is a necessary evil though. I’m using mine to pay off college debt and then not be homeless if I go back and look for a job in 2 years.
· What exactly is your job?
I’m a “community health development volunteer”, which means I work with my village health center to teach people more about health and ways not to get sick. I talk a lot about good foods to eat, why it’s important to wash your hands, and diseases like malaria and HIV. Sometimes I teach health at the schools because they don’t have health class; sometimes I talk to small groups of adults. Some people call what I do “preventative healthcare.” Most of the work I do involves teaching villagers how to talk to other people in the village about healthy practices and ways to avoid disease. Hopefully, one day soon people here will know how to teach everything on their own and not need outside help from a volunteer like me. Another part of the job of every PC volunteer is to share American culture with their new country and to share their country’s culture with people back in America… just like we’re doing right now!
Good question. I try really really hard to explain in bad Moore (or French) why changing behavior can make you get sick less. On rare occations I think it makes some people think more about changing their viewpoint or behavior. I also spend a lot of my time just trying to live here, making food to eat, washing clothes, etc. Occasionally I play soccer or have a good discussion, but most of the time I’m just another nassara trying to figure out what I can do. Maybe with time that will change; maybe not.
· Did you have to apply for or earn a certain job with Peace Corps?
No. You do have to go through a long application process, but PC looks at what you’re good at, what you like, what you have experience in. Then, if they think you’re a fit for PC they match you with a position they have open and send you an invitation. You can always tell your recruiter if you prefer a certain country or job, but if you don’t know that’s OK too. Experience volunteering in an area you’re interested in is always helpful.’
Nope. Why else do you think an English/Religion/Philosophy major ended up trying to teach health? Also they really want to make sure you want to do it, so the application process is not fun, kind of expensive (medical), and takes forever (like a year).
· What made you join the Peace Corps?
This one’s complicated and I never really have an easy answer. I guess the first thing I should say is that nothing made me join, I chose to do it. The most basic answer to why I chose to do PC, is that they offered me opportunities I couldn’t find anywhere else. I knew that when I got out of college I wanted to do something to help people. I saw that there was a lot of bad stuff going down in the world and I thought I should learn more about what I could do to make it a little better. I also like to travel, work with people, and learn new things. Volunteering with PC fits all of these things, and I can serve my country (albeit in a different way than most people) at the same time.
No one else will give a college graduate with so little experience a chance like this. I get to live in another country (in Africa no less) for two whole years. I also get to learn another language (or two) and an entirely different culture. I get to figure out life, help people, and have an adventure all at the same time. The world is shit and I’m trying to figure what I can do to make it better. Could I be doing the same thing working a 9-5? Maybe… but then I’d have to wear fancier shoes to go to work :)
· What is your favorite thing about your job?
Peace Corps is nothing like other “jobs”. It is a 24/7 experience, and everything I do can be seen as a part of doing (or not doing) work. Buying eggs at the market? Work. I get to form a relationship with the old man that sells them. Maybe one day he’ll listen to me when I talk about good hygiene. Washing my clothes by hand? Work. I am becoming more integrated into my community and understanding more how they do things and why women are always tired. Teaching small groups about ways you can protect yourself from getting malaria? Also work. It’s an entirely different way of looking at things than the workday in the US. So, to answer your question, my absolute favorite thing about my job is the people. I like getting to know new people, especially my village neighbors. Every day, whether through sweeping my yard or teaching middle-schoolers about relationships, I get to know people better and understand life a little bit more.
· Do you have to travel outside of your village for your job?
Not really. My village is made up of 5 sections and that’s mostly who I work with. However, I sometimes travel an hour and a half north to a bigger village to get things I can’t find in village, to get money every month, and to use the internet. I also travel to the capital, Ouagadougou (“Wah-gah-doo-goo”), to meet with my boss and do official PC business. I can use vacation days to travel to other places.
Nope, not unless the boss makes me for training or security. Everything else is optional.
Food
· What types of food do you cook and how do you cook it?
I am so boring! I mostly eat spaghetti. I cook for myself mostly, and I’m not that great at it. I can also buy everything I need (tomatoes, onions, noodles) in village. I also make quite a lot of beans, tortillas, popcorn, and soup. Sometimes I “eat out” at my Alima’s house and have rice and sauce. I eat veggies and fruit when I can find them at the market, it really depends on the season what’s available (right now, it’s mangoes everywhere). And, of course, food my friends and family send me from the US!
Spaghetti, rice other people make, and tô with my neighbors when I’m really hungry. Occasionally I have the time and energy to make something nice, like bread (go me).
· What are some native foods?
Burkinabe eat a LOT of tô (“toh”). It’s a pounded millet flour, jellied and eaten with different sauces (mostly made from plant leaves). If you pretend really, really hard, it’s kind of like mashed potatoes with green gravy. Meat is too expensive for many people to eat and it is never eaten very often. In my village it is only found on market days, or if an animal dies. Also nobody has a refrigerator in my village, so there’s nothing that can be kept cold! That means no cheese, or ranch dressing, or a whole bunch of things! They also eat rice, benga (see next question), and buille (“bwee”: a little like plain oatmeal).
Tô.
· What is your favorite food so far?
Honestly, my favorite foods are those that remind me of the US. But, my favorite food native to here is benga (“bang-uh”): cooked black-eyed beans with rice and a tomato-onion sauce.
Cheetos and valveeta are tied at the moment.
Entertainment
· What sports are popular in your village?
Soccer! Here they call it football, and it is very popular. There aren’t really any other sports.
Did I mention soccer?
· What do you do for fun?
I: talk to people, read, go for walks, shop at the market, play with neighborhood kids, dance, draw, write, listen to my ipod, call my family, play soccer, and sometimes I just sleep (so much fun the older you get!)
· What kinds of things can you buy with the little money you have?
All sorts of things, but not all in one place like Wal-Mart or the mall (see: “how you shop”). Things I use money for or buy include: food to make, things for my house, transportation, prepared food, gifts for friends and family (in village and at home), pagnes (pahn-yuhs: pretty fabric used to make clothes), cards to call home, and basic things like toilet paper.
Also, occasionally cheeseburgers or Chinese food in Ouaga :)
· What is common entertainment?
Dancing, talking, eating together, drinking tea, crowding around tiny screens to watch cheap movies in French, and playing soccer. Overall, men have more free-time than women and do more of these things.
Talking.
· How do you shop? (What is shopping like?)
I shop at a market outside. Marché (“mar-shay”) is every 3 days in my village. If you’ve ever been to a farmer’s market, it’s kind of like that only bigger and crazier and in other languages. Everyone sets up what they’re selling in the morning and packs it up before they go home to make or eat dinner. I go around in the afternoon with my backpack and a list of things I hope to find or that I’ve run out of and need to get. Then I stop by different people’s mats or tables, greet them, and then bargain for what I want. In cities there are real stores, and sometimes I go there for things I can’t get in village.
· What kind of music do people play/ listen to?
Regge, pop, and spiritual music are all popular. There are a lot of popular Burkinabe artists here, Floby (“flow-bee”) is probably the most popular. Bob Marley, Shakira, and J-Z are some artists from the US you might know who are popular here. People play traditional music at church, at ceremonies (like weddings) and sometimes just for fun. You should Google some west African instruments, because I don’t know what very many of them are called. I’m hoping to learn the African style drums while I’m here.
The same songs over and over; the louder, the better. I really am starting to like some of it though… seriously.
Everyday Living
· How do you wash your clothes?
I wash my clothes by hand. I use soap and detergent I buy at the marché and scrub them in one bucket, then I use clean water to rinse them in another. After that, I wring them out and hang them up to dry.
I make small children to do it for me. OK, not really, but I do sometimes let the older neighborhood girls wash my clothes to earn money. They usually get to use the money to buy things their parents wouldn’t get them otherwise, and I get to not take 4 hours to wash a week’s worth of clothes (I really am that horrible at it).
· What is the phone/internet situation?
Many people here have phones, but still not as many people as in the US. All phones here are pay as you go and the companies are totally different. There are very few “smart phones” in Burkina and none in my village. My family can call me for cheaper than I can call them, using Skype.
Most villages, including mine, don’t have internet. I travel an hour and a half to an internet café about once a month, or if I happen to be in the capital I can use it for free at the PC offices. Of those places that do have internet, very few people can afford to have it at their homes, and many people don’t know how to use computers.
Phone: pretty good but I miss answering machines, and I never have money on my phone to call people; internet: slow, expensive, and yet still incredibly awesome that I get it at all.
· What everyday chores do people do (beyond what we might do in the US)?
Kids here have some similar chores (washing dishes, washing clothes, cooking), but also some different ones: going to the pump to pump large jugs full of water and bringing them back to the house, finding wood or branches for cooking, and sweeping their yard (it’s dirt).
They do everything we do, without the machines to help. It’s damn impressive.
· How bad are the bugs?
Well, I guess that depends on what you mean by “bad”. There are more bugs here, but you get used to them and learn how to keep them away. I don’t like mosquitos or flies but for the most part they’re kept out of my house by screens (though my neighbors aren’t so lucky). I let spiders that don’t look scary and lizards hang around because they eat other bugs.
They really really suck, but you deal with it. Also, there are scorpions.
· What do you sleep on?
Mostly my right side… kidding. Right now I sleep on a woven cot, but most Burkinabé just sleep on a mat on the floor or ground. When it’s really, really, really hot, I sleep outside under a mosquito net.
Hoping to set up my hammock in the courtyard soon.
· What is the bathing custom? (How often do you bathe?)
Bucket baths! Essentially I bathe by pouring water from a bucket over myself, washing and repeating. I bathe in the morning and before I go to bed. My friends here bathe every morning really early, before dinner, and sometimes in-between. If they’re Muslim they wash every time before they pray. Being clean is an important part of Burkinabe culture.
I find it ironic that in hot season all of my water is warm and in cold season it’s all cold. What I wouldn’t give for a cold shower right now.
· What is the basic cost of living?
Very low. Burkina Faso is one of the poorest countries in the world (I believe now the national index ranks them 6th poorest?). Most people here live without a lot of things and the majority of families live on the equivalent of 2 dollars a day.
No idea.
· What are houses like in your village?
Houses in my village are usually built around a shared courtyard (a dirt yard with a stone or brick fence around it). They are all 1-2 small rooms made out of homemade brick (mud, straw, animal poop, and hard work) with tin roofs. Most activity, cooking for instance, takes place in the courtyard.
· What is your average day like?
Average day. Hmm, well, usually I get up between 6 and 7. I make breakfast and then I take a bucket bath (ie shower) and listen to the news (BBC) on the radio. After that, it just depends. Most of the time I go to the CSPS and work on paperwork or plan sensibilzations (what I can talk to small groups about). I also greet people and sometimes chat with patients. On Thursdays I help with a malnutrition program by weighing babies. I also help with vaccinations on Thursdays and do a 30 minute sensibilization. Sometimes I teach at the school or play soccer with the kids. I am hoping to start a few new groups soon, but I’ve only been in village a few months. On market days I hang out with villagers and buy groceries in the afternoons. After whatever I’ve been doing, I go home to relax and make dinner. If it’s a marche day, sometimes I go to where people are dancing and hang out before I come back to sleep.
Every day is completely different.
· What is the language you speak most of the time?
It’s probably a tie between French and Mooré, but that’s just because I don’t know very much Mooré yet. Almost everyone in my village speaks Mooré all the time.
· How is the heat? Is it dry or humid?
Well, mostly it’s just hot! It depends on the time of year, as to the level of humidity. I live in sub-saharan Africa, which means that I’m just under a desert. There are different seasons here: hot season, before rainy season, rainy season, and before hot season. Before rainy season and rainy season are both humid, and hot season is a dry heat I guess (but I sweat so much it doesn’t really matter!) Right now it is before rainy season at a balmy 115 in the shade!
It is so hot it’s ridiculous. You get used to it (I now freeze in anything under 80 degrees) but it’s still a lot to deal with. Heat rash sucks.
On life as a foreigner
· Do you miss your old life?
Yes and no. I really miss my family and friends and being there for important things in their lives. But I love being here and making new friends and doing a “job” I like and believe in.
Always. But I still think I should be here.
· Do you feel strange as a foreigner where you live?
Yeah, most of the time I do. Most people here haven’t traveled very much and there aren’t a lot of people emigrating here from other places like there is in the US. It’s easy to tell I’m not from here, so people know right away and sometimes treat me differently because of that. Some people are patient and helpful and other people are mean. I definitely think I know a lot more now about what it feels like to be a foreign exchange student or an immigrant. I try to fit in, but always know I will be different and I really appreciate it when people are nice to me and take time to help.
Yep, I’m judged more overtly here for what I look like that I ever have been in my life. Some days it’s really hard to keep my head up. Be nice to foreigners, people. Whatever you believe about immigration or a certain ethnicity, you keep that separate from the people you meet.
· What is your favorite thing about living in Burkina Faso?
Besides the people (see: favorite thing about my job), my favorite thing is getting to experience a totally different culture by living it. Burkina Faso is about as different from America as you can get! I love learning about how people here live and see the world.
· How do people in your village/country view the US?
It depends on who you ask… that’s a lot of people and they don’t all think the same thing! From the people I’ve asked though, they generally think that the US is really really really rich! They also think we have a big, strong military. Most of what people here know about the US comes from movies, T.V.,or the radio.
Rich, powerful, and sometimes like a paradise(no malaria? it’s not hot? everyone has a car?)
· What do you miss most about the US (besides family and friends)?
Well, you’re right in thinking first would be my family and friends! The list of stuff I miss is long, but not nearly as important. Some things I miss are: constant electricity, set prices and people having change, movie theatre movies, fast and easy access to the internet, libraries, road trips, sleeping in, showers, eating meat, cheese, and good pens.
· What friends have you made?
I have several friends in village, including my village pharmacist and his whole extended family. I am friends with Alima who I sometimes eat rice with and her family. I am friends with many of the village kids, especially Alice, a seventh-grader who often hangs out at my house. It’s difficult to make friends because many people speak only Moore and I’m not very good at that yet. It’s also hard because a lot of women my age (24) are already married and have kids and houses to look after, so they don’t have time to hang out.
Honestly? Not that many. It’s tough when you don’t speak the same language.
· Are you the only foreigner (originally pharased: white person) in your village?
I’m the only person with light skin in my village and the only one who comes from really far away, but I’m not the only foreigner. There are people in my village who come from parts of Burkina farther away or neighboring countries like Cote d’Ivoire. There is also a Dutch woman who lives in a nearby village three months out of every year.
Yep. Melanin challenged, right here.
· Can you come back to the US whenever you want to visit?
Nope, not whenever, but it is possible for me to come back. I get vacation time after serving for a few months and some volunteers use that to go back to the US. I won’t be coming back because the plane ticket is soooo expensive. BUT my parents and my sister are planning on coming to visit here! (You should ask Mrs. Krumrei about it!)
· How often are you in contact with your family?
I talk to people in my immediate family about once a week on the phone, because they’re awesome and call me. I try to email every couple months and letters are sent about the same because those depend on me getting to the city.
· How was the transition to life in your new country?
At first, it was not that easy.I had to figure out a new language, culture and way of living. I had to study hard, and listen a lot, and plain admit that I didn’t know anything. Things that are really really simple in the US, say getting a glass of water, become increasingly complex when you don’t have a glass, you don’t know the word for water, and you don’t know where to find it or how to get it. Luckily I had Peace Corps staff and volunteers and really nice Burkinabe people that helped me out. Now that I’ve lived here for a little while it's not so hard, but there is still a lot I don’t know, so I continue to learn new things.
It is really frustrating not to know anything about anything. It leads to constant challenges and the need for constant patience. It is a very good thing I learned once upon a time at camp to ask for help, and to be deeply grateful for those who take the time to provide it.
Culture / Customs
· What are some similarities between their culture and ours?
This is a tough one. I’m honestly having a hard time thinking of any cultural similarities. Burkinabé have many things in common with us as people, but the culture itself (what is polite, for example) is a lot different.
Can’t think of a one. Seriously.
· Are there any dancing rituals in your village?
Dancing here has become somewhat like dancing in the US. In my village, people dance to pop music some nights after the market. They pay some money to get in (that goes towards renting the speakers and DJ) and just enjoy it. Dancing is encouraged with kids- they learn it shortly after they can stand up- and men love to dance, but often women are too tired or can’t afford to come. Men and women (even if they’re married!) never dance together and there are no slow dances. Traditional dancing here is very different than how people dance in the US. I have seen traditional dancing, but that is usually only done by children at school for an event, when a performer is doing a show, or at weddings and the like
I wish people still did traditional dancing just because.
· What holidays are celebrated in Burkina Faso?
Wow. There are a lot! That’s like asking what holidays there are in the US! Holidays are mostly celebrated depending on religion. Catholic people celebrate holidays like the Assention; Both Catholics and Protestants celebrate Easter and Christmas; Muslims celebrate Ramadan and Tabaski. Many of these celebrations are national holidays. There is also a Burkina Faso day of Independence (like our 4th of July), where they celebrate becoming an independent country.
Quite a few, but a lot of times people are too poor to really celebrate. Holidays are an excuse to save up for a chicken to eat, and maybe to go to church or mosque. Also, I haven't seen any presents for holidays in village… including Christmas.
· What are common religions?
Christianity (both Catholicism and Protestantism), Islam, and Animism (traditional African beliefs). Many Burkinabe don’t know of any religions other than these three.
· Are there any customs or rituals that are hard to respect or do?
Yes. More often though, there are many that it’s difficult for me to remember to do! It’s difficult to always think of the right thing to say or do, and often times I forget! For example, I am not supposed to look people in the eye when I shake their hand; in the US it is impolite if you don’t look someone in the eye when you shake their hand.
I should: never step on a mat with shoes on, only use my right hand to eat or greet people or take things with, always eat what is given to me, not drink alchohol (but if I do, only between 7 and 9 pm), not cry… ever, always thank someone the day after they have given me something, bring gifts back after traveling, dress appropriately (meaning, no pants or shorts, tight or low cut shirts, or skirts not below my knees), throw trash on the ground, lie about things to avoid being impolite… etc. I do not always do or avoid these cultural things, but most of the time I try really really hard to remember. Also? I’m gonna have to relearn looking people in the eye when I get back to the US.
· What are the customs for visiting people?
Here people are always invited. You can always stop by someone’s house to say hello or even to stay for dinner without them officially inviting you.
Invite yourself over, but try not to do it when people don’t want you there. Good luck figuring it out!
· How different is the clothing?
Most of the clothes here are way different. In my village,women wear brightly printed fabric called a pagne(“pahn-yuh”) wrapped around and tied as a skirt. Often times they wear a t-shirt or a pagne made into a shirt by a tailor with it. Many women also wear headscarves tied over their hair. Men wear pants made out of plain cloth or second hand clothes. Also men can have shirts made out of pagnes. Muslim men often wear head coverings. Sometimes people wear western style clothes (like jeans) but not very often and usually only in cities.
· What are marriage rituals?
Well, I actually haven’t been to a marriage here yet. I know that women get married young (17 or so) and a man can have more than one wife. Also, the man’s family pays the bride’s family a dowry. Other than that the marriage ceremony itself is pretty similar. It takes place according to religion and then a government document is signed at the mayor’s. The women wears a beautiful dress and then after the marriage there is a big party kind of like our receptions.
General questions about Burkina Faso and village
· What is the population of your village?
The estimated population of my village is about 4500 people.
I think that no one really knows the number. It is very spread out and more like 5 connected villages they made one.
· What is the clean water source in your village?
My village has a lot of clean water. There are several water pumps and robinets (“rohw-ben-ays”) which are solar powered pumps (so that you don’t actually have to pump the water). This water isn’t as clean as the water we drink in the US, but it’s much better than water in many places in Africa. Some people still drink water from rivers or ponds that is unsafe, however.
· What is the main form of transportation (in village and out)?
For me, the main form of transport is taxibrusses (old vans made into “taxis” where people squeeze in along with chickens), and regular buses when traveling. Most Burkinabés use whatever transportation they can afford. For some that means walking (!), biking, or using a moto (anything from a moped to a motorcycle). They also use the taxibrusses and buses. Very very few people have cars. In my village, no owns a car. Within village, people walk, ride bikes or motos.
· What animals do you see (on farms, in homes, roaming wild, etc.)?
Unfortunately, not all of Africa is like Lion King :) Most of the animals I see every day are roaming around or being tended/herded, and are very similar to farm animals in the US. There are pigs, goats, sheep, chickens, guinea fowel, donkeys, cows, dogs, etc. In the “wild” there are hedgehogs, and in the south there are hippos and apparently monkeys (but I haven’t seen them yet).
· Is there malaria in your village or country?
Yes and it’s really serious. About half of all of the people that come to our village medical center are diagnosed with malaria and many of them are very sick. Malaria is given by mosquitos, but we don’t have it in the US. There are drugs to treat malaria but no vaccine to prevent it yet. Malaria is the number one most common health problem here; it is especially dangerous for pregnant women and kids under 5 because they can’t fight it off as well.
Yes and it kills lots of people. It is over diagnosed (leading to drug resistant forms), but even without that it’s entirely too common and too ignored by countries that don’t have to worry about it. There is no money in finding a vaccine, so people continue to die. A lot of my job is to work on ways to avoid malaria.
Katy Maeda’s 8th grade class questions (continued)
· What is the currency of Burkina Faso
The CFA. It stands for something to do with being the franc of West Africa , but I forgt what all the letters mean exactly. You say it like “say-ef-ah” and it was introduced when the French colonialists were here. The exchange rate is somewhere between 420 an 480 CFA per american dollar. Before colonialism, the Mossis traded shells for currency.
Interesting fact: every time I want to say a money number in Moore Moore
· Is there any violence or crime where you live?
No, there is not a lot of violence in my village and I always feel safe there. There are lots of people who always make sure I’m OK. The main violence is “domestic violence”, where people harm other people in their family, and it makes me really sad. There is theft, but if you get caught stealing you can get in big trouble (way more than in the US
There are apparently, however, different rules for nassaras and I have to be careful all the time about my stuff, because I am rich and can afford to replace it. Also there is occasional violent crime in Ouaga, like any city, but I only stay in places I know well. The men beating their wives and the children getting beat thing really does suck. There’s not much I can do about it in my position.
· Are there any laws in your country that are really different than the US
The government is very different here, but I don’t know too many specific laws. One thing I do know that is different is that you have to have an ID card on you at all times. To not have one is against the law and they can take you to jail! They can also impose a nation-wide curfew and say that everyone has to be home by a certain time, but they rarely do that.
· Are the smells different in your village?
Yep! Just like anywhere else, it has a unique smell. A lot of times what I smell is a mixture of myself (most likely dirty and sweaty), animal poop and truck exhaust. You get used to it I guess. Sometimes it smells like fried dough on market days, and after the rain it smells clean. Sometimes the smells remind me of being at camp and that always makes me happy. My favorite smell is chicken cooking.
· What happens if you get sick?
Well, when I get sick, Peace Corps has two doctors just for volunteers, and I call them up and tell them what’s wrong. Sometimes they give me stuff to do or names of medicine to buy in village and sometimes I come to Ouaga for an appointment. If I get really sick I can stay in Ouaga and get better. If I get really, really, really sick, they fly me to a hospital.
Wait it out, comlpain to other volunteers, eventually call the Med people and get it taken care of if it gets bad enough.
· Do the people of your country hunt? If so, for what?
I haven’t seen anybody hunt here. Most meat comes from livestock people own.
· How are their schools (or education in general) different from ours?
They are very different here! For one thing, most kids have to learn another language just to work in school- it’s all in French! (Can you imagine school being in another language? Like Latin?) Also, their families have to pay for them to go to school, so some kids have to stay home and work because their families can’t afford to send them or don't want to. In order to get from middle school to high school you have to pass a big test; in order to finish high school you have to pass an even harder test that they use in France too called the BAC . Most classes here have close to 100 kids in one class! (My friend Alice’s 6th grade had 94.) There are no elective classes or libraries and the learning style is a lot more about memorization.
Also for the record, corpral punishment is excepted and expected and I’ve heard of teachers sleeping with students (often bribing them with their grades) or being paid to pass kids. Most teachers are not like this, but still it makes me upset.
· For those of you nosy 8th graders who wanted to know about my love life... mind your own buisness! J
That goes for you, too!
Question from a 7th grader here: "What is America
Until next time.
Until next time.
