“I think I’m gonna like it here…I’m very very glad to volunteer…”
Ok… so things are definitely looking up here. Meeting and hanging with LA (aka Gutz) has been a source of both entertainment and networking. He has gotten in the habit of introducing me and BushDiva to everyone he knows as his colleagues or friends – situation dependant. Add to that, BushDiva and I are trying to be a part of whatever we can be a part of.
Today’s mission was to observe one of Gutz’s classes. An introduction to computers, his class is designed to just get people comfortable with the idea of using one and the basics of Word and the internet. We perched in the back of the class, helping one student work a mouse – she hadn’t quite mastered the double click. Towards the end, Gutz called me up to talk about the internet. Of the roughly 20 young folks in the class about seven or so had never been online – this week will be their maiden voyage.
I remember trying to explain the internet to a class of high school students in rural South Africa about nine years ago. My description was met with blank stares and knowing head nods that seemed to say, “oh, the American has finally lost it. It must be the heat.” Here it was a less daunting task. Gutz worked a metaphor of people carrying information on their heads- picking things up and putting them down again. I followed comparing Google to a vast and almost limitless library. I even got a question at the end. Later this week they’ll experience the real thing and I think there will be some clarity.
Gutz returned to his other job, with the county health team, and BushDiva and I wanted to check out the campus internet lab. In our search, BushDiva stumbled upon the campus bookstore and began to make friends, and connections, for the logic club we want to do.
That led us to J. J has just returned to Liberia after being away for 16 years. He works in the administration and is eager to work with us to help us cultivate Liberian buy-in for the critical thinking/logic group we want to form. We talked and laughed with him for about 30 minutes shivering in the gale of cold air from his air condition. When we asked why the cold, he replied, “I’ve been in Kentucky and Atlanta too long. I can’t stand the heat now. I’m not a little man anymore either,” he joked with us, patting his belly.