It's Friday - end of the week! Phew!

Oh phew! It's Friday - end of the week! I am so glad cos I need a couple days rest! This teaching work is exhausting! Nevertheless, I am pleased to say my teaching is being well received by the students. Though sometimes it is a challenge because Fijians are timid in nature & not always keen to get up in front of the classroom - so I have to do lots of encouraging! But we always get there in the end - with everyone taking turns in participating.

A few things you might be interested to know here - Fijians almost never nod their heads to say 'yes' & almost never 'point' to give directions. They just use their eyes & eyebrows e.g., they raise their eyebrows to say 'yes' or look with their eyes with slight head movement to 'point' out something. I sometimes repeat my questions but will quickly realise they have already given me an answer with their eyes!

Lots of nonverbal communication here & its quite different to deaf nonverbal communication - but sometimes similar. Very interesting! Even on the buses here there is lots of nonverbal communication e.g., bus driver will tilt his head to side & look at door to say 'this is your stop' - he wont point or talk! If I miss see the bus driver tilt his head or look at the bus door - I will miss my opportunity to pull the rope for the bus to stop - or else bus driver will carry on driving! So I have to watch the bus driver's head & eyes very carefully whenever I go to a new location via bus. Interesting hey!

Here are a few photos of me teaching drama to form 6 (grade 11) english students, a photo of the view outside classroom window, students relaxing during lunch break etc ...