Impressionable students

I'm exhausted today. Not sure if it's just the middle of the week or the heat getting to me, but I'm ending this day pretty drained. I'm also starting to feel a bit sick, scratchy throat, my allergies are reacting to something in the summer air. I've had a productive day with the department, however, so I have no complaints. We got through a few meetings successfully and even finally completed, printed, distributed, and posted a contact list for everyone in the department.

One of the pleasures of this opportunity for me is that in addition to the department manager and officers, there are 3 students who are currently here doing their equivalent to a field study or a practicuum. They are all students in university in East London, and two of them are born and raised here in Bizana, so they know the community well. One is a student majoring in marketing, another in tourism, and the third in small business/enterprise development... each no older than 20.

I'm really enjoying working with them and helping them find ways to contribute to the department, putting their knowledge from university into practice. Plus they've all grown comfortable with me and now approach me to ask me questions, ask for my help. We're always kidding around, and for each of the stories I tell them about my life in the States, they usually teach me a new Xhosa word or two - and laugh at me hysterically when I try to pronounce back what they teach me.

I bet they think I am older than I really am, but they show me a level of respect which I appreciate. I find that in some ways, they are the 3 I can make the most personal impact on. They want to improve their computer skills, they want to improve their speaking and presentation skills. One of them has an interview upcoming for a job that he'll take on when he is done here, do part time while back at school. He excitedly came to me Tuesday morning to tell me, and then he asked me if I could help him prepare... telling he'd never done an interview before, asking what they were going to ask him. So we walked through some questions, talked about his answers, and over the last two days I've seen him preparing and doing some internet research on the organization he is interviewing with. I like to see that initiative - let's hope he gets the position!