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I'm using a special icon for today, to celebrate the fact that is is International Literacy Day. Having spent many years overseas in a country where the literacy rate was very low -- especially among women -- I really understand how important it is to promote literacy, not just locally, but all over the world.
Here's an interesting article from Wikipedia about literacy:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Literacy
I shall be doing my part towards literacy today, in a way -- I am scheduled to teach two women who are wanting to be more literate in English. :-)
In other news, we are sitting waiting for electricians to come to install a smoke alarm (we don't have one yet, yikes!), and to work on one wall of our apartment, that has lots of lovely outlets which seem to be just for show -- for some reason, the wall between both bedrooms has no electricity to any of the outlets. My DH is quite the electrician himself, but he hasn't been able to figure it out; hopefully the pros will be able to!
We have been managing by using a plethora of lengthy extension cords in order to get light and power where we need it, but it can't go on like that. The landlord came by on Saturday and arranged for electricians to come today. So far, no sign of them. They were supposed to be here at 8 am, it is now going on 10 am.
Oh, well! We'll switch off hanging around the place in order to let them in, until we are sure they are not coming today. I'm really hoping they do come, though; it would be very nice to have that taken care of!
Here's an interesting article from Wikipedia about literacy:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Literacy
I shall be doing my part towards literacy today, in a way -- I am scheduled to teach two women who are wanting to be more literate in English. :-)
In other news, we are sitting waiting for electricians to come to install a smoke alarm (we don't have one yet, yikes!), and to work on one wall of our apartment, that has lots of lovely outlets which seem to be just for show -- for some reason, the wall between both bedrooms has no electricity to any of the outlets. My DH is quite the electrician himself, but he hasn't been able to figure it out; hopefully the pros will be able to!
We have been managing by using a plethora of lengthy extension cords in order to get light and power where we need it, but it can't go on like that. The landlord came by on Saturday and arranged for electricians to come today. So far, no sign of them. They were supposed to be here at 8 am, it is now going on 10 am.
Oh, well! We'll switch off hanging around the place in order to let them in, until we are sure they are not coming today. I'm really hoping they do come, though; it would be very nice to have that taken care of!
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no subject
Date: 2008-09-08 03:32 pm (UTC)From:That was an interesting article about literacy. I am interested in the concept that the definition of literacy can't exist exclusive of it's cultural context and can be argued to include visual symbols and the use of communication media.
no subject
Date: 2008-09-08 04:47 pm (UTC)From:My hubby was an English as a second language teacher for years before I met him. That's what he was studying in grad school before moving from the mid-west to California, and also why he moved to California, because of his Spanish/English capabilities (we were destined to meet: when I was living with the Mayan Indians in Chiapas, he was in Costa Rica with the Peace Corps).
As a country I do think it is important that we have a common language as I have seen whole neighborhoods divide due to a language barrier -- very sad. It was happening on the street we moved from two years ago and has gotten worse since we left. I had a visitor from our old neighborhood (five blocks away) this week and she brought me up to speed on what was going on, and the divisive language barrier was at the root of all the problems. That is so cool you are meeting with some ladies who WANT to speak English. My mother's mom and dad were German (grandad from the Black Forest in Bavaria and grandma from Lorraine in France, a maid of Lorraine who grew up when it was German controlled). Anyway, when they met and married in America they wouldn't let any of their kids speak German because "we're in America now." My mom was one of the last born so by then everyone in the family was speaking English, but some of her older brothers and sisters spoke German -- it was a familial evolution. It's really strange, I was listening to some German Christmas carols a couple years ago and I understood all the German. I don't know where that came from as although I know I am half German, I've never spoken it.
no subject
Date: 2008-09-09 10:44 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2008-09-09 12:36 pm (UTC)From:I hope the electrical situation gets cleared up soon. Such a lovely apartment, but no electricity -- as I say to ChappyHubby at times, there's a sermon in there somewhere!
*hugs and blessings*
no subject
Date: 2008-10-01 12:33 am (UTC)From:How wonderful to help those women learn English. ((((Lin)))).