a bush school- the classrooms are made of bamboo and the roofs of grass. It takes me only a few minutes to walk to school down a muddy track. When I reach the school grounds there are lots of “good mornings” for me from the boys. Many of them have walked a long way, sometimes up to two hours, to get to school.Theres no electricity or water and even no textbooks either! Im still trying to adapt to these conditions. However, one thing is for sure, Ive become more imaginative in my teaching. Science is my most challenging subject as my students have no concept of doing experiments. In fact there is no equipment, and if I need water I have to carry it from my house in a bucket! The other day I was showing the boys the weekly chemistry experiment when, before I knew it, the mixture was bubbling over everywhere! The boys who had never come across anything like this before started jumping out of the windows. Sometimes I wonder how relevant chemistry is to these students, most of whom will be going back to their villages after Year 8 anyway. To be honest, I doubt whether Im making any difference to these boys lives at all.You asked whether Im getting to know any local people. Well, thats actually quite difficult as I dont speak much of the local English dialect yet. But last weekend another teacher, Jenny, and I did visit a village which is the home of one of the boys, Tombe. It was my first visit to a remote village. We walked for two and a half hours to get there- first up a mountain to a ridge from where we had fantastic views and then down a steep path to the valley below. When we arrived at the village, Tombes mother, Kiak, who had been pulling weeds in her garden, started crying”ieee ieee”. We shook hands with all the villagers. Everyone seemed to be a relative of Tombes.Tombes father, Mukap, led us to his house, a low bamboo but with grass sticking out of the roof- this shows it is a mans house. The huts were round, not rectangular like the school buildings.There were no windows and the doorway was just big enough to get through. The hut was dark inside so it took time for our eyes to adjust. Fresh grass had been laid on the floor and there was a newly made platform for Jenny and me to sleep on. Usually Kiak would sleep in her own hut, but that night she was going to share the platform with us. Mukap and Tombe were to sleep on small beds in another part of the hut,. There was a fireplace in the centre of the hut near the doorway. The only possessions I could see were one broom, a few tin plates and cups and a couple of jars.Outside Mukap was building a fire. Once the fire was going, he laid stones on it. When hot, he placed them in an empty oil drum with kau kau (sweet potato) corn and greens. He then covered the vegetables with banana leaves and left them to steam. I sniffed the food; it smelled delicious. We ate inside the hut sitting round the fire. I loved listening to the family softly talking to each other in their language, even though I could not participate in the conversation. Luckily, Tombe could be our interpreter.Later, I noticed a tin can standing upside down on the grill over the fire. After a short time Tombe threw it out of the doorway. I was puzzled. Tombe told me that the can was heated to dry out the leftover food. They believe that any leftovers attract evil spirits in the night, so the food is dried up in the can and the can is then thrown out of the hut. Otherwise they dont waste anything.We left the village the next morning after many goodbyes and firm handshakes. My muscles were aching and my knees shaking as we climbed down the mountain towards home. That evening I fell happily into bed. It was such a privilege to have spent a day with Tombes family.Its getting late and I have to prepare tomorrows lessons and do some paperwork. Please write soon.Love,Jo THE WORLDS MOST USEFUL GIFT CATALOGUEWould you like to donate an unusual gift? Then this is the catalogue for you. The gift you give is not something your loved one keeps but a voluntary contribution towards the lives of people who really need it.Choose from this catalogue a really useful gift for some of the worlds poorest and bring hope for a better future to a community in need.When you purchase an item, we will send you an attractive card for you to send to your special person. You can use the cards for any special occasion- weddings, births, birthdays, Christmas or anniversaries, etc.Unit 5 KEEP IT UP, XIE LEI Chinese student fitting in wellSix months ago Xie Lei said goodbye to her family and friends in China and boarded a plane for London. It was the first time she had ever left her motherland. “After getting my visa I was very excited because I had dreamed of this day for so long. But I was also very nervous as I didnt know what to expect,” Xie Lei told me when I saw her waiting in a queue at the student cafeteria between lectures.Xie Lei, wh