How are you? I am fine. How are you? I am fine...

Everywhere the kids!!!

It seems that every seminar is near a school. That isn't really surprising since there are so many schools. In fact, some of the groups even run schools. And it never fails that the kids will ask "Hi. How are you?" and the only acceptable response is "I am fine. How are you?" The younger ones don't understand the response and the older ones do but are so amused by us that they simply keep asking "How are you?" anyway.

But I had a seminar on Monday that was pretty typical of the school kids in the more remote locations (i.e. even less familiar with white people if that is possible). After the seminar it was lunch hour for the kids so they were all outside and they gathered around the building in which I was teaching. Once everyone left I was cleaning up with my translator and they were just staring. The ones peering through the window ducked away when I looked towards them and the ones at the door were to scared to cross the threshold. So I pulled out my camera and got the guaranteed reaction: they swarmed into the room and posed for their picture (way to close to get them all in). Given these ones were so timid they actually lined up for the picture and then once I took it they bolted for the door again...until I turned my camera around to show them at which point they overcame their fear and tripped over each other to get closer and pull the camera to where they could see it. It never fails either. They all love it.