Swimming with Nuns

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE! ( since I wrote this post on Easter, it’s technically not late.) Believe it of not, I would have skated through today thinking it was just a normal day if it weren’t for everyone updating their Facebook statuses wishing everyone a happy Easter. Kenya doesn’t really celebrate Easter here, at least not that I have seen so far and if they do, its definitely not to the same caliber as America with the egg hunts and bunnies laying eggs. Yeah I tried explaining that one to my friends and they weren’t having it. So what am I doing this fine Easter Sunday? Nothing. Although earlier I thought of dying some eggs and giving them to my neighbors. But they don’t have egg dye here. I might have to ask for egg dye from america for next time. I have started to notice that although I have only been here 5 months, I am already finding it difficult to write stories that I hope would interest friends and families back home. I would hate to imagine what it will be like when I have been here a whole year. I mean I can only tell you how I cook with brown water so many times before it gets old. I guess I am also starting to get comfortable with the culture and surroundings here that anything that would have been worthwhile to talk about isn’t so worthwhile. But I will keep trying since I know someone has turned my blog into her reading project at school. If any of you have questions or want to know something about Kenya that I haven’t mentioned, feel free to ask. It would help me have stuff to write about as well as clear up any preconceived notions about Kenya. So since it’s been awhile since my last blog, let me fill you in on what’s been happening. I have been so busy these last few days I literally had to have 3 days just to recuperate. So…
I left you off at exams and the close of my first term as a teacher. I can’t believed I survived my first term. The minute my exams were done, I immediately thought of lesson planning for next term, what I could do differently and what worked with my students. Mostly I thought about how fast Im falling in love with my
students and how much joy I get out of just sitting with them in-between exams, talking with them. After exams were finished they did get a nice surprise. Nandi and Nazy had gone into Nairobi to get the kids tennis shoes and real sports uniforms. They were so excited. Their eyes lit up when they saw the jerseys. School sports are not the same here. Most schools( at least the special needs schools) don’t have a team jersey and all the kids go barefoot when competing. So getting second hand athletic shoes from America and matching uniforms, it was like Christmas came early. They all went to try them on immediately and begged my to take some photos. It’s was so funny to watch them dancing and prancing around in matching uniforms. I didn’t realize how much a uniform mattered to a sports team. But with the uniforms, they felt united, proud and ready to beat some Kewdowa butt.
Kewdowa, about an 1 ½ hours north of litein, is a small school nestled on a hillside at the edge of the Mau forest( the same forest that is surrounded with controversy at the moment). It’s very windy and cold. It actually made me miss Litein. Luckily the teachers were allowed to travel back every night to sleep in our warm beds but the kids had to stay at the school, sleeping in classrooms with broken windows. Even with the cold I think the kids enjoyed staying at the school interacting with the other students from Kedowa. It amazes me how between just a short distance, sign language changes dramatically from school to school. I have just been starting to understand my students signs but when I met some of the kids from kedowa, I had to ask for interpreters. I had one kid asking me the same question 3 times before I called one of my students over to help me. I found out he was asking me where I was from. Now I don’t have to ask anymore. The minute one of my students sees my facial expression of understanding nothing, they are right there to help me. Just like my first days at Litein, the students at Kedowa hammered me with questions, asking where I am from, do I eat snakes, dogs, lions or elephants and why is my face red? Yeah, I forgot I was a muzungu and forgot to apply the sunscreen and a hat so I spent my birthday and the next week with a bright red face. I turned it into an educational lesson though. My students didn’t know white people turned red. In the end, Litein did really well considering none of our kids really practiced. Out of the 50 slots, litein was sending 28 students to provincials to compete in athletics, hand ball, netball, football and volleyball. On to Nakuru!
*although the schools compete as a whole, its not the school but the individual student who continues on to Nationals. So after the event, a group picks the best athletes to continue on no matter what school they’re from. At Nationals, it’s not St.Kizito’s that is competing but rift valley.
26-3-2010
It’s my birthday today. There’s no cake, no presents, and no singing, but I have to say although it past with little fanfare, I couldn’t ask for a better birthday. I am 24 yrs old today and as Im watching my kids compete with the beautiful Mau Forest in the background, Im in awe of all that I have done in the last 24 years. I’ve been born( I have my mom to thank for that), I’ve survived 18yrs of school, met some amazing people, been to 3 continents, traveled to 8 different sates and 4 (soon to be 5) different countries. All my life, I said I would live in Africa, but I never put a time limit on it. But here I am, 24 and living in Kenya and loving every minute of it. Sometimes, I still can’t believe it. I remember in high school having a teacher who fascinated me with everything she did before becoming a teacher. Since then I have made it my life goal to have my own life as full and diverse as hers. However, I always thought it would happen later in life when I was in my 30‘s or 40‘s. Sitting with my students, signing with them, I realized I was already accomplishing that goal and at only 24. I was pretty impressed with myself and I can’t wait to see where the next 24 yrs will take me.
28-3-2010
Another birthday has come and gone and I am now headed to Nakuru for Provincials, the step right before nationals. Instead of just one other school, our students will be competing against ALL special education schools in the greater rift valley province. We have united our team with students from Kedowa and hope to score big in the coming days. Since I was traveling with Nazy, my counterpart, we decided to stay in the convent. I know, an atheist staying at a convent. But what if I told you this particular convent had a pool? One morning, as Nazy and I were headed for sports, we met up with some of the sisters at the pool . . They invited me for a swim which I had to kindly decline since I had no bathing suit and we were in a hurry. Clair stated I didn’t need a bathing suit as long as I had some shorts and a top to wear. I realized I was already wearing that under my skirt so I look at Nazy who is already reading my thoughts and shaking her head laughing. I strip out of my skirt and dive in. The water never felt so good. I raced the sisters back and forth across the pool, doing flips and handstands until Nazy had to literally drag me out of the pool. You know those people who say swimming with dolphins is spiritual? They never swam with nuns.
Ok since this post has been the longest one to write, I’m actually going to stop here and write about provincials later. I hope everyone had a good Easter and please send me any questions you have no matter how stupid you think they are. I will be happy to answer them.