to tired to write a title

So here are some questions that have been asked already.

What is muzungo time?
Muzungu time is really American time. Here in Kenya, they go really slowly. If they have a meeting at 11am, they think its ok to be there at 11:30, sometimes even 1pm. Americans are used to being on time. They follow their watches. For American, it’s a race to see how much stuff you can accomplish in a day. For Kenyans, it’s “there’s always tomorrow.” So if there is a meeting we ask is this meeting on Kenyan time or muzungu time that way we know if we should be on time or late. During sports this past week, a lot of time was spent wasted sue to poor organizing. But it was ok, because there was always tomorrow. If you were to take the same situation in America, organization would be key and it would be done weeks before the actual event was to take place. The locals here even laugh at how fast I walk. I may think I am walking at a normal speed but to them, it’s like I am jogging.

Do you have cows and horses?
Besides chickens and goats, Kenya also has cows and donkeys. But no horses. I don’t know why. I would rather have a horse than a cow. I have a new hatred of cows.

Do you live by yourself or with a friend?
I live by myself in a house but I have some great neighbors. My house has 2 bedrooms, 1 kitchen, 1 living room and a bathroom with a real flush toilet. It’s nice to have my own space but it’s a pain in the butt to clean. My neighbors are all very understanding my lack of domestic skills that we have started once a month having a communal cleaning day where all of them come over and we have a cleaning party. We play music and dance while we clean my house. It also gets lonely sometimes so I find myself more and more joining my neighbors for dinner every night. Kenya is very close knit. When a neighbor needs something, the others are always there to help. When they don’t see me for a day, they get worried and call and stop by unannounced many time throughout the day.

Is the sign language universal?
Sign language itself is universal. However, each country has their own signs for everything. When I come back fluent in Kenyan Sign Language( fingers crossed), it will be very difficult for me to communicate with someone who is fluent in ASL. Sure there will be some signs that are similar and the alphabet is almost the same( except ASL sign for “t” means clitoris in Kenya) but KSL is a totally different language. KSL has had a rough start here in Kenya. Most of the cases of hearing loss is caused by curable illnesses and most of these illnesses have been wiped out in America or have a cure. The first form of Sign Language Kenya saw was gestures and then ASL was brought in, but over time, they have started to desire their own language. Most of the teachers here are trained in SEE or an altered form of ASL. It has not been till recently, the government has started integrating true KSL into the system. I am teaching KSL to a class 8 this term. It will be the first time it will actually be tested on the national exam. There are a lot of words in KSL that have no signs still. That’s how new it is. They have a KSL research program at the university in Nairobi that is developing this language. When they come up with a new sign, they call Peace Corps( one of the researchers is connected with us) and other organizations to help spread the sign. They do not even have a full dictionary yet.


Are there pet dogs in Kenya?
Dogs yes, pets? No. Dogs here are not treated the same as they are in America. Dogs are seen as workers, not members of the family. They are either guard dogs or help herd the livestock. If they have a caring owner, they are fed scrapes from the table if not, they are forced to wander around looking for trash. Dogs are also seen as dirty, full of fleas and sometimes rabies. So in some communities, dogs will be chased away. I have seen my fair share of pregnant dogs and dogs that look like they have just given birth. I try not to think about what happened to the puppies. I have a really cute dog who lives on the school compound with us. She is one of the lucky ones. The cook found her and brought her home. He takes care of her and in return she is one of the guard dogs. When I came, I made friends with her and now we have a morning ritual of greeting each other on my way to work. I am the only one who pets her and shows her any love. The rest of the staff laughs at me.

Are there ATM’s in Kenya?
I think this is the biggest misconception about Kenya. Not sure about the rest of the continent, but at least in Kenya, it’s pretty westernized. Granted there are still some places and some tribes that have been untouched by western life but most of Kenya is pretty developed. Tourism is one of the large attractions here so it has to be a little developed. I have seen masaai warriors, armed to the gills, dressed traditionally carrying a cell phone. If a house doest have electricity, there are always shops throughout the towns that are only for recharging cells. My family was poor, living in a small house with no running water, but we had electricity, cable, and a dvd player. ATM’S are many. But the new thing is cell phones. You are able to pay bills, transfer money all on your cell. Everyone I have met has a cell and they LOVE their cells. They also love trading numbers and will call you for no reason, say hi and then disconnect before you can ask them if they need something.