Where I've been and where Im going.....

Well my holidays now belong to Peace Corps. I have been busy helping with PST( training for the new soon to be volunteers) and my mid service medical( check ups, dentist etc). I have to say even though it took 2 weeks out of my holiday, those 2 weeks really helped me remember why I joined the Peace Corps in the first place. It showed me where I’ve been and where Im going. During PST, I got to hang with the new trainees. It brought back memories of my own PST and how excited I was to soon be teaching in Kenya. They helped me remember that I am a teacher and no matter how sadistic my fellow teachers can be, I will still be a teacher, there to inspire, educate and guide my students. When the week ended, I felt rejuvenated and inspired to tackle my 2nd year here.
After PST, I traveled to Nairobi to complete my medical check ups. While we were there, the group of teachers before us were completing their COS( close of service) It was bittersweet to say the least. As their time here got shorter and shorter, they would talk about their future plans. Some were traveling around the world before heading home, others got jobs in Kenya working with refugees, some were going home to complete school, and a few were extending their service for another year. Listening to their plans, got me excited for my own COS. I love my students and will be sad when I have to say goodbye but I was looking forward to the endless possibilities awaiting me.  I was excited to discover what I would do next after my service was complete. Where would I go? What was next for me? I can’t wait to find out!

New Years Resolutions 2011

Go for a walk to someplace new everyday.

Travel to Rwanda, Ethiopia, Lamu, Hells gate, Lake Turkana, Mount Kenya, and a game reserve before the year is up

Stay out of the teacher drama, this one is going to be a hard one.

Set up at least one IGA so the athletic club can be self sufficient by the time I leave.

Get 2 people trained to work at the VCT

Go up and hang with the students at night at least 2x a week
 
Try to think better of peoples intentions

What have I become?

Anyone who has served in the Peace Corps can tell you, you go through many changes. You dress far more conservative than your friends, you pronounce the p in corps as well as your t‘s, you feel awkward in jeans or trousers, and your view of people changes as well. This one is probably the most difficult to accept. Before joining the peace corps, I felt like I was a trusting person. I would talk to random strangers on the streets of San Francisco, and I never felt nervous or distrustful of someone. This week I came to realize this particular trait has changed and Im not sure it’s for the better. I find myself more conscious of people, less trusting of their motives and always assuming they want something from me. I am finding no matter how nice people are when I first meet them, they always have something they want from me. Whether it’s money, a trip to America or my favorite skirt that they admire. Now are all Kenyans like this? I hope not. But Im finding it very hard to find someone who wants to be my friend just to be my friend. This part of the culture has changed me into something Im not sure I like. I’ve stopped looking for the good in people and just started to assume they are just like the others. Since New Years is coming up, Im starting to think about my resolutions. I think changing my view about Kenyans would be a good one to have. Although this won’t stop people from asking me for things, but maybe it will help me to remember not to jump to conclusions when I meet someone. I don’t want to remember my time in Kenya and the people I’ve met as leeches who just want something from me. I want to remember the market mamas and their desire to teach my Swahili, the kids yelling “Mzungu, How are you,” the hospital staff willing to learn KSL and the joy I have teaching my students. That is what I want to remember.