I Love my Job....90% of the time

I kept telling myself that when I came home, I would be more patient and less easily frustrated. It’s been 10 months in country…I don’t think its going to happen. Working in the Kenyan system sure tries your patience. My last post, I mentioned some projects I was planning for this term. When I wrote that post, I already had approval from the head teacher, the class teachers and the VCT to take a field trip to the local VCT with my students. I had the teachers lined up who were going, the proposal approved , everything was 1 step away from being finished. And then the bomb dropped. The head office said no…. I know, I was waiting for a reason too but they just said no. No explanation as to why we couldn’t travel to the VCT. I was disappointed. I sat down with the head teacher, asking him why we were refused. He couldn’t tell me. I asked if it was money, because I was so desperate for these kids to go that I would pay for them. He said money was not an issue. I asked what was the issue then. Although he could only speculate, he though it might be because the VCT has nothing to do with HIV and is not in the syllabus. I did my best to explain how the VCT has EVERYTHING to do with HIV and the importance of allowing the kids to actually walk into a VCT. Although he agreed, his hands were tied. He recommended the VCT comes here. I had my reasons for not wanting this but realized this would be the only thing I would be offered. So, I took it with a little bargaining. I said ok to the VCT coming to the school, but I wanted the Deaf VCT to come instead and I wanted a condom demonstration. When I left his office, he was in agreement with my plan but it was up to me to plan it. If I don’t come away with some skills after this Im demanding a refund. Now, off I go again to try to put together another visit. Wish me luck.

A Kick Ass Term This Will Be!

This is going to be a kick ass term. I can feel it. We had one of the infamous Kenyan staff meetings, where it never starts on time, the teachers are having side conversations in Swahili, and everyone’s yelling over each other. By the time we got to the one thing on the agenda that even pertained to me, I was exhausted. And I hadn’t said anything by this point. Unlike in american schools where the teacher teaches a subject all the way through to the end of the year, my school switches teachers after every 3 months. Usually people will end up teaching the same classes all yr but there are a few times when teachers will be thrown into a class they have never taught. Last term I had 16 lessons due to the fact we had student teachers visiting for the term. Since they are gone now, my lessons would jump up to 25 which is still reasonable. So after bargaining, selling and buying classes, I ended up with the same classes I was teaching last term and added another art class and a class 1 P.E.( class 1 are the babies). I am so happy how things turned out. Now I have the same amount of lessons as the other teachers and I have a open schedule to work on my projects.


Some of the projects I hope to be finished with by this term
Paint a mural about making smart choices about sexual relations. My headmaster wants me to hire an artist. But I am trying to figure out how I can get the kids involved so they have some ownership.
Plan a World Aids day in my local community. WAD is on Dec 1st
Take my Life skills classes( 75 students in total) to a local VCT. The volunteer testing and counseling center. There, my students will get see a condom demonstration, a mock HIV test and a tour of the facilities.
So as you can see, Im super busy but I feel like this will be the best term ever. However, this also might be the most stressful. This is my last term( which is the shortest at only 1 and 1/2 months) with my class 8 before they take their exams. So on top of my projects, I’ll be working with my class 8 KSL class preparing them for their national exams. YIKES!

Stupid Bagel dream

Greetings blog readers! So school has officially opened. However this means the kids start arriving and teaching doesn’t happen a till a week later. So we waste a full week of learning. Kenyan school system, what can I say. But seeing the kids is great. Since I had to go to Nairobi for referendum, I was a little scared something would happen and they would evacuate us and I would never see my kids again. So I am so happy things worked out. I have decided this term will be the best term ever. I have gotten approval to take my vocational class and my class 8 to the local VCT( Voluntary testing and counseling) Although its not deaf friendly( no one know sign language) and most of my students don’t live in this area, I thought it was a good idea to get the students comfortable with actually going in to a VCT and knowing exactly what goes on. The other project I got approval for is a mural. It will be about making smart choices about sex. Not sure they will allow me to use the word sex but it will be something along those lines. We will have 3 pictures about how we can make smart choices. Like saying no and meaning no, focus on studies, Not being alone with the opposite sex etc. Im hoping we can have an artist just draw the outlines and my students will fill it in. Im hoping class 8 can finish it before they graduate. It will be something they leave behind for the younger kids. Fingers crossed.


The weather here is still cold. We have been getting more and more rain. I think we are now in the light rain season. Everyday at 3pm, it starts to rain. This also means power has a tendency to go out. Why they don’t have a power system that can stand rain, especially in a rainy area is beyond me. I mean our electrical system is all tied together so when the power goes out, the power goes out for the whole town. This includes the police station and the hospital.

My cat has grown to be a small lion. He constantly tries to bite my arms off and destroy my belongings, like my computer, shoes and books. I thought only dogs had the problem of chewing everything. Its times like these when I wish he had run away for good. But one thing I realized when he was gone was how much I missed him and relied on him to keep me company. Since I live alone, it gets lonely at night. Last night, it stormed and we lost power but puma and I curled up on the couch with a blanket and read a book together by candle light. It was a nice bonding moment that only lasted for 1 hour. Because the minute I went to bed, he was full of energy, running around, attacking my feet.


Last night I had a dream about a truckee bagel. I had toasted it, smeared it with cream cheese and was bringing to my mouth to take a bite and what do you know, I woke up. I was so frustrated because 1, I didn’t even get to taste it but 2. It was so horrible, I woke up at 5am and couldn’t get back to sleep! I think the reason behind all the dreams of food is because I still have a problem with Kenyan food, the ugali that taste like cement and the overcooked kale. To this day, my primary source of food is Peanut butter and jelly. Sad I know. Besides the food problem, I have finally settled into my community. I am learning some Swahili and the mamas at the market know me by name. I feel like maybe they are accepting me more now.

Ok, it is now 7am and I think Im ready to try sleeping again. So, I’ll leave you for now. Stay tuned to more posts. Miss you all.

Term 3 Resolutions

I know its not New Year’s eve but school starts in 4 days and I think it’s about time I made some. Last term was hell and I have decided this term will be nothing like last term. This will also be my last term of the year which marks the completion of half my service here in Kenya so I have to end the year right. In order to make that happen, I need to make some resolutions. So these will be Term 3 resolutions.

1. STOP giving out my phone number. I have noticed while living in Kenya, giving out your phone number is as normal as greeting someone. But I have found out, a little bit late, it’s OK to refuse to give out your number. Here are some excuses for when the situation arises.

Sorry, this is a Peace Corps phone and Im not allowed to give out it’s number

I don’t have my number memorized

My mom told me never to talk to strangers or give out my number

I don’t have a phone…this one only works if I am hiding my phone and no one calls me at this specific moment.

Or if after all these and they still ask for it, always go with direct

NO! I will not give you my number.



2. Lie and most importantly follow through with the lie about having a boyfriend. Hopefully, this will help resolve my man problems.



3. NOT get wrapped up in the teacher drama. Focus on the kids.



4. Try to cook real food, something edible at least, 2x a week. Im getting tired of PB&J.

Urchins in my foot, floating in the indian ocean and seashells

So I finally took a vacation. This month has been pretty busy for me. My first week, I had to stay in Nairobi for the voting of the constitution which thankfully went peacefully. Last election went not so good and Peace Corps had to evacuate everyone. I then went back to my site for a few days only to turn around and head to Kisumu for a training. After training, a few friends came back to my site, stayed for a few days and then we all left my house, they headed back to their sites and me to Mombasa!!!!!!

August 27th

So I am on the train heading to Mombasa, the 2nd largest city in Kenya. Some of the volunteers are turning 30, 40 and 50 so we are going to throw them a huge birthday fiesta. I cant wait. The train has been interesting. From my site to Mombasa its about a days trip so you either travel by night or the entire day. We picked the train. We got on around 7pm and should be arriving around 10am...but its already 9:12 and I think we are following Kenyan time so….probably more like12. We stopped about 6 times out in the middle of no where. I woke up every time we stopped or went faster dreading the train was going to derail…it has a tendency to do that. As we were eating breakfast, we finally got to see 3 large herds of elephants from the train, including babies…sooo cute! The terrain is so different from my site. Where my site looks like the rolling green hills of Scotland, as we get closer to Mombasa, the terrain gets drier and drier, although more and more palm trees and aloe Vera plants can be seen.



August 28th

We get to Mombasa around noon and meet up with friends. Mombasa is usually as hot as hell during the year except August when it’s a little cooler. We get to the hotel and immediately took a cold shower. We then walk around looking for food. Mombasa has a middle eastern look to it and has tons of delicious food. However, its Ramadan right now so things are closed throughout the day. Its not till the call to prayer that we get to eat and things start opening up. We walk to an old protégées fort called fort Jesus which overlooks the Indian ocean. Surprisingly, Mombasa beaches are not the best. Since Mombasa is an island, you have to go off the island to get to the better beaches. Tomorrow we will go to Mtwapa to visit another volunteer and there we will get to see the beaches the coast is known for and maybe even some snorkeling. Later that night we get food called shawarma. Its heavenly! Its chicken they cook on a spit, shred it, and put it in sort of a soft tortilla/pita bread with some dressing and salad. Sooooo good! Most of us can’t just have 1. Since Mombasa is so hot, there are TONS of ice cream parlors. You can end up having ice cream for each meal. After we finished eating, we headed to a dance club and dance the night away till 4am.



August 29th

We are heading to Mtwapa today which is about a 20min matatu ride from the city. One of our fellow volunteers lives there. Shes had some house issues so she has been staying in a tent for 9 months. it’s a beautiful tent but a tent none the less. Her tent is about a 10 min walk from the Indian Ocean. Its BEAUTIFUL! White sand beaches with sea shells galore, an ocean with about 4 different shades of blue and sea urchins. That was the only bad thing about the beach. I now have two thorns stuck in my foot. But it was so worth it. Later that day we found out our friend may might be getting a real apartment instead of her tent. So we go out to a really nice seafood restaurant. The food was phenomenal! We fell in love with the beach, that day that we spent another day there. Collecting seashells and floating in the ocean. It was the best way to spend our last day in Mombasa. But the time to go came upon us fast. No one wanted to leave but we knew it must be done. We caught the train later that night and started our journey home.
 
 

Sunsets,mamas and weekly highlights

Weekly Highlights

There have been days when I get so swamped with school, frustrated with the immature boys, and more focused on the teachers drama that I forget to appreciate the beauty of Kenya. But then I have a day where Kenaya reminds me. As I sit in my hotel room, watching the sunset over Lake Victoria, a must see for anyone who visits Kenya, and listening to the monkeys make wild love making calls, I am reminded that whatever negative happens in my day, there is always a positive that follows.



I got to meet a youth organization that uses participatory theater and puppet shows to teach their community about HIV/Aids, reproductive health, condom use, child abuse, student- teacher relations and other community issues.



Im working on an essay about living with epilepsy and joining the peace corps. If I feel its good enough to submit, Ill send it to the magazine.



I found a friend who will play the part of my boyfriend while he is visiting my site. Goodbye marriage proposals…hopefully.


Bought a new shirt, jewelry, new material for yet another skirt and birthday goodies for my sisters. The highlight was I bargained my ass off for them and got a good price.



Learned a lot of Kiswahili…problem is I don’t remember any of it. However, I feel confident as time goes on, I’ll become fluent by the time I leave.



Whenever volunteers come together, we swap movies, books and any other entertainment. I have 4 new books to read and a ton of new movies that will last me till the next time we all come together.

Alone in the Nakumatt

Well as lock downs go, this one aint half bad. Since the referendum is a holiday, a group of people were allowed to head to Nakumatt for some shopping( we are not allowed out of our hotel tomorrow and Thursday). Well, you can imagine the chaos that ensued. What did u expect, take 17 people who have been out in the bush for three months, put them in a city with k-mart size supermarkets and people are going to get a little nuts. Well, heres my shopping list.
4 types chocolate bars

2 bags of candy

2 bags of chips( kenyas make of cheetos and Doritos)

3 liters of white wine…BOX wine( when you are living off of $200/month you have to lower ur standards)

300ml of kingfisher fruit wine…hey hey hey before you judge it has 8% alcohol so take that u girly beer drinkers

3 liters of water

3 sodas

300ml of woodpecker cider

Cream Cheese, Gouda, Chedder( which ended up having a hard boiled egg aftertaste) and classy European cheese spread that has a laughing cow on it. Yeah, we sort of went nuts on the cheese

And with the cheese comes crackers

A packet of chocolate chip cookies

Milk to go along with our European version of cinnamon toast crunch

And mom if ur flipping out about your daughters health, this next bit is for you.
A bag of lettuce

Spanish olives

Bell pepper

Cauliflower

A succulent grapefruit that didn’t last through the night.

Broccoli ( to make sure we were eating some what healthy)

And ranch dressing

…oh yeah and a small bottle of herbal essence shampoo.( I spent 15 min smelling all of them trying to decide which one I wanted.)