Oh the joys of adulthood!

So this week has been a shitty week. If you read my blog, you’ll knowI had some issues trying to take my kids to the local VCT and instead got the school to agree to bring the Deaf VCT here to the school. For the last month or so I have been on the internet, phone and talking people’s ear off trying to plan this event. When I first started, my school said money was not an issue. I knew we were still a special school with no extra money to splurge so I worked hard trying to cut every corner I could in terms of money. Last week I was told the school had no money…at all! I was devastated and called a contact at Peace Corps to help me figure out what to do. In the end he recommended to cancel it. I cried when I wrote the email to the contact at VCT canceling the event that my kids needed. Well, the week just kept getting better and better.

The weekend before, I had caught some kids missing church. I told my counterpart but another teacher overheard. Later on she asked for the names and I begged her to not beat them. She said we needed to make examples of the boys and will only beat one and she went so far as to tell me she would make me do it. She would make me stand there and beat the boys until I cried and ran away. I refused to give her the names and told her I would not stand for that. She accused me of "harboring criminals"..... they missed church! Not kill someone! Well the fun of my week did not end there.
I got into my first confrontation with a fellow teacher. Ok maybe not the first but the first one that needed the aide of the headmaster. It has left me emotionally drained and frustrated. Im glad I am going to Nairobi tomorrow. I need a break. Why must adults act like children? Now, I don’t mean the child at heart kind of thing but ignoring a problem and or person? To me it’s childish and I find it so frustrating. I asked many other people how to deal with her, with no help in return. This problem has been hanging around us filling the room with smoke for awhile now. Today was when we saw the fire. It was all smooth going back during my first term and then I guess I opened my eyes to who she really was. I have separated myself from her but I figured since shes still my colleague we could still be civil. For the last week or so, shes been ignoring me. I greet her, I ask her something, and she just looks the other way. I have asked her twice what I have done to deserve this…I get nothing. Now, if this was anyone else I would just say shes a b***h and go on with my business. However, I needed some papers that she kept for my class 8 and with her ignoring me, I was having a hard time acquiring them. I decided to use the American way since the Kenyan way was getting me no where. I was going to be calm, direct and try to keep my frustrations at bay and be polite. I thought the best way would be to do it in the staff room. I stupidly thought if other teachers were around, then it wouldn’t get out of hand. Boy was I wrong. She snapped at me which lead to me snapping at her. But I guess it all worked out in the end because the headmaster finally decided it was time to deal with it. We both sat and told our side of things. She got a high and mighty attitude with me and I could see this going nowhere. I decided if she still wants to act like a child, I could be the bigger person and show her how to act like an adult. So I apologized for any wrong doing I may have done to her, any miscommunication that may have happened with us and shook her hand. Did she follow my lead and apologize to me? She decided it was more fun to act like a child.

Later I heard the teachers talking about me. Everyone was siding with her. I put on a brave front but then went to my house and cried. I felt alone, pissed off, wanting to just call her a b***h and catch the next flight home. I was frustrated with myself with how I let her get to me and breaking one of my term 3 revolutions. Unfortunately, I couldn’t hide in my house all day, I still had a class to make work for before I left and since the teacher wouldn’t give me the papers I needed I had to find something else. I went back to school to use the copy machine. While in there another teacher came in. She was one of the few teachers I didn’t really talk to much. She’s normally quite and we teach different grades. She put her hand on my shoulder and told me she’s heard everything that’s happened and to not worry about the other teachers. She explained when it comes to me, some teachers turn stupid and to ignore them. I arrived alone and will go home alone. She apologized for not talking to me more but that she was there if I needed her. I felt better knowing I still had a few teachers on my side. So I broke a revolution. I let the teachers drama get to me. But I guess everyone is allowed a slip or two. I guess its time just to pick myself up, try to improve and continue on. Plus, if I leave now, who will show her the ropes to this whole adult thing.

Just another reminder....

This is just another reminder that the posts on this blog are my own personal opinion and are meant to be humorous and taken lightly. Nothing on this blog is meant to offend, disrespect or anger anyone. Living in a country that is different from your own can be a challenging experience. I am constantly learning and adjusting to the food, culture and people. I hope I haven’t given anyone the impression that Kenya is a horrible country. Though I may vent about the endless amount of attention, the food and some of the cultural norms that I am having a hard time with, I have never been more in love with a country or its people. The way the mamas take you in and treat you like one of their own no matter how many are already living in their house. The male teachers who act protective and sensitive towards me, making me feel like I am one of them. The community has really opened up this past few months and I am finally feeling like I have gotten a handle on living away from home. Although the food is still difficult sometimes, haha, I have started to love matoke or the cooked bananas, pilau which is seasoned rice, and kachumbari, the Kenyans form of salad. I am starting to enjoy my daily routine of cleaning, classes and running errands and have enjoyed noticing my impact on the community. So again, this is a blog filled with laughter, frustrations and joy and nothing in it is meant to offend or disrespect anyone.

However if people don't like what they read...guess what you can do?   STOP READING IT!

32 kids under the age of 6!

Hey guys. Sorry. I know this post is long overdue. So, I finished my first week of classes!!! ( this post is so over due im working on my 2nd week now. Haha) So far things are looking up. My classes are so much fun. Although I will probably be over stressed with my KSL class 8, mainly due to the fact that they are going for exams in about a month,. But on the upside, I get to play with the younger kids in my PE classes. Lots of fun. I took ALL 4 of my PE classes on a walk the other day and I have the sunburn to prove it. Haha. So, a few updates. The field trip to the VCT was a bust but I have been talking with the Deaf VCT in kisumu about coming to the school. So far so good. Im meeting with them next week to talk logistics. Cross ur fingers it works out. The local VCT called me, asking me if I could start a KSL class for them at the hospital. I met with administration and ended the meeting on a good note. Once he announces it to the staff and gives me the go ahead I will be able to start teaching.


I was standing in line at the posta the other day and out of the corner of my eye, I noticed there was a queue….with a white person standing behind me! Now for those of you who thinks this is weird, please remember I am in a village in Kenya where white people are few and far between( at least in my area) So seeing a white person was as exciting as seeing a cheetah. We got to talking and I discovered she lives in a small village about 10 minutes from me. She and her husband, who are from Pennsylvania, own and run an orphanage with 32 children all under the age of 6. That weekend I had to visit. So I went with another teacher to check it out. It was the best saturday I had had in awhile. With white parents( the children consider the man and women mom and dad) seeing a mzungu is not unusual for these kids, so I never heard the annoying song of “ Mzungu! Mzungu” or the nasally “ How are youuuuuu?” If was so nice just to sit down with the kids and play with them. As we sat there, the women would point out the children and tell me their story. There was a set of siblings there who were living on the street drinking water from the puddles, eating dirt and sleeping where they could. The older boy was injured from an incident involving his mother hitting him with a machete and his younger sister would bite or spit at you if you put your hand out. Another boy was living with his mother in the maize fields. It was heartbreaking to hear their stories. But then when you saw the children interact with their parents, it lifted you spirits. They may have had a hard start but they were in good hands now. On the week days, the parents open their home for a school, one even the poorest children can attend. Some days they have at least 100 children at the compound. They have hired 4 teachers to teach class 0-7. We discussed me coming to teach some KSL which of course I agreed to. The teacher and I brought oranges and bananas for the children, so we sat and had a picnic. Soon the weather changed and it was time to go. It was sad to leave. I wanted to stay forever with those kids. But I promised I would be back. I cant wait for my next free day to go visit them.

You remember the girl I told you who would spit and bite people? Now look at her. She wouldnt leave me alone! Haha.

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.