Monday, April 26, 2010
so sorry
So sorry for the delay in posts everyone. I have been traveling and in Niarobi for training with no chance to breath. I promise 2 posts once I get some free time. Hope everyone is well.
Monday, April 5, 2010
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.
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.
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.
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.
Friday, March 19, 2010
No matter how bad, there is always the potential to make it better
So, with the week coming to an end, I thought I would give an update. Some of these are posts I wrote earlier but never posted.
Monday - I have been in bit of a funk today. Ok, let’s just say this was not a great way to start off the week. I thought I was in a good mood this morning. I got a new shirt I was going to wear from home and I was on time for assembly. I wish I was late. “Spare the rod, spoil the child” that’s my school’s motto. And this morning they lived up to it. Students here are supposed to wear close toed, leather shoes. However, these shoes are worn out and can cause blisters on their feet. So to give themselves a break, they wear foam flip flops. Well, this is not tolerated in the school. So all the students who are wearing sandals are pulled out of assembly and made to stand in front of the other students. Then the teacher on duty goes through the line asking where their shoes are. If the student can prove he has a sore on his foot, then he is allowed back in line. But if there is no reason for not wearing the appropriate shoes, the teacher on duty grabs the child clothing, lifts it up so the thigh is showing and starts hitting them. Sometimes this is done with a stick, a rubber hose, the wooden part of a paint brush, or anything a teacher finds. They get pretty creative. After beating the children who were not wearing shoes, the teacher on duty sees a child turned around and not paying attention. So what does he do? Spare the rob, spoil the child, he walks over and beats the young child. Let’s just say it was not something I particularly wanted to see first thing in the morning.
Tuesday. Today, my culture finally clashed with Kenya culture and it has left me feeling depressed, defeated and ready to close my eyes and be done with today. Most schools here are started by churches so they have a religious background. I know, perfect place for an atheists. So sex education is not discussed. They only promote abstinence and tell the children condoms are for prostitutes and have holes in them. Well, we had an incident last weekend that called for a “ guidance and counseling” meeting to be with the entire school. So to prepare ourselves, the teachers met first to discuss who was going to talk and what was going to be said. The deputy went around the room asking who was going to talk. No one said anything. For 10 minutes it was so silent you could hear a pin drop. Every teacher had an excuse. “ Im sick” , “ Im too new”, “I just want to watch this time“( like they know this wont work and are expecting it to happen again)Then the deputy turns to me and asks me to do it. I said fine since this is what I was trained for. However, just a few hours before, he and I were discussing sex education. He believes that kids can learn about condoms once they graduate. I said that’s fine for the hearing kids but what about the deaf kids? Who out there knows sign language and who will be comfortable enough to show them how to use a condom? He wasn’t seeing my point. So the whole school is expecting me to talk about sex ed since they don’t want to and yet they criticize me about how and what I am teaching. I didn’t see the logic behind it. But no matter how frustrated I was with the administration, I knew I was the only person who was going to talk to these kids. He wanted all of the teachers to walk in together. As he got to the door, NO ONE stood up to follow. Everyone was still seated. I was so frustrated, I got up and followed. If I was going to make any impact with these kids, I had to show a united front with the school.
So the meeting started with the deputy( the head master was not there) telling the kids they were going on the wrong path. They kept saying bad behavior, wrong path and nothing about the real situation that lead us all here. SEX! ( by the way out of 18 teachers total 3 including myself showed up at the meeting). He then started reading the school rules. Not just the one pertaining to this specific situation but ALL 12 including keeping your rooms and clothes nice, cleaning up after yourselves, cleaning the school, and it went on and on. He asked different people to read it which took a bit of time for people to stand up. After the rules were recited, another teacher recited the commandments. I noticed when he was describing one of the commandments he was talking about the body. How if one part is sick then the whole body is sick. He started from the head and worked his way down. Eyes, mouth, neck, stomach,….legs….u notice which he was missing? The teachers here have a hard time saying penis and breasts even though they are also an important part of the body. So after the commandments were finished we had been in this meeting for a good hour and a half. I could see the information going in one ear and out the other. Well it was my turn. This was my first chance talking to them about this and they were all dozing off. So with my loud personality you all know and love, I made the kids stand up and stretch COCONUT. It seemed to work. I continued on with my talk and they seemed to respond. Will my talk prevent them from having sex? Hell no but it was a step in the right direction.
Wednesday - Today was the preliminaries for sports. The whole school went to litein high school where there is a massive field and competed against each other to see who would continue on for the finals. It was a great day to be outside enjoying the sun and playing with the kids. I got so sunburned, now all the kids have something new to laugh at. Usually they laugh at me whenever Im walking to school with sasa following me. It was a long day but a lot of fun.
Thursday - Today was the last day of teaching as well as my site check. My site supervisor comes out to observe My teaching ability as well as to talk with me and my headmaster about how I am doing, if there are any problems etc. And I passed with flying colors. LOL. After he left, I had to finish my classes. It was such a beautiful day and I was so happy my site visit went well, I decided to mix things up. So for the last day of teaching before exams, I chose to move my class outside for a change of scenery. I got the moveable blackboard out and we all sat in the shade while I taught my lesson. Then for the last 4 minutes we played Frisbee. It was a good way to end the school term.
Friday - Start of exams. Luckily I had one exam to give today. My English class 4. I prepared the exam on what I have been teaching them. However, I knew there might be some problems since almost 5 out of 13 have mental disabilities as well as deaf. But I hoped for the best and gave it out. The results of the exam looked something like this…66, 60, 42, 34, 19, 18, 12, 3, 0. This exam was out of 100. I have a lot of work ahead of me next term. After exams were finished, I was on my way home when one of the kids asked about my Frisbee. I decided why not end the day with some fun. So I took off my shoes( the kids always find this funny. Like a muzungu is too fragile to walk around barefoot) and started throwing the Frisbee around. As we were playing kids started trickling out to join the fun. Soon almost the whole school including vocational were outside throwing the Frisbee around. We continued playing till it started to rain. I can’t get over how much fun I have with the kids. I know if the teachers are frustrating me, if I am having a bad day, or if the teachers are just speaking Swahili without including me, I just go find the kids and I know my mood will improve. Have a good weekend everybody!
Monday - I have been in bit of a funk today. Ok, let’s just say this was not a great way to start off the week. I thought I was in a good mood this morning. I got a new shirt I was going to wear from home and I was on time for assembly. I wish I was late. “Spare the rod, spoil the child” that’s my school’s motto. And this morning they lived up to it. Students here are supposed to wear close toed, leather shoes. However, these shoes are worn out and can cause blisters on their feet. So to give themselves a break, they wear foam flip flops. Well, this is not tolerated in the school. So all the students who are wearing sandals are pulled out of assembly and made to stand in front of the other students. Then the teacher on duty goes through the line asking where their shoes are. If the student can prove he has a sore on his foot, then he is allowed back in line. But if there is no reason for not wearing the appropriate shoes, the teacher on duty grabs the child clothing, lifts it up so the thigh is showing and starts hitting them. Sometimes this is done with a stick, a rubber hose, the wooden part of a paint brush, or anything a teacher finds. They get pretty creative. After beating the children who were not wearing shoes, the teacher on duty sees a child turned around and not paying attention. So what does he do? Spare the rob, spoil the child, he walks over and beats the young child. Let’s just say it was not something I particularly wanted to see first thing in the morning.
Tuesday. Today, my culture finally clashed with Kenya culture and it has left me feeling depressed, defeated and ready to close my eyes and be done with today. Most schools here are started by churches so they have a religious background. I know, perfect place for an atheists. So sex education is not discussed. They only promote abstinence and tell the children condoms are for prostitutes and have holes in them. Well, we had an incident last weekend that called for a “ guidance and counseling” meeting to be with the entire school. So to prepare ourselves, the teachers met first to discuss who was going to talk and what was going to be said. The deputy went around the room asking who was going to talk. No one said anything. For 10 minutes it was so silent you could hear a pin drop. Every teacher had an excuse. “ Im sick” , “ Im too new”, “I just want to watch this time“( like they know this wont work and are expecting it to happen again)Then the deputy turns to me and asks me to do it. I said fine since this is what I was trained for. However, just a few hours before, he and I were discussing sex education. He believes that kids can learn about condoms once they graduate. I said that’s fine for the hearing kids but what about the deaf kids? Who out there knows sign language and who will be comfortable enough to show them how to use a condom? He wasn’t seeing my point. So the whole school is expecting me to talk about sex ed since they don’t want to and yet they criticize me about how and what I am teaching. I didn’t see the logic behind it. But no matter how frustrated I was with the administration, I knew I was the only person who was going to talk to these kids. He wanted all of the teachers to walk in together. As he got to the door, NO ONE stood up to follow. Everyone was still seated. I was so frustrated, I got up and followed. If I was going to make any impact with these kids, I had to show a united front with the school.
So the meeting started with the deputy( the head master was not there) telling the kids they were going on the wrong path. They kept saying bad behavior, wrong path and nothing about the real situation that lead us all here. SEX! ( by the way out of 18 teachers total 3 including myself showed up at the meeting). He then started reading the school rules. Not just the one pertaining to this specific situation but ALL 12 including keeping your rooms and clothes nice, cleaning up after yourselves, cleaning the school, and it went on and on. He asked different people to read it which took a bit of time for people to stand up. After the rules were recited, another teacher recited the commandments. I noticed when he was describing one of the commandments he was talking about the body. How if one part is sick then the whole body is sick. He started from the head and worked his way down. Eyes, mouth, neck, stomach,….legs….u notice which he was missing? The teachers here have a hard time saying penis and breasts even though they are also an important part of the body. So after the commandments were finished we had been in this meeting for a good hour and a half. I could see the information going in one ear and out the other. Well it was my turn. This was my first chance talking to them about this and they were all dozing off. So with my loud personality you all know and love, I made the kids stand up and stretch COCONUT. It seemed to work. I continued on with my talk and they seemed to respond. Will my talk prevent them from having sex? Hell no but it was a step in the right direction.
Wednesday - Today was the preliminaries for sports. The whole school went to litein high school where there is a massive field and competed against each other to see who would continue on for the finals. It was a great day to be outside enjoying the sun and playing with the kids. I got so sunburned, now all the kids have something new to laugh at. Usually they laugh at me whenever Im walking to school with sasa following me. It was a long day but a lot of fun.
Thursday - Today was the last day of teaching as well as my site check. My site supervisor comes out to observe My teaching ability as well as to talk with me and my headmaster about how I am doing, if there are any problems etc. And I passed with flying colors. LOL. After he left, I had to finish my classes. It was such a beautiful day and I was so happy my site visit went well, I decided to mix things up. So for the last day of teaching before exams, I chose to move my class outside for a change of scenery. I got the moveable blackboard out and we all sat in the shade while I taught my lesson. Then for the last 4 minutes we played Frisbee. It was a good way to end the school term.
Friday - Start of exams. Luckily I had one exam to give today. My English class 4. I prepared the exam on what I have been teaching them. However, I knew there might be some problems since almost 5 out of 13 have mental disabilities as well as deaf. But I hoped for the best and gave it out. The results of the exam looked something like this…66, 60, 42, 34, 19, 18, 12, 3, 0. This exam was out of 100. I have a lot of work ahead of me next term. After exams were finished, I was on my way home when one of the kids asked about my Frisbee. I decided why not end the day with some fun. So I took off my shoes( the kids always find this funny. Like a muzungu is too fragile to walk around barefoot) and started throwing the Frisbee around. As we were playing kids started trickling out to join the fun. Soon almost the whole school including vocational were outside throwing the Frisbee around. We continued playing till it started to rain. I can’t get over how much fun I have with the kids. I know if the teachers are frustrating me, if I am having a bad day, or if the teachers are just speaking Swahili without including me, I just go find the kids and I know my mood will improve. Have a good weekend everybody!
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Do You Pick Your Nose? Move To Kenya!
Some cultural norms I have notice so far…
Picking your nose in public: Remember how much fun it was to pick ur nose when you were a kid? But every time someone got made and reprimanded you? We call it a phase in America, but here in Kenya is normal thing to do even when your 30, 40, 90. This isn’t a inappropriate thing to do here like it is in America. You can actually dig away and after your done? Flick it. They also don’t believe in tissue to blow their nose, instead they just block one nostril and blow. I think after 2 yrs, I might succumb just once…. Not to the blowing your nose without a tissue but picking my nose in public and then flicking it. Now that I think about it, I wonder how often people might have flicked and it has landed on someone else?…..
Picking your teeth after a meal while still at the dinner table. I’m actually starting to like this cultural norm. Instead of waiting till you get home to pluck the annoying piece of food stuck in your tooth, you can just pick up a tooth pick that is already on the table and pick away. It’s almost what is expected after a meal. If you are with guests, you offer them a tooth pick and have a tooth pick party.
Visiting neighbors while they are sick: Ok this is something I might have a hard time dealing with. I just think the person who is sick might want some privacy. I mean I would. Instead, people come knocking almost very 3 hours. What if you have a headache? Would you really want someone knocking very loudly on your door? Maybe it’s just them making sure the person hasn’t died. I remember one time, I was feeling under the weather and I stayed in my house. The next day, I got so many questions about my where abouts. When I told them I wasn’t feeling up to par, I got reprimanded because I hadn’t texted anyone.
And the last one I have noticed and there actually might be a good reason behind this one- The villagers at my site, including the teachers seem adverse to change. I think it is partly due to I am the one promoting change, them feeling like it’s a waste of time due to a corrupt government, and also having traditions that have been the same for centuries. However, I feel like the younger generation is also trying to change this. Once children reach adulthood, a lot of them move to the bigger cities where they attend universities or get a job. It’s the larger cities that have more open ideas and are fighting for change.
Something’s I hope to change within the 2 yrs Im here...
1. Discipline practices. Although canning has been outlawed, the teachers are slow to change their ways. They are adamant it is the ONLY way to discipline the children. If they don’t, the children will run wild. E children are Kenyans, they expect it, so of course we would hate to disappoint them. Granted, I have noticed some of the teachers who don’t practice it, instead they pinch the children, making the children afraid to be touched. In our school we have prefects or head students who take the place of the teacher when the teacher is gone. I notice they carry very large sticks, imitating the teachers. A couple of these students are in my class 8. I have tried to start with them. I have told them I don’t like beating and America doesn’t beat. Im hoping their fascination with America might help.
2. Staff meetings- Since I have already explained how a staff meeting usually plays out, I won’t repeat it now. I have asked one of teachers if the other teachers would be willing to let me try offer a few suggestions to help the staff meetings run more smoothly. I didn’t get a definite answer. I might start with the head master or the deputy had master. Maybe if it came from them and not the new muzungu, it might be received better.
I know some of things might not change and 2 yrs seem so short, but I’m willing to try. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Picking your nose in public: Remember how much fun it was to pick ur nose when you were a kid? But every time someone got made and reprimanded you? We call it a phase in America, but here in Kenya is normal thing to do even when your 30, 40, 90. This isn’t a inappropriate thing to do here like it is in America. You can actually dig away and after your done? Flick it. They also don’t believe in tissue to blow their nose, instead they just block one nostril and blow. I think after 2 yrs, I might succumb just once…. Not to the blowing your nose without a tissue but picking my nose in public and then flicking it. Now that I think about it, I wonder how often people might have flicked and it has landed on someone else?…..
Picking your teeth after a meal while still at the dinner table. I’m actually starting to like this cultural norm. Instead of waiting till you get home to pluck the annoying piece of food stuck in your tooth, you can just pick up a tooth pick that is already on the table and pick away. It’s almost what is expected after a meal. If you are with guests, you offer them a tooth pick and have a tooth pick party.
Visiting neighbors while they are sick: Ok this is something I might have a hard time dealing with. I just think the person who is sick might want some privacy. I mean I would. Instead, people come knocking almost very 3 hours. What if you have a headache? Would you really want someone knocking very loudly on your door? Maybe it’s just them making sure the person hasn’t died. I remember one time, I was feeling under the weather and I stayed in my house. The next day, I got so many questions about my where abouts. When I told them I wasn’t feeling up to par, I got reprimanded because I hadn’t texted anyone.
And the last one I have noticed and there actually might be a good reason behind this one- The villagers at my site, including the teachers seem adverse to change. I think it is partly due to I am the one promoting change, them feeling like it’s a waste of time due to a corrupt government, and also having traditions that have been the same for centuries. However, I feel like the younger generation is also trying to change this. Once children reach adulthood, a lot of them move to the bigger cities where they attend universities or get a job. It’s the larger cities that have more open ideas and are fighting for change.
Something’s I hope to change within the 2 yrs Im here...
1. Discipline practices. Although canning has been outlawed, the teachers are slow to change their ways. They are adamant it is the ONLY way to discipline the children. If they don’t, the children will run wild. E children are Kenyans, they expect it, so of course we would hate to disappoint them. Granted, I have noticed some of the teachers who don’t practice it, instead they pinch the children, making the children afraid to be touched. In our school we have prefects or head students who take the place of the teacher when the teacher is gone. I notice they carry very large sticks, imitating the teachers. A couple of these students are in my class 8. I have tried to start with them. I have told them I don’t like beating and America doesn’t beat. Im hoping their fascination with America might help.
2. Staff meetings- Since I have already explained how a staff meeting usually plays out, I won’t repeat it now. I have asked one of teachers if the other teachers would be willing to let me try offer a few suggestions to help the staff meetings run more smoothly. I didn’t get a definite answer. I might start with the head master or the deputy had master. Maybe if it came from them and not the new muzungu, it might be received better.
I know some of things might not change and 2 yrs seem so short, but I’m willing to try. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Friday, March 12, 2010
4 hour Staff Meeting
So I am starting to hate Kenyan staff meetings. First of all, they never start on time. We were supposed to have a meeting at 9:30am but it didn’t actually start till 10:30. When the meeting finally starts we open, we say a prayer and then we go over the minutes from last meeting…word for word. When the minutes are finished( this usually takes a good 45 minutes to an hour) we go over announcements. I swear sometimes, it’s just to hear themselves talk. Most of the time, it doesn’t pertain to the teachers. When this is finished, the agenda for the current meeting is read. Not until that is finished do we actually start the meeting. The meeting will usually last 3-4 hours and sometimes longer. Why does it last so long? Because nothing is organized. and chaos ensues. All teachers talk at once and continue interrupting each other so it takes a long time to actually finish a meeting. Also most meetings…ok all meetings happen during class time so classes are put on hold till the meeting is over. I have started to hate going to meetings and have found myself day dreaming to pass the time. I think one of my goals for my school will be to start the meetings on time, initiate a time limit, and try to keep the meeting organized so we don’t have people talking over one another. I have a lot of work to look forward to.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Raining Sweat
I know it’s been awhile. Sorry guys. So update. This past weekend I went into Kisumu for a much needed vacation. Kisumu is the 3rd largest city in Kenya. It’s located near Lake Victoria and has the humidity to prove it. I was literally raining sweat the whole 2 days there. Lets just say, even with it’s freezing cold temps, I think I prefer Litein. But it was fun to get away. I left Liten around 7am and took 2 matatus to get to Kisumu but I finally made it around 9:30. After arriving at the matatu station, I was put onto a borda borda. I might be spelling it wrong, But it’s a bicycle with a large cushioned seat on the back of the bicycle. The passenger sits on the cushioned seat and has to try really hard not to fall. Every time the driver would go around a curve, my butt checks would clench from fear. When I got to the hotel, I met up with 5 other volunteers from the surrounding area. We took a tuk tuk ( a covered, three wheeled motorbike sort of thing.) and went to the large super market. Now why did we go to a super market? Because inside this very special super market is a taste of America. They have American peanut butter, American cereals and American candy, among other things. And behind this very special super market is a restaurant that has Pizza, chicken nuggets, milk shakes and real ice cubes. It was a Peace Corp Volunteers heaven. And for my chosen meal in heaven…I ate pizza and it was SO good.…although they didn’t have just plain pepperoni. LOL. I know, pizza in Kenya? True! The bigger cities are pretty westernized in that they have a large selection of food. We never went but I heard they had Chinese.
But don’t worry we didn’t spend our whole time at the super market, we loaded up into a tuk tuk again and went to see a small masaai market where they sell all of the touristy souvenirs. Of course I bought some things but I had to bargain my butt off. They would bring you over to their stall and tell you, since you are their first customer, they will give you a good price….most of the time this is a lie. So you have to be firm and set your own price which should be WAY under. Then you both start to bargain. It’s exhausting but in end, if you were successful, very rewarding. After the market, we took another tuk tuk to the movie theater. It felt so weird sitting in a movie theater in Kenya, but oh so nice. It was like being back home. I even ought popcorn to go along with my movie. The movie was 350 shillings….which is $4. I think it’s impossible to go to a movie for $4 in America. After the movie, we went to a really cute little restaurant called the laughing Buddha and had fresh made pita bread with hummus and afterwards a sizzling brownie. Imagine a brownie on a HOT plate, with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. Then to finish it off, the waiter pours a large amount of chocolate sauce all over it. As the chocolate hit’s the plate, it starts to sizzle. I was so eager to eat it, I forgot that it was hot and scorched the roof of my mouth. But it was so worth it. LOL The next morning, we decided to just walk around since we didn’t have time to go out onto the lake to look for hippos( we are saving that for another time)We went to the market and then to the park where we played card games until the street kids go to be too much. Im not sure about the smaller communities but in the larger cities the street kids are known for sniffing glue. It helps suppress their hunger. But they love to harass the muzungus, or anybody who looks like they have money. We finally got rid of them and continued exploring. Mid afternoon, we met up with two other volunteers for lunch. The one thing weird about eating lunch are all th musings. U live out in a community for 2 months where you are the only muzungu around and all of a sudden, you are surrounded by them. I caught myself staring a couple of time. Once lunch was finished…yes it was pizza again with a REAL smoothie, we said our goodbyes.
My trip to Kisumu from Litein was nothing compared to my trip going home. Close your eyes and imagine a 14 seat bus with 19 people cramped inside. Every body part is touching someone else and you have NO personal space what so ever. Now add to it the humidity from the lake. Everyone is sweating, literally dripping sweat. Now you have what my trip back home was like for 3 hours. I finally arrive at 7pm and not having the energy to eat, went to bed. This was my first time traveling around Kenya alone. Even with the cramped matatus, Im excited for my next adventure.
But don’t worry we didn’t spend our whole time at the super market, we loaded up into a tuk tuk again and went to see a small masaai market where they sell all of the touristy souvenirs. Of course I bought some things but I had to bargain my butt off. They would bring you over to their stall and tell you, since you are their first customer, they will give you a good price….most of the time this is a lie. So you have to be firm and set your own price which should be WAY under. Then you both start to bargain. It’s exhausting but in end, if you were successful, very rewarding. After the market, we took another tuk tuk to the movie theater. It felt so weird sitting in a movie theater in Kenya, but oh so nice. It was like being back home. I even ought popcorn to go along with my movie. The movie was 350 shillings….which is $4. I think it’s impossible to go to a movie for $4 in America. After the movie, we went to a really cute little restaurant called the laughing Buddha and had fresh made pita bread with hummus and afterwards a sizzling brownie. Imagine a brownie on a HOT plate, with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. Then to finish it off, the waiter pours a large amount of chocolate sauce all over it. As the chocolate hit’s the plate, it starts to sizzle. I was so eager to eat it, I forgot that it was hot and scorched the roof of my mouth. But it was so worth it. LOL The next morning, we decided to just walk around since we didn’t have time to go out onto the lake to look for hippos( we are saving that for another time)We went to the market and then to the park where we played card games until the street kids go to be too much. Im not sure about the smaller communities but in the larger cities the street kids are known for sniffing glue. It helps suppress their hunger. But they love to harass the muzungus, or anybody who looks like they have money. We finally got rid of them and continued exploring. Mid afternoon, we met up with two other volunteers for lunch. The one thing weird about eating lunch are all th musings. U live out in a community for 2 months where you are the only muzungu around and all of a sudden, you are surrounded by them. I caught myself staring a couple of time. Once lunch was finished…yes it was pizza again with a REAL smoothie, we said our goodbyes.
My trip to Kisumu from Litein was nothing compared to my trip going home. Close your eyes and imagine a 14 seat bus with 19 people cramped inside. Every body part is touching someone else and you have NO personal space what so ever. Now add to it the humidity from the lake. Everyone is sweating, literally dripping sweat. Now you have what my trip back home was like for 3 hours. I finally arrive at 7pm and not having the energy to eat, went to bed. This was my first time traveling around Kenya alone. Even with the cramped matatus, Im excited for my next adventure.
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