This week has been a whilrwind of emotions!(I feel like I say that in every post lol) But really I wish I was a robot sometimes so I could stop feeling for a while or at least stop thinking about how I should be feeling because sometimes I simply don't know. Ill begin with last Friday, the 12th. My last night with my Kenyan Family.Never in a million years would I have believed that I would be so attached to people after 9 short weeks.
That night my mom came home with a chicken(a dead one she said she wanted a live one to kill at home in front of me but there were none at the market-thank goodness!) which is a big deal because we only had chicken one other time since Ive been there(chicken is a little more expensive so usually its beef or goat 2x a week). She butchered the chicken in front of me, laughing as I flinched and let out little moans of pain for the dead chicken as she ripped it apart. She proceeded to make all my favorites here-rice, cabbage, avocado, and passionfruit. So good...I ate wayyy to much but by Kenyan standards it still wasnt enough- I hear at least once a day about how I don't eat enough or drink enough tea blah blah blah. Kenyans insist on making me gain 5000lbs while here and then marrying one of their sons.Ha! So that night my baba(dad) stopped by-I'm not sure if I said this before but I rarely see him because he works in Nairobi which is about an hour away then comes to Machakos to be an herbal doctor during the night so usually by the time he arrives home Im in bed which is sad because he is a great man and I enjoy the time weve spent together. He says Kenyans work a lot, make a little and save nothing-def true and so sad. Anyways he stops by and says that he has to go back out but he wanted to see me just in case he wasnt able to see me before I left the next morning and that was that.
The next morning I get up around 730 to pack the remainder of my things and put my bags outside for the PC vehicle to pick them up. My mama comes in and tells me that they are going to slaughter a goat for me this morning, I lose it! haha I'm like no mama that's ok I dont really like goat, I don't want to see anything killed esp not for me and all that jazzed. She's like no no its part of our tradition and Im like crap what do I do? Shortly after my baba comes out the room talking about how he woke up late and has to go very soon:( So I start to take my tea and breakfast and in walks a photogapher. I was so confused. And my mama tells me they had a man come over to take photos of me killing the goat. I tell her ill be right back and I go into my room to collect myself and I hear "Wikia we are just joking come out of there." Out I come with everyone laughing at me and my mama and baba tell me that they hired a photogapher to take pics of us taking tea and out in front of the house. I was relieved and really shocked that they would do such a thing for me. They had us take pics in the house, outside the house, with the dog(which is really funny because I loved the dog but Kenyans don't see pets as we do so I know they love me to put him in a pic with us lol- they were rubbing his belly and petting him the dog was confused Im sure he was thinking 'this never happens'). Then they took photos of them giving me gifts which I totally didn't expect- we are told to give our host family gifts of appreciation but they are not expected to give us anything and my family gave me so many useful and thoughtful things it was amazing. After all the photo excitement was over we finished our breakfast and my baba told me how much I meant to the family as well as if I ever have any problems to give him a call-which meant so much to me because Kenyan men don't say much about their feelings. I gave them the gifts I purchased for them including a tie for my dad which he said he would wear on Monday to work...so cute! Shortly afterwards I was off to school to practice our skit for the family appreciation and then to my hotel to rest for the remainder of the day which means I had tons of time to reflect and just think about how much those people meant to me. Such an amazing family. I am truly blessed.
On Sunday we had a family appreciation ceremony and then we are off to Nairobi to for our last few training sessions and to meet our supervisors. We joined our other half(the science and math group) at the place where we all started-cute how things come full circle many times. The short time in Nairobi was filled with many hot showers, a mall that was very similar to an American mall(talk about culture shock if this is a taste of what I will feel like after 2 years I dont want it lol) and some yummy food including pizza with REAL CHEESE and smoothies yum yum! On Tues I met my counterpart(my supervisor is working towards his masters so he was unable to come). My counterpart was very down to earth and she wore pants(they call them trousers here) which I know doesnt mean much to you but in Kenya if a woman is wearing trousers its a big deal(esp from a village) it let me know that my village is at least a little progressive in women's rights. She was very chill and we hit it off well. On weds the 14th we swore in but honestly its nothing to talk about because unlike all the other PC swear ins it was not at the ambassadors house because he had a Christmas Party and instead of the ambassador speaking we had his 2nd man and instead of having catered american food(aka a bbq) we got cheetos and doritios which was nice but just doesn't compare. Oh we did get pretty nice hats and shirts with the 50th anniversary symbol on it since we are the last to swear-in during PC 50th anniversary. But after swear in we treated ourselves to sushi and drinks which made everything 100x better.This was our last night together so many of us went out dancing well until our 10pm curfew(another bummer on swear in right now thanks al shabaab!). This was our final night together.
The next day we were off to our new sites and new lives. I was one of the last to leave so I got to say goodbye to many of my buddies. Traveling to Mogotio was my 1st time traveling without PC taking care of everything but my counterpart took great care of me and all of my luggage so things were pretty smooth. Mogotio is about 4hrs away from Nairobi so its not that bad. Its in the rift valley so my scenery is absloutley amazing and luckly im in the lower rift so the weather isnt cold-everyday is about 75 or 80...can you say perfect?!?! Since Ive arrived Ive been living with my counterparts family because my home is not quite ready yet(so basically Im still staying with a homestay). I desperatley wanting my privacy/quiet time but they have been very welcoming to me and I have my own room and Ive even watched the top 20 american videos of 2011 and cartoons from nick because they have cable crazy right. Middle of nowhere watching Bruno Mars sing Lazy song.
I did get a chance to visit my school and meet the local education officials. They were very welcoming even had a little ceremony for me. The school is new, as I mentioned in a previous post, which means it is extremely small and the money flow is low. Each class has 2 grades per room but the max in a grade is 12. There is also a preschool, so the youngest child here is 2-they all board at the school...could you imagine being 2 years old livng at a school?!? My house was everything they said it would be-2 rooms.Yup 2 seperate rooms because they were expecting 2 volunteers so now I have to exit my bedroom to enter my kitchen/living room. The rooms are extremely small but it is all mine and honestly much better than what the supporting staff is living in so I feel very fortunate. I do have a cold shower and electricity so I can't complain. They are working on building a little fence to give me some privacy bc the girls dorm is on one side and the girls on the other....So yeah thats how Im living for the next 2 years of my life. Oh there is a hearing school next door with 700 yes 700 students...up to 100 kids in some classes..crazy right? We have a lot of land so my goal is to run in the mornings around the schools, thats until the other kids see me do it then want to join-Kenyans are born runners so these kids will put me to shame. Anywho thats been my last few days of life. Peace Corps just got real.
Once again I tried to post photos but my computer hates me so thats that
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Happy Thanksgiving!
It has been a while since my last update and honestly there hasn't been too much going on here that's news worthy. Shadowing was a great time of which I experience about every emotion that you could think of. I was happy for so many reasons:to see a different part of Kenya(Machakos is great but it was getting old), get out of my Family's house and feel like an adult again, to actually see my job for the next 2 years instead of constantly talking/hearing about it, and as much as I love my fellow PC trainees we were all starting to drive each other up the wall so a break was much needed. There were a few times when I was truly sad during my shadowing experience when I watched most of the teachers in this school give less than 50% effort in teaching these students, when I saw how badly these kids wanted to be loved(they would just run to you and hug you/touch you/try to sign to you-and then I understood very little sign language),when I heard about how many of the students start school so late because no one cares to educate the deaf child-there were children age 4-12 in the nursery class(what would be considered Pre-K in the US), and when I heard about how many of the girls in the primary schools are sexually active and not very well informed on sex, protection, hiv/aids, pregnancy, you get the idea. There was a little fear/anxiety that came along with traveling without the group for the 1st time(traveling in Kenya is a headache). Pure bliss when I found out that it was possible to make a 3 layer cake and icing all from ingredients in Kenya and a Jiko oven. And many, many other experiences and emotions but Im sure Im boring you with this so I will move on...
After shadowing there were 2 pretty boring weeks of training which included routined KSL in the morning and Technical sessions in the afternoon. And class on Sats because we needed more language time...boo!The 2 trainees who usually walk to school with me are teaching in secondary schools while the rest of us are teaching in primary so they spent one week with the math and science secondary ed group in Loitoktok which means I spent a week walking to school alone:(. This started off a little scary and boring all at the same time, but ended up being pretty relaxing and a time of the day that I really looked forward to. Once they came back we all found out we were going to Loitoktok the following week for an HIV/AIDS workshop and to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with the other half of the group.
Which brings me to where I am today. Thanksgiving day. In my own room in a little cottage that we were assigned to this week. We each share a cottage(I call it our pretend apartment) with two other trainees- Im with Rachel and Cindy and theyre pretty great. The 1st two days were all HIV/AIDS information beginning with what it is/how its contracted then going to AIDS in Kenya info and how to teach about it in the Classrooms.We also learned about organizations for teachers with AIDS, addressing the deaf community about HIV/AIDS awareness, getting tested, etc. All very informative stuff. Weds we met volunteers from different groups the PC has here in Kenya and we talked about gender development. And today we did fun(NOT!) simulations on events that may occur during our time in Kenya(being harassed at a bar, bargaining and being harassed at the market and getting a matatu and you guessed it possibly being harassed on a matatu. We also took a little exam on schemes of work and lesson planning, lighting a latern and identifying foods and making a balanced meal at site. I'm sure you can sense all the excitement as you read this. After lunch we really did have a treat(all sarcasm aside), PC arranged for dancers from Taff Kenya to come in and show us dances from different tribes around Kenya. It was great to see all of us dorky Education trainees dancing along with these very talented dancers. And it was just fun to see these people dance, I know you can watching African dances in the US-Ive seen a few at my universities. But to see these people who know so much about these tribes, who's ancestors can actually be traced back to these dances and traditions..its just I dont know Im at a lost for words haha. As a African American who knows very little about their history/culture because of slave trade and all that jazz it just gives you a sense of belonging or possibly understanding even if only for a moment.
During the intermission of the dance we went out back and killed 2 turkeys-legit cut the heads off of two turkeys(2 of the trainees did it-not me) so we can eat tomorrow. Well after that experience we took a group pictured and walk home(no mud today because it didnt rain for the 1st time this week) and we saw 2 rainbows off in the distance. It just made the people that I was walking home with so happy. So yeah it was pretty much the perfect day.
Because we had class today we are actually celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday tomorrow. We are all pitching in to cook a little something something(I'm chopping carrots:). The math and sci trainees are under the impression that PC wouldnt let us stay an extra day and they think we had to go home today so tomorrow we are surprising them. Yay!!
Loitoktok itself is quite amazing. Its about a 45min walk to the foot hills of Mnt Kilimanjaro which is where our classes have been all week and the scenery of the walk is simply breathtaking. I have tried to take about 20 pictures to capture the beauty but its just impossible. There have been so many times this week when I think OMG I must be dreaming. My life, this experience, this view, these days are too good to be true. Though the hike up these hills is through the deepest and stickest mud Ive ever seen and I end up super sweaty and eventually super cold once I get to my classroom and sit down with my sweaty cold shirt on Im so happy in the mornings because this place is so beautiful and you couldnt be anything but happy with life.
When we return on sat its back to our homes to relax for the weekend, no class this saturday and then Model School all next week. We will teach 2 classes a day, observe a few classes by current volunteers, spend a night at Machakos school for the deaf to observe what teachers on duty do. So pretty much everything that we've learned the past 8 weeks will be put to the test! Let's see what else...
After shadowing there were 2 pretty boring weeks of training which included routined KSL in the morning and Technical sessions in the afternoon. And class on Sats because we needed more language time...boo!The 2 trainees who usually walk to school with me are teaching in secondary schools while the rest of us are teaching in primary so they spent one week with the math and science secondary ed group in Loitoktok which means I spent a week walking to school alone:(. This started off a little scary and boring all at the same time, but ended up being pretty relaxing and a time of the day that I really looked forward to. Once they came back we all found out we were going to Loitoktok the following week for an HIV/AIDS workshop and to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with the other half of the group.
Which brings me to where I am today. Thanksgiving day. In my own room in a little cottage that we were assigned to this week. We each share a cottage(I call it our pretend apartment) with two other trainees- Im with Rachel and Cindy and theyre pretty great. The 1st two days were all HIV/AIDS information beginning with what it is/how its contracted then going to AIDS in Kenya info and how to teach about it in the Classrooms.We also learned about organizations for teachers with AIDS, addressing the deaf community about HIV/AIDS awareness, getting tested, etc. All very informative stuff. Weds we met volunteers from different groups the PC has here in Kenya and we talked about gender development. And today we did fun(NOT!) simulations on events that may occur during our time in Kenya(being harassed at a bar, bargaining and being harassed at the market and getting a matatu and you guessed it possibly being harassed on a matatu. We also took a little exam on schemes of work and lesson planning, lighting a latern and identifying foods and making a balanced meal at site. I'm sure you can sense all the excitement as you read this. After lunch we really did have a treat(all sarcasm aside), PC arranged for dancers from Taff Kenya to come in and show us dances from different tribes around Kenya. It was great to see all of us dorky Education trainees dancing along with these very talented dancers. And it was just fun to see these people dance, I know you can watching African dances in the US-Ive seen a few at my universities. But to see these people who know so much about these tribes, who's ancestors can actually be traced back to these dances and traditions..its just I dont know Im at a lost for words haha. As a African American who knows very little about their history/culture because of slave trade and all that jazz it just gives you a sense of belonging or possibly understanding even if only for a moment.
During the intermission of the dance we went out back and killed 2 turkeys-legit cut the heads off of two turkeys(2 of the trainees did it-not me) so we can eat tomorrow. Well after that experience we took a group pictured and walk home(no mud today because it didnt rain for the 1st time this week) and we saw 2 rainbows off in the distance. It just made the people that I was walking home with so happy. So yeah it was pretty much the perfect day.
Because we had class today we are actually celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday tomorrow. We are all pitching in to cook a little something something(I'm chopping carrots:). The math and sci trainees are under the impression that PC wouldnt let us stay an extra day and they think we had to go home today so tomorrow we are surprising them. Yay!!
Loitoktok itself is quite amazing. Its about a 45min walk to the foot hills of Mnt Kilimanjaro which is where our classes have been all week and the scenery of the walk is simply breathtaking. I have tried to take about 20 pictures to capture the beauty but its just impossible. There have been so many times this week when I think OMG I must be dreaming. My life, this experience, this view, these days are too good to be true. Though the hike up these hills is through the deepest and stickest mud Ive ever seen and I end up super sweaty and eventually super cold once I get to my classroom and sit down with my sweaty cold shirt on Im so happy in the mornings because this place is so beautiful and you couldnt be anything but happy with life.
When we return on sat its back to our homes to relax for the weekend, no class this saturday and then Model School all next week. We will teach 2 classes a day, observe a few classes by current volunteers, spend a night at Machakos school for the deaf to observe what teachers on duty do. So pretty much everything that we've learned the past 8 weeks will be put to the test! Let's see what else...
- Homestay family is still great. I was super sick last week(vomitting and other things:) and they took great care of me and were legit worried about my health.It made me feel very loved and happy that I truly have family away from family. I feel very fortunate to have them.
We had a mock language proficiency instruction exam(LPI) and I did ok. I have no sign language experience and scored along the same level as those who have had years of asl(ksl is a totally diff language though)experience so I'm content.
2 more weeks of training! I can see the light at the end of the tunnel! It has been a longgg training and I cannot wait to swear in.
Ive decided to put up all the pictures ive taken during training when we are back in Nairobi and have decent speed internet.
Im still having an amazing time...no extreme home sickness, no tears(yet), just taking it one day at a time. Really I still cant believe Im here and doing this.
I miss my family and close friends dearly. Times like this-when I have down time/quiet time is when I truly start to think about how much I miss them because sometimes I just say it but never really think about what it means but today is Thanksgiving!Thats crazy to me!Although my family isnt the type to have a huge family feast I find myself thinking about the gathering that we do have and traveling to see my close fam and the what this time of the year means to me. Its pretty weird to not have them around right now but I am very thankful for my PC family and my Kenyan host family because they all make me feel very loved and appreciated- I know I have a space and purpose here and that feels good.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
And the Winner is....
PC is an emotional roller coaster full of extreme highs and extreme lows. Thankfully, I haven't reached an extreme low yet but an extreme high is def site placement. You wouldn't believe all of the anxiety and stress that settled among the 11 of us in 2 days because of the stress of not knowing the placement of our future homes. The PC staff got a kick of holding the info from us until we about to burst or kill someone, the night before I found out I slept for like 3 hours...rough!Anywho my site is *Drumroll please*...
Esageri School for the Deaf in Mogotio Kenya. That name and location means just as much to you as it does to me right now. All I really know is that I will be in a Small rural area in the lower part of the rift valley. The school is pretty new, opened in 2009. I am their 1st PCV(which means I can set the bar, pretty high I hope) but I was told they asked for 4 so they will prob try to work me like a dog. It is a coed school, yay! I was terrified to be placed in an all girl school. It has around 100 students(most classes have around 15) and no class 8 which means no one is stressing about testing right now just focusing on learning. My PC boss told me they offered him 3 houses to look at and choose which one to put me in which I thought was super nice. I will have electricity, water and a toilet inside my house!!!! what more could i ask for?!? A few of my fellow trainees are not so lucky:(
With that being said about 7 of us are all in the same little cluster in the rift valley/western kenya area. Then 2 are in the center and the other 2 deaf ed are at the coast. Im glad to be around most of the others and in what has been said to be a beautiful place with lots of forest and rolling hills. Thats about all I have right now. I called my school headteacher(principal) the day after I was assigned to the area, since then he has called me 3x just to make sure Im doing ok. I'm really not sure how to feel about this lol. Im flattered he's so excited to get a volunteer and make sure Im taking care of but I feel him smoothering me just a bit.
I found a cute little article about the school in this
http://www.awcfs.org/dmdocuments/reject/Reject_042.pdf check out page 18 on the left side if you want to know as much about the school as I know lol.
So yeah im happy with it. No reason to be otherwise.
In other news KSL(Kenyan Sign Language) is coming along just fine. I had a giant doughnut today for 45 shillings(45 cents) BALLER! We had a few scares this week with Kenyan going into war and a few bombings in the capital there was talk among volunteers of being sent home but our Country Director assured us that he is doing all he can to keep us here. No worries we are 100% safe. Shadowing this weekend.Updates to follow
Esageri School for the Deaf in Mogotio Kenya. That name and location means just as much to you as it does to me right now. All I really know is that I will be in a Small rural area in the lower part of the rift valley. The school is pretty new, opened in 2009. I am their 1st PCV(which means I can set the bar, pretty high I hope) but I was told they asked for 4 so they will prob try to work me like a dog. It is a coed school, yay! I was terrified to be placed in an all girl school. It has around 100 students(most classes have around 15) and no class 8 which means no one is stressing about testing right now just focusing on learning. My PC boss told me they offered him 3 houses to look at and choose which one to put me in which I thought was super nice. I will have electricity, water and a toilet inside my house!!!! what more could i ask for?!? A few of my fellow trainees are not so lucky:(
With that being said about 7 of us are all in the same little cluster in the rift valley/western kenya area. Then 2 are in the center and the other 2 deaf ed are at the coast. Im glad to be around most of the others and in what has been said to be a beautiful place with lots of forest and rolling hills. Thats about all I have right now. I called my school headteacher(principal) the day after I was assigned to the area, since then he has called me 3x just to make sure Im doing ok. I'm really not sure how to feel about this lol. Im flattered he's so excited to get a volunteer and make sure Im taking care of but I feel him smoothering me just a bit.
I found a cute little article about the school in this
http://www.awcfs.org/dmdocuments/reject/Reject_042.pdf check out page 18 on the left side if you want to know as much about the school as I know lol.
So yeah im happy with it. No reason to be otherwise.
In other news KSL(Kenyan Sign Language) is coming along just fine. I had a giant doughnut today for 45 shillings(45 cents) BALLER! We had a few scares this week with Kenyan going into war and a few bombings in the capital there was talk among volunteers of being sent home but our Country Director assured us that he is doing all he can to keep us here. No worries we are 100% safe. Shadowing this weekend.Updates to follow
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Bubbles
Kids are amazing ya know? They have strengths and abilities that adults will never have. Ive seen kids here carrying large jugs of water on their back so they can take care of their daily activities. I've watched how the older kids take care of the younger students at the deaf school and become their family, mentor and friends which most of the students dont have anywhere else because no one seems to understand the deaf community here. Everyday I see kids(both hearing and deaf) who are so happy despite their life and conditions.
There's a little girl here, Jambi is her name. She's 6.5 yrs old but is barely bigger than my 3 year old brother here. Her mother and father were addicted to drugs and wanted to throw her away but luckily her grandmother took her in(my host mom says when she first came there are belly was huge because of some disorder she had and her head was full of wingworms but she got her medicine and now she is much better). And by took her in I mean they now live in the local slum 2seconds by my house. They along with her aunt, uncle and 2 cousins do most of their business outside:laundry,bathroom, and cooking on a ... I cant remember the name but its basically 3 stones set up so you can put the pot or pan on top and the sticks to create fire under it. The little girl really wanted to go to school(they start class one here at 5 years old) and no one had any intention of putting her in it. She came to my host mother and asked her so my mother now saves 250 shillings($2.50 USD) and pays for her schooling each month.
Well all of this to say that this girl is as happy as any child that has it all in the States. Which reminded me of how much I love the innocence of children. Before they realize the expectations of the world and how their lives somehow dont measure up they simply enjoy life. i gave my brother and Jambi a container of bubbles that i got from target before I left.Simple halloween bubble necklace, 3 in a pack for one dollar. these kids laughed and scream EVERY single time the bubbles came out the wand.This uncontrollable laughter lasted a good 30 mins. It was amazing and after a day of uncomfortable heat, constant confusion that went along with attending the deaf church, and a little pms this is what I needed to turn my day around. I dont want to sound like the typical american that goes abroad and realizes how much they have because I would like to think Ive always been pretty thankful for the things l was given growing up but looking at these children and knowing their lives and their futures and seeing them happy despite all of this. I truly believe that we have very little to complain about.
I just want to love all of these kids so much haha. Esp Jambi ahhh she makes my heart melt. Dont be surprised if I bring a little person back with me to the states. Ill leave all of my clothes and stuff them in my duffle bag:)
On another note we find out our site in 2 days, one day earlier than we expected and next weekend we actually get to visit current PC volunteers in the field for a week. Im so excited to leave Machakos and just feel like an adult again as well as see what I will be doing for the next 2 years. Yay!
There's a little girl here, Jambi is her name. She's 6.5 yrs old but is barely bigger than my 3 year old brother here. Her mother and father were addicted to drugs and wanted to throw her away but luckily her grandmother took her in(my host mom says when she first came there are belly was huge because of some disorder she had and her head was full of wingworms but she got her medicine and now she is much better). And by took her in I mean they now live in the local slum 2seconds by my house. They along with her aunt, uncle and 2 cousins do most of their business outside:laundry,bathroom, and cooking on a ... I cant remember the name but its basically 3 stones set up so you can put the pot or pan on top and the sticks to create fire under it. The little girl really wanted to go to school(they start class one here at 5 years old) and no one had any intention of putting her in it. She came to my host mother and asked her so my mother now saves 250 shillings($2.50 USD) and pays for her schooling each month.
Well all of this to say that this girl is as happy as any child that has it all in the States. Which reminded me of how much I love the innocence of children. Before they realize the expectations of the world and how their lives somehow dont measure up they simply enjoy life. i gave my brother and Jambi a container of bubbles that i got from target before I left.Simple halloween bubble necklace, 3 in a pack for one dollar. these kids laughed and scream EVERY single time the bubbles came out the wand.This uncontrollable laughter lasted a good 30 mins. It was amazing and after a day of uncomfortable heat, constant confusion that went along with attending the deaf church, and a little pms this is what I needed to turn my day around. I dont want to sound like the typical american that goes abroad and realizes how much they have because I would like to think Ive always been pretty thankful for the things l was given growing up but looking at these children and knowing their lives and their futures and seeing them happy despite all of this. I truly believe that we have very little to complain about.
I just want to love all of these kids so much haha. Esp Jambi ahhh she makes my heart melt. Dont be surprised if I bring a little person back with me to the states. Ill leave all of my clothes and stuff them in my duffle bag:)
On another note we find out our site in 2 days, one day earlier than we expected and next weekend we actually get to visit current PC volunteers in the field for a week. Im so excited to leave Machakos and just feel like an adult again as well as see what I will be doing for the next 2 years. Yay!
Sunday, October 16, 2011
My first weekend "home"
So I made it through my first weekend at home and I must say it was a rather uneventful one.We have been going nonstop since Oct 3rd so we were all dying for a weekend of rest. We agreed that because this is our 1st weekend it should be spent with our new families, lets just say that many of us take that back now haha. My saturday began with my little brother banging on my door shouting 'Wikia, Wikia can come out(only in Swahili)' So I slowly make my way out to breakfast. Shortly after breakfast my host mama suggest we start washing clothes, I guess she knew it would take me forever. I bring out my load(4 skirts, 2 pants, 6 dress shirts, 2 tshirts, 2 sweatpants, many underwear and a towel) which is pretty much all the clothes I have in Kenya because we haven't been able to wash since we left. She showed me how to set up 4 basins and use the first for applying the bar soap and a little powder(lots of scrubbing the clothing against itself),the 2nd for more powder and what seem to be a spin cycle(more scrubbing), the next a rinse just a little scrub and squeeze water out and finally a rinse bucket to get rid of all the extra suds. After each set of clothing you poor the 1st bucket out-as it contain the dirtiest water and then you move each basin of water in the one before-filling up the rinse bucket with clean water each time. This took 2 long hours,let me just say we are very lazy people in America lol.
After I hung all my clothes up I went in to help prepare lunch and to 'take tea'. After lunch I simply wanted to nap because honestly my body isnt used to this much action. But I decided to clean my room 1st and hang up pictures on home to make my room feel like my room, then I purify my water to make sure I have enough next week.
Then the technician came to fix the socket in my room-fine I appreciate having a working socket. After this my host mother's sister comes over and my host mother tells me she is about to go to town with my baba, ok fine. I go back into my room and theres a knock and wikia wikia over and over. I go to the door and my brother and his cousin(the sister's 5 year old son is at the door). I explain that I am trying to nap and I will play later. 10 Mins later they are back so I figured theyd leave me alone if I give them candy...ha yeah right. The 5 year old is telling my brother to knock on my door and say things including 'chocolate' in attempt to get more candy. So I turn up my ipod and shut out the world. This kid comes to my window and starts knocking so yeah Im about to lose it!haha.I shut my window and try to sleep again but it has been about 45 mins since 1st tried to nap so I say forget it and go into the living room. When I come in the sister says to me 'were you trying to sleep?' ahhhhhh I wanted to blow something up at that moment. So sortly afterward my mom comes home, they leave, we cook dinner, and I go to my room feeling some kind of way. This is the first day that I have been unhappy so I need sometime to just reflect and get it together. After watching finding nemo I think for a sec how I miss home but then I tell myself that I shouldn't be upset with Africa or my host family because my real family and siblings make me this upset sometimes. Plus it just gets annoying when no one naturally speaks your language, you just get tired from wondering what they are saying. But I just have to remind myself what I came for and all is well. So yeah after watching many movies I go to bed.
Today I woke up around 9 to my baba saying my water has been prepared(usually I take my bath at night but I didnt really do much on sat so I saw no need to). So I take my water in the washroom and take my bucketbath expecting to have to go to church or something because of the rush to bathe. Nope no church just breakfast. Then my baba comes in and talks to me-he really is a great guy but a little too much for me sometimes. He ask me why I don't each much, am i sick, stressed, missing home. Now don't you worry I eat a decent amount but these guys can really eat so it seems like I'm eating nothing I guess. After breakfast I help clean the living room and my mom goes to the market across the road. She comes back and I help her prepare lunch and she tells me she saw a fellow Trainee's mom at the store.She tells me all about the trainee(as if I dont speak to her everyday)and suggest I go see her today-I think she was just tired of seeing me around the house. I say ok maybe. After lunch she's like are you ready and Im like sure bc i guess I have no choice.
She walks me to Sandy's house which is about 5 mins away. Sandy is an older lady prob late 40s and the only other black trainee so we have a weird little bond. she sometimes reminds me of my real mom because shes older but silly as ever. Anywho I spend about 3 hours over Sandy's-trying to get her modem to work, talking about our 5min cases of homesickness, talking about the church she went to today and explaining to her brother the concept of purchasing a 20thous dollar car haha. I must admit it was good to get away from home for a bit. I return around 4:30 to see the 5 year old demon child is at the house. At about 5 I help my mom with dinner which legit took about 2.5hrs to make on those 2 little charcoal and gas stoves, we made chapati for the 1st time which is abs delish and a cabbage stew! She said it was going to rain bc I ate so much but really it was prob the best meal Ive had so far here I prob overate. After that I ironed my clothes for the week, took my bath and here I am in the bed tucked away in my mosquito net at 9:15pm lol. We will start our 1st day at the deaf school(tomorrow we attend the assembly which begins at 8) and it is a 40 min walk so I will leave here around 7 to meet with my friend at 710.Well thats my weekend play for play, it really was uneventful I guess im just feeling a little wordy haha.
I'm still working on the pics-I have a few good ones of my place and me washing clothes and such that I want to show.
After I hung all my clothes up I went in to help prepare lunch and to 'take tea'. After lunch I simply wanted to nap because honestly my body isnt used to this much action. But I decided to clean my room 1st and hang up pictures on home to make my room feel like my room, then I purify my water to make sure I have enough next week.
Then the technician came to fix the socket in my room-fine I appreciate having a working socket. After this my host mother's sister comes over and my host mother tells me she is about to go to town with my baba, ok fine. I go back into my room and theres a knock and wikia wikia over and over. I go to the door and my brother and his cousin(the sister's 5 year old son is at the door). I explain that I am trying to nap and I will play later. 10 Mins later they are back so I figured theyd leave me alone if I give them candy...ha yeah right. The 5 year old is telling my brother to knock on my door and say things including 'chocolate' in attempt to get more candy. So I turn up my ipod and shut out the world. This kid comes to my window and starts knocking so yeah Im about to lose it!haha.I shut my window and try to sleep again but it has been about 45 mins since 1st tried to nap so I say forget it and go into the living room. When I come in the sister says to me 'were you trying to sleep?' ahhhhhh I wanted to blow something up at that moment. So sortly afterward my mom comes home, they leave, we cook dinner, and I go to my room feeling some kind of way. This is the first day that I have been unhappy so I need sometime to just reflect and get it together. After watching finding nemo I think for a sec how I miss home but then I tell myself that I shouldn't be upset with Africa or my host family because my real family and siblings make me this upset sometimes. Plus it just gets annoying when no one naturally speaks your language, you just get tired from wondering what they are saying. But I just have to remind myself what I came for and all is well. So yeah after watching many movies I go to bed.
Today I woke up around 9 to my baba saying my water has been prepared(usually I take my bath at night but I didnt really do much on sat so I saw no need to). So I take my water in the washroom and take my bucketbath expecting to have to go to church or something because of the rush to bathe. Nope no church just breakfast. Then my baba comes in and talks to me-he really is a great guy but a little too much for me sometimes. He ask me why I don't each much, am i sick, stressed, missing home. Now don't you worry I eat a decent amount but these guys can really eat so it seems like I'm eating nothing I guess. After breakfast I help clean the living room and my mom goes to the market across the road. She comes back and I help her prepare lunch and she tells me she saw a fellow Trainee's mom at the store.She tells me all about the trainee(as if I dont speak to her everyday)and suggest I go see her today-I think she was just tired of seeing me around the house. I say ok maybe. After lunch she's like are you ready and Im like sure bc i guess I have no choice.
She walks me to Sandy's house which is about 5 mins away. Sandy is an older lady prob late 40s and the only other black trainee so we have a weird little bond. she sometimes reminds me of my real mom because shes older but silly as ever. Anywho I spend about 3 hours over Sandy's-trying to get her modem to work, talking about our 5min cases of homesickness, talking about the church she went to today and explaining to her brother the concept of purchasing a 20thous dollar car haha. I must admit it was good to get away from home for a bit. I return around 4:30 to see the 5 year old demon child is at the house. At about 5 I help my mom with dinner which legit took about 2.5hrs to make on those 2 little charcoal and gas stoves, we made chapati for the 1st time which is abs delish and a cabbage stew! She said it was going to rain bc I ate so much but really it was prob the best meal Ive had so far here I prob overate. After that I ironed my clothes for the week, took my bath and here I am in the bed tucked away in my mosquito net at 9:15pm lol. We will start our 1st day at the deaf school(tomorrow we attend the assembly which begins at 8) and it is a 40 min walk so I will leave here around 7 to meet with my friend at 710.Well thats my weekend play for play, it really was uneventful I guess im just feeling a little wordy haha.
I'm still working on the pics-I have a few good ones of my place and me washing clothes and such that I want to show.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
1 week!
7days. 7 tiny American days is at least 60 Kenyan days...ok ok maybe 30. Regardless its been one heck of a ride thus far. I would like to put up pictures but the internet connection on this modem is worst than dial up when it first came out. I have to wait until I am in town oh and until I find my camera. Ha yup I think I misplaced it already.Oh well it will show up eventually.
Anywho, these past 7 days has consisted of lots of traveling,food, and pretty scary moments but I am in one piece and that's all that matters. So we stayed in Nairobi for 3 nights then went to Machakos which is my home for the next 10 weeks. After 2 nights in the hotel of Machakos we were shipped off to our homestay families. Let me just say this is a nerve wrecking experience. After we finished language for that day all of our families began to arrive at the hotel. We were given a notecard with our name and our family name on them and we were supposed to go into the conference room and find the notecard that matched ours. Sooo we all walk in and guess who's family is one of the 2 that aren't there yet...haha yup mine. So I sit in the front of the room along with Cindy, one of my 10 new friends:). We look like the orphans who weren't adopted everyone was hugging their families and having a cup of chai tea and pitying us all at the same time.
After about 30 mins or so our families arrive. There was one woman and one child and I could tell I wasn't what she expected, we all have to go around and tell our names and introduce our new families. She introduced me as her Black American daughter lol. We didn't have much to say to each other haha forcing conversation is rough when there is already a language barrier. So after much awkward silence we are sent to lunch as a group and her sister arrives with another child who I soon find out is her son and the kid who initially came with her is her nephew. So we have an awkward meal, consisting of me scarfing down my food because I have nothing to say and her asking me am I bored. We eventually make it to my new home which is not far from town, maybe a 25 min walk. The house is a 2 bed room house, one room for me and one for her and my kaka(brother) and baba(dad) when he arrives-he is away on work right now. I was pleasantly surprised to see we had electricity(which goes out only a few times a day) and water(I like to call it walking water instead of running water because this too goes out a few times a day-I know I know I'm funny). We also have a indoor western toilet but we are only supposed to use at night. The choo(google it then laugh at me) is for day time use- I have yet to use one. We also have a chicken-yup just one, she sold the rest, and a dog. There are many goats and cows next door-I really want to milk a cow before I go. My room is a decent size and I'm happy to finally unpack my things and have a place that I can scatter my things around-PC requires us to get a lock on our door so I don't worry about anything stolen or anything like that.
When we first arrived home my mama told me she had to wash my kaka's clothes. So I sat outside and watched as she washed everything by hand then hung it out to dry. She's very funny always saying things like you Americans use machines for this dontcha, how about this? I'm like yup we're very lazy-which is true.Then we went out to by dinner-meat from a cow that I probably walked by the day before(which I won't lie I almost vomited when I saw all the flies at this outdoor butcher shop) and veggies from off the street. I won't lie I was super nervous about dinner but I kept reminding myself to keep an open mind. We get home she has me chop the meat-with the world's most dull knife lol and I want to vomit. She chops the veggies and then goes to work cooking on one kerosene stove and one charcoal-showing me how to work both. In the end was a delish meal with no fly eggs or anything gross. I must say it was the most informative day I have had so far.The local kids came over to see the Mzungo-the term Kenyans use for white people. Let's just say they were slightly confused and very disappointed. But they were cute nonetheless; smiling and afraid to talk to me as if I was some alien. Oh and on that note- being an African American is unheard of here. I get many weird stares when I walk with my fellow PCTrainees, all of which are white but one. When I'm walking alone I get weird stares too because I'm a little lighter than most here so they are usually wondering what I am or what tribe I'm in. The white PCT are looked at like aliens. It's funny, the kids want to say hi and the adults are like wtf. It sucks for them because they associate white with American and America with $$ so they are more likely targeted for crime.But once I open my mouth they know I'm American so I guess we are all targets.Blahhh back to my story
Since then I have had nothing but good times and great convos with my family. My 3year old host brother, name is Jo. He is super cute and always trying to play with me but I never know what he's saying so the only thing we say back and forth to each other is sawa sawa which means okay lol. Its ok we have lots of fun.My daily routine consist of me going to language at 8(a group of 4 of us meet at one of our houses-not mine its too small) then around 10 we walk into town meet with the other 7 people and have techincal, medical, safety, or cultural mettings. We spend a lot of our time inside. We go somewhere local to eat around 1- an average lunch is 2 bucks max, drink included.Then we go back to meeting until around 4 or 5 and have to be in the house at 630 because it isn't safe to be out after dark for anyone PCTs or Kenyans. Once I'm home I have chai of course, play with my brother for a bit, talk to my mama, watch the other kids come over and get lots of love from my mama, get help on my homework eat yummy dinners, take a bucket bath and I say goodnight around 830. I read, write in my journal, watch a movie from my external hard drive or just lay there listening to my mama and kaka be super cute and sing nursery rhymes in their native tounge until around 1030 then I wake up have breakfast-chai included. So yeah there's my new life for the next 10 weeks. We start at the deaf school next week and we swear in on Dec. 14th. My internet comes and goes so I hope that's enough info for a bit. Is there anything else hmmm let's see...
One girl left so far so we are 11 before we were 12.
Large avocados are 30 cent.yum
We drink chai 20x a day-full of whole milk...I'm gaining like 1000lbs from it
I'm still having an amazing time and I'm in a constant state of shock from the fact that I am really here and doing this. I am thankful for every single thing that happens throughout the day good and bad. PC calls this time our peak-everything is still fresh, we are happy, no culture shock yet haha. They said it goes away after a few weeks haha we shall see i guess.
The roads here are awful, the driving is ridic and there are no speed limits haha
I didn't spell or grammar check this because it is 1051 and therefore pass my bedtime so I hope its ok
We find out our site placements in about 2 weeks-wish me luck!
Thanks for reading what could possibly be my longest blog ever. Well until next time...
Anywho, these past 7 days has consisted of lots of traveling,food, and pretty scary moments but I am in one piece and that's all that matters. So we stayed in Nairobi for 3 nights then went to Machakos which is my home for the next 10 weeks. After 2 nights in the hotel of Machakos we were shipped off to our homestay families. Let me just say this is a nerve wrecking experience. After we finished language for that day all of our families began to arrive at the hotel. We were given a notecard with our name and our family name on them and we were supposed to go into the conference room and find the notecard that matched ours. Sooo we all walk in and guess who's family is one of the 2 that aren't there yet...haha yup mine. So I sit in the front of the room along with Cindy, one of my 10 new friends:). We look like the orphans who weren't adopted everyone was hugging their families and having a cup of chai tea and pitying us all at the same time.
After about 30 mins or so our families arrive. There was one woman and one child and I could tell I wasn't what she expected, we all have to go around and tell our names and introduce our new families. She introduced me as her Black American daughter lol. We didn't have much to say to each other haha forcing conversation is rough when there is already a language barrier. So after much awkward silence we are sent to lunch as a group and her sister arrives with another child who I soon find out is her son and the kid who initially came with her is her nephew. So we have an awkward meal, consisting of me scarfing down my food because I have nothing to say and her asking me am I bored. We eventually make it to my new home which is not far from town, maybe a 25 min walk. The house is a 2 bed room house, one room for me and one for her and my kaka(brother) and baba(dad) when he arrives-he is away on work right now. I was pleasantly surprised to see we had electricity(which goes out only a few times a day) and water(I like to call it walking water instead of running water because this too goes out a few times a day-I know I know I'm funny). We also have a indoor western toilet but we are only supposed to use at night. The choo(google it then laugh at me) is for day time use- I have yet to use one. We also have a chicken-yup just one, she sold the rest, and a dog. There are many goats and cows next door-I really want to milk a cow before I go. My room is a decent size and I'm happy to finally unpack my things and have a place that I can scatter my things around-PC requires us to get a lock on our door so I don't worry about anything stolen or anything like that.
When we first arrived home my mama told me she had to wash my kaka's clothes. So I sat outside and watched as she washed everything by hand then hung it out to dry. She's very funny always saying things like you Americans use machines for this dontcha, how about this? I'm like yup we're very lazy-which is true.Then we went out to by dinner-meat from a cow that I probably walked by the day before(which I won't lie I almost vomited when I saw all the flies at this outdoor butcher shop) and veggies from off the street. I won't lie I was super nervous about dinner but I kept reminding myself to keep an open mind. We get home she has me chop the meat-with the world's most dull knife lol and I want to vomit. She chops the veggies and then goes to work cooking on one kerosene stove and one charcoal-showing me how to work both. In the end was a delish meal with no fly eggs or anything gross. I must say it was the most informative day I have had so far.The local kids came over to see the Mzungo-the term Kenyans use for white people. Let's just say they were slightly confused and very disappointed. But they were cute nonetheless; smiling and afraid to talk to me as if I was some alien. Oh and on that note- being an African American is unheard of here. I get many weird stares when I walk with my fellow PCTrainees, all of which are white but one. When I'm walking alone I get weird stares too because I'm a little lighter than most here so they are usually wondering what I am or what tribe I'm in. The white PCT are looked at like aliens. It's funny, the kids want to say hi and the adults are like wtf. It sucks for them because they associate white with American and America with $$ so they are more likely targeted for crime.But once I open my mouth they know I'm American so I guess we are all targets.Blahhh back to my story
Since then I have had nothing but good times and great convos with my family. My 3year old host brother, name is Jo. He is super cute and always trying to play with me but I never know what he's saying so the only thing we say back and forth to each other is sawa sawa which means okay lol. Its ok we have lots of fun.My daily routine consist of me going to language at 8(a group of 4 of us meet at one of our houses-not mine its too small) then around 10 we walk into town meet with the other 7 people and have techincal, medical, safety, or cultural mettings. We spend a lot of our time inside. We go somewhere local to eat around 1- an average lunch is 2 bucks max, drink included.Then we go back to meeting until around 4 or 5 and have to be in the house at 630 because it isn't safe to be out after dark for anyone PCTs or Kenyans. Once I'm home I have chai of course, play with my brother for a bit, talk to my mama, watch the other kids come over and get lots of love from my mama, get help on my homework eat yummy dinners, take a bucket bath and I say goodnight around 830. I read, write in my journal, watch a movie from my external hard drive or just lay there listening to my mama and kaka be super cute and sing nursery rhymes in their native tounge until around 1030 then I wake up have breakfast-chai included. So yeah there's my new life for the next 10 weeks. We start at the deaf school next week and we swear in on Dec. 14th. My internet comes and goes so I hope that's enough info for a bit. Is there anything else hmmm let's see...
One girl left so far so we are 11 before we were 12.
Large avocados are 30 cent.yum
We drink chai 20x a day-full of whole milk...I'm gaining like 1000lbs from it
I'm still having an amazing time and I'm in a constant state of shock from the fact that I am really here and doing this. I am thankful for every single thing that happens throughout the day good and bad. PC calls this time our peak-everything is still fresh, we are happy, no culture shock yet haha. They said it goes away after a few weeks haha we shall see i guess.
The roads here are awful, the driving is ridic and there are no speed limits haha
I didn't spell or grammar check this because it is 1051 and therefore pass my bedtime so I hope its ok
We find out our site placements in about 2 weeks-wish me luck!
Thanks for reading what could possibly be my longest blog ever. Well until next time...
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Kenya Believe it?
Cheesy I know but I can't believe it...at all haha.I'm in freaking Africa!For two years!
I will attempt to make this blog a little more exciting with PICTURES of my adventure. Yay! So here's a few of my new buddies with our carry-ons. Yes there are a ton of bike helmets attached to our bags.
We are very happy to be off a plane and crammed on a bus!
I will attempt to make this blog a little more exciting with PICTURES of my adventure. Yay! So here's a few of my new buddies with our carry-ons. Yes there are a ton of bike helmets attached to our bags.
Here's our first plane to Johannesburg,SA.
Time to go to Kenya!
Sara with all her carry-ons attached to her carry on.
You may not be able to tell but this plane had Nelson Mandella on it.
This sign was the 1st thing I saw when we got through customs.Made me so happy:) Prob because it's as cheesy as me.
We are very happy to be off a plane and crammed on a bus!
Our hostel...little blurry
and finally my 1st meal in Kenya
yummy.
There you have it ladies and gents my 1st 36 or so hours in the pc.its been great! PC treats you great! andddd
I'm off to bed because I'm exhausted.Later
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
If you're happy and you know it...
hahaha that song makes me think of camp...and my sister(I miss both of them so much already:) but really I'm happy.So happy:) This has been such a great day, exhausting but great nonetheless. I have 28 people in my staging group, 10 in the Deaf Educators section. Great people, we talked a lot about PC and what to expect and then we had dinner. The people are cool, philly is great, life is good-that's for sure. 2:15am we head to the bus then we are off to NY for a 11:15 flight to South Africa(15hours) then a flight to Kenya(4.5hrs). I'm running off of 2 hours of sleep and there isn't much more to say until something more exciting happens...Peace
Monday, September 26, 2011
Finally getting this thing up and running...
This is my first time blogging so if you're reading I advise you to be patient because this may take a while haha...
One week...count it....1 week until I'm on a plane to Philly for staging, then shortly after a bus to NY then another plane to Africa.
Has it hit me yet? Nope not at all. I've been waiting for this for so long that I'm just ready to go. Don't get me wrong there are going to be a few things I miss like a few family members(yup just a few haha), few friends, CAMP(going to be weird to not have it in my life at all), french fries:), and being able to be as liberal as I wish to be. But I am looking forward to sooo many things that I can't really be sad about these things. I'm looking forward to living a simple life, learning a new culture and language, no stress from my family, learning more about myself and seeing just how much I can handle, and not having to deal with expensive gas prices! ha there are many other things but I'm sure I'll write about these things later.
A few of you asked me about my address, I'm sorry I'm so slow to get it to you but here it is:
One week...count it....1 week until I'm on a plane to Philly for staging, then shortly after a bus to NY then another plane to Africa.
Has it hit me yet? Nope not at all. I've been waiting for this for so long that I'm just ready to go. Don't get me wrong there are going to be a few things I miss like a few family members(yup just a few haha), few friends, CAMP(going to be weird to not have it in my life at all), french fries:), and being able to be as liberal as I wish to be. But I am looking forward to sooo many things that I can't really be sad about these things. I'm looking forward to living a simple life, learning a new culture and language, no stress from my family, learning more about myself and seeing just how much I can handle, and not having to deal with expensive gas prices! ha there are many other things but I'm sure I'll write about these things later.
A few of you asked me about my address, I'm sorry I'm so slow to get it to you but here it is:
Wykia Macon
c/o Peace Corps Kenya
P.O. Box 698 – 00621
Nairobi, Kenya
I'll put a lovely wish list up later if you really feel generous and want to send me a letter or some yummy food or whatever it may be.
Ok enough of this for now...hopefully I can keep this thing up to date!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)