I have a new home. It is hot, dry, and dusty, but it is home. I have been here for two weeks, and am starting to feel comfortable. I keep having to remind myself to relax, I have only been here for two weeks; it took me a month and a half to feel comfortable in our training town.
Every morning around 5 am I am woken up by chants from the mosque. I am sure that I will have days when I just want to be able to sleep at 5am, but for now, I find it utterly peaceful. It adds a whole new dimension to my morning yoga routine (be proud steph!) My school is just a 20 minute walk from home. I have finally solidified my teaching subjects, or I guess I should say, realized that I am teaching all three: biology, physics, and chemistry.

Training, even the model school, could no prepare me for the Kenyan Education system. It is different from the American system in SO many ways. My students are wonderful. My school is only 3 years old, so we only have Form 1, 2, and 3 (corresponds to freshman, sophomores, and juniors). Next year we will have a form 4 class. Our form 1's start on the second week of February (everyone else started in January), and their classroom is in the process of being build. Because the form 1's have yet to arrive, I spend the majority of my time talking with my kenyan colleagues about politics, cultural/language differences, and life in general. My first day of class was definitely interesting. I talked with the students about America vs. Kenya. They had amazing questions, like what is the education system in America like? What is your mother tonque (I had to explain that we do not have tribal languages, or really tribes for most of us for that matter)? Did you vote for Obama? Why? Each day gets better and better. I spend my nights brainstorming creative ways to transform my lectures in to lessons. When did I become to teachery???

I was fortunate enough to see president Obama's inaugural speech. It started at 8pm here. I don't have a TV, but my neighbors do. I invited myself over. I am not sure if that is culturally correct, but go big or go home, right?

I say that I have a new home, when really all that I have is a bed to call my own. I am working on getting the rest of my house set up....slowly. It is so hot here that I don't need to warm up my bucket bathing water. Sounds silly, but it is the little things!

If you have not heard, the majority of Kenya's educators are on strike. My school is still running, but the primary school whose grounds we are on is not. It is a little awkward, and I can certainly feel the tension. My belly is full of chai, mandazi (like fried dough) and PB and banana sandwhich. I bought PB in Nairobi, and it was definitely worth the pesa. I have also discorvered the genious creation of mango rice...SO GOOD (mango rice pudding...not so good).

Kenya tidbits: the other day, in the choo, I not only peed on my feet, but also in my shoe, and ALSO managed to splash myself in the forehead; my students are starting to teach me the kiswahili works that you don't learn in class; chocolate becomes the perfect stage of meltiness here; I am starting to enjoy my walk to town. People now recognize me, and I am swarmed by watoto (small children); I almost got attacked by a goat...rabies anyone?; I spent two hours getting a mouse out of my house because I did not want to kill it; I got stuck in the rain yesterday on the walk home with my students...it was amazing!

SITE

Just a quick update: I leave tomorrow to go to my site in Masai country near Amboseli. I am really excited, but oh so nervous to be on my own! I left my homestay family feeling very ready to come back and visit them at the end of the three month term. I will start teaching on Monday, but won't have to do a ton of teaching for the first few weeks. I will hopefully get some pictures up of my new house. I apparently have electricity, an indoor and outdoor toilet, but no running water. It is hot. There are zebras. Giardia is not the time of my life! Kenya is awesome, and there is Gelato in Nairobi, which is amazing (butterscotch yesterday and strawberry cheesecake today...mmmm).