Baby elephants

Just a quick update to assure you that I am alive and well! I am in Nairobi for some more Peace Corps training (hence the access to internet). I am not entirely sure how to update the last month or so since the last posting. I can officially say that I have completed my first term as a secondary high school teacher in kenya! It is a really amazing feeling. The last few weeks of the term were incredibly taxing. If you have talked to my parents you probably know a little more about the situation. Basically I have been fighting for my rights, equality, and respect as a woman in the work place. It is challenging, but I am convinced that I will only come home a stronger woman; watch out! I have spent the past week reflecting on how I treated the entire situation, and I am energized (thanks to PC volunteer bonding time) to make the entire situation a more positive one. I will describe more in a following post when I get my act together to write something decent.

For now, here are some more Kenya tidbits. It my journal I call it 'meaningless conversation' (thanks jack):
-Today I had the opportunity to watch orphaned baby elephants get fed. It was amazing. I also got farted on by a baby elephant....again, amazing (it a smelly sort of way). And saw a baby rhino. It didn't even come up to my knees!
-Some days when I wake up, I forget that I am 'different' from the rest of the people in my town, until someone reminds me...usually no less than 5 minutes from leaving my house. Usually it is with the 'mzungu' or 'how are you' chants. This is my favorite one that occurred on the way to school :
Standard 5 student: Good morning madam
Me: Good morning
student: Are you sick?
Me: Hapana, kwa nini? (no, why?)
student: kwa sababu (because) your face LOOKS sick
Me: Kwa sababu, sitoki Namanga, sitoki Kenya (because I am not from Namanga, I am not from Kenya)
-I FINALLY have furniture, which means no more lassos on the floor
-Namanga, like most parts of Kenya these days is having an extreme water shortage. I have been ok so far, but have been changing my lifestyle to use even less water.
-My students want to know if Tupac really is dead. Any insight?
-I have finally ventured out to go running every sunday. It is probably the best decision that I have made. If I go early enough I can just see the tip of Kilimanjaro.
-Nyama Choma (roast meat) is my favorite version of Kenyan meat
-I had a week off from school before nairobi, which means LOTS of reading, cooking, and running time. I also finally got the little boy across the way to smile at me. We played peek-a-boo among the lines of laundry hanging to dry.