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!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Thursday, January 8, 2009
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).
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Mambo!
I hope that everyone had a wonderful thanksgiving! If you are reading this from Vermont, I also hope that you are enjoying the snow (if there is snow). A few mornings ago there was a lot of new snow on Kilimanjaro. Seeing it made me stop in my footsteps on the way to class.
My thanksgiving was all that I could have wanted, although pumpkin pie WOULD have been the cherry on top. Out very traditional thanksgiving included chicken (killed moments before), French fries, rice, meat stew, chapatti, cabbage, bananas, and soda (a treat)! I spent it with the 40 other volunteers. We had the day off, so we relaxed and played soccer (in tank-tops and pants!) all day. Perfect!
Let me back up to what I have been doing for the past month… Thanksgiving fell in the middle of our two-week ‘mock teaching’. We observed Kenyan teachers teach biology, chemistry, physics, and math for two days. Following those two days it was our turn to teach for the next six. The education system in Kenya is a little different from back home. Here, after taking a test at the end of grade 8, students may or may not get in to secondary school. If they do get in, they will likely have a days worth of travel from the nymba (home) to shule (school). This means that most of the schools are boarding schools. They have a six week break from the end of November until the beginning of January, the start of the school year. So all of out students for these two weeks came during their holiday. Some came to get out of weeding the shamba (farm fields), while others wanted some extra study time for their exams. Regardless, it was for sure an interesting experience. It is very different to be working with an education system that SO heavily teaches to the test. I can see both the positives and negative to the education system, but I definitely foresee frustrations ahead!
For the entire two month training I have and will continue to be staying in a homestay. My Kenyan family takes great care of me! There have definitely been struggles: I don’t ever seem to eat enough for Mama’s liking, they eat at 8:30-9 at night, I crave more freedom, I can’t wear shorts or tank tops unless I am locked in my room, but I will really miss them when I cam on my own! One of my favorite moments so far was a night when I was particularly hungry, it was late, and there was no dinner in the jikoni (kitchen). Mama told me to follow her outside, where she was cooking Githeri (beans and corn) on the outside wood fire. It was the first time that I had ventured outside at night, and the night’s sky was breathtaking. Mama thought I was crazy to stand in the middle of the lawn with my eyes glued to the sky, but I find the stars incredibly centering, especially when I need it most. From that point on I have found some reason to go outside at night, or make a mad dash to the outside choo (pit latrine) early early in the morning.
December 12th was Jamhuri Day, Kenya's independence day. I planted trees with my host sister in the morning (I love her), and went to the district celebration in the afternoon. All of the district officials were sitting under a tent while different groups in the town put on short skits (mom, dad, and the lewis's, does this remind you of when we were little?). Everything was great, until they made a special announcement that the PC volunteers should be given space under the tent. Assistant chiefs, and other officials gave up their seats for us. Meanshile, the rest of the townspeaple are standing along the sidelines in the sun. It was a honor, but it will be a constant struggle to be treated so differently!
A few random notes: we have been hiking and exploring on the weekends and it is wonderful; every morning I wake up, run to the choo (i need to stop drinking water at night), come back and do yoga and pilates..i love it; the children here are adorable, but their "mzungu, how are you?" over and over again is something I wasn't ready for; there is this hill on the last stretch to my homestay...it gives me a wonderful few of the valley, and often makes me stop and smile...I am in Kenya!
I hope that everyone had a wonderful thanksgiving! If you are reading this from Vermont, I also hope that you are enjoying the snow (if there is snow). A few mornings ago there was a lot of new snow on Kilimanjaro. Seeing it made me stop in my footsteps on the way to class.
My thanksgiving was all that I could have wanted, although pumpkin pie WOULD have been the cherry on top. Out very traditional thanksgiving included chicken (killed moments before), French fries, rice, meat stew, chapatti, cabbage, bananas, and soda (a treat)! I spent it with the 40 other volunteers. We had the day off, so we relaxed and played soccer (in tank-tops and pants!) all day. Perfect!
Let me back up to what I have been doing for the past month… Thanksgiving fell in the middle of our two-week ‘mock teaching’. We observed Kenyan teachers teach biology, chemistry, physics, and math for two days. Following those two days it was our turn to teach for the next six. The education system in Kenya is a little different from back home. Here, after taking a test at the end of grade 8, students may or may not get in to secondary school. If they do get in, they will likely have a days worth of travel from the nymba (home) to shule (school). This means that most of the schools are boarding schools. They have a six week break from the end of November until the beginning of January, the start of the school year. So all of out students for these two weeks came during their holiday. Some came to get out of weeding the shamba (farm fields), while others wanted some extra study time for their exams. Regardless, it was for sure an interesting experience. It is very different to be working with an education system that SO heavily teaches to the test. I can see both the positives and negative to the education system, but I definitely foresee frustrations ahead!
For the entire two month training I have and will continue to be staying in a homestay. My Kenyan family takes great care of me! There have definitely been struggles: I don’t ever seem to eat enough for Mama’s liking, they eat at 8:30-9 at night, I crave more freedom, I can’t wear shorts or tank tops unless I am locked in my room, but I will really miss them when I cam on my own! One of my favorite moments so far was a night when I was particularly hungry, it was late, and there was no dinner in the jikoni (kitchen). Mama told me to follow her outside, where she was cooking Githeri (beans and corn) on the outside wood fire. It was the first time that I had ventured outside at night, and the night’s sky was breathtaking. Mama thought I was crazy to stand in the middle of the lawn with my eyes glued to the sky, but I find the stars incredibly centering, especially when I need it most. From that point on I have found some reason to go outside at night, or make a mad dash to the outside choo (pit latrine) early early in the morning.
December 12th was Jamhuri Day, Kenya's independence day. I planted trees with my host sister in the morning (I love her), and went to the district celebration in the afternoon. All of the district officials were sitting under a tent while different groups in the town put on short skits (mom, dad, and the lewis's, does this remind you of when we were little?). Everything was great, until they made a special announcement that the PC volunteers should be given space under the tent. Assistant chiefs, and other officials gave up their seats for us. Meanshile, the rest of the townspeaple are standing along the sidelines in the sun. It was a honor, but it will be a constant struggle to be treated so differently!
A few random notes: we have been hiking and exploring on the weekends and it is wonderful; every morning I wake up, run to the choo (i need to stop drinking water at night), come back and do yoga and pilates..i love it; the children here are adorable, but their "mzungu, how are you?" over and over again is something I wasn't ready for; there is this hill on the last stretch to my homestay...it gives me a wonderful few of the valley, and often makes me stop and smile...I am in Kenya!
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Hamjambo
Just a quick update. I have been in Kenya for about two weeks, and I'm loving it! i see kilimanjaro every morning on the way to my training school. i love my kenyan host family, and they take great care of me (this morning i had bananas, pineapple, and crepe-style pancakes). Happy turkey day!
Sunday, November 9, 2008
5 parts excitement:1 part nerves
I have finally packed my bags, which feels like the final step before leaving for Kenya, even though I have a few last minute errands to run tomorrow. I have spent the past few days doing all things Vermonty: hiking Mt. Mansfield, pizza with the Lewis family, enough Ben and Jerry's to last a lifetime, and Penny Cluse tomorrow! My belly is full with my last serving of Pat Brown Sunday morning pancakes, for a few years, and I am feeling very very ready to go!
In between the abundance of unknowns, this is what I know:
I know that I fly out of Burlington early on Tuesday and train for a day in Philly. On Wednesday I'll take a bus with 42 other PC volunteers to JFK airport. We will fly through Amsterdam to Nairobi (I will soon be able to say that I've been to Europe...kinda). I know that I will spend the first few months at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro living with a Kenyan family, learning Swahili, and doing my best to soak up enough knowledge to be an effective Kenyan educator.
We arrive during the rainy season, so it will be a rainy 75-85 degrees during the day, and down to 40-65 at night. I know that I am supposed to bring mud boots (I love mud). I know that I will not have great internet access for these first two months, and I may or may not have a cell phone.
After the two months, assuming that I pass the Swahili language test, I know that I will be 'sworn in' as a PC volunteer, and will move to the site that I will work and live at as a biology and/or chemistry and/or physics teacher for two years.
I know that when I come back I'll be 25 (hellooo quarter-life crisis), which I'm sure seems like a much bigger deal to me now then it will when I return.
I know that I will come back with some idea of how to play the Ukulele I just got!
As I told my Aunt's fourth grade class, I cannot wait to see the Kenyan plants and animals: giraffes, hippos, impalas, zebra, pangolin (look these up...they are wicked cool), the famous wildebeest migrations, and baobab trees.
I know that I don't know much, but enough to be 5 parts excited, and just a little nervous!
Carly
In between the abundance of unknowns, this is what I know:
I know that I fly out of Burlington early on Tuesday and train for a day in Philly. On Wednesday I'll take a bus with 42 other PC volunteers to JFK airport. We will fly through Amsterdam to Nairobi (I will soon be able to say that I've been to Europe...kinda). I know that I will spend the first few months at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro living with a Kenyan family, learning Swahili, and doing my best to soak up enough knowledge to be an effective Kenyan educator.
We arrive during the rainy season, so it will be a rainy 75-85 degrees during the day, and down to 40-65 at night. I know that I am supposed to bring mud boots (I love mud). I know that I will not have great internet access for these first two months, and I may or may not have a cell phone.
After the two months, assuming that I pass the Swahili language test, I know that I will be 'sworn in' as a PC volunteer, and will move to the site that I will work and live at as a biology and/or chemistry and/or physics teacher for two years.
I know that when I come back I'll be 25 (hellooo quarter-life crisis), which I'm sure seems like a much bigger deal to me now then it will when I return.
I know that I will come back with some idea of how to play the Ukulele I just got!
As I told my Aunt's fourth grade class, I cannot wait to see the Kenyan plants and animals: giraffes, hippos, impalas, zebra, pangolin (look these up...they are wicked cool), the famous wildebeest migrations, and baobab trees.
I know that I don't know much, but enough to be 5 parts excited, and just a little nervous!
Carly
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