Thursday, September 29, 2011

Hello, again!  It’s been a somewhat uneventful week in some ways and a memorable week in others.  I think the highlights of this week would have to be:

I actually rode a matatu to school this morning ALL BY MYSELF without any help from Samuel or others.  Usually, Samuel has offered to walk me to the corner to either catch the school bus or a matatu.  (I sound like a little school kid, don’t I?)  This morning, I decided to venture out all on my own – and I DID IT!  I had to walk quite a way to get to where the matatus all start to fill up, or there wouldn’t have been any room to sit by the time they got down here.  I just walked along like I knew what I was doing, and everything went well.

I got two needles donated for the ball pumps at school.  (I was going to buy them, but when the girl at Nakumatt heard what they were for, she said ‘Just take them as a gift.’)  I had brought over a new soccer ball for the school, but none of their pumps had a needle.  All their balls were more flat than anything.  After I gave them the needles, I noticed that one of the male teachers got two new basketball nets out from somewhere.  I assume he took it out to their “basketball court” (of sorts) now that they could blow up the basketballs.  What a small thing a needle is, and yet look what it created!

I made the Lion House’s Rice Pudding and actually was able to find all the ingredients for it (except they call corn starch corn flour here).  I was anxious to make it and take some to Samuel and Grace for their family.  They have three little kids and a fourth on the way.  Neither of them had ever heard of “dessert” before, but Samuel thought he’d read about it in books saying, “Is it something like chocolate?”  They all loved it!  Today, in fact, Grace came over, and I showed her all the ingredients.  She didn’t know what raisens, nutmeg, cinnamon or evaporated milk were!  (The other day, I was making a tuna fish sandwich, and she had no idea what it was.  Every time she’s here, I show her new foods and let her taste them.  So far, she’s liked everything I’ve given her.)

I’ve been to their house only once before, and it was just on the outside of their little house.  Last night, they invited me inside.  Gosh, what shock!  Grace cooks all their meals outside on a charcoal burner.  They don’t have a refrigerator, sink, stove, or anything like that.  It was a very small one-room house with a curtain dividing the bed (I assume) from the rest of the living area.  The kids all sat on the ground to eat what little food she had enough money to prepare for them.  They live day-to-day with whatever they can afford to buy that day.  They did have two small upholstered chairs, which they offered to me to sit in.  Grace has tried hard to make it homey with little doilies on the seats and magazine pictures on the wall.  I didn’t want to stare, so I know I didn’t take everything in around me. 

Their oldest daughter (age 9) came running up to me when I first got there and just hugged me and hugged me.  That’s only the second time I’ve met her!  She seemed to be quite taken by me for some reason.  All three kids seemed to just hang on me.  They have a fettish for my skin and elbows for some reason.  They just kept touching my skin and elbows.  Maybe I’m the first white person they’ve been close enough to to touch.  I don’t know.  After they ate, I went over some of her homework with her.  She seems quite smart for a second grader.

Samuel wants me to volunteer in his kids’ school even if it’s just one afternoon a week.  We’ll walk over to it one of these first days, and I’ll see how I feel about that.  He also brought up the possibility of my donating something to the school.  He made a point to say he wasn’t asking for this for himself because that would be selfish.  He wanted something for the whole school, which would in turn also help his children.  The kids start “Baby Class” at age 2 and are basically under the care of their teachers from there on out!  It’s really sad to me to think how little time they really get to spend with their parents.

I try to give Samuel and Grace a little food from time-to-time because I have so much compared to them – they’re grateful for even a couple of tomatoes or a banana.  I could tell it was very hard for them to watch me throw out most of my food last week when my electricity went out for over 24 hours.  They kept saying it was still good.  I said, “No, it’s not, and I’m not going to eat it and neither are you!  I don’t want you to get sick from it.”  Today, Grace brought ME some cabbage, but I had just barely bought some today from Nakumatt, so I told her to take it home and fix it for their dinner, and I handed her a couple of tomatoes to cook with it (that’s a staple food here).  Samuel and I have been talking about the widow’s mite recently.  What Grace did today seemed a perfect example of that.  She also brought over ½ of a papaya the other day!

Tomorrow after school, I’m going to add a new adventure to my list – I’m taking a matatu from Word of Life to the end of the road at Neptune Hotel and then catching a motorcycle on the dirt road to Shamba la Salama.  I’ll probably get a tuktuk to take me home, however.  I’m going to teach Caroline, Kenneth’s wife, how to swim.  They have a pool at Louis’, but she doesn’t know how to swim.  I’m not sure exactly where to start with her, but I guess I’ll figure it out soon enough.

Caroline offered a little while back to do my laundry.  She has a washing machine, so I finally agreed.  They don’t have laundramats here.  Most people just wash their clothes by hand.  She said she LOVES to do laundry – go figure!  I usually only need to do two batches every two weeks, so she’s only done it once.  I was very grateful for her help!

On Saturday, Grace wants to take me down to Ukunda and go shopping for vegetables at the roadside stands and “show me the ropes.”  It sounds like we will be walking quite a way, but I know she’s used to it – I’m the one that will be the woose (spelling?).  After we get back, she’s going to clean my house.  She thinks she won’t be too tired, but if she is, I’ll have her do it another day.  Last week when she cleaned it, I asked her how much people charge for that.  She said about 250 shillings or 300 shillings.  I told her I would give her 300 shillings, but she worked for several hours, so I gave her more, and her eyes got big as saucers!  Even though I’m not doing much for them really, to them, I can tell they think it’s a lot.  It’s so nice to be on the giving end rather than the receiving end, which seems to be more the case with me at home and even here.   I always feel so blessed that there are so many people in my life who have helped me in so many ways.  I think a lot of those people are reading this blog right now.  I think you know who you are – THANK YOU!

Well, it’s midnight.  I’d better get to bed.

Take care until next time,

Kadi

Sunday, September 25, 2011

BITS AND PIECES…

I’ve had several things I’ve wanted to mention that just haven’t related to anything else I was writing about previously, so I’ve left them out.  I’d like to write them tonight, in no particular order, just as they come to me.

I’ve decided that ants take baths.  The other day in the shower, several tiny ants decided to join me.  As I watched them more closely on the wall, they were standing on their hind legs.   I believe they gathered droplets of water; then using their front legs, they rubbed the rest of their bodies.  At first, I thought they were drinking the water, but they never seemed to put their legs by their mouths.  What else could they have been doing?

Camels are REALLY uncomfortable to ride!  Luckily, I only rode one for a half hour, but that was long enough.  I seriously can’t see how anyone could ride them for days on end across the desert.  They’d have to have major callouses in places we won’t even discuss.  If you’ve ever ridden a horse, it felt like double that width.  Even after only a half hour, I felt bow-legged!   I enjoyed the experience, but I only need to do that one once.  I’ll be curious to see how riding an elephant in So. Africa will compare.  I’ll let you know when I do it.

(Very short video - I don't think the guy knew what he was doing with my camera.)

Kenyan “grass” is planted one or two blades at a time by hand.  One guy pushes a stick in the ground to make a hole, and another guy puts the blades of grass down into it.   This little area of grass took hours to plant.  It’s never mowed, and is more like stiff blades of crabgrass than anything else.

(You can see how long and wide the blades of grass are here.)

Kenyans seem to be very open and happy people.  They are willing to do anything for someone they know or care about.  I‘ve had so many help me in so many ways.  They also like to just go see someone rather than calling or something.

Tonight, Samuel had me push my security alarm button and time it to see how long it took the security company to respond.  It took them 4-5 mins.  I was embarrassed to have four guys suddenly show up on my doorstep, but they said it was just fine and that if I ever was out at night and needed an escort, just call them and they would accompany me.  They said they didn’t mind at all to come to my home tonight.

I’m finally starting to come out of my “shell” here.  I’ve discovered that it’s enjoyable to sit out on my front porch and read a book rather than sitting inside.  I’ve taken a matatu twice all by myself  - I’m such a big girl now(smile).  I’m good at killing BIG ants, but I haven’t wanted to master the art of killing cockroaches and spiders.  I’ll leave that to Samuel.  I’m getting more comfortable at church and I’m actually being the one to go up and greet someone else.  I’m getting the bartering thing down a bit, too.

Kenyan experiences lately:  Grace, Samuel’s wife, came over yesterday and took all afternoon teaching me to make chipotis (sort of like flour tortillas) and beans.  I’m getting used to cold showers and no microwave or oven.   I even “baked” meatloat (in tin foil and a little water in a frying pan) and potatoes (I left the skins on, cut them in quarters lengthwise, and boiled them – but they looked like baked potatoes).  I’ve made toast in a frying pan.  I’m getting used to washing all my dishes by hand and in cold water.  I’m learning to live with only the meager ingredients I can find at the store and have to adapt just about everything that I cook somehow.  NOTHING tastes the same here as at home.   Most things don’t LOOK the same, either, even though they are called the same thing as our stuff.  I don’t seem to have a really big appetite – I wonder why?!?  Kenyans use a ton of grease or oil when they cook.  I’m getting more used to hearing airplanes fly right over my house daily.

Tonight, I was excited to give Samuel a triple combination (Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price).  We had a long discussion, and I truly believe, as he stated tonight that, “This book is going to change my life.”  I was so thrilled to be able to give it to him.   I also borrowed a Hymn book from the branch until next Sunday because he’s been asking me about our music.  I wanted to share that with him, too.  I pointed out a couple of my favorite hymns and told him why I liked them.  I suggested he read through some of the words of the songs.  They can be very uplifting.  Right now, he’s just outside my bedroom window in a little storage room reading the book.  I’m anxious to hear, tomorrow, what he thinks so far.  HE thinks that HE is the reason I came to Africa – to share this with him.  He may be right!

Oh, I almost forgot to tell you - I drove all of us home from church today for a short time of about 10 mins.  I've never driven on the "wrong" side of the road before.  That was bad enough, but the way people drive here and the way they pull out in front of someone without even looking is scary!  Besides that, you have to dodge bicycles, motorcycles, people pulling huge carts, matatus, people  darting out in traffic, etc. - ALL sharing the same VERY SKINNY road!  I've got to learn how to drive before I get to South Africa, so I guess I've got to start somewhere, but that was an unnerving ride!  I'm glad Kenneth chose a fairly wide and less busy part of our drive home to let me try my wings.

Well, that’s about all my ramblings for tonight.  Here are a few more pictures for you to enjoy.

 Judy, the cook at Louis' house.

 Three of Louis' four German Shepherds.  I've decided my 90 mosquito bites my first night there were actually flea bites - at least the ones that didn't itch.  I was sitting at a table only a foot away from this picture.  The dogs lie right here all the time and have tons of fleas.  They also get HUGE ticks!

 Kenneth and daughter on our way to church.

 Kenneth and Abaham's kids going to church

 Abraham, some of the kids, and Caroline (Kenneth's wife) going to church

 On the way to church.

 Our branch just after church.

 Our branch in Mombosa.

 View out the window from church.

 Another view.

Eating at Leonardo's in Diani Beach with Mandy and Taylor, Christy and Jason, Vicki and Jay.

Happy Sunday,

Kadi

P.S.  I tried to send this yesterday (Sunday), but it kicked me out; so I'm sending it on Monday morning.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Well, I made it through my math lesson today without any problems.  I will have to get used to having far less time to teach than I am used to.  Some days I will only have 35 mins., and some days I will have two 35 min. periods either back-to-back or at two different times.  I’m used to a solid 90 min. period.  I’ll just have to cut way back.

When I walked into Peter’s class this morning, all the kids started clapping for me!  I think they were glad to see me.  I haven’t been in their class since last Thursday because Friday I was moving, Monday I thought I had pink eye so I stayed home, Tuesday I only worked with Job, Weds. I’d had no power or water for over 24 hours to get ready, so I stayed home.  That was a nice reception and a nice way to start my morning.

At break, I heard a loud “crack” and looked in the direction of the sound to see a teacher caning a student on the back of his legs for misbehaving.   I couldn’t tell for sure, but I think it is a long stick made out of bamboo or a similar wood.   He hit him with the cane 3 or 4 times.  Apparently, that isn’t extremely common but definitely a form of punishment that is used.  It broke my heart – it was really hard to watch!  I’m told they also pinch the students and slap them.  I’ve seen them slap, but not pinch.  I’m so glad WE don’t use that form of punishment in America!  Students from my classes, how about you?!?

I walked to Nakumatt after school and picked up my Visa card.  I’m very grateful to have gotten it back.  AND I was quite proud of myself – I caught my first matatu today – YES, it WAS a matatu – and I made it home in one piece.  I’m getting better at this each day.

Now, if I could just figure out some recipes to cook ONLY on the stove that have very basic ingredients (without ready-made soup, sauces, packets of spices, etc.), I’d be in business.  I’m going to do a little research online before I go to the store with Kenneth tonight to see what I can come up with.  Any suggestions?  Please email me your ideas if you do.  I’m talking mostly main dishes, but perhaps a dessert from time-to-time would be nice.  They mostly cook with rice, corn maize flour (for ugali), and beans.   I’m going to learn how to cook all of those things their way, but I’d like some “modified” good ole’ American food.

Last night when Samuel came on guard duty, he said he had a gift for me and handed me a romance novel that has a Mormon in the story.  He thought I might like to read it.  Awhile later, I let him read my Ensign Magazine because he just has to sit out there all night until 6:00 AM.  He was glad to have it.  Later, he called through the window and said he had a present for me.  I couldn’t imagine what it was!  It was now quite dark, and I didn’t have my contacts in.  When I opened my sliding door, he had something in his hand, but I couldn’t see what it was.  I said, “What is it?”  He stuck his hand through the grate in the gate and out flew a bird right at me and into my living room!  I screamed because it surprised me so much.  He got a good laugh out of that one!  We are getting to be good friends, and I’m grateful for that.

It’s getting hotter and hotter each day.  It drains my energy just to walk to Nakumatt and walk home from the matatu.  My back has started hurting a lot every day lately, so I think I’ll lie down for a while before I do my grocery list.

Here are some pictures of the outside of my house that I thought you'd like to see.

Have a great day,

Kadi

Wednesday September 21, 2011

Tomorrow I will finally teach my first math lesson all by myself.  After 35 years of teaching, you would think I’d feel more confident in what I am doing!  I think it’s just that I know the way I teach is somewhat different than the way Peter teaches.  I don’t want to slow the students down or confuse them.  I’ll be teaching (rather reviewing) volume.  I already miss having my manipulatives available to give them a more hands-on experience.  Those that haven’t already grasped the concept would probably be the ones that would benefit most by using them at this point.  It’s also hard to step into someone else’s classroom and follow their procedures rather than setting up your own.  I’ll do my best, however.

The electricity was restored this morning around 10:30, but there was still no water in the shower until just a short while ago.  I am SO ready for a shower!  I’m nervous to use my hair dryer now, though, because they think that might have caused the fuse to blow.  Yet, it’s worked the other days without a problem, so they aren’t really sure.

Unfortunately, I had to throw out most of the food from my refrigerator since it was off for more than 24 hrs.  I don’t have a way to get to the store tonight, so I guess I’ll have some Top Ramen or a grilled cheese sandwich.  I think the cheese will still be good.  Maybe I can get to the store tomorrow.

I’ve been on a bit of a “pity pot” today feeling somewhat sorry for myself and missing all the “luxuries” (by Kenyan standards) of home.  I also found out that there IS NO hot water.  So, I guess it will be cold showers for the next two months!  I’ll manage to get used to that, I hope.  I’m already getting used to having VERY low flying planes go right over my house several times a day since I’m right in the line of their flight patterns going into and out of the Ukunda Airstrip.

The Kenyans continue to be such kind people!  Samuel and Grace have tried really hard to make everything just right for me here.  Kenneth is always offering to help me with things, though he doesn’t always have the time to actually follow through with them – he has good intentions.   The teachers and students at school have all been very welcoming and friendly.  Several of my Kenyan friends have called me at different times just to see how I am doing, to see if everything is okay with me, or to wish me a good day.

Samuel told me today that since I moved here, this is the first time he has ever heard Grace speak English.  I was so surprised!  She seems to communicate fairly well with me.  I’m teaching her that Samuel is a “he” not a “she”.  We laugh each time.  I’m also teaching them that Pauline, Samuel’s sister, lives in Germany not German.   We have had a few opportunities to talk about my religion, and they want to know more.  Samuel’s father had a Book of Mormon once that Samuel had enjoyed reading, but someone borrowed it and never gave it back.  I told him I was going to get another one for him, and he seemed pleased.  They are members of the Free Pentecostal Church that’s just down the street from my house.  They’ve been asking me a lot of questions about the church, America, Americans, etc.  Samuel says all he really knows about America is from reading books.  He seems to have several misunderstandings about things.  I’m hoping I can teach them how it really is in America.

Well, that’s about it for today.  It’s 5:00.  I’d better go get dinner ready while I can still see in case the power goes out again, since it starts to get dark by 6:00.

Have a nice day,

Kadi

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

LOWS  & HIGHS for the day:

This has been a bad and good day for many reasons.  I’ll share them here.

Low – Power went out in the middle of doing my hair at 7:10 AM, so I looked half done today.

High – Something told me to stop just as I was about to start my breakfast and go do my hair.  If I hadn’t, I would have looked even worse.   Also, I didn’t wash my hair or it would have been soaking wet and REALLY ugly today.

Low – When I took my first bite of cereal, I realized the milk I bought only 4 days ago had gone bad, so I had to throw away over a quart of milk.

High – At least I had orange juice to drink to wash down the “dry” cereal.  (I just ate the flakes but not the milk.)

Low – I was told to be at the bus stop at 7:30 so I could ride the Word of Life school bus to school.  I wondered why it was so early since it only takes about 5 mins. to drive to school.  Well, it was because I was catching it on the beginning of what turned out to be a 50 min. run to gather up all the students before going right past my street again headed toward school.

High – I had a way to get to school!  And, I also got to experience a Kenyan school bus … something far different than ours.  Kids were crammed everywhere even sitting up next to the driver and in the aisles.  There were up to 5 kids on a seat!

Low – I went to Nakumatt to buy some more milk, a flashlight, some candlestick holders, matches, and a couple of other things.  When I got to the checkout stand, I discovered that my Visa card was missing.  I figured it was somewhere in my bag and I just couldn’t see it, so I gave them my Mastercard (which doesn’t always work here).  When I got home, I looked through everything I owned and couldn’t find my Visa anywhere!  

High - In thinking through when I used it last, I realized I was at Natumatt last Friday night when I used my Visa.  I called them, and luckily, someone had found it in the parking lot  and had turned it into Customer Service!  Thank goodness there are still honest people around! 

Low – I thought I was catching my first matatu at Nakumatt to go home.  When I climbed in next to the driver and tried to hand him my 30 shillings, he refused it.  I asked, “Isn’t that how much it is for a matatu?”   He replied that he ˆwasn’t a matatu.  He was a safari driver (it was a plain white van and he pulled over on the side of the road for me as I stood there waiting for the matatu, so what else would I have thought?).  On the way to my street, he started asking a few too many personal questions and then offered to drive me to my house.  I said the side of the road by the church was just fine, and I got out.  Whew!!!

High – Nothing happened to me, and I got a free ride home.  I’ll definitely have to be more observant next time!

Low – I got home to discover my power was STILL out!  It’s now 9:10 PM, and it’s still out and won’t even get looked at until tomorrow.  This morning, I thought it was just another power outage like we’ve had the past few days and would end shortly, but then I realized that MY house was the ONLY one without power!  I also have no water!

High – I had my flashlight, matches, and candlesticks I just bought ready for use.  I had some leftovers in the refrigerator that I was able to warm up without much preparation, and Samuel brought me over several liters of water to wash my dishes so I wouldn’t have bugs all over them in the morning.   I was able to warm my dinner up on the gas burner even without electricity.  I still have the bottled water I bought in my water cooler.

Low – As I opened my refrigerator, a cockroach started running around INSIDE!!!  I about died, but I called Samuel in (he had just come on duty to guard me for the night).  Everything in my frig and freezer (including the milk I just bought this afternoon) will probably be bad by tomorrow.

High – Samuel rescued me from the cockroach.  I had food for dinner that was still okay.

Low – Kenneth offered to let me stay at Shamba la Salama, but he didn’t even have a ride home from the coconut factory  himself.  So, I decided I’ll just stay here for the night and go to school late, whenever the power comes back on and I can shower.

High – It’s late enough now, that I can at least try to go to bed before too long.

Low – I can’t recharge my laptop or phone until the power goes on.

High – They were both sufficiently charged that I was able to use them tonight.

Well, that’s my day.  How did yours go?

Later,

Kadi

(P.S.  My eye looks better today than it has for the past two days.  I think it was sleeping with the fan on right above my head that caused the problem.  By the way, you can now comment right on my blog if you click on that at the bottom.  I’d love to hear from you, although I haven’t yet figured out how to respond back.)