Thursday, October 20, 2011

Today is a public holiday, so there was no school today.   It used to be called Kenyatta Day and was to celebrate Kenya's freedom, named after their founding President Jomo Kenyatta who died in 1978.   It was observed every October 20^th in his honor until the new 2010 constitution abolished Kenyatta Day and replaced it with Mashujaa (Heroes') day.  So today, they are celebrating Mashajaa Day.

As I’ve mentioned before, I am teaching math and p.e. (weather and test permitting) to Classes 4, 5, and 6.  Their playground is a little "grass" with dirt in-between.  They have two goal posts on the main field.  That's about it.   There are no lines for boundaries, etc.   They have very little equipment.   On Tuesday, I was going to teach Class 5 "Sharks and Minnows", but discovered I had both Class 5 AND Class 4 out there (about 55 kids).  They were all over the place.  They, more often than not, go out for "PE" without a teacher.  Basically, it turns into a 35 min. recess.  So, I found I had a hard time pulling them together to even give instructions.  I had planned on explaining the game inside, but the kids haven't had PE for so many weeks because of bad weather or being tested, that they just ran out of the rooms when they heard they were going to get PE, they were so excited. 

                                          This is their playground.

This was my first chance to teach PE, and it fell pretty much flat on its face.   Without much equipment, cones for boundary lines, etc., and having that many students made it very difficult.  Besides that, the girls and boys generally don't ever play together.  I was told that I could keep them together, but they tend to separate themselves. 

For the second half of PE, they wanted to have a “football” (soccer) game between the 4^th and 5^th Standards.  Since the first half was such a fiasco, I was happy to oblige.  Their football game was interesting to say the least – one whole class ran around trying to kick the ball one way while the whole other class ran around trying to kick it the other way.  Of course, there were several kids who just hung to the sidelines trying to stay out of the fray.  All I really know about soccer is that you can’t hold the ball, and you are trying to get the ball into your team’s net (which they don’t have).  Luckily, another teacher came out about that time and rescued me from looking like a complete idiot!  The kids seemed to have fun, in spite of it all, however.  

Next week, I WILL discuss the game inside first and draw it on the board.  After I tried (being the operative word) to tell them how to play the game and I blew the whistle, the sharks were where they needed to be, but all the minnows ran in the complete opposite direction from where I told them to run, so the sharks didn’t have anyone to “attack”.  I know that I don’t have a loud voice outside, so it was hard to explain it to them in the first place.  Hopefully, next week will be more successful.

On Tuesday, the missionaries came over again and met with Grace and Samuel.  We had a great discussion.  They are coming again next week.  Today, the missionaries called me to suggest that perhaps I could hold a Family Home Evening (FHE) with Samuel’s family sometime soon to help them see how they can teach their children in their home.  Sunday is about the only day to do that because Monday – Saturday, the kids don’t even get home from school until about 6:30 PM, and they are expected to take their “baths” and do their homework before they get to eat – which generally happens around 8:00.  Then, it’s time for bed.

After the missionary discussion, the elders and I rode a matatu down to Neptune (a hotel at the end of the matatu’s run), and Nicholas, who works for Louis, drove us down to Shamba la Salama.  I swam my laps, but Caroline thinks she has malaria, and Evelyn had gone into Mombasa, so I didn’t teach swimming lessons.

Tomorrow, I’m still hoping to go into Mombasa with Kenneth and Grace to do a little shopping.  If we get there early enough, the senior missionaries (The Scott’s) will meet us and take us to some shops.  Sister Scott has a meeting at 2:00 with the Primary Presidents from the three branches in Mombasa, so it will depend upon what time we can arrive there.

Early Tuesday morning was the last time it has rained, thank goodness.  Twelve days straight of rain was really starting to get to me!  I’m still hopeful for clear weather on Saturday so I can go to Ternet’s village.

Pauline, Samuel’s sister and owner of my house, came to stay here for two weeks from Germany.  She arrived Tuesday morning, but she discovered she had to take care of some business in Nairobi, so she flew out this morning.  She’ll be back late Sunday night.  Samuel had to meet her there, so he is taking a bus today to Nairobi.  He won’t be back until late Friday, so I won’t have an ascari for two nights.  I hope I don’t have any weird creatures coming into my house that I have to deal with on my own!

Well, that’s about it for now,

Kadi