I guess I need to give a bit of an update. I’ve had internet problems recently and couldn’t get onto my blog…. Darn, it just happened again! I’ll have to post this tomorrow…
First of all, my last school day was last Friday. I took a couple of chocolate cakes to share with the faculty, and they acted like little kids. Even they don’t see a cake very often. I took Smarties from home and gave them to all the kids and faculty. They were all excited to get them. I made them promise that they wouldn’t throw the papers on the ground and told them how we don’t litter in America or we get fined if we are caught. They were dumbfounded by that! There are so few garage cans anywhere, and everyone throws all their garbage on the ground. They don’t ever even think about it.
Corner where I catch the school bus or matatus each day.
School bus - I didn't realize I had it on video, sorry about that!
Hezron, the bus driver with kids sitting right next to him.
Kids who sit up by the bus driver. (Less crowded than usual.)
As kids are leaving the bus, so there were actually more than this. They also have seats that fold down in the middle of the aisle. They would never pass our safety standards with all these kids crammed into the bus!
Abel works on the bus to help load the kids, then he works around the school yard as a gardener. He's the one who was cutting the grass in my previous video.
Class 6 (that's Lillah next to me)
Class 5 (My favorite because I worked with them the most.)
Class 4 (There are several "squirrels" in this class - smile.)
The faculty from Class 1 to Class 8 and the Head Mistress, Esther in the orange and pink. Mwangi (Class 6 math) is on the top row, far right; Job (Class 4 math) is left of me; Peter (Class 5 is on my right). Ternet is in the green - it was her village I visited. Baby Class, KG1, KG2 and KG3 teachers taught on the other side of the road by the church, so I didn't really see them much.
Rebecca, Class 2 Teacher, wasn't at school earlier when I took the faculty picture.
Class 8 started their exams today, so none of the other students will be going to school again until this Friday when their exams start. They will all finish on Nov. 18. The Head Mistress wants me to come back on Nov. 19 for their final day of celebration when they acknowledge the Candidates from Class 8 on their achievements. They also promote all the other students to the next class starting in January. The day goes from 9:00 to 1:00 or later and is supposed to be a really big day. I will enjoy seeing the students and faculty one more time before I leave. Everyone keeps asking me to come back and teach next year. I just say it’s not in my plan at this time, but who knows.
Now that time is running out here, many people I’ve become friends with are asking me the same question, “When are you coming back?” When I tell them the same thing I told the teachers, they all say, “No, you can’t just come and then leave us. We need to see you again!” I tell them I just may, I just don’t know right now.
Young Kenyan men see a mzungu woman and see dollar signs. I’ve had more than my share of marriage proposals, being asked to lunch, asked to become “their mzungu”, wanting my phone number, etc. Too bad they aren’t older, wiser, richer, members of my church, etc., etc. Oh well, life goes on.
Samuel and Grace now have until December to move out of their house here. I'm not sure if it will be the first or last of the month, but Grace is due the first part of January, so the timing will really stink no matter when it is. Samuel started doing a construction job today and will be paid 500 shillings/shift. That's about $5. He's decided to look ahead to figure out how he can manage to get out from under his debts and start to save money (based on things I've taught him about managing his money). He's working three shifts straight, so he won't be home until tomorrow night. I told him he'll burn himself out in a hurry doing that, but he thinks he can handle it. We'll see. Working construction straight for 24 hours doesn't make much sense to me. He'll come home around 7:00 pm tomorrow, then go back to work the next morning by 7:00 am. He'll make 1500 shillings in two days, which is huge for him, but I worry about the cost on his health.
Once Grace has the baby, she and the kids will go stay with her mother in Lamu. Samuel will stay here in a cheap apartment and work until he has enough to build a small house with mud, cement, and sticks on their shamba (garden) plot in Lamu. Then he'll move up there. He told me that he's been offered a mason job in Somalia for 30,000 shillings/month! He wants to take it, but he hadn't told Grace when he told me, so I don't know if that will happen. It will take him at least a month or longer to get a visa, etc. to go there. It's great pay, but I hate to think about him going to such a dangerous place. The job is subsidized by the United Nations. It's probably such good pay because no one would take the job otherwise.
I have to admit that I’m worried that all the progress they’ve made with the missionaries, reading their scriptures, and asking questions will come to a screeching halt in the above process. Samuel does still want to meet with the missionaries on Sundays after church, but it also means he’ll have to have money to pay for a matatu to and from church – Ksh120/person. He wants to take his whole family, which would cost 2,400 sh. for one month. That’s a huge part of his wages! Until I leave, he’ll at least be able to ride with Kenneth, but he feels (and rightly so) that he should be responsible to get his family to church. It’s just too bad that it’s so far away. There’s absolutely no room for all of Samuel’s, Kenneth’s, and Abraham’s families in one car. That’s 17 people!
I forgot to mention one thing about Pauline’s visit. There was ONE positive thing that came out of her visit – she got the hot water fixed! Now, I just have to get up ½ hour before I want to shower, turn a switch on in the kitchen, wait for 30 mins., and there you go – a HOT shower!!! I’m supposed to turn it off after my shower, so I still have to heat up my water to do my dishes, but it’s a major improvement over my cold showers, one body part at a time. The water here has lots of minerals and salt, so my hair never really feels clean, but again, it’s better than the salty sweat that I experience daily on my head and body.
I can’t believe it, but I only have 17 more days in Kenya! This time seems to have whizzed by! I’m just starting to learn the ropes, and now it’s almost over. Diane will be here on Thursday, and then I’ll have someone to go do all the “tourist” things with. I can hardly wait for that. We’ve talked about working in an orphanage for a week, but I also have a long list of other things I think will be fun to do.
It’s been so nice to see my nephew, Troy, and Louis again. Everything feels better when they are here. Unfortunately, Troy leaves on Weds., and Louis is leaving next week. I’ll miss them.
I’ve been talking to Henry, one of the ascaris at Shamba la Salama, about doing a Masaai dance for me. He’s the tallest Kenyan I think I’ve met, and he’s a Masaai. He offered to do it with about 10 of his Masaai friends. They are going to dance next Monday afternoon at Louis’. I’m so excited. I love their dancing! His friends all dance in the evenings at the hotels around here for all of the tourists. I’ll definitely have to put pictures of that on my blog!
Well, it’s off to bed.
Kadi
