My Site....

Well it has been a long past few days. Thursday I left with my principle to our school, Komotobo Primary School for the Deaf. It was a 6 our bus ride from Nairobi to Moggori and then another hour and a half car ride to my school.

I have to say it has been a very long past few days. I am out in the middle of no where. On the paper work I got on the school it said that I would have power. Well I don’t.....When it can to training on how to use a lantern in Loitokitok I kind of didn’t pay attention. So far the lanturne I bought yesterday is out of commission. I brook the glass. I think the wick was to high making the glass shatter... Ohh well. I am working off of candles and one flashlight.

And as fate would have it the battery operated lanturne I brought with my from America brook and the two other light forces I had I forgot in Loitokitok.

This is going to be a long long two years. I asked the man who lives a few houses down from me about the power situation. Apparently we have a generator and the put the power on for Saturdays and Wednesdays but it is broken and who knows when it will be fixed.

The other big thing I am having a hard time with is my house. I have never lived alone before. I was always living in the dorms at school or at home at my parents house. The people on either side of me are not here so it is just me. I hear creepy noises and it is hard to get used to. Just now I heard something flying up against the front wall. I am going to guess that is was a stray chicken but who knows considering that it is now night time and dark outside. This morning I woke up to something running outside my bedroom window. Considering that there is nothing but a fence back there I am still wondering what it was.

And then for some reason all of my rechargeable batteries don’t seem to be working and yes I just charged them..... I forgot to get batteries from town for my radio. That would have at least helped with the quiet.

Also this was the moment of ohh my gosh I am an Kenya.......I haven’t had that moment until the second night when I started wondering “What am I doing here out in the middle of no where with creepy noises and no power????” I got spoiled in Loitokitok with power and a big town environment that I was not ready for this. I will survive, lol....

On a good note I meet the children and can’t wait to start teaching. Monday we discuss what everyone will be teaching. I already know I will be teaching the upper classes 6-8. I told my principle I don’t have patience for the lower classes and he was fine with that! I can tell already I will get along just fine with the students. I have already turned into my teacher role of asking them questions and making sure they understand what I am saying. Also with telling them to pick up after themselves. I can’t wait to get started!

Today I spent that whole day cleaning my house. My theory is the cleaner the house the less bugs I will have. I have already cleared out all of the coach roaches I could find. They varied in sized from one and a half inches to very small. Hopefully they will be gone for a while. I used dome bug spray killer. It kills the bugs and there eggs! I also did a lot of laundry and am frustrated because I still have a lot more to do. Ohh well who knows when I will be able to catch up on laundry?

Anyway I have around an hours walk to church tomorrow so good night to everyone.

A Sad Sad Day...

Today has been very long. A Peace Corps car came to my house around 9:30 to pick up my bags....I have to say I had one more bag then what I came to Kenya with. Oh well.

My sister and I cleaned finished all of the cleaning. This included the laundry, filling the jerry cans in the house with water and cleaning them out, and moping the floors. Moping the floors is done quite differently here in Kenya. I have to bend at the wast and go back and forth with a wet towel. I moped the floors wile my sister did the laundry. Laundry is not my favorite thing to do in Kenya. It includes three different basins and lots and lots of scrubbing will bending at the wast.

When we were done I we got the kids ready to go. This includes bathing them and dressing them. One thing that I should say is that I am not the typical trainee. I have taken a very active role in my family. I am considered a daughter and member of the family. My sister Winnie is 17. Whatever she does I do. This is how I have learned to clean my clothes, cook, and clean the house. It is also how I have become truly part of the family. I am always doing something and helping with the kids.

Finally after Winnie was ready to go (She is always the last one ready because she takes a long time getting ready) everyone got into the car and we went by the shop to pick mama up. Edward my cousin stayed at the shop while we went to outward bound.

There we had a nice program to thank the families for everything they have done for us. We put together skits and speeches to show our appreciation. There was also lunch after that. Finally we took family pictures and said our good byes.

After everyone had left we had a short meeting then were told we were free for the rest of the day. Dinner was at 7:30 and then tomorrow breakfast is at 6am because we leave for Nairobi at 7am.

I then walked into town and meet my sister Winnie at the market. We preceded to do our normal shopping of food for the family. After that I took Winnie back to school shopping. Then we said our good byes. No matter how many times I say good by it never gets easier. I have become very close to my sister Winnie and will miss her greatly. It helps a little to know that she leaves on Tuesday to go back to her secondary school where she will be starting form 3. I will hopefully be able to make it back in April to see my family and sister again.

Today is a sad day because it represents a closure to a stage of my life that I will miss greatly and a beginning to a new adventure.

Now I just got done with a wonderful HOT shower and am thinking about either going to bed or going to see the movie that is on in the dining hall. Both are very tempting.

We leave for Nairobi tomorrow and then on the 6th we will be swearing in as official Peace Corps Volunteers. Then on the 7th we leave for our sites where we will be working for the next two years. It is all going so fast. Apparently our swearing in will be a big advent because we are celebrating 45 years of Peace Corps being in Kenya this year.