Definitely a New Year

Hopefully those of you who read my blog haven't given up hope of me ever posting another one and are still checking in every now and then. Three months went by fast. Let's see, in the last school term of 2007 I managed to piss off a lot of people. I told the deputy headmaster at my school that he was worthless as a teacher at our school in a staff meeting. Since then, he, his girlfriend (another teacher), and pretty much the entire office staff hates me. He even took time out to tell me that he was in his "own country", an attempt to scare me, I suppose. I'll try to keep you guys updated on that soap opera as it unfolds this year.

Also, as you know, I went home to Texas for 3 weeks. It was really good to see all my Texas friends and family, eat Mexican food on a daily basis, see some good bands, visit Austin, drive a car again, and all those other wonderful things that don't sound so wonderful, but are. When I first arrived in the Chicago airport I was like a little kid looking at shiny objects. I'm sure people had a good laugh at my expense when I started tearing up drinking my first good beer in over a year. It was emotional. Then my euphoria ended when I discovered my camera had been stolen. Welcome home! All my plans for a long, boring slideshow were ruined. Luckily I had saved all the photos on a friend's computer here in Kenya just before I left, so at least I didn't lose them for good. Guess I'll have to postpone the slideshow for 2008! Clear your calendars for December, people.

After a few delays, I made my way back to Kenya refreshed and just in time to celebrate Christmas. I "didn't" climb a certain mountain and watch the sunrise on Christmas morning from the summit. But, I know some people who did and they said it was amazing. Very difficult and cold, but definitely worth it. Is what they told me. Then, I had planned to go out to the coast to celebrate New Year's, but in between Christmas and New Year's the country had some political issues, which I won't go into. We also had a death at the school. Probably the ONLY person in the office who didn't hate me, passed away from liver cancer. Grace, our secretary, was one of the first Kenyans to show me true hospitality in my village and I miss her. Every time I had visitors she would invite us over for a huge meal, followed by Latin American, English-dubbed soap operas, which she and her friend provided hilarious commentary for.

Anyhow, after being turned away from the coast-bound bus stations, I complained to my supervisor (the best Kenyan alive) about not being able to travel and she told me, "Oh, the buses from this area can't possibly go to the coast... they'll be burned." Then I stopped complaining and thanked several gods that I wasn't able to get on a bus. We were all told to stay put for what seemed like forever. Currently, all of the volunteers from Western, Nyanza and Rift Valley provinces have been evacuated and we're all just waiting to see what happens next.

On the bright side, my school opened today! Not that I'm in the mood to start working again after such an extended break, but it will be good to see all my students again (when they finally arrive... possibly this week or next). Although, I found out earlier today that the reason I had no electricity yesterday was because one of our new students decided to play with the power switches in the office. I love children! And somehow, I really mean that. Well, I'll try and keep my blog updated and you guys be sure to post comments. It makes me feel better and you all know how I crave approval. Take care. I'll do the same. Love you, Libby

Nitakuja Kutembelea!

I can't believe September is already over! Already in the middle of the third term and it'll be November 28 before I know it! For those of you who don't know, I will be home for three whole weeks in December. (Thanks, dad!) I am really excited to come home! Probably too excited. Lately I've been feeling pretty tired. Of Kenya. I thought that people in other parts of the world might be less concerned with personal gain and more focused on community. Well, I don't know what I think anymore. I guess I think that one thing is universal... above all else, look out for yourself. Depressing view, I know. Sorry to start my blog off like that, but I can't be sunshine and rainbows all the time. And for those of you who know me well, you know that I am usually full of... sunshine.

I know what you're asking yourself... hey, Libby, why are you using the internet on a Thursday afternoon when you should be in class working? Good question... you guys are very bright. Well, instead of teachers teaching and children learning, my school thinks it would be more beneficial (financially) if everyone harvested maize instead. So, the children have been working since 6:00am in the field and will continue to work until it's all done. That means, harvesting, threshing, cultivating, planting, fertilizing, and whatever else you can think of. Granted, this work needs to be done, but my school gets money from the government and "the whites", so why not just hire people to do it? Oh, wait, because if we spend less money on labour, we can put more money in our fat, little pockets. In fact, I've only taught one day this week because... Monday, I went to a pointless meeting which lasted all day... Tuesday, break-dancing missionaries visited my school... and the rest of this week and probably the beginning of next week will be spent in the field. And in case you're wondering, I did help thresh maize for 3 hours this morning, but was growing increasingly bitter about it, so I left. Alright, I had better end this blog before I go off on another rant. I'll try and remember to write some positive things down before I write my next blog so I won't sound like a cranky, old woman. Even if I am. :)

On Holiday

I don't know whether to feel honored or concerned that my blog has inspired people to look into joining the Peace Corps. Maybe I should read it again and become re-inspired. And maybe "inspired" is a strong word. But, if I can influence people to join Peace Corps, maybe I should try and influence people to send me stuff too. Hmmm... I'll try and work in some subliminal messages about mac-n-cheese and hair gel.

Well, I'm still happy doing my thing here in Kenya, but I'm a little stressed out these days. Then again, I don't feel quite right unless I'm at least a little stressed. I know, I have problems. So, the 2nd school term of the year just ended and you would think that's reason to celebrate, right? I mean, a month off is pretty sweet, eh? Well, that's where you're mistaken, friends! First, I was somehow suckered into organizing a Parents Workshop at my school. Apparently the volunteer before me sponsored a previous workshop and planned everything herself... something I respect, but don't care to do myself. So now it's a constant struggle to get other teachers to pretend they care, find out how many are planning to attend, locate Deaf adults and interpreters to participate, and, and, and...

Then I found out that class 8 was staying at school this month to prepare for the KCPE... an exam to "graduate" from primary school. And since I'm one of the class 8 teachers, I was automatically put in charge of teaching for a week. Some days until 10pm. Well, I suppose I'll get through this month somehow. And just in time for the 3rd term to start! Hooray!

Well, this has been a positive blog! It seems like whenever I have an opportunity to write about what's happening in my life, I can't control the endless stream of bitching that comes out. Usually I subject other PCVs to my complaining, but I haven't seen any for a while, so you guys will have to take over. Sorry. Send me mac-n-cheese. Anyway... on a happy note, I may be coming home for a visit in December. That's a big maybe, but I'm going to try. To help sponsor the "Libby Misses Mexican Food" Fund, please send checks and money orders to... crap, I'm not allowed to put my address on this blog! Oh well, I'll just have to make money opening a little shop and selling the exact same thing as the shops right next to mine. That's how they make their fortunes here and who am I to argue with it? Thanks to the people who reply to my blogs. It encourages me to write more of 'em. Maybe I'll see some of you soon! Nice time, Lib.

Tacos

I realize I've been less than diligent about my blog postings these days. And I would say I'm sorry, but I'm not sure who I would be apologizing to since I don't know who reads this crap anymore. Well, somehow the second term is almost over already. Just 3 weeks left! So here's just a few of the things that have been going on the last several months... salsa dancing with my dad in Nairobi, starting a health class with my students at night, losing a tug-o-war, finding a great place to get tacos, and purchasing a space heater.

So, my dad came in early May and we had a great time. The only thing that sucked was that I had to work and was suddenly aware of how very boring my life is at times. Not much for entertainment in my village. But, I was proud of my dad... he did everything I did. He slept at a noisy hostel in Nairobi, rode in uncomfortable passenger vans all over Kenya, took bucket baths and even went to class to see me teach.

The health class is always one of the highlights of my week. I teach classes 7 & 8, boys one night and girls another. So far, I've taught about reproductive organs, menstruation, consequences of early pregnancy... things like that. I never thought I could get so comfortable teaching teenagers about sex, but it didn't take long. The very first night I taught the boys, one asked me... if a boy has sex with a goat, will he die? As I was trying to think of an answer another boy volunteered that he was sure that the goat would be the one to die. How can argue with that? Lately, we've been doing some dramas involving saying "no" to sex or sex without a condom. The girls got really into it and wanted to compete with the boys for who gave the better responses. Of course, the girls won. I'm pretty sure there is something ingrained within a boy's brain which makes it very difficult to even pretend they don't want to have sex. Either way it was fun for all.

Our 4th of July party was last weekend and was amazing! Hamburgers, hot dogs, keg beer, American music, free prizes, a mechanical bull and as mentioned earlier... a tug-o-war. Which we lost. But, in our defense, it was against Kenyans in military uniforms and combat boots. We were in flip-flops and had been given large quantities of free alcohol prior to the competition. It's the American way, right? Sure, we know we can't win, but we might as well drink and remain in denial as long as possible until we lose!

Not sure I really need to go into detail about the tacos. It's TACOS! In Kenya! Enough said.

Regarding the seemingly ridiculous purchase of a space heater, I assure you it was money well spent. I wear trousers (sometimes with tights under them), 3 shirts, a jacket and a scarf. And I'm still cold. Luckily, the majority of the year I enjoy perfect weather, so I can't complain as much as I would like to.

Well, I have to get home. I'm in Nairobi right now and it's getting late. Last time I left late from Nairobi I got home in the dark and my supervisor gave me a huge hug when she met me... as if she was sure I wasn't going to make it back alive. I prefer to be naive and wander around pretending I can blend in, but I don't want to make her worry. :) That was a joke, mom. Take care, all. Libby

Drama-queen of the Nile

So, either I am a complete wuss or rafting is the scariest thing I’ve ever subjected myself to. It is an informal tradition that PC Kenya volunteers go to Uganda at least once in their 2 years to raft the Nile, so I had plenty of warning and yet, I still chose to go. I asked many volunteers who had gone previously about their experiences and every single one told me the same thing… “I thought I was going to die.” And now I believe them because I also thought I was going to die. Allow me to start from the beginning. We left for Uganda from Nairobi on a large, comfortable bus we had rented. On the 12-hour ride there, I had 6 separate items fall from the luggage rack onto my head at various times during the trip… one which caused a bloody nose. I should have taken this as a sign.

The next day we split up into groups of 6 or 7 people, each with a guide accompanying the groups on a raft. We got in, I took a deep breath and thought to myself, “I’m on the fucking Nile!” Then our guide told us to jump in. After practicing a few commands and survival tips we started to get prepared for our first rapid. However, before our guide had a chance to tell us what to do, a girl fell out of one of the other boats and was heading straight for… what was most likely death. (Oh and if anyone has done this shit before and is laughing at my naivety right now, screw you ‘cause this was my first time.) Anyhow, our guide had told us earlier that if he started yelling that it was pretty serious and here he was yelling before we had even begun. He told us to pull the girl into our raft before she went down the rapid and luckily we managed to do so, but we ended up going down the class 5 backwards and completely unprepared. Another volunteer later said that while he was under the water for what seemed like far too long he started thinking, “If only I were unconscious, this would be a lot easier.” My feeling was a tad more panicked, but along those lines.

For the rest of the trip my group managed to stay in the raft on almost every rapid… even the one called the g-spot, which our group was later named after. Ok, self-named, but seeing as we were all girls it only seemed appropriate. Later on, a guy went down a waterfall sans-raft and we all watched in horror as he was continuously sucked back under it and the rescue team was finally able to reach him. In the end, we all survived and can add rafting the Nile to the list of stupid things we’ve done, but would do again because it was amazing. Except for me, ‘cause I’m lame.

20-Something

Seems to be getting more and more difficult to access the internet these days, so I apologize. I usually have too much work to do after school to make it into town on the weekdays, so now I only go on weekends. One of the teachers recently suggested that classes 7 & 8 should stay in class until 4:00. Guess who teaches classes 7 & 8? I'll give you a hint... it's not him. Also, I've started "teaching" computer classes 3 days a week. Most of the kids have never touched a computer before, so right now I just let them play around with Word and the games programs. Still loving my job though. Ups and downs just like anything else. One day a few weeks ago, I was teaching my class 8 about weather forecasting. I had bought a thermometer in Nairobi and explained that a long time ago people didn't have equipment to help them predict the weather so they would observe their surroundings. One thing people noticed was that when there were lots of butterflies it meant that there was going to be a hot, dry spell. The next morning when I went to class, someone must have forgotten to close the window because the room was filled with different colored butterflies. Then one of my students asked if that meant it was going to be hot and dry. (Up) I also discovered that the thermometer had been broken. (Down)

This term is definitely flying by though. Less than a month left and so much to do... 1. I want to put something together for the parents to take home that might help them communicate better with their children (haven't even started it yet)... 2. Lots of plans in March like visiting a nature park, dinner plans, etc. and 3. I'm getting ready for Kyle to visit! If there's one thing Kenyan's know how to do best it's making a guest feel welcome and they definitely want Kyle to feel welcome. In fact, one of the other teachers even has plans to "steal" him from me... that might be taking it a bit too far. I told her "good luck", but I didn't mean it.

So as many of you know I am now officially in my late-20s, as I just "celebrated" my 27th birthday. First I would like to thank everyone that sent me birthday wishes by mail, text message, phone and by attending the "1st Memorial Libby Poker Championship". It's definitely the first time a party has been held in my honor and I wasn't able to attend. On my actual birth-day (a Wednesday) I hung out with a fellow PCV, had a few celebratory drinks, ate some cake and went to bed before 11pm... which was more than I had expected so I was pretty happy. And again, I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of cards and phone calls I received. It really meant a lot to me to be reminded that I am loved even from so far away. Well, I don't want to make you guys get all misty-eyed at work... as I'm sure that's where most of you are reading this!

So, last weekend the Deaf VCT visited the school and there was all sorts of drama. One of the boys got up and told one of the counsellors that a group of kids had told him that he wasn't allowed to join in their church service because they thought he had AIDS. The counsellor got so upset that she started crying, went outside to get a stick and threated to beat them all. Then the headmaster got involved and told them that God was very angry with them and that gossip was the work of Satan. Fun day. Well, sorry to leave you with that story, but I need to go. If there's anything specific that you guys want to know, just post a comment and I'll do my best to keep you informed. This blog is as much for you as it is for me, so I want to know if there's something I'm leaving out... bathroom details, my diet, popular rap stars, how my hair looks after 6 months (not great)... just let me know! Take care! Love, Lib

Madam Libby

So, it’s been about a month since my last blog and I apologize. I’m certain all of you eagerly await my latest update and I would hate for any of you to loose sleep. :) Well, I’ve finally started teaching… talk about a 24/7 job. In addition to teaching 40 classes a week (English, Math, Science, Social Studies and P.E), I also am in charge of the library & computer lab, I’m supposed to start a computer club and an art club, I interpret for the kids in church on Sundays (sometimes) and I tutor in between all of that. I am pretty much always exhausted and have been given the Kikuyu name “Nyakio”, which supposedly means “person who is always busy”, but I suspect it really means “person who doesn’t know Kikuyu and never will.” But, enough complaining… I seriously LOVE my kids. If I’m not teaching or doing some kind of work, I am with them. I teach classes 7 & 8 (7th and 8th grade), but their ages range from about 14 to 20. The only problem is that I really just want to be their friend and not so much their teacher. I just want to play with them and tell stories with them and learn everything there is to know about them. It’s funny, because in class they are “all business” and very quiet, but as soon as class is finished they become these amazingly unique and expressive people. On Friday nights they hold their own church service in the dining hall and it is incredible. As most of you know, I’m not really one for church, but to see these kids sign stories with such emotion is just beautiful. I guess another problem is that I find myself not wanting to leave my school compound to go out and meet people in my community. Being with my kids is where I feel the most comfortable and have the most fun. Unfortunately, I have to leave for an entire week at the beginning of February for some Peace Corps training thing. Although I don’t mind the break, I don’t really want to leave. Plus, traveling in Kenya isn’t always the most relaxing of activities. Sometimes just finding a vehicle takes hours and then as soon as you find one you can’t wait to get off of it because the person next to you is mostly in your lap and there’s a live chicken under your seat. Oh crap, I’m complaining again. Sorry. Well, I need to get back home to get ready for school on Monday and to try and evict my new roommate (a.k.a. a bat). Wish me luck. Oh, and if anyone sees any books on teaching deaf children how to read, send them my way! Take care. Miss & love. Libby

A Whitey Christmas

What do you get when you combine 8 volunteers, 2 single beds, a safari, David Hasselhoff, an assortment of spirited beverages, a tree branch, and several rainy days? A very Peace Corps Kenya Christmas! Or at least a lot of dirty, tired people who have had one of the strangest holidays of their lives. And yet, it was still a good one.
Matt, Jeane and Keith decorated the tree branch for our Christmas tree and made snowflakes out of a cell phone manual. Kyle mailed me the Hasselhoff super fantastic activity fun book which provided much entertainment. Keith was temporarily lured away by a promise of cookies, which then turned out to be intestines, which he ate. Erin was eternally dirty and every time she washed something and put it out on the clothesline it started to rain (I blame her for the rain). I gave Matt a "Kill Whitey" tattoo, Jeane took her bra off & pledged to marry a tout*, Ellen scared away the wildlife, Kristen made sure we all remembered to eat and Caitlin recorded it all for future blackmailing opportunities. I even managed to stay up all night Christmas eve playing poker and finally went to bed at 7:30am Christmas day. Then I got up, ate ramen (twice) and was back in bed before dinner. Merry Christmas to me! The day after Christmas we found someone to drive us around Aberdares National Park...
Unfortunately, it was still raining and most of the animals weren't wiling to get wet for the sake of having their pictures taken. Jerks. However, we did see lots of water buffalo, baboons, a hyena, warthogs, cranes and possibly a magical gazelle. And although we have some good footage of a water buffalo charging our vehicle, the drive around the park was much scarier. Steep hills, an enormous amount of mud and a navigator that had very little sleep made for an exciting day. Now all we have to do is rest up and get ready for the New Year! Happy holidays everyone! [*tout: a pushy man, usually dressed in maroon, that is in charge of stuffing people into a small passenger van and collecting the fare.]

Swearing in Kenya

Well, I've officially sworn in as a volunteer and promised my first born to Peace Corps. Suckers. Swearing-in consisted of two days in Nairobi visiting the American Embassy, going to the Ambassador's house for a bbq and of course, going out to celebrate. (See Beth and Katie!)So, now I am on my own at my permanent site and have a little less than a month until school starts. What does one do while living in a tiny village in Kenya with an entire month of "free" time, you ask? Well, it's about time someone asked. Since I do live in a tiny village, I typically travel about 40 minutes to the nearest town to buy things for my house... you know, furniture and fancy stuff like that. I've also been visiting nearby volunteers here and there and had a few over to my place to make cookies and pizza.

Last week I went to see another deaf ed volunteer who has been here a year and we were invited to an Indian wedding... in Kenya. Well, I should say we were invited to day one of the bride's celebration. Apparently, it's a four day affair and the groom was having a separate party across the country. We arrived at about 9:30pm (which is way past our bedtime now), ate delicious food and watched everyone dance. Unfortunately, there seems to be quite a bit of discrimination against the Indian population here, so they are a very close group of people. You would think that there may be some Kenyans invited to a wedding in Kenya, but no.

Then last weekend I got my first initiation into the deaf community in my area. The deaf VCT (Voluntary Counselling and Testing) mobile unit from Nairobi showed up at my school unexpectedly. One of the counsellors is a former student at my school and since they were planning to do a presentation to a deaf group nearby they stopped in to say hello to some of the teachers. I went with them to visit a deaf man living in my village who has TB and ended up interpreting for the man's family because they don't sign. I sucked, but I tried. The following day I went into town and attended a deaf church service and stuck around for the VCT presentation. Then I got tested and finally went home at about 5:00.

Well, I'm using one of the other volunteer's computers to write this, so I had better go. There are a few types of cell phones here that have internet access and if you hook them up to your laptop you can spend hours and hours pretending you're far away. So, I'm glad I didn't bring a laptop and have no money or else I would get nothing done. Plus it's just strange when you can access the internet in your living room, but have no running water in your bathroom. But, welcome to Kenya.

Givin-Thanks

I found it difficult to try and explain the concept of Thanksgiving to Kenyans. Not because they won't understand it, but because I don't want to tell them it's another American holiday based around gorging ourselves with food and watching television. Luckily, Peace Corps respects this tradition and therefore arranged for us to stay with American families living in Nairobi for a few days. It is sort of like being on another planet because it doesn't quite feel like America and it definitely doesn't feel like Kenya. I went from living in a house with no running water & a charcoal stove to staying in a two-story condo with 5 bathrooms & free internet access in a matter of hours. I would compare it to the Twilight Zone (which, by the way, I watched last night and was surprised to find out it was pure crap... did anyone ever think that was a good show?). Anyhow. The woman that was kind enough to take us in for Thanksgiving has quite an incredible life... which she probably doesn't want me to divulge in this blog. However, I will say she is a civil engineer (coincidence?) and a very gracious hostess. She doesn't cook (because she has better things to do, and who doesn't?), so we went to another family's house for Thanksgiving dinner last night and I ate until I thought I would throw up. It was sweet. I meant to take pictures of the food so that I could look back at them in 6 months and cry myself to sleep, but I was too overwhelmed and besides, I wouldn't have been able to shovel food in quite as fast with a camera in one hand. The picture is of Daphyne (PCT), our hostess, and myself. Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and believe me, I gave thanks for having all of you in my life (well, not the people who just randomly found my blog, but I'm sure you're good people, too).