The Heavens Opened...

Last night it began raining in Nairobi, and it didn't stop. We got a whole day of rain! Good rain. The kind that pours off the edges of the roof outside and leaks through the ceiling of Will's house. The kind that forms puddles that don't dry up right away. It was a good day in Nairobi. A wet day, bringing hope that maybe Kenya won't be in drought forever.

Lunch, Blood, and Flying Kites

It was a regular day at school, as I walked to get my lunch. As usual, I stood in line with the kids to get my deli sandwich overflowing with veggies. The lunch lady, who has my order memorized by now, put a plate on top of my lunch and handed it to me. She always gives me two plates, so I can cover my lunch with one to protect it from the kites (one of the many types of birds that hang around Rosslyn campus). On many occasions these pesky birds have been known to swoop down and take apples, sandwiches, and any other food they can grab right out of a child's hand. This particular day, I was the victim. While walking from the lunch line to the teacher's lounge, a kite swooped down out of nowhere and tried to get my plate-covered lunch! Luckily, my lunch was protected and spared from the kite's talons. But my hand was not! A little blood and a pounding heart were the only results, however. I guess living in Africa has to entail a little danger now and then.

No Subject

I know I've been a horrible blogger. I'm so sorry. As most of you know, I've been a bit distracted lately. Something about a handsome man I know... :) So as I sit on the computer tonight, I thought I'd just give a random update on life in Kenya. This is not a usual blog post - no subject or point and unfortunately, no pictures. Just want to say I'm still here and I haven't forgotten my blog fans.

The Water Crisis... It is so dry here! Crazy dry! All the Masai men are bringing their cows into town because there is no grass in the valley for them to graze on. The other day on the way to church we got in a jam - a cow jam. No other cars were around, just a herd of cows we couldn't get past. They were so skinny with their ribs sticking out. The water crisis is hitting Rosslyn campus as well. There is no more city water coming our way and the big borehole is empty. We have a little water left in the smaller borehole on campus, but once that runs out, we're out of water. What does that mean? No showers, no drinking water, no flushing toilets. Possibly they might have to close down the school if we can't buy water to fill the tanks. We'll see. Please pray for rain in Kenya. My lush part of Kenya is turning into a dry and yellow landscape. We need rain!

My class... Loving them! I have a great group of kids this year that I am thoroughly enjoying. It was a tough start to the year for me because I was pretty worn out from a busy, traveling summer. But this class has helped me get back in my teaching groove, and I'm loving it. We're back to singing about nouns and dancing to multiplication hip-hop. I still love this job!

I'll add more updates later. Sorry for being a lame blogger lately. Love you all!

Only in Kenya...

In North America you have "snow days" - days when you unexpectedly don't have school. In Kenya we don't have snow, but we have random national holidays that are determined the day before. Last week, Tuesday was declared "Census Day" and everyone in Kenya got excused from work. We found this out on Monday, when the government declared that they needed more than four hours on Monday night to go from door to door throughout Kenya to count people. So Tuesday, as we sat at home because almost every place was closed down for this national holiday, the census people came by with their notepad, asked us questions (including "Have you ever had an abortion?"!), and marked the door with chalk to show that they'd come by our house. The funniest part was that I didn't even count as a resident of my house because I spent the night at a friend's house the night before. Census Day... Obama Day... I'll take all these holidays anytime! :)

Another random note... The other day at work I got an email stating that "the school fields are being sprayed with diesel, so be aware." Why diesel? To get rid of termites, which burrow into the ground. Think that solution would work in America? I think not, especially being sprayed during the school day with kids about. You gotta love Kenya... no OSHA!

Back to School!

There are things I always like about the start of school... The rows of school supplies that fill the stores. The warm days of summer still lingering. The fresh smell of new textbooks and curriculum. Unfortunately, none of these things start the school year in Kenya. School supplies in Nairobi are mostly found at one store. The warm days of summer don't come till October, and believe it or not it's COLD! And our textbooks and curriculum are on a sea-faring container somewhere on the Kenyan coast waiting to get through customs. However, some things always remain the same about the start of school and remind me why I am a teacher.

My 18 students arrived two weeks ago with eager, smiling faces. Some were a little nervous, others excited to be the "top dogs" of the elementary school. My students come from seven countries: Madagascar, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, U.S., Canada, Ethiopia, and Korea. They speak six different native languages and have lived in more places than I can name. We're off to a great start in my new huge classroom! This is the biggest classroom I've ever taught in. It's amazing. I even got to paint a couple walls red for a homey-feel. We're in the middle of place-value to the billions, editing our own work, and researching Native Americans. So far this year is looking like another great one!