Sorting Rice for the last time, YEAH

Sorting Rice last day January 31

So we sit here and we sort through the rice because it’s not as clean as rice back in the states. Everytime a woman comes in she says hi to everyone. “ASAI” is said and we shake hands. Here in Kenya shaking hands is like breathing, you just do it. Now I’ve been here long enough woman are beginning to ask me what I like about Kenya. Well that’s a loaded question to start with. There is a lot I like about Kenya. Then they ask what is my favorite Kenyan food. Well, living with Alice I’ve had the opportunity to try many things Kenyan. Some of them I have no idea what they are called, but if I liked it I told Alice. The one thing that Kenyan that I don’t like is “UGALI.”  It’s not good, it has no flavor, it sits in your gut and doesn’t move anywhere. UGG I don’t like it, and I tell the Kenyans so. They usually laugh at me and say why, so I just tell them that food should have flavor and arouse your taste buds. Ugali doesn’t do any of those things for me. 

Now we are signing up for jobs at the wedding. When I say that the community comes together to put a wedding on, I ain’t lying! There are 30 women here. It’s kinda awesome that all of them agreeingly come together to do this for a family. Now some might wonder why is the grooms community doing all of this. Well, the answer is very simple. The groom is bringing his bride into his family/community so it is the responsibility of the grooms family to handle the wedding and reception. I’m not sure exactly what the brides family does aside from giving up the bride, getting the dress, and agreeing to the bride price which was 7 cows. And from what I understand they were very nice cows too!  I have no idea what job I’ll be assigned. Hopefully it won’t be anything to messy cause I had a dress made and it’s really nice and I don’t want to ruin it. 

Well I better end this post. Everyone is kinda looking at me as I type my heart out to finish this up.  I can’t wait for the wedding on Feb. 12.  Wait til the Kenyan’s see what I’ve purchased for the bride and groom. YES!!

OK next morning. I'm at school getting ready for my 8:55 class, well I'm really not getting ready as in I'm not in my office. LOL Anyway, got up a bit late today, I set my alarm but dummy me set it to go off on Sunday not everyday of the week. DUH... So I didn't take a shower and got my butt down here as fast as my short legs would carry me. 

One thing I love about Kenya. The way the day starts here is awesome. The sun is up, the air is crisp but not cold, and I can hear the farm animals and birds making noise. LOVE IT!! OH This Sunday the church where I"ve been going is going to start an all English service!!  YEAH, now that makes me happy.  At least I'll get the whole sermon and not just parts that I fit together on my own. That's way more thinking than I'm able to do on a Sunday morning. LOL.

making pie

Well today we made a Banana Cream Pie here in Kitale. Finding everything I needed was a challenge, not because it's not available but rather everything isn't called the same here in Kenya. For example, corn starch isn't corn starch, it's called corn flour. Who would have guessed? I'm anxious to see how it turns out.  The milk we used is fresh milk from Alice's cows. It's actually really good, but it's whole milk and not something I'm used to drinking.


Yesterday we went into town and it was interesting. Alice, it seems, knows everybody in town so she greets everybody and wants me to greet everyone. OY VE... Talk about smiling a lot. It's nice to meet people but it's a little much we you talk to everyone on the street. Here in Kenya it's considered rude to just say hi to someone. It is expected to stop and chat for a bit. Me, being the American I am not used to stopping and chatting up a storm.  But man oh man Alice is so good at it. LOL


OH funny thing I saw in town. A drivers training company called "Rocky Caution" I kid you not! I just about busted a gut. Some things are so funny here. OK then the other day I saw a guy riding a bike that's like a taxi and he had a huge woman on it and man he was strugglin' to get up the long hill. Cracked me up.

The Wind Through The Trees

Today is pretty windy, but it's beautiful outside. Edna keeps telling me the wind makes to much noise and it's way to windy, and I keep saying the opposite.  It's the perfect summer day here. It's not overly hot and the wind keeps the sun at bay by keeping the temp down. PERFECT!


Update of the guy that stole from me. Well I found out he took stuff from Jesse and other people here on the farm, so I'm not the only one. He hasn't come back yet, but Alice heard from him and he says he's on his way back. Boy, he's got a surprise coming. Alice is ready to throw him out on his ear, and he deserves it. I keep telling her we should make him clean out the chicken coop. Needless to say I'm anxiously awaiting his arrival, if he ever shows up that is.


Right now I'm sitting outside on a mat writing this blog. Edna is here along with 7 kids that live on Alice's property. As far as I can tell these kids don't go to school. Well I don't think 3 of them are old enough yet, but I'm not sure on that. Not sure why they aren't in school, but my guess is they are unable to pay the school fees and purchase the uniforms. Now these kids are crying and I asked Edna what was up. Apparenty these kids haven't been kind to each other saying things like, "you look like your mother's ____." So Edna is setting them straight with the help of a stick/cane. Well they are all getting in trouble now.  Now the tears are flowing. Edna told me we don't want them growing up thinking their behavior is OK, so she's disciplining them.  Glad I'm not doing it.   


My dog, Simba, was here a bit ago but she walked off somewhere and hasn't come back. OH here she is.  She's a good dog, well she is for me. The African's think I'm nuts cause I call to Simba and when she comes I pet her and praise her. Well maybe I am, but she's a good dog and I like her.

But it's not Cold!!

It's a lovely 75 degrees outside or there abouts, and Edna closes the window cause she says it's cold. OMG!! That's the way it is here in Kitale. The temperature hasn't gone above 90 yet, and yet all of the Kenyan's tell me it's so hot! Cracks me up! I tell them it's perfect outside and it's not to hot at all. I do however, realize that being so close to the equator I need to be careful outside in the sun, and so I am for the most part. lol


Today we went into town and I'm having made 2 dresses and 1 shirt. I'm going to a wedding and I need to look adorable, and the second dress is for Church. Then the shirt is just because I want one. I'm excited!!! OH and I just might wear one of the dresses to CPBC when I get back home. Once we got back home it was time for me to get to school and teach my 8th graders. Well I was a little late, but that's ok. I came in the classroom and started with the lesson. Then they had questions they wanted to ask. So I said sure ask away. These kids took exams yesterday and they had questions on some of the questions on the exam. They asked me about some vocabulary words, "seldom, harbor, debit, and a few others."  Well I went over each word with them and then they had to use them in a sentence. I tell ya, these are great kids. I just love them!! After school I headed home pretty quick. I wanted to get some stuff done, but I got derailed.


I was in the sitting room and I looked outside. What did I see you ask? Well I saw a 2 calves in the yard and I thought it was supposed to be in the pasture. Well boy was I wrong.  Edna had to call the cattle guy to come and get the calf away from it's mother because she's a milk cow. Then I was trying to round up the other calf to get put in it's large pen. Well I guess me and cattle don't get along cause I sure as heck couldn't get that calf into the right place.  It ended up first in a field where a bull was (big mistake) then the calf got into the pasture with the sheep. After that I gave up on trying to get it back to where it belonged. What can I say, I'm a city girl. DARN!!! These 2 calves are so darn cute! I named them Buster and Bruiser. LOL  Yes, I name the animals that I like. I haven't decided what I'm going to call the bull.  Maybe Rider, as in Bull Rider cause I bet no one has ever ridden that bugger!!  I wonder if Brendan Clark would give it a try? LOL

crickets and birds singing, oh and the occassional cow moo-ing

It's 7pm here in Kitale. Alice left this morning to go to church to pray and she said she would be back by 3:30. She's late. But then again that's not anything new. Time isn't that important to many Kenyan's, well the ones I've met so far at least. As Edna says, it's African Time! lol


Today I didn't go to school. The kids had exams all day long so there wasn't any point in me going. I'm glad I had this day just to take it easy. I sat outside in the shade and read for a long time. It was heavenly. I've found though that I love killing those pesky ants. There kinda big and black and brown. It's kinda fun to kill them and then tell them, "Not on my watch you don't." LOL


I just finished tea and biscuits. The biscuits are basically graham crackers but a bit sweeter and they go great with my chai tea. Well it's tea and the Kenyan's call it Chai for the most part.  Dinner won't be ready until 8 or 9pm.  Lunch was great. Edna made minced meat (hamburger meat) mixed with onions, tomatoes, cilantro, soy sauce, and I don't know what else and it was served with rice. OH and AVACADOS!!!! Did I tell you these are fresh just off of the tree? OH man are they good to eat!!!


Well it's time to close the windows and close the curtains. Can't let the bugs in you know.
Until next time, 

Church on Sunday

OK, so today at church the choir sang, like they always do. Well there's this one young man, I'd say he's probably 26 or so and the smile on his face is amazing. Why may you ask? Well, this young man, his name is Elvis, (I kid you not) is an orphan. His parents died years ago. He and his brothers are basically poor. I'm not sure if he has a job or not, but his brother Oliver is the Choir director at church. There are 4 sisters in the family, 2 are still home with the brothers. So if you think of them pray for this family. They are precious people and love the Lord.


During church the pastor preaches in Swahili and in English. He throws out English words here and there and I'm able to follow along with what he's teaching. It's actually fun because I have to pay attention and paying attention sometimes is difficult for me to do.  lol


When we got out of church there was a slight breeze blowing and it felt so good. Yesterday I had my hair braided. I think it looks silly, but the Kenyan's all seem to love it. The top of my head is sun burnt but it doesn't hurt so that's good. I plan to leave the braids in until tomorrow after school, then they are coming out.


The guy who stole some money from me will be home today. I think Alice is going to send him packing. I told her I wanted to have a chat with him and I will. I'm very disappointed in him and I know Alice is furious with him. As for being to hard on him, well I will be hard on him. #1 It's wrong to steal!, #2. You don't steal from friends and he said he was my friend. #3. I'm not the only one he has taken money from in this house. It's time he learns the value of stealing gets him nothing in return.


I must sign off now. My puter is running low on power and I must charge it before we lose power again. LOL

The Wedding is approaching

Today we went to Muttai's home for lunch and meet the guests that came up from southern Kenya (the Brides Family). This was a first for me. The groom bought 6 cows for the bride price and the family went to see the cows to make sure they were good cows. OK, now there were negociations going on as well, but I'm told an uncle handled that end for the Muttai family. I have no idea what was said, but apparently all went well today. The wedding is on Feb 12, and there are still a lot of work to be done to prepare the food. We are still sorting rice and we will butcher a steer and chickens soon. UM no I won't be doing any of the butchering. 


During the family gathering of both families apparently it's common for multiple members of the family speak about the upcoming wedding and what it means to the family and community. There are so many traditions here that we in America have no idea what they mean and how truly great they are. I love the fact that the family came up here to Kitale to see the cows, and then everyone (both families) gathered together and talked about the upcoming marriage. Everything was spoken in Swahili so I didn't understand a word. Well most of the day was in Swahili and therefore, I didn't understand the conversations going on around me. I kinda felt left out, but learning both Swahili and Kallegin is difficult. I get the two mixed up all the time. UGG.


After the Wedding thing, I walked home (it's not that far) but I stopped by school to see the kids. Being at boarding school I figured if I stopped by maybe the kids would like it. Well they sure did. Two girls ran up to me when they saw it was me and gave me hugs. Then the girls sang a praise song for me which was wonderful. When I left, I had to because the sun was setting and I had to get home before the sun went down, I heard Michael call my name, Madam Cait! So he came outside the gate and asked what I was doing, so I told him I was going home just up the road. Michael lives at the school and supervises the kids on the weekends (these kids even go to class on Saturday) Well being the sweet young man he is, he walked me to the gate to the field that I cross to come home. I thought it very sweet of him to do so. This week was special because #1 A boy carried my books for me, and #2. A young man walked me home.  OK, both are firsts for me.  I think I like it here!