Happy Thanksgiving!

The trip to Loitoktok was long (and bumpy.)  We took a six hour bus ride to Emali and from there we were transported to Loitoktok via Peace Corps SUVS.  The latter portion of the commute was a pretty intense off-road ride.  We did, however see several giraffes and zebras but nothing like the wildlife the other group saw en route earlier in the week.  Still hoping to see some lions.

Loitoktok is a beautiful town.  It is nestled in the hills at the base of Mount Kilimanjaro along the Tanzania border.  I’m hoping to get a nice panorama shot of the mountain soon.  The weather is perfect, especially knowing that it is winter back home.  I would guess it has not been hotter than 75 degrees and it cools down to the fifties at night.  It does rain often though since we are in the mountains and as a result the roads turn into mudslides.

Of course Thanksgiving is not celebrated here in Kenya but fortunately we do get the day off and it could not have come at a better time.  One of the many Peace Corps slogans is “The Toughest Job You’ll Ever Love.”  I am beginning to see that it really sums it up so far.  Many of the conversations with the other trainees in the last few days have been about how stressed out we are.  We haven’t really gotten a chance to take a break until today.  Ever since we landed in Nairobi we’ve been on a strict schedule.  We are learning two different languages at the same time, and furthermore we may also have to learn an additional language if a different language is spoken at our sites.  In addition, most of us have very little if any experience as a teacher, so we are also getting a crash course in learning how to be a teacher.  I’ve heard how stressful it is for my friends back in La Crosse who majored in education, well I’m learning how to be a teacher to deaf children in a different country all in seven weeks.  We will not only be teaching them sign language, but also their regular curriculum from English to science.  Not to mention we have had to adjust to life with a Kenyan family.  So yeah, we’re all pretty tired.

Later today, all of the trainees and  staff from the US are going to get together and have a Thanksgiving Feast.  Of course, this will most likely amount to just beans and ugali but at least it will be relaxing.  But first,  I am going to take some time to relax here on my bed underneath my mosquito net, listen to some Shoeless Revolution and tell you about my new family.

I heard some crazy stories like the aforementioned chicken decapitation, or a story about a snake devouring a cat.  So, I was a little nervous before I met my family.  In order for a family to qualify to host a trainee, they must meet the following criteria.  They must have someone in the family that speaks English, there must be a bedroom for the trainee that has a cement floor with a window and a lock on the door.  Other than that, anything goes.  But thankfully, I have been one of the lucky ones.  My family is awesome.  The house is solidly built and clean.  I feel very safe here.  It is also not too far from our training site.  Some of the other trainees have to walk an hour to training everyday, whereas it only takes me about 20 minutes.  My parents are very outgoing and relaxed.  Every evening we have a cup of tea and discuss the differences between our two cultures.  At first there was a substantial communication barrier because I am not used to their accents, but we’ve progressed in the last few days.  The best part is that I have three brothers!

I’ve always wanted a brother and now I have three!  They are ten, seven, and four years old.  The oldest one, Brian has been helping me learn Swahili and I’ve been teaching him some KSL.  The other two, Derrick and Tony, do not speak English, but they still are a blast to play with.  Everyday I come home from training and before I reach the house I can hear the commotion from them horsing around with each other.  They are always curious to see what I am up to.  If I’m in my room for a while, it won’t be long before they knock on the door and ask me to play or go for a walk.  If I study or read on the couch in the living room, they’ll pile up next to me or on my lap and of course, will want to play again.  I’m hoping that the weather is nice today so I can show them how to play frisbee.  Now that I am settled in one place for a while, I will hopefully be able to consistently write about my life here with my new family.

Welp, time to go take a bucket bath.

Be thankful, you get to take a real shower and enjoy pumpkin pie today!