Random Moments

A few random moments which I hope can bring you some laughs and smiles

Locks in Kenya are almost all padlocks. I have a padlock to lock my front door and another that I use to lock my bedroom door. A major downfall of padlocks is that you can lock them even when you have NO IDEA where the keys are. I had a lovely run in with this fact. The other morning I woke up and got ready for school as usual and then headed off to school, I locked my room and then froze, realizing too late that I had just locked my purse, phone and keys in my room. I contemplated scaling the walls of my room since they dont reach my roof (there is no ceiling between my walls and tin roof), but first I attempted to reach the keys through my bedroom window. All my windows have bars on them so this was no east feat, but thanks to another teacher who happened to be walking by, we were able to get a branch from a tree and scoop up by purse from the window... crisis averted.

Transportation is a constant source of entertainment here in Kenya. I've described matatus previously on my blog, but matatus are rare between Migori and my village of Bande. Instead, there are station wagons which are called olwendas (cockroach in Luo). All these station wagons are in some sort of disrepair, whether its cracks in the windshield, spares on the tires, duct tape holding parts in place, and none of them have doors which you can open from the inside. Now, when you think about a station wagon you are probably thinking that they seat 4 passengers plus a driver. Well, you are mistaken. These olwendas can carry 16 adults if the need arises (and the need seems to arise on every trip). How is this accomplished you might ask? Well, the driver routinely shares his seat with another passenger, two more passengers share the front seat, 5 adults cram in the middle seat and 6 are in the trunk. Oh, thats only 15? I must have forgotten to mention that the tout is sitting on the window sill of the front seat, legs in the car but with his body outside while he holds onto the roof. There are also numerous combinations of adults and children that can cram into the olwendas, and dont forget the chickens and yes, even goats, which occasionally also make the trip!

Trousers vs pants. Friends vs coworkers.

Oh cultural differences and the never ending language barrier that inevitably turns into an embarrassing moment for the mzungu. Here in Kenya when you talk about pants you are actually talking about underwear, when you want to say pants you have to say trousers or you have just made a rather embarrassing social blunder. Also, there is no such thing as a man and a woman being friends here. If you are just friends with a person of the opposite sex you say they are your coworker, classmate or some other descriptor which explains how you know them. If you say that you are friends with someone of the opposite sex it means you are having a love affair with them. During our cultural training all the trainees were told all of these things, but that doesnt mean its not easy to slip up here. During my first life skills class I had my form 1 students ask me all the questions that they had about America. The questions that I get asked are always entertaining (maybe I'll include a blog listing all those questions), but one was about whether students in America wear uniforms to school. I answered with most dont, but schools have a dress code. When they asked what I used to wear to school I say just pants and a shirt... OOPS! I meant trousers and a shirt, but it was too late the class had already burst out laughing at my mix up! The students also wanted to know about the 2 other Peace Corps volunteers in the area, both of which happen to be male. I told them what schools they work at and their names, then a student asked if either one of them was my friend. I answered, without even thinking about it, "Of course! They're both my friends!" OOPS!!!! No, I meant they are both my coworkers, we get along well... but, too late the class was already in stitches again!

Being a mzungu in rural Kenya for awhile now, I am no longer phased by being stared at, poked and prodded by interested children or by making a fool of myself, it all comes with the territory! Just like we were told in training, our sense of humor will really come in handy over there 2 years!