Happy belated holiday season from East Africa! And happy 2011! Hope you all had a good one. Mine was not all that exciting. Just kinda made me miss home a little more.
Christmas was good: I had visitors here (some from my group, some from other education and public health groups) and we basically just spent the day at a resort. 800 shillings gets you a day at the infinity pool of Mnarani Club, which overlooks the ocean, and a fantastic buffet lunch complete with real steak and fresh salad and chocolate sauce and everything. So I got a decent sunburn and a delicious meal for Christmas. Things could be worse :)
New Year's was a little less exciting. We took a dow boat ride around Kilifi creek in the afternoon and had some really good fish and coconut rice on a super secluded beach. I went with a bunch of VSO volunteers who were in Kilifi on the coast for holiday vacation (VSO is sort of like an international Peace Corps, so there's always lots of fun accents). People in Kilifi are really nice and I'm happy there are other people like me around. So everyone met up at the bar afterwards for the countdown and stuff, but I was super lame and decided to just call it a night. It's a 100 shilling tuk tuk ride back to my house, another 100 back into town, and another 100 back after midnight. Also, when I get home late, the main gate to my compound is often locked with the guard nowhere in sight. So I have to trek through some woods to the other side of the compound, and jump another locked gate. It's just a hassle. And I was tired. Oh well. Just another year right?
Back to Christmas for a sec. I thought it would be worth mentioning that my 26 year old brother's favorite Christmas present was a Star Wars Lego set. What a dork. And his present to me was just as hilarious, but you need a little backstory: Since my brother doesn’t have a bedroom anymore he stays in mine when he comes home to visit. It’s the most out of the way, and has the most privacy in the house. Anyways, it’s my childhood bedroom, so I still have a lot of things in there from when I was little, including my American Girl doll, Molly. One time (I don’t remember when) I told Morgan to be careful because Molly likes to watch him sleep. I continue to remind him every now and then just so he’s on his guard. So he and my family, in their infinite weirdness, made this: http://mollywatchesyousleep.wordpress.com. I think everyone had just as much fun making it as I did viewing it. Thanks bro :)
So the holidays are over and I have to start teaching soon. I still don’t know what I’ll be teaching or what level, or exactly when school even starts. But I’ll figure it all out. Just takes some time. I finished painting the main room of my house and it almost looks like a real home now. My sofas came, I have pretty cushions for them, I have a real bed, and I’m getting a fridge in a few weeks. Things are slowly coming together. I am SO thankful that classes start soon and that I get to have a schedule. There is another sector of Peace Corps, Public Health, that I don’t think I could ever do. They basically have to figure out what they’re community is lacking, and fix it. I guess I’m a little self-motivated, but the thought of having to make my own schedule for 2 whole years is super scary. Thankfully I’m a teacher and don’t have to worry about that.
So I think that’s about all that’s going on right now. I sit by my fan most of the day, and spend the other parts of the day killing cockroaches and chasing toads out of my house. I hope everyone had an awesome holiday season and that you are enjoying the cold weather for me.
Miss you all like crazy.
~ Shub :)
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