The California (Africa!) Initiative: Still just a short little white girl.

Happy belated birthday America! I didn't even realize it was the 4th of July this week until my Form 3's started yelling at me about not writing the date on the board. MAN does time fly.

So it IS July, and this week I'm on duty. Before, I was happy to be on duty, using it as the one week I get to spend all the time I want with my kids, without feeling like I shouldn't be there. Unfortunately it's not turned into the most pleasant thing anymore. And even more unfortunate - it's the kids themselves who make it hard for me sometimes! I started preparing two weeks ago, asking my kids to PLEASE behave well for the week I'm on duty. Everyone of course politely agreed and promised that everything would be peaceful. Boy were they wrong. Monday morning began with hearing that six of the boys left school around 10pm the night before to go watch a football game in the village. Now I know we don't have a TV at school, but I'm doing the best I can with movie night. I tried to make them feel really guilty by asking them if everything I do for them is not enough. Not sure if that worked though. They were punished with slashing grass, which is always the punishment given here, no matter what the offense, and I had a long talk with them about sucking it up till they get home from school on break, or until they're done with Form 4 entirely. Then they are on their own and can make their own rules. For now they need to remember they're in boarding school and have other people responsible for them instead of just themselves. Oh the wonders of the teen years!

That incident, however, was only the tip of the iceberg this week. Last night a full on throwing-punches, head lock, "I'm gonna kill you" brawl broke out between two of my boys because one of them cut in line for food. I don't blame them for getting a little angry about something like that, because I know how hungry they are and how much a little more ugali can mean. But lord was I fuming when they started trying to kill each other over it. Again, I call them 'my kids' but it was two of my largest boys who were fighting, so when I realized it wasn't just playing around like it usually is, I had to get some of the other boys to help me separate the two. Thank goodness I have a lot of boys who are big and burly otherwise I would have gotten beaten up as well. I was very angry that this went down, and so I punished them accordingly today, and also told them they are not allowed to watch the movie on Saturday. I know teenage boys like to fight and stuff, but come on guys, not in your school uniform at dinner time. Ugh.

On a cheerier note, I had a good laugh with my Form 3's last week. Kenyans have this thing where they think all white people look alike. Now granted when I first got to school and met my kids, they all had the same uniform, the same haircut, and they were all black! I remember thinking there is no way in hell I would remember all these kids - plus considering the fact that each one has a sign name along with their actual name. Fine, ok, I understood it then. But my kids have now been staring at me in the front of their classroom for a year and a half, which should mean at least something right? So here was the question I posed - There is a line of white people, Sarah included, all girls, all about my height, but very clearly different people, standing in the front of the classroom. Can you pick out Sarah from the line? A resounding "No way" was what I saw throughout the classroom. Then in response to the look of disappointment on my face a lot of them amended their answers. They told me, well if everyone in line started signing, they would obviously be able to figure out which one Sarah is. Some of them said they would be able to pick me out because of my ears, others told me as long as they were allowed to check out everyone's pinkie toes, they could find Sarah in a heartbeat. Whatever the case, it was hilarious to realize after all this time I still look like all the rest of the white people in the world to them. And that being said, I can't say the same for myself. After a year and a half with these kids, they all look SO different to me. I could tell them apart a mile away, just by the way they walk. It's a nice feeling from my end at least.

Going along with funny things my kids say, and in typical Form 4 fashion, almost an entire math lesson was missed last week because they all couldn't stop laughing at me. What were they laughing at, you ask? Well I, being not particularly the tallest of people (5'2" on a good day), usually have to stand on my tiptoes when I write on the chalkboard. Hilarious, right? It was literally two seconds after I turned around to start writing the lesson on the board that I here the giggles begin. And as soon as I turn around, I know exactly who it was that started it. Gona couldn't hold himself together he was chuckling so hard, so he sort of exploded instead. What they were really laughing at was the fact that even though I'm standing on my tiptoes, I still can only manage to reach half way up the board. Needless to say it was a pretty laughter-filled morning. And thanks a bunch kids, for always making me feel so good about myself. Hmpf.

Went to church with the kiddos again a few weeks ago. As always, church in Kenya takes all day. We get there around 9 am, sit and study Bible verses for and hour or so (oh the joy), and usually begin the actual service around 10 or 11. Songs and preaching and testimonials continue till 1 or 2 pm, when they finally serve us lunch, only to be followed up afterward by more church! Whew. We left around 4, thankfully in plenty of time to be back for movie night. That's enough church to last me for a while, right? Side note: The pictures are up in FB if you fancy a gander.

Nothing really exciting has been going on recently, so the following pictures are just of everyday crap. Check out Facebook for the reel I've taken so far this term.

Emmanuel is on the right, eating his late afternoon ugali, and on the left is movie night!

Typical afternoon football game.

Bad kittens sleeping on TOP of the mosquito net!

Tea time!

The girls' dorm is going up fast..

Madam Mary, our new cook, making dinner

Meals at school: Left is uji (porridge) which is all they get for breakfast, and the right is ugali and mchicha (sort of like spinach) which is all they get for dinner. Ugali is super delicious though. No seriously.