Worth It or Not Worth It?

With only 57 days to my departure rushing up at me, I decided I better build up some energy to start shopping.  Before I start explaining, let me warn you that I have shopitis syndrome.  When I shop, my attention span drops very quickly and I kick myself for shopping in the first place.  On average, my interest and concentration drops 50% after I browse my first item.  Then another 50% lost after browsing my second item (25% remaining).  Then another 50% lost on my third (12.5% remaining). By the time I am on my fifth, I have zero interest to continue on.

Oh sorry about all the mathematics in the logic above.  I am supposed to a secondary education math teacher, so I better polish my skills.

First I visited R.E.I. outdoors store, and their prices simply led me back to their exit doors.  I browsed some items that I thought I might need, and when I saw them, I start to think whether they are "worth it or not worth it".  Some buttoned shirts go like $75 (with all the technology in it, such as wick dry, wrinkle-proof, sunburn-proof).  Nah, not worth it.  

I went to an education store nearby that seem to cater to school teachers.  I walked through aisles and realized that I really have no clue what to buy because I am not a teacher in the first place.  Furthermore, I am supposed to teach secondary education, but I have no clue what that measures up in Kenya -- 10th grade or 3rd grade?  I figured I might as well download some free math games and exercises on my Macbook Pro and iPad (yeah I know I didn't mean to bring any more electronics, but more on this later).

So I walked out with this $2.99 blow up globe and a thin world atlas.  I figured a lot of people would want to know how far I travelled.  At least you can say my day was productive, no?

Blow up Globe

I went on to visit Costco.  I came in thinking maybe I would buy USB flash drive and check out their bags and other stuff.  But I came in with like 10% interest left in me, so I left only with a bag of Acai Blueberry Dark Chocolate bag.  Highly recommended, but not for travel though.  Maybe my daughters would ship a bag to me one of these days (hint, hint).

I pulled off into Gander Mountain store.  There were a 50% clearance tent set up on the parking lot, so I figured maybe I could get some Columbia or Northern Face clothing.  When I looked at the first thin jacket, it was marked at $45.  And that was 50% marked-down.  What a crock!  My interest went down to 0% even before I entered the store, but I proceeded in anyway.  

Nothing real useful (aka good price that rings my "worth it" bells) except maybe the following items.  Think I could get a good closeups on cheetahs, hippos, giraffes, etc., wearing this outfit and lying near their pile of poop?

Choo ni wapi? (where is the bathroom, with choo meaning toilet/bathroom in Kiswahili).  I am all prepared to use their choos which are pretty much a hole in the ground, and this picture is probably among their nicest ones...  Don't ask where the toilet paper is, because frankly I do not know.  

Choo

So, with that in mind, maybe I should consider having this, so I can stay cooped up in my mosiquito net wrapped straw bed and not have to worry about walking to the choo and get bitten by heaven knows what...  Nah never mind, I guess that would not be called "roughening it up". 

But I would love to watch females use this though.

Kenyan Sign Language Poster

Frank Lester, whom I just met off the 'net, and whom served Deaf Kenya with the Peace Corps before their political upheaval back in '08 which shortened his service for that country, but did not shorten his service elsewhere such as Zambia helped develop an easy to learn Kenyan Sign Language poster that seem to be used widely in Kenya.

Enjoy...

Click to Enlarge

For the direct link to the PDF, go here.

Kenya's Fun Facts

• Kenya is slightly smaller than the state of Texas.
• Most of the people in Kenya are either very rich or very poor. Very few people fall in the middle category.
• Kenya only has only two seasons. One rainy season and one dry season.
• The dowry for marriage starts at 10 cows.
• Kenyans' are very well dressed people.
• Kenyans' drink lots of chai tea and not very much coffee.
• Driving the Kenyan way means fitting 19 people in a 9 passenger van.
• The life expectancy varies from 46 to 55 years of age.
• Kenya's national animals are lions, and...roosters.

Meeting Deaf Returned Peace Corps Volunteers

What would you consider a gold mine of information, when you are going to serve with the Peace Corps in Kenya?

When you get a rare opportunity to meet so many previous Peace Corps Volunteers all at once, to tap into them to learn of their experiences and receive advice straight from .

To sprinkle diamonds onto the gold mine, it is an even precious opportunity when they all are also Deaf AND served in Kenya as well.

I got to meet only five of them at the Kentucky Deaf Festival in Louisville yesterday but I missed a couple others who left right after the National Association for the Deaf (NAD) completed its convention two days day prior.

Erikson Young, me, Sarah Gordon, Cookie Roang

Sarah Hogue, Cookie Roang, Norma Moran, Shannon Kapp, Alyson,
Sarah Gordon, Erikson Young, (not shown - Allie Rice)

I am also searching for and collecting blogs or photography done by those Deaf RPCV Kenya.  For now, you can find Sarah Gordon's here.

Simple Kenya Sign Language

Came across this old youtube vid of Erikson Young demonstrating few Kenyan Sign Language...