School Opening & Police

Greetings, my dear readers.  I realize it has almost been a month now since I last posted here last December 25th.  It is just that I became busy doing basically nothing.  Well, the nothing that I did was still productive.  I went hiking almost daily exploring those mountains around me, visiting Nairobi, Nyeri, and Karatina, and exercising with Insanity.

Last Wednesday, January 9th, finally came.  It was the day I was waiting ever since I accepted my invitation to serve with the Peace Corps.  It was the day my school was scheduled to open.

Panorama of Rev. Muhoro Secondary School f/t Deaf on the mountain top (using Olympus Stylus camera)

So I decided to make first impression on school staff and students by dressing up and wearing a tie.  It was a big change after wearing T-shirts and shorts everyday since I moved here. So I was all dressed and early ready waiting in the staff room (actually I was already prepared that its going to be delayed).  The deputy principal greeted me, but told me that the principal decided to cancel the staff meeting and push it to Thursday. Of course, I quickly changed out of the clothes back to my T-shirt and shorts, saving this to re-wear again on Thursday.

Dressed for First Day but was a false-alarm.

But I start to see students stream in.  Many students came from far away, yet they traveled alone, arriving by foot, piki piki, matatu, or taxi.  They all carried mostly one backpack and a plastic bag.  They are going to be here for three months yet they brought so little.  But later I learned they have kept small trunks of their belongings at the school for safekeeping.

So on Thursday, a re-run of getting up early, all dressed, and ready, the meeting was pushed to 10:10am, but it finally started at 10:45.  It was an interesting culture experience -- the meeting seemed business-like with meeting minutes, and so forth.

The principal told teachers that I will be teaching Physics, Chemistry, and Maths for Form 1 (freshmen) and Form 2 (sophomores), which I already knew, but I still await for my class assignments and schedule so I can finally start lesson planning.

Friday came, and still no information about my classes, so I helped others develop their Schemes of Work (SOW) which is like a map of lessons that will be taught for a term, that needs to be reviewed and approved by the principal (which can be audited by the Kenya Ministry of Education).  Naturally with my technology expertise, they were able to do them using computers rather than hand-write them. I kidded my deaf teacher/friend Fred that if I did his 4 SOWs, he will need to cook me dinner, which he actually did.

During all those time, I watched with amazement what the school asked from our students.  I guess that is typical for all schools throughout Kenya.  All students cleaned school inside and outside.  I mean scrubbed all the floors, sidewalks, trimmed bushes, hacked weeds with machetes, washed windows, cleaned school furniture, and everything else -- all by hand and using very little and simple tools.  And they did all that while wearing their school uniforms.  I have not yet started snapping photos of our students because I am not yet comfortable doing so.  I know I will take plenty of pictures once students and I start to interact and get closer.  Hey, did you know that there are no residential staff here except for one "dorm mother" for the entire school.  Teachers are pretty much 24x7 here, but they leave for their homes after classes except for one teacher on duty who leaves around 9pm.  So that would leave me and Fred (who lives in the other half of my house) for any emergencies or problems throughout the night.  In other words, the students pretty much take care of themselves, and sort problems themselves with their prefects (that they voted among themselves).  Furthermore, discipline is strict here, so in some cases there are punishments, but in some cases, they are simply kicked out of school.

So, come Monday, when I think we finally and actually teach our classes, I will see if I actually know my classes and schedule, and whether I would have any time to prepare lessons.  To be continued...

Time for the Police story.  Remember my iPod Touch and wristwatch was stolen from my bedroom dresser top using a wire from my clothesline bent into a hook and gripped through the windowless pane window?  Peace Corps security coordinator and the Principal wanted me to file the theft with the police (and I would need some report to file with insurance and see if I can get replacement or reimbursement).

So, Samuel, my counterpart, and I walked about 1km to Kaheti, the local village.  To my surprise, I often saw the place, but it seemed like someone's home with chickens and clothesline of clothes, toddler running around barefoot, etc., but it is a police "camp".

So, after they listened, they asked me why I decided to report today (Jan 9th) instead of on Dec 22nd.  I explained that I am a new Mzungu that lived there only one week, and I did not know anyone and anything around here.  So until now I am able to find information and get help get this done properly.

Then they asked me for the value of the items.  I told him $300 for iPod and $60 for the wristwatch.  He looked at me not understanding, and asked me to convert it into Kenyan Shillings.  After calculating on Samuel's phone calculator, I realized jeez.  I sheepishly told him iPod is 26,000 shillings and wristwatch is 5,000 Kenyan shillings.  The reason is that for a village like Kaheti, one can live for whole month with rent and all meals for just 1,000 shillings. Even an average 5-year teacher at this school earns only 20,000 shillings a month. He looked at me for a bit, and I can only imagine what he is thinking.  But anyway he entered it in their log, but told us we have to go to the main police station in Mukurwe-ini.  Huh? That is like 6km (3.7 miles walk away).

So Samuel and I walked to Mukurwe-ini the next day after the staff meeting.  I had to change out my nice outfit into my hiking outfit (while Samuel pretty much wore same thing -- Kenyans walk long distances wearing nice clothes and shoes anyway), and we walked the long distance.

Finally we got to the police station, we watched the officer on duty locking up two guys holding grocery bags or something into a holding cell, then attended to me.  We explained that we needed a police abstract and what happened.  He said okay, he will need 200 shillings.  I hesitantly handed it over, which he pocketed it. I have no clue if that was a bribe, or a fee for an abstract, but why would it go in his own pocket rather than some cash register (well theres never any registers unless its a big store though).

When he looked at my identity card from the Peace Corps, he did not know what that was, but seeing "Corps" he gestured to me (my translation) "you shoot people, you throw grenades, you slice throats, etc.  He was kidding me, but I was not sure at first what to make of that.  Then I realized maybe he thought I was in the military or something because Corps are also used like Marine Corps, etc.  ha.  But at least I got the police abstract.  No computer generated report or anything.  All hand-written and rubber-stamped.

So on our journey back home, as always being a Mzungu, toddlers in their cute school uniforms with dirty legs, shoes that do not fit (if any shoes even), start following behind me.  I am sure they were yelling Mzungu, How are you, and all that.  They got quite close so I decided to abruptly stop walking and some of the kids crashed into my back. It was funny seeing all the whites in their eyes and some eyeballs were about to pop out, but we all laughed.

So, after about 12 miles of walking on the mountain dirt roads I have my police report that I have no idea if would be useful with insurance, but I feel satisfaction knowing that it will satisfy my friends at school who were very sad and apologetic that their countrymen stole some things from me.

The rest are random pictures that I do not want to go waste -- some of you Facebookers saw them already, but I want the rest of you non-Facebookers to enjoy them as well.

Look at how nicely dressed and how old these guys are walking (they walk, I hike, so it appears) through the mountain trails.  It is their way of life.  Now that I turned 50 today, maybe I am like them, an elderly but healthy and able to navigate those trails.

Fresh bananas that I had the handyman chop down for me from the banana tree behind my house.  I am waiting for them to turn nice yellow color before sampling them.

During my hikes, I came close to some of the crops by the mountain side.  People dig dirt out to make "steps" by the steep hill and planted crops.  Notice that each plant is in a deep hole I guess so that it can catch and hold more water.

Beware of the attack guard cow.  Enter the premises at your personal peril!

Erikson Young, a returned Peace Corps Volunteer, sent me my very first package at my school.  Some magazines and postcards.  Thanks Erikson!

So, today is my birthday, turning to big 5-0!  Being in a land where nobody really knows me, I decided to tell a few friends here that today is my birthday, but my family and friends back home have started to wish my a happy birthday.  Thank you all.  Now I can finally enjoy my M&M that Adree sent me last November (finally got in December).  I decided to save it until my birthday today!  Since I have been here past 4 months I have not yet seen M&Ms around here (there are some chocolate here tho) but I have not eaten much if any chocolate lately tho.

HDR Fix!

Now that my ol' faithful iPod Touch got stolen from my home.  I did not lock my home as I was simply gathering firewood around the school property.  I doubt I misplaced or it fell out of my pocket, but thats always a possibility.  So now I lost my quick-n-dirty camera with it, I finally got my favorite Nikon dSLR camera that served me so well.  So, with Christmas Day today, after running 8 laps on a "soccer field" (red dirt with overgrown weeds) at a nearby school field, I felt recharged to start my photography again.

A self-portrait of me by my humble adobe.  Don't I look like a red-neck Kenyan?  Well, maybe if I get more thinner and tanner, I would pass as a light-skinned Kenyan.

The photos below (all of them) are done using High Dynamic Range (HDR) technique.  They all require at least 3 photographs of different speeds, then they are merged in post-processing to bring out dynamic photographs.  

This is the stairway to heaven, well, actually my stairway from my home up to the school.  The steps are not even and made of stone.

I have many banana trees around my home.  I will see about chopping the bundle in photo below and have them.

Reverse view of the stairway, from the school down to my home.

The school dining hall where all students (not staff) eat their meals.  They all line up by the trap doors in the back with their plates and cups.  Food are pretty much "spooned" or "splashed" on their plates.  They drink chai (boiled cow milk with tea).

This is the canteen. I am not sure what they sell, but I am pretty sure they do not have M&Ms or Kisses for my pleasure.

The view out from the main building. The flag pole circle is where student assembly are conducted every morning.  Also I hear, discipline are performed during that time as well.  I will see if they still practice corporal punishment.

This building is where I will teach.  Classrooms for Form 1 (Freshman) and Form 2 (Sophomore) use this building and another one below it.  Older classmens go to another building further up on the hill near the main building.

Our hearing cows (e.g., hearing dogs) give the school their milk, as well as provide lawn mowing service.

Opposite of the field, viewing the soccer field (yep, thats soccer field). Mount Kenya is beyond the main building, but its covered by the clouds.  One day I will take good picture of the peak (snow covered).

School library.  I guess they havent figured out that being Deaf is in itself silence, and we do not need to be silent. 

Boys Dorm area.  Two buildings housing like 150 boys.  They all are crammed in with bunks.  Girls Dorm area are at the opposite end of campus (not pictured yet).  Lots of clothes lines for the boys to hang their laundry (yes they wash their own clothes).

Boys' choo and wash basins.  Yep they are outside in the open, rain or shine.

Boys bath house -- boys bring their own buckets of water, enter a booth, take their bath, then let water drain to the gutter against the wall.  No running water in these booths.

The classroom building on the lower hill opposite the dining hall.  The stairway to my home is on the left.

Grilled Cheese!

Freshly Made Grilled Cheese!

Yeah, so what about grilled cheese? No big deal, you may think. I would think the same thing when you have a car to drive to a supermarket, or even a gas station, buy bread and cheese, and bring them back home to your refrigerator. Additionally, it takes you maybe 5 minutes to put a pan on your electric stove, and make your grilled cheese.

Well, that is not the case for me here in remote location somewhere in Kenya. I do not have any refrigerator, less means for transportation. So I would like to share with you, my dear readers, my experiences today that led into the grilled cheese you see in the picture above.

This morning, being a devout cheese lover, had this urge to have some cheese, and even grilled cheese. So, after checking the weather, it was sunny and may be a good day for me to travel to the mid-sized town Karatina about 100km away. So, I got dressed, put on my backpack, empty but with two bottles of water, and started my journey down the mountain road. I walked about 4km (45 minutes) down the mountain to the tarmac (paved blacktop road), and waited for a matatu to come by.

Got on a matatu, and as always, the matatu stopped every time someone needs to board, and before we got to Karatina, there were like 24 people sitting in the matatu that has 14 seats. People of all ages sit tightly together, arms up or wrapped, and children sit on laps, not necessarily on their parents' laps.

Once we got to Karatina, I took the time to scroll around town and get to know the town a bit better. They have, supposedly, the largest open-air fresh vegetable, fruit, rice, and bean market in entire Kenya. They also, at another location, a large (but probably not the largest) open-air market for clothing items -- like a giant goodwill. I stopped by a hotel (restaurant) and had a cup of coffee and samoia (sp? triangle fried crust with ground meat inside) as a snack.

Then I got in Uchuma "supermarket" where I knew they had cheese. Cheese is a rarity in Kenya -- only in large hotels or large cities like Nairobi would you easily find cheese. So because it takes a lot of time and effort to get groceries, I went ahead and shopped for groceries as well as some household items.

Then it was past noon, so I went in the same hotel (that I liked -- one of cleanest looking place in Karatina) and ordered Sukumi Wiki (cooked spinach with flavors) and Chapati.

Then, being in the "rainy season" (it does not really rain everyday, but it has rain, while it does not rain at all out of the "rainy season"), it poured. So, I decided to call my trusty taxi driver Peter whom I was introduced to by previous volunteer as dependable and trustworthy to come and pick me up. I hoped we would not get stuck in the muddy roads going up the mountain to my school site. But the rain stopped and the dirt did not get too muddy so I got back home timely and safely.

Now, that I finally got cheese and bread at home, Using my single burner gas stove on the kitchen floor, I made TWO grilled cheese sandwiches, especially because I did not really eat much food these days (yep I lost who-knows how many kilograms), but more importantly because it is a TREAT -- its cheddar cheese.

So, can you imagine how much time, cost, and physical effort it takes to make a simple thing as grilled cheese?

Because I cannot eat the whole cheddar cheese block (shredded about half, ate about 1/8 of it in cubes), I hope to make egg omelete with cheese tomorrow morning -- that is only if the cheese did not spoil overnight.

Burp! Excuse me, but hey, don't you think I deserve it!

Settling In!

This post contains various pictures of different themes.  I have posted some of them on Facebook but I realize many of you, my dear readers, may not visit Facebook, and that I wanted to journalize my journey so I need to put everything on this blog.  

So, after the swearing in ceremony, we had our last night at the hostel with hot showers and great WIFI.  I was able to FaceTime using their WIFI very well.  Originally the Peace Corps expect all supervisors (headmasters or principals or head teachers) or counterparts that came to Nairobi for one day training and the swearing in ceremony would accompany us and lead us to our sites.  They were supposed to help with the transportation (taxis, matatus, buses, and even for one of us, a plane ride).  However, my principal had other plans and explained me how to travel to my site all on my own.  Jeez, I have two big suitcases, one backpack, one knapsack, sleeping bag, and mosquito net bag.  But on my last day, the principal changed plans and had my counterpart Samuel Akigo travel down to Nairobi and meet me at the hostel, and help get me to my site.  That was a blessing.  The matatu stage in Nairobi is simply a mess, and its even harder when you have too much with you.  

So, once I got to Karatina, the medium-sized town closest to my school in Mukurwe-ini, a taxi met us, and held on to my luggage while we went in Uchumi (similar but smaller than Walmart, with groceries and things) and to the open-air fresh food market (the food market in Karatina is supposedly the largest open-air fresh food market in Kenya).  I was a little tired and overwhelmed, and not being a real cook, I randomly tossed familiar foods in the cart, and familiar vegetables and fruits from the market.  I knew I would be coming back to Karatina at least once every week to restock up on my groceries.

Then the taxi whisked us away to Reverend Muhoro Secondary School for the Deaf.  Upon arrival there were a big ceremony with tents and ribbons.  Of course it was hard to believe something like that was set up to welcome me, but instead it was a wedding someone had and used the school grounds for that.  Of course tons of kids rushed to view an odd big creature like me.  A mzungu!

So, once I got in the home, everything looked familiar except that the previous volunteer Amanda is no longer the host.  I am now the new host.  She left everything and took what she wanted, and it was up to me to keep or discard anything inside it.  It was also very dirty with the reddish-brown dust and dirt from the environment outside, and I guess I will be cleaning house "forever" and it will still be dirty.  Furthermore everything is concrete and the paint on the walls were flat pastel colors so everything looks faded and dirty.  

My new roommates also welcomed me, saw some big spiders and one small mouse.  But the mouse moved out, I think. 

Amanda, maybe because she is a female concerned with peeping toms or security, kept all curtains covered and the home was very dark.  I washed all the windows and all curtains (you would not believe the color of the water in the bucket turns out after washing, and how many times I changed water).  I also think with open windows allowing breeze and sunshine in, I will see less spiders and webs.

I cleaned all afternoon through evening, and then the following morning at 2am (yep I woke up early because I am sleeping on unfamiliar bed and room) throughout until night.  The mop (see picture below) broke in half, not because I mopped so hard, but because termites ate most of the wood weakening it.  The home is all clean, to the best of my ability, and I feel comfortable now.  There are some items I plan to buy to make things more cleaner and comfortable.

I came back to Karatina (to learn my way around with the transportation and town itself).  There is another huge open-air market that sells all kinds of second hand clothes (clean).  I feel like I am in a huge Goodwill or Consignment store.  But at least I know I wont need to have my family and Adree send me clothes that may be easy to obtain here.

My "before" kitchen.  I tossed everything I don't like or need, and washed everything else.  A lot of reddish-brown dust is on everything including the baskets and shelves.

My "after" kitchen.  All tidied up!

There were two knives but they were dull.  It was hard to cut vegetables.  I then realized I actually bought a new kitchen knife based on advice from previous volunteers.  But I emptied all my bags and did not see my knife.  I was disappointed and blamed the Airport's Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for removing it for safety reason.  But after two days, a little Blue Jay bird came into my head and told me to go back to my suitcase and check the side pockets.  Viola! There it is.  I was so thrilled.  It slices through anything so easily!

This is my water filter system -- much better than using PUR packets (which tastes like pool water).  The top part is what I would put water from faucet in, and then one capful of Water Guard (bleach I think), then it would go through Water Filter "Candle" and drip clean water to the bottom part.  Then I use the faucet to get my water.  It is really so convenient and I love it; however, I am not able to find replacement water filter candle in Karatina.  I will have to either travel to a bigger town Nyeri north of here, or go to Nairobi for them.  I plan to buy like 4 of them at once and stock them up to serve me for the next two years.  So, I cleaned the old candle and am still using it now.

As I told my friends, I promised myself that I would save my two cigars that I brought with me from America, that i would smoke my first one once I am all settled in, am comfortable, have a bonfire, and a beer.  So, here is the evidence!  I plan to use my second and last cigar maybe on Christmas Day.

It was easily said than done.  There is simply no readily obtained firewood.  People here use firewood to cook their meals, and they scavenge firewood for their survival.  I realized that I burned firewood just for my personal enjoyment when it could be better used by others.  So I turned myself into a Kenyan and now am using my bonfire pit to burn my trash.  Everyone here burns their trash, and some things like glass and plastic containers, they either toss them or bury them.  I am not gonna toss anything of course.

Theres banana trees around my home and school.  This one is in the back of the house.  I will learn how to cut it down and have fresh bananas!

This is my "modern"toilet.  This is also where I take my bucket bath.  There is a shower head, but it looks awful and drips constantly after use, so I just fill my bucket from the faucet (see picture), then add boiled water (I bought an electric heating coil that I can insert in the bucket and heat it faster) then bath from it.  I ether bath from the floor, or from a stool.  The water runs to a drain next to the toilet.  The toilet works, but the flush handle broke, so I have to go inside the tank and pull the flapper open.  I will see if I can find a new handle.  I also plan to buy a toilet seat to cover the darn thing.  I have outside choo that I do "number 2" business there, and use this toilet for other purposes.

The two tanks (70 Liter and 100 Liter) I fill up from the faucet, then let it sit for 3 days, then I can use it for bathing (if the water from faucet runs brown), or for cooking (but not for drinking).  Remember my water comes from the nearby river (yes a river), and I am not sure if the school filters it, so it often runs clear (but not germ free of course) but sometimes it runs brown water.  There is also a faucet in my kitchen sink (from same water source).

My twin bed.  Pretty good mattress plus a foam add-on.  I slept pretty good on it.  Also notice the electric cooker.  I can use that, or gas cooker, or Jiko (Kenyan' charcoal grill).  I often use electric or gas but have not use Jiko yet.  Also notice the outlet on the wall.  When I came in, the entire outlet was hanging outside of the wall, exposing the wires.  I saw that before when I visited the home last month, but of course they never fixed it.  So, I used duct tape (I brought 2 rolls as I know duct tape can pretty much fix everything, including as a bandaid in emergency) to keep the outlet safely in the wall.  I bought a power strip so I use the outlets on the strip and leave one plug in the outlet.  Lastly, that is the ONLY outlet I got in the entire home.  No outlets in kitchen nor living room!

I decided to take down the mosquito net (Amanda left hers, but I have mine as well) and washed the reddish-brown dust off.  Then decided to store it away.  There are no mosquitos up here in the mountains, as it is always cool except for noon days.  As soon as I notice mosquitoes, I will put it back up.  But I take anti-malaria medication regardless.

See the kerosene lamp on the top of the bookcase?  It gives a nice warm and cozy feeling when I light it up at night, either when I want to watch a movie on the laptop or when the power was out.  But one lamp is not enough if you want to talk to someone else sitting across you.  Yesterday power was out, and it turns out that the school (empty except for me and a watchman/handyman) has not paid its electric bill.  But its been taken care of now, whew!

The school has two full time grounds employees -- mowing all the grass.  We also get free milk.  There is a baby calf living here too.

There is something in the reddish-brown dirt.  When its wet, either from the morning dew/fog, or when it rains, the dirt becomes something like clay.  Its almost impossible to avoid this, and you will be weighted down walking short distance.  Everyone here wears gums (rubber boots) and I gotta get myself one!

Yay, I bought myself gums!  Hey reddish-brown dirt monster, go for it and attack my shoes and see if I care anymore!

Pretty much everyone walks and carries their stuff.  I am always amazed and admire old grannies carrying loads, sometimes appearing that they weight more than themselves.  

Samuel Akiga, my counterpart and I hiked down the mountain road from the school to the "bridge" where the matatus wait.  It takes 45 minutes to walk down and an hour or so to walk back up.  The road grade gets very steep often.

Notice how the rains wash away gorges on the road.  No maintenance crews or road repair is done.  The few cars and matatus simply continue to try to navigate through them.  Imagine when it rains and everything is muddy, sometimes we just have to walk all the way.

Samuel and I visited his friend who lives about a mile away from our school.  He is a local farmer who grows pretty much everything on the mountain side -- creating "steps" on the mountain side for crops.  We noticed four avocados left on the tree so Samuel offered to try to climb up and get them.  Notice no shoes!

There is hardly candy in villages (there are some in bigger towns) so most people simply chew sugar canes for the sugar.  We suck on the fibers then spit them out.  I am not crazy about that but out of politeness, I chewed one along with Samuel and our friend.

There are many paths off the dirt roads that lead to homes or other locations.  They all are very steep.  Samuel and I alternated carrying the gift box that the farmer gave me.  

In the gift box, the farmer said he was very pleased to meet me, a mzungu visitor, and wanted to give me a Christmas present.  So he gave me a box containing the sugar canes (I kept four and gave 6 to Samuel), bananas, passion fruit, and avocados.

Off the wall picture below -- showing one meal I made for myself -- a mix of Kenyan and American  -- bowtie pasta with homemade (sic, cuz I am no cook) tomato sauce, chapati, avocado, and tea.  I eat simple dinners.