Glow Sticks

I brought glow stick bracelets out to give away as prizes and or gifts, and let me just tell you, they were a hit. So much so that our night guard wanted several and we spent hours taking pictures and telling him that they wouldn't recharge in the sun. Bless his traditional Rendille heart, he's used to rechargeable solar flashlights.

Are You Smarter Than A Kenyan Freshman?

Beginning in the second term of school I began teaching Geography for the Form One students. The subject is totally out of my league, but we got through it (by the grace of God), and by the end of the term everyone should have known the answers to these questions... including me!


Rocks and Minerals
1) List 3 physical characteristics of a mineral and describe each characteristic. [6 mks]

2) Describe the process of formation of Sedimentary Rocks in 4 steps. [4 mks]

3) You go to the Pacific island of Hawaii and find Kilauea Volcano erupting! There is magma flowing on the surface of the ground and magma being shot into the atmosphere. What type/group of Igneous Rocks will you find here? [2 mks]

Statistics
4) Label the following groups of data as being either Discrete Statistical Data or Continuous Statistical Data. [4 mks]
a) Rainfall in Korr in January 2010: 101.7 mm
b) Mean number of children in Nairobi families: 2

5) List 3 methods of recording statistical data. [3 mks]

6) Make a Combination Line and Bar Graph using the information collected in Korr in the table below. Be sure to label each axis, have an appropriate scale, and include a title. [7 mks]
Year 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Mean Annual Temperature (ºC) 30 29 31 30 28
Mean Annual Rainfall (mm) 300 350 200 250 500


Maps
7) Using the grid below answer the following questions: [2 mks]
a) What city is located at 7 ºN 20ºE?
b) What are the grid co-ordinates of Cape Town?

8) Draw an example of each of the three types of map scales and label each scale. [3 mks]

9) Explain the difference between a topographical map and an atlas map. [2 mks]


Weather
10) Fill in the blank spots in the following phrases to complete the description of each type of thermometer. Use the words “Maximum Thermometer,” “Minimum Thermometer,” and “Six’s Thermometer.” [3 mks]
a) In a _____________________________ the mercury expands when the temperature rises which pushes the metal index up the glass tube.
b) When the temperature rises, the alcohol in the ___________________________expands which pushes the mercury into the Right/Maximum arm.
c) When the temperature rises, the alcohol in a ____________________________ expands, but it never pushes the metal index up the glass tube. The metal index remains at its lowest point.

11) Explain how the atmosphere is heated by the two types of Radiation: Solar and Terrestrial. [4 mks]

12) Choose one of the following types of rainfall and describe its process: Frontal (Cyclonic), Convectional, or Relief. [2 mks]


Earth and Solar System
13) Define each of the following terms: Solar System, a Star, a Galaxy, the Milky Way, a Planet, an Orbit. [6 mks]

14) Which planet would be warmer; Venus or Saturn? Explain why. [2 mks]

15) Define the term equinox, tell when it occurs, and what the effect on the earth’s surface is. [3 mks]

16) When the local time in New York (74 ºW) is 8:00 AM, what is the local time in Kitale (35 ºE) [2 mks]

Christmas Party!!!!!

It is better to give than to receive.

Rarely do you get to experience this feeling in its purest form, but I've found that even though they can be very vocal about what they wish you had given them (i.e. which colour would have been preferred, which flavour, what type of film...) I love seeing the looks on our kids faces when they get a gift even they can't find fault with. Such were their looks when they received their Christmas gifts this year which included Tirrim Secondary t-shirts and some awesome quilted book bags donated from the States!


Brand new shirts are absolute luxury around here, and we're pretty strict about the kids keeping their books in good condition, so a sturdy bag is always handy. I find such joy in giving them not only things that are useful, but being able to see how excited they get over the few Christmas presents they've ever gotten in their life. When I was a kid, I was getting Jasmine outfits and toy horses from overly generous grandparents (to whom I will be forever grateful), but for some of these students, these are the first real Christmas gifts they've ever gotten.

I'm the one who is blessed to have been able to serve Tirrim students, whether through teaching or a new t-shirt.

Are you smarter than a Kenyan Sophomore?

This is an excerpt from the Form Two's Final Grammar English Exam.

Can you answer the questions?

SPELLING

1) Circle the correctly spelled word in the following sets. [3 mks]

a) excerpt / excert / exsert
b) plesant / pleasant / pleasent
c) coruption / corruption / corupption
d) competition / compition / compatition
e) dissapointed / disapointed / disappointed
f) unfortunitly / unfortunately / unfortunatly


2) Underline the misspelled words in the following paragraph and then write the correct spelling above the word you underlined. [6 mks]
In this coming Christmas holyday we should remember to apreciate the reason for the season; Christ’s birth. Some people hold the purspective that Christmas is mearly a time for giving gifts and taking a school break. However, this is really a time of the year to honor God sending His son to earth to eventualy die for our sins.

GRAMMAR

3) Circle the correct Personal Pronoun to fill in each gap. [3 mks]

a) We missed as many opportunities as ( they / them ) did.
b) You wait for Jacob and ( I / me ) here.
c) Give (she / her) a chance.
d) David knows as well as ( me / I ) that food is not permitted in the dormitories.
e) Can you describe the difference between yourself and ( he / him ).
f) It was ( she / her ) that gave me permission.

4) Complete the CLOSE test below by choosing from the list of words below. Write the answers on THIS page.[4.5 mks]
Consumption contaminated many desperate ironic scarce died common poisonous
When food becomes _________________ people are forced to resort to desperate measures. ________________ families resort to eating wild fruits, tubers and vegetables they find in their environment. In Turkana South people eat a hard, highly ___________________ wild fruits called “Elamarch” which they have to boil for over ten hours before it becomes safe for human ________________________. Sadly, but the time it found and cooked, some people may have ________________ from the effects of starvation. An ______________________ twist to the famine situation is when food poisoning occurs. It aggravates and already _____________________ situation because although people have food, they may die from eating it. Food poisoning occurs when people consume _________________ products. The most _______________ poisonous substance found in contaminated food is Aflatoxin BI, which is mainly found in damp maize.

5) Identify the following sentences as being in either Passive Voice or Active Voice. If the sentence is in Passive Voice rewrite it in Active Voice. If the sentence is in Active Voice, rewrite it in Passive Voice. Do this work on your answer sheet. [4 mks]
a) The girl spent a lot of time researching the information.
b) The students were given new neck ties by the principal.
c) A crime has been committed by the notorious gangster.
d) We the people reject this unfair law!

6) Add a question tag to the end of the following statements. [4 mks]
a) I am your best friend ________________________?
b) They didn’t go home ________________________?
c) We should praise the Lord____________________?
d) She can’t run quickly _______________________?

7) Complete the following sentences by inserting complex prepositions. [4 mks]
a) I have gotten a common cold _______________________________________ this rainy weather.
b) Let’s play football ________________________________________ volleyball.
c) The little child walked _____________________________________ the fire.
d) You will find the shop _____________________________________ the main road.

8) Complete the following sentences using the correct degree of adjective, either positive, comparative, or superlative. [4 mks]
a) When is the ________________________ (soon) you can arrive?
b) This sack of maize is _____________________ (heavy) than the one over there.
c) I find English class_______________________________ (interesting) than Physics class.
d) This is the _____________________ (good) cake I have ever tasted!

9) Identify which tense/aspect the following sentences are in. [2 mks]
a) The food had cooked by the time we all arrived at the house. __________________________________________
b) The supplies should arrive tomorrow afternoon. ________________________________________
c) Sukto was studying all night for her exams. _________________________________________
d) Mme. Jamie is teaching in America now. _______________________________________

10) Circle only the NON-COUNT nouns in the following list. [2.5 mks]

Dogs
Sugar
Rain
Students
Stars
Furniture
Courage
Friends
Sand

11) Rewrite each of the following sentences changing ALL the singular nouns into plural nouns. Each sentence must be entirely grammatically correct. Rewrite on your answer sheet. [8 mks]

a) The girl put a handkerchief in her pocket.
b) The boy hid a knife under the mattress.
c) This must be the car that belongs to your sister-in-law.
d) Our sheep was stolen by a thief!

Onion Pancakes

The other night Alicia and I went to spend the night at the nicest hotel in town: Ebenezer Guest House. It's owned by our language teacher and dear auntie, Amina Labarakwe, and let me tell you, she's got this hotel managment thing down! The rooms are actually individual Samburu style huts, made with a frame of sticks and covered with cardboard boxes. The inside of each room/hut is lined with a multitude of brightly colored fabrics and next to each bed there lie complimentary flip-flops.

However, the real reason anyone, or at least Alicia or I, go to the Ebenezer Guest House is for the food. Stews, chapatiis, these little breaded and deep fried potato things, homemade salsa, all topped off with Amina's own special chai recipe. I look forward to such meals the whole day. Like any good cook, Amina likes to experiement, which is how she got into learning how to make us "American pancakes." Usually these are phenomenal, but the other morning Amina got a little carried away. When we walked in for our breakfast at 8 am, Amina proudly announced that she had made us "onion pancakes!"

I'm not usually a picky eater, but my stomach can't handle such things in the early morning hours. So I took Amina's special chai instead.

Kirungu Retreat

Last weekend, all of us stationed up in the North got together for the annual Prayer Weekend, this time in Kirungu (the same rain-foresty town that TSS took its retreat at earlier in the year.) Alicia and I were SUPER excited to go back there and and enjoy some cool breezes and stunning scenery, and quite honestly, we were in desperate need of a break from school and the students. You know, you love your home and your people, but sometimes its difficult to like them. Taking a break is a great solution, so we did.

On Thursday afternoon, Alicia and I threw a mattress in the back of the Propst's truck, and set off down the long bumpy road to Kirungu. It's about a 3 hour drive all the way out to the Ndoto Hills, through the little road-side town of Illaut, down into the thick sand of dozens of dry river beds, and into the delightful greenery of the South Horr area. I put my bet on arriving at the Maple's house around 5:57pm, but Alicia won with her money on 6:07 pm. Upon arrival, we were shown into our room for the weekend in the home of an interior decorating missionary and her husband (an awesome combination to be sure.) Beautiful sandstone floors, sisal thatched roof, outlines of Kenya and Africa carved into the mud walls. Fancy stuff, I know.

The next few days were just as relaxing and delightful as my hotel room. We spent several hours each day praying for the different ministries in Northern Kenya, another several hours a day eating (two chai times with too many desserts to chose from), and then more time just playing. We went on a walk out to the airstrip one evening, took a hike down the lugga where I found a porcupine quill (who knew those things lived here?!), and Auntie Alicia and I spent some precious hours reading to the kids. Oh, and also, Auntie Alicia played "Sticky Monster" with our new favourite little 3 year old, Levi, the son of our coordinator. Levi is also the one who had the best quote of the weekend, walking up to a clearly diseased and emaciated dog and asking him incredulously in his best Scottish accent, "Why are you starving?!"

On Sunday we returned to our second favourite church in Kenya: AIC Kirungu where the Mommas have brought a drum for singing and the Abbaas are all about dancing during worship. After the service, we had yet another meal and then hefted ourselves and our mattress into Nick and Lynne's truck, picked up some fruit in town, and headed back to the Kisut Desert significantly refreshed and ready to like home again.

(Alicia checking out scenery from our truck bed vantage point.)

Notes

Going through the students' holiday assignments, I found this little note posted on the top of Stephen Lekapana's paper: "Done on 20/08/2010 at 3:15 pm beside a bamboo tree."

I wish all work could be so blissfully done.

Cultural Day

(The TSS girls with me after their performance.)

Cultural Day is like Tirrim Secondary's version of Senior Year Prom. Everyone wears their best clothes, puts on their fanciest beads, and dances the day away. However, the way we do it in Korr, prom dresses are kangas, tuxs are wraps with elaborate fringe, and dancing is a conga line/square dance hybrid.

(Traditional Rendille Dance)

So Cultural Day is a celebration of the students' ethnic backgrounds - taking a break from the modern educational system and returning to the dress, songs, and dances they grew up with. The students practiced their dances and songs for weeks, making a distinct effort to include the ethinic dances of Samburu, Rendille, and even Turkana tribes. (Let the record show that the Turkana dance has a move that looks a Dance Dance Revolution skiing move.)

Wednesday was spent watching the nursery kids put on a faux wedding ceremony, the Tirrim Primary students sing, and then TSS perform their traditional dances. It was AWESOME! I wish I could post the videos online, but pictures will have to suffice for now.

(The after-party: The jumping warrior dance on the football field.)

Crackin' an Egg

This is Ingo having a go at the ostrich egg Alicia bought off another one of our Ingos. It was about 1/4 inch thick and about 6 in. long. HUGE!

Too bad it had gone off - would have been interesting to have ostrich scrambled eggs.

Plant Nursery

Little known fact: I really like plants. I probably know more about various varieties of flowers and fruit than many other people in their early-20s. I know you can graft different kinds of fruit onto one tree effectively creating a real life "Cherry Apple" tree. I also know how to recognize tons of different flowers and I know that those huge flowering bushes they grow in freeway medians across California are poisonous.

But whatever fun facts I have about plants, how anyone has a thriving plant nursery in the desert is baffling. And yet, over the volcanic hill near my house, down in a sandy valley, you will find this: A nursery shaded by thorny acacia branches and situated near the community water tap.

Mommas and Abayas watering, kids carrying jerry cans of water over, customers shopping for that perfect tree. It's the first time I've ever heard of this place, but I wish I'd known longer because I certainly would have developed a habit of schleping a chair out there and taking a book - it's so cool and quiet, perfect for a lazy read and a nap.

(These boys had a similar idea as me: Hang out and play in wheelbarrows)

Things I Read in the Form Twos' English Journals and Other Humorous Comments

The best part of the wedding was when the suitmen and the maids marched linely as troops of soldiers leaving a gust of wind behind me. – Wamuro

(That's one intense wedding.)

Problem that Madam Clair got in speaking Rendille is very enormous. – Abdulahi

(Ouch.)

He was a very huge and energetic man with rough hair on his head and his chest. – Shadrack

(Shadrack has been reading $2 supermarket romance novels.)

Also our teachers are very heart kinded and loving. – Abednego

(A+ student.)

Most of them allow guys girlfriending the girls in the same school or different schools. – Job

(Turning nouns into verbs.)

Our school has no bus but we have camels that we use in transporting people to different areas. – Lerapo

(I wish this was actually true.)

In terms of worship and religion obviously Tirrim would hooke up with all the awards. – Ismail

(Christian private education = The Teen Choice Awards)

Then Kajawng runs with a fragrance speed which could make snail champion. – Joel

(Baffling. Truly Baffling.)

The legislation has already passed out. – Lebonyo

(As true in Kenya as in America.)

If you are rich the women will come to you. – Lebonyo

(Unfortunately, also as true in Kenya as in America.)

People normally chop down trees to clear the land so for settlement. This will end desertification.

(Sounds pretty good, but I'm not so sure that's a real word.)

You’re white but your heart is black. – Mr. Daniel

(Meant to be a complimentary statement about my assimilation into Rendille culture.)


Albedo: These are people who are neither Africans nor the white men. They are brown but having black hair. – Peter Dokhe

(Peter failed to realize that I probably wouldn't be asking about ethnicity or a pigmentation disorders on a Geography homework assignment.)

Naagan Hamaad Akhaba (Naagan Has Joy)

I would say it was a couple years in the making - from the first supporting beams and the corrugated steel roof to the luxurious glass paned windows – but now Naagan Church is complete. It’s actually “Naagan Church” on Sundays for the Christians in this distant goob, but on any other given day you’ll find children running around in their brand new “Naagan/Tirrim Nursery School,” or villagers using it as “Naagan Meeting Hall.” So, as everyone in Naagan is involved with this building in some way, it’s no surprise that most of the goob turned out for the dedication day, including many of us townies.

(Speechifying.)

There’s seems to me to be two distinct types of joy, maybe three. There’s the joy found within oneself – joy in a long worked for accomplishment, joy in a love discovered, joy in one’s life situation. Then there’s the joy of a community – joy in a long worked for cooperate accomplishment or joy in each other’s company. Thirdly, although I’m not so sure how blurry the lines are between the previous two joys and this next one, the joy in God – His goodness, sovereignty... I believe most situations can be classified into one of these three shapes of Joy, and once in a great while, a Joy just overflows into all three at the same time. And this seems to be what happened at Naagan at the dedication of the church.

All the goob elders proudly leaned their backs against the walls, mommas sang and chanted every chance they got, and the “weelal” (children) couldn’t keep their bums on the ground or their faces on the speaker. Communal Joy, Personal Joy, and Divine Joy were indistinguishable as the purpose of the building was stated and proper thanks were given. Before the doors were opened for the first time (although I’ve heard rumors that the kids have been inside, kicking their soccer ball against the newly white-washed walls), an impressive hundred or so people marched around the entire perimeter of the building singing a hymn of thanks, clapping, and smiling ear to ear. Upon entering the hall, a huge circle of women and men formed in the center of the hall; chant leaders in the middle and dancers skipping and bobbing their heads around the outside.

(Marching Mommas)

As I think now, I don’t recall many times observing/being a part of a situation where the three Joys truly collide. It’s an impressive thing when people find the deepest happiness in all parts of their humanity at the same time.

Guinea Fowl Guard Bird

While in Nairobi last week, I found myself staying in sort of a "dodgy" part of town. I mean, I never saw anything bad going down, but I heard stories. Anyways, it was a part of town where it really was prudent to have a night watchman and a guard dog, which this guesthouse had. But the guesthouse also had a guinea fowl guard bird, and the crazy thing is that it's actually really good at it's job.

It makes a sound much like that of Kevin the rainbow bird in the film "Up" - you know, like a cawing and cackling all at the same time. Evidently this guinea fowl will cause a downright ruckus if anything unfamiliar and scary gets into its yard. The time an ambitious mongoose got into the yard, this birdy cornered it in a storm drain and wouldn't quit screaming until someone picked him up and set him aside so they could net the mongoose. I've got no idea what a human intruder would do to a guinea fowl if the bird tried to corner them in a storm drain, but I'm sure it would startle the living daylights out of the person and create a diversion so residents could call the cops.

Mom and Brianna Visiting

(Preface: I know this is several months belated, but for some reason this never actually got posted! Enjoy belatedly.)


Clearly Momma Westwood can’t stay away from Korr – it’s stuck to her like a 2 inch acacia thorn. However, this time the youngest sister Brianna came along too! For weeks we discussed Madame Ann returning to school and what kinds of labs she would do, and we also, to the great interest of the students, discussed what my sister looked like, what she liked to do, and how to spell her name (which they spelled “Brihana” on her beaded bracelet anyways.) They arrived in the same cloud of dust that sent Alicia back to America for her month long furlough, so I had no time to be lonely.

We set right out to school for Mom to see all the kids and for Brianna and I to play some football. The 10 days of their visit were full of school visits for Mom in particular, and cultural experiences for the both of them. One night we walked across town to sleep in Amina’s (my language teacher and Mom’s friend) fabulous Samburu-hut guesthouse. Before the usual delectable dinner spread, we learned how to make mandazis, an African style donut, over a hot coal BBQ. Then, after a lovely chat over the main meal, Brianna and Mom got to experience sleeping in the most luxurious “hut” they’ll probably ever be in. Beds included.

We also got a significant cultural experience, walking out to Nebey with my night watchman to see Soriyo. Now, this was so special because Soriyo happens only 3 times a year and is one of the most respected traditions of the Rendille and one of the main supporting points for the argument that the Rendille are a lost tribe of Israel (an argument in which I have no real basis for an opinion.) Soriyo bears a significant resemblance to Passover. There’s the slaughtering of a perfect goat or sheep by the male head of the household, blood and milk is then spread on the door flap of the hut, a drop of blood is placed on the chest of each male, and then the women cook up the meat and they eat for days. It's a great honor to be invited to watch Soriyo because it is so sacred, and we even came home with a leg of lamb.

(Warriors about to slaughter the sacrificial lamb in front of a min.)


(Hanging out with Abaya's wife and two of his little girls in their min.)

Cultural experience number two was hiking out to Saale to spend the night in a traditional village with Inkoko and my Abiyo. It's a solid 1 1/2 hour trek so poor Brianna had a blister and Mom was so tired she fell asleep against the wall of the min as soon as we sat down. We chatted with the family, saw my brother Somo's camels, handed out photos I'd printed from my last trip out to their goob, and had a late dinner of rice and old Soriyo meat. My sister and I were fortunate enough to get a thin mattress, but because Mom was passed out we decided to leave her flat on the skins. In the morning she said she had pulled her head muscle - I don't think there is such a thing. If not very comfy the experience was very interesting for both of them, and I'm glad they got to see how the Rendille really live.

Ingurinit is a beautiful town at the base of the mountains that hedge the valley in which the Rendille live. It's filled with both Samburu and Rendille people, creating an interesting **** of cultures. There are also some missionary friends who live here and some fabulous "bathtubs" formed in the granite of a riverbed, so this was another stop Brianna and Mom needed to make. We hitched a ride with Amina (mentioned above) who was helping her cousin build some guesthouse mins just like hers. The morning was spent chatting with my friends the Richardsons, discussing if it was in fact safe to hike up to the bathtubs as there was a rumor of an insane lion wandering around, hiking up to the river despite the rumor, and watching Mom splash around a bit in the water which was much to cold for me.

(Mom hitting the slides.)

We then spent some time helping Amina with the building of her hut, really only being skilled enough to fill in the holes for the supporting posts with stones. After only a little work we were offered chai - I don't think we were really needed there. On the truck ride back to Korr, Brianna, Abednego, another one of the Tirrim teachers, and myself sat on the top rack of the truck bed, watching ostriches and dikdiks run out of the path of the vehicle. So, Brianna got a safari anyways.

Two days later, on Tuesday, I loaded Mom and Brianna onto a 6-seater plane and sent them back to Nairobi. I thought it would be easier to say "Goodbye" this time, but, the more normal it becomes to have my family visit, the more difficult it becomes to not have them here. I'm glad Mom got to come back and see her old friends, and I'm glad Brianna got to experience something so far out of the realm of her previous "box," but I didn't much coming back to an empty house.

And so, to ease my loneliness, Ingo and I sat on the couch picking out the "smartest" clothes in the InStyle magazine Brianna left me. (My sister seems to be worried I'll return to the States not just with the stories of a bush missionary, but the clothes of one too.)

Vignettes

Closing School

You could argue all day about which is ultimately better – the American schedule for school, which allows for a 3 month break between grades in the summer, or the Kenyan plan which has 1 month breaks every 3 months. However, there’s no question that it’s mentally and emotionally easier to do it Kenyan style. Saying goodbye for 30 days – suj me (not bad). So T.S.S. closed on the 30^th of July with a lot of cleaning but not a lot of fanfare. The students are all home now, visiting family, watching animals out in the bush, and working on the holiday assignments I handed out.

Blasted Batteries

One doesn’t really think about electricity when you live in the West. Pay your bill, press a switch when you want light, press it again for darkness. Nothing is that simple here. Our solar batteries have gone out, so that means that as soon as the sun goes down there’s an awful beeping noise that begins warning us that the power is caput – as if we wouldn’t notice the lights dimming 3 levels and the outlets going dead. What does one do at night when there’s no internet, barely any light, and no way to plug in the tv to watch movies? Read An Anthology of Christian History to each other of course.

Scorpion Queen

Success! I’ve survived my first scorpion sting!

I was just about to drift off to sleep while staying in the hut of my student Emily at her home in Loglogo. I had shifted my hand across my stomach when all of a sudden I felt a sharp prick, as if my pinky finger had gotten caught on my zipper. However, something inside told me my finger had not scratched my zipper. I yelled, “emily, Emily, EMily, EMILY!!!!!” progressively getting louder as immediate action was not taken on her part in waking up and as I visualized the nasty thing running down my naked shin for another go. Kulamo, who was sleeping on the bed with me got an accidental kick and finally the flashlight was on me and my sweater was coming off for fear of the creature still lurking there. Kulamo tied a head scarf around my wrist to keep the poison from creeping through my veins to my armpit (where the poison seems to collect when one is stung anywhere on the arm.) We searched that whole hut for at least 10 minutes but didn’t find a thing, so I never got a look at the scorpion. However, either it wasn’t very big or it didn’t have good aim because after those 10 minutes the pain wasn’t unbearable like it should have been. Only partly as a joke, Kulamo got a cup of water, took a sip, swished it around a bit, then spit on my stung finger. Clearly, as her mother is of the clan Uruwen, she has the power to help heal scorpion stings by spitting on the stung area. Clearly.

Anyways, I reluctantly laid back down on the bed with the scarf still tied around my wrist, a throbbing finger, and a slightly sore armpit. In the morning, though, I was as right as rain, and pretty proud of myself for checking that one off my list of life experiences.

Catherine

You may remember that we had to send one of our students home for getting pregnant. There’s no such thing as high schools for pregnant teens in Kenya, so this was really the only acceptable action to take culturally and as a form of Christian discipline. We hope very much to see her back in Form One next year, but until then, she’s living with her mom and sister in Loglogo. She was the reason I went there to visit – not necessarily to check up on her, but because I missed her company.

The boy who got her pregnant isn’t marrying her, but rumor has it that he says he’ll give Catherine some money. She’s been given her own hut by a friend, she looks healthy, and even happy.Catherine still participates in youth group activities in church and has even planned a youth choir evangelism trip to the Borana tribe.

I saw her playing with the babies around town, and it’s clear she’ll be a very loving mother. There’s a new stillness about her as you’re apt to find in anyone who’s been hit hard with the reality of life. She’s not young anymore, but there’s a wealth of vitality left in her spirit, praise the Lord.

(From left to right: Emily, me, Naiseku, and Catherine. On my trip to Loglogo.)

What I Eat

These days, there’s no one to cook for at home, so I’ve found myself eating canned fruit straight from the tin and beans the same way. The most inspired meals I have is breakfast with oatmeal with hot water and honey.

Hiking

A few days ago Nambori, Larau, and I hiked out to what we called “Lake Korr.” It’s actually a marsh formed by the torrential rains of April, but all these months it’s still standing about a 2 hour walk from town, down into the valley of Ur (no, I don’t think it’s the same one Abraham lived in.) It lays across some pretty barren sandy desert land as well as a particularly treacherous ancient lava field. Few know of all the evidence here of the centuries old volcanic activity in Northern Kenya. There are large tracts of volcanoes’ black, porous rock and there are dozens of extinct cinder cones randomly jutting out of the generally flat land.

(The guys on the lava rocks.)

I haven’t realized how much I’ve missed large bodies of water while in the desert, but coming upon Lake Korr caused a sensational uplifting of spirits for everyone. Nambori promptly rolled up his trousers and waded into the shallow water, and I just sat down on a rock a foot from shore and let my hem drag in the water while I squished my toes into the mud. There was even a sort of sea breeze blowing cool air off the water and tiny waves that made no splash, but caused the whole lake to glitter. In a rare moment of transparency, Larau told me that he loved it here, that Madame Alicia would too, and that when he was married he would bring his wife here and they would build a home on the shore – I guess that would be if the water is still standing in 7 to 10 years. We all just sat and listened to the Whistling Trees by the banks, watched birds diving for little water buggies, and drank in the luxury of water, some quite literally.

(Splashing around in the water.)

Summer Reading Material

Mom brought a bunch of children’s classics to add to our library at school, and I’ve been pleasurably making my way through all my old favorites. Check out The Witch of Blackbird Pond, Island of the Blue Dolphins, The Giver, and the highly entertaining, A Long Way from Chicago and its sequel A Year Down Yonder.

Goat Milk

You must always boil goat and sheep milk to kill nasty pathogens like brucellosis, so just this evening, I did that. However, I must have boiled it too long or too hot because it started clumping and I had to skim a significant portion out that turned out looking like cheese, which I thought would be OK for salad, but Abaya said it was bad for you. Now it’s sitting in the cats’ food bowl.

English Spelling

I teach a curriculum heavily based off the British, so we use their spelling here in Kenya too. I’m having to get used to sentences like the following:

My favourite colour is red. (So then I bet their favorite letter is “U.”)

The lady was wearing pretty jewellery.

Honour your father and your mother.

Capitalise the first letter of a sentence. (And start using “S”s for the “Z” sound.)

The Amiyo Family

Remember John Baicha Amiyo? The one whose mother, father, and cousin all died within days of each other and whose brother recently married in order to begin helping the family settle their life again. Well, I took a TON of pictures of John’s brother and friends at the wedding, and printed them out for him. Both John and his brother showed up at my house last night just to say “hi,” but I pulled out the photos and they FREAKED OUT!! John was very nearly shaking with excitement, and all his brother kept saying was, “Asante mamen,” which I believe was his pronunciation of “Madame.” John said, “Madame, why did you not just print one?” I replied, “Well because I took a lot of photos and I want them to be a wedding gift. Are you guys happy?” and then he said, “Yes, Madame. Yes.” His brother just kept saying “Asante sana!”

But the best part was when I invited them both to stay with the other boys for a movie night, and John replied, “No Madame, my brother’s wife is waiting for us to come home.” I’m pretty sure he said it just like that.

To Grandmother's House We Go

(Inkoko and I playing dress up - well, at least I'm pretending. She's the real thing.)

I've traveled around a little bit, and somehow I seem to have met quite a few grandmothers along the way. I've met the grandmothers of some of my friends and some random ones. I've met grandmothers who are the original American grandma, and some who still operate according to their original cultures. (Somo, Inkoko, and me at Saale.)
I've met grandmothers who are spry, and some who have settled permanently onto the couch. Besides the occasional grandmas you find pushing shopping carts down the middle of the road (True story: She yelled at me to mind my own business when I tried to help her and her cart to the sidewalk. Who lets their grandma out of the house in such a condition?!), all of these grandmas have quality characteristics in common: supreme friendliness, hospitality, a pleasant plumpness, and a propensity to talk too much and mention personal details everyone knows, but nobody says... except Grandma. (3 generations: Inkoko, her son Gerrikero, and his 3 children)
"Inkoko" is the Rendille word for Grandma. It's got a nice ring to it, doesn't it? And, while I'm missing my biological grandparents, a substitute is greatly appreciated. So, a few weeks ago, Somo Chawle (my adoptive brother) took me out to Goob Saale, a good hour and a half walk, to visit with his maternal grandmother. She seems to be a bit of a legend around here because she's the mother of so many beloved evangelists and because she's one of the holders of Rendille tradition. According to Lynne Swanepole, it's Inkoko who knows the old chants, ceremonies, and other traditions that, unfortunately, are becoming polluted with outside influences.

Besides her significance to the community, however, she's also a grandma, and a great one at that. She's got a riotous sense of humor - making fun of our broken Rendille, laughing at our Rendille dance moves, asking what kind of warrior we'd like to marry. She told Alicia recently that even though she's the eldest of us two (we're both Chawles by adoption), she's still the shortest. (Alicia striking a fab pose with Inkoko.)
She's also a wonderful Christian lady who has been instrumental in the evangelism to the Rendille people. On our way back to town from the goob, Inkoko told us to greet everyone at church, her excuse for not coming being that she's probably mid-sixties and not up for a two hour hike in the African bush.

So, Inkoko is one good gramma. The only thing she doesn't do is bake cookies and pies - but then again, who would want to with maize meal and goat butter over an open flame?

SHOES!!!!!!!!

(Laura presenting the gifts and giving rules about how to use sports shoes, i.e. use them only for sports and they are not to be worn hiking home for a day and a half.)

People can be so clever, and God can have such a sense of humor when supplies get donated around here. A group of Koreans once donated some choos (pronounced cho-z and referring to outhouses) and some other people donated semi-delicate musical instruments to the children of a culture where the words, "Be gentle" and "Careful!" don't even exist. However, we're truly grateful for every gift we receive, it's just that some are more... useful...


However, with a fabulous combination of cleverness, humor, utility, and generosity, one of Laura Propst's friends from the States donated sports shoes to EVERY students (63 of them) at T.S.S. this past month.(SUPER-DUPER excited Joseph!)

It was like Christmas at Grandma's house with all that tissue paper and smiles floating around! Everyone was so excited to get such a fabulous gift and enjoy what this all meant for their sports practices. No more stubbed toes or blisters. Sure, everyone is a little unsure of how to pass the ball with these heavy things clanking around their toes, but overall, everyone agrees that we're pretty smart looking!
(Meshak showing how smart he looks.)

Conversations from the Schoolyard

Jeremiah: "Madame, look at my injury. It's paining me."
Me: "Jeremiah, where is this scratch from?"
Jeremiah: "Jonathan's nails are so long that when we were playing they scratched me."
Me: "Jeremiah, I'm very sorry, but I don't think you need a bandage, and I'll talk to him"
(We move over to talk to Jonathan. You should know that Jonathan is about a foot and a half taller than Jeremiah, which isn't hard to do as Jeremiah is about 4'7" standing up straight.)
Me: "Jonathan, Jeremiah says you accidentally scratched him because your nails are so long. Let me see your hands."
Jonathan: "Madame, I need them for a toothpick."
Me: "Jonathan, I think it's time for you to cut those."
Jonathan: "Fine, but they will just grow back."
Me: "I know, but right now they should be shorter so they don't injure people."
(Jeremiah throws a satisfied smile towards Jonathan and makes some snide remark to Jonathan who proceeds to say...)
Jonathan: "You be quiet! I'm going to pick you up and put you in my pocket and keep you there all day so you can't bother me!"

(Jeremiah scampers off while Jonathan fumes and Alicia and I hide in the staffroom so we can laugh our heads off.)

Skype

Skype is a lifesaver. You don't feel nearly as far as you are when you can still chat to girlfriends about the new jewelry they bought, or to Mom about how the dog misses you, or to Dad about how to fix your computer in Africa. You know, the usual conversations you would have at home. Just last night I got to talk to the whole family (minus the girls who were all still asleep) while they were on vacation at the cabin. Everyone was so close, I could even hear Kyle blowing his nose. And Mom blowing hers as well.



Anyways, like I said, it's such a fabulous way to stay close to people you wish were even closer. Just the other day we got to Skype with JAMMIE PANTS who we said "Goodbye" to in May. She was being called back to Texas, so now she's beginning American life all over again while we're still here. Everyone misses her: Us girls, Ingo, her Rendille family... And ever since Ingo (our house help) heard that Abaya (the night guard) got to talk to my Mom and Dad one night via Skype Chat, she was super jealous and kept asking when she could call Siberiyan. Siberiyan did call us on our Friday off of school, and guess who was then able to chat with her and make her practice her Rendille greetings! Ingo was so happy, and I'm sure Jamie was extremely pleased to hear our voices again.

(That's Ingo on the right and Alicia on the right. Ingo caught on to the whole concept of talk/wait/listen/talk/wait/listen thing very quickly!)

African Discipline

Cultural context makes all the difference both in the classroom and on the volleyball court, which is where Joseph Lekadaa and I found ourselves yesterday afternoon having a conversation about how to treat people politely (and how this should be different than how people treat animals.) This is pretty much verbatim how the dialogue went:

Me: "Lekadaa, please come here."
Lekadaa: Looks at me briefly but no response...
Me: "Lekadaa, come."
Lekadaa: "Yes Madame?"
Me: "Lekadaa, are you supposed to throw rocks at goats or at girls?"
Lekadaa: "Sorry Madame."
Me: "Lekadaa, answer the question. Do you throw rocks only at goats or at girls?"
Lekadaa: (Awkward chuckle) "Only at goats Madame."
Me: "Alright Lekadaa, please do not throw stones at Ann. Show her respect."
Lekadaa: "OK, sorry Madame."
Me: "Thank you Lekadaa."

Culture Key: To herd obstinate goats, you throw small stones at them to get them moving. You should NOT throw stones at girls, even if they are obstinate and not moving.

Rendille Wedding Planner

If one were a Rendille wedding planner, one would have to be traditional, old, bossy, well informed in the ways of the traditions,and a Rendille elder. I'm none of those things, but from what I observed last weekend I have a general idea of what must be prepared for and how the time line should go.

8 am Saturday morning:
Get dressed in your warrior gear included fringed kanga, beaded necklaces and bracelets, headdress (not forgetting the feathers), red ocher painted on hair and face, and panga.



4 pm Saturday afternoon:
Paint and load up the groom's camels with all his possessions and pieces of construction materials to build his new house in the bride's goob. (The new husband will live with the clan of the wife for a period of time until the elders decide the couple should move back to the clan of the husband. For example, in this wedding, a man from Dubsahi moved from Dubsahi to his bride's clan of Salle.)


(A sail boat in the desert.)



4:45 pm Saturday afternoon:
The groom moves out with the camels and his family to begin walking to the bride's goob. The Abbas yell out instructions and tell the women to get moving while the Mommas follow behind singing the wedding chant, all the while with their ceremonial bell belts jingling around their waists.

The rest of Saturday afternoon:
Arrive at the bride's goob, make chai, and hang out with your buddies.



7 pm Saturday evening:
Start getting everyone together to begin the various wedding ceremonies.

8 pm Saturday evening:
The warriors of the groom's clan, only those of the wedding party or relations, gather in a large min in the goob of the bride. They begin chanting a special wedding chant and call the bride and all unmarried girls from her clan into the min in order to paint them with red ocher. Two at a time, beginning with the bride and her relations, the girls come in and have their irtiyyo (large beaded necklaces) painted with the animal fat and red ocher mixture. Say it's gross, but I think this actually smells quite nice.

8:30/9 pm Saturday evening:
The rest of the warriors and the ladies who have already been painted begin dancing. Traditional dances include much head bobbing and circular skipping. One warrior even attaches a small blinking Christmas light to his headdress, which adds to the general merriment of the party.

9:30/10 pm on Saturday evening:
The bride is called to slaughter a sheep at the entrance to her parent's house. This action is meant to symbolize her ability to take care of her husband. Immediately after the slaughter the bride will enter the min with her mother, cook and eat the sheep with the other women of their goob, and not exit the hut until the next day.

The rest of Saturday evening:
Warriors and ladies dance the night away.

6 am Sunday morning:
Chanting by the women of both clans and more sacrifices are supposed to take place, but someone has misplaced the warriors. They fell asleep somewhere after staying up all night, and no one can find them. As a result everyone kind of just sits around waiting for things to get moving.



7:30 am Sunday morning:
The warriors grace us with their presence and the ceremonies can finally begin. The Mommas on the groom's side begin the same chant from the previous day, recounting the virtues of the groom to his soon-to-be-wife.

(Watching the Mommas chant)


8 am Sunday morning:
A goat is slaughtered over a hole where the tirrim, "king post," of the couple's new min is to be built. The small bloody well is covered with stones to protect it from being walked over.

8:30 am Sunday morning:
Various other slaughters occur, and for the more wealthy family, even a young camel is killed. The chanting of the Mommas continues. A young goat is also tied behind the min of the bride as a gift for her mother. Once the goat is presented to the mother-of-the-bride, the elders will give the groom and his new M.O.B. new names to address each other by.

(Goat gift.)

9 am Sunday morning:
While the elders pray for the new couple (repeating something that sounds like, "Amen" over and over), some men make chai to feed the warriors for the rest of the day, and the Mommas continue to cater to the bride, who is still hiding in her parent's min. There is also more dancing! The style differs from the night before, however, and now the warriors take turns strutting out in front of the others, doing a sort of catwalk dance with hops thrown in.


(Warriors chanting: not actual words but sounds that, according to our students, "make us happy.")

(Line of hopping warriors stretching out to the left of the above group of warriors.)

9:30 am Sunday morning:
There are actually 2 weddings going on this morning, so we wander next door to another Saale village to see the marriage of the elder brother of Baicha, one of our Form 2 students. White people are good as wedding photographers, so we get set up for family photos of the Amiyos, which really, I don't mind at all.

(John Baicha on the right with his newly-wed brother.)
(Adding the Best Man in on the left with some sort of traditional skin bag.)

10 am Sunday morning:
Even MORE dancing! This time, all the warriors and unmarried girls join in, and massive mosh pit in formed with snaking Conga lines going around and around the center of the goob. Bells clinking, beads and feathers bobbing, feet skipping, and the celebration continues for the rest of the day.

(Jr. High dance: the girls on the left and the boys on the right.)


(Conga Line!)

(Notice the line formation and how the girls hold the hands of the warriors and stand outside of the line.)
(Best Man on the left, me, then John Baicha and his brother - interestingly wearing a white kanga as part of tradition)