Another Lazy Post

Am just copying and pasting some of my status updates from Facebook for those who aren’t on Facebook instead of typing 50 different posts…because…well, I’m lazy.

Will try to post some pictures and a couple of videos soon.  Am hoping I can get the videos posted, it took 5-6 hours for two videos to get posted to Facebook the other day (one was 1 minute long and the other one was 20 seconds long).  Yeah, that’s how slow my Internet is but am not going to complain because I wasn’t even sure if I would have Internet access.

Facebook Status Updates:

I decided to sweep this morning and hadn’t put my glasses on yet. I was sweeping up what I thought was a dead roach and was pleased that the bug spray I had used was working. Imagine my surprise when I saw it move and scurry away….and that it had a tail…I think it was a live mouse. Yeah, I miss having contact lens.

I have a confession to make. My school has prefects which makes me feel like I’m at Hogwarts….just kind of wish we could play Quidditch…

I will never take blackboards for granted again….who knew it could be tricky teaching math and science without a blackboard!

Excited to start coaching volleyball this afternoon!

Netball…yeah I think it’s time I find out the rules of this game…apparently basketball rules don’t apply but at least I provided entertainment for the teachers (it was all in good fun even I was laughing at myself).

After going to the village market every day for 7 days in a row hoping I would find some bananas….I found some today. I also had to go to only 3 vendors to find some milk. Throw in a couple of cold Orange Fantas. Today was a success…woot!!

The only thing that could ever make 5:30 am fun is following the box score of KU beating MU. Keep it up Jayhawks!

Class 7 girl (hard-of-hearing, she lost her hearing a few years ago): *sings*
Other deaf kids: “Come on, sign please…”
Class 7 girl: “No, I may be deaf but I’m hearing at heart.”
What does it mean to be hearing and what does it mean to be deaf? I can tell you first-handed it’s more than if you can hear/can’t hear.

List of critters I have seen so far in my home: spiders (tons of them with longggg legs), roaches (who knew they could get so large), mice, lizards, and bats….as long as I don’t see a snake…I’ll be okay. Yes, that horror story the PCMO told us about how one PCV woke up with a snake in her/his bed hasn’t escaped my mind….

Teacher to me: “Deaf people don’t know anything…oh by the way will you help me with my Masters thesis?”
Umm…….

Yesterday, I posted about having to put together last minute lesson plans when being asked to teach a class I’ve never taught. Today, I was expected to teach Class 4 Math in a classroom we’re currently sharing with Classes 5 and 7 while our classroom is being repaired….and Class 7 teacher said the blackboard was off limits to Classes 4 and 5 teachers…throw into the mix that we don’t even have enough textbooks. Umm…yeah…had to do some improvising with a tiny piece of paper and a lot of one-on-one.

As a teacher in Kenya one never knows if they will get to teach all of their classes and one never knows which classes she/he will be asked to teach until right before…..yeah…am learning how to think on my toes and how to throw together a mental lesson plan in a few seconds. Needless to say I feel like I don’t have a clue what I’m doing at times…

During yesterday’s practice the coach told the boys to run 10 laps and the girls to run 5 laps because the girls were weaker. Yeah….needless to say that rubbed me the wrong way so today when I found out the boys were running only 5 laps….I made the girls run 6 laps even though I got whining and “but…we’re girls, we’re weaker” the whole time and I had to run the 6th lap with them. It was worth it because the girls then went on to beat the boys in 2 games of handball. The girls were having the time of their life….the boys…well to say they weren’t happy is an understatement…

As someone who was told she would never read past a 4th grade level….as someone who relies so much on reading/writing to communicate with the hearing world….as someone who LOVES escaping into a good book…..as someone who reads to learn because knowledge is power…. It breaks my heart more and more everyday to see that my students have no reading comprehension and 1/3 of my students can’t even write….all because no one believed in them….. *sighs* How did I end up with such a wonderful network of supportive relatives and friends? Everyone deserves to have what I had……

Nothing like thinking you’re walking down a road all by yourself and then turning around to find a group of children following you……

Today must have been “pet a mzungu” day…..I got petted more than usual….

Students are very curious about the “things” on my head (cochlear implants) and have invented different signs for those “things.” A class 4 boy’s sign cracks me up every time because I always think he’s calling me “Mickey Mouse” then I remember signs here are different. 🙂

Class 7 Girl: “We’re going to play netball with the girls from the primary school over there.”
Me: “Oh, you are? When?”
Class 7 Girl: “Monday, we will play with the hearing girls. There are challenges between deaf and hearing girls.”
Me: “Maybe you can teach the hearing girls some signs and you can talk with each other.”
Class 7 Girl: *shrugs* “Ehhhhh…..we’ll see if that works”
*sighs* Sometimes things are the same regardless of which country you live in or which culture you’re a part of….

I knew it was too good to be true when it only took me 10 minutes to catch a ride to town and an hour to get to town even though the driver ended up having to change a tire on the way….because it took 5 hours (and a lot of patience) to get back home (17 km, 10.5 miles). On the bright side, after asking 3 people where the post office was…I found it! Yayness!

Apparently my village’s so-called post office doesn’t actually mail letters and I have to head to the next town over. I have no clue where the post office there is….am hoping I can find it so I can get this growing pile of letters that have been sitting on my desk for the last 2 weeks mailed and on their way to America!

Running at 5:30 am. Pro = the stars. Con = It’s dark and I spent most of my run/walk hoping I wouldn’t run into a tree

Did I really just tell the kids I would run with them at 5:30 am?! I am so.not.a.morning.person……..

Class 4 Girl: “What color uniforms do children wear to school in America?”
Me: “Well, some children in America don’t have to wear uniforms while some children do have to wear uniforms. It depends on the school they go to.”
Class 4 Girl: “The girls wear dresses, right?”
Me: “They wear dresses, skirts, jeans, shorts, pants, t-shirts, long-sleeve shirts, sweaters….”
Class 4 Girl: “Did you say pants?! Do girls really wear pants in America?!”
Oh, only if I had my camera with me to capture the look of surprise on her face. It was priceless….

It’s funny how things come a full circle. I remember writing a letter to someone overseas as a part of an activity in the 3rd or 4th grade in Joplin…..and I just got some awesome letters from Jessica’s 4th grade class in Joplin! What a wonderful surprise! Can’t wait to continue our correspondence with each other and to get my students involved.

I have decided that when I return to the States that I need to throw a Kenya-style thank you party for all of my fabulous family and friends who have been so supportive….and…yes, ugali with kale will be the main dish.

School gets out at 4:30…..at 3:30pm I found myself to be the only teacher still teaching.

‎26 years of SEE2, 13 years of CASE/PSE, 6 years of ASL, less than 4 months of KSL….and I’m already finding myself forgetting SEE2/CASE/PSE/ASL signs…..not sure how I feel about that….

I’m a bit of a klutz. When I do actually catch balls/frisbees..it’s usually with my face and I’m always tripping over my own feet. Regardless of the fact I’m always making a complete fool out of myself when I play sports, I love sports. I think I’ve been more excited for the school sports season to start than the kiddos. Just found out we start on Monday! I will be helping out with running, daily exercises, and volleyball. Am hoping they will need an extra warm body for netball because I’m really curious about how it’s different from basketball.