Mzungu Mafrica

It's official, I have zero aim. I thought maybe I would improve with time and practice, but if anything I am getting progressively worse. You might be wondering what I am talking about, so I will elaborate, but first, I have to let you know, I now have no boundaries. What happens to me, also must now, happen to you.

There I was, minding my own business, doing the squat toilet thing and all that (don't worry it was just a number one), when a wasp flew out of the hole below me, clearly very annoyed I had chosen his home to do my business. I quickly pulled up my dacks and that was that, my final pair of semi clean pants were now wet. Squat toilets are the worst, whoever thought of them clearly never anticipated someone as uncoordinated as me coming along.

Anyways, enough about that. Life in Kenya is continuing to be brilliant. I have adopted a new nick name from the locals 'mzungu mafrika' - white African. I think that means they like me. I have picked up quite a lot of Swahili in my last two weeks and I am very enthusiastically trying to use it every opportunity I get. I guess they are happy with my efforts.

My first week at placement was great, teaching English and Math and playing games with the kids in between. We played duck, duck, goose on Wednesday in the dirt. I sat straight down, very excited to be playing and they all looked and laughed, going to a corner to collect a rock to sit on... Apparently I was the goose for being to eager to get dirty.

The highlight of my week teaching at the orphanage was by far teaching a little boy to write his name. At the beginning, he could not write a single letter (and he is 7 years old), by the end of the week though, he was quite confidently writing his name over and over, and although it wasn't the neatest, it was readable and he was proud as punch, almost as proud as I was.

Went out shopping and bought some reading books, paper and colored pencils so I look forward to taking them in to do some work next week.

Had my first real 'matatu' experience yesterday trying to get from Naivasha to Nakuru (although I did see zebra, so that made up for the near death experience)... We were 20 in a small van, (mum, dad and other family members, maybe you should discontinue reading), it was raining and our driver decides to play chicken with oncoming traffic. Point of the story, we are ok. Jacky, my mate I was with, quickly pulled out her packet of biscuits she was saving and handed me one, 'We should eat these now, in case we never get another chance'...

I think I will stick to motorbikes where possible, the drivers thus far don't seem as crazy...

Off to Outreach today, going to take food packages out to IDP camp at Gilgil, the Garbage slum at Nakuru and KCC slum at Naivasha and then Hiking at Hells Gate.

Hope all is well with everyone...