This past week were mid-term exams. The students took a one hour exam in each subject and then they went home on Thursday afternoon. I ran with them before I left, and boy am I sore. How could I not go for a run though, because it gave the villagers such amusement. "Muzungu" and then words that I didn't understand. A lot of laughing though, and general merriment. And then my boys appreciated it too. It's happening, they are becoming my boys. Some of them (many actually) are older than I am, but here they are still called boys and girls until the graduate. Four of my boys are remaining at the school over the break. Thursday night we hunkered about a kerosene lamp and talked about cultural differences between schools in Kenya and America. In Kenya students are expected to fetch their teachers water, relay messages, and clean the teachers' office. In Kenya things come up and some teachers don't make it to class. I gave one of those Obama speeches, "yes we can" grow into effective adults and make a difference.
I also told them about my hope to build a wood fire bread oven. They got super excited. This is my first "project" here and it feels good to have the jimbe in my hand, to dig up dirt, place stones, and be working towards a common goal with the people around me. A fundi (worker, this was was a mason by trade) came on Friday since I don't know much about masonry. With my vision, his knowledge, and the students muscles we completed the first stage, a 2 1/2 ft tall base. I want to show you pictures, and some day I will but not today. You will have to wait. I am unable to upload them at these Internet cafes.
I introduced the project to the students by saying that I wanted to build an oven because when I lived in America I would bake bread about once a week. After they got the message they came up with their own plans, "maybe we will be able to bake bread for the school, maybe we will be able to sell bread to the community." Yes, that would be good. Maybe you will be able to build a covered matatu shelter so that people don't have to stand in the rain. Maybe you will be able to use the money to help children more needy than yourselves pay school fees. I hope that they will be able to tell me what the community needs. They are the ones who know, not me. We will see how this pans out. Even if there is not a sufficient demand, I will still be able to teach the students my favorite bread recipes. They will still have gotten practice working with their hands, skills that will help them after school. They will have learned a little bit about thermal expansion (hopefully the oven will not crack under the force). Most importantly, my boys and I will have grown closer through working together.
I found a coconut on a journey to Meru last weekend. I am hoping to reward them this evening for there help by cooking a peanut - coconut curry for them. Spices are not used here because they are expensive and they do not add nutrition. If I wasn't cooking for them they would be eating rice seasoned with salt. In Kenya boarding students eat githeri (beans and corn) for two meals a day. I wish that the American school system was a little closer to this. Instead of fake nacho cheese and corn dogs we could given them githeri with a little sakuma wiki (kale). They could get excited for Ugali (kind of like polenta) day instead of square pizza day. Could you imagine sending your kid to school with a cold lunch of beans and corn? He would hate himself, and no one would trade them their shoe-glue go-gurt for your kids organic proteins.
21 February 2009
14 February 2009
X Country Coach
Many of you know that during my time in high school I was interested in running, until I got burnt out and quit. So I played frisbee instead, which gave me everything that I felt like I had been lacking when I was running. They don't have frisbee teams in Kenya and the cross country team at my school was coachless, leading me to make a re-entry into the sport. My first initial duty, other than doing mazeuzi (exercises) with the students was to attend a cross country meet with the students last weekend. Being there brought back a lot of memories for me, the stress, the passion for endorphines, and the desire to perform well. During the 8km boys race one of my students was the third in the pack after the first lap, which intensified all of these feelings even more. He went out of site, and then upon seeing him again he was about 200m in front of the others. I was so excited for him. I cheered, ran along side him, and then hurried off to meet him at the finish. He moved onto the provincial meet, which was today, and I accompanied him to the course.
We were told that the first meet was going to begin at 7:30am, and so I was very worried when we showed up at 8:30am and no one was at the course. Round about 9 another school showed up. At about 9:45 the officials showed up, and then we got going at about 10:30. I felt awful because I told my physics students that I would be back at the school in the afternoon to teach a few extra classes, but there wasn't a lot I could do. So today we got to town at about 7:30, when we were told to meet at 7, only to find that everyone had already proceeeded ahead of us to the course. This is exactly the way Kenya is, you cannot say that they do not care about keeping time, because sometimes they keep strict times. It's those other times that really throw me off. No matter what time is kept - or not kept, people are generally understanding.
We arrived to the meet just in time, and everybody was very curious of who this mazungu. I met with the chairman, I met with some teachers, and some students. Then I got to watch the races. The students were lined up on the starting line, the gun goes off, and I see my student sprint to the front. I know that he got first last time, but maybe I should have warned him that this would be a slightly tougher crowd. One of the reasons why I left cross country was that I was the best at my school, and there was a lot pressure on me to always achieve results. The stress became too much and it just was not fun anymore. Maybe I should have relayed this story to my student, I don't care how well he does, as long as he tries and feels good about himself. So I see him after the first lap and yell out encouragement, "Paul, keep it up," and he returns, "but mwalimu" and gives me this pained face. After that I didn't notice him in the pack next time around but was able to find him sitting away from the course next to a few other students. Okay, talk time, I don't care if you get first, there were lots of people in the race that you could have kept up with. He says that he knows, and wants to try again. During this talk it comes out that the cross country team only goes on 4 km runs, maybe 3 times a week, while the races are between 8 and 12 km. No wonder he got burnt out quickly. Now though, he knows what races are like, and can help motivate the other students. I will also try to step up a little more to help them organize themselves.
The event was followed by speeches from a member of parliment, district commisioner, and a representatives of the sponsors of the events. We were even blessed by the presence of the winner of like 6 international marathons who happens to be from this part of Kenya. Runners in Kenya are really revered. Even the runners today who finished in the top 6 for each race received track suits, 20 thousand shillings, and are being put up in the training camp for the next week in order to prepare for the national event.
I told my student that in highschool my English teacher told me that Kenyans are good runners because they don't have TV, which means that they go on 300 mile runs. We both had a good laugh at cross cultural mis-representations and ended the day on a happy note.
Now I just have to get in shape so that I can run with my students. I don't know what it is, if it is the elevation, the heat, or my diet, but I can't keep up with the students for more than 1/2 a mile. I can't say that I am getting old, because there was a 69 year old man that ran the 12 km race with the students. This guy gave a speech, and said that he has worked on a shamba all of his life, but he just loves running so much that on top of his farm work he runs about 10 km a day. What an inspiration. He certainly didn't get first, but he seemed to be about the happiest of any of the runners.
We were told that the first meet was going to begin at 7:30am, and so I was very worried when we showed up at 8:30am and no one was at the course. Round about 9 another school showed up. At about 9:45 the officials showed up, and then we got going at about 10:30. I felt awful because I told my physics students that I would be back at the school in the afternoon to teach a few extra classes, but there wasn't a lot I could do. So today we got to town at about 7:30, when we were told to meet at 7, only to find that everyone had already proceeeded ahead of us to the course. This is exactly the way Kenya is, you cannot say that they do not care about keeping time, because sometimes they keep strict times. It's those other times that really throw me off. No matter what time is kept - or not kept, people are generally understanding.
We arrived to the meet just in time, and everybody was very curious of who this mazungu. I met with the chairman, I met with some teachers, and some students. Then I got to watch the races. The students were lined up on the starting line, the gun goes off, and I see my student sprint to the front. I know that he got first last time, but maybe I should have warned him that this would be a slightly tougher crowd. One of the reasons why I left cross country was that I was the best at my school, and there was a lot pressure on me to always achieve results. The stress became too much and it just was not fun anymore. Maybe I should have relayed this story to my student, I don't care how well he does, as long as he tries and feels good about himself. So I see him after the first lap and yell out encouragement, "Paul, keep it up," and he returns, "but mwalimu" and gives me this pained face. After that I didn't notice him in the pack next time around but was able to find him sitting away from the course next to a few other students. Okay, talk time, I don't care if you get first, there were lots of people in the race that you could have kept up with. He says that he knows, and wants to try again. During this talk it comes out that the cross country team only goes on 4 km runs, maybe 3 times a week, while the races are between 8 and 12 km. No wonder he got burnt out quickly. Now though, he knows what races are like, and can help motivate the other students. I will also try to step up a little more to help them organize themselves.
The event was followed by speeches from a member of parliment, district commisioner, and a representatives of the sponsors of the events. We were even blessed by the presence of the winner of like 6 international marathons who happens to be from this part of Kenya. Runners in Kenya are really revered. Even the runners today who finished in the top 6 for each race received track suits, 20 thousand shillings, and are being put up in the training camp for the next week in order to prepare for the national event.
I told my student that in highschool my English teacher told me that Kenyans are good runners because they don't have TV, which means that they go on 300 mile runs. We both had a good laugh at cross cultural mis-representations and ended the day on a happy note.
Now I just have to get in shape so that I can run with my students. I don't know what it is, if it is the elevation, the heat, or my diet, but I can't keep up with the students for more than 1/2 a mile. I can't say that I am getting old, because there was a 69 year old man that ran the 12 km race with the students. This guy gave a speech, and said that he has worked on a shamba all of his life, but he just loves running so much that on top of his farm work he runs about 10 km a day. What an inspiration. He certainly didn't get first, but he seemed to be about the happiest of any of the runners.
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