I hear you are suffering from cold weather at home....pole (sorry) :(
This has been a slower week for me, gearing up for teaching again next week. New experience last week: I DROVE THE CAR !!! The back seat passengers looked a little........I don’t know.......perhaps they were feeling indisposed.....funny that it was both of them at the same time though, don’t you think? After a few peaceful kms, we entered a village, which indicates......PEOPLE! However, there was no problem, I am, after all, an experienced driver. As we came to the usual oncoming huge truck seeming to own the center of the road, Raha began rapidly motioning me to the side of the road. I guess he didn’t realize that I am perfectly at home on the side I was on! Then it was suddenly his turn to drive again. Seriously!....such a fuss over a rear view mirror.......isn’t that why there are 3 of them??! (just kidding.....no damages, but the rest is true)
It never ceases to amaze me the tight spaces they can squeeze through, and how little room they take to uturn or anything else. I am always bracing for impact, and it never happens. Yesterday, we had to stop because of a gravel pile in the middle. Someone grabbed a shovel and began to make way for us. A motorcycle taxi passed us, but he had to pull in his rearview mirror to make it!
I am quite sure no one could survive my driving in this city! There are no rules or standards.....it’s the rule of the horn here! You hear honking everywhere. Some mean move-it-or-lose-it, some mean thank you, some are saying ‘hi’, and I think for some, it is just a reflex!
If there are a shortage of parking spaces on the side of the road, pull up onto the sidewalk.....no problem......the people will move! The faster you’re moving, the faster they move.....it’s a cause and effect thing. I am feeling that it might be unwise to sit in the driver’s seat at home, for a time, although I am fairly certain that the horn is functioning well.
Some days I can follow the gist of a conversation in Swahili......some days.....not so much!
Still learning.......
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
I hear you are suffering from cold weather at home....pole (sorry) :(
This has been a slower week for me, gearing up for teaching again next week. New experience last week: I DROVE THE CAR !!! The back seat passengers looked a little........I don’t know.......perhaps they were feeling indisposed.....funny that it was both of them at the same time though, don’t you think? After a few peaceful kms, we entered a village, which indicates......PEOPLE! However, there was no problem, I am, after all, an experienced driver. As we came to the usual oncoming huge truck seeming to own the center of the road, Raha began rapidly motioning me to the side of the road. I guess he didn’t realize that I am perfectly at home on the side I was on! Then it was suddenly his turn to drive again. Seriously!....such a fuss over a rear view mirror.......isn’t that why there are 3 of them??! (just kidding.....no damages, but the rest is true)
It never ceases to amaze me the tight spaces they can squeeze through, and how little room they take to uturn or anything else. I am always bracing for impact, and it never happens. Yesterday, we had to stop because of a gravel pile in the middle. Someone grabbed a shovel and began to make way for us. A motorcycle taxi passed us, but he had to pull in his rearview mirror to make it!
I am quite sure no one could survive my driving in this city! There are no rules or standards.....it’s the rule of the horn here! You hear honking everywhere. Some mean move-it-or-lose-it, some mean thank you, some are saying ‘hi’, and I think for some, it is just a reflex!
If there are a shortage of parking spaces on the side of the road, pull up onto the sidewalk.....no problem......the people will move! The faster you’re moving, the faster they move.....it’s a cause and effect thing. I am feeling that it might be unwise to sit in the driver’s seat at home, for a time, although I am fairly certain that the horn is functioning well.
Some days I can follow the gist of a conversation in Swahili......some days.....not so much!
Still learning.......
This has been a slower week for me, gearing up for teaching again next week. New experience last week: I DROVE THE CAR !!! The back seat passengers looked a little........I don’t know.......perhaps they were feeling indisposed.....funny that it was both of them at the same time though, don’t you think? After a few peaceful kms, we entered a village, which indicates......PEOPLE! However, there was no problem, I am, after all, an experienced driver. As we came to the usual oncoming huge truck seeming to own the center of the road, Raha began rapidly motioning me to the side of the road. I guess he didn’t realize that I am perfectly at home on the side I was on! Then it was suddenly his turn to drive again. Seriously!....such a fuss over a rear view mirror.......isn’t that why there are 3 of them??! (just kidding.....no damages, but the rest is true)
It never ceases to amaze me the tight spaces they can squeeze through, and how little room they take to uturn or anything else. I am always bracing for impact, and it never happens. Yesterday, we had to stop because of a gravel pile in the middle. Someone grabbed a shovel and began to make way for us. A motorcycle taxi passed us, but he had to pull in his rearview mirror to make it!
I am quite sure no one could survive my driving in this city! There are no rules or standards.....it’s the rule of the horn here! You hear honking everywhere. Some mean move-it-or-lose-it, some mean thank you, some are saying ‘hi’, and I think for some, it is just a reflex!
If there are a shortage of parking spaces on the side of the road, pull up onto the sidewalk.....no problem......the people will move! The faster you’re moving, the faster they move.....it’s a cause and effect thing. I am feeling that it might be unwise to sit in the driver’s seat at home, for a time, although I am fairly certain that the horn is functioning well.
Some days I can follow the gist of a conversation in Swahili......some days.....not so much!
Still learning.......
Friday, February 10, 2012
February 7
I keep looking for pictures to bring you that are not the “why-must-people-visit -foreign-countries-and-come-home-with-such-heartbreaking-scenes” pictures. So far......nothing! The reality of being the poorest country in the world is everywhere! I have enough landscape and scenery pictures to last a lifetime!
I have been teaching classes now for 2 days. The road is 1 hour 10 minutes of washboard, each way. I teach from 8:00 until 12:00 with one 15 minute ‘coffee break’ (translation = 30 minutes for tea) They now make a pot of coffee for me. Not Tim Horton’s, but very thoughtful! Walungu is a large village, very nice, with a few nice buildings. My Bethsaida friends are going to take turns accompanying me each day. My translator is great, very fast, and accurate, so I hear. He is not feeling well right now (I suspect he has a Canadian malady......the not-so-common-here cold) Isn’t it nice I could bring them a little something? The weather is hot and holding. Pastor Raha & Mapendo have given me the household fan.......I take it everywhere (in the house, I mean)
My Swahili is progressing........I can now say....”I am going to Bideka” (nina safiri kwenda Bideka.....are you impressed??)........pity that has such limited usage! Culturally......I drew an ‘x’ on the blackboard and told the class this is their question. Then I drew around, and around, and around it in a large circle, saying this is how you ask your questions. Next I drew another ‘x’ and an arrow straight to it, explaining that this is how we as questions in North America. We all shared laughter (they find our manner quite aggressive). However, I noticed the translator pointing to it several times as questions were being asked!
They now have ‘speed bumps’ here. (hardly describes the jolt experienced on impact). I asked the Swahili word for them, which Pastor Raha kindly gave me. I then asked what that word means? He said “speed bump”! .....I’m learning....
I have been teaching classes now for 2 days. The road is 1 hour 10 minutes of washboard, each way. I teach from 8:00 until 12:00 with one 15 minute ‘coffee break’ (translation = 30 minutes for tea) They now make a pot of coffee for me. Not Tim Horton’s, but very thoughtful! Walungu is a large village, very nice, with a few nice buildings. My Bethsaida friends are going to take turns accompanying me each day. My translator is great, very fast, and accurate, so I hear. He is not feeling well right now (I suspect he has a Canadian malady......the not-so-common-here cold) Isn’t it nice I could bring them a little something? The weather is hot and holding. Pastor Raha & Mapendo have given me the household fan.......I take it everywhere (in the house, I mean)
My Swahili is progressing........I can now say....”I am going to Bideka” (nina safiri kwenda Bideka.....are you impressed??)........pity that has such limited usage! Culturally......I drew an ‘x’ on the blackboard and told the class this is their question. Then I drew around, and around, and around it in a large circle, saying this is how you ask your questions. Next I drew another ‘x’ and an arrow straight to it, explaining that this is how we as questions in North America. We all shared laughter (they find our manner quite aggressive). However, I noticed the translator pointing to it several times as questions were being asked!
They now have ‘speed bumps’ here. (hardly describes the jolt experienced on impact). I asked the Swahili word for them, which Pastor Raha kindly gave me. I then asked what that word means? He said “speed bump”! .....I’m learning....
February 8
OK.....so......I have been trying to think of a way to help everyone understand the high value these pastors place on the training classes. Today I have it.........
A man came to class today for the first time. He missed Monday and Tuesday, but today he was there....... wearing his best suit and smiling. You might wonder why he is only coming in the middle of the week? The answer?.......his son died on Monday, on Tuesday was the funeral, today he came wearing his best suit............. All of you who have contributed to make these classes happen, you were there for him today........how can I thank you????
A man came to class today for the first time. He missed Monday and Tuesday, but today he was there....... wearing his best suit and smiling. You might wonder why he is only coming in the middle of the week? The answer?.......his son died on Monday, on Tuesday was the funeral, today he came wearing his best suit............. All of you who have contributed to make these classes happen, you were there for him today........how can I thank you????
February 8
OK.....so......I have been trying to think of a way to help everyone understand the high value these pastors place on the training classes. Today I have it.........
A man came to class today for the first time. He missed Monday and Tuesday, but today he was there....... wearing his best suit and smiling. You might wonder why he is only coming in the middle of the week? The answer?.......his son died on Monday, on Tuesday was the funeral, today he came wearing his best suit............. All of you who have contributed to make these classes happen, you were there for him today........how can I thank you????
A man came to class today for the first time. He missed Monday and Tuesday, but today he was there....... wearing his best suit and smiling. You might wonder why he is only coming in the middle of the week? The answer?.......his son died on Monday, on Tuesday was the funeral, today he came wearing his best suit............. All of you who have contributed to make these classes happen, you were there for him today........how can I thank you????
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