The good news is that we received 8 more boxes of toys.
The bad news is that they wanted $500 US Dollars or about 35,000 shillings. So we had to negotiate, and it got pretty fierce.
Customs: You will pay 35,000.
Me: These are donated toys given to orphans free of charge. And you want to charge me 35,000?
Customs: Yes.
Me: Send them back.
Customs: Send them back?
Me: If you aren’t going to clear them, send them back.
Customs: OK, 29,000.
Me: Send them back. And by...
We had the opportunity to go to another game park this week. Samburu is known for the river that runs through the park. I was completely dry. You could walk across it. Which is why there was a staff member whose job was to walk back and forth all night to make sure that none of the leopards came across to the people side. Whenever you think you have a bad job, remember, you could be walking back and forth...
Continue ReadingThere is always one event that signifies that yes, it is time for the end of the term. Our neighbor had college age twins visiting her, and we invited them over to do devotions with the guys. They are both bright cute woman, and after they sat down, one of the guys tooted loudly. And they all laughed loudly. And so I said loudly `That’s it. In this dorm, we honor woman. We will never pass gas in front of...
Continue ReadingIn good ways and in not so good ways. In funny ways and in sad ways:
My sister sent Grace’s sons watches. Grace has 3 sons, Macharia who is 15, Charles who is 13, and Martin who turns 10 tomorrow. After Grace took the watches home, I asked her if the boys liked the watches. “Oooh, yes,” she said as only Grace can say it. Then she went on to tell us about Martin. She showed him the watch and he...
This time I was determined.
During the break, we have the opportunity to take Swahili again. Since I had made a fool of myself on the last one, I was determined not to make my instructor laugh.
Which is tough to do. In general, Kenyans are a very polite folk, and would think it would be the height of rudeness to laugh at an inept, earnest American. Last term I managed to make them laugh quite often, but this was this term,...
I need to confess the real reason I came to Africa.
I just didn’t want to hear `The Heart Will Go On’ ever again. I am convinced that the reason for road rage in the United States was people hearing that song and deciding that violence was the only alternative.
You can imagine my joy for the past two weeks as I passed the music building and strains of that song reverberated through the cement. That song is annoying with professional production:...
As a pet’s name, what does that conjure up? A beautiful stallion perhaps? In Africa, might it be a leopard, or even a lion?
Somehow, it is the name of Matthew’s tiny brown bunny, which likes to be held and eat lettuce. We are still puzzled by the name, but Thunderbolt is taking it in stride.
We went on a field trip to an ostrich farm last week. After a long loud bus ride with dozens of young children singing `99 bottles...
How do you motivate young children to learn computer? A real teacher could tell you, but I’m not a real teacher, so I have had to figure it out on my own. There are three principles that have worked for me:
Empathy. One of the cutest first grade girls of all time, Joy, came in to computer class last term and told me that she was sad because her parents would not be coming for mid term break. Then she started...
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