That's what some of the (male)students asked me when I showed them my snaps from America. They wanted to know what Kasey's and Abby's dowries were, even though I had already said a)they're both married and b)you don't buy wives in America. They also really want my phone number and try all sorts of tactics to get me to give it to them. Like one boy said he'd bring me 3 lobsters, another would bring me a bunny, and a whole bunch said they'd send me credit.

There's 2 new teachers at the school now and also had one leave. Too bad it's not the super-annoying and incredibly stupid teacher that left.

I started teaching the Form 1 students last week. I thought that they were scared of me at first, but it turns out I was just talking too fast for them to understand. Now I talk slower and repeat everything that I say at least 2x. I found that candy motivates all the students to go up to the chalkboard and try to do unit conversions in Physics. It takes them about 10 tries to get it right, but at least they're trying! I always trip on rocks in that room and have even fallen on my butt when walking to class.

I started grading the midterms last night. Why don't they tell you in training how upsetting it is to grade exams?? I feel like I've failed as a teacher when they get the answer wrong (or don't even write an answer down!). I saw this quote in the Standard today when I was eating breakfast:
"Teaching drives a man to drink, golf, or insanity." -John Muir
How appropriate (except I don't play golf).

I walked to the Posta again last week. It wasn't as bad that time. I got 2 packages: one from Carol and Rick and one from Katie and Steve. OMG I have 28 new books to read now!! Oh, I'm not going to change my address and get a private PO Box because I can have one of the kitchen workers from the school pick up my packages for me now.

I was very surprised to hear a Kenyan radio station play Rascal Flatts last weekend.

Perhaps I sent out a few angry texts last week complaining about not having any water... So I have this huge tank next to the house that's now completely empty because stupid fools water their cows there. The key for it is gone too, so if there was water I'd have to unscrew the tap for it to come out. There's also a tap behind the house that's usually shut off unless I bug the right person to have it turned back on. And when it's turned on, they let it run for hours.... So after 3 or 4 days of asking for water for dishes, laundry, and bathing, I finally got a few buckets of the stuff brought to my house. So I was able to bathe a whole 2 times this week!

My favorite Kikuyu word is baconi. It looks like 'bacon', the delicious pork product, but it's pronounced 'fah-show-nee' and means passion fruit. Silly Kenyans and their messed up spelling.

Ok, so a typical day/week at my school:
First I wake up about 7 and make a cup of Milo and coffee, then get dressed and walk the 2 minutes across the field to school around 8. Classes start at 8:15, but I only have the first lesson on Thursdays. The students have assembly on Monday and Friday mornings where they raise the flag, sing a hymn, and read a passage from the Bible. The lessons are 40 minutes long. After the first 2 lessons, there's a 10 minute break. Then after the 3rd and 4th lessons, there's a 30 minute chai break. Lessons 5 and 6, then lunch from 1:00-2:00, then the last 3 lessons. After classes end at 4, the students have activities til 5. They run cross-country, play netball, soccer, or handball and hold Debate Club on Tuesdays.
I have 2 lessons after lunch on Mondays, only one lesson on Tuesdays, and a whole bunch Wed-Fri. Yesterday was a reeeeeallllly long day for me; I gave an exam in Form 3 from 8:15-9:35 then had 3 lessons in Form 1. After I was done teaching I wandered around the other classes for a while and was invited to teach a CRE (Christian Religious Education) lesson about the prophet Jeremiah. Um yeah... I declined and just talked to the kids instead. Can't really call them kids though...some of the Form 4 students are my age!

I had a tri-lingual dream a few nights ago. First it was in English, then German, and a little bit in Kiswahili.

Katie and Steve: those chocolate covered Oreos were sooo good! Thanks! And I've already finished The Five People you Meet in Heaven and I'm halfway through The Devil Wears Prada. The receipts were still in 2 of the books. One from the Amsterdam airport and one from an airport in Hawaii!

I'm a tad bit pissed off and feel like yelling at someone. Maybe I'll vent at a matatu tout or a beggar. Probably not, but it's also not out of the question.