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Author Topic: Poshboy goes to Kenya. A 2007 Flashback Diary.  (Read 22714 times)
UgotNuts
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« Reply #45 on: May 04, 2015, 02:11:19 PM »

Njagi: "Do you pay a lot of money for wives in England?"
Me: "You don't have to pay anything"
"Why not?"
"Because that's like treating them like property"
"Ai, my property."


^^
Made me giggle. Thanks!
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« Reply #46 on: May 04, 2015, 04:39:20 PM »

'Paying for a wife' in the form of a dowry (or whatever the term is locally) is still common practice in loads of countries...
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« Reply #47 on: May 06, 2015, 02:09:37 PM »

5th November 2007

Apologies if this offends anyone, it was my private thoughts not intended to be made public

Life is quite up and down at the moment. The religious aspect of the culture here is beginning to irritate me a lot. The dancing and clapping is just getting too much. It annoys me how much time and energy these people waste on talking basically to themselves. Praying has always bothered me, how any sane person can sit down and talk to someone who isn't visible I'll never understand. I suppose that is what faith is. But I don't believe in anything you can't see or touch. Science explains everything and anything that science can't explain is just stuff we haven't worked out or understood yet.

Yet I find myself saying grace before meals and singing along with the gyms and saying the prayers with everyone else. I feel a real fraud. But there is nothing I can do about it.

In fact, as I write this and reflect, there isn't much to be happy about. Teaching is becoming increasingly dull, Njagi is the only staff member I ever have a proper conversation with. I have really enjoyed it thus far but I may have got everything out of the experience I am going to get. Financially is not good either. I bought a suit in Embu on saturday which was cheap and is nice, but I didn't really need it and don't have much spare money.

I'm hoping to climb Mount Kenya, (which I can see from my window!) so that will cost a lot (however it is something to look forward to).

Saturday was really fun with Njagi. After shopping with got quite drunk in a hotel which was funny. However sunday was very lonely, slept most of the day and read a lot too. In the evening, Simon had left something for me so was all by myself, there was no power and I was sitting there in the dark, alone, listening to really depressing music.

I desperately needed company so went to Robinsons hose and watched some Mr Bean episodes which cheered me up. His daughter (9) is so sweet, I really like their family.
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« Reply #48 on: May 09, 2015, 04:54:56 AM »

9th November 2007

A lot can change in a week! Am feeling much happier than when I last wrote here. This week has been busy by Kenyan standards, so I haven't had much time just sitting and getting depressed or bored.

On Wednesday, after school Mr Muchira and I started a small game of volleyball. More and more people joined in and watched and after about an hour literally the whole school was watching. I said it was England vs Kenya and got them all chanting England! They were so enthusiastic and happy - all cheering and clapping and screaming. It was one of the nicest moments i've had here.

 Click to see full-size image.


Tomorrow they have a Prayers Day which is like speech day and today all the classes were preparing songs, acts or dances to perform to the parents. I was with Class 4 most of the day, preparing them to sing Amazing Grace and even made a small dance routine! I was there until about 6 then on the way home played a small game of badminton with some of the college guys.

I then went back to school after my dinner to teach them more songs (Head, shoulders, knees and toes!) and hear them perform in from of the whole school. It was really rewarding getting more involved at school.

On Sunday I am going to Kimunye with Njagi to get measured up for some trousers!
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« Reply #49 on: May 09, 2015, 08:37:51 AM »

Really enjoying this Alex.
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« Reply #50 on: May 09, 2015, 08:38:49 AM »

Plus, when you lose it again you will have a copy here.
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« Reply #51 on: May 10, 2015, 07:53:09 AM »

10th November 2007

This week the eldest pupils are taking national exams and today the school held a prayer day where all parents visit the school and a posh (by Kenyan standards) ceremony is held solely to wish them luck for the forthcoming exams.

As well as an unnecessary amount of prayers, the event also includes songs, a rather too enthusiastic sermon (although this is second nature now) and entertainment provided by the girls. It was great hearing the class 4's Amazing Grace but enjoyed other acts too. Girls had taken western songs such as R Kelly "The Worlds Greatest" and Backstreet Boys and rewritten the words either to praise God or to wish their school mates good luck. A very spirited occasion.

In an already bizarre event, the part that stood out the most was when the parents of the candidates all stood in the middle with their child and held them, and everyone prayed at the same time out loud. Some mothers whispered prayers in their ears, some were even shouting prayers at their children and some even broke down in tears mid-prayer! I have never seen anything like it.

After the service each exam room was blessed and we all ate. The school cooks had really gone all out for this occasion - there was occasional chunks of goat meat with my bowl of rice as well as the usual suspicious green stew. What a treat! Sadly we still did not merit the use of knives and forks - spoons would do for everyone.

The mood was very high and I had a good bit of banter with Mr Muchira who had piled his bowl so full of rice that it was impossible to eat any of it without dislodging some onto the floor. He told me that this bowl was merely a warm up - a taster. I then felt awkward when he justified his large helping by saying that he probably won't get the chance to eat again until tomorrow lunchtime. Again, I haven't at all mastered how to react to these comments. For instance the other day, Simon asked for an advance because he wanted his daughter to go back to school because she hadn't been for a few days due to school fees not being paid.

Despite the lush surroundings and great food I get - life is hard for most.
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« Reply #52 on: May 12, 2015, 05:00:29 AM »

11th November 2007

I had an interesting day today, not sure whether I enjoyed it. After a slightly dull church service I met up with Njagi, his fiancee Becky and James the school accountant. We left for Kimunye at about 12 in a cool 4x4 which I got to drive later on. We never made it to the tailors as promised which didn't really surprise me, I have come to expect these kind of arrangements to fall through. Instead I spent the day with Njagi's family. Njagi said we would meet his grandmother.

"She is 107 and still very beautiful. You will dance with her". Of course, she wasn't at all beautiful and could barely walk let alone dance. She had also huge holes in her ears (common, couldn't speak any English and was completely mad.

 Click to see full-size image.


Some of the college students have given me an African name (a standard thing to do for visitors) - Kiora they chose for me, which means frog! After I let this slip in conversation, she would aggressively point at me and shout "Kiora" at seemingly random intervals.

About 3 women introduced themselves to me as Njagi's mother, and one of these women even claimed that she was my own mother. They had prepared a huge feast for us to eat, which was very nice.

The highlight of the day however has to be when I was just leaving, Njagi's aunt was holding a live chicken by its legs, trying to force it into a paper bag. "For you" she said. A gift apparently.

Honoured and frankly bewildered, I took the chicken home and gave it to Lydia next door to look after. Dinner tomorrow, I suspect!

 Click to see full-size image.
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« Reply #53 on: May 16, 2015, 03:21:25 AM »

21st November 2007

Last week of school! I have an expedition to climb Mt Kenya planned and then a trip to Tanzania to see Onesmo (safari guide from last years holiday - massive lad). Can't wait for both of those.

Somehow a rumour got round school that it was my birthday and loads of kids made charming cards ad wrote lovely letters to me. A few also gave me some photos of themselves. The remarks in some of the letters were really heart warming. Most said how they loved having me as a teacher but some would say things like "Thank you for not persecuting us" (!) and my personal favourite - "you are the only fish in my pond"! They will be treasured forever.

The Class 8 s (aged 13/14) have done their exams now and are going home tomorrow. They strongly encouraged that I come to their last night party, they even told me to stay over in their dorm! I politely refused...

My Class 5 s Maths improved form 54% average to 68% - pretty proud of that. I told Class 4 s about Helen (girlfriend at the time) and showed them a photo of her. They were all saying "Wow Mr. Alex she is beautiful" and they pointed at her blonde hair and said "Teacher what is that?"! I told them it was her hair and they were amazed - "WOW Teacher!". Amazing how they'd clearly never even seen blonde hair before.
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« Reply #54 on: May 18, 2015, 02:16:49 AM »

26th November 2007

Last day of school! Very sad to say goodbye to them. They were told not to cry by the headteacher but I could tell it was very hard for some of them. For me even, it was hard. I have grown very fond of a few of them. Rachael, Mercy, Maureen, Jasinta, Jackeline and Lydia from Class 4. June, Mercy, Karen and Patience from Class 5. Leaving them was difficult and I will treasure the photographs I have of them and if I return to Kenya, they are the ones I will look for.

Leaving the teachers wasn't difficult or sad. Only Njagi I have really got to know - although Mr Nyaga and Mr Muchira I like too. I will definitely see Njagi again over the next two weeks, not sure about the others.

Went for a beer with Njagi, he said "you buy me a beer", and I said "Or two, to thank you for being so kind to me?". He shook his head and I said "Ok, just one then".

"No, Ten!" he replied.
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« Reply #55 on: May 26, 2015, 04:30:49 AM »

27th November 2007

Life is far from dull here. I woke up with nothing planned and actually had a really interesting and fun day.

After the bible study in the morning, I went to the school to see if any of the girls were still there. About 10 were sitting by the big tree waiting to be collected. They all looked very miserable and felt like forgotten sheep. It was a sad sight. Amongst those left was Karen Wanjiku, one of my favourites, such a sweet girl, very large and beautiful round eyes, and a kind heart. There were others I knew, I tried to assure them that their parents would be here any minute and played a bit of volleyball to entertain them.

Mr Githigi told me there was one girl a few years ago who wasn't collected until she left school completely - she spent the holidays at school and saw her Mum once on a visiting day in her second year.

One by one parents would turn up, only ever either the father or the mother, never both. Some children would run to their parents with open arms, some would trundle over and shake their parents' hand. The emotions shared by the parents were disturbing, though some were happy to see their daughter, most were not. Few or no words were exchanged between them and they wandered off out of the school gates, sometimes with the child following behind, over burdened with luggage and, I sensed, scared about what would happen once they were out of the school gate and beyond the teacher's gaze.

Mr Githigi and Mr Muchira offered to take me to some spectacular waterfalls that were nearby. They were beautiful and the surrounding landscape was amazing - a very relaxing scene. We drank from a mountain water spring.

Githigi then took us back to his shamba. I met his family and he showed me his farm. He had many chickens, a cow and to my surprise, a pet cat. He grew bananas, sugar cane, coffee, maize and pineapple and many other fruits. There was also a huge avocado tree on the other side of the road.

I witnessed the slaughtering of one of the chickens and watched them prepare and cook it, and we all enjoyed it for lunch.

You wake up here never knowing what is going to happen.
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« Reply #56 on: May 26, 2015, 09:35:15 AM »

Love this flashback diary Alex.
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« Reply #57 on: May 26, 2015, 09:43:03 AM »

Love this flashback diary Alex.
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« Reply #58 on: May 26, 2015, 03:32:08 PM »

Love this flashback diary Alex.
[/quote

<3
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« Reply #59 on: May 26, 2015, 03:42:13 PM »

Love this flashback diary Alex.
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