Moonwalker

So, it might seem like I have been complaining a bit in my past posts. Perhaps a little, but maybe thats also the way I write. However, having heard some stories from other trainees that make my situation look like Eden, I decided to share a little with you. The girl who has it the worst lives maybe 5 minutes from me, and the poor girl, her family is intensely religious. The first night we arrived and moved into our host homes, she was immediately bombarded by hours of religious questioning. Her family are zealots that would shame our televangelists, from what she tells me. That night they prayed for her soul, in English and Swahili, for around 10 hours. And that was only the beginning. She courageously went to church with them, where she was put on display for being a rich American who was not giving enough money to the church. Pretty much every night, her family prays until 1 or 2am, about what I'm not sure. One day she asked her mom to be more quiet, and her mom replied that she was channeling God and couldn't control her voice. Also, imagine that you live in a house that is shaped like a barn with no true walls, only cubicle-type separations between rooms. The sounds carry a bit, to say the least. So she got awful sleep until this last week, when she moved into the family's actual barn, with the animals. Now she sleeps well, with the cows and cockroaches. I think that is a pretty rough situation personally. She has had to defend her faith or lack thereof every night for the last month, on little to no sleep. Ugh. So me and my poisonous creatures, they don't seem so terrible. Anyway, just thought I'd give an update on someone else's situation.
As for other things...the weather. So far so good. It is beginning to get hot. Think late spring in America. There are light rains daily, which are increasing as it gets hotter. The days when it is humid and hot are pretty rough, and I guess December and January are supposed to be the rough months. It doesn't help that as Americans and as teachers we are expected to wear slacks and button-downs exclusively. I was telling someone that it feels like I am the ant/toy soldier and there is a magnifying glass between me and the sun. It just beats down here. The rain is always welcome...
When we arrived, Peace Corps gave us some basic living needs. These included a towel, a kerosene lantern, a mosquito net, and some odds and ends. Well now, the running joke around my house is that the Peace Corps buys crappy things. Why, you ask? Because the first time I washed my towel, it began to unravel. Now I have two half towels. That's alright, I'll make do. Also, about a week or two ago, I was eating dinner, and I left my lantern on low in my room. When I returned to the room, I was nonplussed to find that it had exploded. What I believe happened was the flame somehow was sucked into the base, causing a minor explosion which shattered the glass and left a flaming metal stand. That's nice. Another trainee said he never uses his lantern because A)he has electricity, and more importantly, B)his host sister told him the first day that those lanterns are very dangerous and explode all the time. Thanks Peace Corps. Also, my mosquito net is crappy, hence the scorpion waking me up in the morning by crawling on my hand. I think a successful net should keep out scorpions. Not "The Scorpions", because I need that kind of music, but the poisonous kind. Also I wake up with mosquito bites every morning. So that doesn't work either. Basically, thank you Peace Corps, for purchasing crappy exploding lanterns and poorly sewn towels. I hate you Peace Corps.
But I love my fellow trainees in the Peace Corps. Especially when the other day, I found out that one of the more quiet guys in my group used to have a schoolboy crush on Mr. Michael Jackson. Now, this is no ordinary crush, but I'm pretty sure it bordered on terrible infatuation. Sounds bad maybe, but the results are great. Not only can this guy moonwalk circles around people, he knows every dance to every song. Really. Andrew, I know you are reading this and you are angry right now that you don't get to share something this sweet with me. All I can say is, I'm sorry, but it's awesome. Completely awesome, especially when he does a side-to-side moonwalk, complete with the hand push and the screams (hee-hee). Wow...
Lastly, I have some more mom questions. She asked two things: What we eat here, and what I sleep on. First, the sleep thing. I sleep on a foam mattress. If you are thinking that it is probably Swedish Tempurpedic, you are mistaken. It is not. It is the type of foam that they ship big heavy stuff in, I think. If I lay in the same position for more than an hour or so, there is a more or less permanent groove in that spot. Also, my pillow is made from a strip of this foam rolled into a ball. That is actually really comfy. Now, the food. I get the unripe bananas still. Rice and beans and spinach are the daily standards also. But now, I have tried two types of food which are amazing. First, do a google search for "pilau". That is the local cuisine par excellence. Its rice and potatoes, and potentially meat, flavored with coconut milk, cinnamon, and cardamon. And it is excellent. Try making it if you can. The second delicious dish is kachumbali. This is just fresh tomatoes, onions, and hot peppers. You slice them up really fine, sometimes with cucumber as well, add a bunch of salt. Then you rinse off maybe half the salt and eat it. Its simple and tasty, like a greek salad without the feta or olives. Thats that for now. Also, I am trying to post pictures now. Its going slow, but here is the link:
http://africanrobpics.blogspot.com/
Take care.