Wednesday, December 15, 2010

It's official!

Well, today was the day. I'm an official Peace Corps Kenya Education Volunteer, I swore to loads of stuff and ate loads of sweets that I regretted almost immediately after.
I guess I'll backtrack since I haven't updated in a while...
Last week was alot of just last minute training and packing and such. It took forever to get all my stuff packed... and as much as I didn't plan to I did bring my bucket... full of books and PC manuals, 2 suitcases, a backpack and a purse with a mosquito net and medical kit hanging off my luggage. Last Friday we had our host family appreciate which was nice, we got free lunch and made fools of ourselves by putting on skits about life in Kenya for the families. I headed back home with my family and exchanged gifts with them and then started the packing process. Peace Corps luggage pick up began Saturday morning and then I caught a ride with family to our hotel in Machakos town and had a SHOWER and I, Cindy, SAT ON A TOILET SEAT. It was wonderful. That night the hotel arranged a really adorable parting dinner for us, they put candles on the table and tried their hand at American food. Sunday morning we loaded our mounds of luggage into the PC vehicle and grabbed a matatu to Nairobi! We've been in Nairobi since then doing trainings and such.
Yesterday we met all our counterparts for the first time. The man that came for me is actually not from the school but from the Parish... so I don't have much information on what i'll actually be teaching, but he's really nice and he's tried to answer all my questions. Ok, so now i'm up to today! I got up this morning and attempted to make myself America beautiful. We took buses over to the ceremony at the second in command under the Ambassador, the house was beautiful and they had loads of sweets out for us after the actual swear in. We've had the rest of the day off and quite honestly I haven't done a thing. I've  been pulled in every direction since we landed here and for the first time I feel like i'm on my own schedule and no one else's. Becoming a Volunteer is kind of like turning 18, suddenly you have loads of freedom and it's just so nice to know you're allowed to do things now. Tonight will most likely be a pretty gigantic "yay we made it through training" party and then we head out tomorrow morning. I'm so excited about finally seeing where i'll live for the next two years and getting in my house and having time to myself and not live out of a suitcase anymore. I'm also nervous that i'll walk in and it'll literally be a giant empty house and i'll need to buy EVERYTHING.... but we'll see. That I can update you on later, but tomorrow I plan to question the heck out of my counterpart on the way to Sega, on the way to home.
Thanks to everyone for all the support i've gotten through training. All the cards and boxes and blog comments and fb messages are what kept me going some days.
Speaking of mail.... for the time being just hold off on sending mail until I get my new address. If you've already sent mail or boxes don't worry, they'll make it to me, it'll just take a tad longer. As soon as I get an address I'll try to get it up on the blog.
Thanks for reading!

5 comments:

  1. Cindy! Jess Yocom here...How fun to read about all of your adventures...I especially liked the cow chasing you on Thanksgiving! What a great time for your right now. Curious, do you get to use ASL or learn another sign language over there? Jess Yocom here..

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  2. They use Kenyan Sign Language here... but depending on where you are there's ALOT of ASL thrown in... it's a mix! But they do have their own sign language and it just got recognized as one of the 3 official languages in Kenya this year in the new constitution!!

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  3. We're very proud of you. Keep up the good work. Catch me a Dinosaur.

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  4. Hey Cindy,
    Hamerabi! Are you impressed? I also interpreted several other Swahili works today for the Christmas concert. I couln't tell you what they were now, and just kind-of made up the meaning as I went along . The message came across so that's what mattered. Congratulations on being a true volunteer now. Can't wait to hear about your living quarters and your school. Until then, take care...Marne

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  5. Congrats, congrats, congrats! So happy for you. I miss you loads!

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