Getting into the groove

So hopefully today the power doesn't go out and I can finish this post. Its nuts - power just goes out randomly here - but as everyone here says, TAB "Thats Africa Baby!"

This place is an incredibly mix of contrasts. As I walked down the rutted dirt road from our house towards town to go to the internet cafe I came across a herd of goats. Just roaming the neighborhood. Then, I passed a Masaai warrior in tranditional dress, talking on a cell phone. The other day as part of our orientation we visited one of the villages in the area called Rau. It was incredible - these homes with dirt floors and livestock running free where the women cook over open flame out in a courtyard and the children out number the adults probably 7 to one. There in poverty conditions, a couple of the houses had satelitte dishes. And then when you make your way to the village market there is a tiny shop where you can make photocopies. Or at one room school that barely has benches for desks, no lights or water or plumbing, the kids are dancing to Sean Paul and Sean Kingston - and they know every word!! I am still trying to grasp the reality that these people live in and how they make sense of the seemingly extravagent technology alongside their modest lives.

I will be honest with you. The first few days have been very very tough. A combination of culture shock, misinformation and homesickness made it really rough. But I am happy to say that today has been a MUCH better day. I am feeling so much better about being here and about the work I will be doing.

I am way behind in giving you sort of a daily update, so I will just have to fill you in as I can. On my first day of placement (that is what our actual work in the community is called in my program) I found myself doing not at all what I thought I would be. I was teaching English to boys and girls 14-18! The center where I was placed has not a primary school like I thought, but an informal secondary school. It was an incredibly rough day. The other volunteers that had already been working at this school had NOTHING prepared for the day and I was completely not equipt to do anything. Luckily I brought an ESL book with me and we made some copies and today was MUCH better. We did a reading comprehension lesson that I was able to work one on one with the kids on and it was great. Then we started on a short play that we are going to have them perform in groups. It really got the kids engaged and excited and SPEAKING english. YAY! I also learned that teaching in this school isn't actually my primary placement. Starting tomorrow I will be working with a group of six girls that come to the center to learn how to sew and make clothes. When they are done with the program they should be able to go back to their villages and start their own businesses making clothes. So I will be teaching them English and then teaching basic math/bookkeeping. I will also be working one on one with a couple of the girls that already have small businesses going to try to help them grow their business. All of this is more what I was expecting, so I am excited for the challenge. Since the whole center is informal (there is also a nursury school - and all of these activites take place in two small rooms - imagine a high school class, a preschool class, and a sewing class all in less than 400 sqft. Its nuts) I will be able to help the high schoolers too! I am getting very pumped for the work and am working hard to prepare what to work on each day. lesson plans! wow - being a teacher is hard - Kristen if you are reading this - you had props before, but seriously - wow - you are my hero now. You and all the other teachers out there!

Ok kids... I have to wrap this up for today. I will fill you in soon on the other volunteers, travel plans, and other stuff. Im also going to try to figure out how to post pics from the internet cafe.

love and miss you all!!