Travelling

Today was one of my best days yet. First I got two whole extra classes, one for each grade. The grade tens had p.e. and the game I chose (big booty renamed to big money, because I don't know if booties are acceptable around these parts) was a hit. Sometimes it's hard to be a hit with the grade tens, and I have to resort to letting them pat my head, so that was a nice way to end the teaching part of my week.

I'm spending the weekend at Elijah's children's home. Jessica and he picked me up after school, with a girl with an incredibly soft voice who puts the sweet into being 16. Today she was moving into his home (so he now introduces her as his daughter) but first we had a few other kids to check up on. The kids are either being sponsored or looking for sponsors or about to start being sponsored... I'm not sure since much of the day was conducted in mother tongue. Pictures need to be taken of everything, which I get. I was asked to be in many of the pictures, which I don't get. Also it was drizzle-raining, so my hair was a frizzy mess, so I apologise for ruining the pictures. We visited a little house made of mud, which I thought was bad, but then we visited a little nook by the river bank where one orphaned boy had been sleeping for a few weeks. Elijah organised for him to stay tonight with a teacher from his school, with plans to find something more permanent tomorrow.

Then we got dropped in Masu town or something, to catch a matatu. It took a while and I was getting super starving, so we bought some bananas from a road side vendor. Imagine if all road side vendors sold only fruit? The best. Finally a mat (please, I don't need to say the whole word) came and the toll collector tried to pull me to sit in the front, but I dodged and got in a row with the other 3. I'm pretty sure the guy behind me was trying to initiate footsies, because in my experience, chair legs don't follow when you move away. Oh well though, I just ate another banana and looked at all the bright stars the Kenyan sky has to offer. Then we got pulled over by some police who were making sure that all mats were in good condition, and not over the passenger limit. As our driver paid the bribe, I just ate another banana.

Finally we arrived in Machakos. We picked up a few things for the weekend from a huge huge grocery store. My feelings in this store are akin to the first time I visited Dylan's Candy Bar in New York. Salt and vinegar chips! Butter nut squash! (does anybody know how to cook it with no oven or microwave?) Much cheaper brands of peanut butter! We will visit again on my way back to school on Sunday and I'm going to buy so many great things. I'm so excited.

Then we finally got to the orphanage. The kids had been waiting up and as soon as our car pulled in, my door was opened, a tiny boy carried my bag, several sticky hands holding little candies were thrust into my face accompanied by adorable voices asking me if I would like a sweet, and a chorus of welcomes rang out. These kids are all such sweethearts.

It's about 5 hours past my regular bedtime, so I'll save describing my favourite kids for another day, but let me tell you about dinner when we arrived. Oh man. A giant bowl of rice then a giant bowl of soup. In the soup was beans, carrots, billybillyhohos, tomatoes, garlic, and cilantro. It was SO SO SO good. Like I had to stop saying how good it was in case they might think I was over doing it. So delicious. Then there was games and singing and feet washing, that I will maybe give further details about another day but right now I am having trouble keeping my eyes open. More tomorrow.