Mail Call!

Hello all!
I've managed to get a handle on a mailing address.

Attn: Brennan Crispin PCV
St. Joseph's Gunga Secondary School
P.O. Box 123 - Karungu 40401
Kenya

I'm not sure about what international type things need doing, but I bet the post office can help with that.
For those of you who don't want to send me mail, here's a bit of awesome from Kenya's leading telecom:

Kenya by the Numbers-I Is a Teacher Edition

Well, howdy everyone!  

Teaching's been going really well for the last three weeks.  The kids seem to be warming to me and all.  Still have a lot to learn about teaching.  We'll see.  Also, I finally have a schedule!  I'm the physics teacher for the school, so that's fun.  But, the other science teacher is a little flaky at times, so I might be doing lots of chemistry as well!  Yay?  Also, I'll be teaching some life skills when it fits.  Besides that, I may be working the cross country kids, and trying to get an engineering/appropriate technology team started.  Really it's just minions for solar cookers and windmills, but still.  Also!  I have a twitter now!  It's Brennankenya.  I figure I'll keep it updated a little more regularly with daily happenings and whosnot.  But enough blither blather!  I have pictures!  Behold:

This is the school block!  On the far left are the Form 1s, and on the far right are the Form 4s.  The Forms 1s aren't here yet, but should be arriving sometime in the next month or so.  It has to do with the Kenya School selection process, which doesn't actually happen until after the school year has started.  Hmmm... 

This is the inside of one of the class rooms.  School hadn't started yet, so it's a little cluttered.  Also, notice that there are no lights.  The school doesn't have electricity (or running water for that matter) so it's all natural lighting.  Right now there are about 60 kids total, which makes for some pretty manageable classes.

Kenyan traffic jam.  There have been many times that I've been stuck behind or had to maneuver in between large groups of cows and goats while here.  Always fun.  Especially on bicycle. 

This is the walk up to school.  I see this every morning.  Although, since I get to school at around 6:30, it's a little darker.

My host mama in Loitokitok!  She makes yogurt.  It's crazy delicious.  She's mixing the strawberry flavoring right now. 

This is Fred, my counterpart.  He helps take me around Kurungu and the area.  Keeps me out of trouble and stuff.  Also, I've hooked him on Wazungu food, especially coffee and peanut butter.

This is where I live!  On the right you can see the school, and in the middle is about where my house is.  It's maybe 6km from town, so getting things takes a bit of a hike. 

Stereotypical Kenyan children picture!  The kids here are about the same as Kenyan children everywhere, with one major difference: Instead of chanting "How are you?" They chant "Ciao."  There's a Catholic Mission in town staffed by Italians, so that's why.  I'm trying to get them to say "Wie geht's" or "Bahweepgrannahweepninibong." (10 House points if you catch that reference) So far, however, no luck.

These are the clouds that cover Mt. Kilimanjaro.  Often we couldn't see the mountain, but the clouds are pretty beautiful anyway.

The view from my house of Lake Victoria.  The sunsets are gorgeous.  At night, the fishing boats go out and look like another night sky.  Haven't had any luck with that picture, though.

Me and my mama at the Host Family Appreciation!  Check out my Kenyan duds!

Standing in the cold waters of Mt. Kilimanjaro. 

Christmas in Kenya is kind of strange.  They take all the American imagery (snow, trees, and Santa) and stick it in random places.  Especially the snow. 

Yay!  I live here!

This is Sori.  It's the place I go when I need to buy some things.  It's not huge, and so some things just aren't there, but it keeps me mostly stocked.

Tigra.  The giant hill near my house.  Makes a good climb.  Will probably be used for a lot of training.  

Hamjambo All!

So, I've now been a kenyan teacher for a shade over a week now, and things have been going pretty well. About fifty or so students have shown up to class so far, with the form 1s still to arrive. They'll be here in february. Maybe. So, until that time I'll be teaching form 3 and 4 physics too. The teacher for those classes sort of hasn't shown yet, so... Oh, and our principal got transfered yesterday. Got the news in the morning. New one got here today. Karibu kenya!

That's all I got for now. I have an internet phone, so I can update often, but no keypad, so long entries are hard. Until then,
tutaonana!

First Week of Teaching!

Well, just completed my first week of teaching here in Kenya!  It went pretty well, all things considered.  Noone hurt themselves, at least.  I'll be teaching Forms 1 and 2 Physics and Chemistry, and so that's more or less what I've been doing so far.  There hasn't been a staff meeting yet, so I don't exactly know... But it's kind of nice right now, I just go and teach whenever I feel like it! So far only about 30 some kids are at schools.  The Form 1s don't show up until February, and the rest haven't come yet...  So, that makes it nice too.  On Monday things should pick up a bit.

Hope to get some pictures up eventually, but it's hard to be sure.