Is This Real Life?!

Me and my CBT (Communinity Based Training) Group are packed in our little van and put-putting up a hill to Kilulu to meet our host families. Its really beautiful here. The dirt is bright red and everything else is so green! As we pull up to my house, we slide open the door, and there are at least 20 kids crowding around me. They've all been running the whole way with the van. Everyone is really excited to see us. I grab one end of my bag with about 5 kids attached to the other end as We walk it over to my house. My new Mama is waiting for me and she greets me with a huge smile and a big hug. Mama Mwanaidi. I also meet my Baba Mgumi (dad), my Dadas, Asha and Mainda (sisters), and my little Kaka Dula (brother). At this point, I'm pretty sure the kids can speak some English, but my mama is taking my training very seriously and won't let anyone speak English to me. She helps me settle in the house. There is a small living area and three rooms, one of which is mine. The kitchen is a small mud hut behind the house where Mama cooks.

Ian, I am sorry to say this, but there are no chairs in this house. Only stools...Teeny tiny stools. We eat dinner on a mat on the floor...with our hands. There is no electricity. There is no running water. When it gets dark it stays dark.

I always help my Mama cook before dinner. She talks super slow to me so I can learn new words, learn how to cook, help with the cleaning. She's very patient. She boils my drinking water for me, and is stuffing me with food. I'm trying to get used to the food, but its all pretty much just potatoes, bread, rice, beans, and ugali, which is their staple dish, made from maize. If you'd like to try it, please feel free to drive down to Toys R Us and pick up a tub of Play-Do.I was really sick the first night, but am feeling better now. Every morning and night she heats up my water for me so that I can have a warm bucket bath....Oh what's a bucket bath you might ask?....Step one:Fill bucket with water. Step 2: scoop water. Step 3: pour water on self. Step 4: bucket bath...Blair would love it. Oh where do I take my bucket bath? That's right in the choo! The choo is basically the bathroom. Its a small cement room behind the house with a hole in the ground. Yup, just squat and aim. I'm coming home with thighs of steel, I swear. I'll post pictures of my house when I can.

I'm finding that I'm missing basic things that you otherwise wouldn't think of missing. So every time you flick a switch or turn on the faucet for some clean running water, think of me. Every time you sit down to dinner and eat a delicious fresh salad, roasted salmon, a cheese of your choice, etc, think of me. Next time you sit on the toilet, think of me. Next time you visit your local county fair and play the game where you aim the water gun at the small hole that is the clown's mouth....think of me. Because I will be thinking of all of you.

So ya I'm definitely roughing it right now, but my family is very friendly and welcoming. They laugh at me a lot. There are always people and kids coming to visit and laugh at me. There are chickens and cats running through the house. There's a rooster that crows incessantly outside my window every morning at about 5:00 and I kinda wanna punch it in the face. My Baba keeps telling me I'm gonna have to kill a chicken soon and laughing. He can't wait, but I'm pretty scared. I said, I'd be glad to cut off that freaking rooster's head! I talk to them about my American family and they're very interested to know where I came from. I haven't showed them my pictures yet, because I know I'll start crying if I look at them :(

I have language and culture classes all day 6 days a week which is going fast and helping a lot. The kids try to help me with my homework. My neighbor has a farm so we went on a walk and he showed me all his crops and told me the names of them. It is hard to study with an entourage of children crowded around you 24/7 but I'm getting used to it. Yesterday I handed out some candy and they all got really excited.

They made me sing for them last night, so I had to stand on my porch and I tried to teach them the hokey pokey, which they enjoyed. They also enjoy the high five. Oh ya, and Mom they totally encourage burping at dinner here...so ya.

Also, if anyone was planning to send a package, they said to keep them small, like shoe box size, because they tax them a lot. But I would love to get mail from anyone and everyone. I'm gonna send some out so we'll see when it gets over there!

I think that's all I have for now. I'm definitely learning a lot and adjusting right now. I still can't believe I'll be living here for the next two months. But I miss everyone and hope you're all doing well. I'll write again when I can.