My wonderful life

Ok, so I know I haven't updated this in a while... but my oh my has my life been busy! In the not-stressed-out-wonderful-I'm learning-too-many-things kind of busy. I have been going to the shamba(the farm feild) with some teachers to learn to hoe beans and corn....and my skin is not meantfor this work, let me tell you all that much. blisters up the wazoo.. not to mention I get to wear these unbelievably sexy green rubber goloshes that go up to the middle of my shin:) I have successfully moved into my house and made it my own, I have found a young girl to help me in my house...NO, it is not child labor, I am paying her school fees, buying her school uniform in exchange for her help in my garden and to wash my dishes and clothes on the weekends only. During the week she has to focus on school! Her name is Florida...she is 15, and I will tell you all, this whole house girl process is SO odd for me. At first I didn't trust her, because I have been taught to beware of my belongings here, that poor people try to steal at any opportunity....everything was going well-she speaks no english, I speak kiswahili not so great, and her native tribal language of Kihehe I only can say the greetings. SOooooo, the going was rough, but we got going! She makes an incredible bread!(and since I cannot buy any in my village, its much appreciated!) A friend came to stop buy my village to say hello, a fellow peace corps volunteer from the area, and we got back to discover some money was missing...she also had had friends in my house when I wasn't there. Which was a very uncomfortable situation to have, especially since I am new, I can't tell her exactly what I want to say but have to rely on other people to translate...but you can't translate the tone of voice you want to get across, which stinks! We told her that God knows if she or her friend stole that money, that if it was returned there would be no problems, that if she says that she did not take the money, I beleived her, and that she was on probation with me. No beatings...just a lecture. There have been no other problems. BUT, maybe this is Karma?, she was walking in my house the other day while it was very rainy, slipped while carrying a pot of bioling water, and burnt he leg pretty badly. I didn't realize how poor and desperate her situation was until that day. I sent her to the hospital b/c she had developed a HUGE blister on her thigh (for only $2 she was treated!!!)I went to visit her at her home, seeing as that is the custom in AFrica...altough, really all you want to do when you are sick is NOT to have people visit, curious isnt it? She lives in a mud hut. They cook in the same hut they sleep in which is no bigger than half of my living room in Kansas for those of you who know my old house. its smoky, hard to breath, no windows and has a thatch roof. Her mother is unable to walk, uneducated, her father is also sickly....I felt sick to my stomach. To think that I felt uncomfortable at one point with her eating my food and wanting to live with me! She eats the same thing everyday..and only one meal a day! I made a resolution then, at that moment, that she would be mine to help. I can't garden-she grew up gardening. I can help her with Englsih, she can't speak it. Part oif my deal for her is that she has to come to my house everyday after school and practice speaking elngish. everyday M-F!!! I think it will ehlp!So, if any of you feel like paying $20/year to send a kid to school, karibu! anything you want to donate, send cash to me at my address. There are so many kids desperate for an education, and no money to even buy a notebook or a school shirt:(

I think in my village I have had a breakthrough. I am actually considered a villager now, no longer the crazy white MZUNGU! All the little kids...and there are thousands I swear!....know my name and shout and wave at me until they can't see my anymore everyday. I have befreinded the ladies at the dukas-they love to tease me, braiding my hair, painting my nails,asking why I wear a bra because apparently my boobs are too small and I am not nursing(awwwww, ouch!) :) I brought an American music CD from some friends to the Duka, had a dance party in front of everyone with all the kids, and I think that won their hearts over:) It was an AWFUL CD...think Gay Bar from the 80's.....'the rains down in AFrica', the 'thong song', 'loveshack', etc. They LOVE that kind of music! 50 cent is the biggest guy over here-he should really thinki of doing a show here, I think the country would shut down!

Yesterday, I had the funniest village experience. I have decided to run the International Run for Peace in Rwanda in May, making it a girls empowerment event, getting students and teachers to form a small group, I want us to find a sponser in the US to help fund our way there...its to benefit all the fmailies from the Rwandan genocide. Whats cool is that many of these kids NEVER get to even leave their village because they have so little money. so this will get the girls doing sports, same as the boys, AND they get to travel. It will be awesome, but the plans have just began forming.....SO, anyways, I was jogging by the monestary by my house, at a time I thought not many people would be there. BOY was a wrong! I started jogging a couple laps with some guys in the community that play soccer everyday. Well, they kice=ked my butt! They are fast! Tehn, I walked a lap, ran 2 more laps, walked another one, said hello to a friend I had made who was working on a bridge near my house and from god know where I had about 15 kids surrounding me. 15 turned into 27...27 into 40...and within a matter of seconds, I was surrounded my 68+ shildren. I am kidding you not, I counted the stationary ones. There were others running around. All eyes on me, wanted to touch me, but afriad! So, of course I had to talk with them...I invited them to run a few laps with me, and a chorus erupted! I was the Pied Piper of these children...Imagine a tall white girl running with 20+ short skinny african kids trailing behind and others cheering and laughing along....I couldn't help luaghing! I couldn't imagine what a spectical it looked like.Then, as icing on the cake, they all decided to walk me home. ALL of them:)What a trip! I can't wait for you guys to come here and see what I experience...its too great!

School starts next week, this week I am at a conference learning about PEPFAR(presidents emergancy plan for Aids Releif), and then I start in on the Physics! God save me!

So, all is well, I'm adjusting into my community well, I can cook really yummy soups/breads/desserts....ALL by scratch now....watch out Betty Crocker! I'm pretty amazing:) My paca is good-i think he thinks he is a dog, he heels! walks with me wherever I go-to the dukas, do watch the news everynight(which is ehlping me improve my kiswahili a LOT).....

ANyways, I miss you all! this is a great week to call because I'm in a town with phone reception! My love to you all!