Coming home Oh, Carolyn, what a chaotic time you are having at the end of your service! I have some insight into the African bureaucracy, but none of what I have seen has affected me -- only my Kenyan friends who are trying to get things done. I can imagine your yearning to return to water and ready electricity and all the easy life we have over here -- but I haven't lived two years without!! (I'll very possibly be going back for the third time after Christmas -- but traveling alone this time, because they will already have gone for Christmas, and I want the holiday with my family this year). I'll be thinking about you. I'm so glad you have planned for the big trip across the US seeing all your family! What a glorious treat that will be! Love, Cynthia
Teaching in South Africa You have, indeed, had enormous adjustments to make, and huge frustrations to overcome, "Caroline", but I can't imaging any American teacher having been as successful as you have. I have so much admiration and respect for what you have been able to accomplish, and so much awe for the cultural experience you have been willing to tackle. I do so look forward to visiting with you when you return!
Dickens, etc. Carolyn, I have also been reading Charles Dickens, just finished Little Dorrit. I love your stories and pictures. After reading your comments about the testing problems and how you look at 30-40% for the learners and then looking at the wonderful tshirts, I think you have some very intelligent students. Your art project will really be missed when you leave, I think.
very impressive blogs Carolyn, Thanks for your blog....you are such a techie. I love your stories, the details, the pictures. Makes me miss you even more! Love.
Thanks! ...for keeping in touch. What a blessing you've been to your students there. You'll be an important part of their memories...a life changer for them. Look forward to your being back here.
your newest blog Carolyn, your pictures are so wonderful--I see a fantastic calendar. Your comments about the Mandela memorials were interesting and insightful, and your comment about the nanny who missed Christmas with her own family makes me think of the US and what many childcare workers are expected to do. We were just wondering about you at our April book club. Your ears must have been burning!
Carolyn, I really enjoyed this entry. Will you write a book when you return to the states???
Congrats on your maths students!I'm glad you can branch out now a bit, especially into an art program. That sounds like fun.
Speaking of critical thinking: I know a New Jersey governor that could use some. Also a New Orleans mayor. Or is it the public that needs the thinking lessons? Hmmmm. Think of me joining you, half a world away, when you watch Jon Stewart.
Thinking of you this Advent Hi Carolyn,
I am so curious about many things in your life these days. Right now I wonder what is like for you with Nelson Mandela's passing. I wonder if you had a chance to be part of any of the celebrations. And, I know that Greg and Susi are with you and did they take in any of it.
And, I am curious about your Advent. What must it be like? In any case, many blessing for the Christmas season soon...and very soon.
Peace and love,
Janet
Nice pics! I enjoyed all your pictures. It's been frigid here for almost a week. Had a great time in Costa Rica, but one week was too short. Silas returned to Idaho on Fri. He had a great experience. I'm trying to get in the Christmas spirit, but it gets harder each year. I hate all the commercialism. Take care & keep in touch.
Love, Mary
Happy Thanksgiving Hi Carolyn, I loved the pictures! So many bright colors! Send some pictures of you too! We will be at Jim and Serena's for Thanksgiving! We will be thinking of you! Love, Diane
What an experience! I had to laugh over your description of always not knowing what comes next. That's a major part of being part of my Kenyan family, and going over. I never know exactly what is going to happen. ;) I'm sure I'd know more if I knew more kiswahili than just a few words, but it's part of the "cross-cultural integration" (good phrase!). Your photos are so wonderful! Do you know if female circumcision has ever been part of the initiation there? They are still dealing with that in Kenya, although it's sloooowly being reduced. I'll be going to a wedding after I get to Kenya next month, and that will be a wonderful experience. I'm getting photos now and then from Patrick Shompole, who has been there since early October, and they make me eager to get there (although I dread the looooooong travel time). He's getting bookcases made for the library room of the school, and I'll be able to get right to work when I get there, unpacking the boxes and shelving the books. This time it will be me and Lorna, and their three college age daughters, so the dynamic of the group will be very different than last time, when the two boys were with us. I don't know where we will be for Christmas -- another unknown. They have talked about going to a resort near Mombasa, but I don't know if they can bring that off so soon after the wedding (which is on the 21st -- and I have No idea what to expect for that, of course).
Happy 60th! Hi Carolyn,
I give you a lot of credit for what you are doing. Sounds very challenging living in poverty compared to living off the power grid. I will be leaving for Costa Rica next Thursday. Looking forward to a break from work & visiting Silas. It sounds like he's had a wonderful experience there. Take care, & try not to get sick again! Love, Mary
Trials and Tribulations Oh Carolyn. I have seen the conditions you describe, but I don\'t have to live in them in Kenya, because of the western ideals and "wealth" of my friends. Once I talked to Shompole about the feeling I was having about the contrast between my privileges and "their" poverty. He said he understood, but they don't know anything else, it's how they have always lived. That from a fellow Kenyan. To his huge credit, he is constantly looking for and providing ways for people in the community to live better lives, and to give people jobs if he can make then.
I'm going again mid-December and will be there maybe 6 weeks this time. Last May we shipped over the something-like-two-tons of used children\'s books and school supplies I'd collected over the past couple of years, and we sent off four more last month. So this will be a working vacation, as I (with help I sincerely hope) unpack all those big boxes and get books and supplies organized on the new shelves in the new library room in their little school. We have 10 students now, in the pre-school and kindergarten age group. I'm sure the presence of the books, which are so rare over there, will bring in more students. They expect it to be a slow process, so all is actually well. They do hope the school will be self-supporting at some point with school fees, and that there will be enough for some scholarships. I'm not as "over the moon" as I was last time -- no first time excitement. But am excited to get the books in place; will be very glad to see Lorna's father and one particular sister, and Shompole's father and mother; and I am looking forward to attending the wedding of Shompole's next to youngest brother (the last to be married), whose engagement ceremonies I went to last time I was there.
I am also looking forward to getting out of this environment, as I still don't have a focus since Howard died, and no particular reason to get up in the morning, even though it's been more than a year and a half since he died. It would be a whole lot better for me to have someone else in the house, or to live closer to my kids, but I'm not ready to made such big changes. So I just get along from day to day, and find things outside my immediate self that are worthwhile to do. Helen Bobisud and I did go to Albuquerque in October for the internation balloon festival, and went up in a balloon while we were there, which was very fun!
Anyway, you have my empathy, my respect, and my permission to "lose it" occasionally. ;) As I did on a much lesser scale, you will have big time culture shock when you come back to the states, along with a feeling of not belonging anywhere. I guarantee that will wear off, but it takes awhile. Hang in there!
Cynthia
Pee bucket Hi Carolyn, At least you didn't flush your phone down the toilet!! One advantage of having a bucket!!! Did you put it in rice? I hear that works wonders.....just throw out the rice afterward...:0) Hope you are doing well......Diane
Crazy Carolyn Good to hear that things are crazy in your life as well! I haven't dropped my phone into a pee bucket, but statewide testing at school and fall schedules that take students out of class early and keep them up late all add to the local craziness! Thank you for your wonderful letter and birthday wishes. I had several celebrations with family and friends and co-workers. I send my best wishes for your 60th as well. I hope you have many opportunities to celebrate the new decade's arrival!!
Sue
Sending positive vibes your way. Wow, Carolyn, you are really experiencing the nitty gritty of village life in Africa! Obviously PCV's have to make do like everyone else. I do commend you for hanging in there under really trying circumstances. I'm sure even your good letters don't even come close to conveying what it's really like!
Hopefully I'll be going back to Kenya mid-December. Shompoles and I shipped 14 big boxes (about 2 tons, literally) of books, school supplies and toys to Kiserian last spring, and they are now stored in Shompole's office. Several more big boxes are on their way and we should be able to collect them from Nairobi when we get there. The school has one classroom of 4 operating now with about 7 or 8 pre-schoolers, and the shelves are being built for the library/technology room. When we get there, I'll be in charge of getting everything unpacked and put in order. More kids will come in next term, I'm sure, once the word starts getting out about the books and supplies (Shompole is taking over old surplus laptops, which he restores and will put in the library room). Almost no one has, anywhere, anything like this except in high class private schools. We're pretty excited about it. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we go. Shompole has been back twice since we all went together, but Lorna can't go unless she has good caregivers to take care of her residents here while she's gone. Our summer plan came to naught in part because of that. Santa Lucia Academy is still just a little start up school, but because it's a Shompole project, and it's in town one their property serviced by their well, electricity and internet access, there are not the problems like there are in the rural Kenya villages -- the same kind that you have down there! I'll be eager to see your next photos.
Water Hi Sweetie, Your blog made me thirsty and longing for a bath. What a horrible state of conditions. Blessings to you as you continue to serve.
Love,
Roseann
Congrats on year anniversary! Carolyn, congratulations on your one year anniversary in Africa! It's so fun to see all these pictures. You will treasure these the rest of your life I'm sure! I especially like "our hiking group" where you look so happy! It helps so much to see pictures of where you are.
Life continues to go fine here. Johanna graduated from Evergreen last weekend, K. and I went to visit Kaia in Brooklyn this spring, very fun and good trip. We still spend most weekends working on our house and catching up with each other. My mom keeps declining mentally little by little but she's still in her independent living "bungalow" and in good physical health. I hope your mom is doing ok.
How long will you be in SA? I hope you are as happy as you look in the pictures. Thanks for writing such good blog posts Carolyn.
Lots of love
Kristen
58 years old. Have lived in North Dakota, Alaska, Idaho, and Washington and think living in South Africa will be great! Favorite things to do: Weave and other fiber work, cross-country skiing, and read every chance I get. ... full info
Cynthia Hosick
non-member comment
Coming home
Oh, Carolyn, what a chaotic time you are having at the end of your service! I have some insight into the African bureaucracy, but none of what I have seen has affected me -- only my Kenyan friends who are trying to get things done. I can imagine your yearning to return to water and ready electricity and all the easy life we have over here -- but I haven't lived two years without!! (I'll very possibly be going back for the third time after Christmas -- but traveling alone this time, because they will already have gone for Christmas, and I want the holiday with my family this year). I'll be thinking about you. I'm so glad you have planned for the big trip across the US seeing all your family! What a glorious treat that will be! Love, Cynthia