Thats just life

Well first things first, I’ve been a little busy. I have just starting living at working at my site, I am located in a village called Kitile, near mbumbuni, south east of Nairobi and at 5500’. I have a very nice house, and as always much more than I need. I am enjoying myself. And that is what leads me to write my first real blog.

After living in Kenya for almost 3 months, I have a number of stories and just as many moments where I am in awe of the people here. When I first arrived at my home stay, I had just realized the depth of my adventure hit me. I was about to be living in new place, with new people for two years. It was a big moment and soon after, Simon, my home stay brother asked me, “Trevor, can you help me with math and teach me to write compositions with good adverbs and similes.” Life is good.

Simon and Nuton (13 and 7), my brothers, are a lot of fun to live with. Nuton was a little shy and wouldn’t talk much to me, but we just be excited to be around me. We would go for walks and he would be skipping with the biggest smile his face could make. Another good moment was when I left Nuton wear my sunglasses, aviators what fit my big head. He walked around town with his face held high, to keep them from falling, and another large grin on his face. We would also watch cartoon together.
Simon is a matured little man. He is much more studious than Nuton, who hates school, and does his chores on time. He also started breeding rabbits, Sungura. When I arrived, he had one rabbit but about a month before I left, he asked me to go with him to pick up another rabbit. 3 hours later, after getting lost through some hills, we got him a second and he could start breeding. I did miss the rabbit giving birth birth, also the goat.

My Mama is a very social, happy woman. She is very motherly, and one day, when I looked red in the face (because I’m a white boy living in Kenya) she insisted that I couldn’t do my laundry that day and needed to rest and eat a lemon. In the end it was a good story and I got lots of help the next to day to finish my laundry in record time (usually takes an hour and half). Mama also speaks very very fast with a thick kikuyu accent. The result of which taught me a very good ear for Swahili, so after not understanding anything for the first 6 weeks, I could now hear the language and I am very thankful for it.

Baba spent a lot of time working. He would go to Nairbo and buy kids clothing he and mama would sell in markets. He would also do the transporting of the clothing and set up the market stands. On a normal day, he would leave at 8am and come home at 9pm. And he would reply to anything he I had to say with, “that is very good,” he is a very nice man and always had a smile.

When it was time to leave, it was harder than I expected. There are definitely times during the home stay that aren’t easy. You have restricted freedom, a 630pm curfew and do everything in a new language. It is hard not to become attached to a Kenya family that you live with for 10 weeks. They seemed to like me too and Simon and Nuton even cried when I left. I was a blessing to know that I have two Kenya children that miss me.