1 Month

In Kimokouwa, originally uploaded by Benjamin Long.

It has been over a month now living in Longido. I have learned to appreciate simple pleasures in the absence of the amenities we take for granted in America. There is no running water so a shower is cold bucket of water once a week and toilets are out-houses or wherever you are at the time. It is amazing how good a warm Coke can taste after a long day and if was a bad day then a warm beer. These are a few of the many daily activities that keep me going.
I have been teaching 2nd grade Maasai children mathematics. Teaching children math is hard enough but when you combine the other variables; English is their second language, I am one of the only Mzungus (white people) they have ever seen, I refuse to hit them which is how every other teacher maintains discipline, and the education system itself is backwards, it is a very long morning in the classroom.
The first day the children were trying to add something like 155+270 and after grading their papers, I took a survey of who could add 2+2. Only about 10% knew that 2+2=4. We started all over again and am proud to say that after a month they are much improved in addition and subtraction.
I have good days and bad days. Whenever I think I understand something or have seen everything, I am brought back down to reality very quickly. I was handling the extreme culture shock reasonably well until I had a serious reality check this weekend. I slept in a temporary boma and went to a two-day circumcision ceremony and finally began to understand what was happening around me. I had to leave the boma multiple times to try to hold back tears.
Summation of the month: I have felt my first 7 earthquakes, descended 140m into ruby mines, watched countless African sunsets that are breathtaking, successfully stopped two attempted thefts, fell victim to robbery (from my room and I have since moved), dealt with my first corrupt government immigration official, seen giraffes, zebras, Thompson gazelle, gerenuk, greater kudu, monkeys, ostriches and baboons, seen the night sky in the southern hemisphere where the Milky Way is dominant and shooting stars are very frequent with some so big they end in giant balls of fire, been constantly depressed but quickly bounce back with my amazement and wonder of Africa I have seen and done a lot in a month. I will try to make separate posts for different topics in an attempt to explain everything the best I can. I can’t upload many pictures because the internet is very bad. There are hundreds just waiting on my camera so they will be posted in a couple months.