Mamba Village

Today we took the Sarah Junior kids on a field trip since it's the last week of school. we went to mamba (meaning crocodile) village, which is in Karen, the ritzy part of the city. it was so interesting observing the kids' reactions to everything. first was the bus trip. imagine at least 4 kids sitting in the two bus seats (like one american school bus seat). i had a kid on my lap and we were all piled in. most of them never ride on a bus b/c they never can afford to leave kibera. one kid was crying b/c he was afraid. i was so excited b/c they started singing the songs from the CDs i gave them (thanks ash) like the ABC rap and jungle safari.

when we went into the place most of the kids were scared to death of the animals (there were crocodiles, ostriches, rabbits, and some native birds). the guide would poke the crocs with a stick to get them to move and show their teeth. in turn, the kids all jumped back from the fence and some were even hiding behind me. they also got to go on a boat ride (the lake there was designed in the shape of africa), a horse ride (many were too scared to do this), the jumpy bounce thing (again some kids were afraid), and a few rides. the rides were hilarious. picture this miniature ferris wheel that a guy turns by hand to get it to move. most of them liked that. then came the swings. imagine rickety looking seats, paint chipping, etc. most of the kids liked it when it was going slow. but then they started going fast a bunch of them were crying, so they had to stop the ride. i opted not to ride, as i get motion sickness easily from spinning. this was a wise choice b/c matroba (one of the teachers) was so sick afterward and laid down on the ground.

for lunch, they got soda and chips (french fries), a huge treat for them. this girl spilled her plate of chips and broke the plate; no biggie right--i mean that's totally an amy back move. but no, as a punishment the teachers made her wait like 20 minutes before she could havea new plate of food. i think this was so mean b/c it was totally an accident. man, i'm thinking of all the stuff i've broken in the back household...like when my skiis knocked that plate off the wall. not to mention how many cups and plates i've broken.

victor and i also spent a long time last night making samosa for them. samosa is an indian food. sort of like a wonton on the outside but filled with hamburger, cumin, and onion. and then fried, of course, b/c everything is fried here. i had so much fun learning to make them. you make the dough first and then you have to cook it a bit on the chapati pan. then you cut them into the right shape and fill them with meat. victor was up until 1 a.m. finishing them. he used to have to make 300 of them everyday he says when he lived with an aunt or something. this was while he was going to school, and he never got paid anything for doing it. he says he doesn't regret it though b/c it has shaped who he is. he's definitely an expert. we got up this morning and fried them. he let me get creative with the extra dough. i put cinnamon, sugar, and butter on it, then rolled it up like a cinnamon roll and we fried it. it was pretty good. it occured to me this morning, as we were standing on the back "patio", rather the cement behind the house, and frying the samosa on the jiko, that you all would find this so strange. that we don't have a stove and are outside cooking. but i realized that it's so normal for me now. a jiko is a little "stoveish" thing that you fill with charcoal and light. when we're out of gas in the house we use this. or if you live in kibera that's all you use. the gas, is like a propane tank with a little ring on the top that serves as a burner for setting the pan. this tank sits on the floor, or sometimes we put it on a stool so you don't have to bend over so much.

forgot to mention that on monday at juvenile, when i got there all the kids were doing chores to get the place ready for parents day. fine, except, they give these kids these crazy dangerous tools, called slashers. they're sort of like a long machete, but not as sharp and with a rounded end. they use them for chopping down weeds. but after the kids were down hacking stuff down a bit of chaos set in. one boy victor, was mad at rashid, and proceeded to start hitting him in the shins with it. i had to break up the fight, but i really thought that at any minute victor was going to start swinging it again. another kid had a pair of huge bush trimmers. he had them opened and hanging around his neck in a way that looked like he was going to cut his head off. obviously, he was just trying to be goofy, but still. craziness. did i mention that dennis was hanging from the bars on the ceiling to hang up the paper chains we made. yep, he climbs up a door and then supports himself with his feel against the wall and his hands clinging to the bars. i so thought he was going to fall. and he would have if oscar hadn't pulled him down. instead oscar opted to stand on a chair and hold a kid on his shoulders to tie up the chains. it's funny b/c i know i'd get sued if something like this was happening in my american classroom. TIA