Culture Shock!

Contextualisation first!! - Our school day begins at 7:20am. Which means getting up at 5:30am. Breakfast at 6am. School finishes at 1:15pm. Lunch is 2pm. Therefore, 8 hours between meals. It has taken me many forgettings, grumbly tummies and headaches, to get into a routine of remembering a bottle of water and two small snacks, each day. These can be consumed during the two 15 minute breaks we have in the day.

Culture Shock 1: So this is how it goes. My treasured small container of peanuts is sitting tightly closed on my desk. I leave the room to go and consult with a colleague in an adjacent classroom. I return to my classroom to be met at the door by another colleague, who is happily consuming a handful of MY PEANUTS. She smiles and says, 'Hmmm, nice peanuts!'. My jaw drops.

Culture Shock 2: The Head Teacher visits me late in the school day on Friday to say, it might be a holiday on Monday. It just depends on how the President feels on Sunday night. We wont send a letter out, we'll just wait and see! Also it might be a holiday on Friday, because it might be Eid. but that depends on the visibility of the moon in Niarobi on Thursday night. so again we'll just wait and see.

Sometimes I feel soooo English!!

 

Culture Shock 3: There is a schedule for the Electricty Black outs. Saturday is an 'On' day and yet today (Saturday) the electricity stayed off until 4:15pm. How rude, to not follow the schedule. Picture above, is of Friday night games by candlelight. Friday is a scheduled 'Off' night, so no problem there!