Where have the past 2 months gone? I've never felt time pass so quickly. My last day at Ronesa will be Wednesday, and then it's off to a 3 day safari in Maasai Mara, and then Madagascar in just one week. Madagascar. I haven't really even had a chance to think about Madagascar yet. I've been far too absorbed in Ronesa and the kids for the past 7 weeks to even let myself accept the thought of leaving.
For the past couple weeks the sky has deprived us of the rain that was so promising before. Without water again, it's back to hauling water, sweltering heat, and dust. But the kids seem immune to the high temperatures, many continue wearing their sweaters and even their hats throughout the midday heat while I sweat, seeking shade under an acacia tree.
Last week Ronesa got a new teacher. John, the 18 year old teacher, was just a temporary stand in for class one because they weren't able to find a teacher before the term started. Turned out he was actually quite a good teacher, one of the best at the school. But they found someone who was more qualified and so he took his spot. It's strange for me to be the veteran of class one now, I realize how well I know each child- Shadrack, Joseph, Charles, Neema, Jemimah, and Patrick, and how much we have come to respect one another. I secretly glow with pleasure and pride when the kids choose to bring their work to show me instead of the new teacher, even though I sympathize with the fact that he's in a completely new environment.
Last weekend I went with former teacher John to his home, which is down the hill at the bottom of the valley, and area called Intashat. It was a ridiculously hot day, and I was sweating as though I was in the middle of a hot yoga class. The hill was really steep and rocky, and keeping up with a young Maasai in their own territory is not easy, especially in flip flops. But once we got down to the bottom and looked back up it was stunning. The sheer rock faces are impressive, and apparently they attract mzungu rock climbers to the area. John's home sits against one of these rock faces, a rather dangerous place, and there have been a few instances where tumbling boulders have narrowly missed their home. His mother was so excited to see me, she prepared chai, and presented me with a leso (part of the traditional dress), a bracelet beaded to look like the US flag, and three Maasai necklaces. She insisted that we take pictures together so that I could go home to America and tell everyone about her.
A Maasai house usually consists of at least 5 buildings. Once a boy turns 16 and is regarded as a man, it's no longer acceptable for him to live with his parents, so he usually builds a home for himself within the same compound. Then there are the manyattas for extended family, the kitchen, and the latrine. And sometimes a structure for livestock. Every Maasai must have their own land, at least a few cows, goats, and sheep, and if you don't, you aren't really a Maasai. It's not uncommon for me to come across one of my young students on the weekends, walking behind 50 cows and goats on their way to the dam to drink water. Herding comes naturally to them. Even in the school compound they boys have to often chase away stray donkeys or cows. Their culture and livelihood centers around these animals. Even I can say now that I've milked a cow! It's a lot harder than you might think, especially since I was competing for the udders with a calf...
One of my favorite Maasai customs is the way you greet elders. If you're a girl you must, until you're an elder yourself, greet those who are older than you not with your hand, but with your head. You bow your head towards the person you're greeting and they touch it. Boys are expected to greet elders this way as well, but only until they're 16. To greet someone you say "Supa?" and they respond "Ipa", it's like saying "how are you?", "fine". Other traditional practices include pulling out the bottom two teeth, brushing your teeth with a stick, and stretching out the earlobes to hang like big loops. The belief with the teeth is that if you faint, or are unconscious and your mouth can't be opened, that water can be poured through the space where the teeth used to be. These cultural norms are becoming less and less common though. The area where I'm staying, Olosho-oibor, is not so far away from being developed. The communities on either side of us have electricity! But even at Olosho-oibor the wildlife has started going over the hill, towards the interior. There used to be lions, gazelle, buffalo, baboons, and many others, but now to sight one of them on this side of the hill is rare. Yesterday I saw a gazelle, and I've also seen bush babies and giraffe's of course. Not to mention countless birds that I'm sure my dad would go crazy over, but I lack appreciation for.
Just now the internet in this cafe went out. But luckily Google saved my blog post!
Just three more days at Ronesa. Unbelievable. But I'll do my best to embrace the change and not be too depressed to leave the kids. Very soon I'll be packing my life back into a small suitcase.. how unfortunate that there isn't space enough for 45 small children...
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