Dreams, Goats and Adult Education

My anti-malarial medication is causing me to have the most bizarre dreams. Vivid lucid dreaming is one of its side effects; at first I experienced nothing then all of the sudden it’s been nonstop. I had a dream that was so colorful and so loud I’ve never experienced anything like it before. I was floating through outer space and could see earth approaching. An asteroid whizzed by me and headed straight for earth. I braced myself and as the gigantic rock struck our planet. It blew apart in pieces of cloth, earth patterned cloth. From the center of this cloth earth things flew out and past me. A pair of lips, huge and brightly colored swam by saying something, I can’t recall what but I remember thinking it was so loud. Math equations and symbols flew by. It occurred to me in my sleep, “I have figured it out, all of it, the whole universe.” And bam it was over.

Last night I woke up laughing, at what I don’t know. Often times as I’m wakingup in the morning the dreams flood back to me but by the time I’m fully awake they’re gone. People I haven’t spoken to or seen in ages appear in my dreams. I dream all night. It can be almost maddening but sometimes kind of cool. I just remind myself that it’s better than having malaria.

Last night Saade informed me that Vutakaka primary would be having a staff party today (Friday) and that a goat would be slaughtered in the morning for the occasion. I had the noble notion that it was something I should experience, and if I wasn’t tough enough to see the slaughtering then I wasn’t tough enough to eat the goat. So, she told me it would take place at 7 am at the school and not to be late. When my alarm sounded at 6 I quickly noticed it was pouring rain. I thought, “eh, it’s raining, I’m sure there will be another goat opportunity while I’m here”, which was half apprehension, half not wanting to start my day off soaking wet. I text Saade and told her I wouldn’t make it to the slaughtering. At 8:30 she called me in an excited tone and said, “they have waited for you to slaughter the goat, get down here now!” So that’s what I did, first I scooped up Kris and off to the goat we went. I could hear it bahhing before I got there, it was sitting tied up to a tree, black and white spotted, the best looking kind of goat in my personal opinion. In no time Mr. Omar, one of the primary school teachers and Katana and Kanga the grounds keepers were on the goat. Mr. Omar in his teacher attire, nice slacks with a fresh button up shirt neatly tucked in rolled up his slacks and sleeves and unwrapped a tarnished machete from it’s paper casing. Within moments the goat was on its side and its throat cut, within 5 minutes it was dead (you have to allow time for it to bleed out). I experienced the slaughtering. Slaughtering, not killing as Saade has diligently explained to me. “To kill is to take a soul without a purpose, when we slaughter we do it for the meat, it has a purpose.” This makes sense. It’s difficult to explain to people here the disconnect Americans have with the meat they eat. Trying to explain slaughterhouses and mass killing machines cause confused faces.

I got a close up view for the skinning and asked a few questions and took some pics. The skin will probably to go drum making and the meat; we ate later in the afternoon. Deeeelicious. The Vutakaka cooks, one being Saade’s mom Mishi made quite a meal.

Between the slaughtering and the feasting, (these things take preparation) I went with Mohamed to our first adult education health class, Topic: HIV/AIDS. It was awesome, in Swahili so I didn’t understand everything but he’s such an excellent teacher I got the gist, and having made the curriculum with him helped. I handed out condoms and asked questions later. 47 students were in attendance, 40 women, 6 children latched onto their mothers, and 1 man. It reminded me a little of high school with giggles and funny questions and comments of, “Oh! I didn’t know about THAT!” Many of these adults are just learning to read and write so Mohamed and I thought it the perfect opportunity to do lessons on HIV/AIDS, family planning, nutrition, vaccinations and a laundry list of other things. I have mapped out the curriculum, which is always subject to change, but today was a great start. The class expressed interest in getting tested so Mohamed and I will meet with the head nurse to schedule a time for HIV screening. The key really is providing the education and opportunity and the rest follows. Today, almost 50 people learned new things that could potentially save their lives and are armed with new knowledge that will better their lives and the lives of their children forever. That’s an incredible thing.

After everything Saade and I took our semi-nightly walk down to the postcard beach with some young girls in tow and sat and chatted. About multiple wives in Africa as opposed to America, about guys, and train trips, about the ridiculousness of tanning beds and how we’re so alike for so many different reasons.

3 weeks ago I didn’t know how I would be able to stay, now I don’t know how I will be able to leave.

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The above scribble scrabble is courtesy of Awade who wondered into my room and found my computer sitting on my bed while I was having my nightly tea in the sitting room.

QUESTION: The pics from my Nikon D70 have saved as NEF instead of JPEG and from what I understand are Raw? These pics won’t load onto my blog, any suggestions?

It's now Saturday and Kris and I have had our most successful Mombasa trip yet. I am a sucker for African fabric and stocked up today. The EAC sewing ladies are like wizards with their needles so I'm going to pay them a visit on Monday to have some things made, skirt and bags and such. I got my halloween costume! a Kenyan soccer player! I got the sweetest Kenya jersey with KEYES on the back. I bought it to wear to the party next week but primarily as a gift for my bro when I get home. Now we are enjoying a few Tuskers before we hit the road back to Takaungu.

Until next time, Cheers!