Monday, February 9, 2009
Host Family
Hello everyone! Today we had our first day of "school", with Kiswahili lessons in the morning, a 2 hour break for lunch, and then we had our first Society seminar with a professor from the University of Nairobi on the Linguistics and history of Kiswahili. It is such a fun and interesting language!! I really hope that I am going to be fluent by the time I leave Kenya. I have only been here for one week and I have learned much already. On Saturday I met my host family, and they are absolutely wonderful! Their last name is Chelanga, and they are from the Kalenjin tribe in the Rift Valley. My mama is a school teacher, and she is so nice and she makes amazing food, and she promised that she would teach me how to make a real Kenyan dinner. My baba is an accountant at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, and he is very friendly and loves to talk about America with me. I have three younger brothers, George, David and Brian. Brian is only 10 but he is a great footballer, and he is very sweet and teaches me a lot of Kiswahili words. I have a younger sister too, her name is Faith and she is only 6, but her birthday is on the 18th and everyday she asks me to countdown the days until her birthday, which I will be there for so I am very excited. My host family took me last night to the Rift Valley to meet their cousins, and everyone was very hospitable and friendly. They speak Kiswahili all the time, and some Kikalenjin (their tribes language) so I couldn't understand much but I caught a few words. I walk to school with some of my friends, and I will be heading back now because it will be dark in about an hour and I want to help prepare dinner, tatuonana! (See you later!)
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Hi Katie: Hopefully you'll learn enough that you can teach us the language! Everything sounds great and pay attention to the cooking lessons - I'm expecting a full, traditional Kenyan dinner upon your return! Wednesday Meg plays Brewster at home and dad and I are contemplating how to take in both of Alexa's games in CT this weekend (I'm thinking we should get a room and between the gas and miles it'll probably end up costing just as much! Please let us know when the package gets there - we'll send the next one if we know the first was a success! Love you big time - talk to you on Wed. and keep writing. Love mom, dad and megret!
ReplyDeleteBTW - Piggy and Kaiser spent all of Sunday together and are much better with each other - I'm trying to figure out how to Post a Comment as something other than anonymous - but for know I figure you know who this is - love mom :)
ReplyDeleteHi Katie: I'm home sick today, and will try to call you shortly - I signed up for the mobile caller thing, but left the info at school - will try that tomorrow - hope all is well.
ReplyDeletetalk to you soon. Mom :)