254/365

254/365, originally uploaded by britrosewhite.

Tuesday and today we brought cookies to our classes. That's four different classes with up to 40 kids each...I made about 200 just to be sure.

It was so fun to make them say "snickerdoodle" instead of "biscuit" which is the Kenyan term for cookie, and which is actually pronounced "bis-kwit."

We have a blast with this group. They make us laugh so much. Today one of the boys in standard 5 - whom I've deemed the class clown - was erasing the board for me. He's rather short so when he couldn't reach the top I said, "Need a boost?" and he turned and said, "What's a boost?" and the class erupted. I was a little nervous that I'd offended him in some way so I tried to justify making fun of short people since I've always been tall. You may be thinking that I am in NO way justified for that very reason and you're probably right. But everyone laughed and we all ate cookies and were happy.

I like to visit them on lunch break and they crowd me, trying to teach me Kswahili. Today I finally had them write down some things. Mostly names of fruits, numbers, etc. So on our way out these two little children ran up to us and greeted us. They followed us even once we were in the car and I realized - I can speak to them even though they don't know english! So in a rush I grabbed my sheet and told them in Kswahili: "My name is Brittany. I am 25 years old." Which was better than: "My name is Brittany. I have 5 bananas."

They looked startled and then they smiled and then I gave random people snickerdoodles through the car window. And I know they're thinking I'm a crazy mzungu and that is EXACTLY why it's fun.