Tala
This is my first entry from my new home: Holy Rosary College, Tala. Its Monday today, my first day at college. Assembly was at 7.45, under a tree in the compound gardens, and I was formally introduced to the girls (turns out HRC is a girls-only college, this information didn’t reach me until last week during my in-country training, as VSO in london never sent me part B of my placement description). Since then I have :-
- helped fix a problem with the network
- helped one of the staff to update the college intranet (set up by my predecessor)
- bumed my head on the staff-room door twice! (have put up the bright pink post-it with mind your head on it that was given to me by Amber Cadman before I left)
As you can guess, there is muc to tell already from my first week or so in Kenya, that will have to take its time. I seem to have plenty of it too. I have been mostly on my own this weekend, having come from Nairobi to Tala with Sister Pauline on Saturday. We arrived at lunch time and I had lunch with the sisters before unpacking my bags and trying to make myself at home. So far I have managed to achieve:
- Cooked some pasta and veg
- Washed and dried some clothes
- Walked into and around the village of Tala, 1.5km away, while it was quiet on Sunday
- Set up my radio (I bought a big on with phono inputs so I can plat the MP3 Diskman through it) and listened to an episode of The history of psychodelic music that Chris gave me, amongst other spoken-word things, on an MP3 CD; I couldnt find the World Service and was getting itchy for some English
(I’m in a list sort of mood, for some reason)
So now Im sitting at the Linux server in the computer lab at the college. And there is over a week’s worth of spam to delete in the other window so I will get on with that and reply to those of your who have mailed me since I left.
miss tia maria Says:
well hello there Mr PSM!!
I’ve just been chatting to Cyka for the last hour on Yahoo messanger. I’m so glad she has got in touch with you. She’s great and if you get the chance to hang out with her you should.
What exactly are you going to be doing out there. Computery things or physical work?
You keep mentioning sisters. Is it a nunnery you’re working at? If the address you put up is your permanent address i’ll send you some silly discs. (Do you have your laptop?) :crazy:Love
February 16th, 2004 at 9:27 amMaria xx
Chris Mungbean Says:
Good to hear you’re finally there and settled in… and I’m so glad you liked the MP3CD!
I got your text while sitting on the bus in Edinburgh drizzle… Kenya’s probably the most exotic place I ever got a text from.
Are there any photos of this college on the web so we can see what it looks like?
Love, Chris
February 16th, 2004 at 1:23 pmfede Says:
Mark!
two days ago your server was down and I was eager to check for news. Glad to see you are settling down. Even more now you make me think of Dr Kovac and Dr Carter in Er in congo. But thats me and my TV. So you are in an ALL GIRLS college, oh dear! poor kenia girls, watch out!! Im sure they wont be able to resist!!
life here is…all the same! work, traffic, cinemas, TG, sausages & bacon, and dreaming of sharks and turtles and blue waters…keep in touch and keep blogging and text us your address
February 16th, 2004 at 3:32 pmfedexxx
tygger Says:
Piglyt!
Thanks for visiting my blog - wasn’t sure how you would take reading about the goings on in the swing world without you … don’t worry, you’re always with us.
You can’t imagine on my part how envious I am of what you’re off doing - keep writing honey - that way we’ll both remember the good times (and bad!)
Miss you muchly…
February 17th, 2004 at 9:46 am