Matatu Fracas

Following Thursday’s marathon day with Mr. Jackson, I decided to take it a little easier yesterday. Although 200 kids are pretty tiring, 6+ hours in the unforgiving Kenyan sun is an altogether different proposition.

Having received a couple more sponsorship requests over the last 2 days, the school secretary and I spent the morning going through the waiting list and pulling together the individual stories of each child. For those of you who have made requests, we will be getting back to you this week with names, photos and details.

The rest of the day I spent with class 5 recounting as many of Aesop’s fables I could remember:
. The Ant & the Grasshopper
. The Lion & the Mouse
. The Bundle of Sticks
. The Wind & the Sun

. The Wind & the Sun:
The Wind and the Sun were disputing which was the stronger. Suddenly they saw a traveller coming down the road, and the Sun said: "I see a way to decide our dispute. Whichever of us can cause that traveller to take off his cloak shall be regarded as the stronger. You begin."

So the Sun retired behind a cloud, and the Wind began to blow as hard as it could upon the traveller. But the harder he blew the more closely did the traveller wrap his cloak round him, till at last the Wind had to give in despair.

Then the Sun came out and shone in all his glory upon the traveller, who soon found it too hot to walk with his cloak on.

Moral of the story? … Kindness is more effective than severity

The kids also love songs; all the more so if they have accompanying hand movements or steps e.g. He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands, Heads Shoulders Knees & Toes, etc. They also adore poems, tongue-twisters and games. So for those who plan to come down, think back to your school days and brush up on all of them. Yesterday I also taught them “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled pepper”…they think it’s the best thing ever!

As today is Saturday, and Saturday is market day, today we went to market. The whole trip passed fairly uneventfully except for the fracas on the Mutatu on the way home. The operators of the bus had unilaterally decided to double the price of the return trip fair seeing as how few people were travelling from town today. This information they neglected to share with the passengers until they were aboard and the journey well underway.

When time came to collect money, the announcement was met with universal disapproval (except from yours truly who was oblivious to the cause of the drama now unfolding). Having been briefed, I can truly say we then spoke with one voice. If tomatoes had been to hand, they would have been flung. The driver immediately pulled over to continue the disagreement on the side of the road where he could give the matter his undivided attention. Passengers disembarked, heads were scratched, voices raised, hands were waved, defensive and not so defensive postures were assumed. I was particularly satisfied with my contribution of ‘here here’ from the back of the mêlée.

After a few minutes of lively debate, we all got aboard again and continued our journey. Although it did not seem to me that the matter had been resolved. And sure enough at the next stop, the pantomime began again. But this time I was ready … By the next stop I had remembered my Kiswahili phrase “there is something wrong with the bill” – “Kuna kose kwenye bili” and used it to optimum (and probably annoying) effect. “
“Kuna kose kwenye bili”
“Kuna kose kwenye bili”
“Kuna kose kwenye bili”
I am not sure if anyone took any notice of me, but I certainly felt more involved in proceedings. Once again after a few minutes, we all got back on the bus to continue the journey. Whether or not we got onboard as the matter had been put to bed once and for all, or whether they all just wanted the English man to shut up, I do not know, but I carried on the day with an improved opinion of myself.

So there you go … those ridiculous phrases you see in guide books really can come in handy.

Anyway, it is Saturday night and I am sat with a couple of moths and half a dozen mosquitoes for company. If you are out, please have a cold one for me.

Tomorrow I have a pre-wedding to go to.

Toodle-oo