A Little Bit of This

Sept 20, 2010 – I only have 45 minutes before the staff meeting here at CGA so this will have to be a short one.  This may be my first staff meeting while we have been here, I can’t remember going to any before.  Probably do not need to be at this one, but I’m a little curious on how they go.  It also shows dedication to the job I have here at the school, even though that a lot of it is just for looks.

Another first is getting a banker’s check.  I think it is even a first in my life and it was done here in Kenya.  Not hard actually.  Fill out the form that has about 6 items to fill in, stand in line, give cashier money and form, sign your name a couple times, then wait for the check.  Over all, about 10 minutes this time.

Banker’s cheques are big things here – used a lot.  CGA uses them when giving money for fees, etc that require us to give the money to someone to take to a business, such as a school.  Don’t trust the people with the cash, too easy and likely to use it for something else.  Also a lot of places don’t seem to take personal checks, but like these.  Guess they haven’t had the forgeries so common in the US.

I’ve seen a couple of request for school fee form.  These are sent to the parents/guardians when a child is set away from school for lack of payment.  It indicates how much the child owes.  A couple of these noted that “Letter / promises are not accepted”.  I guess I should not be accepting any of these either.

Ouch.  OUCH!

The first ouch was from a king size bee, for lack of better description.  Probably something else as it burrows into wood, making a hole about a round as a fat kindergarten crayon.  These things are about as big as end segment of your thumb.  It was in a long pole I picked up to try and knock a lemon out of our lemon tree.  It was dark and I didn’t notice it until it bite (may a sting, I really don’t know).  Ouch.  Didn’t get any lemons that night.  It stung for a little while, didn’t swell up at all, and only itched a little for the next couple of days.

The second was from a scorpion.  I’d like to say it was 6 inches long, but probably only 3 to 4.  It was hiding in my towel.  After I bathed I grabbed my towel off it’s peg and zap – OUCH – stung by a scorpion.  I think it’s kind of macho that I live to tell about it.  My notion has been that scorpions are nasty creatures and if you get stung you are in big trouble.  Well you are if you are a small animal, a human baby or a frail old fart.  While I’m close to one of those, I don’t fall under any of those categories.

But it does put some venom into you.  I got stuck just above the knuckle on my index finger.  It swelled up quickly, but not blotted, skin is going to pop swelling.  But the cool part is the tingling sensation that comes and slowly creeps out from the sting.  My extended to the tip of the finger, down past the knuckle, over into the next finger and another knuckle over.  All this over night.  Feels like when you have a body part go to sleep and it starts waking up.  It started going away after about 20 hours and gone completely by 36 hours.

I think it’s kinda neat to say I’ve been strung by a scorpion.

Well, just a few minutes to go before the meeting, so I better stop and try to fire up the internet connection.  I don’t want to be late, even though the meeting will probably start 15 minutes late.

From Mbita,

Paul