Random Funny Things

Being in a new place naturally brings some awkward, yet funny experiences. Here are a few things that have made me laugh!
Kenyans are very picky about having everything meticulously ironed (hence my complaints about having to press nunderwear), so when one night at dinner one of the aspirants was saying something about "crease brown" I was thinking I accidentally had wrinkled something I was wearing (they mention sometimes how the last volunteer occasionally had wrinkled clothes -- eek). Finally I figured out she was asking if I know Chris Brown, the musician... This particular aspirant, Linda, has had a lot more exposure to pop culture than the others, but I was still particularly confused another time at dinner when she was asking if we had "summer party." After getting a brief description, I realized she meant Spring Break!!!
It was time to clean my room, and I needed a RAG for cleaning. Here they have certain rags to clean certain places, so I asked the sisters in charge of cleaning if she had an extra rag. She asked another sister who gave me a large, new, somewhat plush rag. I put it in my bag, but because it was so nice I asked someone else if this is really what they use for cleaning. Turns out I had gotten a RUG. (They call rags wipers).
Kenyans call white people "Muzungus," and so if I hear the word muzungu I automatically know they are talking about me. One day I was walking in town, and some children were yelling "muzungu muzungu" so I turned and waved to them. Every few seconds they would yell "muzungu" again and I would have to turn and wave again. I think I waved to them about five times before they were satisfied. When I first started going to the primary school, some of them children would sneak up behind me and touch my hair and run away again. They also are fascinated with my skin, and immediately notice any tiny mosquito bite or scratch and inquire "what is that, what is that?" I usually tell them "It is the same as yours, just a different color." Explaining sunburn can also be a funny experience! They ask when I get too much sun if I "have a sickness on my skin."
We sit with the students for lunch so the teachers can have a break, and I was talking to the seniors in high school one day. They have many questions and really want to come to America. One of the boys, George (who is actually older than me), was saying "I want to marry the youngest in your family and move to US." I said okay, but that the youngest is a boy. He responded with "okay, then the youngest girl." I said that was me, and they insisted the next day I bring my phone number for them. They were somewhat joking, fortunately. On a side note I think some of the elementary school students might actually believe that I'm related to President Obama...
Incidentally, I only use my phone here for calling home (I don't really have a lot of people to call) and so when people ask me for my phone number I legitimately tell them I don't know what it is. I should probably learn. On one of my first days here someone called my number by mistake, and was talking hastily in Kiswahili. I was worried that it was one of the sisters at first, but after I realized it was wrong number had an incredibly difficult time explaining that to the caller.
It is also difficult for me to explain which tribe I come from! (As we don't have tribes at home so much...or at all). The teachers have are surprised to learn that English is my "mother-tongue" and that is why I am able to speak/read it so well.
As you may know, one of my top 3 fears in life is insects. Well, one night I ran back to my room to get something and there was a huge (in non-Lauren terms, a fairly big) spider on the wall. I tried to whack it with my shoe but missed and it ran directly to where my bed is. I went back to the main house and casually asked if the spiders here are poisonous... turns out some of them are. It ended up that two of the aspirants came with me to my room, took about my entire bed (even some of the slats) and looked in my suitcases which were kept under my bed trying to find the spider. They were able to see it next to the leg of the bed and tried to spray it with insect killer, but they didn't really know how to use it so the spider ended up running, when he stopped they squashed him. I stood frightened in the corner for this episode. I feel bad for the spider, but it might have been out to get me! The aspirants even helped me make my bed. In North Horr I had a scorpion in my room! (It is not "scorpion season"). Since it was night I couldn't call for assistance, so I took my biggest shoe and tried to squash him. I missed once, but thought I had got him on the second try. I wasn't sure how well scorpions squash and didn't want to lift up my shoe to see if I had got him (if I hadn't and he had run away I think I would have stayed up all night on scorpion watch!). I left my shoe there until the next morning when I was finally brave enough to lift it up. The scorpion was under there.
People have many misconceptions about Americans, just as Americans do about Africans. For example, I have been told (not asked, told) that all American boys wear shorts all the time and all American girls wear trousers all the time. People look quite surprised when I wear a skirt, and I am almost hesitant to because of all the commentary! Here almost all the women wear skirts all the time. Also, some people seem to think that with all the negative influences in our media it must be nearly impossible to remain a Christian.
That's all I can think of for now, but I hope this had made you smile.