1. Staying Clean

You can’t stay clean in Kenya.

I’m serious.

The dumbest thing you can do (after walk home after dark without an armed escort or a machete by your side) is dress in white or off-white pants.

You can literally stand still — in the middle of the street — and still get dirty.

2. Safe Streets

“We were walking on this nice street,” another volunteer explained, “when we passed a set of buildings with high fences and troupes of guards everywhere, toting large guns.”

“There was a sign there, with a smiley face,” her friend continued, “along with the phrase “We hope you enjoyed your visit on Kenya’s safest street”".

3. Canada Day

I’m going to miss Canada Day.

It’s hard. Not just for me, but for all the other volunteers. It’s hard to jump right into a foreign culture and be expected to teach a class of students whose grasp of the English language is minimal. It’s hard to keep up the act when you’ve been brought up as a Canadian or an American your entire life.

Does it get easier? Bit by bit, I suppose. But it’s hard to believe I’d ever feel at home here.

“Do you have any brothers and sisters?”, a student asks.

“Sure, I have one sister. She’s a few years older,” I reply.

“Is she like you? Is she a pretty girl?”, another asks.

“Sure,” I say.

“I give you fifty cows for your sister,” he offers.

“WHAT?”

The whole class bursts out laughing.

Days later, I realized I should have taken the deal.

Fifty cows is a helluva lot of bovine.

While gossiping about news back home…

“What? You mean the rest of the world doesn’t stop when we’re in Kenya?

I’ll never forget my first introduction to Hidden Talents, Dagoretti’s Secondary School for orphanages and destitute children.

The volunteers and I were being guided by one of our hosts, and as we approached the school, the stench of rotting garbage hit my face.

The school itself is a cramped ground composed of smaller buildings built up of storm plating, bits of wood, steel wire, rusty nails, and who knows what else. Of course, having no central garbage service, the students are forced to simply dump their garbage in various piles near the buildings.

One of these piles — waist high, muddy, and with buzzing flies everywhere — greeted us as we first approached the school. On top, a dog buried his nose into the garbage, looking for scraps of food.

Our tour guide turned around, smiled a toothy smile, and said, “Welcome to Hidden Talents”.

Yesterday, I pet a cheetah.

And with a bit of urging, I even lay down next to it and put my arms around it. Laugh if you want. I was scared out of my wits it’d turn around and take a swipe at me.

After all, I can name quite a few girls that would do the same.

Yeah, what did you do?