Spreading Beds

Spreading beds in Kenyan English means making beds. Today we had 40 students from 5th grade come and stay at Thiiri overnight. We were short staff, so after the children were released to their bedrooms i had to go in an spread the beds while they were watching. When small children are inquisitive about me, my skin, hair, where i come from, i don't mind so much, their curiosity is cute. I want them to know that i am no different from them. So every time i leaned over to make a bed, they were touching my hair and patting my arms. They all want to know my family and all of their names. They had a lot of trouble with my father's name, Gene. They kept thinking his name was Jane, and they did not like that, it was quite funny.

These kids are from really rural areas, and have probably never stayed in a hotel before, and at home they probably don't have indoor plumbing. I had some very unusual questions while i was in their rooms making beds.
First was,
kid:"what is that thing hanging from the ceiling in the bathroom?"
me: "you mean the shower?"
kid: "what does it do?"
me: "wash your body."
kid: "how?"

second,
kid: "come quick."
me: "what is wrong?"
kid: the water in the toilet is making strange sounds."
me: explain how a toilet works

third,
kid: "i don't have a warm blanket on my bed."
me: "yes you do, it is under the bed cover."

These kids are so precious. i love their innocence, but i am not looking forward to cleaning their rooms in the morning, who know what they will find to experiment with over night.


xoxox suz