Observations | Mating Dance, Coffee, Blind Students

MY OFFICE – I’m going to promise I’ll try harder to keep this thing I call a blog updated. Promise I’ll try…

After a monotonous few days, I can step back and say I’m really getting the hang of this deaning thing. I haven’t had too many issues to take care of – a guy who needs to use the restroom after lights out here, a student needing a cough drop there, and not a lot more than that – so I can’t really claim victory yet. Plus, the first week ended. Now, they can start getting bad. But nonetheless, no one’s died… yet… that I know of…

Three observations from the last few days:

1. These people really enjoy dancing. Last night, ASB had their Handshake, and instead of a normal hand-to-hand jiggle-fest, or even a brotherly five-then-wrap-around-for-a-completely-heterosexual-hug, I was treated to a multi-stepped tribal dance know as the “Maxwell Five:”
   
   Step 1: Double fist pound on top, on bottom, and together.
   Step 2: Tap right foot to right foot, then left foot to left foot.
   Step 3: Bump right hips, then left hips.
   Step 4: Embrace.
   
   After the first 10 students passed by, I had to sit down for a few moments to recover my breath. If a visitor was to pass by the gym and look at the students looking at this welcome-ritual, they’d probably presume it was a hand-to-hand combat training session and tear right back outside the gates in favor of the Third-World, murder-infested city of Rongai.


2. Kenyan coffee is amazing. This morning, the SMs headed to Nairobi for breakfast at Java House with the Hartzells. I shoveled down a delectable meal of a Spanish omelet and a chocolate croissant. The highlight, of course, was the house brew. While coffee from Hispanic countries floats down your throat, comforting your innards, Kenyan coffee is highly flammable, and the back of your throat burns with joy for hours after imbibing. Baby yeah, can’t wait to get that next cup.


3. Dean Webb’s Law, #1: A sign-up sheet will never be noticed. Go ahead, announce it at meals. Heck, proclaim it to the masses at joint worship. Make t-shirts that say, “Sign up today for volleyball intramurals” and pass them out in the dorms. Hire a pep band to march across campus, waving banners encouraging students to put their name on the list. No matter what, know this: THEY WILL NEVER NOTICE.
   
   After I got back from the Java House, I had 5 separate groups of people approach me, complaining about the volleyball teams. “Mr. Webb, we signed up! Why aren’t we on teams?” After being a nice guy and updating the list 3 times in the first hour I was back, I closed probation. If anyone else signed up, it would throw off the team amounts (and schedules) that Elvin and I worked on for 3 hours one night. I printed off my final lists, sent them to both dorms, and the café, and waited for the complaints. I figured it would take 10 minutes to get my first angry call.
   
   It took 5.
   
   ”Ummm, Mr. Webb, this is Helen, and me, [generic irresponsible student’s name #1], [generic irresponsible student’s name #2], and [generic irresponsible student’s name #3] signed up and aren’t on the list. So we need to be on.”
   
   ”Sorry girls, I’ve printed up the final list. Show up to the court to be subs if you wanna play, because I’m not typing it up again.”
   
   ”Ya, but we..”
   
   ”No.”
   
   ”Ya, but…”
   
   ”No.”
   
   ”Ya, b…”
   
   ”No.”
   
   ”Ya…”
   
   ”No.”
   
   ”Y…”
   
   ”No. And furthermore, a premeditated ‘No’ for your next asking. Sorry.” *Hang Up*
   
   Valerie bumped into me a few minutes later and informed me that the girls were angry and going to file complaints to someone. Who? They didn’t know yet. Oh, but they will…

Everything else here’s going fine. I’m in the rhythm of things, I think. Sabbath was yesterday, and I really enjoyed the chance to sit back and spend more time with God. Maybe it’s just a mindset, but even if I’m busy on Sabbath, I still feel the calmness of God around me. They sing different songs and do different things with their services, but it’s still the same worship. Pretty cool.

I’m on duty for the next 24 hours or so, so I will write again soon. Promise :)

-cw