Kenya Update 9/15/09 - Holiness Week

 

At ANU every trimester they have what they call “Holiness Week”, if you’re familiar with ENC it is like having a week long spring/fall revival every trimester.  I was excited about Holiness Week, I usually love hearing the word of God presented in various ways.  I heard that several years they had Gerson Semedo come in to speak (I wish I was here to witness that!)  The speaker this week is the good reverend Wes Phillips from the El Dorado Church of the Nazarene in South Africa (Jo-town!).  Like most preachers, Rev. Phillips has good things to say, yet this Tuesday morning I am not at the Holiness Week service, because among the supplies I packed for my time in Kenya I neglected to pack ear plugs.  This brother preaches LOUD!  It was very old school, traditional, authoritative preaching.  I hope there are students here that are receptive to that style of preaching.  Judging by the conversations I’ve had with my students, there are plenty of folks who couldn’t quite appreciate what the speaker had to say.

 

At any rate, I decided being yelled at (while with the best intentions) was not a good way to prepare for my lecture this afternoon.  Instead I am here updating my blog, answering emails, and continuing to work on my lectures for Logic Circuits.  It’s my goal to finish all of my lectures for the term this week – that way I can focus on grading and fine tuning for each class.  I also hope that by getting all the “heavy” work out of the way I can find time to set up a math tutoring system for the mathematics lecturers.

 

I had the chance to be the rehearsal pianist for the ANU choir yesterday.  They sound so good on the songs they know, but not many (I didn’t notice anyone) can read music.  I am going to do my best (maybe doing sectionals at night) to help them learn their parts.  Their director is intent on doing a classical concert in October, performing the Hallelujah Chorus, Brahms and some other Italian songs…I hope I can help him meet that goal.  Also, he wants to feature everyone’s favorite mzungu piano player for a few selections on the piano.  I am getting the 3^rd movement of Beethoven’s Pathetic Sonata, Rachmoninov’s Prelude in G minor and Bach’s Prelude in Fugue in E ready.  I’ll use the Bach to split up the more exciting pieces, create a contrast between boring and fun! Ha. Sorry Brady, I know 4 part fugues are fun for you.

 

In other news, Julia Mattoon’s acquisition of a djembe in Ghana has inspired me on a quest of my own, to find a quality African drum and learn to play it.  I’ve found that most of the piano players around here are much better at playing for worship and stuff.  I still want to participate, but not at the cost of making a much better church pianist sit in the pews.  Anyway, I’ll be working that out, and searching for a drum that I can take home with me and play around campus!  So now I’m running and trying to learn to play the drum.  Am I Kenyan yet?  Um…nope!  I don’t think Kenyan’s eat an egg-in-the-basket every night before they go to bed, or hang Lego men from their walls in various ways.

 

[oh by the way I included a picture of me and a 1^st year student named Martin.  We spent some time together at 14 falls.  You can see how the vegetation in the water turned the waterfalls GREEN!! Very crazy!]