Hello to all my wonderful readers!
Today, I have a couple of "samplings" to share with you. I was going to say "short stories", but these are so short that they really can't be called stories.....
Anyway, I have 3 little samples of what life might be like to a girl around your age living in a different country. I actually wrote these because of an AHG badge that I am working on, and I thought that they might make for a fascinating blog post.
Yes, it's not normally in the realm of what I post about, but for me, it was an eye-opening look into life in a different country. After all, it is only by God's grace that we are living where we are, instead of in a dirt hut in Africa!
Just to mention it, I know that not every detail in these paragraphs will be 100% accurate. I tried my best to research and give a thorough, accurate portrayal of a girl's life in these countries, but since I have not visited or lived in these countries, I'm sure that I probably missed something somewhere (something that the Internet didn't tell me. ;)
Just wanted to have that out there first. With that said, read on and enjoy! :D
A Story from Kenya-
Celia
is a fifteen-year-old girl who lives in a rural village in east Kenya.
She lives in a small two-room house with her parents, grandmother, and six younger siblings Celia's parents grew up in the same village as children, and neither of them have been more than ten miles outside of the village!
Four of Celia’s younger siblings attend the local village school, a mile away. The school however, only goes through basic elementary grades, and no one from her village can afford to attend a bigger school in the city. The school is very simple and has no fancy equipment or books.
Celia stopped attending school last year, because she is expected to stay and help at home. Most girls in rural Kenya marry young, so Celia must think about learning to care for her family, instead of going to school. ( Her 17-year-old sister is already married). Boys are considered lucky when they can obtain a higher education.
.Some of Celia’s daily chores include getting water from the nearby stream with one or two of her younger siblings, gathering wood and kindling for the cooking fire, and helping her mother with the cooking. Baking days are always long and hot, because the outdoor brick oven is going all day. Celia’s family always cooks their meals outdoors over an open fire, and they often have rice every day.Her family also has a few animals, which are highly prized for food, transportation, and many other things.
Her family owns two chickens and a goat.Most of the families in her small village live with some of their extended family, and everyone helps each other out.
Sometimes Celia gets to see her friend Mali who also lives in her village, but not very often do they have much free time together.Celia’s life includes lots of hard work, but she hopes that maybe she will get to travel outside her village when she is older!
She lives in a small two-room house with her parents, grandmother, and six younger siblings Celia's parents grew up in the same village as children, and neither of them have been more than ten miles outside of the village!
Four of Celia’s younger siblings attend the local village school, a mile away. The school however, only goes through basic elementary grades, and no one from her village can afford to attend a bigger school in the city. The school is very simple and has no fancy equipment or books.
Celia stopped attending school last year, because she is expected to stay and help at home. Most girls in rural Kenya marry young, so Celia must think about learning to care for her family, instead of going to school. ( Her 17-year-old sister is already married). Boys are considered lucky when they can obtain a higher education.
.Some of Celia’s daily chores include getting water from the nearby stream with one or two of her younger siblings, gathering wood and kindling for the cooking fire, and helping her mother with the cooking. Baking days are always long and hot, because the outdoor brick oven is going all day. Celia’s family always cooks their meals outdoors over an open fire, and they often have rice every day.Her family also has a few animals, which are highly prized for food, transportation, and many other things.
Her family owns two chickens and a goat.Most of the families in her small village live with some of their extended family, and everyone helps each other out.
Sometimes Celia gets to see her friend Mali who also lives in her village, but not very often do they have much free time together.Celia’s life includes lots of hard work, but she hopes that maybe she will get to travel outside her village when she is older!
Lala is a
fourteen-year-old girl who lives on the outskirts of Chang Mai, Thailand. Lala
lives in an apartment with her father, mother, and two younger brothers. Both her parents are from Chang Mai, and Lala
has lived there all her life. Her father is employed by the Thai government,
and her mother has a day job working at a local cloth factory.
Lala is in
her first year of high school. In Thailand, the government provides
free education through public schools in the cities. Children are expected to
attend at least nine years of school. There are scholarships that are available
to students to allow them to attend higher levels of education, including
college and vocational schools. If Lala does well, she might receive one some time.
Lala and her
younger brothers ride to school each weekday on a bus made out of a pickup
truck, although motorbikes are preferred for transportation on Thailand. When
they arrive at school, they remove their shoes before entering the building.
In school,
Lala learns all the typical subjects along with the Thai language and English.
Many people in Chang Mai speak English since many tourists pass through. Once a
week, students are expected to participate in Scouts to learn how to be better
citizens, so they wear their scouting uniforms to school once a week.
Chang Mai is
the second-largest city in Thailand, so there is always plenty to do! On
weekends, Lala enjoys going with her mother to the open-air markets, where
everything from fruit to cloth to bowls are sold. Sometimes vendors even float
out on the river in canoes to attract passing canoeists! Lala especially likes to
look at the traditional Thai costumes in display. Most people in Chang Mai were
mainly Western-style clothing except on special holidays.
Lala helps
her family by doing the dishes, helping her brothers with homework, and helping
her mother shop at the market. She is learning how to cook, and enjoys it.
Lala has heard her mother tell stories of her family, and what it’s like to live in a rural village with rice paddies, wild animals, and a school ten miles away. She sometimes wishes she could try that life, but for now she’s glad that she lives in the city.
Lala has heard her mother tell stories of her family, and what it’s like to live in a rural village with rice paddies, wild animals, and a school ten miles away. She sometimes wishes she could try that life, but for now she’s glad that she lives in the city.
A Story from Australia—
Jenni is a thirteen-year-old girl who lives in a small suburban town in eastern Australia with her parents and younger brother and sister. Both of Jenni's parents grew up in Australia, but her father lived in American for a short time in college, then returned to Australia, where he met and later married Jenni's mother.
Jenni is in the eighth grade, and attends a secondary school near her
home. She studies the usual subjects in school- science, math, history, English, and such- but her favorite subject is Literature. She hopes to become a writer one day!
In Australia, their are public schools in all of the larger cities and towns, and children are expected to attend at least 10 years of school, but most go on to college. Schools are divided into 3 groups—primary school, grades
1-6, high school, grades 7-12, and university.. Her two younger
siblings attend the primary school next door.
When Jenni comes home from
school, she normally does some homework, then she and her sister play with
their next-door neighbor for a while. This afternoon, Jenni’s mum has to run
some errands, so Jenni also helps her brother with his homework. When her mum
gets home, Jenni helps her with dinner. After dinner, she and her sister help
clean up.
On the weekends, Jenni likes to ride her bike with her
neighborhood friends to a nearby park. She also sometimes goes shopping with
her mum, or takes her sister along as she roller-skates to the library. She goes as often as she can!
One
weekend, her family went to a local museum, where Jenni got to see all sorts of
interesting things about Australia’s history, like 100-year-old boomerangs and
stuffed displays of extinct native animals. Her favorite things were the old
costumes that native Australian Aborigines used to wear years ago. They are so colorful, and Jenni can just image herself in them.
Jenni is proud to live in Australia because of its interesting
and unique heritage!
I hope you enjoyed these glances into the lives of girls like you around the world.
Have a great weekend!
//Emily
