A lot of people have asked me how I celebrated Thanksgiving while in Kenya. The actual day was very uneventful... To be honest, it was a bad day at work for me, so I was grumpy a lot of the day. But after work, a friend and I went to watch the sun set at Hippo Point, which is a beautiful spot along the lake. On our way back, we ran into another friend of mine, Sarah, and we just stopped to chat. All of a sudden it began to rain, of course, so we ran into the nearest building. It was a member's only club, but we were soaked and knew we had to wait it out. Somehow Sarah and I convinced this fat old man to let us in for a beer, even though we weren't members and didn't want to pay the 200Ksh (~3$) to be a member. So, my thanksgiving dinner was half a liter of Tusker and a chocolate bar. But in the company of friends along the lake, I didn't mind.
However, on Saturday, I had a more proper celebration. Jen and Tasha, two Americans that are married/engaged to Kenyans, graciously hosted an elaborate dinner at their apartment. It was a large group of Americans, some Kenyans, and lots of food! There was turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, two kinds of stuffing, green bean casserole, squash... WOW. The spread was amazing and delicious. We indulged in some electronic-entertainment (aka watching a movie), then I went home to bed! All in all, not so bad.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Bugs, bugs, bugs.
I think most of you had heard the scorpion story (got bit in the leg in a Maasai village), and there's where the bugs truly began. Living in Kenya is not for the faint of heart. It's ridiculously hot, there are lions, it's fairly unsafe... And the insects. Cockroaches, giant beetles, giant wasps, scorpions, giant spiders, fire ants; everything the US has but bigger and far more frightening. Since the scorpion bite, I've had a few run-ins worth sharing. Often when I enter the bathroom (hole in the ground surrounded by tin), I am met by a giant cockroach. I don't know if it's the same one or different ones, but this guy is huge: two inches long or so. I've taken to opening the door with one finger. They don't really cause any harm, but I think it's the giant cockroaches that weird me out the most.
I also have a cockroach infestation in my laptop. I first discovered this when I was sitting in a coffee shop with my friend Andre. All of a sudden a little cockroach ran out on my keyboard and I wasn't too surprised because they're really all over. I told Andre, and then he looked up and saw that there were a bunch running out the back of my computer. Now whenever I use it and it gets heated up, a few run out. Not sure how I'll solve that...
The other infestation I have is an interesting type of wasp that keeps making it's home on my towels. When I don't use one for a few days, I come back and there's a little home for just one wasp made on the towel. It's like a mud cocoon. Often the wasp isn't in there, so I just peel off the mud house, or whatever it is, and put it in the laundry bin.
The flies are also out of control here, but you get used to it quickly. They are literally in swarms. When I sit in the office, there will be about five on me, ten on the desk, and countless others swarming around. At first you try to swat them away, but eventually you just let them crawl all over. The beetles that are bigger than 25 cent quarters don't even phase me anymore. I'm toughening up!
I also have a cockroach infestation in my laptop. I first discovered this when I was sitting in a coffee shop with my friend Andre. All of a sudden a little cockroach ran out on my keyboard and I wasn't too surprised because they're really all over. I told Andre, and then he looked up and saw that there were a bunch running out the back of my computer. Now whenever I use it and it gets heated up, a few run out. Not sure how I'll solve that...
The other infestation I have is an interesting type of wasp that keeps making it's home on my towels. When I don't use one for a few days, I come back and there's a little home for just one wasp made on the towel. It's like a mud cocoon. Often the wasp isn't in there, so I just peel off the mud house, or whatever it is, and put it in the laundry bin.
The flies are also out of control here, but you get used to it quickly. They are literally in swarms. When I sit in the office, there will be about five on me, ten on the desk, and countless others swarming around. At first you try to swat them away, but eventually you just let them crawl all over. The beetles that are bigger than 25 cent quarters don't even phase me anymore. I'm toughening up!
Friday, November 21, 2008
What exactly do you do at Orongo?
Good question! However, not an easy one to answer.
I have no normal schedule as to what I do, at least not yet. For the most part I shadow one of my supervisors, Moses. Examples of things I do:
I'm hoping that in the future I can be doing home visits on my own. So far I am enjoying myself and I am learning a lot.
I have no normal schedule as to what I do, at least not yet. For the most part I shadow one of my supervisors, Moses. Examples of things I do:
- Attend trainings on HIV/AIDS and TB
- Attend trainings on the paperwork that US AID (United States Agency for International Development, the department that gives foreign aid) gives the women in the program
- Run errands in town; bank, various government offices
- Write reports on home visits
- Visit people living positively with HIV/AIDS in their home, discuss nutrition, importance of adherence to ARVs, etc.
- Help teach the orphans in the nursery school
I'm hoping that in the future I can be doing home visits on my own. So far I am enjoying myself and I am learning a lot.
Monday, November 17, 2008
What happens when it rains in Kenya
Bright, sunny day. I go outside to wash my face and hands – after a day in this nearly intolerable heat, I feel unbearably sticky. I see, in the very near sky, black masses of clouds. I call to my family that we are going to get rain, at first they are skeptical because it is still so bright, but after all it is the season of short rains.
Within a few minutes, the sky darkens, the droplets begin. This begins a fast-paced and important process in a rural Kenyan household. The laundry on the line must be taken down, the animals corralled. The firewood covered, the buckets placed out for collection: rain here is a useful and needed natural resource.
The family amasses in the house, which includes some frightened chickens (which one will we eat this week?) and goats as well. The rain quickly escalates, and I venture outside to observe the action. I lean on the still warm side of our mud and concrete house. The walking paths fill up, and I know that tomorrow’s transport will be very difficult and that vehicles will not be able to pass.
Address Change
Now, you can send me mail at:
Stephanie S. Payne
c/o Moses Miruka
PO Box 4132-Kisumu-40100
Kenya
Please do!
Stephanie S. Payne
c/o Moses Miruka
PO Box 4132-Kisumu-40100
Kenya
Please do!
Friday, November 14, 2008
A Typical Day in Kisumu, Kenya
6:30am: There's a rooster crowing and the sun is coming into my open air room. I hear pots and pans clanging as my host sisters prepare water over a fire for bathing and breakfast.
7am: I finally sit up in bed. My back usually hurts because Kenyan mattresses are often cheap, so they bend in the middle. When I actually get out of bed, I have to untuck my mosquito net - Kisumu has frighteningly high malaria rates. I go into the sitting room and greet my family:
"Good morning!" "Good morning to you!" "How was your night?" "Oh, mine was fine. How about yours?" "Very fine thank you."
7:15am: There is a bucket of heated water ready for me in the stall outside the house. I gather a khanga (printed cloth with African patterns and a Swahili proverb printed on the back) to use as a towel. I scrub off, although my feet never come clean from the "black cotton soil" that is present here. Back in the house I apply 100% deet and sunscreen each and every day, seeing as I live a few kilometers from the Equator - this is not the most forgiving climate.
7:45am: Breakfast. Banana stew, peanuts, or bread. Rarely anything else. Tea, of course.
8:30am: Caleb, my boda-boda driver, arrives. He can arrive anytime from 8:15-8:45 though because he doesn't have a phone or a clock of any sort. He doesn't know English and I don't know much Luo (yet) so our friendship, and our conversation, has hit a wall. I get on the back of his bike and we ride to work, which is farther out of town. I am, of course, greeted by call s of "mzungu!" and other various versions of hello.
9am: The office is supposed to open at 8 but in Kenya, time doesn't mean a whole lot. So if the office is locked, I go to the main house. Tea number two and possibly another margarine sandwich on cheap white bread. If I'm lucky there will be mandazi, which is deep-fried bread from scratch, sort of like a donut.
9:30am: Moses, my supervisor, arrives. We work (a whole other blog post on what I do and don't do at work).
2pm: Lunch! Finally! By this time I am usually starving. Same thing every day at work: ugali, kale, and often eggs. My co-workers have discovered that I can pray really well, so now I always pray for our food (I actually can't eat without praying now, it's become such an automatic reflex). A woman comes around with a bucket and a pitcher of water to wash our hands. No soap though, so I'm not sure how helpful it is.
5pm: The day of work is over and I call Duncan, another boda-boda driver. The same story as before: lots of greetings on the road, and lots of greetings in the house. If I get home quickly, I'll have two hours before it's totally dark. Usually I'll sit with my family, talk to Velma and Winnie, and watch the chickens and goats, and play with the dogs and cats. Easy entertainment.
7pm: It's dark so the mosquito army has invaded. Prime target, my ankles and feet. We tretreat inside to attempt to work by the light of parafin lamps. But it's dim and you've been sweating all day, so I get woozy quickly in the dark. Usually I'll help Winnie cook in the kitchen, which is another building next to the main house.
8:30pm: Dinner! The hand washing and praying commence again. The cooking in this house is good, but there is very little variety. The Menu:
Beans and Chapati
Beans and Rice
Ugali and Meat
Ugali and Fish
Ugali and Eggs
9pm: Everyone quickly heads to bed. By 9pm it is pitch black and I'm exhausted. I happily crawl into my dipped bed and thoroughly tuck in my mosquito net and get settled before I do it all again tomorrow.
7am: I finally sit up in bed. My back usually hurts because Kenyan mattresses are often cheap, so they bend in the middle. When I actually get out of bed, I have to untuck my mosquito net - Kisumu has frighteningly high malaria rates. I go into the sitting room and greet my family:
"Good morning!" "Good morning to you!" "How was your night?" "Oh, mine was fine. How about yours?" "Very fine thank you."
7:15am: There is a bucket of heated water ready for me in the stall outside the house. I gather a khanga (printed cloth with African patterns and a Swahili proverb printed on the back) to use as a towel. I scrub off, although my feet never come clean from the "black cotton soil" that is present here. Back in the house I apply 100% deet and sunscreen each and every day, seeing as I live a few kilometers from the Equator - this is not the most forgiving climate.
7:45am: Breakfast. Banana stew, peanuts, or bread. Rarely anything else. Tea, of course.
8:30am: Caleb, my boda-boda driver, arrives. He can arrive anytime from 8:15-8:45 though because he doesn't have a phone or a clock of any sort. He doesn't know English and I don't know much Luo (yet) so our friendship, and our conversation, has hit a wall. I get on the back of his bike and we ride to work, which is farther out of town. I am, of course, greeted by call s of "mzungu!" and other various versions of hello.
9am: The office is supposed to open at 8 but in Kenya, time doesn't mean a whole lot. So if the office is locked, I go to the main house. Tea number two and possibly another margarine sandwich on cheap white bread. If I'm lucky there will be mandazi, which is deep-fried bread from scratch, sort of like a donut.
9:30am: Moses, my supervisor, arrives. We work (a whole other blog post on what I do and don't do at work).
2pm: Lunch! Finally! By this time I am usually starving. Same thing every day at work: ugali, kale, and often eggs. My co-workers have discovered that I can pray really well, so now I always pray for our food (I actually can't eat without praying now, it's become such an automatic reflex). A woman comes around with a bucket and a pitcher of water to wash our hands. No soap though, so I'm not sure how helpful it is.
5pm: The day of work is over and I call Duncan, another boda-boda driver. The same story as before: lots of greetings on the road, and lots of greetings in the house. If I get home quickly, I'll have two hours before it's totally dark. Usually I'll sit with my family, talk to Velma and Winnie, and watch the chickens and goats, and play with the dogs and cats. Easy entertainment.
7pm: It's dark so the mosquito army has invaded. Prime target, my ankles and feet. We tretreat inside to attempt to work by the light of parafin lamps. But it's dim and you've been sweating all day, so I get woozy quickly in the dark. Usually I'll help Winnie cook in the kitchen, which is another building next to the main house.
8:30pm: Dinner! The hand washing and praying commence again. The cooking in this house is good, but there is very little variety. The Menu:
Beans and Chapati
Beans and Rice
Ugali and Meat
Ugali and Fish
Ugali and Eggs
9pm: Everyone quickly heads to bed. By 9pm it is pitch black and I'm exhausted. I happily crawl into my dipped bed and thoroughly tuck in my mosquito net and get settled before I do it all again tomorrow.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Naked in the Nile
What a wonderful weekend I had! Friday afternoon a group of seven of us headed out to Uganda to go white-water rafting on the Nile. I hope all you know what that is, because I'm tired of explaining it. Kenyans have no idea what rafting is, let alone "rapids," or "white water," or even "water fall." In general they stay away from that river and any type of excess adventure.
We had a great, and safe, time. Uganda is significantly less developed than Kenya, but far more lush over all. Everything is green and over-grown and incredibly beautiful. It's unlike any type of landscape in the US that I have seen so far.
We had an amazing dinner in Jinja on Friday night. It's always so nice to get a break from ugali and kale and have some American-leaning food. Saturday morning we had another amazing breakfast then headed out to the water. There was a big inflatable but very sturdy raft with seven of us Americans. Then of course there is a guide; someone who steers the boat and directs us on how to paddle, when to "GET DOWN!!!" etc. He was actually Australian and very cool. The first day there were about 8 rapids. It's pretty nerve-racking, because if you fall out, you're in for a swim. It's not necessarily unsafe to fall out, because the Nile has a lot of warm water but no rocks. But it's that warm water that will really get you. For instance:
On Silverback, the rapid with the greatest volume of water flowing through it in the world, we had to nail a waterfall perfectly in order to not flip the raft. The guide is yelling, "forward! forward!" and we're all trying to paddle together in order to nail it perfectly. All of a sudden we see the big drop we have to hit. And we hit it. Of course I close my eyes so I'm not really sure how we fall, but all of a sudden I'm in the water. I get pulled under for quite a while, and then I can feel the water spinning me in circles. I get up for a breath of air, and pulled down again. Slowly I get pulled out of the rapid and can get a few breaths of air until finally I'm back with the boat. I was the only one to fall out! I was fine and apparently I had a giant booger on my face.
The only downside to this was that I really didn't want to fall out for the rest of the trip. We had a relatively easy day, then stayed at The Haven, which was a sweet resort along the Nile. The view was gorgeous. We ate an amazing three-course dinner. That night one of the Americans got pretty sick though, so she had to go back the next day (maybe too much sun, maybe a stomach bug).
On the second day of rapids (Sunday), I had to really psych myself up for all the rapids and the knowledge that I might fall in again. But this time I decided to hang on for dear life and to keep my eyes open. When you're going through a rapid, you can see water crashing up in all directions. The raft goes nearly vertical, and you're thrown around. It's amazing when you can see what's going on - and the victory is so much sweeter when you know how crazy the rapid was and the fact that you're still hanging on!
I didn't fall again on the trip, but everyone else fell at least once except for Ashley. All in all it was amazing! I ate great food, I saw amazing scenery, and I kicked ass on the river. I didn't even get sunburnt.
And of course what you're probably wondering: why naked in the Nile? Skinny dipping, of course!
We had a great, and safe, time. Uganda is significantly less developed than Kenya, but far more lush over all. Everything is green and over-grown and incredibly beautiful. It's unlike any type of landscape in the US that I have seen so far.
We had an amazing dinner in Jinja on Friday night. It's always so nice to get a break from ugali and kale and have some American-leaning food. Saturday morning we had another amazing breakfast then headed out to the water. There was a big inflatable but very sturdy raft with seven of us Americans. Then of course there is a guide; someone who steers the boat and directs us on how to paddle, when to "GET DOWN!!!" etc. He was actually Australian and very cool. The first day there were about 8 rapids. It's pretty nerve-racking, because if you fall out, you're in for a swim. It's not necessarily unsafe to fall out, because the Nile has a lot of warm water but no rocks. But it's that warm water that will really get you. For instance:
On Silverback, the rapid with the greatest volume of water flowing through it in the world, we had to nail a waterfall perfectly in order to not flip the raft. The guide is yelling, "forward! forward!" and we're all trying to paddle together in order to nail it perfectly. All of a sudden we see the big drop we have to hit. And we hit it. Of course I close my eyes so I'm not really sure how we fall, but all of a sudden I'm in the water. I get pulled under for quite a while, and then I can feel the water spinning me in circles. I get up for a breath of air, and pulled down again. Slowly I get pulled out of the rapid and can get a few breaths of air until finally I'm back with the boat. I was the only one to fall out! I was fine and apparently I had a giant booger on my face.
The only downside to this was that I really didn't want to fall out for the rest of the trip. We had a relatively easy day, then stayed at The Haven, which was a sweet resort along the Nile. The view was gorgeous. We ate an amazing three-course dinner. That night one of the Americans got pretty sick though, so she had to go back the next day (maybe too much sun, maybe a stomach bug).
On the second day of rapids (Sunday), I had to really psych myself up for all the rapids and the knowledge that I might fall in again. But this time I decided to hang on for dear life and to keep my eyes open. When you're going through a rapid, you can see water crashing up in all directions. The raft goes nearly vertical, and you're thrown around. It's amazing when you can see what's going on - and the victory is so much sweeter when you know how crazy the rapid was and the fact that you're still hanging on!
I didn't fall again on the trip, but everyone else fell at least once except for Ashley. All in all it was amazing! I ate great food, I saw amazing scenery, and I kicked ass on the river. I didn't even get sunburnt.
And of course what you're probably wondering: why naked in the Nile? Skinny dipping, of course!
Thursday, November 06, 2008
I'm white.
The fact that I am usually the only white person I see all day is something worth discussing on this blog. I'm surprised I haven't gotten to that yet, how it feels to be white in a land where there are over 90% black people and then a few people from India.
In Nairobi, it wasn't so bad. I occasionally heard the call "mzungu!" but it was mostly children. Otherwise people didn't look at me any differently because I think they were used to seeing white folks. In Nairobi I was also able to go to places where there were loads of white people: nice restaurants, malls, coffee shops, etc. I could partake in American culture a bit and also spend time with other Americans. I could use slang and talk about the interesting parts of Kenyan culture.
Out in the field, it's a whole other story. I hear mzungu, or odiera (white person in Luo) constantly. Little kids literally chant "HOW AH YOO! HOW AH YOO!" as I walk or ride by. I am culturally expected to respond and ask them also how they are doing. But it's not just kids, it's also adults. It can be sexually harassing as well when it comes from men. It amounts to me constantly having to be on my guard, greeting people and positively representing white people and America.
Being white out here is also a double-edged sword. On one hand, people regard me as a special guest. They always run and get me a chair if I'm sitting on the ground. They always buy me a cold soda when I visit their home, and they make sure I'm comfortable. On the other hand, people can really wear you down. I get made fun of a lot, for the way I eat ugali, to the amount of food I eat, to the way I speak, to the way I dress - you get the idea. Most of the time I can laugh along with them, but it can be very exhausting at times as well.
One particularly frustrating thing is that any white person is just a white person, rather than a Swede, American, or Russian. I know that I am very different from someone from Russia: to start with, they speak a completely different language! But to a Kenyan, we're all the same. This leads to many people thinking I'm someone I'm not. To top it off, many people don't even know where the US is. I have been asked by professionals if the US is in North or South America more times than I can count! I have to be very patient when it comes to explaining where I am from. Sometimes I just want to blend in for once.
These are all problems that I can imagine any minority, including those in the United States, deal with on a daily basis: the feeling of being an outsider, everything you do being watched, the generalization of your heritage.. It's tough. Here in Kenya though it comes with the territory. It will be interesting to see if these things change after being in the same small community for six months.
In Nairobi, it wasn't so bad. I occasionally heard the call "mzungu!" but it was mostly children. Otherwise people didn't look at me any differently because I think they were used to seeing white folks. In Nairobi I was also able to go to places where there were loads of white people: nice restaurants, malls, coffee shops, etc. I could partake in American culture a bit and also spend time with other Americans. I could use slang and talk about the interesting parts of Kenyan culture.
Out in the field, it's a whole other story. I hear mzungu, or odiera (white person in Luo) constantly. Little kids literally chant "HOW AH YOO! HOW AH YOO!" as I walk or ride by. I am culturally expected to respond and ask them also how they are doing. But it's not just kids, it's also adults. It can be sexually harassing as well when it comes from men. It amounts to me constantly having to be on my guard, greeting people and positively representing white people and America.
Being white out here is also a double-edged sword. On one hand, people regard me as a special guest. They always run and get me a chair if I'm sitting on the ground. They always buy me a cold soda when I visit their home, and they make sure I'm comfortable. On the other hand, people can really wear you down. I get made fun of a lot, for the way I eat ugali, to the amount of food I eat, to the way I speak, to the way I dress - you get the idea. Most of the time I can laugh along with them, but it can be very exhausting at times as well.
One particularly frustrating thing is that any white person is just a white person, rather than a Swede, American, or Russian. I know that I am very different from someone from Russia: to start with, they speak a completely different language! But to a Kenyan, we're all the same. This leads to many people thinking I'm someone I'm not. To top it off, many people don't even know where the US is. I have been asked by professionals if the US is in North or South America more times than I can count! I have to be very patient when it comes to explaining where I am from. Sometimes I just want to blend in for once.
These are all problems that I can imagine any minority, including those in the United States, deal with on a daily basis: the feeling of being an outsider, everything you do being watched, the generalization of your heritage.. It's tough. Here in Kenya though it comes with the territory. It will be interesting to see if these things change after being in the same small community for six months.
Links and Questions
Hello readers! I have added another link to a fellow student's blog. Adam's is very interesting and one of my favorites.
Also, if anyone has any questions about how things are while I'm here, feel free to comment and ask - I'll address them in a blog next week. Maybe there is something obvious that I have failed to talk about!
Thanks and lots of love,
Steph
Also, if anyone has any questions about how things are while I'm here, feel free to comment and ask - I'll address them in a blog next week. Maybe there is something obvious that I have failed to talk about!
Thanks and lots of love,
Steph
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Yes we can! Yes we can!
... Is what we chanted as I marched through the streets of Kisumu at 9am this morning.
I woke up this morning at 4am to find out that Pennsylvania had gone to Obama. Shortly after, he got Virginia and other key states. It was clear he would win! CNN annouced their projection that Obama had been elected President of the United States of America!!! We immediately starting celebrating.
We all called our families in the US and Nairobi, then yelled Obama from the window as we clapped and toasted. Then, we patiently watched McCain's gracious and respectful concession speech, and Obama's moving victory speech. Finally, the parade started!
We heard chanting and honking and music, so we ran out of the house in our pajamas. Most of us we grubby and nasty, but as quick as we could we got on the streets. We chanted, we danced. I probably hugged half the city. Kenyans and Americans walked hand in hand through the streets in victory. Kenyan's certainly see it as their victory; they said "we're going to the white house!" and even staged some mock voting events here in Kenya.
Tomorrow was declared a public holiday by President Kibaki, so no work for me! And there's another parade that we'll definitely join in on. Funny that I am celebrating more in Kenya then in the US for the American elections... Americans have got to learn to party!
I woke up this morning at 4am to find out that Pennsylvania had gone to Obama. Shortly after, he got Virginia and other key states. It was clear he would win! CNN annouced their projection that Obama had been elected President of the United States of America!!! We immediately starting celebrating.
We all called our families in the US and Nairobi, then yelled Obama from the window as we clapped and toasted. Then, we patiently watched McCain's gracious and respectful concession speech, and Obama's moving victory speech. Finally, the parade started!
We heard chanting and honking and music, so we ran out of the house in our pajamas. Most of us we grubby and nasty, but as quick as we could we got on the streets. We chanted, we danced. I probably hugged half the city. Kenyans and Americans walked hand in hand through the streets in victory. Kenyan's certainly see it as their victory; they said "we're going to the white house!" and even staged some mock voting events here in Kenya.
Tomorrow was declared a public holiday by President Kibaki, so no work for me! And there's another parade that we'll definitely join in on. Funny that I am celebrating more in Kenya then in the US for the American elections... Americans have got to learn to party!
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Obama!!!
...Is what I often hear yelled in my direction as I make my way around the Kisumu area.
Today is the election, although I won't find out the results until tomorrow morning because Kenya is nine hours ahead of America. But it's a big day for Kenya too. Actually, if Obama loses, it won't be safe for me to be around here. I'll be on house arrest. Furthermore, I may be on house arrest anyway because the people are going to be SO EXCITED!
My plans for tonight? Slumber party at another American's house with satellite TV to watch the results as they roll in!
Today is the election, although I won't find out the results until tomorrow morning because Kenya is nine hours ahead of America. But it's a big day for Kenya too. Actually, if Obama loses, it won't be safe for me to be around here. I'll be on house arrest. Furthermore, I may be on house arrest anyway because the people are going to be SO EXCITED!
My plans for tonight? Slumber party at another American's house with satellite TV to watch the results as they roll in!
Sunday, November 02, 2008
Mwalimu, update, and stereotypes!
First of all, a short update:
I love Kisumu! It's a small town with lots of fun things to do. On Friday night, a group of us went to an all-you-can-eat Indian food buffet for less than $7. It was SO amazing, way better than any Indian food I've ever had in the states. And there was even dessert. I ate so much I couldn't sleep at night. Today I also went swimming in a pool that was on the lake. You can't swim in the lake because of various diseases, which is why the pool was necessary. But really I'm having a lot of fun. I have met two other Americans who studied abroad here last year, but are now married/engaged to Kenyan men. They know the best ways to get around town and the most fun things to do. For the elections on Tuesday, I'll probably watch the results roll in with them.
Next weekend I'll be in Uganda to go white water rafting on the Nile! It's two days on the river and apparently it's pretty crazy. I'm going with a group that was recommended by generations of MSID students, so don't worry it's quite safe. I'm so excited: this was on my top three list of things I had to do while in Kenya. This will actually be the last of the three! (The other two were camping and then going to coast. They were quite achievable!)
I also wanted to inform people that women do really carry things on their head in Kenya. It's one of those stereotypes that you always think you only see in movies, but totally happens. Even my host mom carries firewood and bananas on her head. When I want to make the neighborhood laugh, I try to carry things too. Everyone totally loves it and thinks it's the weirdest thing they've ever seen.
And last little tidbit: There is a teacher who lives next door to us who always visits the family. I don't know his real name, because we only call him "mwalimu," which is teacher in Swahili. He comes and for hours he'll just ask me questions. Does it rain in America? Are there black people? Do you have charcoal? What's the climate like? Did you come by plane? What's the time difference? Do you cry when people die? And more... These are all actual questions I've gotten from him. Lots of people drill me about America, but mwalimu is the most thorough. I've really come to enjoy our conversations. He swears that he'll come to America to see me graduate from college! I try to explain to him that I only know about two states (MN and WI) and that I don't believe I think like most Americans. He enjoys my replies anyway. :)
I love Kisumu! It's a small town with lots of fun things to do. On Friday night, a group of us went to an all-you-can-eat Indian food buffet for less than $7. It was SO amazing, way better than any Indian food I've ever had in the states. And there was even dessert. I ate so much I couldn't sleep at night. Today I also went swimming in a pool that was on the lake. You can't swim in the lake because of various diseases, which is why the pool was necessary. But really I'm having a lot of fun. I have met two other Americans who studied abroad here last year, but are now married/engaged to Kenyan men. They know the best ways to get around town and the most fun things to do. For the elections on Tuesday, I'll probably watch the results roll in with them.
Next weekend I'll be in Uganda to go white water rafting on the Nile! It's two days on the river and apparently it's pretty crazy. I'm going with a group that was recommended by generations of MSID students, so don't worry it's quite safe. I'm so excited: this was on my top three list of things I had to do while in Kenya. This will actually be the last of the three! (The other two were camping and then going to coast. They were quite achievable!)
I also wanted to inform people that women do really carry things on their head in Kenya. It's one of those stereotypes that you always think you only see in movies, but totally happens. Even my host mom carries firewood and bananas on her head. When I want to make the neighborhood laugh, I try to carry things too. Everyone totally loves it and thinks it's the weirdest thing they've ever seen.
And last little tidbit: There is a teacher who lives next door to us who always visits the family. I don't know his real name, because we only call him "mwalimu," which is teacher in Swahili. He comes and for hours he'll just ask me questions. Does it rain in America? Are there black people? Do you have charcoal? What's the climate like? Did you come by plane? What's the time difference? Do you cry when people die? And more... These are all actual questions I've gotten from him. Lots of people drill me about America, but mwalimu is the most thorough. I've really come to enjoy our conversations. He swears that he'll come to America to see me graduate from college! I try to explain to him that I only know about two states (MN and WI) and that I don't believe I think like most Americans. He enjoys my replies anyway. :)
Saturday, November 01, 2008
Two Months
Two months in country – I’ve never been away from the US for this long. Even at the University of Minnesota, I go home about every two months. I’m moving into uncharted territory!
A lot has happened this month: an amazing adventure to Lamu, the conclusion of classes in Nairobi, my move out to the field, and the beginning of a six-month internship. These are big changes, big moves. After all, the internship is the purpose of this program and it’s why I came to Kenya.
What can I say, so far so good. My family is amazing and I have connected with them faster than I could have imagined. The internship is picking up now, and I’m beginning to understand the structure of the very successful and innovative program. I think that I will do good work with this organization.
Working at Orongo, even for this short time, has shown me a completely different side of Kenya that is very sad. In this area of Kenya, about 30% of people are estimated to be infected with HIV/AIDS – a staggering number. You can imagine how many children this has orphaned, how many families and lives this has disrupted. The organization I work with serves both widows and orphans, wisely putting the orphans in the homes of the widows and providing them with education, support, and income-generating activities. They create homes and safe places where there were none before. This is an example of a technique that I did not know about before I came here – I’m learning a new side of social services that I believe only study abroad can give me.
For that matter, I’m learning all sort of things this month. I can now do laundry for about three hours with my host sister. I’m not so hot at washing yet, but I am a good rinser! I can rinse the sheets and curtains, which is harder than it sounds. I’m also beginning to learn how to cook traditionally: with firewood over three stones.
But don’t let these clever anecdotes fool you: it’s lonely out here in the field. Without my daily American companionship, I don’t really have anyone to talk to in-depth about my day. Kenyans in general tend to have, at least around me, very thin conversation, in that it doesn’t go much deeper than the surface. I miss deeper friendships. I’m sure I will develop them though, as I really like my host sisters, Winnie and Velma, as well as one of my supervisors at work, Moses. Of course I will see my American friends on the weekend for some much needed American slang and conversation regarding the crazy intricacies of rural Kenyan life. But this is why I came, to see how far I could push myself and what I can handle. So far so good.
In this next month, I hope to settle more into a routine. I want to improve at Kenyan cooking and in general learn more about the duties that keep this household running. Learning the Luo language is also high on my list: people barely use Swahili out here, and knowing Luo would be a sweet skill. I shouldn’t forget that I want to have a nice Thanksgiving celebration with my family. Of course, by the end of the month, it will almost be the end of the semester and I’ll have two short weeks until my Mom comes to visit from the US. If things get boring, it certainly won’t be for long.
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