2009 and five months in-country

The month of January has come to a close --- how did that happen? Where did the month go?

I'm back in Kisumu and back at my internship. It was a difficult transition, I have to be honest. Going from the big city to the bush is always a bit of a shock, especially because of the pace change. I really have to turn my patience on. Everyday at work, and even at home, I have to encourage myself to be patient or open, otherwise I'd go crazy with the lack of punctuality and efficiency. But I'm developing a virtue I certainly did not have in the US!

Otherwise, January has been a month of interesting firsts. To start with, I got typhoid this month. I actually just got over it yesterday. One day I woke up in the morning not feeling so hot. My stomach was messed up and I had a headache. But I didn't sleep that well so I didn't think much of it. Throughout the day my stomach continued to hurt and I started to feel worse. But I went to the park with Sarah and Jen for a picnic. When I stood up to go home, I knew that something was seriously wrong. I couldn't walk, I felt incredibly nauseated, and all of my muscles hurt. I suddenly had to lay down, yes, in the middle of the park, with shoeless street children looking at me like I was crazy. My friends got me a vehicle and took me to the hospital. They took a blood test and told me I had a bacterial infection and that I had to take a broad spectrum antibiotic.

I took the medicine. As soon as the medicine was over, I started having other serious stomach problems. They got worse, and then I just couldn't eat. I came to Nairobi anyway, but as soon as I got there I went to another hospital and they tested me for typhoid. The stupid doctors in Kisumu didn't even do a simple typhoid test, and because they didn't, they didn't treat it properly and it came back. Now I can eat and I feel a lot better... I need to be more careful with my water, I guess.

This month I also learned to drive a car in Kenya. Fear not, the car had insurance and I'm alive! But driving here is seriously different. To start with, they drive on the left side of the road. There are no rules, and tons of roundabouts, and it's generally the most aggressive driving I've ever seen in my life. But slowly I'm learning to deal with it and it's pretty fun.

I also attended a football (soccer) game in Kenya's national stadium between Rwanda and Kenya. Rwanda won 5-0. I'm not sure who I was rooting for. I had a long talk with a prostitute. I learned to sweep the house. I chased chickens. I even went to the river with my little brothers to fetch water from the river and chased a little boy while threatening to eat him for dinner. It's been a fun month.

The research is going well, although slowly. It's a daunting task, doing so many interviews and investigating so many leads. I'm still excited and I still think I'll tell a good story.

So what's coming up? Pretty soon I can say that I've been in Kenya for six months. Hopefully this month I'll travel to Rwanda and Burundi for spring break with my new Rwandan friends. Hopefully I'll make significant progress on my research. Hopefully I'll continue to be happy and healthy!