tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-347130502023-11-15T11:03:13.790-06:00The Life and Times of Steph --- In KenyaThis blog will chronicle my adventures during my year in Kenya. During the first semester I will be in Nairobi taking classes. For the second semester, I will be in a rural area just outside of Kisumu in Western Kenya, where I will do a full-time internship with Orongo Widows and Orphans Project as well as an original research project.Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09821187582797669124noreply@blogger.comBlogger81125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34713050.post-36850900102755950102009-05-28T10:15:00.002-05:002009-05-28T10:22:37.214-05:00Flickr NewsTo anyone still tuned it: I won't be using this blog address anymore, but I hope that at some point I am able to dream up enough interesting material while in the United States to keep a blog again. In the mean time though, I plan on regularly updating Flickr with pictures I take around the Midwest... Mostly while hiking, and there will be plenty of plants. If you're interested, tune in to Flickr for now!<br /><br />http://www.flickr.com/photos/30440787@N02/Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09821187582797669124noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34713050.post-50644882303550039112009-04-26T01:24:00.002-05:002009-04-26T01:38:20.147-05:00Anyone reading anymore?It has been a very long time since I've posted. Honestly, in these last two weeks, all I've done is my schoolwork and some errands. I went out a couple times to take my mind off things, but wow, it was mostly school work. <br /><br />I finished my research paper, thank goodness. It was 52 pages long, and when it was bound like a little book, I felt so proud. (I'll post a short version of my findings in a little bit.) It was an entire semester of work. Interviews, focus groups, surveys, literature, and WRITING. It could have been better, of course. There were time limits, financial limits, etc. But I did the best I could given my circumstances. I'm hoping when I get back to the US that I can edit it and possibly use it for my senior thesis somehow. <br /><br />I'm currently in the London airport. It breaks my heart a little bit to leave Kenya. I know it has to happen, and I'm ready for it. I did my year abroad, I miss home... But still, this experience is over. Life was so exciting, always adventurous, but also so relaxed. I already miss Kisumu. I had to try so hard not to cry (extremely inappropriate in Luo culture), but that family loved me and I loved them. They took such good care of me, and as much as they could, treated me like I was a member of their own family. It was a very authentic relationships, and we learned a lot from each other. I can't help but hope that I can go back to see them.<br /><br />I was always closer with my Kisumu family, but it hurt to leave my Nairobi family too. While they had some very different beliefs than me (such as listening to the radio allllllll night), they also always looked out for me and just cared about my safety. They paid attention to my likes and dislikes and wanted to see that I was comfortable.<br /><br />As I mentioned, it's the sense of adventure that I'll miss. There are so many interesting places to travel here, little things to do... I don't know how I can adapt to a more routine life. But I think I'll try mountain biking, and more skiing in the winter. Life should be enjoyable and interesting. <br /><br />In short, my abroad experience was good. The program I'm with, MSID, had some serious issues. The academic aspect was extremely lacking, but I read so many books on my own that I learned a lot anyway. Plus, how could you not learn when you're living in Kenya for almost a year? I can see my flaws so clearly now. I don't know if I'm any closer to being a completely laid back person, but at least I am self-aware enough to know that I have work to do. <br /><br />The London airport feels weird. Part of the reason that it feels weird is that it's so natural. But I'm very aware of everything. As soon as we got into the airport people were rushing me. I wanted to tell them to slow down, no rush! We're all going to end up in the same place! Somehow I don't think this mentality will really fit in the hyper-drive US. Caution: I may be a little lazy, or annoyingly late. <br />There are also a TON of shops here. And there are things I want to buy. American consumerism never really leaves you, does it? There are stores with cute clothes, Clinique make-up, and lots of books. I'll try to hold back. <br /><br />So I'll be home by evening on Sunday, as long as the flights go as planned. How crazy will that be, to walk into my house, see my cats, lay on a bed with PILLOWS......Oh my god. Pillows and running water. I'm looking forward to it.Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09821187582797669124noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34713050.post-77282972712800567652009-04-17T05:05:00.001-05:002009-04-17T05:09:09.401-05:00COCKROACHESThere are more in my laptop. I'm pissed. Chemicals will be used.<br /><br />In other news... I'm back in Nairobi and out of Kisumu for good, unfortunately. I really loved that host family and enjoyed the city as well. But now all I have left to do is write my research paper (no small task) and then I can go home next Saturday.Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09821187582797669124noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34713050.post-37717379907089918922009-04-08T03:23:00.003-05:002009-04-08T09:40:16.068-05:00I'm still alive!Sorry for not updating much everybody. I'm really busy! I'm leaving Kisumu in less than a week, probably on Sunday actually. Which means I'm winding up with my internship, my friends, my host family, wow. I'm packing in some "domestic tourism," which in other words means "HAVE AS MUCH FUN AS YOU CAN NOW!" We're going on boat rides, eating fresh fish from the lake, visiting our families' rural homes, and swimming galore. We even had a bonfire by the lake. It's nice to do some of the things in Kisumu that I've always meant to do but never had the time to. <br /><br />Once I leave Kisumu, I'll have less than two weeks in Nairobi. I have some presentations to give, a 50-100 page research paper to finish, gifts to buy, and more domestic tourism to accomplish. I don't think I'll travel at all, but I plan on hitting up the butterfly sanctuary and the national museum when I'm not writing about widow inheritance. <br /><br />I will arrive in the United States of America! on April 26th at 2pm, if all goes as planned, which it never ever does. But if you want to see me, you can find me in Culver's stuffing my face with butter burgers, deep fried cheese curds, and strawberry shakes.Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09821187582797669124noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34713050.post-60392348291109362042009-04-02T06:09:00.000-05:002009-04-02T06:09:00.472-05:00The Things I LoveMy friends and I complain a lot while we're here, let's just be honest. Kenya can be tough. But I know for a fact that when I leave I'll miss it. So for my benefit in these last few weeks and for all of yours too, here is a list of things I like in Kenya.<br />-The fact that the sky is blue every single day, and the weather consistent. No need to check the weather, and you can wear the same clothes every day.<br />-Cheap and amazingly flavorful mangoes, papayas, pineapples, bananas.<br />-Roasted chicken! YUM!<br />-Brushing my teeth outside every morning.<br />-The ability to swim every day.<br />-$3 DVD's with an entire season of a TV show (just ignore the Chinese subtitles).<br />-"Pole pole:" a very relaxed culture! Feel free to be 2 hours late or not show up. In other words, I don't leave the house until ten every day.<br />-The stars are ridiculously bright wherever you are.<br />-Things are always interesting and exciting!Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09821187582797669124noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34713050.post-68088629642479932932009-04-01T03:14:00.000-05:002009-04-01T08:06:58.619-05:00Bugs Version IIOh man you guys. I think I've reached my bug tolerance. As you probably know, our toilet in Kisumu is just a hole in the ground surrounded by sheet metal. And lately, our cockroach count has been growing out there. During the day it's fine and I can use that toilet just fine. But at night... My goodness. Lately I've been seeing cockroaches bigger than my pinky finger! And usually I have to go out there twice while it's dark. Last night I saw three huge ones and refused to go in. Thank goodness my host mom told me at night I can just go potty behind the house from now on. Hopefully no neighbors see my white booty.Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09821187582797669124noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34713050.post-61740896078913864732009-03-31T02:41:00.000-05:002009-03-31T03:11:14.931-05:00Police: 1 Stephanie: 1That's right, I had another run-in with the police. But this time I won. (Read about the first time here: http://sspayneinkenya.blogspot.com/2009/01/first-brush-with-corruption.html)<br /><br />Quite similarly to last time, I was in a taxi on a main road in Nairobi. I was with Alain (the guy I went to Rwanda with) and we were going out for a nice Italian dinner, so we were dressed nicely. And of course we came across a road block, quite typical in the Nairobi night. I hurriedly whispered to Alain that whoops, we weren't wearing our seatbelts (it was such a short drive, less than $3), but that these weren't traffic cops and I wouldn't bribe them at all, that I was going to be difficult. I'm not sure he got everything I said, but soon enough the cops were shining their lights on us and asking Alain to get out of the car. Of course, they asked for his ID but not mine. I could tell that they were debating the rules and if Alain and I should be let go. I motioned Alain over to me and told him to tell the policeman we were refusing any monkey business. Then Alain had an idea.<br /><br />Alain's uncle is the Rwandan ambassador to Kenya (cool, eh?), and Alain has often accompanied him on interesting diplomatic trips, so he knew a little bit about those systems. Alain told me to pretend I was going to call "the office," and later to ask for the officer's name and registration number. I got out of the car and acted angry, and impatient. Eventually I took my phone out, and said, with much authority, "I'm going to call the office, this is ridiculous." Alain feigned annoyance. "No, don't do that, if you call them this will become a long ordeal!" Alain then spoke to the police in Swahili, saying, "If she calls her office, this will take so long, the diplomatic police are like that." I paced around a little bit with my phone in my hand, while the policeman hesitantly debated how much a bribe should be. Again, I picked up my phone, making a fake important phone call - "Can I have your name please? I think I really need to call the office." Once again Alain took the phone out of my hand, insisting that I shouldn't. The policeman looked from Alain to me and waved at us to get back into the car and go. Bribe free.Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09821187582797669124noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34713050.post-78082032182690891072009-03-27T03:27:00.002-05:002009-03-27T03:47:33.245-05:00Chicken UpdateA few people have inquired about the state of the chicken that was given to me as a gift - for dinner. My chicken, which I named Gweno (Luo for chicken), is alive and well! It has a "NO EAT" order on it's cute little head. When it came to me, it was really skinny and unhealthy and someone had plucked its tail feathers (how rude!). But now, it's chubby and shiny and full of feathers! It is also part of our family of chickens. I guess it has to stay in Kenya, but I will maintain that my family not eat it. Unfortunately, it won't make eggs until after I leave! Boo! But I love my Gweno anyway.Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09821187582797669124noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34713050.post-82744250532038030072009-03-21T09:41:00.000-05:002009-03-21T09:47:55.682-05:00FINALLY!I got my laptop back and I'm loading up tons of Rwanda pictures! Enjoy.Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09821187582797669124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34713050.post-52810272141218430562009-03-19T09:43:00.000-05:002009-03-19T09:43:05.207-05:00Homestead UpdateRobbery on the homestead! The other day, three of our four goats (the she-goat and her two kids) were out and about looking for green grass to munch on. At 6pm, they didn't return home! My family searched and searched, for two days, and they were no where to be found. Turns out that many people have lost goats or sheep lately to a THIEF! Who sells the animals during the night! Unfortunately, losing any sort of livestock is a huge loss. They're an important investment here.<br /><br />The same day, a baby sheep was born! How cute! So we sold the lonely he-goat and got another sheep. So 0 goats, 6 sheep. I preferred the goats.Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09821187582797669124noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34713050.post-88880857121056451622009-03-19T03:42:00.003-05:002009-03-19T04:08:15.218-05:00The Basics: InequalityI was brainstorming the other day on things that I could write about on my blog, and I realized that I've really skipped some of the most fundamental topics about Kenya. Things like poverty, religion, crime, etc.: These are so important and so obvious, but they are hard to talk about. First of all, I want to be fair and sensitive to the issues, and speak to them in a way that is accurate and politically correct. This is kind of hard right now, because what's considered impolite and polite here is SO different than in the US. Let me explain: Here, people don't act like we're all equal, because clearly we're not. Here, there are distinct classes. There are the poor, and the rich. And the poor wait on the rich and no one is uncomfortable with this. For instance, when I am at work, me and the boss will be given a soda. Me because I'm white, the boss because she's in charge. All the community health workers can look on and see that they are of a different "level," but this is accepted here. Of course at first, this made me really uncomfortable. I didn't want to be viewed differently, I wanted to "fit in!" YEAH RIGHT. Not possible here. I've had to let that go. If I try to push that I'm equal, it's actually considered very impolite. How dare I refuse that soda because 30 poor people are watching me! Now on the other hand, in the United States, we like to pretend we're all equal. We all say we're middle class, we deny racism, we hate to discuss inequal gender roles; and in many ways we are a much more "middle class" society in the US. In Kenya though, the differences are glaring instead of subtle.<br /><br />My point here is that I've gotten comfortable with inequality. It doesn't shock me. I speak frankly about race, which can rub people the wrong way (with very good reason). On top of my desensitization, the vocabulary used in Kenya is quite different. You can outright call someone fat (I get it everyday), you can straight call someone "black" or "white" or "Indian," without the awkwardness there is in the US. To top off my discussion difficulties, I am so emotionally entrenched in these things. I have great bitterness about the way I'm viewed here, as a bag of money or a woman to receive cat calls. I have great bitterness about the government's blatant corruption, which is feeding my Kisumu family's poverty. So when I talk about things I can get angry. <br /><br />I want to talk about these things though. I can't leave this country without explaining to all my family and friends exactly what the poverty is like, or without telling you how incredibly passionate religion is here. You would miss some of the most influential parts of this place. So this is what I will try to do in the next few posts: tell you the basics.Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09821187582797669124noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34713050.post-72290134357315931442009-03-16T02:09:00.002-05:002009-03-16T02:31:51.408-05:00Mama HerineI could write a short book about my host mom in Kisumu. Oh, amazing, funny, and harsh Herine. She is sort and generally petite, but strong in that she packs a big personality into her small body. She even offers to run with me in the morning. Her hair is kept short, because it saves money. She has the dark skin, thick hair, and high cheek bones that are characteristic of the Luos in Western Kenya. The first thing I noticed abot her is her voice - it's commanding to say the least. It's like no one taught her the difference between the "inside" and "outside" voice. Every animal on the whole homestead listens to her. A dog wanders in the house, and she yells in Luo, and it quickly exits. Even the chickens listen.<br /><br />These commands are not limited to the animals. All of us kids in the house, including now myself, get scolded. Sometimes I walk around barefoot and that is simply <em>not </em>alright. Or maybe I need to come to the table <em>immediately </em>for tea! We regularly laugh and happily follow her orders. <br /><br />Don't let this assertiveness let you think she's too harsh or not fun-loving. She loves a lot like she speaks - fiercely. She takes care of all six kids, including paying for six sets of very expensive school fees. She feeds us all, takes care of us when we're sick, and still works a full-time job as a maternity nurse. Een me, once I was nauseated in the middle of the night, and she sat with me for hours while I say complaining and spitting into a plastic bag.<br /><br />There are other things she loves, like her chickens. She says they "really help me a lot," because they give us eggs and occassionally we eat a chicken. This is essentially free food and free protein, for a family that works a lot but doesn't have a lot of money. She always feeds the chickens in the house, which teaches them to hang out there. Once one tried to lay its eggs on her bed. <br /><br />Once, my host-brother Issac was treating our house with very potent chemicals to kill the cockroaches. There was a small chicken that I named "the ugly duckling," because it was the last of 18 chickens that had lived, but it was very weak and missing quite a few feathers. I really liked this one and I fed it specially in hopes of it growing up healthy. But back to the cockroaches, the slow-moving ones that had chemicals on them were a feast for the chickens. Issac put the ugly duckling into the cupboard to let it eat the dying bugs. I warned him, fervently, that the duckling would die from eating the poison. Being a 17 year-old boy, he just laughed.<br /><br />The next morning, the ugly duckling couldn't walk and was having seizures. Within the hour it died in Winnie's hands. I was annoyed, since I had been taking special care of this one and I admired its will to live. When Mama found out what had happened, she described her feelings: "Issac is too annoying! I don't even want to see him at all today. He's too stupid!" <br /><br />There are things she often mentions, like how "African men are polygamous by nature" and even "bad creatures." She speaks of the goodness of her children and their willingness to work, whether it's in fetching water, cooking, building a fence, or planting trees. She hates that her concrete floor was poorly made and has disintegrated into dirt again.<br /><br />She is my fiercest advocate and a good friend. We laugh, have frank discussions, and learn from one another. There is no other woman like her in Kenya.Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09821187582797669124noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34713050.post-34019251883091908762009-03-15T02:36:00.000-05:002009-03-15T03:35:33.166-05:00Epilogue: The HousehelpIt was a night in Gisenyi. I had the house to myself, everyone else had gone out to clubs but I was tired. I was in bed, almost asleep, when I heard something rustling around outside my window. I immediately froze, and my heart started thumping. Eventually the noise calmed down, and I snuck out of bed. I kept the lights off so I could see outside, and I crawled on the floor over to the window. I was as quiet as I could be. I looked outside my window and what did I see?<br /><br />The househelp, sleeping outside in the cold lake wind, on cardboard, guarding the house.Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09821187582797669124noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34713050.post-2424386041177944762009-03-11T01:58:00.002-05:002009-03-11T02:35:44.335-05:00The Househelp (it's a long one)Having househelp is ubiqutous in the wealth circles of Africa. This isn't househelp like me cleaning a house, as I did in high school or during summers. In many cases, this is full-time, live-in, servent kind of househelp.<br /><br />Until coming to Rwanda, I hadn't had much experience with this. When I returned to Nairobi after my first stay in Kisumu, my host-mom had acquired an old Luo lady to come Mon-Wed-Fri to do the laundry, clean up the house, and cook a couple of meals. I was ecstatic. This not only meant that my laundry would get done far more frequently than before, but that the disgustingly dirty, cock-roach infested house might improve a bit. Francisca, her name is, really only spoke Dholuo and did a decent job of the laundry. She often overstretched my clothes, but hey, I wasn't the one paying her, so I didn't think I could complain.<br /><br />Once, in a funny combination of Dholuo, Kiswahili, and broken English, she told me she would love me very much if I gave her one of my lesos (leosos are handy pieces of cloth used as a skirt or shawl or towlen or table cloth or sheet - you get the picture). She had noticed, undoubtedly through doing my laundry, that I had 4. Two Kikoy ones, coastal woven cloth of fairy high quality, and two khangas, Tanzanian dyed cloth of somewhat lower quality. I really did have plenty. And I knew she lived in Kibera, the huge slum next door, was widowed with a gaggle of children, and definitely didn't have water or electricity even though she was living in one of the biggest, most developed cities in Eastern Africa. How messed up would it be for me not to give away something I could replace with less than $5? After about 10 seconds of thinking, I handed her a Kikoy leso I bought my first time in Lamu with David. She said God would bless me.<br /><br />But in Rwanda, I've come across a whole other kind of househelp than before. The first house I stayed in in Rwanda was that of Alain's sister, Liliane (Alan and Lillian in English). The house has four bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a generous kitchen and sitting room. She was married, but in a sad turn of events, is now widowed and almost due with her first baby. So soon she'll need the space, but for now, it's a good place for the occasional out of town guests. In addition to Lily though, there are two permanent guests - a "houseboy," Mupenzi, and a "housegirl," Marie. Both speak only the mothertongue, Kinyarwanda, and are from the village, as people say here. They stay in the servants' quarters before the main house.<br /><br />Mupenzi is sort of a guard, at night he guards the house (although I sort of doubt that), and he also opens and closes the spiked gate at the front of the house. During the day, he might cut the grass, with a special machete of course, or look after the plants. He also does random errands: getting phone credit, milk for mid-day tea, a taxi, or some roasted goat on a stick. Apparently he has been with Lil for three years, which is longer than she's kept anyone before.<br /><br />Marie, who I saw a lot more, has quite the job, including cooking all three meals, cleaning the house, doing the laundry (don't forget it's done by hand here), ironing, and of course, waiting on all of us. With dishes and food, it was amazing - meals practically appeared out of thin air, whatever you want and whenever. And the food was <em>good</em>! Much better than Kenyan food. Barely any ugali, plenty of vegetables, nothing drenched in oil - yum!<br /><br />They would always yell her name, at the top of their lungs, for her to bring them cheese, or beer (almost like WI, eh?), or God knows what. Lily said she liked her becuase she didn't need to be told what to do, she'd clean the rooms without a prompt. And her cooking's good. And after dinner she'll ask, "Lily, do you want tea?"<br /><br />Marie is small, with about a centimeter of black hair. Lily says she's 27, but she looks about 20. She earns $50/month. She is given all her meals, housing, and even complete healthcare (this last part is very rare for a homeowner to give to a househelp). By Rwandan standards, this is awesome. But still, $50 of expendible income? Undoubtedly she sends most of it to her family, wherever they are. Maybe she has children, maybe she doesn't.<br /><br />I don't know if this politically correct or not, but being waiting on, especially by a very poor person who I can only say "thank you" to, makes me super uncomfortable. I feel guilty that I'm reading a Jodi Piccoult novel and drinking beer while she works her butt off. Heck, the novel was practically half her monthly income. I feel guilty that she's doing all this work I know I'm perfectly capable of doing myself. Granted, I never yell her name, I put my own dishes away, and I Try to get her to smile a little. She tends to look very serious. When I ask Alain, or really any African about these gross inequalities, they all pretty much say the same thing: "that's just the way it is here."Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09821187582797669124noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34713050.post-84374179736677780732009-03-09T09:22:00.002-05:002009-03-09T09:39:48.750-05:00Rwanda in ConclusionAfter another tedious bus ride, I have returned to Kenya. I'm glad to be back, if only because most of the time I understand what people are saying, I am fluent in Kenya Shillings, and I know my way around.<br /><br />Rwanda is, like I've said before, gorgeous. So fertile, so green, so hilly... Wow. I saw so many amazing things while I was there. I saw a volcano that was steaming, and at night, the top glows orange! Talk about freaky. I saw funny things, like a baby sitting in the middle of a field with no mother around. (Baby looked happy though.) I also saw a goat on the back of bicycle. Another interesting thing: Alain and I were walking down the street in Gisenyi and two huge trucks full of very worn-down looking people with the UN Refugee Agency symbol on it. Alain told me about how the Hutus that committed crimes in the genocide had ran to the Congo to hide afterwards, but now they are being resettled. I asked Alain how he felt about it, and he said fine. I told him I was surprised he wasn't afraid, or mad. He said that the only thing that worried him was that the children of the Hutus wouldn't be socially educated like most people in Rwanda now - most people now believe that they are Rwandese, not Hutus or Tutsis (he calls himself Rwandese, not Rwandan, which I find strange but hey, it's his country). <br /><br />Later we were on the bus from Kigali to Kampala, Uganda, and a lady got on the bus who was also very worn-down, in fact she wasn't wearing any shoes. She had clearly walked for days, and so some people gave her biscuits, we gave her juice, another man gave her some little money. I didn't get the whole story because it was told in Kinyarwanda, but somehow a bus left her and she walked for like 60 kilometers. Later Alain said that he thought she was a Hutu refugee like the ones in the trucks, and that she was probably being accused of crimes during the genocide. (Community courts in small towns are still full of cases of accused killers from the genocide.) He figured she was fleeing. Now, I have no idea how Alain got all that. She probably was a Hutu, but who knows. But no matter what, he thought that was her situation, and he gave her some food and drink anyway. That's how the Rwandese are now, after a genocide. It's fascinating.<br /><br />I got a unique look into the Rwandese mindset about politics, Africa, corruption, and of course, the genocide. Because I was always staying with families and being with Rwandan people (I didn't talk to a mzungu face-to-face for almost two weeks, my god!), I was able to talk about a lot of things with a lot of people. I was lucky that way. <br /><br />Another interesting thing is that I can really compare how different governments affect different countries in Africa. For instance, Rwanda is peaceful, safe, and is developing quickly. That's because the government isn't completely corrupt and irresponsible like Kenya's. Rwanda is still very poor, but the government is TRYING. That leads the people to have more faith, I figure, and maybe that's why crime is so much less there. Although the government is good, it's definitely less developed than Kenya. Getting money was a constant problem wherever I was. There are few ATMs, and the existing ones are frequently broken. Additionally, they are not 24 hours but only open when the bank is, so like 9am-4pm. I had to do some weird "cash advance" junk that took about an hour. Anyway, returning to Kenya was good, but a bit depressing too. Immediately I got the "mzungu" BS, and the streets were dirty, and the driving was crazy... Rwanda was just so beautiful and nice. I'd love to stay more time there someday, but I don't think it will be for a few years.Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09821187582797669124noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34713050.post-59245600741767057482009-03-06T04:23:00.002-06:002009-03-06T04:30:11.906-06:00GisenyiToday is my last day in Gisenyi, a very small town in Rwanda on Lake Kivu. Gisenyi is at the border of the Congo, with it's sister city Goma. The city is beautiful, and so quiet. The entire city borders the lake, so at anytime you can go have lunch or beer on the lake. And it's just so quiet for an African city, it isn't bustling at all. There are barely any cars. The food is delicious. There are brochettes everywhere (roast meat on a stick, seriously delicious, I'm getting fatter everyday), deep-fried little fish (also surprisingly delicious), and plenty of fresh chips (okay, french fries) to go around. <br /><br />We're staying at a friend's house on the lake. The funny this is, this guy has a four bedroom house for about $300 dollars a month. It's a huge, beautiful house, and it's so cheap. If I'm ever filthy rich, this is the city my vacation home would be in. The lake is very clean and a good temperature in which to swim. What more could you ask for?<br /><br />I've really just been relaxing here. Sleeping, eating, looking forward to the next meal... I've also been writing a lot of blogs for the future on all sorts of topics, so stay tuned!<br /><br />Two other quick pieces of news:<br />1) My laptop is in Nairobi, but I won't be back there for a while, so I won't be able to upload any photos for a few weeks.<br />2) I'm fairly certain I'll be coming home at the end of the program. It costs a fair bit of money to change your ticket to a later date, and I don't really have any travel partners. This isn't 100%, but if I do come home at the end of the program, I'll be home April 26th or 27th. Did you hear that Grandpa?Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09821187582797669124noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34713050.post-13523992805956478722009-03-02T07:33:00.002-06:002009-03-02T07:50:12.364-06:00Rwanda UpdateFirst off, I'm healthy and happy. I'm still in the capital city of Kigali. Saturday was "community clean-up day" here in Kigali, when everyone helps clean up the trash, trim the trees, cut the grass, fix the roads, etc. This happens every last Saturday of the month. Every single business closes, even informal little shops selling tomatoes, and most people help. The work ends at eleven but everyone just relaxes. What a far cry this is from Kenya. <br /><br />And I forgot to mention this but my friend Dan reminded me, that they confiscated all my plastic bags at the border. They actually search through everyone's baggage at the border to ensure none enter the country. I lost three. Funny thing is, I hoard them in Kenya because they come in handy for trash, muddy shoes, or just plain transport, so I was pretty annoyed to hand them over. But once you're in the country, you can't find them either. Even a loaf of bread comes in waxy paper instead of plastic. I like this place! <br /><br />Additionally and pleasantly, it has rained every day I've been here. Most Africans I have met <span style="font-style:italic;">hate </span>rain. They won't leave the house, they'll run inside, they freak out and think they'll die if they get wet. So Alain and his sister hate the rain, but for me, I think it's wonderful! I haven't seen rain in Kisumu in weeks, and the ground looks like it's been years. The goats and sheep are having trouble getting enough food, and now we feed them our mango peels and our kale stems. They're losing weight. And when it doesn't rain in Kisumu, we can't collect rain water and that means more laborous trips to the river. I never realized how incredibly important rain is to people's and animals' survival. <br /><br />Tomorrow I'll be traveling to Gisenyi, a small town on Lake Kivu. There we'll stay with another friend of Alain's and probably just relax on the lake most days. This is very much a holiday for me; I've been sleeping late every day and taking my time before going anywhere. I'm reading some novels my mom brought me at Christmas and catching up on the news. <br /><br />I had really wanted to go to a national park, but it's very difficult and quite expensive. First of all, you have to get there somehow, which is many cases means you need a car. Public transportation here isn't as thorough and widespread as it is in Kenya. Once you get there, most parks require a 4x4 vehicle because of large game animals as well as bad roads. And there are park entrance fees, which for the cheapest type of park is still $70. Then most are so far away you need accomodation, which you need to reserve far in advance. It's just a bit too difficult and expensive. The only other alternative would be to do a full-out safari, which again, is expensive. <br /><br />In the African countries I have traveled to, there isn't the same "nature infrastructure" that is all over the US. In Wisconsin, I can drive out to Devil's Lake in an hour, pay $7 to get into the park, and hike to my heart's content. Here, there is nowhere you can do that. Walking trails are few and far between, and Alain and his family think it's nuts that I'd want to do that. Everyone here says to me, "don't you want to see animals?" And I say, "Trees are nice!" And I'm officially nuts. Most parks, except for two in allllll of Kenya, require a vehicle. And even if you have your own car, you really need a guide or you'd get lost. There aren't maps, or signs. So seeing nature is tough, outside of the frequent farm land that is outside of cities. <br /><br />But none the less, I'm eating lots of Rwandan food, meeting tons of people, and doing normal errands around the city with a family. That's an amazing experience all in itself.Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09821187582797669124noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34713050.post-64314080307009195752009-02-27T03:15:00.002-06:002009-02-27T03:30:18.213-06:00Land of a Thousand HillsAfter a fairly tortuous but interesting 25 hour bus ride, I'm in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda. This is the farthest I've gone from Kenya, and my first real travel out of my host country.<br /><br />I'm traveling with Alain, a Rwandan I met in Nairobi and have become close with in the past few months. I'm lucky enough to have his and his family's support in Rwanda. That means someone to travel with, a house to stay in, real fresh hot Rwandan food... All for free. And someone to keep me safe! And show me the awesome restaurants! I'm lucky for this. <br /><br />Let me provide some quick anecdotes about the bus ride. As usual, any traveling in Africa is filled with strange events. For instance, our first bus driver was absolutely crazy. He drove so fast that I worried for my life! But somehow we made it to Kampala, Uganda. Some crazy crazy lady was sitting behind us and would NOT close the window and night, and nights in Africa, at least in a lot of places, are damn freezing and I was so unhappy because my bones were cold. We ate two giant plates of Pilau (spiced rice with beef chunks) on our way through, because somehow that was all that was available. Alain and I drank a lot of soda and ate a lot of cookies. Bus rides are definitely an excuse to eat bad food. <br /><br />We crossed the border to Rwanda around 11am. Rwanda is clean, green, calm, hilly, and incredibly beautiful. I haven't been here very long and I can already see how DIFFERENT it is from Kenya. No garbage, I'm not getting hassled, there is an actual speed limit with police officers you cannot bribe, and people seem NICE. I have a good impression so far. I don't know how much it is appropriate to talk about this stuff, but it seems impossible that there was a genocide here 15 years ago. Only thing is there are a lot of amputees. Anyway, we arrived around 3, perhaps, at Alain's sister's house in a very nice neighborhood a bit from from downtown Kigali. <br /><br />Last night I was completely exhausted from not sleeping well on a bus that went all night. I feel a LOT better this morning. While we're here, we'll spend a couple days in a national park, a couple days in Gisenyi on Lake Kivu, and plenty of time here in Kigali. I'll keep everyone updated!Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09821187582797669124noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34713050.post-37100782707470357712009-02-23T07:54:00.000-06:002009-02-23T09:30:03.820-06:00Dispatch from the FieldI had one of my most interesting days in Kenya this week. It was a very long day out in the field. This week I'm making a huge push in research work; I'm interviewing tons of people, holding focus groups, etc. So Tuesday I interviewed over 30 people for my project. Right now it is wildly hot in Kisumu; I drink about two liters of liquids a day but I pee once in the evening. Often at the end of the day my head hurts, and I'm pretty sure I'm dehydrated. But it was very interesting to hear people's family histories about polygamy, or their stories about refusing to be inherited when they become widows because they are HIV positive. Luos are notoriously welcoming. This hospitality is nice, but can also drive you crazy. Every house you go to, you can't leave without taking at least two cups of tea and eating a couple of chapatis. I ate so much that day that I felt ill at the end and refused to eat dinner at home. The hospitality went so far that someone gave me a grand gift in Luo culture: a chicken. My first chicken gift! I was honored. I carried it all day, with tied feet, with it's head sticking out of a plastic bag. I was supposed to eat it, but when I got home, I just couldn't bare to! So now it's my pet chicken. It has lots of chicken friends on our homestead though. I named my chicken "gweno," which is the Luo name for chicken. Haha!<br /><br />So later in the day, while still out in the field, I FINALLY had to go to the bathroom after drinking all that tea. So I went out to someone's pit toilet. As I was finishing and standing up, the floor caved in under me, and my left side fell into, well, shit. I yelled quite loudly and the head of the household came running to help me out. It was definitely gross and I cut my leg a bit. <br /><br />That said, it wasn't as bad as it could have been. Obviously, it was a badly build toilet so it wasn't dug that deeply and wasn't even used that much. Sometimes homes are required by the chief to build a toilet, so they build a bad one just for show. The one that is at my host family's house is 12 feet deep, and used everyday by at least 6 people, so you can imagine that falling into that would be a much bigger deal. Mostly now it's a funny story. <br /><br />And I'm still alive and looking forward to more days in the field.Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09821187582797669124noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34713050.post-69959576242036592512009-02-20T03:12:00.001-06:002009-02-20T03:15:27.899-06:00Another blog...I found another MSID blog! This student is Alana, she's also in Kisumu... Enjoy! I really like this one.<br /><br />http://nimadikwakiswahili.blogspot.com/Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09821187582797669124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34713050.post-36306545559743063922009-02-16T06:04:00.002-06:002009-02-16T06:41:02.088-06:00I'm still alive!Hello everyone! Worry not, I am still alive. Just a bit busy lately. My midterm seminar for school, where we present our on-going research, begins Monday of next week. So I'm making a big push to get a lot of interviews, surveys, and focus groups done. It's a bit stressful. In Kenya, especially the rural areas, time has a seriously rubber component that can cause quite a bit of trouble for someone trying to schedule more than one thing per day. But I'm trying, partly because I want to have something to show at the seminar, but also because after one week of seminar, then one week of spring break, there are only five weeks of field work before we go back to Nairobi for good. Wow. And there are only two weeks at the end in Nairobi, so the end is in sight. I definitely have a fair amount of time left, but the fact that I'm more than halfway done is certainly becoming clear now. <br /><br />That said, my plans for spring break are just about finalized. I don't remember if I mentioned it before, but I am going to Rwanda and Burundi. Yes, they're safe these days. The genocide is long over. There are rebels in both countries from the DRC but the areas where they are I cannot go. Neither country has a travel warning so strong that my University would forbid me from going (for instance, the U will not allow me to travel to Somalia or Afghanistan). I'll be with a group of Rwandans that I know so it'll be safe! I'm looking forward to finally seeing more of East/Central Africa before I head home.Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09821187582797669124noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34713050.post-34695510732752211072009-02-05T05:32:00.000-06:002009-02-05T05:32:00.818-06:00Things that get to meBefore coming to Kenya, I knew I would see poverty and a harsh way of life. I thought it would bother me a lot, that I would have to condition myself to handle the sights I would see. I even imagined myself (notoriously sensitive to anything mildly disturbing and sometimes self-righteous about it) coming home crying on various occasions.<br /><br />That has never happened. It was like as soon as the plane landed I grew a thick calloused skin. Poverty and death barely fazed me. In my first weeks I saw street children, barefoot with dirty clothes; people with open wounds begging on the roads; and wheelbarrows of goat heads. I've heard of young deaths, brutal mob deaths, and orphans taking care of countless younger orphans. It has been shocking at times, or maybe a little disturbing, but never as devastating as I had imagined. I don't know why this is.<br /><br />There are however, a couple things that have gotten under my skin. The first is the treatment and condition of animals on the homesteads in Kenya. Cats and dogs are kicked when they are in the way. They are fed once a day, meager scraps, often mostly maize meal and broth. They are so skinny, they often don't look like they're able to have offspring, although they have some and sometimes a few live. For example, we had a puppy here in Kisumu named Rumi. It was super playful and super cute. It was the son of one of our adult dogs. When I came back from Nairobi, it was so thin, I knew it wouldn't live. I came back the next day and it had died. I was fairly upset, and when I showed that sentiment, my family laughed at me. Their animals die frequently; to even be able to feed them is an extreme privilege. It still hasn't gotten to me that much, maybe because if it did I'd never survive here.<br /><br />The other thing is the boda-boda drivers, the men (yes, always men) that ride rickety old bikes with you on a cushion on the back. They will take you on a 30 minute ride for about 30 or 40 shillings, which is about 50 cents. And I weigh 68 kilos, and we're in an equatorial climate, so you can imagine how NOT easy it is. Sometimes they take me uphill. And it's all because I'm too lazy to even walk in the heat. In particular there is one boda driver that knows me. He has a brand new baby daughter, no phone, no other job, not even a watch. When I tell him to come at 8:30, he comes based on the position of the sun (he's surprisingly accurate). But he'll take me SO far for so cheap. And I know I shouldn't pity him, I'm a good source of business, but the fact that I pay this man less than a dollar to carry my lazy butt all over makes me feel guilty as hell and I can't help it. <br /><br />Beyond that, I handle the sights and stories with more callousness than I would have expected. I'm not sure what else I can do.Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09821187582797669124noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34713050.post-80941568092380081102009-02-05T04:03:00.001-06:002009-02-05T04:03:57.555-06:00New PhotosAgain, just a few.Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09821187582797669124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34713050.post-83540850432613535212009-02-02T04:26:00.000-06:002009-02-02T04:27:21.763-06:00Safari pictures have arrived!Enjoy them on Flickr.Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09821187582797669124noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34713050.post-1430665345077614982009-02-02T04:06:00.005-06:002009-02-02T07:32:25.370-06:002009 and five months in-countryThe month of January has come to a close --- how did that happen? Where did the month go? <br /><br />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! <br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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!Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09821187582797669124noreply@blogger.com2