Independent Living

(NEW PICS ADDED!)

I’ve now moved into my own place, in the guest house of my landlord. She lives with her two sons who are half Kenyan half German- little hapas like me! There is also a house help during the day and a guard at night who sits outside in the dark all night long, often right outside my door. I don’t know how he does it, and he’s always so cheerful. Living on my own for the first time, in a new country is quite challenging so any little task I complete makes me feel so accomplished!

I was so excited when I hand-washed a full load of my dark clothes for the first time in my bucket-shower room. It took me a solid hour and half and I don’t have a line or pins to hang them, so I just draped them around my patio chairs and railings. I’ve also cooked some Kenyan foods on my own. I'm good now at making this spicy rice with tomatoes, onions and cilantro. I also mix it sometimes with “Sossi,” imitation meat stew. Last night I was so happy that I actually made Chapati on my own! It looks like a fried pancake. It’s most people’s favorite meal here- it’s definitely mine. I plan to make this when I return to the states. Caro (coworker) taught me how to make it during lunch, since we cook our lunches every day in the office. I just love the food here and I feel like I am constantly craving it. I plan to make ugali and sukumawiki, which I haven't eaten in so long and I miss it - it's the food people eat every day here and the househelp showed me how to make it at my old host-family's place. It's so cool how she does it! She would sit in this shed-like smoke-filled room with a large pot on 3 stones over fire. She uses a giant wooden spoon about a yard's length to stir this heavy paste and while the ingredients are simple, the timing has to be just right. And she moves the pot with her bare hands while it's burning hot! She is small (shorter than me) and quiet, but she's such a strong person- I see that when she's making ugali and when she takes small steps to open up to me.

I'm planning on running a half marathon while I'm here since I just think it'd be so fun to run a race in the country where the record-breaking distance runners come from! And so I've tried to find ways to train. I went running around a soccer field with a girl, Massi, who I met through my host-family. Previously she took me to the one of the few tourist spots in Kakamega called the Crying Stone (I've posted pics). When she was younger she wanted to be a police officer so used to run a lot. But the police system is incredibly corrupt and difficult to join. So she stopped... until now. She joined me in running 2 laps and I continued to run a total of 10. There were many people playing soccer, throwing discs and playing cricket. Once in a while a few would run with me for half a lap and then get tired and stop. I didn't expect to outrun Kenyans!! Actually, that reminds me that Kenya is known for its distance runners, but those runners are only from a specific tribe from the Rift Valley, called Kalenjins.

While it is busy at work, but relaxing at home, I know it’s the calm before the storm. And I’m not talking about monsoon… I’m talking about a very full summer intern group. We are getting 13 interns first, and then another 8 will be joining so we will have 21 interns at some point. That is a lot and I'm really excited to support so many people who will have a life-changing experience. I know they will be so nervous at first and it will be one of the hardest things of their lives, but through that it will be one of the best most memorable experiences. The biggest challenges will come from within and that's why no matter what, they'll be so impressed with themselves when they leave and tackle situations that they never thought they could. They may even want to quit at first! It'll be busy as all of them will be going through culture shock, getting home sick, getting regular sick, developing projects, submitting grant-proposals, and many other issues that will spring up for each of them. Orientation will be a packed program, but as long as they listen and understand the policies they'll have a great time!

Next time I plan to write about my learnings on sustainable development vs. aid. I understood the concept before, but on the ground it has truly been an incredible eye opening experience so fae.

Some early farewells

Note: New photos posted!

Already I am saying goodbye to my host family tomorrow: Mama Rose, Baba Gabriel, my host-brother Dennis, and Househelp Anna. I'll be moving out to live in my own place, which I'm excited and sad about. As a thank you gift I got them a solar-powered lantern since the power goes out every night and everyone is always so shocked and dismayed each time. I also printed some photos and put them in an cheesy "Sweet Memories" album I found in the market. They absolutely love photos since most of the time they only have one or two from their childhood.

My young host-brother, Ian, left a couple weeks ago for boarding school. On his last day he told his parents it was his birthday and no one had remembered. I went to the market to haggle for a soccer ball since he's obsessed with futbol (got it half price yeaaah! Haggling is fun) I came back and put it in a bag and left it on the living room table. I told him I had a present and his eyes lit up. When he saw the ball, he had the big smile, said "Asante" (thank you) and walked away with it. I didn't know if he was just being polite or not. Later, he was speaking in swahili to his mother, and she laughed that he all day he has been saying "God has answered my prayers! I have been wanting a soccer ball. This is the only birthday that I have felt happy!" Good, well I'm glad he liked it then.

My host-sister also left to go back to boarding school so I made her a watercolor painting of Mexico since she wants to go there one day. She taught me a little about water color, and we tried doing some sunsets since her brother, Denno, insisted that there are no sunsets in Kenya. In return for the painting, she gave me the first piece of jewelry she ever made, which is carved from coconut! (see pics)

The other day I met a young boy named Zachia, 4 years old. He was wandering the house curiously following me from a distance. He came with his slightly older brother Owen (maybe 9 years old), who never smiled at me. When I gave him a piece of gum he snatched it and turned to the tv. After a few days of them being scared of me, eventually Zachia started opening up and I lent him my sunglasses and watch to wear for a while since he kept pointing at them. And when those sunglasses came on, he suddenly morphed into a 4-year old gangsta, strutting and dancing around the house to the rap music videos playing on tv. This cracked me up and finally I saw Owen laugh too, score! Owen became a sweetie helping to clean the mess that Zachia kept making. After playing many games around the house, his family members started coming over one by one to coax Zachia into leaving. He kept refusing, which they thought was hysterical since he doesn't usually care for "mzungus" (the white folks). Then another would come, try, and fail. Eventually the entire family came for an intervention. He ate dinner pouting on the floor as his family stood around him in a circle. And finally they got him to leave after a lot of bribing.

So I'm all grown up and moving out of my host-parents place into one of my own like a big girl.  I'm not the best cook so I'm wondering how making meals for myself will go. However, I'm determined to learn how to cook most of the Kenyan foods, which means I'll know how to cook more Kenyan food than American food when I come back. It's a start!