I have arrived!! It was a total of 38 hours travel time and by the end I felt like a zombie.
Funny thing... I felt more culture shock during my layover in England than arriving in Nairobi. Not sure why! I think it was the funny accents and being completely alone.
Okay first impression after landing was- feels like I was just here yesterday. It all came flooding back to me. Four years ago I was a newbie in Mombasa, the urban/touristy area on the coast, and now I am a veteran in Kakamega, a rural village more inland. Though it felt very similar, there are so many differences. I was expecting the challenges I had in Mombasa- unbearably hot and humid, mosquitoes attacking any spot I missed with repellant, cat-calls from men on the street, chaotic traffic, excited kids calling "mzungu, how are you!" and since it was rural, I was expecting it to be a much more challenging living conditions. But to my surprise... all of my expectations were wrong. The weather is pleasant and my host-family's house is super cool! So it seemed to be smooth sailing at first.
Of course, it was the calm before the storm... I hope you see a pattern here. "when it rains it pours" and "calm before the storm" -I'm getting to that. So yes, it was the calm before the storm.
Of course, adjusting to a family that is not my own is always the hardest. I want to bond so quickly with them to make sure I'm comfortable, but it can't happen that way and I forget sometimes about the facts- I am with a new family- bonding doesn't happen over night. Other challenges include, but are not limited to: ATM has not been letting me withdraw any money the past few days, I had to wait many hours to get a simple modem to load internet on my laptop for work, I ate french fries at airport which made me gag in the restroom because I think it was cooked with the chicken grease, and then today...
Today I went to town just to learn the area since it was a long weekend on my own, and I got totally lost. That was the point as I only learn where I am when I get lost. I tried to keep my cool as I've got to look like I know where I'm going. I realized I was going in circles the whole time literally right around the FSD office when it was RIGHT there in front of me. That was pretty nerve wrecking, but finally I figured it out. I found it did a mental "WOOHOO!" and went to Nakumat which has almost everything... except all the things I was looking for. It also sells lots of paper, but not one pen/pencil. After I got a few things, I realized I didn't have enough money. So I go to the ATM to see if MAYBE it will work this time, but no. It is cloudy outside, drizzly and I look at my watch and it is almost 5pm... Dennis, my host brother, told me it would rain at 5pm. If it's one thing I've learned- never doubt a Kenyan. So I hop on a "Boda Boda" (bike where you sit in back of a man riding it) and pay him 20 shillings (or 30 cents) to take me home. He books it, as if he's trying to get away from something.... the monsoon. It starts raining harder, and harder and harder. We hear thunder all around and finally we can't go any further and he pulls off to get shelter under a small booth. We wait there for a while and it only gets worse. The rain does not let up and 20 minutes go by. Luckily I had my REI travel rain jacket [in a deep black tone like the clouds that hovered above, a zipper tucked away, but there if you need it, and a hood at just the right size to protect the very hair that the rain so desperately wanted to claim. Comes in sizes small, medium, and large. -seinfeld reference]. So I put that on and I see he has put a plastic bag on his head. With eye contact we tell each other: Let's do this. He goes through the downpour of rain, but is still careful to be safe. He drops me off as close as he can, I give him an extra 6 shillings for his trouble. Then I look down ab endless road. Now I have to run. I run through the muddy, puddled road in my sandals and long skirt completely drenched. I take out my umbrella, but then I see lightening and put it down since I don't want to be a lightening rod (not sure if that's right or not, but I don't care!). So I run and realize... I don't really know where I'm going. People shout at me "mzungu, where are you going?!" I keep running forward my eyes frantically searching for something familiar. And finally I recognize my place. FINALLY I arrive home!! I bang on the door in the rain. No answer. I go around back, it's locked. No answer. You have GOT to be kidding me. I bang and bang and YES!!! Anne, the house girl, hears me and let's me in. I am so happy and turn to her, but she's disappeared. I change. And then, I sit and catch my breath.
At the time it wasn't fun at all. But looking back, it was quite an adventure and I know Kakamega so much more because of it. I'm ready to go back out again soon. Next time I'll bring boots.
Funny thing... I felt more culture shock during my layover in England than arriving in Nairobi. Not sure why! I think it was the funny accents and being completely alone.
Okay first impression after landing was- feels like I was just here yesterday. It all came flooding back to me. Four years ago I was a newbie in Mombasa, the urban/touristy area on the coast, and now I am a veteran in Kakamega, a rural village more inland. Though it felt very similar, there are so many differences. I was expecting the challenges I had in Mombasa- unbearably hot and humid, mosquitoes attacking any spot I missed with repellant, cat-calls from men on the street, chaotic traffic, excited kids calling "mzungu, how are you!" and since it was rural, I was expecting it to be a much more challenging living conditions. But to my surprise... all of my expectations were wrong. The weather is pleasant and my host-family's house is super cool! So it seemed to be smooth sailing at first.
Of course, it was the calm before the storm... I hope you see a pattern here. "when it rains it pours" and "calm before the storm" -I'm getting to that. So yes, it was the calm before the storm.
Of course, adjusting to a family that is not my own is always the hardest. I want to bond so quickly with them to make sure I'm comfortable, but it can't happen that way and I forget sometimes about the facts- I am with a new family- bonding doesn't happen over night. Other challenges include, but are not limited to: ATM has not been letting me withdraw any money the past few days, I had to wait many hours to get a simple modem to load internet on my laptop for work, I ate french fries at airport which made me gag in the restroom because I think it was cooked with the chicken grease, and then today...
Today I went to town just to learn the area since it was a long weekend on my own, and I got totally lost. That was the point as I only learn where I am when I get lost. I tried to keep my cool as I've got to look like I know where I'm going. I realized I was going in circles the whole time literally right around the FSD office when it was RIGHT there in front of me. That was pretty nerve wrecking, but finally I figured it out. I found it did a mental "WOOHOO!" and went to Nakumat which has almost everything... except all the things I was looking for. It also sells lots of paper, but not one pen/pencil. After I got a few things, I realized I didn't have enough money. So I go to the ATM to see if MAYBE it will work this time, but no. It is cloudy outside, drizzly and I look at my watch and it is almost 5pm... Dennis, my host brother, told me it would rain at 5pm. If it's one thing I've learned- never doubt a Kenyan. So I hop on a "Boda Boda" (bike where you sit in back of a man riding it) and pay him 20 shillings (or 30 cents) to take me home. He books it, as if he's trying to get away from something.... the monsoon. It starts raining harder, and harder and harder. We hear thunder all around and finally we can't go any further and he pulls off to get shelter under a small booth. We wait there for a while and it only gets worse. The rain does not let up and 20 minutes go by. Luckily I had my REI travel rain jacket [in a deep black tone like the clouds that hovered above, a zipper tucked away, but there if you need it, and a hood at just the right size to protect the very hair that the rain so desperately wanted to claim. Comes in sizes small, medium, and large. -seinfeld reference]. So I put that on and I see he has put a plastic bag on his head. With eye contact we tell each other: Let's do this. He goes through the downpour of rain, but is still careful to be safe. He drops me off as close as he can, I give him an extra 6 shillings for his trouble. Then I look down ab endless road. Now I have to run. I run through the muddy, puddled road in my sandals and long skirt completely drenched. I take out my umbrella, but then I see lightening and put it down since I don't want to be a lightening rod (not sure if that's right or not, but I don't care!). So I run and realize... I don't really know where I'm going. People shout at me "mzungu, where are you going?!" I keep running forward my eyes frantically searching for something familiar. And finally I recognize my place. FINALLY I arrive home!! I bang on the door in the rain. No answer. I go around back, it's locked. No answer. You have GOT to be kidding me. I bang and bang and YES!!! Anne, the house girl, hears me and let's me in. I am so happy and turn to her, but she's disappeared. I change. And then, I sit and catch my breath.
At the time it wasn't fun at all. But looking back, it was quite an adventure and I know Kakamega so much more because of it. I'm ready to go back out again soon. Next time I'll bring boots.
4 comments:
Pole sana, Julia! Your story sounds too familiar! Get used to that rain... and mud! It never ceased to amaze me how all of the Tanzanians I worked with showed up completely dry and spotless during rainy season, but I was constantly covered in mud! So glad to hear you arrived safe and are settling in well. –Libby
haha...i remember the mzungu calls from when I was in Rwanda. I just stumbled upon your blog. I hope you're well and I'm really proud of you!!
Good lesson to learn! =) Always have some boots on!
Kenya's like "welcome back julia! here's just a lil reminder about the adventure you've embarked upon..."
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