Yesterday was probably the best day embodying my time in Kenya that I can describe. The day started out well as a friend and I went to hike the Ngong Hills and then were to meet up with some other people to go camping.
Ngong Hills are these large hills/small mountains that are about 45 minutes outside of Nairobi. We got an early start and met up with a friend of ours, Sam, in Ngong town after a bus ride. Instead of taking boda bodas (motorbikes) from the city to the entrance of the hills, Sam decided we should walk. So we started our hike.
It took probably 20-30 minutes for us to get from the town to the entrance, uphill. As you transition out of Ngong into the hills, the countryside becomes hilly with small homes and lined rows of crops with the occasional tree. It is beautiful.
Upon coming upon the entrance, we had to pay an entry fee and guard payment as to make sure we were ok on our hike for 1700 shillings. Some things like this would not really be necessary in the States, but are necessary here. So we continued our hike up to the top of the first hill, and it was difficult.
According Wikipedia, the base of the hills starts at 6765 and the peak of the hills is 8070. When you climb to the top of the first hill there are a number of windmills and your first good view of Masailand. Here, I got my first view of a pine tree in Kenya, and the air smelled fresh and clean, a nice transition from Nairobi.
Over the next three hours, we hiked six of the seven hills. We stopped along the way at numerous points as the hills come in succession, so you climb one and go down the other side and then have to go up the next hill. Some of the hills were particularly steep and my body was not used to the elevation.
The views were absolutely beautiful. You could see out for miles and see more small mountains in the distance. On a clear day, you can see all the way to Kilimanjaro. Unfortunately, it was too cloudy, but the hike was wonderful for my soul. There’s something about hiking that makes you feel accomplished and appreciative of the world’s beauty.
On our way down, it started to rain. At first it was not a big deal as we stopped under some trees to stay under cover until it let up. In fact, the smell of the rain was an amazing scent as we stood and watched the storm go over the rolling tropical hills. The storm let up a little and we finished our hike into the outskirts of town when it started pouring again.
We are in Kenya, and that means improvising with something random. So we stopped at this large overhang of an old house that a man, some kids and a rooster were under. They were nice enough to let us stay until it stopped raining. When the rain let up a while again, we finished our hike into town on muddy trails.
Once we got into town, I realized the problem rain has on transportation in rural Kenya. Almost all of the roads in Ngong town are made of dirt, so when it rains and the roads aren’t flat, it creates a literal small river down the middle of the road. Everything was covered in mud and I almost fell numerous times. We stopped at a little restaurant for lunch, and the rain continued, creating a bigger river down the road.
One of the advisors for my program has a campground near his home, which was where we were supposed to go camping. Sam is his brother, so he called to let us know that we were going to cancel because of the rain. After lunch, we were bummed that we could not camp, so Sam suggested that we just go out to the camp site to see what we think.
From Ngong town we had two options of transportation: boda bodas or a tuk tuk. I do not actually know what tuk tuk stands for, but I’m pretty sure it means little vehicle of death. Imagine a golf cart propped a little higher off the ground with a bit more seating and a canvas roof, and you’ve got a tuk tuk. Because the roads were muddy from the rain, we decided it would be safer to take a tuk tuk.
We left and immediately, the tuk tuk just bounced over every little bump in the road. By no means was it comfortable. One of my friends who I was with was not feeling well to begin with, and this ride did not help as we were bouncing all over.
About two minutes from the campground, the tuk tuk then slid into a ditch because of the mud and got stuck. We then spent the next 10 minutes trying to push the tuk tuk out of the ditch and get it started. After finally getting it out and pushing it to a head start, the tuk tuk started.
We then rode to the campsite to find out that everyone else who was coming later in the day decided that they were not going to come at this point. Our advisor was there waiting for us, and luckily was able to call a tuk tuk to come pick us back up. While waiting for the ride, we got to sit in on a random birthday party where we drank some soda. We were filthy and smelly from hiking sitting there with people in nice clothes.
The second tuk tuk came to pick us up, and this one was meant for three passengers. At this point, it was just my friend Liana and I, so we fit fine. However, we did not realize we would be getting so many other passengers into the tuk tuk along the way. A vehicle meant to carry four at the most was now carrying seven. Let’s just say it was a little cramped and the bumps made everything uncomfortable.
After another bumpy ride we got back into town, caught a bus, and made our way back to Nairobi.
I think this day best wraps up my Kenya experience. We do something fun, something random, something not so fun and something unexpected. Basically very little goes to plan, and you always have to be ready for something new. O what a day….
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Downtown/Elephant Orphanage/Giraffe Center
So this last weekend I got to go see some of the sights around the Nairobi area. We didn't have class Friday, so I was to go to the National Museum with some friends just outside of the city center, but unfortunately things got messed up, so I was in the city by myself.
I love cities, particularly the downtowns. Because I was by myself Friday, I got to do my own little tour of downtown Nairobi, which is growing on me. After wandering around one side of downtown, I made my way to the area around the Hilton Hotel, which is becoming one of my favorite areas of the city. Wanting to waste a few hours, I found a bookstore, bought "The Divinci Code" and went into a coffee shop and read for a while. This is one of my favorite things to do. Walk around a downtown area and people watch, find a nice coffee shop and escape for a while in the comfort of a book, chair and coffee. I went home after coffee and we still didn't have running water (for the third day in a row) and during a thunderstorm we lost power (a common occurrence).
Saturday, I woke up and made my way downtown again to head out to the Elephant Orphanage Center in Nairobi National Park. I don't get coffee at home, so I stopped at a Java downtown and got an iced coffee. Walking around the nice parts of downtown Nairobi with an iced coffee made me feel back at home.
I hopped on a matatu and made my way out to the Elephant Orphanage. I "alighted" at the center and met my friends Maggie and Sarah who are both from Madison and go to Blackhawk Church. We got up to the center by a nice worker who drove us up to the gate, and after a little waiting, we paid our 300 shillings ($4) we got in.
We stood by a thin rope, waiting for the baby elephants to come out. A little after 11 am (they're open to visitors every day from 11-12) the first group of elephants came out. The first group was the younger elephants the center has. There were 10 of them, and they walked up expecting their bottles of milk about four feet in front of me. After being fed, they played around with each other (including some soccer) and we got to pet them! They were really fun to watch. After 30 minutes, they left and the next group of nine came in. They are the older elephants at the orphanage.
We stayed for about the full hour and thoroughly enjoyed watching the elephants. Each had their own "attitude" and were fun to see. The Elephant Orphanage, formerly known as the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, is a very cool program, is cheap to visitors and a great way to save orphaned elephants survive after losing parents before returning them to the wild.
After the seeing the elephants, we made our way to the Karen Giraffe Center. Here, you can feed giraffes from your hand, or as I did, from your mouth! You walk in and the keepers either give you hay or pellets and you can walk right up to the fence and feed the giraffes. After hearing stories from friends, I decided to go ahead and go about the feeding with my mouth. I can now say that I've kissed a giraffe. Not the cleanest thing, but the pictures and story are now at least a conversation starter.
I hope you're doing well, and to hear from you soon.
I love cities, particularly the downtowns. Because I was by myself Friday, I got to do my own little tour of downtown Nairobi, which is growing on me. After wandering around one side of downtown, I made my way to the area around the Hilton Hotel, which is becoming one of my favorite areas of the city. Wanting to waste a few hours, I found a bookstore, bought "The Divinci Code" and went into a coffee shop and read for a while. This is one of my favorite things to do. Walk around a downtown area and people watch, find a nice coffee shop and escape for a while in the comfort of a book, chair and coffee. I went home after coffee and we still didn't have running water (for the third day in a row) and during a thunderstorm we lost power (a common occurrence).
Saturday, I woke up and made my way downtown again to head out to the Elephant Orphanage Center in Nairobi National Park. I don't get coffee at home, so I stopped at a Java downtown and got an iced coffee. Walking around the nice parts of downtown Nairobi with an iced coffee made me feel back at home.
I hopped on a matatu and made my way out to the Elephant Orphanage. I "alighted" at the center and met my friends Maggie and Sarah who are both from Madison and go to Blackhawk Church. We got up to the center by a nice worker who drove us up to the gate, and after a little waiting, we paid our 300 shillings ($4) we got in.
We stood by a thin rope, waiting for the baby elephants to come out. A little after 11 am (they're open to visitors every day from 11-12) the first group of elephants came out. The first group was the younger elephants the center has. There were 10 of them, and they walked up expecting their bottles of milk about four feet in front of me. After being fed, they played around with each other (including some soccer) and we got to pet them! They were really fun to watch. After 30 minutes, they left and the next group of nine came in. They are the older elephants at the orphanage.
We stayed for about the full hour and thoroughly enjoyed watching the elephants. Each had their own "attitude" and were fun to see. The Elephant Orphanage, formerly known as the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, is a very cool program, is cheap to visitors and a great way to save orphaned elephants survive after losing parents before returning them to the wild.
After the seeing the elephants, we made our way to the Karen Giraffe Center. Here, you can feed giraffes from your hand, or as I did, from your mouth! You walk in and the keepers either give you hay or pellets and you can walk right up to the fence and feed the giraffes. After hearing stories from friends, I decided to go ahead and go about the feeding with my mouth. I can now say that I've kissed a giraffe. Not the cleanest thing, but the pictures and story are now at least a conversation starter.
I hope you're doing well, and to hear from you soon.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Mother's Love Feeding Center
It's about time that I did a blog post on my host mom's feeding center. My family lives close to Kibera, one of the largest slums in the world, and my host mom runs a feeding center for orphans who are from Kibera called Mother's Love.
Every Saturday, my host mom and other adults from the area chaperone the kids, feed the kids and help lead them in singing.
When I showed up the first week, I walked in through the gate to see a dusty little soccer field with kids running around. Within a few seconds I heard the first "MZUNGU!!" shout from one of the kids, which caused the rest of them to run over to the fence.
After going inside, I don't think I had a free hand unless I was playing soccer until I left. The kids repeatedly wanted to hold my hand, play soccer with me or try to talk with me. They are absolutely amazing.
Basically how the day works is that the kids show up and play for a while until the food comes. After lunch the kids have a bit more time to play before they group up and sing and recite Bible verses. After that time, they play group games like duck-duck-goose.
I feel amazingly blessed to be a part of these kids lives. They show me the beautiful simplicity of laughter. They basically have nothing and still find joy in the basics of life. They repeatedly bring a smile to my face.
While I'm blessed to have them in my life, I also feel called to encourage you to potentially get involved with my host mom's ministry through support. I don't want to pressure you into giving anything, but ask that you just sit back and pray about it and see if God is calling you to give. Please let me know if you're at all interested, and I will give you the contact information to my host mom. Something as simplistic as the soccer ball I bought for them last week makes a difference.
I hope you're all doing well and have a great weekend. And remember how difficult times may be, there's always some beauty in the life around us.
Every Saturday, my host mom and other adults from the area chaperone the kids, feed the kids and help lead them in singing.
When I showed up the first week, I walked in through the gate to see a dusty little soccer field with kids running around. Within a few seconds I heard the first "MZUNGU!!" shout from one of the kids, which caused the rest of them to run over to the fence.
After going inside, I don't think I had a free hand unless I was playing soccer until I left. The kids repeatedly wanted to hold my hand, play soccer with me or try to talk with me. They are absolutely amazing.
Basically how the day works is that the kids show up and play for a while until the food comes. After lunch the kids have a bit more time to play before they group up and sing and recite Bible verses. After that time, they play group games like duck-duck-goose.
I feel amazingly blessed to be a part of these kids lives. They show me the beautiful simplicity of laughter. They basically have nothing and still find joy in the basics of life. They repeatedly bring a smile to my face.
While I'm blessed to have them in my life, I also feel called to encourage you to potentially get involved with my host mom's ministry through support. I don't want to pressure you into giving anything, but ask that you just sit back and pray about it and see if God is calling you to give. Please let me know if you're at all interested, and I will give you the contact information to my host mom. Something as simplistic as the soccer ball I bought for them last week makes a difference.
I hope you're all doing well and have a great weekend. And remember how difficult times may be, there's always some beauty in the life around us.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
A tour of Nairobi
Today, I got to go on my first field trip since high school! One of the classes I currently am taking is on the development of Kenya, so our professor took us on a bus tour around the city and showed us development of the region since independence. It was an interesting few hours.
We got to class, and then got on a bus and our first stop was at Uhuru Park. Uhuru Park is a large park right near downtown Nairobi where our professor showed us various buildings in downtown and how that part of the city has developed. After there, we drove to the formal business sector of Nairobi. This is where some of the large businesses are and where many people work.
After driving through this area, we made a stop at the informal working sector of the city. In the particular area we stopped at, we got to see the metal working district. At this area we got to see metal-based products being made from the start. We got to go back and see basically blacksmiths working on the metal. This was hard to watch as an outsider as we come in and watch these people basically smashing metal repeatedly to form it to the basic objects that shops closer to the road would sell such as jikos (little charcoal cooking grills that many families use in the home for cooking), wheelbarrows, shovels, trunks, etc. It looked like an intense process and something that made me feel extremely priveledged as an American.
After that area, we drove by one of the slum regions of Nairobi, and stopped at a market. One of the things I want to bring home from Kenya is a djembe (a big handdrum you place between your legs to play). I unfortunately didn't realize we were going to the market today as I got a guy to offer to sell me one for 450 Kenyan shillings (about $7). If I were to buy one in the States, it might run for over $100.
In addition to showing us this part of Nairobi, our professor wanted to show us the development of upscale parts of Nairobi. We then drove to a very nice area that included a mall with a slide and the American Embassy. It was a drastic difference to what we saw previously on our tour. After our tour, we went to an Ethiopian restaurant and had some lunch.
I think the thing I struggled the most with today is the amount of poverty and need, something I also see everyday living so close to Kibera. I really struggle with this. I feel that I'm here to learn how to help people help themselves, but at times the task seems so overwhelming that I don't know where to start. I think over the course of the semester, I'm going to have to learn how to make a difference one person at a time.
This is a mindset about the world that I think is maybe the best to take. The task of fighting against poverty, hunger and disease is daunting. But only if you take it on by yourself. If every person does their part, trying to help a few other people at a time, it seems less overwhelming. There's a lot of need in the world, but we need to decide if we're going to be overwhelmed by it, or try to tackle the things we can. It's up to us to decide, and I hope we decide to act. We can make a difference in the world, and I hope we do.
We got to class, and then got on a bus and our first stop was at Uhuru Park. Uhuru Park is a large park right near downtown Nairobi where our professor showed us various buildings in downtown and how that part of the city has developed. After there, we drove to the formal business sector of Nairobi. This is where some of the large businesses are and where many people work.
After driving through this area, we made a stop at the informal working sector of the city. In the particular area we stopped at, we got to see the metal working district. At this area we got to see metal-based products being made from the start. We got to go back and see basically blacksmiths working on the metal. This was hard to watch as an outsider as we come in and watch these people basically smashing metal repeatedly to form it to the basic objects that shops closer to the road would sell such as jikos (little charcoal cooking grills that many families use in the home for cooking), wheelbarrows, shovels, trunks, etc. It looked like an intense process and something that made me feel extremely priveledged as an American.
After that area, we drove by one of the slum regions of Nairobi, and stopped at a market. One of the things I want to bring home from Kenya is a djembe (a big handdrum you place between your legs to play). I unfortunately didn't realize we were going to the market today as I got a guy to offer to sell me one for 450 Kenyan shillings (about $7). If I were to buy one in the States, it might run for over $100.
In addition to showing us this part of Nairobi, our professor wanted to show us the development of upscale parts of Nairobi. We then drove to a very nice area that included a mall with a slide and the American Embassy. It was a drastic difference to what we saw previously on our tour. After our tour, we went to an Ethiopian restaurant and had some lunch.
I think the thing I struggled the most with today is the amount of poverty and need, something I also see everyday living so close to Kibera. I really struggle with this. I feel that I'm here to learn how to help people help themselves, but at times the task seems so overwhelming that I don't know where to start. I think over the course of the semester, I'm going to have to learn how to make a difference one person at a time.
This is a mindset about the world that I think is maybe the best to take. The task of fighting against poverty, hunger and disease is daunting. But only if you take it on by yourself. If every person does their part, trying to help a few other people at a time, it seems less overwhelming. There's a lot of need in the world, but we need to decide if we're going to be overwhelmed by it, or try to tackle the things we can. It's up to us to decide, and I hope we decide to act. We can make a difference in the world, and I hope we do.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
A couple days of firsts
Hey everyone! I hope that you're doing well. I thought I'd just give you a bit of a heads up on me over the past few days. I've had a few "firsts", so I thought I'd share.
1st #1: I went to my first Kenyan movie theater yesterday, and it was VERY nice. Myself and some other students went to go see "Valentine's Day" because the theater has a deal every Monday. While the movie was pretty cheesy, it felt like I was in America for two hours. The theater could basically compare to most American theaters with nice seats, a big screen, air conditioning and very nice bathrooms.
1st #2: After seeing the movie and having not the best weekend, I got really homesick for the first time last night. I wrote about a page and a half in my journal about the people and things I miss from home. I'm much better today and appreciating my time, but APPRECIATE THE THINGS AT HOME THAT MAKE LIFE EASIER! And always, appreciate the people around you. They are a blessing.
1st #3: I got my first haircut in Kenya today. While it was a bit more expensive than I hoped to pay for, it was still cheaper than what I'd pay in the States. The lady did a nice job, but I couldn't understand about half of what she said because she had a Northern European accent, and I thoroughly enjoyed her multi-colored dyed hair. I would assume she had 4 colors.
1st #4: I went on my first run in Kenya today. I didn't make it far, only about 3 miles, but it felt great to go on a run. I got stared at a lot, but I really missed running, so going out was nice. I wish I could have gone farther, but a combination of heat, dehydration and breathing in exhaust and dust probably didn't help.
Otherwise it was a pretty normal start to the week. Some class, some hang out time with friends and family. I, again, hope you're all doing well, and to hear from you soon!
1st #1: I went to my first Kenyan movie theater yesterday, and it was VERY nice. Myself and some other students went to go see "Valentine's Day" because the theater has a deal every Monday. While the movie was pretty cheesy, it felt like I was in America for two hours. The theater could basically compare to most American theaters with nice seats, a big screen, air conditioning and very nice bathrooms.
1st #2: After seeing the movie and having not the best weekend, I got really homesick for the first time last night. I wrote about a page and a half in my journal about the people and things I miss from home. I'm much better today and appreciating my time, but APPRECIATE THE THINGS AT HOME THAT MAKE LIFE EASIER! And always, appreciate the people around you. They are a blessing.
1st #3: I got my first haircut in Kenya today. While it was a bit more expensive than I hoped to pay for, it was still cheaper than what I'd pay in the States. The lady did a nice job, but I couldn't understand about half of what she said because she had a Northern European accent, and I thoroughly enjoyed her multi-colored dyed hair. I would assume she had 4 colors.
1st #4: I went on my first run in Kenya today. I didn't make it far, only about 3 miles, but it felt great to go on a run. I got stared at a lot, but I really missed running, so going out was nice. I wish I could have gone farther, but a combination of heat, dehydration and breathing in exhaust and dust probably didn't help.
Otherwise it was a pretty normal start to the week. Some class, some hang out time with friends and family. I, again, hope you're all doing well, and to hear from you soon!
Thursday, February 11, 2010
One Month Update
Hey everyone!
I hope this post finds you well. Even though Monday was technically the marker for me being gone for a month, I thought I would post this today since I left on January 11th.
I thought I would just give you a heads up on me and some things about me so far:
Currently, I’m living with an amazing host family in Fort Jesus, a neighborhood in Kibera, in Nairobi, Kenya. I’m loving Nairobi more and more, and find myself truly enjoying my time here. It has been an adjustment, to be sure, but it has been a good adjustment.
Here are some things that I’ve learned to adjust to:
-Kenya time: Kenyans are not always on time, whereas back home, people are generally punctual. When someone says they’ll be somewhere at 11 a.m., that means 11 a.m. Here, however, can be a bit of a different story. There are some Kenyans who run on time. On the other hand, people may keep you waiting for a while. Yesterday, myself and other students in my program went to play soccer with some local high school kids who showed up an hour and a half after we were informed they were supposed to. I’ve learned some patience.
-Garbage: There are not really garbage cans in my neighborhood, so there’s kind of just garbage around, on the ground, in the street, in the ditch, in random places, and occasionally on fire.
-Being stared at: This is one of the more difficult things for me to adjust to. People will blatantly stare at me here, and while I’m better at dealing with it, it still is a bit weird.
-Cleanliness: Of food, clothing, stuff…
Here are some things I miss:
-Family and friends: You are without a doubt, the thing I miss the most. There are so many times every day when I think of one of you and wish you were here with me.
-Being outside after dark: Back at home, I could get home from work at 8 pm, leave my apartment for the library at 9 pm and walk home from the library at 1 am and be fine. But here, I have to be home before dark, or take a cab, which is very expensive. I miss being able to walk around at night, and I especially miss running at night.
-Coffee: Coffee is a rarity here, and even more so if you don’t drink instant. I miss my mug of coffee at class every morning.
-Drinking water and food: I miss being able to get drinking water out of the tap and not having to be so concerned with what I eat. Especially with water, I miss not having to treat everything that I drink or buying bottled water.
Here are some things I love:
-The people: The people here are amazing and will do anything for you. My host family is absolutely amazing, and is constantly working to make me feel comfortable. I’ve literally had to force my way into doing the dishes and my laundry because they want to do it for me.
-The weather: Enough said.
Traveling: I’ve always loved traveling. But on my way back from Mombasa, I realized I am so enamored by travel because it forces me to sit in the glory of the Lord’s presence and provides me an opportunity to come before him quietly and listen to what he has to say. It’s often when I’m away from home that I can best hear what he has to say. Traveling gives me this while simultaneously showing me the beauty of the earth.
-Spontaneity: Things can basically just happen, randomly. Is there a goat walking in front of me? Yes. Is there a pile of garbage on fire when I walk to school? Yes. Is that a chicken on the side of the road? Yep. Every day is an adventure with something new to bring to the table.
Here are some things I’ve learned:
-God is teaching me something from every moment: God is trying to teach me something new every day with each situation he places me in. It’s up to me to slow down and try to figure out what that is because sometimes it’s something I don’t want to hear. Every situation is a growing opportunity, and I’ve learned to be more aware of God’s teaching presence.
-Live it up: Coinciding with God’s teaching, I’ve learned more and more to live up every situation. I can either just go through my daily motions each day, or I can choose to take every moment and try to find the best in it. This is something I’m still working on, but feel I’m getting better at.
-Relaxing: Not that I’m relaxing with every moment, but I’m learning to take a more relaxed approach to life.
These are just a few things about me. I hope you’re doing well, and have a great weekend!
I hope this post finds you well. Even though Monday was technically the marker for me being gone for a month, I thought I would post this today since I left on January 11th.
I thought I would just give you a heads up on me and some things about me so far:
Currently, I’m living with an amazing host family in Fort Jesus, a neighborhood in Kibera, in Nairobi, Kenya. I’m loving Nairobi more and more, and find myself truly enjoying my time here. It has been an adjustment, to be sure, but it has been a good adjustment.
Here are some things that I’ve learned to adjust to:
-Kenya time: Kenyans are not always on time, whereas back home, people are generally punctual. When someone says they’ll be somewhere at 11 a.m., that means 11 a.m. Here, however, can be a bit of a different story. There are some Kenyans who run on time. On the other hand, people may keep you waiting for a while. Yesterday, myself and other students in my program went to play soccer with some local high school kids who showed up an hour and a half after we were informed they were supposed to. I’ve learned some patience.
-Garbage: There are not really garbage cans in my neighborhood, so there’s kind of just garbage around, on the ground, in the street, in the ditch, in random places, and occasionally on fire.
-Being stared at: This is one of the more difficult things for me to adjust to. People will blatantly stare at me here, and while I’m better at dealing with it, it still is a bit weird.
-Cleanliness: Of food, clothing, stuff…
Here are some things I miss:
-Family and friends: You are without a doubt, the thing I miss the most. There are so many times every day when I think of one of you and wish you were here with me.
-Being outside after dark: Back at home, I could get home from work at 8 pm, leave my apartment for the library at 9 pm and walk home from the library at 1 am and be fine. But here, I have to be home before dark, or take a cab, which is very expensive. I miss being able to walk around at night, and I especially miss running at night.
-Coffee: Coffee is a rarity here, and even more so if you don’t drink instant. I miss my mug of coffee at class every morning.
-Drinking water and food: I miss being able to get drinking water out of the tap and not having to be so concerned with what I eat. Especially with water, I miss not having to treat everything that I drink or buying bottled water.
Here are some things I love:
-The people: The people here are amazing and will do anything for you. My host family is absolutely amazing, and is constantly working to make me feel comfortable. I’ve literally had to force my way into doing the dishes and my laundry because they want to do it for me.
-The weather: Enough said.
Traveling: I’ve always loved traveling. But on my way back from Mombasa, I realized I am so enamored by travel because it forces me to sit in the glory of the Lord’s presence and provides me an opportunity to come before him quietly and listen to what he has to say. It’s often when I’m away from home that I can best hear what he has to say. Traveling gives me this while simultaneously showing me the beauty of the earth.
-Spontaneity: Things can basically just happen, randomly. Is there a goat walking in front of me? Yes. Is there a pile of garbage on fire when I walk to school? Yes. Is that a chicken on the side of the road? Yep. Every day is an adventure with something new to bring to the table.
Here are some things I’ve learned:
-God is teaching me something from every moment: God is trying to teach me something new every day with each situation he places me in. It’s up to me to slow down and try to figure out what that is because sometimes it’s something I don’t want to hear. Every situation is a growing opportunity, and I’ve learned to be more aware of God’s teaching presence.
-Live it up: Coinciding with God’s teaching, I’ve learned more and more to live up every situation. I can either just go through my daily motions each day, or I can choose to take every moment and try to find the best in it. This is something I’m still working on, but feel I’m getting better at.
-Relaxing: Not that I’m relaxing with every moment, but I’m learning to take a more relaxed approach to life.
These are just a few things about me. I hope you’re doing well, and have a great weekend!
Monday, February 8, 2010
Mombasa
Mambo?!? Habari za nyumbani (How's it going? How's home?)
Yesterday I got back from an amazing little weekend at Mombasa, the main city on the Kenyan coast.
Myself and a few other students on our program left Friday afternoon and had our first big trip away from Nairobi. The trip to Mombasa was...interesting. The bus we took was fine, but the roads in Kenya are nothing like home, and once we got outside of Nairobi, there were no four-lane highways, so if we got stuck behind a slow-moving vehicle, we stayed at that pace until we could pass.
The landscape, however, entirely makes up for the drive. The landscape outside Nairobi gradually turns into rolling hills where we saw giraffes and camels. As you drive further down, the highway splits Tsavo National Park into two. Here, it was the perfect example of the "African Bush" with small mountains in the background. It was beautiful, and we even got to see elephants a few hundred yards from the road!
8 hours later, we all got off the bus sweaty (the bus wasn't air conditioned) and ready to get to our place. A 40-minute matatu ride later, we finally arrived. While we got dropped off by the bus in Mombasa, we actually stayed at a place in Diana Beach, and it was amazing. About 50 meters from our rooms was a wall, leading down onto the beach, and then to the Indian Ocean.
That night, we walked down onto the beach and down to the water. Being so far down from Mombasa, the sky was filled with stars. Then I went and put my feet in the water, and being almost on the equator, it felt like a bath. It was beautiful and warm.
That heat, however, translated to a warm night of sleeping. I woke up sweaty, but made my way down to the beach around 6:30 a.m. to watch the sun rise. At Mombasa, there's a sand bar about 300-400 yards off shore and then coral, so the waves are very small coming toward the shore. The water is not only calm, but a beautiful blue coming into the shore, which is made of white sand. I sat there and watched the sun rise until about 7:15 and then made my way to the water and was back and forth between the ocean and our place until noon. There were also monkeys climbing in the trees around where we stayed.
Myself and a couple other people walked about 45 minutes down the beach to go grab some lunch. There were not many people out, and along the way there were beautiful rock structures, old boats just offshore and camels walking down the beach for tourists to ride. We ate at a place called 40 Thieves, where we sat and ate on a picnic table in the sand in the shade of a tree.
Then I had one of the coolest experiences of my life. One of my friends and I went out on a rickety old glass-bottom boat to the reef to go snorkeling for 800 Kenyan shillings (about $10!!). We jumped into the water, and I found Nemo (a Clown Fish), as well as Dory and other "Finding Nemo" characters!! Along with this we saw about 40 different kinds of fish, star fish, sea cucumbers, eels and sea urchins. Fish were swimming all around us, and I even got charged by one. It was beautiful. We snorkled for about 30 minutes, and then the driver took us out to the sand bar as it gets exposed as a small island in the afternoon. As we stood on the sand, the ocean was to our right, the coral to our immediate left and the beach with palms trees were farther out. It was beautiful! Then we got to ride on the front of the boat back to the restaurant with the ocean, beach and coral around us. It was an absolutely amazing and beautiful experience.
That night, we went for dinner and got to see some traditional African dancing. The group performing there did traditional dances from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and South Africa. It was very cool.
Yesterday, we got on the bus a little tired and made our way back to Nairobi. All in all, it was an amazing weekend, and I hope to return to the Mombasa area soon!
I hope you're all doing well at home, and to hear from you sometime soon! I miss you all! Kwaheri!
Yesterday I got back from an amazing little weekend at Mombasa, the main city on the Kenyan coast.
Myself and a few other students on our program left Friday afternoon and had our first big trip away from Nairobi. The trip to Mombasa was...interesting. The bus we took was fine, but the roads in Kenya are nothing like home, and once we got outside of Nairobi, there were no four-lane highways, so if we got stuck behind a slow-moving vehicle, we stayed at that pace until we could pass.
The landscape, however, entirely makes up for the drive. The landscape outside Nairobi gradually turns into rolling hills where we saw giraffes and camels. As you drive further down, the highway splits Tsavo National Park into two. Here, it was the perfect example of the "African Bush" with small mountains in the background. It was beautiful, and we even got to see elephants a few hundred yards from the road!
8 hours later, we all got off the bus sweaty (the bus wasn't air conditioned) and ready to get to our place. A 40-minute matatu ride later, we finally arrived. While we got dropped off by the bus in Mombasa, we actually stayed at a place in Diana Beach, and it was amazing. About 50 meters from our rooms was a wall, leading down onto the beach, and then to the Indian Ocean.
That night, we walked down onto the beach and down to the water. Being so far down from Mombasa, the sky was filled with stars. Then I went and put my feet in the water, and being almost on the equator, it felt like a bath. It was beautiful and warm.
That heat, however, translated to a warm night of sleeping. I woke up sweaty, but made my way down to the beach around 6:30 a.m. to watch the sun rise. At Mombasa, there's a sand bar about 300-400 yards off shore and then coral, so the waves are very small coming toward the shore. The water is not only calm, but a beautiful blue coming into the shore, which is made of white sand. I sat there and watched the sun rise until about 7:15 and then made my way to the water and was back and forth between the ocean and our place until noon. There were also monkeys climbing in the trees around where we stayed.
Myself and a couple other people walked about 45 minutes down the beach to go grab some lunch. There were not many people out, and along the way there were beautiful rock structures, old boats just offshore and camels walking down the beach for tourists to ride. We ate at a place called 40 Thieves, where we sat and ate on a picnic table in the sand in the shade of a tree.
Then I had one of the coolest experiences of my life. One of my friends and I went out on a rickety old glass-bottom boat to the reef to go snorkeling for 800 Kenyan shillings (about $10!!). We jumped into the water, and I found Nemo (a Clown Fish), as well as Dory and other "Finding Nemo" characters!! Along with this we saw about 40 different kinds of fish, star fish, sea cucumbers, eels and sea urchins. Fish were swimming all around us, and I even got charged by one. It was beautiful. We snorkled for about 30 minutes, and then the driver took us out to the sand bar as it gets exposed as a small island in the afternoon. As we stood on the sand, the ocean was to our right, the coral to our immediate left and the beach with palms trees were farther out. It was beautiful! Then we got to ride on the front of the boat back to the restaurant with the ocean, beach and coral around us. It was an absolutely amazing and beautiful experience.
That night, we went for dinner and got to see some traditional African dancing. The group performing there did traditional dances from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and South Africa. It was very cool.
Yesterday, we got on the bus a little tired and made our way back to Nairobi. All in all, it was an amazing weekend, and I hope to return to the Mombasa area soon!
I hope you're all doing well at home, and to hear from you sometime soon! I miss you all! Kwaheri!
Thursday, February 4, 2010
My Average Kenyan Day
I had a few requests from people to hear what my average day was like, so I thought I'd give you a little preview.
I wake up at 7:00 a.m. to get ready for school, but I'm often up earlier as the little boy who lives next door seems to like to wake me up. I get ready, and eat breakfast with my host sister Faith. For breakfast we eat something like toast with butter or mandazi (Kenyan doughnuts, if you've ever eaten a beignet, it's like that without the powdered sugar). I'm usually out the door by about 7:45 with a 30 minute walk to school.
I like to walk through the Toi (Toy) Market to get to school as it's on my way, and we start class at 8:30 a.m. Usually, we have three classes a day, two hours each. It may depend on the day, as we only have two classes on Wednesdays.
I only take classes with other students from my program. We are taking classes in Kiswahili, Development and Country Analysis of Kenya. After our first class in the morning, we take a short tea break and then have another class. After our second class, we have an hour lunch break. One of the advisors for our program's wife is a caterer, so we either buy food from her like beans and rice, ndengu (lentils) and rice, chapati (mix between a tortilla and pita), beef and rice, or we go to get something to eat at a grocery store or local restaurant.
After our third class of the day, a group of us students will often go somewhere together to spend some time before going back to our homes. One of our favorites is Java House, a coffee shop/restaurant chain in the city that sells real coffee, a rarity here.
I then come home and will eat dinner with my family, watch some television, do some homework, and then it's back to bed to get ready for the next day.
I hope you're all doing well! I miss you and hope to hear from you soon!
Kwaheri!
I wake up at 7:00 a.m. to get ready for school, but I'm often up earlier as the little boy who lives next door seems to like to wake me up. I get ready, and eat breakfast with my host sister Faith. For breakfast we eat something like toast with butter or mandazi (Kenyan doughnuts, if you've ever eaten a beignet, it's like that without the powdered sugar). I'm usually out the door by about 7:45 with a 30 minute walk to school.
I like to walk through the Toi (Toy) Market to get to school as it's on my way, and we start class at 8:30 a.m. Usually, we have three classes a day, two hours each. It may depend on the day, as we only have two classes on Wednesdays.
I only take classes with other students from my program. We are taking classes in Kiswahili, Development and Country Analysis of Kenya. After our first class in the morning, we take a short tea break and then have another class. After our second class, we have an hour lunch break. One of the advisors for our program's wife is a caterer, so we either buy food from her like beans and rice, ndengu (lentils) and rice, chapati (mix between a tortilla and pita), beef and rice, or we go to get something to eat at a grocery store or local restaurant.
After our third class of the day, a group of us students will often go somewhere together to spend some time before going back to our homes. One of our favorites is Java House, a coffee shop/restaurant chain in the city that sells real coffee, a rarity here.
I then come home and will eat dinner with my family, watch some television, do some homework, and then it's back to bed to get ready for the next day.
I hope you're all doing well! I miss you and hope to hear from you soon!
Kwaheri!
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