wedding cake????

My friend Milcha took me to  her cousins wedding today! I was so excited to go to my first Kenyan wedding. It was beautiful, yet simple.  The day was perfect for a wedding! Most churches here are made of mud with tin roofs, so on a hot day, they are miserable! But today.... perfect! There was a gentle breeze, yet the sun was out the entire time! The wedding itself was very similar to weddings in America. The bride wore white, the bridesmaids had matching dresses. There were flower girls and junior bridesmaids, and matching grooms men. The service took about an hour and a half. Then it was off to the reception. The reception was held at the grooms house. There were big tents, and seats for the guests. The food was (kenyan) to say the least. The only real difference was that there were no tables, just lots of chairs. 

Now to the wedding cake! Let me just start by saying, there was obviously not enough to go around, there were around 500 guests! Not that I would have wanted any cake anyways. Cake here is absolutely .... not the greatest! I don't know why no one here can figure out how to bake a good cake. We have many bakery's here, but all the cakes just taste like crumbly corn bread. They are very dry and all taste the same, whether its chocolate or vanilla. And don't even get me started on the icing. It looks beautiful! But tastes and feels like its been sitting on the cake for years! Maybe after peace corps I stay here and open my own bakery! Grandma, you can come help. They have all the ingredients to bake wonderful things! I've baked numerous things in my jiko oven!, and I know the bakery's have actual ovens. So I just feel like there is no excuse........

I got a picture with the bride and groom as they were discussing dowery.  

Oh you haven't heard of dowery?..... Here in Kenya, when a man marries a women, he has to pay her family a dowery. This usually consists of several cows and goats. Depending on the size of the family and the educational back ground will determine the number of cows and goats. My friend Andrea and I always tell the men who propose to us, that our fathers want 100 cows, plus shipping them to America! hahaha I was told today that, that is way to much, but I now have someone working on getting 100 cow.. Look out dad! 

Anyways, it was an awesome cultural experience! 

One big motley crew

The Motley crew

Kibaibai pretty much has me trained to take him on a walk EVERYDAY. Otherwise he mopes around the house. These are the kids in my village who run screaming to greet us, then sometimes continue to escort us on our walk. They are very sweet, yet sometime annoying. They love Kibaibai and have actually started to pet him. People are usually scared of him, so I consider this an accomplishment. Yesterday I went to church with Anastasia. 3 hours sitting in the sun. No mom it wasn't a catholic mass! But it should count that I went to a church! and since it was 3 hours long, I figure I'm covered till after christmas ;). 

Speaking of christmas, I decorated the house in paper snowflakes and branches from a pine tree. Im expecting company on Friday, so I thought it would be nice to decorate. 

On Friday, Anastasia took me to her cousin's graduation party. It was actually similar to a graduation party back home. The women were busy cooking and helping out and there was plenty of food (rice, beans and meat). The difference was that it of course did not start on time, and the had many people stand up to speak. They put me on the spot and asked me to say a few words! "Congratulations and good luck!" What else is there to say? 

I also visited a nearby Hospice center. It was absolutely beautiful! It is not only for terminal patients however, they also do rehabilitation. The director was nice enough to show me around. There were 5 children there for malnourishment! It was very sad. The center was actually put together by an American! Hopefully on my free days, maybe once or twice a month, I will be able to visit. 

I know I haven been great at keeping up with fashion friday, however.... ta da! You know whats special about this dress?.... I made it! Yep hand sewed it myself! Actually its a skirt so I can interchange the tops and then I made the sash and head wrap as well. Told you there is not a lot going on right now. I have 2 groups to go to next week then there will be absolutly nothing until after christmas! I think I will have to round up some more material...... For christmas I am planning on having some other volunteers over so we can spend the holiday together... although just our luck, the matatus are planning on going on strike from Dec 19 -29, against high gas prices..... yep TIA (this is Africa) At times like this I miss my car and being able to drive wherever and whenever. Oh well, learning experience I guess. 

It's not just fun and games with all this free time however, I am planning alot of things to start in the new year. I want to start and environmental club at the local primary school/s. Also a health club at the secondary school. I am really go to try to start some sort of exercise class for the women in my area, the hard part is finding a venu. You would be surprised how many women ask me about sore backs and joints. This is why I thought a yoga type stretch class might be a positive addition to this community. Also I would like to do a community cook day. I want to show families how to cook healthy meals with the food that is available. A huge problem is that mama's cook with a lot of oil and salt, thus leading to diabetes and hypertension. I guess we'll see how it goes next year!

a little behind... pole! (sorry)

Hello all, I got back from training late Saturday night. Luckily Breezie and Joy (2 other volunteers) traveled back with me and stayed the night before continuing their journey home on Sunday morning.  I know I've said this before, but traveling in Kenya is NEVER easy. We waited in Nairobi for 4 hours before our shuttle left for Eldoret.  The trip home took 6 hours instead of 5, then we had to catch a matatu to my house, stuffed in the back seat with 17 other people. Needless to say we slept in pretty late this morning. I was so excited to get home and see Kibaibai! He seriously doubled in size, I CAN NOT believe it!  It's so nice to finally be home, though like I have already said, nothing can be easy. There is still no propane in Turbo, so I currently have no stove, hopefully that will come this week. Also I spent quite a bit of money in Nairobi so I will be living off of rice and whatever else is in my cabinets until pay day.  Im definitely going to have to get creative with my cooking. Speaking of creative cooking, my mother in America has been bugging me to start putting up recipes that I've used. I'll start with the basic Kenyan favorite, Chapati.  Chapati is a type of flat fry bread, that every family here in Kenya usually prepares at least once a week, hence why some of us have gained some weight. 

Chapati: All you need is flour, water and oil. 

Start with warm water in a mixing bowl ( I usually only use 1/2 cup, it will make about 2). Add a pinch of salt, pinch of sugar and a few drops of oil.  Start adding the flour and mixing with your fingers. Add flour until the dough is no longer sticky. Once dough is mixed, divide dough into balls. Take some dough and roll into circle, add flour when needed. Make sure not to roll it to thin.  Once it's rolled out, spread a little oil over the dough, roll it up, than coil like a cinnamon roll. Repeat with each ball of dough.  Then take the coiled dough, dip in flour and roll out into another circle. Start placing rolled out dough onto hot skillet with oil, one at a time. Let the dough bubble before flipping it and add more oil to the skillet. Repeat for each one. And Voile! Enjoy!  ( you can also find these recipes on the internet, just incase my directions are a bit confusing.)

You can also add cooked and mashed pumpkin or sweet potato to make it a tad bit healthier. 

When I make chapati, I usually make a stew, or saute vegetables and beans, and enjoy a delicious meal! 

 Let me know what you think if you try it. 

14/12/11

I went to the office today, I usually just go to show my face and use the free internet. There is no real reason to go to the office other than that. But just my luck... no internet! And on the way in, the lady sitting next to me on the matatu was reading over my shoulder, every text message! Talk about no personal space..... TIA.  I walked all the way to Turbo yesterday to pick up my awaiting package from Holly!  Totally worth the walk! Thanks girlfriend! Also the post lady told me for future packages, if you send it to me as a registered parcel.. it should cost me nothing to pick up.... Im not sure what registered parcel means, but if you send something, check it out :). The next few weeks are gonna be pretty boring. School is out for the holiday and the JOYWO groups are over on the 22nd. Luckily while in training we had free internet, and I was able to look up a bunch of crafts. Hopefully that will be enough to keep me occupied. During holidays, things kind of stop around here. I mean shops are still open, but thats about it. So I will attempt my hand at hand sewing, painting, and more beading. Of course all this free time should mean I have plenty of time to work out! At training they fed us buffet style for every meal! So I took full advantage of that, and am now paying for it! Luckily my friend Josh is gonna be my new work out buddy. He lives near Mt. Kenya. So we'll be texting each other words of encouragement. 

Past weeks in pictures

my market buys for thanksgiving. This is why I love africa, I bought mangos, bananas, pumpkin, honey, french beans, avacado, carrots, paipaiya, and omena (little fish for Kibaibai). All bought fresh from the market for less than 3 american dollars! Avg. price for this in America? I'm gonna guess around 20 bucks.

I made a cute little indian hat for Kibaibai to wear for thanksgiving, he was not pleased. 

Cassidy, Andrea, Me and Izzy at the animal orphanage.

The monkeys that got out of their cages and groomed us.

A cheetah at the orphanage. There was just this fence seperating us. I could literally get face to face with him.  

A little bit of home in Kenya. We waited in line for an hour for this KFC feast. You better beleive I ate every last bite!

Andrea and I at 2 for 1 happy hour. I won't mention how many we consumed. You have no idea how good ice cold beer from a tap tastes, when your used to room temperature Tusker. 

Feels like home

For the past week I have been in In service Training. This is where Peace Corps gets everyone from my training group together to continue teaching us skills that can help us to improve our work in our communities.  We have learned how to build better pit latrines, inexpensive ways to treat water, how to make sack and nutrition gardens, and how to be better educators. It's a lot to fit in to 2 weeks.  It's been great to see everyone, some people I haven't seen since we swore in in August! On Saturday and Sunday we had free time and were allowed to travel into Nairobi.  On Saturday we did some shopping. It's always such a culture shock when we go to the malls. Lindsay and I were able to buy more materials to make jewelry. We had sushi for lunch, it was super fancy and super delicious. Then to end the day we got to see Twilight: Breaking Dawn, and most of you already know my thoughts on that topic........ disappointment. On Sunday we had an Awesome day! We started our day by going to the Animal Orphanage at the Kenyan Wildlife service. We pet a baby giraffe, fed an ostrich and got groomed by monkeys. Then we went to another mall and waited in line for an hour to eat at the only KFC in Kenya. Totally worth it! An hour is worth the wait for a little taste of home. Then we ended our day with a 2 for 1 happy hour at a local brewery. Perfect day! We were allowed to be American tourist for the weekend and didn't have to worry about all eyes focused on us. 

Saturday we return to our sites and back to reality. I am definitely ready to get back to Kibaibai and back to my site. This training has helped me think of some really great ideas to work into my community, so we will see how it goes!

This monkey and several others got out of their cage (the baboon in the back ground was pretty pissed)  The worker put peanuts in our hair so the monkeys would pick them  out of our hair. 

I love animals

30/11/11
So as most of you know, I am an animal lover. Well what could be better for an animal lover than awesome african animals!? On my way to training, while riding in the shuttle, I saw many zebras, baboons, antelope and gazelle! Then to top it off, at the hotel we are staying at there are monkeys everywhere! The just hang out on the roof tops! Today at lunch they were eyeing us and our food, we were pretty much face to face. It was so awesome however monkeys tend to bite, so it was a little scary. But again, it's just so cool being able to see these animals not in cages in the zoo.
Today we visited a small company that makes water filters. Earlier I wrote that I use PUR, a chemical to treat my drinking water. Well this company makes clay pots that clean the water as it filters through the pores! It was really neat seeing each step in the process of how each one is made, tested, and packed to ship. I am considering buying one, I just have to figure out how to take it back to site, traveling with more than a bag here is a little difficult. I also will try to take pictures if I go back. Ben... if you're reading this, imagine a huge ceramics studio with 4 huge kilns that hold 190 pots each! Pretty amazing!

First dinner party a success!

Happy Turkey Day! I will celebrating Thanksgiving on Saturday with Lindsay, Anastasia and a couple of my farm workers. So tonight it's me and Kibaibai! But I am thankful that I have Kibaibai! I am thankful for my education and that I have been given this opportunity to be in Kenya and teaching about important health issues. I am grateful for the wonderful friends I have made here. I am thankful for my family and friends back in America and for all their love and support they give me.  I could definitely go on, but I don't want to hear (day by day by day by day) (Meet the Fockers anyone?) I am very sad to miss this holiday with my family back home, but I know there are many more Thanksgivings in America to come, and I am grateful that I will get to teach my Kenyan friends a little about our culture. Hope everyone has a great day, stuff's your belly, and remember to be thankful. 

27/11/11

So my first dinner party in Kenya went off almost with out a problem. At 11 am my propane stove ran out of gas, I sent someone to refill it, guess what..... all of Turbo was out of propane! So we cooked the entire dinner on 2 charcoal stoves! We killed a male chicken ( I had anastasia's boyfriend do it, I was to busy cooking other stuff) I made green bean casserole (With fresh french beans) pumpkin and banana casserole, home baked bread, mashed potatoes and gravey (they tasted like KFC I swear!) and fruit salad.  For desert I made fresh pumpkin spice donuts, and Lindsay made a carrot cake! I am so happy that everything went so well! Now I am on my way to a 2 week training. I may or may not have cried this morning when leaving Kibaibai. 

almost turkey time

Just a quick update, boring weekend, consisted of a lot of reading, beading, and playing with Kibaibai (he was happy).  Today I'm in the office in Eldoret, and the rest of the week I will be going to more groups. School is on holiday now, so I will not be teaching anymore the rest of the year. Thanksgiving is just around the corner! I am very sad to be away from my family and friends, however this year I will be cooking along with my friend (another volunteer) Lindsay, and we have invited some Kenyans to join in this American tradition. My counterpart and friend Anastasia and her boyfriend, my grounds keeper, one of my farm workers, and Lindsay is bringing her friend from her site. I am excited to have this cross cultural exchange. We will not be having the traditional turkey seeing as 1: they are not available, and 2: even if they were, I have no oven to cook it in, so on the menu: chicken (we will of course slaughter our selves) mashed potatoes (I am teaching Anastasia how to make them) green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, bread, fruit salad, and dessert. If you recall, I have 1 gas burner, and a charcoal jiko, so I guess we will use my fireplace if necessary. We are having Thanksgiving on Saturday instead of Thursday. I will be sure to let you know how it goes!  

After this, bright and early Sunday morning, Lindsay and I will be heading to Limuru for our inservice training.  We get to spend 2 weeks in Limuru, not cooking or cleaning, just learning and hanging out! It will be quite the vacation.  

I have to talk a bit about Kibaibai. He is growing up sooooo fast! He is getting so big, and has gone all week with only 1 accident! He is such a character, I swear if dogs could talk......... 

breaks over, back to work

This week I have been very busy (catching up) going to 5 women groups! On Monday, Andrea had to leave. Luckily she is only about 2 hours from me. On Tuesday I went to 2 groups, Wednesday I went to 1 group, and yesterday I went to 2.  Yesterdays groups were in Kipkaren, which is where Anastasia's family lives, so her mom prepared lunch for us! It was so nice to finally see where she lives. I also got to meet 4 for her 8 brothers and sisters. Yep there's 9 children total! The oldest is my age, and the youngest is almost 2. Talk about a large family! There was a lot of traveling yesterday so today we decided to stay home and work. 

Anastasia came over to work on kiswahili with me.  Before she arrived, a farm worker on my farm told her that he had found many opened condoms and empty glass alcohol bottles in the trash burn pile! He asked her "why does Ann (me) need so many condoms and drink so much alcohol!?" She defended my honor.  When Anastasia told me what happened, I could barely control my laughter! First of all: the farm workers are not aware that I do condom demonstrations for the women's groups, second of all: I have not thrown the ones used for demonstrations, away so I can keep count, therefore there are no opened condoms coming from my trash can, and third of all: I purposely buy boxed wine, so I don't have to worry about getting rid of the glass bottles! When I confronted the worker that said this, I asked to see the condoms and bottles. He replied that he had already burned them. Well it seems to me that they are either trying to black mail me, or someone else on the farm doesn't want to admit that they're there's. All I can say...... at least they're using a condom! hahah This little incident made my day! 

After kiswahili, we had lunch at mama Eusila's hoteli, then I came home and gave Kibaibai a bath. Boy did he need it! I guess I will just have to deal with the stink eye he is giving me, for the rest of the evening. 

vegas.....attempt

So yesterday Andrea and I went into Eldoret, we were planning on going to the casino, however just our luck, it was closed (aka vegas attempt). Instead we went on a small "bar crawl" (I PROMISE I actually do work in Kenya, but it's the WEEKEND!) We had a good time, we shopped in the market, found some good buys, got more bead to make jewelry. Came home and made pizza, definitely a Great day!

 Today Anastacia and her friends took us on a hike. We climbed Mt. Tapsugoi. It was a perfect day for a climb not to hot and no rain (first day in  a while that it hasn't rained).  The mountain, is more like a big hill, but has great rock faces to climb! All we need is some rope anchors, ropes and a harness and we'd be set! (I'll work on it) Then we had a Kenyan lunch at her Aunt's house, mmmmmmm Ugali and Sukuma wiki (the traditional Kenyan meal). Now were home, kicking back and resting for the night. Andrea leaves tomorrow :( nitalia (I will cry). The peace corps car will move her into her new site on Tuesday. Luckily or in service training is in 2 weeks!  Anyway GREAT DAY!

Here is Andrea, Anastasia and I on the mountain

This is me and Andrea on the Mountain

And this is our attempted day in Vegas which turned into and Eldoret Bar Crawl. Si mbaya :)

I promise it's not a sweat shop

I told you how busy Andrea and I have been making paper bead jewelry. Well here is most (not all) of our finished products. There's something tranquil about rolling paper beads.  We only just started making these on Saturday

And you should recognize this smart young man.....he's just so cute I can't resist taking pictures :)

9-11-11

Good afternoon family and friends. My mother katika America tells me that I am not writing enough on my blogs. POLE! (sorry!) So.... here is what has been going on. My friend Andrea and her puppy Sangala have been staying at my place since last Tuesday. There was a "situation" at her site, so she came here. She was not prepared to stay this long, but luckily she brought her pup with her.  She will be staying with me until Monday. Last week she came with me to a women's group, then our other friend came over to visit and stayed till Sunday. This is when we began making paper beads (p.s. thanks to all those who mailed magazines to me). So we've have been "beading" for about a week straight. It's just one of those things that helps relax you and takes your mind off of things, wine helps too. Prank calling also may or may not have happened. 

Since I mostly lounged around last week (thanks to Andrea) this week I actually had to do a little work. I went into the office on Monday, then met with the chief and taught at the secondary school yesterday. Today it has been raining on and off so it was a stay at home and bead kind of day. 

While Andrea has been here, we have cooked some tamu sana meals! Thus including: pizza, lettus wraps, cinnamon rolls, cookies, pasta, veggie stir fry, and much much more! I love having someone else other than myself to cook for! Kibaibai and Sangala have been loving each others company as well. 

Introducing Ki bizzel

Sorry I have not posted in a week. I have had visitors all week and have been busy. My friend Andrea and her pup Sangala have been staying with us.  I taught Andrea how to make these:

We have been making paper beads all week, then bought the materials to make bracelets and earings. We get so into it that we don't even notice how many beads we're making until we have hundreds of them. Well while in the process of dipping the paper beads into varnish, a little dripped onto Kibaibai's head. Then this happened:

Now I introduce to you, Ki bizzel. Yep I cut out the glue and gave him a mohawk. Now some of you may think this is cruel, but he looks sooooooo cute. The people who work on my compound asked what was wrong with him this morning, so I had to explain the Mohawk, the thought it was funny too. 

Other than that nothing new is happening here. Soon I will be teaching the womens groups how to make these paper beads so hopefully they will be able to generate some income. 

Vegas Vaca for Halloween

This weekend I met up with other Western volunteers in Kisumu. AKA Vegas Vacation. We spent all day Saturday at a resort pool right on Lake Victoria. You can see hippos wadding in the water from the lounge chairs. Now on our peace corps salary, we cannot afford to stay at this resort, but for 200 shillings we can lay at the pool all day! We all got burnt to a crisp, even those who did wear sunscreen. Afterwards we went back to our hotel and got ready for the night. Our hotel has a roof top bar (like vegas baby!) Also an Agriculture NGO was throwing a Halloween bash, and invited all Peace Corps Volunteers in the area. It was a good time, with GREAT friends. It's nice to be able to leave site every once in a while and hang out with each other. We all had a great time. I got back to site just in time to get stuck in Eldoret due to a rain storm.  I got lunch until the rain died down, then headed home. Kibaibai was sooooooo happy we played for a few hours, then after such a busy weekend, was in bed by 9. 

This is (from left) Breezie, Andrea, me, Joy, and Henry. Andrea, Henry and I were a zebra, giraffe, and an elephant. Breezie was a baboon and joy was the market place. 

out in the bush

27-10-11
Today Anastasia and I traveled far out into the bush to visit 2 women's groups.  Luckily they were very grateful we came. There was a gaint rain storm, though we had to stay because a car is not a luxury many people have here. It went really well though the women were very appreciative.
Kibaibai is always very happy when I come home though. He seems to save all of his energy for me. I can't sit and have a peaceful moment, he is always chewing on something or pooping somewhere. He is currently licking his dinner off of the floor because he decided he didn't want to eat it out of his bowl. Did I mention his dinner tonight was omena. Omena are these tiny fish, that the mamas will sun dry and fry. I boil them and feed them with the supu to Kibaibai. So yes if you're thinking, "I bet the kitchen stinks!" You're absolutly right, the kitchen now reeks of fish, thanks Kibaibai. I guess I will go get a mop, and maybe give him a bath........
Going to Kisumu Saturday for Halloween! I can't wait to see my friends!!

This is a picture of Anastasia and I when we were working the HIV testing clinic. I wanted to put a picture up so you know she exists and is not my imaginary Kenyan friend. She's real!

And this would be my little angel, do you see his halo!? No? That's because he got it taken away for pooping on the floor and peeing in my bed! Angel? I think not!

fashion friday on tuesda

So here is my fashion Friday post. I'm either late for last Friday, or early for this Friday! I really suck at this, so I appoligize. Blogging is not so easy when you don't have consistent internet access.This skirt Grandma made for me right before I left the States. I got the sweater at the market in Eldoret 150 shillings. and the scarf on my head I got in Loitocktock. I have this one and a black one. Scarfs are necessary for the Kenyan wardrobe. Women use these scarfs to wrap their head, or wrap around their sholders, to tie the babies to their backs, and to sit on the ground. So many uses for piece of material! 

Now I will do my best to post another one on Friday! 

dream breaker

26-10-11

On Sunday, my friend invited Anastasia and I over for lunch. We had chapati, rice, beans, and chicken (Which I killed). Yep slaughtered my second chicken, this time I held it down and everything, I'm pretty much a Kenyan now. Lunch was delicious. However, every time I meet someone new, they always, not really ask me, but tell me how wonderful America is, and how someday they will go.  I'm so sick of hearing this! I realized the grass is always greener, but people here in Kenya have the common misconception that if they get to America, they will get  a job and make lots of money. This is where I come in as the dream breaker. I explain to them that it's even difficult for college graduates to get jobs, so what makes them think they will be able to find work. Also I explain how in Kenya, one can live off 100 Kenyan shillings a day, 100 shillings is equal to 1 dollar. Now you tell me, in America, can you live off of a dollar a day? I also have to break it to them that there is ALOT of poverty in America. They always tell me that they were taught that there is no poor person in America! Can you believe that! Being poor in America is way worse than being poor in Kenya. Here you can literally build your house out of mud (many people do), you can grow your own food, or buy it for very cheap. In America, if you don't have money, you live in a homeless shelter or sometimes on the streets, you never know when your next meal will be.  I hate to be this dream breaker, but someone has to do it. 

On a brighter note, I tried to post this on Sunday: Does anyone remember those weasel ball toys? It was a battery powered ball with a stuffed weasel attached. Well that is what Kibaibai looks like! It's the cutest thing! He rolls and falls all over the place, he hasn't quite grown into his new legs yet, which are getting so long! I can't believe how fast he is growing! Still my little baby though, and still cute as a button. 

corruption what!?

This shout out goes out to my 5 am YMCA gang! THANK YOU SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH! You wouldn't beleive the day I had on Wednesday. Anastasia and I were given bad directions to a women's group, there for were left wondering around for over an hour. The second group changed their time without telling the group leader, therefore we were an hour early for the what was supposed to be 2:00 group. We hoped on a matatu and was ready fro the day to be over. Just our luck! At the police stop, I guess the matatu tout didn't pay the police enough, or had a bad rep. I got kicked off the matatu for not sitting in a seat! In case you don't remember from earlier posts, matatus are vans used for transportation and are usually over crowded by many. They seat 12, but usually hold 15 or so. Well I guess its good I only got kicked off and not arrested or fined, however this "enforcing"/ accepting bribes is BS! Anyway after walking to the next town to catch another matatu, I headed to Turbo. And to my surprise..... there was a HUGE package! Not from just anyone, but from my 5am class I used to teach! I absolutly made my day! The yummy goodies helped get my mind off of the matatu situation. Thanks Guys!!! Miss you!

19-10-11

So sorry I haven't updated you all in a while. 2 reasons, 1. I don't really have anything to write about, 2. I ran out of internet time. 

I've been pretty busy with women's groups lately. Sometimes I wake up in the morning and ask myself. . . what am I really doing here, do these women really listen to me? Well today I got the conformation I needed. Not only were the women very thankful and appreciative, but the chair lady of the group and spoke up to the women who were laughing through out the entire session. I was talking about the importance of using condoms, male and female. The ladies were laughing so hard they were crying. The chair lady spoke up "why are you laughing!?" she said, "Our children our having sex, getting AIDS and dying! There is no reason to laugh at condoms!" I was so grateful for this mama. I could care less if the women laugh, sometimes I make jokes and laugh along too, but this mama made an excellent point! Kenyans are losing a generation because of AIDS. Not really because of AIDS, but because of the lack of knowledge to prevent and the denial to get treated. These mamas may not feel that they should use condom because they "are faithful" who knows about their spouses, but their children are having unprotected sex, because they are not educated on how to protect themselves. If they don't teach their children, who will? I am only here for 2 years, and though I plan to teach at every school in my area, there will be some that miss the day, or just won't listen to me. 

If you remember a few weeks ago, I taught at Atlas Primary school ( I posted a picture of the group). I left an envelope their for them to ask anonymous questions. I picked up the envelope the other day, because I will be returning next week to answer their questions. The envelope was bursting with questions. Some of which, I couldn't believe, were being asked by primary students. This primary school goes up to 8th grade, and the majority of the questions were about STI's and HIV. Basically "babies" asking these questions. The headmaster is only giving me an hour to answer the questions as well as speak about other health topics. NOWAY can I elaborate on all of these questions in 1 hour! It's sad that the schools don't offer better health teachings and even counseling to these students. Hopefully after my session the headmaster will allow me to return for another session. 

15/10/11

So Thursday I taught at another Secondary School. I taught the girls and boys together, then had a separate session for the girls. I was there for 3 hours! I was amazed at how interactive the kids were. I even got a boy and girl volunteer to do condom demonstrations! It was a great session! 

Friday was supposed to be super busy but one after another, things were cancelled. So it turned out to be a lazy rainy Friday.  Thank god when the girls visited we swapped movies and tv shows on our external hard drives. So I had many episodes of Modern Family to keep me busy.  Kibaibai and I walked across the street to Kosachei centre to buy eggs, which there were none of. However we ran  into a mama on her way to a JOYWO group. I decided to go. I took the pup home, got my  demonstrations ready. I headed to the group, but didn't actually know where it was. I wondered around and found some kids who remembered me from teaching at their school. They walked me all the way to the school where the women's group was. So the kept me busy the rest of the day. I came home and made dengu and chapati. I think I finally have figured the secret to good african chapati.

Today, Saturday, I went to an early women's group, brought Kibaibai along to get him out of the house. Afterwards we came home and took a nap, it is a Saturday you know! Saturday also means MARKET DAY! You should all know by now how much I love going to the market and digging through piles of used clothing, then bargaining for a good price. Today all I found was a top. But tomorrow I'm going to Kipkaren, a near by town, to visit my friends family. I've been told Kipkaren has a great market, so we'll see what I can find. After bumming a ride home with the Atlas Secondary school form 4 kids (saved me 20 shillings) I made a jiko oven. For those of you who don't know, a Jiko is the charcoal stove most families use here in Kenya.  To make the oven you light the Jiko (yep lit it myself!), and place a very large sufria (aluminum pot) with rocks or sand in the bottom. That way when you place a smaller sufria inside, it is able to bake the food in the smaller sufria like an oven.  Today I made coffee cake. It was my first attempt and actually didn't turn out terrible! Then leftover and chapati for dinner. Knowing how to make good chapati could turn out to be a big problem for me. Hello calories, and hello chapati baby! It's good I only make one at a time.  I also got to talk to all my roomies from BG, it's BGSU homecoming today, and Im missing it and everyone there! Here's my shout out to all my falcon fabulous friends! Get vertical!

Fashion Thursday?

Here is my fashion friday post, I realize it's a day early  however I will be super busy tomorrow and will not have time.  I had the skirt made by a mama when we visited volunteers during training. The material I bought in Taveta. I love this skirt! And look how big Kibaibai is getting! It makes me want to cry, I wish he could stay little forever!

This is a picture I took during training. In case you didn't know, this is Mt.Kilimanjaro. I got to see this beautiful creation every day! I could see it from my host families back yard! Absolutly breath taking. If you look closely you can see a little bit of snow on the top. The sad thing is that 10 years ago, there was a lot more snow on top.  The run off water provides water to alot of the families in Loitockitock, and unfortunately it will soon run out. I hope to get a chance to climb it before I leave Kenya! Any takers want to join?

11/10/11

 So I came home today around 2, I had left Kibaibai outside on the gated patio while I went to the office. To my surprise he was NOT there when I got home! I started to panic a pit, after the cat incident, I'm scared of something attacking him.  Well wouldn't you know, he was just trotting around in the yard.  I started to get upset, and mama Lucy on my farm said it was okay, he is just greeting everyone. I asked if he had been out there all day, she said "even yesterday he was greeting everyone." That little stink butt! He is becoming very clever, too clever for his own good! I gave him a bath (to teach him a lesson) (just kidding) and tried to jerry-rig the fence so he can't get out. We'll see if it works! 

So here are a couple pictures of the schools I have taught at in my community. I took pictures from the schools I visited with my friend, but haven't uploaded them yet. The top is Atlas Secondary school, I taught an all girls class. The bottom pictures is Atlas Primary school, I taught grad 2-8 boys and girls together.  

Good Morning everyone! I am very sorry for not updating in a week, Kibaibai and I have been traveling and that makes it very difficult to blog. So to start Tuesday morning we set off on our journey to visit another volunteer near the coast. I went to help him with health education in the schools. So we left the house by 6 and were on our way to Nairobi by 7. First mishap of the day started at the rest stop between Nairobi and Eldoret. A HUGE cat attacked Kibaibai. It must have thought he was a rat! I was so scared, but not as scared as Kibaibai, he peed all over me when I swoooped him up. The cat enede up getting his claws into Kibaibai. I bandaged him up, and he is healing well. Thank god I just got his rabies shot! So next leg of the trip went well, I even sat next to a guy who held Kibaibai the whole time. Now I understand what it's like to have a baby and basically throwing him to the person offering to hold him. We got to Voi where my friend met us and we took a matatu up the mountain. He lives in a very small town on top of the mountain, no electricity and not running water. It seems I got very lucky with my house.  The trip seemed to stress Kibaibai out a little, he peed and pooped in the house the moment we got there, then proceded to throw up on my friend. He's lucky he's so cute.   I was there for 4 days. We taught at 3 different schools and he is planning on returning to all of them to continue teaching health. On Saturday morning the only matatu leaving did leave until 11. We didn't get to Nairobi till 6pm, which means we had to stay over night. Luckily my sense of direction is getting awesome (not to brag) I picked a hotel that was right across the street from the shuttle I needed to take in the morning! Perfect because I was able to leave Nairobi by 8.
Now let me tell you why I have a love hate  relationship with traveling in Kenya. I love it because on this trip alone I got to see baboons (literally walking along the side of the road), gazelle, storks, and zebras! Didn't even have to pay for a game drive! Also on my way home from Nairobi I was able to get some produce shopping done without even leaving my seat! People bring fresh fruits and vegetables right up to your window! (America needs to get on board!) Now how could I hate traveling in Kenya you ask? I've said it before and I'll say it again, the conductors and drives try to cheat you and lie to your face. They will tell you it's express with no stops but it's not. They will up the price because you're white, and they ask you to buy them sodas and other snacks. But if you can get past these always annoying problems, then travelling can be somewhat enjoyable. You just have to know where to go and who to travel with.
Another friend of mine came to visit on Sunday. We met with AMPATH, which is an NGO yesterday, then proceded to return to Eldoret and do some major damage shopping in the market! We bargined our butts off and got some great deals. We had a delicious greek dinner last night which consisted of fatoush salad, hummus, carrots, crackers and mangos. I made the hummus from scratch, and the salad Elise made a delicious dressing for. I have now prepared mexican, chinese, greek and african foods since moving into my site! No wonder I'm not losing any weight!
So that is all for now, thanks for you patience with my lack of blogging!

So I had an AWESOME day today! It started out a bit frustrating though.  On Wednesday I went into the office where my supervisor told me that JOYWO was putting on an HIV mobil testing clinic next week. I had already made plans to visit another volunteer to help out with a project. It's annoying that Kenyans don't like to plan ahead, for anything. So anyway I was able to help today. It was supposed to start at 9 am.  The truck with the tent didn't show up until 10, it took over an hour to set up and start to get the inside ready. We ran out of fabric to separate the tent into small rooms. It was just one thing after another. Finally when everything was ready oh around 11.  My original job was to teach about HIV/AIDS while people waited to get tested. Well first off people kept badgering me about getting free t shirts. I literally said " where does it say free shirts?! It's free testing! Do I look like the free shirt lady!?" Anyway when I went to teach, people were acting rude and asking stupid questions and being way inappropriate.  After the first group I was burnt out!  My counter part and I decided we would do the testing. Well as a Peace Corps Volunteer, I am not supposed to come into contact with body fluids. So she did the pricking and I did the counseling. It worked great! I felt that I was getting through to people more, one on one than in that huge group. 

After lunch my APCD (aka boss) from peace corps stopped by for a check up. I knew this ahead of time, but boy did he pick a good day! Anyway that went great as well! He met with me and my supervisor. He said he is very impressed at how much I have already done in a month, and to keep up the good work! I know the I'm doing good things, but it feels good to hear it from my superior. So all in all GREAT DAY!

So this weekend the girls came to visit! We're taking turns visiting each other. We had girls night in. Here in Kenya, unless we're in a tourist area we can't really go out the way we would in America, it's a little more dangerous, plus you don't want people in your community seeing you party like a rockstar.  So we had a weekend full of wine drinking, mexican eating, dance party, hair party, chinese food, prank calling, baked goods eating, and 2 rascal pups! It was a blast. It's times like these that you forget you're in Kenya because your having fun like you would in America. So the girls came over, I made mexican on Friday night which consisted of refried beans ( I smashed and refried myself) homemade mango salsa, guac, and homemade tortillas. We sat around and chatted, it feels good to catch up on each others lives at site. The next day we went into Eldoret to do a little touristing. I showed them some great souvenir  shops! Saturday night I made chinese for dinner: I made vegetable lowmane and homemade sweet and sour sauce.  I told you I like to cook! And it was so great to have someone to cook for! Like I said there was some prank calling, dance party fun happening. My friend brought her pup as well. At first Kibaibai didn't know what to think and my friends pup is about 3 times the size of Kibaibai. But after a bit, they became best friends! They got into mischief and peed and pooped everywhere, but they were sad when they had to say good bye this morning. All in all it was a FANTASTIC weekend! 

So I said earlier that I've been cooking alot lately. Well I made home made Hummus! and tortillas! the Hummus taste pretty darn good for being home made in Kenya. I went to the local hospital today to ask about brochures to hand out at my sessions. I got a box of condoms! I'm getting good and getting free stuff to hand out at my sessions! I also got the number of the man incharge of all the condoms and brochures! BINGO!
Also I stopped by the fundi, my dress will be ready tomorrow! I'm getting an "american" dress made! I tried it on and it's super cute, and a little scandelous! I'll post a pic after I pick it up!

Its football season in America, oh how I miss tailgating! and I miss my friends! I am so glad the girls are visiting me this weekend! Much needed chat and wine time! So here's a should out to Julia, Holly, Janie, Steph, and AJ! I miss my roomies! My house could compete with igloo parties, but not without you guys!

Tomorrow I have 2 womens groups and if I get a connection, I'll post a fashion friday post as well! xoxoxox

Sept 29, 2011

            Yesterday I went into Eldoret to go into the office. I had to write a monthly report of what I have been doing and what not. Back to reality, this is not just fun and games, but a job too. After finishing my report I went to the Ministry of Health to see about female condoms, they're not as widely available as you would hope. You can get them from health centers, but not shops.  They were able to give me one, so I can use it for my demonstrations in the women's groups. Also, while I was waiting, I noticed they had boxes upon boxes of PUR. Which if you recall, is the water cleaning method that I use and do demonstrations about.  I asked about where they are available for the community to buy, and instead of giving me an answer, they gave me 2 boxes! That pretty much made my day! Now I can give the women a sample so they can try it themselves. 

            Afterwards I went to the Ministry of Agriculture to see about vaccinations for little Kibaibai.  The vet offered to come to the house to give Kibaibai the vaccine.  I finished my business in town and we headed to the house. I guess this was my fault, but I should have asked how much the vaccine would cost before we got to my house.  Well Kibaibai got the Parvo vaccine, and it cost me 2000 shillings! Can you say OUCH!  I guess I thought it would be cheap because this is Africa. Well I guessed wrong. If he gets Parvo, I'm suing. I guess he is worth it though.

            

here is my new baby! Kibaibai! 

Sept 26, 2011

            Today I went to a follow up women's group, I met with the same group last month and they told me then what they wanted to learn about in the next session. It went really well, they were very appreciative and asked that I come back next month. The are going to try to set up with the local school a session, so I can teach the children while we are waiting for the women's table banking to be finished. I'm so happy with the response I'm getting in the community, I'm feeling well received and welcomed. Afterwards, Anne and I came back to my house to cook lunch, since we weren't able to yesterday. We made my 2 Kenyan favorites, mokimo and chapati. Not something you would usually cook together, but she wanted to teach me how to make both. Mokimo can be made with many different ingredients. We used potatoes, pumpkin, corn, and pumpkin leaves. Then you just mash it all together, it sounds interesting I know, but it's my favorite dish! It turned out wonderful. I had a major food baby afterwards. Soon I will be a pro at making chapati! Also Kibaibai loved them both, he was being picky about what I feed him, but now he's becoming spoiled.  After lunch we went to another local primary school to introduce myself and offer my volunteer time to teach the children about health. They are very happy to have me. In the headmasters office was the funniest quote: "Promises are like babies, fun to make, but difficult to deliver". I thought that was very funny to be in the office at a primary school, I hope that is not something they are telling their kids.

Sept 26, 2011

here is my first fashion friday picture! I realize it's not Friday, however you got to take what you can get. I got the dress made while we were in training in Loitockitock. It's actually a strapless dress, which is why im wearing the shirt over it. We can wear fun "American" clothes when we are vactioning in Nairobi, Kisumu, the Coast. Basically anywhere that is not our site.

Sept 24, 2011 

So mama Lydia basically begged me to go to church with her today. I had afternoon plans to cook an early dinner with my friend Anne for a few of the people that work on my farm.  Mama said church would be over by 2.  I got up early, let the pup out, ate breakfast than left for church at 9. Mama met me in Juakali with her husband and a few others, we then drove to the church. The service started a little before 11.  By 2 the preacher had not even started his sermon. ( I knew that was a bad sign) By 3 I texted Anne to let her know I was still in church and had NO CLUE when it would be over. By 4 I wanted to cry. If the preacher has to shout "HELLO" anytime during his sermon to maker sure everyone is paying attention, it means the sermon is too long. If he has to do it more than 4 times, then he shouldn't have started in the first place! Imagine 6 straight hours of church, in another language. By the time it was over, a little before 6, I was beside myself. I was hungry, upset because the pup was outside all day, exhausted, need I say more! So sorry mom, but please don't make me feel bad for not going to church anymore, thanks! Hahahah. When I finally got home, Kibaibai was sooooo happy. Thankfully the mama on my farm, who gave him to me, had come and let him out to play for a little bit. To sum it all up, it was a LONG Day! 

got the modem, but it's sooooooo slow

September 23, 2011

I got to spend the whole day with my new baby! Good thing because he needs constant supervision.  So after giving him 2 flea baths and a regular bath yesterday, I think all of those cow ticks are dead. Bad news is that they are STILL stuck to him. I'm going to try an oatmeal bath tomorrow morning. Hopefully that will calm his skin and maybe loosen this stuff.  This afternoon I went to the local secondary school (by local I mean right across the street from my house).  The principal asked that I teach an after school session about reproductive health and hygiene.  The girls ranged from 9th to 12th grade. I was definitely a little intimidated! There were at least 50 girls. I told them to feel free to ask questions, and don't be afraid to embarrass me! At first they were very quiet, but then the questions started coming! A lot of their questions had to do with things they had heard from other teachers and nurses. One question " is it true you can get an infection from using toilet paper?" Another " can you get an infection from using perfumed sanitary pads?" Imagine my surprise to these questions! Someone actually told them these things were true! Well I busted those myths, and many others. Also another interesting thing, when I started to talk about the use of condom, there was a lot of giggling. Well I found out later that they in the past have only discussed abstinence. So I guess I shocked them a little too.

After the session I asked for their feedback. They said they really enjoyed the session and felt very comfortable with me.  They have asked me to come back and have another session! I'm going to bring in a question box so they can anonymously ask questions.  I'm soooooooo glad it went well. I actually feel like I am doing something for my community now. Until now, I have questioned what I am truly doing here. Well I think that relating to these girls is it. I know the women's groups are appreciative, but they definitely don't give the kind of feedback that I get for the girls. Next week I am going to another secondary school and doing a co-ed session. This should be interesting!

Sept 20, 2011

I'm a mom! Yep I got my puppy today! His name is Kibeibei (ki-bye-bye). It's Kallengin for joyful. He's an "african" breed. By that I mean, This is Africa they don't have breeds! haahahah. He's supper cute! Ill upload pics soon. I gave him 2 baths today, and he will be getting at least one bath a day until I rid him of all the cow ticks that cover his body! They look like "cradle cap" if you know what that is, but then you take a closer look and they move. I think most of them are dead since he got 2 flea baths today, but they stick to his skin. GROSS! I can't even begin to house train him because I don't want him in the house until they're gone. So for now he is stuck in the kitchen, probably for the best, makes messes a little easier to clean up. 

Also today I visited a couple girls secondary schools.  I wanted to offer my volunteer services to them. On Thursday i'm going to teach a program after school at the school closest to me. Kind of short notice, but I guess I did tell them I'm free whenever. So I'll be talking to them about reproductive health and what not. Tomorrow will be my planning day/ studying day.

More updates about the puppy to come!

Sept 19, 2001

I went to the hospital in Turbo today. I met with the local health officer. It went really well and now I feel I am actually getting somewhere. It has been kind of difficult finding someone in the community who can tell me what the community needs. Everyone else just gives me the same generic list. 

Water sanitation is the main problem that people face in this community.  There is plenty of water, at least right now during the rainy season. However having water that can make you very sick, does absolutely no good. So we are going to work on training the local community health workers, so they can train community members, on different methods of cleaning the water. There are 3 suggested ways: 1: boiling water for at least 5 minutes. The problem here is that it cost money to fuel the fire, so most people bring to a boil and don't boil for the whole 5 minutes. Also once the water is boiled, it should be filtered to get the debris out. By debris I'm not just talking about dirt, I'm talking about worms! Yep little tiny worms! I actually found one in my sink water, I put it in a jar on my counter, unfortunately it was dead in the morning, so much for having a pet......  2: You can use PUR, I use this. It's a packet of chemicals that you add to 10 liters of water, stir, and filter. I've used it since getting to Kenya and have had no problems. 3: You could use this other chemical called water guard. Its similar to PUR, but is a liquid you add to 20 litres. They all of course make the water taste slightly different, which is one reason people choose to not use them.  Another problem is proper storage of the cleaned water.  Water should be stored in a sealed container after cleaning. Most people seem to store in buckets and pots, without lids. This opens the window for re contamination. Proper storage container can also be expensive, which is why they turn to lidless buckets. 

For everyone back home in the states, most get there water from the sink and don't think twice. Here I have a sink, but like I said earlier, I found a worm. Just because water here in Kenya looks clean, doesn't mean it is. So I am happy that I possibly found my first secondary project for the community. I will meet with some community health workers on Monday to discuss possibilities. 

So everyone back home, every time you drink a glass of water, remember how lucky you are that you don't have to worry about getting sick from drinking it.

I know this was a serious post, but I'm trying to keep you updated on my actual work, and not just my not so social, social life. xoxoxoxo

Sept 18, 2011

What I would do for a vacuum cleaner!

I'm serious; I have a new respect for that old hoover. Today I swept my entire house, the broom, how do I explain. It's made of straw and stands about a foot tall. As much as I love it, a vacuum would have made the job much easier! Anyone want to punish their kids by making them sweep the house? Let me know and I'll send one your way! Ok not really, they only cost 10 kenyan shillings, but would cost me over 500 shillings to send. Sorry. I conquered the whole house, and mopped afterwards. I'm starting on all of the curtains now. I might have them done by the time I COS. After a busy morning of cleaning I got to help milk the cows that are on my farm! Yep I'm becoming a regular old milkmaid. It's definitely not as easy as it looks. The little kids that hang around on the farm laughed because they didn't think I could do it.  Well I showed them! All in a Sundays day of work.

Sept 17, 2001

 So as some of you probably know (because I've talked to you) It's starting to get a little boring in the late afternoons and evenings. I'm sure this will change as soon as I get my puppy, but that's not for another 2 weeks...... So I've been cooking a lot. I've been trying to be creative, but my attention span is only so long. Right know I'm making chili from scratch, yep stewing those tomatoes and boilin those beans. I don't think canned beans are available, and if they are at the Nakumatt, then they're probably way over priced. So, is there any recipes out there you have been dying to try?! Send it my way and let me try it for you! I have access to almost all veggies and grains. Not really into cooking meats. Did I mention I only have a 1-burner propane stove? Well I do. I do know how to make a jiko oven, which I've heard works just as well on propane stove, especially for baking. So, any ideas? I'm willing to attempt them if I have the ingredients. Also, thanks to my mommy and daddy for sending me a package, including a magazine! I am now trying my hand at making paper beads. I hope mom and dad know how many activities I can do with just one magazine! I already started, and so far so good! No other updates yet. It's the weekend, and not a lot to do here. I walked to Turbo again today, 2km, not that I'm counting. It's market day so I picked up some produce, and, my market find of the day! A really nice knit blanket! No clothes, but then again I didn't really look. Shopping in the market is kinda like shopping in the malls at home, not a lot of fun alone. But the mamas in the market remember me!, so there is a lot of conversations and little time to look. I'll try again on Tuesday. 

Sept 16, 2011

 Yesterday was my first sick day in Kenya, can I just say being sick without your mommy is no fun. I managed to survive and felt much better this morning. Felt so good that I trekked the 2km to Turbo (sweat out my fever) and went to the Posta (post office). Im soooooo glad I did! I was pleasantly surprised with a letter from my grandma and a package from my parents! Talk about a good day! It made me feel like 200bucks, or 240 shillings, cause that's how much I had to pay for my package, but totally worth it! Tomorrow is market day, so I might make the trek again into town, I could use a matatu, but the walk is so beautiful. 

If you remember in an earlier post, I mentioned I have rats in my ceiling. Well at least that's what I think they are. I also think that its not just a few, but an entire colony. I can hear them pushing things across the ceiling. It makes me wonder what they're doing! Well there is a spot in the ceiling where the attic entrance is. The cover is missing, so I decided to put my new table underneath it. Then stacked a stool on top of the table, and climbed to the top. But to no avail, I am too short to see through the hole! Go figure. I will wait for someone tall to come visit me so we can find out what those rats are up to. Until then I will just use my imagination.

I am going to start a Fashion Friday post. Every Friday I will try to post a pic of my latest market fashion, or something I brought with me. Pretty much what I wear here in Kenya. Do not expect this to be posted on Fridays, but that is what I will call it.

guess who got a modem! here's some from the past week

so this is a pic of me, izzy and andrea on the day we swore in.

This is my new home for the next 2 years! Its absolutly beautiful. The land around it is even better!

I just thought this looked really african :) its me and andrea with a bunch of kids in Taveta

this is a picture of a monkey in Kakamega forest. I know everyone is curious about the wild animals! haha 

heres a few updates

September 9, 2011

So Yesterday was international literacy day in my village. The chief invited me to come and introduce myself to the community as well as speak a little on health. It's kind of funny, everyone always ask me to say a little something about health. How can you say a LITTLE about health!? Maybe one topic, but they never give me a topic! hahaha so I chose water sanitation. Having safe water is important to help protect from water borne disease. There are 3 methods that we suggest; boiling water, using water guard, or using PUR. I went up to speak in front of, oh around 200 people plus the District Officer! I had prepared everything in Kiswahili, I started my speech. My counterpart/ friend Anastasia ran up giggling. "They can't understand you, so I will translate" Well at least I tried, they said it was too slow, well now I have a goal! First attempt, almost painless. 

The mama that works on the farm, said my puppy won't be ready to leave it's mother unitl October! I'm going through serious dog withdraws. My friend Andrea, another volunteer, has a puppy and I'm soooo jealous! I will have to wait until October. Atleast I have rats to keep me company. Hahaha just kidding, well kind of. I do have rats, but they're in my ceiling, so I've never seen them, just heard them. I'm considering putting one of the farm cats up in the ceiling and letting it get them. I just don't want to poison them and have them die in my ceiling then smell up my house. Dilemma 

September 5 2011

 I just want to write a quick note on traveling in Kenya. Its NOT easy, to say the least. One of the first things we were taught is that in Kenya, you hurry up to wait.  This can be said for many things. You hurry up to a meeting that starts at 11:00, to wait for everyone to show up by 12:30. You hurry up to get on a matatu or bus to get somewhere, then wait as that matatu "takes its time".  For those who know me, I am a very punctual on time or early person, so this has been a challenge for me.  Well I am proud to say now, I am Kenyan, not in a hurry, and not mad when I have to wait. Surprising I know, It is actually something I am becoming to get used to and not mind, I just have to laugh about it. And for those of you planning to visit, you will get to experience first hand because we will be traveling as the Kenyans do! That's all for now!

August 31 2011

Hey everyone! So I'm on week 3! I had a great weekend at Kakamega forest this past weekend. Had a blast! I stayed with my friend Lindsay (another volunteer). We went to Kakamega forest and hiked for a bit. We saw 2 different kinds of monkeys! Unfortunately that was the only wild animal we got to see, but still had a good time.  I did however have horrible luck with the matatu situation. A matatu is public means of transportation here. They are basically an old school mini van that has 14 passenger seats, however they fill the matatus up! I was on one with 18 people, and our bags (if not other passengers) our in our laps, so I have learned to pack light.

I have been meeting with small and large women's groups that are part of my organization JOYWO (Joyful Women Organization: www.joywo.org). Soon I will start teaching them about health; malaria prevention, hygiene, sanitation, HIV/AIDS, and basically anything I can think of. Also I will hopefully be aloud to teach an hour or so a week at the local schools. I will teach the girls about personal hygiene.  So far I like my job, but it has only been a week.  I am meeting with smaller women's groups this week, near my community. I met with one group the other day. I want to teach them about things they have interests in. I opened the floor for questions, and didn't expect the questions I got. They're concerns consist of dental hygiene, breast and cervical cancer, and other bodily functions. uh HELLO, peace corps training prepared us for home and water sanitation, malaria, and HIV/AIDS! These questions through me for a spin! I was able to answer some, but I am meeting with them next month and am planning on finding the answers to all of their questions.

I absolutely LOVE my house! The only downside is the bee problem. I already got stung once! But hopefully this next gas job does the trick. My house is on a beautiful farm. With many cows, chickens, corn, kale, pumpkin, and milk.  The people that work on the farm are so friendly and welcoming, they feel like family already. I'm about a 45 min matatu ride from Eldoret, which is the closest city to me. I am excited to have visitors! (hint hint) Let me know if you want to come visit It has everything that I might need and can't get in my town.  Right now it's the rainy season, so I have to wear my rain boots almost everyday. Mom, THANK YOU for the raincoat! hahahah definitely a necessity here.

I forgot to mention this in the earlier post, but for those of you planning to send me anything, please put a bible quote on the package. I know this sounds odd, but most Kenyans are religious and superstitious, so my chances are higher of getting my package, and I probably won't have to pay a high duty.

That is all for now! xoxoxoxo

Also for my future visitors, please keep this in mind: you will need to get your yellow fever shot and be able to prove it with the yellow card they give you. You will also need to get on Malaria prophylaxis and take them when you get here. You can apply for a visa before, or get one at the airport in Nairobi.  It is also advised to be up to date on you Hep B series and tetanus.  Sound like alot? Well it's NOT! Get it done and get out here already! xoxoxoxo