Last weekend, I went to Maasai Mara National Park with a few friends of mine. We left Kisumu at 6am on Friday morning and got to the park around 11am after 3 hours of good roads and 2 of hours of absolutely horrible roads. We drive in over this ridge and you look out and its just the best view ever. So we start driving through the park and immediately we're seeing herds of elephants, tons of zebras, wildebeest, antelopes and gazelles. We stopped by the river and saw huge hippos lounging around. After being in the park for like 20 minutes, our driver pulls a u-turn and we speed off the road through a random field and all the sudden we are legitimately 5 yards from a huge male lion just sitting on the ground. I was totally scared but of course, still hanging out the top of the car to take good pictures haha. It was unreal...
Later in the day we saw a leopard which had just killed a zebra and was eating it. We also went off roading and saw cheetahs lounging around. Buffaloes were everywhere and so we giraffes. We left the park on the far side from where we cam in and stayed at our lodge for the night. It was a tented camp, but each tent was huge and had 2 beds in it and was attached to a small concrete room with a toilet and hot shower. It was perfect.
We got up really early Saturday morning and went to search for more animals, especially a rhino. On the way we stopped to see a female lion which had just eaten a cow. It was still sitting near the cow and guarding it against all the vultures nearby which wanted to eat the rest of the carcass. We watched for about 30 mins as the lion would start to slowly walk away as the vultures creeped closer, the lion would turn back and look at the birds and they would freeze, then it would turn back and continue away. After walking 30 yards or so, it would turn and run back towards the carcass and the vultures would fly away. Pretty sweet to watch, especially because the lion walked directly in front of our car. Later on, we saw a pride of four male lions who would have been rebels in their original prides, but left and joined together. It was wild!
We saw a mom and baby elephant drinking from a watering hole and we were basically about 4 feet from there. It was so cute. We searched for a rhino the whole day but unfortunately didn't see one. During the morning, we saw the leopard again really close up and it was definitely the coolest animal we saw the whole time. The colors were so cool and bright and we were lucky because most people on safaris don't usually see leopards.
The whole landscape of the Mara is amazing and so beautiful. I always think tourists who go on safari are so corny, but it was hands down the coolest thing ever (or at least right up there with bungee jumping over the Nile...). Sunday morning we got to drive back through the park again, so we spent basically 3 days in the car just looking at beautiful views and cool animals. It was exhausting, but so worth it.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Oh Kenya....
Things have been going really well recently. I have just been totally submerged in work, which has allowed me to do more thinking and piece together my thoughts and theories about Kenyans/Kenya in general.
First, I have never been surrounded by so many mean, selfish people. I know ‘bad’ is not a very descriptive word, but that’s how I feel about so many people. They are BAD people. Now of course this is not the majority of people. The majority are warm and friendly and trustworthy, but the percentage of people who are not, is so much higher than I am used to. People have zero shame in stealing, lying, cheating and exploiting others. I am blown away by the audacity of some people and their willingness to brag about their corrupt and immoral ways.
Unfortunately, a huge number of these people are involved in football in Kenya. No wonder Kenyan soccer is never good and never goes anywhere haha. Because of my strict adherence to rules and my straightforward ways, I have made a good number of enemies. Not only are people mean to me, but they are mean to each other, to their friends. I am amazed how people can backstab and cheat their friends even with their friend’s knowledge and they next day they are back to being friends. Forgiving and forgetting and quite common. Maybe it’s me or maybe it’s the culture I come from, but I don’t forget when people talk bad about me or try to cheat me or blatantly lie to my face REPEATEDLY.
I feel like the things I am learning here are so different than my expectations going in. I’m learning more how to deal with bad people, than to deal with the good ones. Not to say I don’t work and spend time with amazing wonderful people every day, because I certainly do, but that’s the easy part, so why would I complain about it, right?!?
Money plays such an interesting role here. As far as I understand, there is a universal theory right now that dumping money into developing countries will not help them. Instead, we should build their capacity and strengthen the human resources within the country to help them build themselves. I totally agree with that idea form an American viewpoint, but from my newly cynical Kenyan viewpoint, I think it’s bull. Realistically, if you ask people in these countries, they don’t want to be trained. They don’t want to take 3 days away from whatever they do for work to come for a training. They don’t want their ‘capacity’ to be built. That takes time, that takes patience, that takes planning. They want money, today, now… in their hand so they can put food on the table. There is very little thinking about the future here, about how they can build up themselves. To them it’s a simple answer… “give us money.” They think, ‘Money will fix our problems, money will rid us of poverty, drought, HIV, famine, flooding, corruption.”
I think I am just becoming more confused as to how development “works” because is it working? Are people and places becoming developed? I don’t know the answers, but I know that truly the only way that is proven, is one person at a time. Today, I was watching a match in our under 12 league. This weekend is what we call mini-league but in American talk is playoffs. So this team is wearing replica Manchester United jerseys that we had given them since they were the number 1 team during league play. These small boys are on the field, playing their hearts out, wearing real uniforms and most of them wearing cleats (their coach had saved ALL his money to help buy the shoes) and one of them scores with a beautiful left-footed half volley from 10 yards out. They all run to the corner flag, ecstatic, and do a circle/dance celebration before returning to the middle of the field. Their (volunteer) coach pumps his fist on the side line and all the older brothers and older boys from that neighborhood who are there supporting the team are running along the sideline waving shirts in the air and yelling and celebrating. I just know that if these kids can stick to football, instead of local brews or drugs or prostitutes that plague the slum they come from, they will be “developed.” Giving people, especially kids, an enjoyable free life is what development is all about. I think the organization I work for plays a small part in that and I’m proud of that.
Anyway, that’s a little bit of my recent thoughts about Kenya and my experience here. Bottom line is I love it, I love the challenge and I loving proving to people I’m right by helping kids and teaching them to do the right thing. It’s kind of the ultimate “Ha, Ha” in the face of the bad guys.
First, I have never been surrounded by so many mean, selfish people. I know ‘bad’ is not a very descriptive word, but that’s how I feel about so many people. They are BAD people. Now of course this is not the majority of people. The majority are warm and friendly and trustworthy, but the percentage of people who are not, is so much higher than I am used to. People have zero shame in stealing, lying, cheating and exploiting others. I am blown away by the audacity of some people and their willingness to brag about their corrupt and immoral ways.
Unfortunately, a huge number of these people are involved in football in Kenya. No wonder Kenyan soccer is never good and never goes anywhere haha. Because of my strict adherence to rules and my straightforward ways, I have made a good number of enemies. Not only are people mean to me, but they are mean to each other, to their friends. I am amazed how people can backstab and cheat their friends even with their friend’s knowledge and they next day they are back to being friends. Forgiving and forgetting and quite common. Maybe it’s me or maybe it’s the culture I come from, but I don’t forget when people talk bad about me or try to cheat me or blatantly lie to my face REPEATEDLY.
I feel like the things I am learning here are so different than my expectations going in. I’m learning more how to deal with bad people, than to deal with the good ones. Not to say I don’t work and spend time with amazing wonderful people every day, because I certainly do, but that’s the easy part, so why would I complain about it, right?!?
Money plays such an interesting role here. As far as I understand, there is a universal theory right now that dumping money into developing countries will not help them. Instead, we should build their capacity and strengthen the human resources within the country to help them build themselves. I totally agree with that idea form an American viewpoint, but from my newly cynical Kenyan viewpoint, I think it’s bull. Realistically, if you ask people in these countries, they don’t want to be trained. They don’t want to take 3 days away from whatever they do for work to come for a training. They don’t want their ‘capacity’ to be built. That takes time, that takes patience, that takes planning. They want money, today, now… in their hand so they can put food on the table. There is very little thinking about the future here, about how they can build up themselves. To them it’s a simple answer… “give us money.” They think, ‘Money will fix our problems, money will rid us of poverty, drought, HIV, famine, flooding, corruption.”
I think I am just becoming more confused as to how development “works” because is it working? Are people and places becoming developed? I don’t know the answers, but I know that truly the only way that is proven, is one person at a time. Today, I was watching a match in our under 12 league. This weekend is what we call mini-league but in American talk is playoffs. So this team is wearing replica Manchester United jerseys that we had given them since they were the number 1 team during league play. These small boys are on the field, playing their hearts out, wearing real uniforms and most of them wearing cleats (their coach had saved ALL his money to help buy the shoes) and one of them scores with a beautiful left-footed half volley from 10 yards out. They all run to the corner flag, ecstatic, and do a circle/dance celebration before returning to the middle of the field. Their (volunteer) coach pumps his fist on the side line and all the older brothers and older boys from that neighborhood who are there supporting the team are running along the sideline waving shirts in the air and yelling and celebrating. I just know that if these kids can stick to football, instead of local brews or drugs or prostitutes that plague the slum they come from, they will be “developed.” Giving people, especially kids, an enjoyable free life is what development is all about. I think the organization I work for plays a small part in that and I’m proud of that.
Anyway, that’s a little bit of my recent thoughts about Kenya and my experience here. Bottom line is I love it, I love the challenge and I loving proving to people I’m right by helping kids and teaching them to do the right thing. It’s kind of the ultimate “Ha, Ha” in the face of the bad guys.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
11 months in Kenya...
So a few recent incidents. The first one involving the local witch doctor. 2 buildings down from me, there is a "traditional healer" who conducts his business from his house. He has signs all over the neighborhood advertising his business, which says how he cures "syphilis, gonorrhea, cancer, court cases, education, asthma, and vomiting all the times." This is no joke haha. So a few weeks ago, I wake up to a lot of commotion outside my apartment building. I walk out to the balcony and there is a huge crowd of about 100 people outside the witch doctor's house and there was a naked man down on the ground on all fours crying and moaning and eating grass while holding a goat on a string. Yea, this is still real. So apparently the story was another man had had a goat stolen from and he went to the witch doctor to try to get it back. So a few days later this crying naked man shows up with a goat. So it looks like the witch doctor placed a curse on him and he came back willingly to return the stolen goat. Along with the 100 or so people there watching, the police came and the media came. It was a huge crazy scene and so bizarre, I could barely believe it was happening. So I find out the next day it was a hoax. The naked crying man was hired by the witchdoctor to make it look like he had placed a curse on him to advertise for his business. Kenya is so strange sometimes...
Last weekend we hosted a nationwide girls tournament here in Kisumu. Of 32 teams that we supposed to come for the tournament, only 16 showed up. Very typical, but it made my life so extremely stressful the first day of the tournament. Turned out to be a very successful tournament and we had about 2000 or 3000 people watching each day. It was awesome!
Nothing else is very new. I have a few American friends who were here for the summer and they are all leaving soon which is sad. People seem to come and go quickly here.
Otherwise, just missing Mexican food and smooth roads...
So a few recent incidents. The first one involving the local witch doctor. 2 buildings down from me, there is a "traditional healer" who conducts his business from his house. He has signs all over the neighborhood advertising his business, which says how he cures "syphilis, gonorrhea, cancer, court cases, education, asthma, and vomiting all the times." This is no joke haha. So a few weeks ago, I wake up to a lot of commotion outside my apartment building. I walk out to the balcony and there is a huge crowd of about 100 people outside the witch doctor's house and there was a naked man down on the ground on all fours crying and moaning and eating grass while holding a goat on a string. Yea, this is still real. So apparently the story was another man had had a goat stolen from and he went to the witch doctor to try to get it back. So a few days later this crying naked man shows up with a goat. So it looks like the witch doctor placed a curse on him and he came back willingly to return the stolen goat. Along with the 100 or so people there watching, the police came and the media came. It was a huge crazy scene and so bizarre, I could barely believe it was happening. So I find out the next day it was a hoax. The naked crying man was hired by the witchdoctor to make it look like he had placed a curse on him to advertise for his business. Kenya is so strange sometimes...
Last weekend we hosted a nationwide girls tournament here in Kisumu. Of 32 teams that we supposed to come for the tournament, only 16 showed up. Very typical, but it made my life so extremely stressful the first day of the tournament. Turned out to be a very successful tournament and we had about 2000 or 3000 people watching each day. It was awesome!
Nothing else is very new. I have a few American friends who were here for the summer and they are all leaving soon which is sad. People seem to come and go quickly here.
Otherwise, just missing Mexican food and smooth roads...
Monday, July 13, 2009
Life...
Lots to report on. First thing...
My organization (read: me) hosted a soccer tournament for mentally challenged kids two weeks ago. It was awesome, but not without some ups and downs. So I had planned EVERYTHING to a t. There were 11 schools involved in the planning and over 160 kids were coming with about 30-40 teachers. I had organized to have all the kids bused into town for the day to play in the "stadium." This was NOT an easy task because most of the schools are a little ways out of town. So I had contacted some companies and institutes around to donate their time and products like bread, hard-boiled eggs and a DJ sound system. Coca Cola was to provide chairs, tents, sodas and water.
The morning of the event, when the Coca Cola equipment was to be delivered, the lady who I was in contact with informed me that the proposal had not been approved and she could not release any of the equipment or drinks. Now, I had spoken to her EVERY day that week and she had assured me everything was in place... And the worst part, she didn't even say sorry. I mean come on, who screws over mentally challenged kids who want to play soccer?!? I was so mad at Coca Cola and i had to scramble to go get everything so the event could go on. Despite horrible, dishonest, rude people who seem to be so frequent here, the event was AWESOME. All the kids got to play a lot. We made small, modified fields and had short games. The DJs played great loud music and the kids were dancing the whole time and smiling! They must have been so excited to tell their parents when they got home about the big day out at the stadium and playing football and dancing. Just to see all of them smile made every second of it worth it. We gave out some small prizes to all the teams and everyone went home happy. It was the first of many events to come for special needs kids in Kisumu.
I also went to conference two weekends ago in Nairobi for the Sport for Social Change Network (SSCN). It is coordinated by an organization called CARE (a huge NGO operating from Atlanta). The head coordinator for the network is Dr. Auma Obama, Barack's sister. So I spent the whole weekend with her and it was great. The conference was really interesting and quite productive. My organization is a part of this group of all people who work with sports and development from all over Kenya so I definitely learned a lot. I was also elected the overall committee for the whole network which is sweet!
So another recent highlight was last weekend. I met a girl recently who is living in Kenya and working for an organization which brings British medical students to Kenya for 2 week experiential learning programs. She coordinates the trips and there are about 30 students arriving and leaving every 2 weeks. The first group of students she had 2 weeks ago was here for a week and after the first week on of the got sick. Turns out it was swine flu and the Kenyan media and general public FREAKED out. The media runs everything here and people hang on their every word... it's kind of sad. So anyhow, one of the kids had swine flu and was treated and the whole group of 34 students had to be quarantined in their hotel for 6 days until they were essentially deported back to the UK. So my friend calls me on Saturday afternoon and asks if I would do her a wierd favor and come to the hotel and help them out as a decoy. So it sounds interesting and she asks me to bring a friend so my friend from home, Andrea, who was staying with me came along.
We get to the hotel and they fill us in on the plan. Basically, the hired 3 vans to look like the students were traveling in them. I sat in the front seat of the first, Andrea in the front seat of the second and a Kenyan guy in the front seat of the third. We drive out of the hotel and follow behind a police escort car as if we were driving to Nairobi overnight, as the students were supposed to do. So we would lead the press away from the hotel while the actual students would all get on a bus and head to Nairobi. They didn't want the faces of any of the students to be in the press because some of them were planning on traveling in Kenya after they got to Nairobi (which didn't end up happening because they were forced to leave). So we drive away from the hotel and flashbulbs are going off like whoa. Two press vehicles followed us for 30 minutes as we drove towards Nairobi. They were taking tons of pictures and cutting off our vehicle to get close. It was SO obvious there was no one else in the back of the vans, but apparently they were too stupid to notice. After 30 minutes, we stopped and got a ride back home with the police escort vehicle. The decoy mission worked and the students got to Nairobi without being bothered. Meanwhile, the next day mine and Andrea's pictures were in the paper and in the news as the swine flu students traveling back to Nairobi... it was pretty funny. The whole situation was so exciting and funny. We were glad to screw over the press because they are the worst here. Check out the article:
http://www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/619190/-/ukfteu/-/index.html
Other than those things, life is pretty normal. Work is going well, I'm LOVING the hot showers at the gym, I still get called mzungu about 20 times a day on average, my Swahili is improving and I miss American food more than I can explain. So keep the updates coming on all of your lives.I love hearing from everyone at home!
My organization (read: me) hosted a soccer tournament for mentally challenged kids two weeks ago. It was awesome, but not without some ups and downs. So I had planned EVERYTHING to a t. There were 11 schools involved in the planning and over 160 kids were coming with about 30-40 teachers. I had organized to have all the kids bused into town for the day to play in the "stadium." This was NOT an easy task because most of the schools are a little ways out of town. So I had contacted some companies and institutes around to donate their time and products like bread, hard-boiled eggs and a DJ sound system. Coca Cola was to provide chairs, tents, sodas and water.
The morning of the event, when the Coca Cola equipment was to be delivered, the lady who I was in contact with informed me that the proposal had not been approved and she could not release any of the equipment or drinks. Now, I had spoken to her EVERY day that week and she had assured me everything was in place... And the worst part, she didn't even say sorry. I mean come on, who screws over mentally challenged kids who want to play soccer?!? I was so mad at Coca Cola and i had to scramble to go get everything so the event could go on. Despite horrible, dishonest, rude people who seem to be so frequent here, the event was AWESOME. All the kids got to play a lot. We made small, modified fields and had short games. The DJs played great loud music and the kids were dancing the whole time and smiling! They must have been so excited to tell their parents when they got home about the big day out at the stadium and playing football and dancing. Just to see all of them smile made every second of it worth it. We gave out some small prizes to all the teams and everyone went home happy. It was the first of many events to come for special needs kids in Kisumu.
I also went to conference two weekends ago in Nairobi for the Sport for Social Change Network (SSCN). It is coordinated by an organization called CARE (a huge NGO operating from Atlanta). The head coordinator for the network is Dr. Auma Obama, Barack's sister. So I spent the whole weekend with her and it was great. The conference was really interesting and quite productive. My organization is a part of this group of all people who work with sports and development from all over Kenya so I definitely learned a lot. I was also elected the overall committee for the whole network which is sweet!
So another recent highlight was last weekend. I met a girl recently who is living in Kenya and working for an organization which brings British medical students to Kenya for 2 week experiential learning programs. She coordinates the trips and there are about 30 students arriving and leaving every 2 weeks. The first group of students she had 2 weeks ago was here for a week and after the first week on of the got sick. Turns out it was swine flu and the Kenyan media and general public FREAKED out. The media runs everything here and people hang on their every word... it's kind of sad. So anyhow, one of the kids had swine flu and was treated and the whole group of 34 students had to be quarantined in their hotel for 6 days until they were essentially deported back to the UK. So my friend calls me on Saturday afternoon and asks if I would do her a wierd favor and come to the hotel and help them out as a decoy. So it sounds interesting and she asks me to bring a friend so my friend from home, Andrea, who was staying with me came along.
We get to the hotel and they fill us in on the plan. Basically, the hired 3 vans to look like the students were traveling in them. I sat in the front seat of the first, Andrea in the front seat of the second and a Kenyan guy in the front seat of the third. We drive out of the hotel and follow behind a police escort car as if we were driving to Nairobi overnight, as the students were supposed to do. So we would lead the press away from the hotel while the actual students would all get on a bus and head to Nairobi. They didn't want the faces of any of the students to be in the press because some of them were planning on traveling in Kenya after they got to Nairobi (which didn't end up happening because they were forced to leave). So we drive away from the hotel and flashbulbs are going off like whoa. Two press vehicles followed us for 30 minutes as we drove towards Nairobi. They were taking tons of pictures and cutting off our vehicle to get close. It was SO obvious there was no one else in the back of the vans, but apparently they were too stupid to notice. After 30 minutes, we stopped and got a ride back home with the police escort vehicle. The decoy mission worked and the students got to Nairobi without being bothered. Meanwhile, the next day mine and Andrea's pictures were in the paper and in the news as the swine flu students traveling back to Nairobi... it was pretty funny. The whole situation was so exciting and funny. We were glad to screw over the press because they are the worst here. Check out the article:
http://www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/619190/-/ukfteu/-/index.html
Other than those things, life is pretty normal. Work is going well, I'm LOVING the hot showers at the gym, I still get called mzungu about 20 times a day on average, my Swahili is improving and I miss American food more than I can explain. So keep the updates coming on all of your lives.I love hearing from everyone at home!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
The beach
I went to the coast last weekend with some friends for a little getaway. We took an overnight bus which was supposed to take 12 hours, but there was an accident on the road, yes THE road because there is only one road going across the country so we sat still in the middle of the night for 3 hours until we finally started moving. We arrived in Mombasa and took public transport down to Diani Beach which is about 30 mins south of Mombasa. The place where we stayed was a like a small apartment/cottage about 30 yards from the beach. You couldn't exactly see the water but if you walked a few yards you could.
The beach was absolutely gorgeous. It's just hard to believe sometimes when you're there that you are in Kenya. Kenya... the place where 56% of the people live on less than one dollar per day, where corruption in the government spoils everything and where food security is a huge issue... Yet here we are on a postcard beach with no one around in the most beautiful place ever. Wierd...
We basically laid on the beach and swam in the light blue, clear warm water all day. Friday afternoon we took camel rides down the beach. It was pretty sweet. We ate at a restaurant a little ways down where you sit at a table with your feet in the sand and the ocean breeze blowing on you while eating good food (cheeseburgers and pizza!!) Then we got up and did it all over again the next day. The Kenyan coast is so cool because you can be in paradise and pay $4 a night. Slightly different than most other beach resort areas.
Otherwise, work is going really well. It was nice to get away but every time I come back I realize how much I have to do. It's never ending, but I love it.
The beach was absolutely gorgeous. It's just hard to believe sometimes when you're there that you are in Kenya. Kenya... the place where 56% of the people live on less than one dollar per day, where corruption in the government spoils everything and where food security is a huge issue... Yet here we are on a postcard beach with no one around in the most beautiful place ever. Wierd...
We basically laid on the beach and swam in the light blue, clear warm water all day. Friday afternoon we took camel rides down the beach. It was pretty sweet. We ate at a restaurant a little ways down where you sit at a table with your feet in the sand and the ocean breeze blowing on you while eating good food (cheeseburgers and pizza!!) Then we got up and did it all over again the next day. The Kenyan coast is so cool because you can be in paradise and pay $4 a night. Slightly different than most other beach resort areas.
Otherwise, work is going really well. It was nice to get away but every time I come back I realize how much I have to do. It's never ending, but I love it.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Transportation
So getting places here is actually quite easy. There are a few options:
1. Matatu - 14 passenger vans that run along specific routes and constantly pick up and drop people off. This is the cheapest way and costs 20 shillings (25 cents) no matter where you go. Usually there are way more than 14 people on them and often I am squished up against a huge woman or 3 school kids all sitting in one seat. Most of these vehicles are decorated with stickers of American pop stars of sports teams. There is always very loud music playing and lights flashing at night. Basically they are awesome and by far the most convenient effective means of transport.
2. Motorbike - These are motorcycles that are everywhere on every street corner and can easily feet 2 people plus the driver. I use these when I have to get somewhere quickly and they are still very cheap.
3. Tuk-Tuk - These are three wheeled, covered vehicles that are not super fast but can fit 4 or 5 people in them if needed. They're awesome when it's raining, but they're also pretty slow, very loud, and not a smooth ride. Great for coming home with groceries..
4. Boda-Boda - These are the most common... bicycle taxis. Guys ride bikes with thick padded plastic seats on the back. They are EVERYWHERE and there are a million of them. The only part that sucks is that they can't go up hills or inclines of ANY kind very well because they have only one gear. It's a slight blow to my ego where I'm going somewhere up a slight incline and the guy has to ask me to get off and walk because he can't carry me haha. Also, the guys that are carrying me are often about half my weight...
I can easily use all of these in one day. But I do use matatus and bodabodas every single day. I wish I could explain more how crazy and chaotic the roads are here. Cars, matatus, bikes, tuktuks, and pedestrains... all using horrible, pothole-filled, half paved roads. It's crazy!
1. Matatu - 14 passenger vans that run along specific routes and constantly pick up and drop people off. This is the cheapest way and costs 20 shillings (25 cents) no matter where you go. Usually there are way more than 14 people on them and often I am squished up against a huge woman or 3 school kids all sitting in one seat. Most of these vehicles are decorated with stickers of American pop stars of sports teams. There is always very loud music playing and lights flashing at night. Basically they are awesome and by far the most convenient effective means of transport.
2. Motorbike - These are motorcycles that are everywhere on every street corner and can easily feet 2 people plus the driver. I use these when I have to get somewhere quickly and they are still very cheap.
3. Tuk-Tuk - These are three wheeled, covered vehicles that are not super fast but can fit 4 or 5 people in them if needed. They're awesome when it's raining, but they're also pretty slow, very loud, and not a smooth ride. Great for coming home with groceries..
4. Boda-Boda - These are the most common... bicycle taxis. Guys ride bikes with thick padded plastic seats on the back. They are EVERYWHERE and there are a million of them. The only part that sucks is that they can't go up hills or inclines of ANY kind very well because they have only one gear. It's a slight blow to my ego where I'm going somewhere up a slight incline and the guy has to ask me to get off and walk because he can't carry me haha. Also, the guys that are carrying me are often about half my weight...
I can easily use all of these in one day. But I do use matatus and bodabodas every single day. I wish I could explain more how crazy and chaotic the roads are here. Cars, matatus, bikes, tuktuks, and pedestrains... all using horrible, pothole-filled, half paved roads. It's crazy!
Saturday, April 25, 2009
The rainy season
It has rained almost every day for the past 3 weeks. It happens at the same time every day, usually late afternoon around 4 or 5. It has been a nice break from the insanely hot dry season.
Otherwise this month has been going so well. My friend Daniel from UNC was just here to visit for two weeks. We spent most of our time here in Kisumu just hanging out. He got to see how I live and what my life is like here. We did take one trip to Eldoret, a town about 3 hours from here. We took public transport, a matatu, on the way there. The route we went was absolutely ridiculous. It took 4 hours and the road was the worst I have been on in all of Kenya. It rained and the roof of the vehicle was leaking. At one point there were 21 people in the 14 passenger vehicle. It was an interesting trip...
Eldoret town was great. It was much cooler than Kisumu but still sunny an beautiful. We stayed with Daniel's distant relatives who live in a beautiful compound with many Americans. The night we got there the dinner was MEXICAN FOOD... which just happened to be the food I miss the most being here. It was awesome.
Work has been going well. I am starting to see some of the things I have done being implemented. Kids are playing, there is a little less cheating and we are training many coaches, referees and youth leaders. Speaking of playing...
I played in two tournaments earlier this month. There is a girls team here which is pretty good and they train regularly, unlike most other teams. So I played in a game at the main venue in town, called Sportsground, and there were soooo many people there. Definitely the largest crowd I have ever play in front of. Every time I touched the ball, people would start cheering or yelling and I would get a lot of applause for ANY completed pass... I wish it was like that at home too haha.
My team won 9-0 but I'm pretty sure the team we played, some women from the rural area, had never played in a real game. Now people always tell me that they now believe me that I can play football. They ask me why I'm not playing professionally or on the US national team... They don't really understand the level of women's soccer at home.
So now I have officially been in Kenya for a total of one year... crazy. I am finally starting to really feel comfortable here. I understand how things work and I understand how the people work. Every time I have a visitor from home, I am reminded just how different things are here.
Next week, I am planning on going to the Coast for a much needed break. Can't wait to be laying on a beach!!
Otherwise this month has been going so well. My friend Daniel from UNC was just here to visit for two weeks. We spent most of our time here in Kisumu just hanging out. He got to see how I live and what my life is like here. We did take one trip to Eldoret, a town about 3 hours from here. We took public transport, a matatu, on the way there. The route we went was absolutely ridiculous. It took 4 hours and the road was the worst I have been on in all of Kenya. It rained and the roof of the vehicle was leaking. At one point there were 21 people in the 14 passenger vehicle. It was an interesting trip...
Eldoret town was great. It was much cooler than Kisumu but still sunny an beautiful. We stayed with Daniel's distant relatives who live in a beautiful compound with many Americans. The night we got there the dinner was MEXICAN FOOD... which just happened to be the food I miss the most being here. It was awesome.
Work has been going well. I am starting to see some of the things I have done being implemented. Kids are playing, there is a little less cheating and we are training many coaches, referees and youth leaders. Speaking of playing...
I played in two tournaments earlier this month. There is a girls team here which is pretty good and they train regularly, unlike most other teams. So I played in a game at the main venue in town, called Sportsground, and there were soooo many people there. Definitely the largest crowd I have ever play in front of. Every time I touched the ball, people would start cheering or yelling and I would get a lot of applause for ANY completed pass... I wish it was like that at home too haha.
My team won 9-0 but I'm pretty sure the team we played, some women from the rural area, had never played in a real game. Now people always tell me that they now believe me that I can play football. They ask me why I'm not playing professionally or on the US national team... They don't really understand the level of women's soccer at home.
So now I have officially been in Kenya for a total of one year... crazy. I am finally starting to really feel comfortable here. I understand how things work and I understand how the people work. Every time I have a visitor from home, I am reminded just how different things are here.
Next week, I am planning on going to the Coast for a much needed break. Can't wait to be laying on a beach!!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
March Madness
so I have officially been here 6 months... how did that happen?
Work is going great. I am becoming much more adjusted to the Kenyan ways of doing things. We have about 150 teams participating in our leagues, so we are essentially organizing competitions for 3000 kids!
This past weekend I went to Nairobi for the day on Saturday (took the night bus there on Friday and the night bus back on Saturday). I went just to watch the Harambee Stars play, which is the name of the national soccer team here. They played Tunisia in a World Cup qualifying match, but we lost 2-1... bummer! It was an awesome experience though. Live events always are.
On Sunday, I went to a party with about 40 other Americans. It was on a barge that was anchored just in a bay here on Lake Victoria. We hung out and had drinks and a buffet dinner. I ate tuna, brie cheese, shrimp and turkey. All things I have NEVER eaten in Kenya before then. It was amazing! Then in the evening, people started jumping off to go for a swim so of course I also had to do it. I was assured there were no hippos in the area even though we were in a place called Kiboko Bay, which means Hippo Bay in Swahili. So I did it and it was my first official swim in Lake Victoria.
Today I spent the day at a local school where school games were held between four schools from around the area which have all students who are special needs. Here they are called "intellectually disabled." The kids, of all ages, competed in track and field events as well as a soccer game. Little did I know, I was the guest of honor so they talked about me for about 10 minutes and then I had to give a speech to the 150+ people who were there. Good thing people don't understand my English very well...
So overall things are great and going very well. I could essentially start a youth football organization ANYWHERE in the world right now with the experience I have had here in the last 6 months. People around here are starting to know my name and not be afraid to talk to me (they used to call me "mzungu" or "white person"). I've been invited to a lot of events as a special guest of honor which is flattering but also making my schedule quite crazy.
Also, March madness has not quite been the same here without other college basketball fans. I have tried to explain the brackets and the tournament to people and no one gets it. Oh well.... as long as Carolina is in the Final Four it's allllll good with me!
GO HEELS!
Work is going great. I am becoming much more adjusted to the Kenyan ways of doing things. We have about 150 teams participating in our leagues, so we are essentially organizing competitions for 3000 kids!
This past weekend I went to Nairobi for the day on Saturday (took the night bus there on Friday and the night bus back on Saturday). I went just to watch the Harambee Stars play, which is the name of the national soccer team here. They played Tunisia in a World Cup qualifying match, but we lost 2-1... bummer! It was an awesome experience though. Live events always are.
On Sunday, I went to a party with about 40 other Americans. It was on a barge that was anchored just in a bay here on Lake Victoria. We hung out and had drinks and a buffet dinner. I ate tuna, brie cheese, shrimp and turkey. All things I have NEVER eaten in Kenya before then. It was amazing! Then in the evening, people started jumping off to go for a swim so of course I also had to do it. I was assured there were no hippos in the area even though we were in a place called Kiboko Bay, which means Hippo Bay in Swahili. So I did it and it was my first official swim in Lake Victoria.
Today I spent the day at a local school where school games were held between four schools from around the area which have all students who are special needs. Here they are called "intellectually disabled." The kids, of all ages, competed in track and field events as well as a soccer game. Little did I know, I was the guest of honor so they talked about me for about 10 minutes and then I had to give a speech to the 150+ people who were there. Good thing people don't understand my English very well...
So overall things are great and going very well. I could essentially start a youth football organization ANYWHERE in the world right now with the experience I have had here in the last 6 months. People around here are starting to know my name and not be afraid to talk to me (they used to call me "mzungu" or "white person"). I've been invited to a lot of events as a special guest of honor which is flattering but also making my schedule quite crazy.
Also, March madness has not quite been the same here without other college basketball fans. I have tried to explain the brackets and the tournament to people and no one gets it. Oh well.... as long as Carolina is in the Final Four it's allllll good with me!
GO HEELS!
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Thinking outloud
The last few weeks have been very interesting and much different than the rest of my Kenyan experiences. Before now, I was absolutely in love with Kenya and everything here. Recently, I have experienced the other side.
Being in the developing world is wearing. Poverty is a powerful force. Kenyans are wonderful people and for the most part they are friendly, caring, welcoming and enjoyable, but there is this culture of materialism and monetary values. Everything is about money and people without money can be driven to do some pretty crazy things. I have a hard time subscribing to that idea because I'm used to a culture of generosity without expected reciprocation. Many people here are reliant on others (other people or organizations) for everything. They think "Why should I volunteer to support my community when I can be doing something else to make money?" This mentality is tough to break, especially in my arena of soccer participation. The youth leagues I grew up in with volunteer coaches, parents, referees and organizers is non-existent here. People expect everything to be given to them with no responsibility for their own contributions.
These philosophies are proving to be quite stressful for me. I'm really starting to be engulfed in this culture, including the good and the bad. I'm just reminded every day that no matter how long I am here, I will never be Kenyan. I will never be OK with lying or cheating or taking advantage of others.
Otherwise things are well. It's warm and sunny every day, I am meeting so many wonderful people, I am watching so many kids play soccer and I'm learning to fend for myself. I used to think I was finally part of the "real world" but I now do not consider this the "real world." I am totally wrapped up in a crazy, confused and contradictory world.... and I love it.
I'm now heading to the shop right below where I live. They stock everything from milk and bread to nail polish, soap, toothpaste and soda. Essentially, everything I need. Even though it's dark already, it's totally safe for me to go outside because my building has armed guards.... armed with a bow and arrow (no joke).
Being in the developing world is wearing. Poverty is a powerful force. Kenyans are wonderful people and for the most part they are friendly, caring, welcoming and enjoyable, but there is this culture of materialism and monetary values. Everything is about money and people without money can be driven to do some pretty crazy things. I have a hard time subscribing to that idea because I'm used to a culture of generosity without expected reciprocation. Many people here are reliant on others (other people or organizations) for everything. They think "Why should I volunteer to support my community when I can be doing something else to make money?" This mentality is tough to break, especially in my arena of soccer participation. The youth leagues I grew up in with volunteer coaches, parents, referees and organizers is non-existent here. People expect everything to be given to them with no responsibility for their own contributions.
These philosophies are proving to be quite stressful for me. I'm really starting to be engulfed in this culture, including the good and the bad. I'm just reminded every day that no matter how long I am here, I will never be Kenyan. I will never be OK with lying or cheating or taking advantage of others.
Otherwise things are well. It's warm and sunny every day, I am meeting so many wonderful people, I am watching so many kids play soccer and I'm learning to fend for myself. I used to think I was finally part of the "real world" but I now do not consider this the "real world." I am totally wrapped up in a crazy, confused and contradictory world.... and I love it.
I'm now heading to the shop right below where I live. They stock everything from milk and bread to nail polish, soap, toothpaste and soda. Essentially, everything I need. Even though it's dark already, it's totally safe for me to go outside because my building has armed guards.... armed with a bow and arrow (no joke).
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
March
I have been in Kenya for a little more than 5 months... how did that happen?!? Work is going well. Still 7 days a week about 9 or 10 hours a day. We are in the middle of kicking off all the leagues, organizing coaches and referees trainings and securing corporate sponsorship. Basically, tons of stuff to do and not enough time.
The HOVIC football team that I am supporting is doing so well. They are training almost every day and as of now, I think none of them are using glue which is SO EXCITING! HOVIC just opened a night shelter for some of the street boys so some of the players will be able to stay there overnight, instead of on the streets.
It's hot here every day. Usually around 90. The rains will start in April so more dust for the next month. I had Chinese food for lunch today, I'm using internet in my house and watching college basketball on ESPN. For all of you who thought African all lived in huts in the middle of nowhere... that is not so true haha.
P.S. I finally posted a few pictures online. Enjoy!
http://community.webshots.com/user/kelmo17
The HOVIC football team that I am supporting is doing so well. They are training almost every day and as of now, I think none of them are using glue which is SO EXCITING! HOVIC just opened a night shelter for some of the street boys so some of the players will be able to stay there overnight, instead of on the streets.
It's hot here every day. Usually around 90. The rains will start in April so more dust for the next month. I had Chinese food for lunch today, I'm using internet in my house and watching college basketball on ESPN. For all of you who thought African all lived in huts in the middle of nowhere... that is not so true haha.
P.S. I finally posted a few pictures online. Enjoy!
http://community.webshots.com/user/kelmo17
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
the real world?
So the last few weeks have been totally consumed by work. I love what I'm doing, but it is a 24 hour a day, 7 days a week job. The way things are done here is so much slower and less productive than I'm used to. We had a meeting every day last week with each zone we operate in. Each meeting was supposed to start at 2pm. NOT ONE meeting started before 3:30... not one! Time is so not a factor here and it's extremely frustrating.
I just got back this morning from a workshop in Nairobi. It was for a select group of sports and development organizations that have been identified by the Dutch government to participate in creating a program to allocate funds the Dutch have available. It was a great two days and I met other really interesting people. There are so many great organizations here and it definitely inspired me to try and do even more.
The soccer team I am sponsoring played in an open tournament last weekend. They were definitely the youngest team, being all under the age of 16 but they played well and really held their own. People around town are starting to talk about them and complement their efforts and motivation... so nice to see! It's crazy how these kids play in tournaments against all these other teams and at the end of the day, the other players will go home to their houses/families/meals/bed, while my team all lives on the streets... pretty unbelievable huh?
I have met some more Americans who are living here in Kisumu as part of a program similar to the one I did in 2007. It's so nice to have more American friends and be able to speak normally and talk about stuff from home. I miss that so much.
Let's see if I can recount some recent awkward moments...
1. A man in the matatu this morning introduced himself to me and shook my hand but did that wierd thing where he tickled my palm with his middle finger while he was shaking my hand...
2. As I was riding in a matatu last week, I was sitting next to the driver in the front seat and he's muttering to himself "where are the keys?" We were driving around town with no keys in the ignition (?!?!) but finally we stopped and he found the keys under the seat.
3. I went to the movies last week with some friends because they have a special on Tuesday nights where you get a hot dog, soda, popcorn and ticket for 4 dollars. the power went off three times during the movie and we were the only ones there
So many other funny/crazy things happen and I will have to start writing them down so I can share.
There has been some big new the last few weeks in Kenya with the fire at a downtown supermarket in Nairobi. I man I know was killed in that. Also the tanker which overturned and then exploded killing like 120 people last week. Lots of sad new here...
Yet, things with me are good. Keep the updates coming. I will be waking up in the middle of the night to watch the Carolina Duke game tonight which will HOPEFULLY be aired. GO HEELS!
I just got back this morning from a workshop in Nairobi. It was for a select group of sports and development organizations that have been identified by the Dutch government to participate in creating a program to allocate funds the Dutch have available. It was a great two days and I met other really interesting people. There are so many great organizations here and it definitely inspired me to try and do even more.
The soccer team I am sponsoring played in an open tournament last weekend. They were definitely the youngest team, being all under the age of 16 but they played well and really held their own. People around town are starting to talk about them and complement their efforts and motivation... so nice to see! It's crazy how these kids play in tournaments against all these other teams and at the end of the day, the other players will go home to their houses/families/meals/bed, while my team all lives on the streets... pretty unbelievable huh?
I have met some more Americans who are living here in Kisumu as part of a program similar to the one I did in 2007. It's so nice to have more American friends and be able to speak normally and talk about stuff from home. I miss that so much.
Let's see if I can recount some recent awkward moments...
1. A man in the matatu this morning introduced himself to me and shook my hand but did that wierd thing where he tickled my palm with his middle finger while he was shaking my hand...
2. As I was riding in a matatu last week, I was sitting next to the driver in the front seat and he's muttering to himself "where are the keys?" We were driving around town with no keys in the ignition (?!?!) but finally we stopped and he found the keys under the seat.
3. I went to the movies last week with some friends because they have a special on Tuesday nights where you get a hot dog, soda, popcorn and ticket for 4 dollars. the power went off three times during the movie and we were the only ones there
So many other funny/crazy things happen and I will have to start writing them down so I can share.
There has been some big new the last few weeks in Kenya with the fire at a downtown supermarket in Nairobi. I man I know was killed in that. Also the tanker which overturned and then exploded killing like 120 people last week. Lots of sad new here...
Yet, things with me are good. Keep the updates coming. I will be waking up in the middle of the night to watch the Carolina Duke game tonight which will HOPEFULLY be aired. GO HEELS!
Friday, January 30, 2009
So far so good on the job front. This past week was a lot of planning for the upcoming year. From what I have heard from some friends, people around town are pretty excited about me working at the organization, which makes me feel good. I still feel really confident about the work we are doing and I think I’ll be able to help a lot of it get done.It has just been a difficult transition to adjust to the work atmosphere here. Things that are so important at the work place in the US like efficiency, effectiveness, timeliness, productivity.... none of these exist here. There is a lot of sitting around, a lot of talking/gossiping and not a lot of actual DOING. This will take some time to get used to and things will still get done, just not as quickly as I would like or am used to.
My sister left last week so for the past few days I have had no family members here with me… first time in a month. It is still hot here every day. Three days ago it rained for the first time in literally two months. It was starting to get horrible. It was just so dusty and dry everywhere, but it’s rained a little in the past few days so it’s a little better.
The inauguration was pretty exciting here. Even though it wasn’t declared an official holiday like election day, people pretty much stopped working around 1 pm and celebrated the rest of the day and night. It was quite the event. There was a big get-together in town here in Kisumu with music blasting all day. There is a popular reggae song here with a chorus that just repeats “Ba-rack O-bama, Ba-rack O-bama.” We heard that song all day long…
Sunday, January 18, 2009
UGANDA!
So I started my new job last week. The first week went really well. I think everyone is receptive to me being there and they are excited to work hard this year... hopefully. My week ended short because we left for Uganda Thursday afternoon.
My sister, my friend Elizabeth, a family of 7 I know from Portland and I all decided to make the not-too-far trip to Uganda for the weekend. We left Kisumu in the afternoon and took a matatu (14 person van) to the border town, Busia. Immigration is quite easy to pass through.. especially after you have to pay USD $50 on the Ugandan side to enter the country. We then took another Matatu to the town of Jinja which sits right on Lake Victoria and the source of the river Nile. The family we were with had contacted a rafting company and already set everything up for us. So we arrived at the camp at night and relaxed at the bar/restaurant before bed. In the morning, we were able to see the place in the daylight... pretty sweet. The bar overlooks the Nile and it's absolutely beautiful. We left in the morning around 10 for our white-water rafting trip. There are two options for the trip: wild or mild. Of course, we did wild. Our guide was Canadian and pretty experienced on the river. The water was so warm and the sun was so hot. We went through 11 rapids, 4 of which were class 5 rapids. Our boat flipped three different times. It was such a fun day, but also scary. Some of the rapids were huge and you're basically guaranteed to flip. In which case, you either hold on to the boat or get rescued by one of the ten rescue kayakers who follow the boats. Two different times I was trapped under the boat when we flipped, yet I cam out fine. We stopped on an island for a great lunch during the middle and there was plenty of calm water where we could leisurely swim. Overall is was an awesome day, but there were plenty of scary moments. The family we were traveling with were doing a 2 day trip so they continued on when we came back to the camp at night.
We went into Jinja town to a restaurant for dinner and had REAL pizza and burgers with ACTUAL Heinz ketchup... quite the gourmet meal for us. In the morning, my friend Elizabeth and I had decided to bungee jump. The company has a bungee jumping option so we had decided when we arrived to do it. The platform is 145 feet over the river. I was definitely scared but it was absolutely worth it. They wrapped a towel around my ankles and then fastened a cord around that. I hopped to the edge of the platform and they told me how to jump out. After 3, 2, 1, BUNGEE... I don't even remember how I jumped. I just remember falling, but knowing it wasn't like a free fall. I could still feel some resistance and slowing as I fell. I was AWESOME. Swinging back and forth over the river and dangling from my ankles... quite a rush! Then they lowered my into a raft below and brought me to the shore. I watched my friend jump from down there. Kenzie filmed us from the lookout at the bar and had a great view of everything. We left for Kenya soon after.
Overall, our two days in Uganda were great. It was only about a five hour trip to get there so not too bad. I had quite the thrill-seeking weekend and it was totally worth the money (lots of money haha). Back to work tomorrow...
My sister, my friend Elizabeth, a family of 7 I know from Portland and I all decided to make the not-too-far trip to Uganda for the weekend. We left Kisumu in the afternoon and took a matatu (14 person van) to the border town, Busia. Immigration is quite easy to pass through.. especially after you have to pay USD $50 on the Ugandan side to enter the country. We then took another Matatu to the town of Jinja which sits right on Lake Victoria and the source of the river Nile. The family we were with had contacted a rafting company and already set everything up for us. So we arrived at the camp at night and relaxed at the bar/restaurant before bed. In the morning, we were able to see the place in the daylight... pretty sweet. The bar overlooks the Nile and it's absolutely beautiful. We left in the morning around 10 for our white-water rafting trip. There are two options for the trip: wild or mild. Of course, we did wild. Our guide was Canadian and pretty experienced on the river. The water was so warm and the sun was so hot. We went through 11 rapids, 4 of which were class 5 rapids. Our boat flipped three different times. It was such a fun day, but also scary. Some of the rapids were huge and you're basically guaranteed to flip. In which case, you either hold on to the boat or get rescued by one of the ten rescue kayakers who follow the boats. Two different times I was trapped under the boat when we flipped, yet I cam out fine. We stopped on an island for a great lunch during the middle and there was plenty of calm water where we could leisurely swim. Overall is was an awesome day, but there were plenty of scary moments. The family we were traveling with were doing a 2 day trip so they continued on when we came back to the camp at night.
We went into Jinja town to a restaurant for dinner and had REAL pizza and burgers with ACTUAL Heinz ketchup... quite the gourmet meal for us. In the morning, my friend Elizabeth and I had decided to bungee jump. The company has a bungee jumping option so we had decided when we arrived to do it. The platform is 145 feet over the river. I was definitely scared but it was absolutely worth it. They wrapped a towel around my ankles and then fastened a cord around that. I hopped to the edge of the platform and they told me how to jump out. After 3, 2, 1, BUNGEE... I don't even remember how I jumped. I just remember falling, but knowing it wasn't like a free fall. I could still feel some resistance and slowing as I fell. I was AWESOME. Swinging back and forth over the river and dangling from my ankles... quite a rush! Then they lowered my into a raft below and brought me to the shore. I watched my friend jump from down there. Kenzie filmed us from the lookout at the bar and had a great view of everything. We left for Kenya soon after.
Overall, our two days in Uganda were great. It was only about a five hour trip to get there so not too bad. I had quite the thrill-seeking weekend and it was totally worth the money (lots of money haha). Back to work tomorrow...
Sunday, January 11, 2009
more from the Moore's
Today I have not left the house. It feels quite good to do absolutely nothing for a whole day. The last week has been the exact opposite. Last Saturday morning, I left Nairobi with the fam on the bus. I had complained many times in the past about the bumpy ride from Nairobi to Kisumu, but it has gotten a little better and plus, I totally think everyone should experience it and appreciate how awesome our roads are at home. The ride started out pretty good. There were only a few places with some bumps. As we were about 2 hours outside of Kisumu we stopped for 30 mins and had to wait to see what had happened. There was a major traffic jam on the only two lane road across the country (figures). A bus had tipped over onto its side across the road leaving only room for one lane to pass by it. Needless to say we did a little off-roading on our huge coach bus and my mom almost had a panic attack haha. We arrived safe in Kisumu and took it easy the rest of the night. Sunday we went to the field near my house and Dad helpeddo a training session with 14-16 year-old boys. Kenz, Mom and I sat on the side and played with the little children around the area. That night we came to the place where I stayed and they experienced some local food (scrambled eggs!).
Monday morning we visited the street children organization HOVIC. In true Kenyan formal, they had a formal meeting with all the kids and staff and introduced us and made us formally present the gifts we brought to the team captains and staff. It was awkward and funny, but they were TOTALLY excited about the soccer balls, shin guards, cones and pinnies we brought. The kids love white visitors.
Tuesday we did a boat ride out on Lake Victoria. We went on a successful hippo search and saw quite a few (just their heads because their bodies are under water). The lake was pretty cool, but would be MUCH more fun if people could swim in it. Wednesday we visited a local nursery school where an American friend of mine works. It was cool for my mom to see a school and she even taught the kids “The Ittsy Bittsy Spider” and “I’m a little teapot.” That night we went to the well known sunset spot, Kiboko Bay and saw the sunset and had a great meal. You know it’s a good place when you can get mashed potatoes, lettuce, boneless meat and Heinz ketchup.
Thursday we spent the day at Pandipieri, one of the other organizations I’m volunteering with. We were given a tour of the whole compound including the clinic, nursery school, and street kids compound. We gave them tons of school supplies that my mom’s class and another class had collected and also soccer uniforms. They were all SO excited (including the staff members). Friday we spent resting and packing up all my parents stuff and they flew out of Kisumu Friday evening.
Now it’s just my sister and I hanging out here, but we won’t actually do a lot of sitting around because I start my job on Monday. Yes, that’s right… job. The organization I have been working with this time and when I was a student, KYFA, has offered me a management position. It’s called “Interim Management Reinforcement” so I will essentially be overseeing everyone and reporting to the director. I am so excited to have a more influential role in the organization. Hopefully, they will be able to learn from me, but I think it will be such a phenomenal learning experience for me and a great way to get experience in the exact field I want to go into. So that starts tomorrow. We’ll see how it goes with me being younger than everyone there, white and a female. Could be interesting….
Monday morning we visited the street children organization HOVIC. In true Kenyan formal, they had a formal meeting with all the kids and staff and introduced us and made us formally present the gifts we brought to the team captains and staff. It was awkward and funny, but they were TOTALLY excited about the soccer balls, shin guards, cones and pinnies we brought. The kids love white visitors.
Tuesday we did a boat ride out on Lake Victoria. We went on a successful hippo search and saw quite a few (just their heads because their bodies are under water). The lake was pretty cool, but would be MUCH more fun if people could swim in it. Wednesday we visited a local nursery school where an American friend of mine works. It was cool for my mom to see a school and she even taught the kids “The Ittsy Bittsy Spider” and “I’m a little teapot.” That night we went to the well known sunset spot, Kiboko Bay and saw the sunset and had a great meal. You know it’s a good place when you can get mashed potatoes, lettuce, boneless meat and Heinz ketchup.
Thursday we spent the day at Pandipieri, one of the other organizations I’m volunteering with. We were given a tour of the whole compound including the clinic, nursery school, and street kids compound. We gave them tons of school supplies that my mom’s class and another class had collected and also soccer uniforms. They were all SO excited (including the staff members). Friday we spent resting and packing up all my parents stuff and they flew out of Kisumu Friday evening.
Now it’s just my sister and I hanging out here, but we won’t actually do a lot of sitting around because I start my job on Monday. Yes, that’s right… job. The organization I have been working with this time and when I was a student, KYFA, has offered me a management position. It’s called “Interim Management Reinforcement” so I will essentially be overseeing everyone and reporting to the director. I am so excited to have a more influential role in the organization. Hopefully, they will be able to learn from me, but I think it will be such a phenomenal learning experience for me and a great way to get experience in the exact field I want to go into. So that starts tomorrow. We’ll see how it goes with me being younger than everyone there, white and a female. Could be interesting….
Friday, January 2, 2009
The Moores in Kenya
So the last week has been great. My two worlds have officially collided now, my American world and Kenyan world, with my parents being here. They arrived last Friday night and we woke up super early on Saturday morning and did a safari for half a day in Nairobi National Park. We saw zebras, giraffes, ostrich, gazelles, impalas, hartebeest, wildebeest, etc. It was pretty sweet. Sunday we spend most of the day at the Maasai market buying crafts, jewelery, carvings... all the fun Kenyan stuff. We had some Ethiopian food for lunch and shopped more afterwards haha. Monday we took a walk through Kibera, the largest slum in East Africa. A friend of the people we are staying with took us and I think it was definitely an eye-opening experience for the fam.
Monday night we took the train to Mombasa, which of course left 2 hours late and took 16 hours. My mom had food poisoning so she threw up most of the way and was really sick, but is totally fine now. Kenzie, Dad and I did some shopping Tuesday afternoon while Mom recovered. Wednesday morning we went to the Akamba Handicraft Center which is a cooperative that employs over 10,000 people from the Akamba tribe who are trained in woodworking and carving. You basically just walk around to all the little pavilions where the artisans are working and watch what they're doing and ask questions and everything. All the stuff they make is put in a show room and sold to tourists. There is also a show room for Kenyan residents which is about half the price of the tourist one, so of course me being a Kenyan, I talked to them and we were able to shop in the residents-only store. Needless to say we bought A LOT of wooden stuff.
We shopped more in town that afternoon. Mombasa has great cloths, materials and leather sandals. We stayed at a great guest house right in town that was recently renovated so it was very nice and clean and had a restaurant/bar/club attached which was so convenient. New Year's was low key because we had to wake up so early the next day.
Thursday morning we got up and went down to the ferry (the city of Mombasa is an island). We crossed the water and got on a matatu to go to Bodo, the village I did a homestay in when I was a student. The ride was about an hour and at one point we estimate there were 24 people in the 16 passenger car... pretty sweet. We got to Bodo and my American family got to meet my Bodo family. It was quite exciting! My Bodo father and brother and friend took us on a boat ride on the Indian Ocean and we also went down some fresh water stream to see some crocodiles, but unfortunately we couldn't find any. The boat ride as awesome though. We also had two meals in Bodo. Chapati, donut type things, coconut beans and team for breakfast... Red snapper in coconut sauce and coconut rice for lunch. The food was amazing. It was cool for my mom to see the Bodo primary school (being a teacher) and we also got to see someone climb the pal tree to get coconuts and we got to drink from the fresh coconuts. We took many pictures....
We got back to Mombasa in the evening and took the overnight train again back to Nairobi today. Were leaving early in the morning for Kisumu, so they will finally be able to see where I live and what I'm doing. So far so good, besides the minor food poisoning.
More from "The Moores do Kenya" coming soon....
Monday night we took the train to Mombasa, which of course left 2 hours late and took 16 hours. My mom had food poisoning so she threw up most of the way and was really sick, but is totally fine now. Kenzie, Dad and I did some shopping Tuesday afternoon while Mom recovered. Wednesday morning we went to the Akamba Handicraft Center which is a cooperative that employs over 10,000 people from the Akamba tribe who are trained in woodworking and carving. You basically just walk around to all the little pavilions where the artisans are working and watch what they're doing and ask questions and everything. All the stuff they make is put in a show room and sold to tourists. There is also a show room for Kenyan residents which is about half the price of the tourist one, so of course me being a Kenyan, I talked to them and we were able to shop in the residents-only store. Needless to say we bought A LOT of wooden stuff.
We shopped more in town that afternoon. Mombasa has great cloths, materials and leather sandals. We stayed at a great guest house right in town that was recently renovated so it was very nice and clean and had a restaurant/bar/club attached which was so convenient. New Year's was low key because we had to wake up so early the next day.
Thursday morning we got up and went down to the ferry (the city of Mombasa is an island). We crossed the water and got on a matatu to go to Bodo, the village I did a homestay in when I was a student. The ride was about an hour and at one point we estimate there were 24 people in the 16 passenger car... pretty sweet. We got to Bodo and my American family got to meet my Bodo family. It was quite exciting! My Bodo father and brother and friend took us on a boat ride on the Indian Ocean and we also went down some fresh water stream to see some crocodiles, but unfortunately we couldn't find any. The boat ride as awesome though. We also had two meals in Bodo. Chapati, donut type things, coconut beans and team for breakfast... Red snapper in coconut sauce and coconut rice for lunch. The food was amazing. It was cool for my mom to see the Bodo primary school (being a teacher) and we also got to see someone climb the pal tree to get coconuts and we got to drink from the fresh coconuts. We took many pictures....
We got back to Mombasa in the evening and took the overnight train again back to Nairobi today. Were leaving early in the morning for Kisumu, so they will finally be able to see where I live and what I'm doing. So far so good, besides the minor food poisoning.
More from "The Moores do Kenya" coming soon....
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