This week PC staff came to get us fitted for our bikes which we will receive upon arriving to our site. They measured our height and head circumference for helmets, but there was no mention of training wheels, so I assume they come standard. Hmm.

While giving us our next round of injections, the medical staff mentioned they were surprised about my lack of sunburn. I suspect one of the nurses lost a bet. So far so good.

The rest of my week has been uneventful, as life has started to settle into a routine. One morning I did have a staring contest with a goat on my way to training. It was in my path and not willing to move, so I had to amuse myself somehow.

This weekend we travel back to Nairobi for a week where we find out our site and assignment for the next two years. We'll also get to travel to the site to become acquainted with the community and meet our supervisors. Since this involves making a good first impression, travelling on our own, and coping with whatever comes up, I'm sure to have some good stories from this adventure. In fact, we've been given next Monday off in order to "recover" from the week if that gives you any indication about what's expected of us.

Happy 4th of July. I'll try my best to locate a BBQ pool party at my new site, but in case I am not successful, celebrate Independence Day with a bit of extra patriotism for me. Thank you.

I'll update next week, and until then, no news is good news!

The Cheese Incident

This weekend I took an overnight trip to a nearby town called Machakos (sounds exotic) with some colleagues. After a two hour bus ride through rolling hills and mountains, we arrived safely. Thanks to the Lonely Planet Guide to Kenya, we were able to locate a discount hotel that saved money on hot water (there was none) and flush toilets (apparently just for decoration). We're thrifty.

Machakos was a nice change of pace from Kitui, and it had an enormous grocery store that sold refrigerated food, clothing, bikes, furniture, etc. I went a little wild and bought some cheddar cheese that claimed it came from Holland but was also made in Kenya. I think I was too overwhelmed by the notion of the dairy product I had so been missing that I failed to take caution in this discrepancy. Let this be a lesson in impulse-buying in Kenya, as I do believe I have met the first cheese I didn't like. My dreams of hosting wine and cheese parties upon arriving at my site have been dashed.

This week we began our first real "hands on" project, working with the community to build a sub-service dam to collect rainwater for use in cooking, cleaning, bathing, and drinking. This afternoon I'll also begin my first day at the Voluntary Counseling and Testing Clinic in Kitui. It's good to start feeling productive and embark on some projects.

Still avoiding sunburn, and the chicken is getting along nicely with it's fellow companions. One of our other chickens had 10 baby chicks, so they're running around following the mother and squeaking with delight. If only they knew of thier impending fate. At least free-range chickens are healthier, right?

Kitui's wildlife

Last week I was met with a rather menacing bug on my mosquito net. I called my host mama in for an intervention, and she confirmed my suspicion. This time it was a scorpion. She got a plastic bag, wrapped it around her hand, scooped it up and flung it into the fire.

Good news: Mosquito nets protect against scorpions too.
Bad news: Kenya has scorpions.

I thoroughly inspected my bed before getting into it, insect-free. To mark the occasion, my 7-year old host brother drew me a picture of a scorpion and a spider. I guess everyone copes in their own way, but I'd rather not see one again, in real life or through an artist's rendition.

Otherwise, things are going well. The weather here is hot and dry and cools off nicely at night (and this is the cold season!). Sometimes on my walk home I get followed by a swarm of schoolchildren (see Madonna, it happens to me too here) who ask me various questions and test their bravery about who will get closest to me. I don't mean to attract such attention, but I know it must look like a circus.

At my homestay I'm learning how to do my laundry by hand (the Kenyan women make it look easy by the way) and cook some of the local food over a charcoal stove. I'm popping huge blisters on my feet and avoiding sunburn successfully thus far.

Hope all is well with everyone.

p.s. The chicken (who we've started calling "dinner") lives to see another day.

It's a Small World After All

As I am waiting patiently on the post office to use the computer, I overheard two young women speaking in Dutch. I let them continue on in conversation for a few moments, as I thought the sun was making me delirious or perhaps I was mistaking Kiswahili for Dutch, but my ears did not fail me. I started talking to them, and they are here in Kitui for 3 months for an internship program. Very similar to what we are doing. Hmmm....

Also, Michael Bolton is playing on the radio here in the post office.

Yesterday I met my host grandma. She went to shake my hand and put in place of it a plastic bag. I peered in the bag, and a chicken was sitting there patiently and winked at me (I'm not kidding) so I knew it was alive. Right now it's roaming around the shamba (farm) soon to meet it's fate. I was told I would get to do the "honors". I have not come up with a name for it yet, any suggestions?

Still in Kenya

Last night we had chicken for dinner, which we sacrificed right before cooking it (by "we" I mean my fearless host mother). It was quite an experience, and now I think I fully understand the phrase "running around like a chicken with it's head cut off". This particular chicken did not have a chance to run, but I can picture it. Can you? The chicken was tasty, and I saw the feet had been tossed in the stew as well. I picked them out and fed them to the cats, who were quite appreciative. There is always plenty of food at the house, and very carb-heavy, and I'm amazed at how efficient the cooking is, combining all sorts of things to make a good meal (ha, and you thought I would lose weight here?!).

The other day I awoke to a large bug perched on the arm of my chair in my room. I went back to sleep, warning it that I wanted it gone by the time I needed to get up. This did not work, so I finally gathered the courage to crawl out from under my mosquito net and go about my morning routine, trying not to disturb it. I bathed and got dressed and it did not move, so I finally called my host mama into my room to ask her what it was, assuring her I was not scared. She replied "not a scorpion", picked it up with her bare hands and tossed it outside. Phew.

Other than that my days are full of Kiswahili and technical lessons such as how to purify water and how to identify the symptoms of malaria. I'm learning.

Thanks for the posts, you're making me laugh out loud here in the post office in Kitui, which is providing even more entertainment for the locals than usual.

oh, and EVERYONE here has a nose ring. Grrrr...