The Toughest Job You'll Ever Love...Kenya

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2009-11-12T08:04:00.001-06:00

update

Blessed

2007-08-03T01:30:00.001-05:00

I was doing 80 down I-65 tonight and just pondering what a cool day it has been. I am so blessed in my life right now and I just want to celebrate great people/moments/events that have me happy to be home.

The feel of freshly cut grass against my bare feet
The feel of smooth pavement against my bare feet
The feel of household flooring against my bare feet
The hugs you get from fr
The odd phone calls from the only people who understand what weird and wonderful sensations America evokes
The radio full blast while I sing at the top of my lungs as the wind blows through my hair
The casual conversations about nothing at all with whomever I choose
The smell of so many different foods in one place
The Cherry-limeade at Sonic at 1am with extra cherry flavor and extra flavoring
The smile and laughs of new people in my life
The sushi that is still awesome at Samuri
The hugs my niece and nephew ply me with every time I see them
The funny texts my PC friends still send because that is how we communicate
The gossip that still flows fast and thick even across an ocean
The smell of gardens and grass
The sticky oven of heat that is Nashville in July and August
The thrill I get from clothes I haven't seen in more than two years and completely forgot I owned
The joy I feel in my job again
The idea of so many wasted hours surfing the net
The feeling that life has changed dramatically and that it is perfectly sawa sawa (OK)

That is not to say that everyday I don't think of something I miss about Oyugis and Kenya. I will write more about that later, but right now I just want the newness of this life to be the moment I am living. These are some great moments. I have let go of so much of the crap that I was holding on to before I left. i can't remember most of it, which proves how incredibly pointless and negative it must have been.

Back in the USA

2007-07-24T00:09:00.001-05:00

I know I have been completely remiss in my updates. For one thing, I am home. I don't really know what home means anymore (for I really have thought of Oyugis as my home for the past two years), but for the moment home is in Nashville. I have been home for two weeks and it is wonderful, strange, tragic, fun, and awful. I should write so much. I can't write anything. I know I have left some of myself in Kenya, and I just hope it isn't the best part of me.

If has been positively magical to see all my friends and talk to others on the phone. My niece and nephew have simply turned into giants. My sister glows with happiness. More to come, hopefully

For those who want to contact me, you can drop me an email and I'll give you my cell phone number (travelgurl@gmail.com).

Views from the Peace Corps Bus

2007-05-05T04:33:00.001-05:00

So, here is how four Peace Corps Volunteers go about ingesting the new country (Rwanda) they are in after two years of Peace Corps life in Kenya. These things were actually said, out loud, to each other:

Wow, these cows are so fat, you can't even see their hip bones!

Why is there no trash on the road?

Hey, the conductor (tout) didn't snatch my money.

All this rain, they really should have a water catchment system...you'd never have to fetch water again!

Where are all the dukas and jua kali shops?

Why aren't there more goats/cows/chicken to graze on all this lush vegetation? And why aren't the goats/cows/chickens that are here in the middle of the road?

Where are the donkey carts/hand carts/bicycles to block road traffic?

Hey, they are having a meeting under that tree in the field! They might not even NEED Peace Corps Volunteers.

The stima (electricity) hasn't gone off once!

There are no chickens on this matatu.

All those banana trees so close to the house, they must have an awful spider problem!

Look at all these pretty feet! The women here have such smart toes.

No one is wearing clothes that clash. The whole wardrobe of the whole country is so coordinated.

How are these roads soooo good? You could Rollerblade them. I bet that's why the bus seems to have breaks that work. hey, and even the shock absorbers work!

At least its "I Believe" playing, Cher is so much better than Lou music.

OH MY GOD! These women aren't wearing petticoats (slips)! Scandalous!

What Non-PCV's were over-heard to say of Rwanda

It's so pretty.

Geez, this is taking long.

Why is "I Believe" playing AGAIN?

It's so pretty.

There you have it, the difference in world views in a nut shell. Next time you are on a road trip with your favorite volunteer, look for some of this charming comments.

Gorillas And The Misty

2007-04-20T15:31:00.001-05:00

Rwanda...Awesome! OK, here is a jumble of thoughts about how great Rwanda is: indescribably beautiful, roller coaster hills, roads so good they make you cry, cheese cheese and more cheese that is delightful, affordable safe and enjoyable local transport, unbelievably stunning women, fabrics to die for, killer lollipops, and super nice folks. It was a great time and despite some last minute disappointments (I'll miss you Mr. $200, but I hope we will meet again, and the sketch bastard who took you I hope he likes that $200, cuz I sure could have used it myself).

So, our trip began with a somber dip into the recent past. We visited a few of the genocide memorials and the genocide museum. I have been a little consumed with the subject since I joined Peace Corps. I've read probably 7 or 8 books on the subject, including Romeo Dalliar's "Shake Hands With The Devil". He was the UN Force Commander and his book has the best logistical and outsider observations. It is hard to wrap my head around. The first memorial we went to was a church where 5000 men, women and children who had sought refuge on holy ground were slaughtered in a matter of hours. Being there and seeing the remains of horror has shaken my faith in human kind. The genocide museum is an amazing testament to truth. It was an amazing and difficult experience that I am happy was balanced by roving the countryside and seeing what Rwanda is like today.

Yes, I am now undertaking a campaign to have a baby gorilla named Misty. They have a naming ceremony in June and I can think of no better name. Seriously, it is misty as hell in the Volcanoes National Park (hence, the name of the movie and the book, "Gorillas in the Mist"). It was an amazing experience. Me and my three great pals Devin, Meg and Kirsten got to hang with the Hirwa (Lucky) group for an hour. It is a group of 10: 1 silver back, 1 black back, 4 adult females and 4 babies (1 under 9 months!). This was a great group to see, and they weren't even noticing us, until that is, the silver back CHARGED us full on. Our instructions were "DON'T RUN" and to look down. What did we do, what any natural human would do, turn and try to run. But, when you are in a far corner of the jungle, off trail completely, THERE IS NO PLACE TO RUN. He was just playing with us, but I tell you what, it seemed real enough. I hope to have pictures up in the next week or two, so go over to Flickr and you can see them. I'll let you know when they are up.

Overall we agree that maybe Peace Corps Rwanda (which was there until like 1993 I think) would have been a great experience (though I still love Kenya kabisa!). It is truly the land of a 1000 hills, each of them more beautiful than the last. It was a great week and I plan to return sometime soon. The bus ride was long, but because the roads of Uganda and Rwanda are not nearly as disastrous as Kenya, not as bone crushingly awful as a trip from one part of Kenya to the other. Considering that both countries are poorer than Kenya, it makes you understand how pervasive money mismanagement really is.

I've "Been So Lost"

2007-04-06T05:19:00.000-05:00

That is what Kenyans say when they haven't seen you in awhile (and sometimes that "awhile" could be 20 minutes)...You've Been So Lost (or nimepotea I think in Kiswahili, though looking at it, it may mean I've been so lost and should be umepotea...sijui (who knows), I live with Lous and we don't need no stinkin' Kiswahili). Either way...I'm back, of sorts at least.

I have really just been swapped beyond belief with work. The Imani Design ladies have been at it like it is a sweatshop trying to get product ready for the big Peace Corps roll out which was last week. The roll out was a success, though the ambitious American in me wanted it to be even more. I will soon have pictures up on Flickr or some of the cool stuff they are making.

It is actually so funny it is to be this busy. When I first got to site, nearly two years ago, I couldn't have imagined in my wildest dreams that I would be this insanely busy and with a project and people I love so very much. Despite the horrible upheaval in my assigned organization (which really will stay undescribed here until I return to the US), I am one lucky volunteer to be living in a place I love (most of the time) and working with people who really are committed to things. Not everyone can say that.

There is a lot going and some really big decisions I will be making in the next few weeks. I am still torn as to when I will be coming home. My original plan had me coming home for my birthday (hint hint....get the cards in the mail now). I can still do that, but if I stay until July 4 (when I can get an early COS) I am thinking I will help Imani Rural Women's Action Group get on a sounder footing and be a more sustainable project. I still haven't decided and a lot depends on the actions (or inaction) of my supervisor (sorry for the subterfuge for those that don't know, but it really isn't appropriate to talk about in such a public forum).

I am basically putting off the decision until I return from Rwanda in two weeks. I leave next week for a week in the beautiful Rwanda where I will be tromping through the volcanic rain forest with Dian Fossey's gorillas. I think I am excited about that, but it is hard to overcome the mental hurdle of suffering through an 18 HOUR bus ride each way between Kigali and Kisumu...EACH WAY. These gorillas better make me tea and play scrabble with me or something.

PEACE ACTION REQUEST

So, I have a request (another one) for those of you looking to help me and my projects out. I would love for you to send along any Oprah (and other very colorful) magazines that may be laying round collecting dust. Part of my project involves making jewelry from old magazines (I know, I am the last person you'd thought that would embark upon a craft), and the magazines need to be very colorful (full pages of color, like O, People, Cosmo etc). This is the best recycling program imaginable. You'll get to see examples of this cool and funky jewelry when I get back (if I know you personally I guess) or soon with pictures on Flickr. Though, the pictures don't do it justice.

If you could M Bag these magazines to Kenya, you would be doing a world of good for the ladies of Pendo Letu (Our Love). M Bag is a slow boat way to send any printed material, it costs about a dollar a pound and takes six months to get here. Feel free to send it by faster means if you want such immediate satisfaction. Since I will not be here in six months (still hard for me to believe) please send them to the following person. She is a woman I have worked closely with throughout my service, and with whom I will continue to work closely.

Sophie R. A. Otieno
Box 193
Oyugis, Kenya 40222
EAST AFRICA

(Seems the US post system is a little thrown by the zip code and keeps sending my mail first to Louisville instead of Africa...Kentucky/Kenya, I guess that could be confusing.)

Thanks so much in advance for being part this Peace Action. Rest assured there will be more to follow.

FOOTBALL!

2007-02-05T00:07:00.000-06:00

Well, only 3 hours ago I was with 30 other Peace Corps Volunteers watching AMERICAN FOOTBALL! Now, it was 6am on Monday for us, and we'd stayed up all night to enjoy it, but it was worth it. It is hard to believe that another football season has passed while I whittle away the months in Kenya. It was a true joy to be screaming at the screen when Grossman made yet another bonehead move (in all of his 6 minutes on the field), and Manning seemed to be holding a spiritual conference with all the players he was calling so many audibles. The only way I managed to stay awake through the whole game was by spending the last quarter and a half explaining the intricate rules to my friend Shinita who had decided to cheer for the Colts (and there were so few of us) because she "likes horses." I figure that is as good a reason as any though. Now, me choosing the Colts side in this game in NO WAY diminishes my unyielding love for my Titans. That should be understood immediately.

Life in Peace Corps has gotten crazy busy and it is amazing that the last six months of service are really the most frantic months. Without going into too much detail (or really, no detail), y'all should know that things at my organization aren't so much kosher. I am fine and my work progresses, but there seems to be a few more stumbling blocks these days. I mention this because getting mail is proving to be more difficult than normal. So, if you have sent me any letters and I haven't responded, please know that it is not because I am slacking off. If it is something you really need a response to, please drop me an email or call me up. The on-going insanity of getting mail/packages/psychic messages has become simply absurd at this point, but for once I can't blame it on the Kenyan postal system (as much as I'd like to). I am doing just fine though, so there is NO need to be worrying about me, promise.

I have been putting up more pictures on the website lately, if you haven't checked over there recently. I went into the way back machine and put up some from training in Kitui from summer 05 (yikes, that was like yesterday). I know I repeat this every time, but I really am missing everyone desperately and hope everyone is doing well.

This and That

2007-01-22T02:43:00.000-06:00

I don't know what I had even thought about writing here. I have been very busy on the usual stuff and can't think of too much new to write, not at the moment at least. I am ultra excited about my brother coming to visit in a few weeks. It has been so long since I have seen him (well before I left for Peace Corps) and it will be the first time he gets to hand with his big sis all by himself.

My women's group has been kickin' butt with their bead work and I am in the process of creating an internet persona for them. They now have a blog of their own (www.ImaniDesignsKenya.blogspot.com). It is pretty sparse for the moment, but I hope to get more pictures up soon, profiles of some of the women and general group demographics. They sold 4000/- ($56) worth of product last week, that means they are close to buying a sewing machine as a group (they want to make school uniforms to sell). I have included a picture below (hopefully, if this thing works right) to get you an idea of what's going on.

WARNING!
Ok, the following story is quite, um, harsh is the ONLY word for it. I am about to describe a traditional practice that would have PETA righteously flying 8000 miles to my house if they only knew. So, I might suggest that some would wish to skip past this to the end of the post.

So, last week, on a fine morning at 7:30am I was startled from my routine by a group of people out my back window tying up a bull. I really didn't pay them much mind except they were kinda loud and drowning out my radio. When I peeked back a few minutes later, the bull was hog-tied and on its side with a pole shoved between its legs for the length of its body. Well, you don't have to tell this girl twice to grab her camera and see what's going down.

Here is where it gets intense. In Kenya lots of men carry a runga, a stick carved with a big knob at the top. It has many uses, but I had no idea about this one. See, the family had brought in a traditional castration guy, with a mighty big runga. Well, there was to be no cutting this day my friends. Nope, this skilled tradesman placed the bull's testicles over the pole and began whacking on them (think "whacking day" on the episode of the Simpson’s). He did it over and over again; the bull uttered not even a sigh! I was beyond shocked at this point, I couldn't believe this was really happening, and within two feet of my house! Just when I thought the dude was done, he flips the bull over and goes about it all again! Now, I kinda (but not really) understand why they use testicular trauma to castrate a bull and not snipping them off. There really aren't any vets around, the bull was several years old and there would be no actual wound care available. But, when that bull was untied and it got up and walked away I thought that there is NO WAY I just witnessed what I had, let alone snapped some disturbing pictures. Kenya never fails to surprise me. I wonder if what Jeff would think of this method of animal care.

So, there we go, nearly two years in and still nothing is really routine. I hope everyone is well, and I will be uploading more pictures (on various subjects) in the next few days, so go check them out.

Too Much

2006-12-23T06:42:00.000-06:00

I don’t know if you have heard any mention of Kenya or the Horn of Africa lately in the news, but if you have, you’ll not be surprised when I speak of flooding. For at least the past five years Kenya has been suffering under a drought. The northern, eastern and rift valley parts of Kenya have suffered the worst, but even here in the green western part of Kenya, the farmers have had a rough go of it with the reduced rainfall. Well, this year has been particularly rough.

First, it looked like the rains might start a little early, so all the mamas and framers got to work and put the crops out. After that disturbing false start, the rains stopped completely. The short rains did finally come, a month late. Then they wouldn’t stop! It has been so troubling for all of Kenya. The northern part of Kenya has been so petrified with drought that now that there is some rain falling, the ground is too dry to absorb it. This has led to widespread and devastating flooding, dire food shortages and many deaths. The flooding is happening in so many places, and it is a harbinger of worse to come. Not only will there be deaths by the initial catastrophe, but disease, homelessness and famine are sure to follow. Already the normal rainy season explosion of malaria is hitting near epidemic proportions. This isn’t even to mention the current explosion of typhoid in my town and I am just hoping that cholera and dysentery aren’t on the horizon. And still the rains haven’t stopped.

It is the end of December; we should be well into the dry season. January is the month that is actually quite hot here in Oyugis, not to mention unbearably dry and dusty. But instead of letting the maize dry in the fields and harvesting the beans, what little maize there is continues to get wet and the beans are near ruin. I was in a field the other day where there was literal mold on the beans. My friends and colleagues say that this time next year the price of maize will be four times its regular market price. Food security is always an issue for the people in my community, such a dramatic increase in price and likely shortages surely means I have friends that will be starving next year. I don’t even know what think or do. Sometimes I think being a PCV means feeling powerless and overwhelmed most of the time.

Merry Christmas 2006

2006-12-23T06:37:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas

It is strange to think that it is Christmas. NPR keeps speaking of the shopping, the traveling, the food and even plays carols during breaks, yet it still doesn’t feel like Christmas. I hope that none of you are caught at the Denver airport, suffering from the blizzard.

A few of my friends will have new youngin’s celebrating their first Christmas with family this year (Kate and Harper). I hope the families will be having a blast with their new additions and I’ll be looking for all those “1st Christmas” pictures to be coming soon.

I’ll be spending Christmas at home (my Kenyan home) trying to catch up on work and getting things done for the new year. It is hard to believe the immense time crunch I am beginning to feel, I can see the end of my service looming and it now feels like it is coming way too soon. I never thought I’d be saying that!

So, to everyone out there, I hope you have a wonderful Christmas full of cheer and fun. Eat lots of food and think of me, or even better yet, take pictures of Christmas dinner and send them to me. I am missing you all very much and I know I’ll be seeing you “relatively” soon.

"Ah, For You, I'd Kill My Wife"

2006-11-15T03:05:00.000-06:00

The title of this blog entry is the winning "wooing" comment from my time in Egypt. It happened the last day in Cairo, Carole and I were strolling through Khan al Kalili market and one guy says to me, "Ah, for you, I'd kill my wife." Now, not one prone to speechlessness, I was dumbstruck with silence. All I could think was, geez, your poor wife. This is all to say: I had a brilliant time in Egypt and I can't wait to go back!

It was just two of us as our third planned traveling companion ran into some problems. So, Carole and I set off to the oldest tourist attractions in the world. But before I can get to the pyramids, sphinx and all that crap, I have to talk about the cool crappy food we ate! We got off our insanely early flight to Cairo (departed Nairobi at 4am) and took a nice shower. We then walked ACROSS THE STREET from our hostel to the McDonalds!!! Now, it was the middle of Ramadan when we got to Egypt and the nice guys working at our hostel had invited us to break the fast with them that night. Carole and I have notoriously small tummies so we made a compromise (well, if you asked Carole, I forced the compromise on her). We would share a McNuggets meal so we wouldn't ruin our appetites for the big breaking of the fast that evening. It was difficult not to chow down on everything on the menu, but we (well, I) won out. And yes, the meal the guys brought in that night was amazing as well. But back to McDonalds. After a year and a half, it was so awesome how a McDonalds in Cairo tasted just like a McDonalds in Connersville. This isn't something I would normally rave about, but consider my skewed perspective.

So, on to the ancient wonder of the Giza plateau and the pyramids. They are HUGE. There is no way to tell from pictures just how massive they really are. It was really cool because they are practically in the middle of urban Cairo and you can see them from different parts of the city. The desert heat, especially after a year and a half in mild Kenya was scorching; I thought it would burn my eyeballs up. The best part was the horseback ride we did at sunset around the pyramids and into the desert. It was such pretty light and so quiet compared to earlier in the day when there were all these huge tour buses and inappropriately dressed tourists about (more on that later). Carole really wanted to take a camel, but the sunset ride lasted close to two hours, and as we know from the legions of experienced Camel Derby Vets here in Kenya, more than 30 minutes on a camel can incapacitate the tushie for days, so we both opted for the horses. Also, this let us ride further out into the desert.

After some touring around Cairo, we hopped a train down Aswan to continue temple viewing (and trying to avoid the pressure to see the High Dam…now I am sure it is a nice place, but I was assured it was only a dam and didn't posses magical powers, so we managed to ignore the agent pressure and ditch the dam). The highlight of going to Aswan is the massive, speed of light, motor vehicle caravan down to Abu Simbel. They do this for safety reasons, but there is nothing safe about at least a hundred vans and buses traveling near the speed of light through a dark desert, blindly passing, all to get to the same place at roughly the same time. That being said, we were one of the first ones there, so eat that suckers!

It is a cool, Ode To Ramses II that he built for himself along the banks of the Nile only 40km from the Sudan border. It really is impressive, and I really liked the Temple he built for his favorite wife, Nefertiti. We had to leave at 4am to get there, and it was worth it to have the morning light and NOT the unbearable heat of mid-day.

To get from Aswan to Luxor we spent the night on a felucca. It is basically like a Kenyan Dhow, or a wooden fishing boat, modified to sleep on the deck. It was a nice gentle ride, but packed matatu style with some partying Aussie chicks. Next time I think I'll opt for the private boat.

More temples…it is Egypt after all. We loved Luxor; it was a cool place to celebrate the end of Ramadan with Egyptians. And we were in a totally posh hotel with a TV and a bathroom that was beyond perfection. Fire hose strength water pressure, endless hot water, granite countertops, adjustable height showerhead…I could go on and on about the bathroom alone. At one point Carole, who is quite tall, walked out and said, "I was going to complain about the height of the showerhead, but it's adjustable, now there is not ONE thing I can complain about."

The shopping and the street food in Luxor were beyond compare. Egyptians love honey covered pastries, and even more so during Ramadan. We went from one curio vender to one food stall after another. Temples viewed include: Hatshepsut, Valley of the Kings (Tombs) Karnack and Luxor. All pretty amazing, but beyond my descriptive powers, go look at the pictures.

In Luxor we had the immense joy of spending the day with some of our Peace Corps Kenya buddies. Emily and Meg were also in Egypt and our trip overlapped by a day. So, what do four good friends do after so long removed from civilization and in an over-whelming historic and beautiful place? Well, we lunched at McDonalds (across the street from the Luxor Temple though) and we shopped! It was sooo much fun to be with them, because we could make the same dumb comments about how much better Egypt was than Kenya to each other and we all got it. We feasted (see the pictures) and then we soaked up some temples. We all went to Karnack together, which was great fun and gave me a great picture of them. It was the last time until I return to the States that I will see my Oyugis mate Emily, as she had COS'd (Close of Service) and returned to the US before I returned from Egypt. I will miss her, kabisa!

So, Em and Meg left for Cairo and we left for Dahab, better known to me now as PARADISE. Dahab is on the Sinai Peninsula on the Red Sea across from Saudi Arabia. Friends had been there previously and they couldn't speak highly enough of it, but I was still like, "it's just a beach." Oh no my friends, it is not just a beach. It is one of the best I have ever been to! The water is really indescribable, it is a sapphire blue, but more than that. And because of the geography, thirty yards off shore of most of its coast is a dramatic shelf that allows for absolutely brilliant snorkeling. We went out to the famous Blue Hole to snorkel and it just rocked. Behind us is stark desert cliffs, ahead of us, ravishingly blue water filled with the coolest sea life ever. All around us Bedouin folks schlepping diving gear on camels. It was really ideal. And the town of Dahab was so relaxed and laid back, no pressure, the sign of perfect beach culture. I can't wait to go back here.

We also ventured into some Holy Land touring. Carole and I climbed up Mt. Sinai, Moses' Mountain. Now, let me just say that there have been times in Kenya I would SWEAR I was freezing (as I am but a poor southern girl unaccustomed to cold, and now I am Kenyan, so it's even more dramatic). But nothing compares to how shockingly cold it was on the mountain. We began climbing at 1am so we could be up there for sunrise (I promised years ago no more sunrises, alas I broke my own vow). I was wearing a thin flannel pullover on top of a t-shirt, pajama pants and Chaco sandals with no socks (I live in Kenya, not too much need for a parka). The temp, according to our wonderful guide, dropped to just above freezing before the sun came up. I nearly didn't make it, especially when you consider the wind. But I am glad I did as it was beautiful to see the color of the stone in the early rays of sun. Because of the day (Sunday) there were only about 75 people up there, but all the other days there would normally be 700. I can't even imagine that, Moses' Mountain isn't that roomy! I guess that is why he went alone. Anyway, it was worth the freezing climb (ending with 750 rock hewn stairs to the top) to get a wonderful sunrise. At the bottom of the mountain is St. Katherine's Monastery where the burning bush is supposed to be housed. The monastery is closed on Sundays, hence the less crowded mountain top. But, the best views of the mountain are from the open rock outcroppings across from it, so all in all…GO ON SUNDAY. Our guide was a really nice guy who has been leading folks up and around the area for 18 years. He is a Bedouin guy who was so nice to tell us a lot about Bedouin culture, and how tourists trample all over it.

So, back to Cairo we went and then back to Kenya. I nearly wept getting on the plane, I didn't want to leave. Although our parting meals were KFC for lunch (not the same, as there were no fake mashed potatoes and no biscuits, we have to export biscuits y'all, the world doesn't know what its missing) and McDonalds for dinner. We went out with a bang.

Ok, now for some chat about perspective. I bet if I had come to Egypt straight from the US it wouldn't have seemed so amazingly modern. Just out of the doors of the airport we were giggling with joy over the smooth roads and painted lines on the street. Not to say that Cairo drivers aren't totally insane, they are! When we got to the hostel, the owner, knowing we were Peace Corps, said, "Welcome to Civilization." He couldn't have said truer words. The whole trip was marveling at how things actually worked the way they were meant to in Egypt. I think I got a tiny taste of what coming back to America is going to be like, and all I can say is you people better bare with me, it is going to be rough. But please do not let me eat crappy food like it will disappear tomorrow, or any of the copious amounts of food I took in while in Egypt. But I did know while I was there that I only had two weeks to shovel it in before I was back to sukuma and ugali.

Another comment…wear some clothes people. Now, Carole and I weren't wearing full abyas or head scarves, but coming from conservative Kenya it wasn't that difficult to cover our shoulders and most of our thighs. That being said, if you are NOT at the beach, and in a conservative Muslim culture, your tightest Daisy Dukes, half tank tops with your bra hanging out and belly bared is not the way to walk around. It shows a total lack of respect and only invites more attention (sometimes aggressive) and revile from the local culture. I know that when tourists come to my village wearing shorts it really is disrespectful to my community. Even though I am a tourist in a place like Egypt and I am not trying to fit in, there is a decent level of decorum that should be respected, and it was mind blowing how many people didn't give a care. Emily coined a brilliant term for it, Nakidity. I wouldn't like us (westerners) if you showed nearly naked in a culture where upper arm is risqué. So, please do a modicum of research into the culture of the place you are visiting, even if you are only hitting the major highlights, your host country would greatly appreciate it!

One last thing…if I did try, I would blend (insert Marisa Tome accent from "My Cousin Vinny"). Countless times a day I would be asked if I was Egyptian, and I finally began to answer in my thickest southern accent, "yeah, I am." It was true though, if I'd been wearing a head scarf and not standing next to a statuesque blond I would really have blended. I guess my theory continues to prove itself true, if your people are brown skinned, I really can blend. Too bad I can't use my powers in some super-agent capacity, that would be fun (language would get me every time, always does). The other funny thing was language. Kiswahili is a mixture of African Bantu language and Arabic, so we would constantly be stumbling over a few words that we knew that over-lapped with Egyptian Arabic. That was to the great amusement of all the amazingly nice and hospitable Egyptian people we met. They really are nice people, even if their blokes are aggressive with the chatter. Carole said, "They look at me and they think a good time, they look at you and think wife." It ended up being fairly true and amusing most of the time. The whole trip was amusing and relieving and fun and just a needed break from Africa.

Random Rhetorical Questions

2006-10-29T09:20:00.000-06:00

How can I still be suffering under an administration that is headed by an incompetent, callous and reactionary leader with no concern for those who he's paid to be serving (and for once I'm not talking about Bush)? How could I not have figured out a way to save my friend from being Admin Sep'd? Will she know the huge hole she's leaving in the hearts of PCVs and Kenyans alike? Why do I feel so utterly alone and adrift all the time? When it's my turn to follow in Jen's footsteps, can I match her bravery and ferocity? If no one sees the tears, does it mean they don't exist? Where has all the time gone, and why is it going so slow?

Projects and More

2006-09-27T03:41:00.000-05:00

Wow, what an incredibly busy month it has. I know I should have updated a while ago, but I have been so wrapped up in work, I really haven't had the time. Also, getting Internet access has been particularly difficult. Usually I go to the post office and use the Internet there, but the government hasn't paid its Internet bill so they owe like a billion shillings and no one knows when service will be restored. Karibu Kenya!

So, a friend asked me the other day while we were on the phone, what the hell am I exactly doing here. I guess I talk about my projects in such bits and pieces it can be hard to tell (well, sometimes it's hard for even me to tell and I'm living this life). So, I thought I would do a brief overview of my three main and current projects. There are other things I do skirting around these things, but these are what I would characterize as my main focus these days.

Post Rape Care: I've talked about this one a lot. Currently I am working to "mobilize" (fancy development term really meaning publicize whatever one is working on) community awareness of the program and also create a dialogue about rape in the first place. This really means I am sitting with mamas groups and talking about sex and rape. I am also working with the district hospital on creating "capacity" (another stupid development term meaning make sure they are actually doing this job of providing Post Rape Care like they are meant to be) by doing further trainings with the nursing and trauma counseling staffs. This will be an on-going project with no real conclusion, but I guess that can be said about most any of these projects.

Holistic AIDS/HIV Treatment: Eeegads, where to even begin with this? Well, needless to say, most have heard that meds are "available" for people living with AIDS, and I won't even go into why that word is in quotes, just trust me that it is a loose term. The problem is that there is no whole-life approach to treating these patients. It isn't really the health systems fault; they were completely over-whelmed and under-resourced before you factor in an epidemic like AIDS. So, I am copying an idea form another departed PCV's site and trying to offer comprehensive treatment at my organizations clinic. To do that I am working with the CDC (yes, that CDC, your tax dollars hard at work) in developing an experimental approach. One of the CHWs (Community Health Worker) I work with is currently in VCT Training (Voluntary Counseling and Testing…learning to give HIV tests and do counseling). She will return to start giving these tests from our clinic. Once that is underway, the nurse from my clinic will go to the CDC's staging training where she will learn the procedure in assigning a stage to those who test positive. If you are in a certain stage you are eligible for ARV's (anti-retro virals). If the patient is eligible then they go to the district hospital to get stabilized on the meds and treat any immediate illnesses. Once they are stabilized they would then come to the clinic once a month to get their meds from us. Now, the benefit of that is they will be seeing one caregiver every month, someone who can monitor their condition more closely than the staff at the district hospital. Also, by having a population of patients who are suffering the same disease we can provide extensive support in many areas and not just health. The staff at my organization can do group therapy sessions, nutrition classes, managing side afftects seminars and generally create a caring community to enhance the patients WHOLE life. Now, this is in the beginning (as my CHW is still in training) and the CDC wants me to keep the lid on it for awhile from my co-volunteers so that we can see how it goes, but if successful it will hopefully be a new approach in managing AIDS patients.

Imani Design Project: I don't know how best to explain this. I have a great friend at site; she is one of the most amazing women I have ever met! She has started a women's group and she is constantly on the lookout for projects that will help its members generate income. So, there is a project that another volunteer started probably 10 years ago over on coast. It is a vocational training program that produces these cool bags we all love. Peace Corps Volunteers buy these things in bulk (don't worry, you'll see them soon enough, I have bought many to give out a gifts). While I was at their workshop last month I got to thinking about how great the product is, how unique it really is and why aren't more people doing it. Then I though, why aren't the women I work with doing it? The coast project has some problems, mainly dealing with availability. They aren't great at marketing themselves. Well, I know NOTHING about crafts in general and sewing specifically. So, when I was sitting with Sophie after my return I asked her how hard it would be to make a few of the examples I was showing here. I then explained the setup and we brainstormed out the idea and she got really excited. Now, I made it a rule early on to never be the bearer of money, but this project seemed like too much potential success not to go find the funds to do it. So, hopefully in a few weeks I'll hear if the grant I wrote will come through. Assuming it does, we will begin to create this structured business (I will be doing extensive business training classes for the women). I am alerting you now that I will be selling these bags like Jerry Peace sells his hot sauce (blatant Nashville Production reference!). I will be helping Sophie and the Imani Rural Women's Action Group (Imani means faith in Kiswahili) put their product (once up to quality control and production quotas) into boutiques in Kenya. We hope to try and find an exporter (you know, one of those folks to place things into Ten Thousand Villages stores), but that is further down the road, probably after I have already returned to Kenya. This women's group is really great and it would nice to know that Sophie can help them learn a skill, make a marketable product and allow them to care for the orphans and infected community members from a self-reliant place.

So, that is what my days have been focused on lately. Of course I have been listening obsessively to the radio, when I am not reading that is. It is amazing to me that most days I don't miss TV so much. When something isn't apart of your everyday life you tend to forget how integral you once thought it was. I feel this way about electricity and running water. Even though when I stay in a hotel I have that wonderful shower and a place to plug in my beloved curling iron, once I am 10 minutes back at site I forget that it was even there. But, once you are around it again, you slip back into old patters. For instance, a few weeks ago me and like six friends were spending the night at another volunteer's house that has electricity and a TV. At one moment I noticed that we were crowded around a 13 inch TV with bad sound enraptured in an 8-year-old episode of Dharma and Greg. Now, when in America would that EVER happen? When I remarked on it we all laughed for a moment and then returned our stony gaze back to the TV. Ahhh, Peace Corps moments! What makes me bring this up is that NPR has been recently talking about the upcoming fall TV season. I don't really think about TV at home, but when NPR talks about the new shows I swear I go into the DT's! The worst of it is that Aaron Sorkin has a new show this season (creator of the West Wing and that amazing but short lived Sports Night). How can I NOT be there to see a new Aaron Sorkin show? Some days it is enough to make me cry! Please don't let it be canceled before I get home, it has Bradley Whitford and Mathew Perry for crying out loud...Eddie (you know who you are) please promise me you are taping this show!

So, in a few weeks I am headed up to Egypt for a little R&R. We will be there for the end of Ramadan festival and that should be really exciting. But, sadly enough, the thing we have talked about most in planning this trip is the fact that McDonald's will be across the street from our hotel in Cairo and that there is a Pizza Hut that overlooks the pyramids. Now, this is sad, but you start to miss the crap your culture produces after awhile. I hope also do some great shopping and get some cool pictures (especially from that Pizza Hut window overlooking the pyramids). Hope everyone is well and WILL BE WRITING TO ME SOON (no small hint!)!!

Deep (or not so) Thoughts

2006-08-26T11:05:00.000-05:00

So, been kinda quite on this blog as of late, sorry. Every time I think I will have a chance to put some thoughts together something goes tragically awry and my efforts are thwarted. Well, it isn't tragic really; I am being far too dramatic. The past few weeks in Oyugis have been really crazy, and add to that that the electricity has been more off than on in town, well, you get the idea. So, the following will be a collection of fairly random thoughts and ponderings. That's what I get for not keeping this thing up to date.

Well, first things first, the past week has been like my birthday, but in August. I got four birthday packages ALL IN ONE WEEK! My friends JP and Renee came through like champs, if only a few months late. Well, I shouldn't imply that they were late (as my birthday is in May), but the Kenyan postal system felt I would need a little uplift and held off delivering my packages until just now. So, last week I put great conditioner in my hair, nearly cried with joy as I inhaled Doritos dust, put on some flashy new jammie pants, cracked some amazing new books and generally basked in the attention of my friends from afar. JP had mailed my packages in FEBRUARY! In her letter she remarked that when I read this letter I would be 3 months closer to coming home…well, I ended up being six months closer to coming home. It totally made me laugh riotously. Lisa also wrote me (as she does faithfully) and also commented on my impending return to my beloved Nashville. Hard to think about right now, being so close and yet so very far way from actually going home.

Life in Oyugis has been quite busy as of late. My site mate Emily had a mini Camp GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) last week that I helped out with. You will be getting the full details of what Camp GLOW is in the future (with a shameless solicitation for funds, no doubt), suffice to say for now it is a gathering to empower girls in the areas of career, health, personal relationships, education and anything else we can think of. No drama here, it is just amazing. Well, at mini Camp GLOW I was brought in to talk about sex education and rape awareness (shocking, I know). Emily is their teacher, so she thought it would be easier for the girls to talk to me (an outsider) about more sensitive issues. The first thing you notice when entering a room full of Kenyan teenage girls is the absurdly painful shyness. I cannot begin to explain how painfully shy these girls are. Emily and I did a lot of motivation exercises, things like having them yell taboo words like: vagina, uterus, penis, etc. In the talk on sexual violence we ran through assertiveness exercises. This basically means having them yell for the first time in their lives that, "This is my body, you can not touch me," and "no" and something as radical as, "yes means yes and no means no everywhere we go!" It was great.

My ultimate observation is that we should be teaching reproductive biology in PRE-SCHOOL! The whole world over, as soon as girls can talk lets start teaching them how their parts work, what they are called and why we have them. The questions I had to answer regarding basic female biology was mind boggling! The boys had used and abused the girls' ignorance of their own bodies against them for malicious and selfish purposes. Some of the things I had to answer included: boys say they can tell when they have made you pregnant, is that true; you cannot have sex during pregnancy because it will hurt the baby, right; what else can you do if it isn't playing (having) sex or smooching. Emily had put up illustrations of female anatomy on the wall and walked more than one girl over to them and explained the basics of reproductive health. People, let's teach our daughters right, if we don't someone else will and I really don't trust their motives!

I guess I have been talking about sex a lot lately. I have been meeting with some mamas groups and talking about the Post Rape Care program and sexual violence in general. It has really been an emotional eye-opener. I love these women because even though I am not one of them, I am a westerner who has completely different sexual expectations and empowerment, they still open up to me. They ask the tough questions. They really want to know how to make life better for their daughters. I never have any concrete answers, but it does a world of good just getting the conversation going.

So, the book donations have really begun to come in. It is great being out at the school and seeing these kids expanding their minds with cool stuff that isn't required reading for the national exam. I hope to have some pictures up soon of the mural the kids painted in the library room. Thanks for all the donations, and remember it isn't too late.

Speaking of pictures, I am finally getting round to uploading safari pictures, random pictures, pictures from my friend's wedding and various snaps. If you haven't been over to the pictures site lately, head on over for a more traditional taste of Africa . I wish the safari pictures could have been better (and these are less than a tenth of the ones I took), but budget and time are always constraining factors.

A few weeks ago I got a lovely taste of costal life and lost my mind shopping. I have started procuring the little (and totally inadequate) trinkets to take home for friends and family. I have had amazing support with packages and reminders of home while I've been here. I am having so much fun picking out little tastes of Kenya for the gang back stateside. It sucks that budget even becomes a factor, but such is the life of the abject poor (at least the Peace Corps poor).

A few days ago I had this surreal Kenyan wildlife moment. There are these birds called Marabou Storks. These aren't the cuddly things that bring babies; these are huge meat eating birds that are massively imposing. So, the compound (well, kinda my) dog, Poppy, starts barking his head off at around six in the evening. He usually waits until about 2am for this kind of activity. When I peak out the door to see what the commotion is all about, he is going crazy at the trees. At first I just think he's just a little batty and pay him no mind (even though the tree is next to my house). When I go take second look I see this flock of storks perched at the top of the trees. Now, on land these things stand 5 feet tall, no exaggeration. They have an expansive wing span and long beaks. They have been known to attack children. It is just so cool. I am not worried because gathered around me watching the birds (and Poppy go crazy at the birds) are all the children, so by my sheer size advantage I feel makes me safe from a bird attack. What is so cool is they stay stationed there, at the tippy top of the trees, all night. They flew on their way around 7 the next morning. I can bet that won't happen when I get back to Nashville.

I am in Kisumu this weekend for an event sponsored by, well, the embassy and Barak Obama's Senate staff I would assume. If you haven't heard, Sen. Barak Obama is on a tour of Africa preaching his message of "African Self-Reliance." The special Kenya connection is that his father is Kenyan, Lou actually, and the family lives in a village near the lake. Kenya has gone crazy with Barak fever and it is quite funny. There are t-shirts for sale here that say "Welcome Home Barak." Well, it should be mentioned that he has only been to Kenya twice and that he was raised entirely by his white mother and white grandparents in HAWAII (I read the auto-biography). So, I could go into the hilariously funny plans for his visit to his father's village, but I'll only ask you to endure one example. Keep in mind the message that is the theme of this tour of Africa. So, a few months ago they name this dilapidated secondary school after Barak Obama. Since the announcement of his upcoming visit, this poor school that doesn't even have glass in the windows has been furiously engaged in building a "science lab" that is basically a room with the words science lab written above the door. Now, could there have been a better use of funds than building a room that will house nothing but dust and termites unless some rich person from America (who happens to be a member is the US Senate) ponies up the cash to fill it? So, I learned about some of the more outlandish absurdities on a series of reports on NPR. I loved the reports because they had some classically Kenyan cries for money from these "family members." The school children have been taught an endearing song (a re-working of " America the Beautiful" set to Kenyan landmarks) and the headmaster is hoping that Barak will leave "a little something." Preach on Brother-man about that African self-reliance!

Ok, so that doesn't explain why I was there. Why, what would be better PR than to have a gaggle of smiling Peace Corps Volunteers greeting this son "returned" at the airport. Now, I don't blame them, in my former (and future) professional life I would have exploited it for all it was worth. I just wish that they had put an hour or so into his schedule for an in-depth chat with a few of us on the ground here so that he would get a realistic picture of how that self-reliance thing is working out. I know that the Foreign Affairs committee (of which he is a member) doesn't distribute funds based on developmental practicalities, it is based on bang for the political buck, but he should still use such a valuable, up-to-date and candid resource as the volunteer community. We see the affects of the decisions they make, good and bad in our daily lives. Oh, and I was really there to see if he might be in need of a resourceful television producer for his re-election campaign. See Fletch, I'm always thinking ahead!

Ok kiddies, I am outtie for now. I have bored you plenty nuff for one week. I hope to keep posting pictures in the next few weeks, and also doing a better job updating this thing. Still missing you, so give a shout out if you think of it.

Time Killers...For the First Time in Ages

2006-07-23T02:10:00.000-05:00

Which Princess Bride Character are You?
this quiz was made by mysti

So, I have for the first time, a few minutes to kill and thanks to Lexi (an amazing friend who is moving to Kisumu), I found this. "Princess Bride" is one of my all time favortie movies. I have only seen it several thousand times and when mom was here in Kenya, I read the book. Now, I loved the book too, so I thought this was fitting. I was surprised to be Inigo, but I love that character AND Mandy Patinkin's creative portrayal of him.

Life and Learning

2006-07-12T04:03:00.000-05:00

I was walking to town today after being away from Oyugis for a couple of weeks, and I was so surprised at just how much I missed my little town, my little house and all my friends at work. When I get back from such extended absences everyone is like "you were so lost…why were you so lost." And even they knew I was to be away, such a fuss is made when I come back it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside.

I was attending Post Rape Care training through offered through a large Kenyan organization; they fund and support the Post Rape Care program at the district hospital. This workshop was just amazing. The guy who was leading it is truly one of the most remarkable Kenyan men I have ever met. He has worked on sexual violence issues for many years and is very sensitive to the implications for survivors, justice systems, health care systems and cultural barriers. He just blows me away in his approach to education. The workshop participants were nurses, doctors and clinical officers (just under a doc) who have worked in the large Nairobi hospital for many years. They brought with them (as I did) their own ideas, prejudices, attitudes towards treatment of sexual violence survivors and rape definitions. This guy was mind-blowingly patient and gentle with antiquated ideas of treatment and what is really considered rape (a male OBGYN contended that a wife could not be raped by her husband, and this is a very common notion in most communities). It was an extremely refreshing educational opportunity. What was also wonderful is that they are trying to mobilize a national media campaign to both promote the Post Rape Care program (which includes Post Exposure Prophylaxis for HIV, Emergency Contraception, and prophylaxis for STD's as well as counseling sessions) and prevention of sexual violence. Guess who is well suited to be of assistance with a media campaign…yay me! Now all I have to do is help come up with some unconventional funding sources for a national media campaign against sexual violence. One of these days I will realize that I have bitten off more than I can chew.

I don't mean to sound so positive regarding the subject of rape. It is a staggering problem here. The latest statistics show that 40 percent of Kenyan women will suffer sexual violence in their lifetimes, compare that to the World Health Organizations world-wide average of 25 percent (which is in line with the American numbers as well). Either number is just heartbreaking. In Kenya, 80 percent of those that suffer sexual violence will know their attacker and 96 percent of victims are women and girls!

What is positive is that there are now a few organizations beginning to tackle this problem from both the social/cultural perspective as well as the legal and medical perspectives. It is no exaggeration that awareness and stigma regarding sexual violence is today where HIV/AIDS awareness and stigma were five or ten years ago.

On other subjects…the new Peace Corps trainees are now in country and it is more concrete proof that my term in Kenya has peaked and I am now on the leeward side of the mountain. In some ways it is hard to believe that I was in their shoes just a year ago. I met some of them over the 4^th of July weekend as they were getting ready to set out on their future site visits. One girl with whom I had exchanged emails with before she left was uber-kind and not only brought me a bag of Starbursts, but managed to hold on to them, UNTOUCHED, for the five weeks here before she met me. A champion in my book. All the trainees had the same pressing questions we had and it was such a walk down memory lane, and a relief to have the answers and not be the one asking the questions.

Ok, I know I am meant to have posted safari pictures ages ago…I am sorry it is taking so long. It is such a time/money consuming endeavor (takes ages to load just one picture from my Nikon with these slow internet connections) and I have been putting it off. Soon, I promise!

Well, I am off, back to my termite ridden mud hut to enjoy some mac n' cheese (though running low, hint hint) and listen to some Morning Edition on NPR. Miss you all and hope to hear from you soon!

A Little Taste Of America

2006-06-25T02:06:00.000-05:00

You might not know this, and you might not be able to appreciate the level of sincerity I am trying to express...but, is there anything in this world better than that powdered cheese in the Kraft Mac n' Cheese Dinners (or, as our Canadian friends would say, "Kraft Dinners")? I know that Bare Naked Ladies pined about them in the millionaire song, but I had no idea back then. Back when I could just get in my car and have any tasty delight I wished, at nearly anytime of the day or night. Back when I kept those boxes of mac 'n cheese in the cabinet for emergencies (like being too lazy to just go get some tasty delight, or being too broke and needed something to tide me over). I remember when I was a kid and we ate them all the time, because when you grow up poor in America, Kraft Dinners were remarkably cheap and could feed unrelenting hungry kids. I remember eating them in college because I hated romain noodles and, while Kraft was more expensive, that extra 25 cents was like a luxurious splurge while still being able to afford the other essentials (like tuition).

But now, now that some kind folks in America have bags of unneeded macaroni from those blue boxes cluttering their cabinets just so that they could donate those lovely cheese packets to a worthy cause, now that I am thrice weekly enjoying a real (well, sorta real) taste of home, now I understand.

That wasn't all the goodies included in the bag Mom lugged half way round the world for me, but it is what has just thrilled me in this past week. I can't believe how good it tastes, and how much I crave it. I sure hope my tastes for processed and junky American foods abates once I return stateside, because otherwise I am courting an early death. I guess these are just the comfort foods, and once they are readily available, I will return to my natural foods campaign and only rarely indulge in the high fructose corn syrup, trans fats, artificial sweeteners world that American food has become. Although, I don't know if I will be able to kick the Lemonade Crystal Light habit, as it has become so delightful. And, oh please kind Universe, don't let me continue to crave Slim Jim's, those things just CAN'T be good for you!

I am so thankful for all the goodies people sent (you'll hear from me individually). Thanks to some really caring friends and family I can now listen to my radio with abandon, snap into a Slim Jim (though, they are nearly gone already), wash and style my hair, catch up on progressive feminist thought, wreck my teeth with processed sugar, and generally take pure joy in the little things that have come to mean so much to me in my little corner of Africa.

This Juneteenth (read up on Civil War and Black History) finds me getting ready to go to yet another Peace Corps training nini (nini is used like the word thing or thing-e in America, but even more so in Kenya). This is the Cross Sector Meeting, and I am utterly underwhelmed to be going. I have packed a few books to occupy my time, as Webuye is hardly a thrilling tourist destination (although rumor has it the hotel has a pool). Peace Corps means well by these training sessions, but I find them a total bore. I am also not one to wait to be trained on something to give it a go at site. If I need information, I usually seek out the folks who have it (go figure). After the Cross Sector meeting, we go to Nairobi (AGAIN, as I have been there three times in the last month) for the 4th of July party held by the American Chamber of Commerce and the American Embassy (who hates PCV's). There are some nice, rich expats here who take sad pity on us broke PCV's and donates vouchers for us to eat and drinkat the party. I sometimes feel like an urchin in Oliver Twist, minus the catchy tunes.

After that, it is back to work. I have to stay in Nairobi (uggg...well, sorta uggg, there is Java House to eat) to do some Post Rape Care Clinicians training taught by Liverpool VCT. It will be really interesting, and this will allow me and Emily to really dig into the re-training of the staff at our district hospital. We want to also figure out how people in other communities have been doing Anti-rape community mobilization, considering what a taboo subject it is, and considering it means taking the message to men who are not terribly open to the subject of gender empowerment and sexual autonomy. I am looking forward to this training!

So, that is the current scene from my perspective in Kenya. I hope to get back to Oyugis soon, as I am having a blast seeing the nurse at my clinic occasionally wearing the scrubs Mom brought her (she wanted a nurses uniform from America). Also, I am hoping to get together with the CHW's and manage some sort of First Aid training, but I am working from a Red Cross book (and my own Red Cross training) where every other instruction is to call 911. The mere concept of trained emergency personnel at the dial of a phone makes me get all misty-eyed. Here, if you don't bleed out first, and manage to endure riding on the back of a bike for a bit, then the matatu to a clinic or hospital, you are in good shape!

Hope you all are well. And have a great 4th of July, enjoy the charred and BBQ'd meat (kabisa), drink lots of iced down beverages (both adult and not so adult) and most of all, HAVE FUN and I am with you in spirit.

One Year Anniversary Lists

2006-06-14T04:14:00.000-05:00

Ok, I promised a KUBWA (big) post talking about being here in Kenya one year. I have been slow to publish only because I was dashing round Kenya showing my mom all the sights. I don't really know why I went with the list format, it seemed the most organized way to approach the mass of thoughts going on in my head. The list isn't in any ranking, it is how these things came to mind for me. Even if I had ranked them, the ranking would change hourly anyway. So, hope you all are looking forward to an amazing summer (it is summer there right, we don't really have seasons here, and you can sorta loose track sometimes).

What I love about Kenya

Fresh, whole pineapple for 65 cents (compared to $4-5 in America)

World Space Radio – Ok, not strictly Kenyan, but a beautiful part of my everyday Kenyan life.

Long and Short Rains – Our lives are ruled by the rains. When is the last time you sat wherever you landed, to wait out the rain? Or leave something early as to beat the rain home.

Roving Livestock – I don't know why but I adore the random, roving cows, goats, sheep and chickens as they meander through my yard or through town.

Chapatti – I love the chapatti (flat bread) and the chapatti mama show sells them for $.08 each. Her hard work (I've made them, once, it is hard work) keeps my tummy happy.

Matatus – They are loud, crazy, comical, infuriating, life-threateningly dangerous, but they are never boring.

My Pee Bucket – There is nothing better to satisfy the lazy soul than shuffling 4 feet out of bed to pee at night. Seriously, you should try it…so convenient.

Cement Floors – This should sweep America soon. My cement floor means I never worry about how much water gets spilled, it all eventually evaporates. No mess, no muss and no fuss!

The Full Moon – When the moon is full, it's like someone left a light on outside, is so crazy bright. I never knew how dramatic the difference moonlight could make in the non-electrified night.

The Choo – In a country where plumbing, even if present, is usually faulty, the choo (or pit latrine) is very nice because "everything" just disappears down the hole. Almost like magic.

Boda Bodas – These are bicycle taxis that litter western Kenya, and they are brilliant. Have a new sofa to get home, hire a boda. To lazy to walk 4 blocks to lunch – TAKE A BODA! I want to bring these to America.

Things I, uh, "dislike" about Kenya

Self-imposed curfew of 7:00pm – When its always dark by 7:00pm, and the dark holds dangerous hordes, both real and imagined, you end up being in the house (if not in bed sometimes) by that time. Will I ever recover from my fear of the big, bad dark?

"Give me 5 shillings, trip to America, etc." – Who wants to have such demands come at you from random strangers many times a day, every day.

Abuse – The old adage of "shit rolls down hill" couldn't be truer, especially here. The hierarchy of abuse in Kenya breaks my heart. The top (not hard to imagine who has the power) beat down each successive layer to the bottom. Small children are even part of the pattern, as they are allowed to (along with everyone else) beat the animals. It's a cycle of violence that no one acknowledges or even recognizes.

Resignation – If I could have a nickel for each conversation that revolved around resignation of the situation, impossibility of change, lack of hope, I'd be rich beyond my dreams. This isn't an exclusive Kenyan application, sometimes it is more apparent within the Peace Corps Volunteer ranks (me included).

Grinding Pace of Bureaucracy – If you think American bureaucrats aren't extremely productive, come to Kenya and discover the real thing. Getting a meeting, question answered, piece of vital paperwork, or an idea of who actually occupies the office, is a chore that could take weeks to accomplish (no exaggeration).

Matatus – Yes, this appears on two lists. If you've ever been forced to depend on them for general transportation, you know that it's a "hate-love-hate| relationship. Plus, there is the whole "constant risk to life and limb" tat is involved every time you are smushed into. Not to mention the revolting smells, oppressive crush of people and the evil, single-celled amoebas also called touts to detract from their already lacking charm.

Children – This isn't really Kenya specific, as I am famous for my lack of fondness for children world-wide. Kenya simply hasn't changed that; it may have even solidified it a little more. But Kenyan kids are, comparativly speaking, amazingly well behaved. What American kid would sit on some strangers lap silently for a 5 hour matatu ride.

Gracious Hospitality – This may seem like a joke, but Kenya are such gracious hosts that I could scream. If you visit someone they feel you should consume copious amounts of chai (sweet milk tea) and they want to cook you a massive meal. My tummy can't possibly hold enough to make a Kenyan mama happy.

Maize – its corn's duller, less flavorful cousin (I was born in Indiana, we are experts) and it's the main staple (75% of food consumed). Ugali, gatheri, muthiqui, mahindi choma, and nameless other dishes all consisting of ground maize, dried maize, roasted maize or boiled maize. And none of it anywhere near the tastiness of fresh July sweet corn straight of the grill.

Staring – There is no way that anyone but an extreme narcissist could enjoy being under constant surveillance. All eyes seem to follow the "mzungu" once I leave the house. That's not the worst of it; the staring is coupled with pointed laughter and giggles. There is nothing that can upset most people faster than being laughed at, including me. If I open my mouth to utter a meager Dhlou word, everyone in a 1 mile radius falls down in fits of laughter. I can't wait to be anonymous again!

Things I have accomplished thus far as a Peace Corps Volunteer (hint: not much)

Book consumption – I have read 83 books in my first year as a PCV. Maybe this just proves TV is inducing brain rot, cause I can't say I'll ever be able to achieve such lofty heights again in my life. My reading has spanned multitudes of subjects and genres. I've read some brilliant books and I've suffered though some horrible crap!

14 Kiswahili words and 5 Dhlou words – I have abysmal language skills. I can only demonstrate this properly while trying to argue with street vendors. I consider it an accomplishment that I even know the proper name of the language (Kiswahili, not Swahili and Dhlou and not Lou). I can greet you in both languages, and luckily greeting is paramount in Kenya (plus English is one of the national languages…thank the entire divine world).

High Five – To avoid tough the grimy, germ infested hands of the two little boys on my compound I've taught them to give me a high five instead of the traditional handshake. This comprises the third goal of Peace Corps, spreading your culture.

Sex Education – I have managed to convince anyone who will listen to me (especially girls, women and teenage boys) that westerners are obsessed with sex, or at least that's all they (westerners) seem to want to talk about. This is a very conservative culture, so I am outstandingly funny with all my "family planning" talk and condom demonstrations (both male and female).

Answering Questions about America – This must be frightening to some of y'all out there, but to my circle of Kenyan friends and acquaintances I have become the voice of authority on all things American. These are your tax dollars hard at work.

No Murders – I manage not to actually kill a matatu tout thus far. If you could experience them just once, you'd be shocked and impressed at my restraint. I make no such promises for the upcoming year.

Raging Feminism – My other pet topic that is only exacerbated by the inequality of Kenya culture is Feminism. The guys I work with (and they are good guys) are good naturedly subjected to my rants about their misogynistic behavior many times a week. The debates that ensue would make your hair set on end.

What I Miss About America

Efficiency – I know that you, state-side Americans, don't realize it, but the system that runs government, business, transportation and even casual interactions is supremely efficient. Beautifully and gloriously so!

Pizza and All Associated – I miss pizza, hot and lovely from the oven with bubbly cheese and doesn't taste like cardboard. I miss pizza delivery, free and within mere minutes from the time you place the call. What a beautiful country!

Driving – Driving where you want to when you want to go and as fast as you want to go! Alone even! No squeezing 8 people into a Toyota Corolla (my current vehicle in America and a popular choice here, but no exaggeration on the number of passengers it carries…8!).

Friends and Family – That's a given. I almost didn't list it because it's so obvious, but I felt that someone might have thought me negligent.

My Job – Whodda Thunk It? Yes, I miss my previous (and next year, current) job as a Producer. At least I've been reminded of how much, despite my pre-Peace Corps thinking, I liked my job!

Legs – I'm not being a fetishist, I don't care what peoples legs look like, and I just miss seeing them (and mine). It is very taboo to show anything above the knee here for adults. \When I wear my Titans boxer shorts in the privacy of my own home, I do a small happy dance. I'm wearing shorts in December when I get home, and I hope you do too!

Casual Drinking – Long story short, women in Kenya (excluding Nairobi) don't drink, let alone have a casual glass of wine with friends at a pub. When men drink here, they do it excessively, exclusively (not including prostitutes) and riotously. I can't wait to have a luxurious cosmopolitan with Lisa or Sabrina at the new "hip" place in Nashville.

Girlie Things – I'm not really missing this because the pre-Peace Corps Misty didn't do "girlie things." But I am now excited about wearing my hair down (gasp), buying shoes not exclusively available at REI (double gasp) and even limiting my Jammi pants wearing to casual time and shoot days (continuous gasping). No, seriously, just wait. Ok, we'll see how long that lasts, but at this moment I am fairly sincere about it.

Phone Use – Using the phone in Kenya (mobile or landline) is expensive so we rarely speak on the phone and when we do it is in short, quick, staccato bursts. I'm going to burn the lines up.

Food – I know pizza got its own line item, but that's just special. I'd say PCV's spend 40% of their time talking dreamily about food. Here's my abbreviated list in no particular order: Taco Bell, BBQ, Thai, Sushi, Mexican, Basante's, Bread and Co. Creamy Tomato Soup, Hummus, Big Green Salad, Movie Popcorn with "Butter", Chinese Take Out/Delivery, Turkish place in Lion's Gate, Pizza King (specifically), Stone River Rolls, Alpine Sun Dried Tomato Bagel (I know they were bought out, but I gotta dream) with Cream Cheese, Chicken McNuggets with Hot Mustard Sauce, Bags of Pre-cut Carrots, Fruit Smoothies, Strawberries, Cheese (all kinds, even Velveeta, which might not be actual cheese at all), Italian, Baja Burrito, Sweet Tea, Apple Pie, Cheese Cake, Peanut Butter Fudge, Raferty's Hot Fingers, Hot Wings, Cheese Sticks, Vingrette Dressing (on a Big Salad), Doritos, Wine, Strawberries, Key Lime Pie, Grilled Chicken Anything (breast, sandwich, etc.), Caesar Salad, Chicken Caesar Salad, Anything cooked on a Grill (Hamburgers, Hotdogs, Ribs, etc.), Strawberries, Reese Cups...and so much more. What is so funny, I didn't really eat a lot of this when I did live in America, but you really can miss the crap we have so much abundance of!

Ok, that is my first year. Wonder what I will be thinking this time next year. Only time will tell. I hope to hear from all of you soon. I promise photos from Mom's visit soon (we went on safari). Miss you and, I'm over the hump as far as when I'll be home. Not quite a short-timer, but in the downside none the less (wish I had more to show for it).

New Pictures

2006-05-22T04:02:00.000-05:00

Ok gang, I guess I should have said this awhile ago...there are new pictures up on the site. I went to a friend's big Earth Day event she organized and have some fun snaps from that. Leave comments and lemme know what you think!!!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/travelgurl/

PS--The comment set-up has been modified on this blog, and you once again can leave comments, just with some lag. So, as long as your not advertising penis enlargment or hacked software, please let me know what you think and who is out there!

More Coming...promise

2006-05-16T02:17:00.000-05:00

Well, Oyugis has had more than the usual power outages recently (rumor has it that the Energy Minister, a Kisii tribesman, and not much adored by Lous is having it cut for some nefarious purposes...who am I to doubt this) and my own lack of energy has made me woefully neglectful of this blog yet again. Truth be told I am in the middle of the one year funk common to all PCV's.

Speaking of the my one year in Kenya, I am trying (or at least thinking of) preparing a "Blog Entry Extraordinaire" to celebrate the big day. Keep an eye out...it might appear in the next month. Until then...where are my letters? You people are slacking with the writing (I think this might be a pot meets kettle moment)!

Mzungu on Parade

2006-04-10T03:55:00.000-05:00

I realized I haven't been writing too much about what has been going on in the village. So, I thought I'd share with you my women's group meeting this week.

I find meetings in Kenya simply excruciatingly painful! Tell me if you don't agree after you hear this. So, on Tuesday I am going to meet with a new Women's group way down past Kendu Bay (an hour's drive in a private vehicle on a rutted dirt road). The meeting was set to begin at 10am but begins at 11. An hour late isn't too bad. The meeting opens with a prayer, a long one. So I spend the first 5 minutes during this prayer examining everyone's shoe selection, over and over again. Then there are the introductions where we all tell what we are doing, where we come from, what brought us here, and what was for dinner last night. All these pleasantries take at least a half hour. Then the meat of the meeting begins. This is a long process of lecturing on a subject while the audience looks dejected and distracted. This portion can take from 2-3 HOURS!!!! I am not kidding. There are no breaks. There might be some call and response in there to the audience, but generally someone stands up and harps on a subject for about an hour and then someone else gets up and harps on either the same subject or different subject for another hour. Whenever that FINALLY ends, the concluding pleasantries must begin. There is first a round of thanks from everyone and hopes for a speedy return. Then it is time for another prayer, and I spend that time re-examining everyone's shoe choices. Getting out of a meeting takes a good half hour. Now, this is the way all Kenyan meetings run, but if there is a mzungu there, then the parting words are a bit different. Their goodbyes are more intense, the pleas for "help from the outside" or "help from your people" last for a lot longer time. So, needless to say that my meeting on Tuesday was thoroughly infused with pleas for "help from outside." That is what is troubling me lately.

I have been thinking a lot about the donor culture that exists in my community (and really throughout Kenya). It is hard to explain the frustration and sadness I constantly feel because I am bombarded with requests of "help me sister," "sponsor me sister," and "promote me sister." Just walking to town this morning, I passed a complete stranger on the road, get the usual greeting of "how are you" and then a "help me sister." A complete and random person; and this can happen all day long. Not to mention what happens anytime you go out to work with anyone in the community. The perception is that if you are from the West, you bring money.

Kenya has been at the center of International aid efforts for decades. It is the headquarters for aid organizations that operate throughout east Africa, including conflict areas such as Sudan, Congo and Ethiopia. There are an infinite number of NGO's (non-governmental organizations) CBO's (community based organizations) and self-help groups throughout Kenya. And at the end of the day, most are looking for donor funding from "outside" (outside is the Kenyan-English term meaning anything from outside the village, outside the country or outside the continent, but in this instance it means from the West.). There are so many white Land Rover's of big time aid organizations in Kenya, I wonder sometimes if the people in them ever get out of this air-conditioned bubble and see what is really going on in the communities the purport to help. The government knows that international aid and supporting it is an industry. So much money is flying around and very little of it actually trickles its way down to those truly in need. There is even a term for some greedy and fraudulent endeavors; they are called "brief case NGO's." They are created to benefit from the lack of oversight from anywhere. Then this donor culture has created an extraordinary mentality of seeking help from "outside" and not finding answers from within the community. The mzungu has the answers and the answers are always in the form of money.

This conflict, harm vs. help and sustainabilty has been going on for a long time in the international aid community, and I am not sitting here with any more answers than they have. All I know is that I live in a community that could grow enough food to feed all of Kenya, but has to accept donor food aid. I live in a region with some of the highest AIDS infection rates in the world, but I have yet to meet someone who is unfamiliar with how the disease is spread. I live in a country with "free" and "compulsory" primary education, but I still see plenty of children everyday not in school because the family can't afford it. I don't think any change is possible without a desire for it. I do think that this donor culture, the culture of looking to mzungus for answers, money, and change will never have the impact that donors from the west and desperate people in the community wish it to have. I can't bring development, Kenyans can't buy development, and no one is looking for the alternative in the mean time.

As I have said many times before, Kenya should be an extremely prosperous country. It has growing regions, tourism, industry, infrastructure (that is crumbling from lack of care) and countless resources. There problems are just as dramatic though, and there are no outside answers to them. Those can only come from within, from Kenyans.

Now, I should explain mzungu, again. I am considered a mzungu. In the old translation of the term, it meant a traveler from far away (and was applied to lots of missionaries because they traveled far and wide). In the modern vernacular, it means white person. Yep, this has messed with my head. I am not white. And oddly enough in Kenya, there aren't many mixed race people (odd considering the habits of colonizers in most other places). So, when I tell Kenyans that I am not white, they don't understand. I explain that my mother is white and my father is black American (that's the Kenyan term). And they still look at me confused. Barak Obama is HUGE here, and he's mixed (Junior Senator from Illinois). His dad is Lou (the tribe I live with) and his mother is white. I say I am like Barak Obama, and that there is a possibility that my dad was Lou (helps to put a picture to it, and I have no idea where my family's slave ship sailed from). Well, they still don't understand. Never have I had to work so hard to make people understand my race in my life. I come from the first generation of mixed race kids who really were culturally able to identify with both sides of their families, to identify as mixed (or bi-racial if they preferred). Along with that came its own set of complications (being brown in America is never easy), but none of them required me to explain over and over again that I am not white. And that America isn't all white. And that people with money aren't all white. And that poor people aren't all in Africa. There are poor people in America too. My family in America is poor, white, black and mixed! So, when I am constantly called mzungu, it is with a mixed bag of anger that I try to explain that no one likes being called "white person," especially when they aren't, that I have a name, that I don't call you "hey African kid," (although it is hardly just kids committing this transgression) and please stop yelling that at me over and over again. If you ever visit Kenya, you'll know that my efforts are very much in vain!

On this same topic of being non-white in the donor culture, my Peace Corps friends of color have a different set of frustrations. I was lucky to be part of one of the most diverse training groups ever in Peace Corps Kenya, so I am lucky to have lots of friends to commiserate with. They face different challenges though, from people not believing that they are American, or educated, or knowledgeable, or skilled, or, why aren't they fluent in Kiswahili. The Asian Americans in our group face a constant barrage that can only be explained as inciting "murderous rage," as a very good friend puts it. Everyone who joins Peace Corps faces their own set of challenges, but if you aren't what is considered "American" then those challenges are multiplied. It has made a lot of us who aren't white confront our own identity as "American" in a way that living in the US would never had made us do. I love my group, I love that we are Black, White, South Asian, Asian, Latina, Persian (some of us a combination there-in) and all of us AMERICANS!

PS--Have no freaking idea why this won't format properly. I would be profane here, but my Grandma reads this!!!

Busy Times

2006-03-31T01:10:00.000-06:00

I feel like I haven't spent but 10 minutes in Oyugis in the past month! After the rafting trip, it was time to come to Money Sucking Nairobi for a whole host of reasons. First, Peace Corps is celebrating its 45th Anniversary, so some nice folks decided to throw a party for Returned PCV's living in country and the current PCV's. It was a nice affair, but we had to pay our own way to Nairobi and our own accommodation and the like, no cheap feat I assure you. Welcome to the frustrating world of being a PCV.

But the other things that brought me to Nairobi was heaps of work. I had many meetings to go to and these were the kind of meetings that one can't waddle in looking like a PCV from the village, so I had to remember how to do my hair and find a pair of shoes that weren't Chacos sandles, yet again, no easy feat. Although, it was worth every bit of hair gel and taxi money, it was a seriously productive week! Emily and I met with a group called Liverpool VCT, a NGO doing all kinds of health services work. They sponsor a Post Rape Care program at our district hospital in Oyugis. That program in its current form is not really working, so Emily and I are working to energize it. This means many different things, but the cool part is Liverpool is going to take us through the training that they give clinicians soon. That is totally cool. We'll then go about doing some supplementary training in Oyugis, creating a mobilization and prevention campaign and generally being pests until the program is running well.

The other meetings took me back into a familiar, dearly loved and a horribly missed world: Television Production. One of my current endeavors is to create a stock of PSA's (Public Service Announcements) on different subjects. They don't really exist here in Kenya, so I had to first see if the three networks were even willing to devote time to them. KBC, KTN and NTV are the NBC, ABC and CBS of Kenya, with a few differences. One of the major ones being that if some straggly PCV called any of America's big 3 asking to speak to the head of Production/Programming, they'd be laughed at until the phone went click with a swift hang-up. I called Kenya's big 3 and got swift appointments with some really nice people who are totally keen on the idea. I still am in some shock at just waltzing into these peoples offices and presenting my idea with none of the political and ego BS that would have happened in the US. Then I needed to find some production folks who would help in the big obstacle, getting the PSA's made. Well, I was also blessed in this part, I met with some stellar guys from Cinematic Solutions, a Kenyan production company, that were warm, open and inviting. They simply rocked! This company was great, if for no other reason, two of their three editors are WOMEN. That doesn't even happen in America. They have a 24p camera, two editing suites and a wealth of experience. We sat around and talked shop for a couple of hours. I can't even put into words how much I missed Production Speak. This is the world that I am at home in. It was a thrill to be talking cameras, crew and compression rates again! When I told them that my friend from the business in Nashville was coming to visit they got stoked. I was talking about how much of a respected Gaffer she is, and they were blown away. First, that it was so cool to have a chick Gaffer and second that she might be able to impart some of her hard won wisdom upon them. Watch out Nashville, you haven't gotten rid of me that easily...I miss my job and seems like I'll be returning to it. See ya next year!

So, during this week in Nairobi I have indulged in a few ex-pat luxuries. First, I paid $6US for a box of Capn Crunch cereal. I'd never seen it before here, and just had to have it. Next, I saw the "Constant Gardner." While the group I was with had mixed reviews, I really liked it. It is an extremely accurate portrayal of Kenya (including the bits in the Slum - Kibera). It was beautifully shot and only had few spots that annoyed me. The glaring error was representations of tribes, they put the Masai in every tribal shot. I know why, they couldn't film in the areas they said it was meant to be, and most people think of them when they hear Kenya. Well, I know I am internalizing the prejudices of my own tribe (I live with Lou's) but not many folks like the Masai due to ancient feuds over cattle rustling. The tribal splits in Kenya are quite extreme sometimes. But overall, what is shown in that movie in regards to Kenya is shockingly accurate.

I am on my way back to the village in a few minutes. I'll have to make another trip to Money Sucking Nairobi in two weeks though. I have decided to join DPS (Diversity Peer Support) and have to come back for the training. Whoever said Peace Corps gives you enough money to live on was out of their minds! I'm so lucky that I saved up some money before I left or I would be seriously out of luck.

Until next time...

Uganda vs. Kenya

2006-03-20T05:07:00.000-06:00

I am back from Uganda safe, sound and somewhat depressed…but I will get to that in a moment. First, RAFTING! Can I just say that it was two days of big water and big fun. The Source of the Nile is AMAZING. The rafting runs for about 30 kilometers and has several class 5 (by the way, class 6 means "Death" or you just can't navigate it, and class 5 rapids were attached to some seriously wicked class 6 ones). There were twenty-three PCV's from my training group out that day. My boat mates were good friends Willie da man, Kiesha Queen, Terrific Tara, Madame Shanita and the legendary Kirsten! We had an unbelievable time. First off, two of our folks had no swimming experience, and generally as a group we are the Goof Troop. Our boat guide was guiding his first trip with customers as well. When we have fun, we do it up right! This river is no joke, but we managed almost all of the rapids without carnage or flipping while all our other friends were flipping boats like it was their jobs. We had to paddle through some flat sections that had crocodiles also (though, didn't get to see any of them). I was leisurely paddling with my leg hanging over the side and my guide asked me to put it back in, and I did for a few minutes. But following directions wasn't my best subject in school, so out went my leg again. Then ANOTHER boat's guide said to put my leg back in the boat. But neither of them said why. Well, a few moments later some kids were swimming near a big rock and yelling "hello" and "how are you" to us when our boat guide (Henry the Head Case) remarks, "those kids are going to die one day soon, there is usually a big croc who swims and suns right there." Well, now I know that they wanted my leg in the boat so that it wouldn't be a savory croc snack. I love the Nile; it was a truly beautiful place.

The only rough spot of the day was the very last rapid called "The Bad Place," and needless to say, we hit it with gusto! So, it was a savage class 6 for a large chunk, so much so we had to portage the boats (carry them around). There was one line to take that was a class five, but you had to hit that line solidly. Well, we were fairly cocky, having not spilled or dumped out all day, but the look of the place was still intense. So, we get into the boat and paddle hard out, but miss the line and immediately shoot straight into "The Bad Place" where we just get smacked HARD. We are all scattered to five directions. I am rescued by a safety kayaker, and am just fine. I can't see any of my other friends at first. But as the kayaker is getting me to the side, I see one of my friend is caught is a wicked hole that is gushing and won't let her go. I just see her helmet bobbing up and down as it is pulling her. I am yelling at my safety kayaker to go get my friend. And this company is just awesome, they kayakers nothing but stellar. It is just a horrible spot and it takes a bit to work through the water to get to her. He pulls her out, but we are all pretty shaken from this. My other friends ended up further up river from my spot and had a rough ride too. The video shows us just hitting a massive brick wall of water. That was how the first day ended, us jazzed, freaked, sunburned and stunned. Good times…

Only 7 of us decided to raft the second day. It was the exact same section of the river again, but no river is ever the same way twice. This new mixture of folks ruined the no flipping mojo, and we were flipping like it was our job. Henry the Head Case was our guide again, he was just awesome and the day was radically different. So, we hit the rapids and did some flipping, and I got to swim some class 4 and class 5 rapids, which was fun in it own way too! But, when we come to the flats this day, the sky goes dark and the rain begins to fall. At this point, it is only drizzling, but it has come with a very chilly wind. As we progress with the slave boat stroke through flats, it begins to rain hard. Now, it is beautiful in a way. The water is hitting the water with awesome force, and at points the rain is driving so hard we have to put our paddles in front of our face to prevent bruising. It is so cold that getting into the river is like getting into a sauna. Now, this might sound miserable, but keep in mind, I WAS RAFTING THE NILE . We went through one class 4 in a driving rainstorm. When the wave hit the boat, all of us in unison say. "Ahhhhhh" because is it so much warmer than then above water. Boy, did I ever get my money's worth! When we get to "The Bad Place" this day, the portage is harsh because of all the slippery mud. My mind is a little apprehensive considering the previous days experience, but I figure I have paid good money for this event, how often am I here, and this rapid isn't going to win. So, Henry tells me what went wrong the day before, and so this time I get in the front of the boat to make sure we paddle hard enough not to miss our line. Sure enough, we blow through, hit the right spots and conquer a seriously kick-ass rapid. But as we shot by the spot that had sucked my in the day before, it was just surreal. That spot is huge and cruel. I am shocked that we made it through alive and injury free (it is a class 6 spot, so I guess now I have done a class 6 rapid). When we hit near the end this day, we all just start celebrating, ignoring the fact that we aren't out of the rapid yet. It was beyond words.

And for Uganda…simply paradise. I have taken to calling Uganda "Xanadu" because it is so radically different from Kenya. There were so many differences that it is hard to explain, especially to those who aren't living here and haven't become accustom to Kenya. Just crossing the border, Carole and me spent 2 hours marveling at how clean Uganda is. Their schools didn't look as dilapidated. Every kid we saw that was school age was in a school uniform and headed to or from school. The hospitals we saw had three ambulances parked there (most in Kenya don't even have one). The kids playing soccer were playing with an actual ball and wearing shoes and socks. There was actual grass on the soccer fields, not just bare dirt (from over-grazing). We were a lumbering bus of 17 Americans and still the 5000 kids we passed on the road didn't SCREAM, "How are you" and "Hello Mzungu" at us. The road, fields and compounds weren't over-grazed. Every square inch of free space wasn't hoed and cultivated within an inch of its life. And get this: UGANDA IS POORER THAN KENYA! That is the most infuriating part of it. In one bus ride I comprehended the ravaging level of corruption in Kenya (didn't know I hadn't before though). Uganda has suffered under some of the legendarily EVIL dictators in Africa (Idi Amin, etc.), but Ugandans were the kindest folks I'd met in ages. I am in love with Uganda. It is so green and beautiful and friendly, I just want to eat it up with a spoon. Don't get me wrong, I still like Kenya and Kenyans, its just frustrating to know that a country with a similar history (British Rule, etc.) has managed to make use of its limited resources for the good of the community (they were proactive with the AIDS crisis early on, and now it is nearly under control, the only sub-Saharan African country to do so), while Kenya is so starkly different. Kenya isn't land locked, has a bigger and varied tourist industry, potentially more sustainable infrastructure and regional areas that could grow enough food to feed the whole country. But none of this is happening in a way that benefits more than the few, and people seem to just accept it. I find myself even just accepting it. These are the things that crush you some days and make ones time here feel futile, and nearly a waste.

Well, that was how I spent my weekend, what did y'all do? By the way, by going to Uganda, I am one country closer to my goal of visiting all the countries on the planet. Twenty-two down, only 145 to go!

I Haven't Vanished

2006-03-15T01:46:00.000-06:00

Ok, so I have been woefully neglectful of my poor little blog in the last month, pole sana. I have just been working A LOT. Someone should have told me how much work this would be, I keep wondering what happened to those tranquil (and hellish) first few weeks at site when I was reading 5 books a week. They are gone now. Some days I long for the old production routine of a few 18-hour days followed by a week of calm. I thought the time I'd hope for that is the time I should be committed…no more! Bring 'em on!

Tomorrow I leave, FINALLY, for the long awaited rafting trip in Uganda. I will be swishing down the Nile River, one of the best rivers for white water rafting in the world, and not too far for the fabled Source of the Nile. Now…everyone all together now: ahhhh! I have been so excited about this I can't see straight. I am also going to be doing the second section of the river. Two days of blissful, adrenaline driven fun, can life get any better?

I have to send out a big OCNGRATULATIONS to Sabrina and welcome Madeline Harper Reid Swofford into the world, finally. While I missed yet another of my friends children being born, I will be seeing her soon enough, and maybe she'll be out of that "leaking fluids" stage that I am really not fond of.

So, there will be another update soon, with all the gory details of the rafting trip, and hopefully pictures too!

Happy V- Day

2006-02-08T04:05:00.000-06:00

It is already February, where does the time go. Being February, this is your friendly reminder to find a V-Day celebration, and not the kind that has candles and cheap champagne. No, find a group in your neighborhood that is staging a production of "The Vigina Monolouges" and support the cause of women's rights and anti-violence groups around the world. Plus, if you have never seen "The Vigina Monogloues" or if it has just been awhile, it will change your life, PROMISE! (If you are in Gallitan, TN, may I suggest the production my friend Sabrina is starring in.)

Ok, now that the first of my several solicitations is out of the way, I can tell you what I've been up to? I was in Nyahururu last week (no, there aren't too many letters in that word, that is what the town is called) with some of the staff from JAM to observe a program. My friend Tarika is placed with an organization that has an intigrated ART (anti-retroviral therapy) that I hope to facilitate bringing to Oyugis. It is a bizarre part of Kenya in that it is just FREAKING COLD at night. I mean where are my sox and somebody get me another blanket kind of cold. It is a beautiful place, situated on the leeward side of Mt. Kenya. We spent two days taking in how their program is run, meeting people living with AIDS and those supporting them and generally seeing how things work. It was a valuable learning experience and wonderful opportunity to catch-up with my awesome friend Tarika. Although, she did seriously show me up. She is just steller with languages and speaks great Kiswahili and is learning Kikikuyu. I had to tell the JAM staff with me that do not ever expect such language skills from me, and that Kiswahili was Tarika's fourth language and Kikikuyu was her fifth. They were impressed with her, and mighty disappointed with me, but I warned them. I am trying to put up pictures of this little outting including stops at Thompson's Falls and Rift Valley overlook on the picture site in the next week or so. So, keep your eye out for the update.

It is the dry season here (as I have mentioned many times) and it is amazing how life changes for the dry season. First, the lack of food in the market is just remarkable. I am sure you have heard of the famine happening in Northern Kenya, well, even here in the fertile green west food has become more scarce. The staple food of Kenya, sukumawiki (we just call it sukuma and in America it is the same as kale greens) is just not there. "Not there" is the way Kenyans say that it is gone, or they say, "it is finished." It is amazing to know that something as basic as that is missing from the dinner tables of my friends. It is probably the healthest food that Kenyans eat, and in Lou-land it is always paired with ugali (I think I have explained ugali, something beyond explination really). I know we are lucky in the west of Kenya because even in the years with less than normal rain we will get a decent harvest here. The volunteers in the famine regions, the regions that get food relief, the situation is just heartbreaking. The rations are megar, not nearly enough to sustain a family and if you are on food relief you obviously have no other options. There was a woman arrested a few days ago for selling dog food to customers as real human food. And Kenyan dog food isn't rated for human consumption in the least. All this to say that the rains need to get here. The roads are dusty, the rivers and ponds mucky and the livestock looking next to death, that is what the dry season means here. They say that it should start raining next month, never in my life have I wanted it to rain soooo much!

Well, I have to hand it to my friends, they are in a serious book drive mode. My friend and fellow PCV (now home) is having her class at the school she teaches at bring in books. They have already brought in 200. And my other friend Christi is getting the Gator Club of Nashville to take on this library as their community project. Also my friend Tonia had a box of books in the mail before the end of the day when she received the email, so did my sister, and from her sick be none the less. I am over-whelmed with gratitude, as is Emily. But that won't stop me from asking for more help (I am a darn dedicated Peace Corps Volunteer, aren't I?). Along with the schools in Oyugis, we are looking to help a school in another district where another PCV (Keisha) is teaching. She is looking to help her kids prep for national exams and to expand their literary horizens as well. So, if you have kids, gathering books can be a fun class project. If you work in an office, what better way to break up the boredom of the work-a-day world than to do a book drive for Kenya. If you are a member of a community group looking for a project...here it is. If you are a packrat, time to let go of some of the clutter. The most cost effective way to send the books is through M-bag, marked "books for donation" on the customs form, at the US Post Office. It works out to about a dollar a pound. It will take a coons age to get here, but I promise to alert each sender as to when it arrives. I will also be posting pictures of some point of the reading room, newly painted and filled with eager young minds. Thank you in advance for any help you can provide. It will be appreciated beyond words here. Here is where they can be sent to:

Misty Ellis, PCV
JAM Community Group
PO Box 465
Oyugis, 40222
Kenya

The Smell of Summer

2006-01-28T06:17:00.000-06:00

I hope that everyone has had a wonderful start to the New Year. I would say that I have some sympathy for you, freezing over there in the dead of winter, but we all know that I really don't. We are in the hottest part of our year in my part of Kenya. This is the dry season, and it is "hot" and the rains aren't expected until March (that is if they come, drought has been a problem as of late). Hot here isn't like hot in Tennessee, so I am managing just fine. Although I wouldn't turn down central air, or a fan for that matter. Life is still chuggin' along here in ole Oyugis. I am working on my projects and trying not to get into too much trouble. I wish I had some wonderful adventure to talk about, but just getting to my front door somedays is more adventure than I can handle. I am getting ready for my mother's visit, which should be in May. I wonder what a shock to the system coming to visit and work here will be like. She has never had a passport or been out of the country for any length of time. I left a copy of the Lonely Planet Kenya with her, that might not have been the smartest thing I've ever done. The language, while mild by most standards in regards to Kenya, has her worried about her safety. I know that by the time for her trip gets here, she might be quite spooked. I hope that she just has some faith in my pathetic Kiswahili skills and that Kenya is like the 16^th developing country I have managed to find my way round in.

So, I was in Nairobi again a few weeks ago (again…boy, Peace Corps is going to make me more broke than I imagined, with all this going to Nairobi) and I finally got to see my first football game in a YEAR. I got to see the Indianapolis Colts get a severe butt-kicking but the Steelers. I won't go into the complicated football emotions involved, suffice to say, I was thrilled to see the game play out the way it did, even though I think Tony Dungee is a great coach. I know that JP must be heartbroken that the Broncos fell to the Steelers, and after such a good showing by Jake "The Snake" Plummer. I will most likely not get to watch the Super Bowl. It begins at 2am Monday morning here in Kenya. And while I am a serious, die hard football fan, I just don't know that my Kenyan sleep schedule can manage it. I mean for the first time since I was in elementary school I am in bed by 9pm every night. I figure I am just preparing for old age, which is quickly around the corner.

Ok, some scary things that I have learned in the past week. I was at our District hospital to meet with the family planning nurse, a very nice woman. We were gong over all the contraception options they offer to their patients. I had known that Norplant was still offered here, even though it was taken off the market a few years ago in the US because of excessive scar tissue due to improper implantation. That is something that has always bothered me. Docs in the US weren't able to always perform the procedure to eliminate scar tissue; my expectations of the Kenyan medical staff's ability wouldn't exceed that standard (I'm trying to be nice). Well, also available to Kenyan women is the IUD (inter-uterine device). This is just something that made me cross my legs! The IUD has returned to some popularity in America in recent years, but with many modifications and much more supervision from medical staff than back in the 70's. There are many risks associated with the device, least of which is heavy, painful bleeding and a risk of PID (pelvic inflammatory disease) when the proper, sterile procedures aren't followed strictly. I really worry about this device in wide use in Kenya for a host of reasons. But the nurse assured me that oral contraception is still by far the most favored method, followed by Depo Provera (a quarterly injection). I was talking these things over later with the nurse that runs my organization's clinic, and this is where the real shock immerged. She informed me that it is nurses who perform all the implantation procedures, without a doctor's supervision. Now, my mother is a nurse, and in most ways I have ALWAYS preferred the care of nurses and nurse practitioners to that of doctors. But, I can't explain the dangers involved when there is no doctor present for the implantation of IUD or Norplant, especially in Kenya. This is the Ministry of Health's Standard Operating Procedure, so I have no hope of trying to change this protocol. I do hope that I will be able to talk to docs, nurses and others involved to at least change a few minds at my District hospital. And in my family planning lectures, I will be acutely aware of letting girls and women know some of the long-term risks of both these methods. My lectures will be more focused on condoms anyway. I will be speaking to high school kids, and barrier methods are better for disease prevention reasons that get lost when a girl is "on the pill."

I did get a really interesting question about the book drive. My friend asked if it was ok to be sending all these English language books. I told her, and will clarify it here, that Kenya has two national languages, one of which is English and the other is Kiswahili. The way school works is that in the 1 ^st through 3^rd grade equivalents are taught in their "mother tongue" or vernacular. This means Kikamba, Dhlou or whatever the tribal language is. Then after 3^rd grade they are taught in Kiswahili. Now, high school is taught exclusively in English (except for the Kiswahili language classes) and the national exam they have to take to graduate high school is conducted in English (again, expect for the Kiswahili). So, yep…English language books are perfect. And lucky for me, because you have no earthly clue just how bad my Kiswahili is.

Well, I just want to send a shout out to my AWESOME friends who sent some absolutely BRILLIANT Christmas packages: JP, Lisa, Margaret, Renee and Tonia. Your all getting notes from me soon, but I hope you know that you all are simply amazing and that the joy you brought to my holiday will never be surpassed!

Hope to hear from you all soon.

Post Holiday Blues

2006-01-12T06:27:00.000-06:00

Don't you hate when your holiday comes to an end?  I have to say that I am in love with the south coast of Kenya.  Tiwi Beach was excellent, and despite the ghetto place we stayed, the ocean view from our clifftop front porch was AMAZING.  We were in the breeze and could hear the breakers all day and night.  Then, on our first morning there, we had the pleasure of unexpected company, vervet monkeys!  They are total thieves by the way.  One of my gang had lugged a watermelon all the way from site (that means 1 bus ride, a ferry ride and 4 matatu rides) just to have it brazenly stolen from our room by an industrious and strong monkey.  Everyday, all day, we had to vigilant about these crafty thieves, and we loved every minute of it, even when I discovered one still lurking in the cottage.

I am back in Oyugis and hard at work.  I will start giving my Family Planning (read: Sex Ed) lecture soon in the High Schools (called Secondary Schools here).  I have to be selective about the schools where I do this, because I refuse to tow the Bush party line (abstinence only) and have to have the Headmasters be comfortable with my "direct" approach to Health topics.  When the AIDS rate is .005% (as in the US) or 27% (as in Oyugis), it is absurd to think that teenagers need the subject tap danced around. That would just going to do them more harm than good!

I got some amazing Christmas packages from Margaret, JP, Lisa, and Chisti and Eddie Bowen.  They were chalk full of amazingly useful goodies that I am always wondering how I manage without.  I have clean hair and can read at night now, not to mention the luxury that now adorns my bed in the form of good sheets.  Y'all are the best!.  I have heard from a few others that they sent stuff too, and I promise to flog the Kenyan Postal system for missing the Christmas deadline.  I also promise to let you know when they arrive, but at least you can consider them early (or on-time, considering when they might arrive) birthday presents.

There are a few requests I'd like to put out there, but they are not for me.  I am working at a clinic where the nurse manages to use only 1 box of gloves a quarter I think.  I know how many times during my production life that I had to make a trip to the medical supply store (clean booties for freshly painted studios) and know that my friends will still be doing the same.  So, next time you are at the medical supply store, just add a few boxes of latex gloves to the production's list of needs and send them off to me here in Kenya.  It is dire and I hate that my nurse is risking her own health day in and day out for want of something so simple.  They can be sent regular air mail and marked as "Medical Supplies for Donation." I am also requesting books for a library that I am working with another Volunteer on.  I have probably sent most of you emails about that already.  The books can be sent "M Bag" and marked as "Books For Donation ."  It works out to about a dollar a pound to send.  Both can be sent to me in Oyugis at:

Misty Ellis, PCV
JAM
PO Box 465
Oyugis, Kenya
40222

Thank you for even just reading such solicitation this far.

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas.  I missed you very much (watching monkeys and swimming in the brilliant blue ocean...no I really did miss you).

PS--For those of you who have neglected to inform me of my teams ABYSMAL football performance, for shame! Then, JP doesn't tell me Denver is doing so well, or Brian doesn't send a gloating "Steelers Rule" email...I don't even know what to say. Don't forget me next time you are catching Chris B and Gang on Sports Center. Sistas in Africa still care about the Wide World of Sports!

Christmas Time and missing you all

2005-12-21T06:45:00.000-06:00

Finally IST (In-service Training) is behind me. So my group met up as a whole (almost as a whole, as Willie had emergency business in America, and he was sorely missed) in Kitui and it was just like old times. It was amazing to see everyone again! Having my site in the west of Kenya means I am lucky in that there are lots of us out here, so there are a lot of people I see frequently. But others I hadn't seen since we left for site more than four months ago. Being back in Kitui also meant a return visit to the home stay family. They are such kind people and it was very nice to walk the three miles out to Kavalula (the village) and see all my clusters families again. They had just sent off another trainee to site who had been staying with them since September, but I will refrain from comment on his questionable behaviour. Needless to say, I am still the angle in their eyes (if not in my own family's eyes back in America). They only lived with me for 10 weeks; otherwise they would know the truth.

So, the traditional post IST rafting trip was aborted once again, as its proximity to Christmas wasn't convenient. So, I have yet to shoot the Nile rapids, but we have re-scheduled for St. Patty's day, appropriate way to celebrate considering my Irish heritage don't you think?

After IST I spent a week in Nairobi with another Volunteer. We are working together on a project and were doing research with various groups based there (and hemorrhage money, because it is expensive to be in Nairobi). We hope to bring a satellite version of a well-run gender violence program from the Nairobi Women's Hospital to the Kisumu Province Hospital (and maybe to my District Hospital as well). Rape is frightening anywhere, but here it is shocking. The laws of Kenya currently do not recognize marital rape or sexual assault against a male as even existing. The trauma that a victim is subjected to by the system is simply appalling! As a rape victim, when you report to the hospital (if you can) you may eventually get a physical exam, and even though PEP (Post-exposure Prophylaxes for AIDS) are supposed to be available, free of cost, often they are not there or some try to charge for them. To even begin the legal process entails complications beyond belief with the police department. And there is a cultural practice here, where a family may kidnap the rape victim and force her to marry her attacker, thereby protecting him from prosecution (if it were even to come to that) and potential community repercussions. Can you imagine being forced to marry the man who violently raped you? And because there are no laws on legal age to marry, some of these girls are pre-pubescent. The Gender Violence Recovery Center at the Nairobi Women's Hospital has a program that is amazing. It keeps an OB/GYN on staff to care for the often traumatic physical injuries, expedites the police paperwork, gives individual and group therapy and has sensitized the entire staff (from the security guards and reception to the docs and nurses) on how to deal with the sensitive nature of rape victims and to protect them from further trauma by the system, their attackers or the public. Kirsten and I don't pretend that what we are doing will happen quickly or at all. You can't even begin to fathom the red tape and then there is funding the program to consider. But, that is why we are here for two years now isn't it.

Rape is one of the issues that I feel acutely sets me apart here. I feel my most mzungu-ness (mzungu is the Kiswahili word for foreigner and is constantly used for a Westerner instead of even their name) when it comes to the issue of gender violence. I, as a foreign woman, have in some respects more rights than a Kenyan woman. I am quick to tell a man not to look at me in a certain way, or to back off when my space is invaded, let alone what I say when I am touched. A Kenyan woman could come to great harm if she behaved in the same manor. I know that in my head, and I have seen some minor examples of it. But I come from a culture/background where such assertions of power are common and even respected to an extent. Not so here, it is not respected/expected/tolerated/promoted, and that is just humbling to me.

So, Christmas is right around the corner, and what does that mean (for Misty at least) – A BEACH. Yes, after only a one-year interruption in my traditional beach holiday, I am returning. Three close friends and me have gotten a cottage on Tiwi Beach for Christmas. The coast of Kenya is meant to have some of the nicest beaches in East Africa. I'll let you know how they compare to my previous Christmas pilgrimages to Baja and Thailand. I have to admit that I am really excited about this vacation. After Christmas, a lot of PCV's from my group and others will meet in Mombassa to ring in the New Year properly. For all you diving enthusiasts, I'll get you a travel report. And if I spot Angelina or Brad, y'all will be the first to know about it.

Just a quick note, how Kenyan's celebrate Christmas. Well, you travel back to your home (usually in the interior) and then you go to church ALL day. Then the teenagers go to town and drink publically (big taboo). It isn't the over-whelming, all comsuing holiday that it is in America.

I hope you have a wonderful (if cold – Pole) Christmas. I don't miss the snow one little bit, but I do miss you guys. I better be getting some Christmas cards, or you are off the list whenever I get back to America. And don't forget to dash off some pictures from your festivities

Love

We Have Pictures!

2005-12-06T08:05:00.000-06:00

Well, I promised pictures before Christmas and I am deliverying! I have posted a few pictures, but I amfar from done. Over the next few weeks I hope to double the amount of pictures up there, including some more of my house and compound. If you have forgotten the link, you can go to my Travelgurl Website and click on photos at the top of the page. The gallery is where you are looking to go. I am hosting my pictures on Flickr, if you have an account, you'll find my under Travelgurl (shocking, I know). Of course all these links can be found on my blog at Travelgurl's Blog if you have forgotten where it is.

Hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving. I would love to know what everyone is doing, so drop me an email or a letter. If you need mailing instructions, please let me know. Miss you all so very much!!!!

Pole

2005-11-24T03:09:00.000-06:00

Pole means sorry in Kiswahili. Fisrt and foremost, all is safe and
sound in Kenya. The world didn't end, the consititution vote went for
the oranges (that means the no's won, and my part of the country was
very anti-new constitution) and peace reins again.

As some of you have seen, someone has figured out how to post to my
blog without my say so. Stupid spammers! I had to change some things
in the settings, and that means I had to fiddle with the comments
setting. I am betting it is pretty hard to post comments now. I am
sorry, but you can always send me an email or WRITE ME A LETTER!
Today is Thanksgiving, and per the American tradition I am going to
see a movie. So, at least all is not lost in Kenya. Enjoy the food
and all the shopping tomorrow. I will enjoy all the mild/warm weather
for y'all.

Miss you soooooo much!

Misty

Christmas is in the Air...Already

2005-11-19T03:21:00.000-06:00

Just a brief note, in consideration of the emails I have gotten. First of all, congratulations to all of you ahead of the curve on Christmas shopping, way to go. Second, thanks for adding little ole me to your list. Either you really like going to the post office or you must really love me. So, in response to the "what do you want" emails I have been getting, I went and updated my Froogle List. Now, some of you computer un-savvy folks might not know what that is. It is just a list of stuff that I have found impossible to find here in Kenya. It lists the item (usually with a picture) and prices found on-line. What's great about it is that you don't have to get this stuff on-line. The stuff on my list is at the CVS for the most part. Yes, that means stocking stuffers are the things I crave, call me easy! Here is the link: Misty's Froogle List. If for some reason the internal link doesn't work on this post, it is also in the side bar of this blog (look to your right, and now down a bit....there it is).

Once again, have a happy Thanksgiving. I will post soon after the political issues clear up and let you know that I am safe and sound.

Fun and Political Turmoil

2005-11-15T05:08:00.000-06:00

Well, I have been very neglectful of this blog this month. Mostly I didn't want people to worry, but it seems some of you have heard of the current political situation in Kenya, so I will briefly bring you up-to-date. First, there is no need to worry; Peace Corps isn't anything if not paternalistic in situations like this. Some might remember this month I was meant to be zipping down a world-class river in a rubber raft, well that got canceled along with our In-Service Training (IST) and moved to next month. Why?

The Kenyan Government has decided to bring forth a new constitution for the entire country to vote on. There have been many rallies for (the banana team) and against (the orange team) this Kilifi constitution. Some of these rallies haven't been the most peaceful events. So, in an effort to protect our safety, Peace Corps Admin has implemented our planned security procedures for just such occasions. So, while I am restricted from commenting on anything of a political nature, I can comment that the caution with which PC Admin is approaching this is very serious and measured. They are far more concerned than Backpacker Misty would be, but that isn't the best endorsement. All kidding aside, they are really keeping an eye on the situation in conjunction with all other US Agencies here. The vote is scheduled for November 21^st.

So, now IST is scheduled for early December, and then I will shoot down the Nile in a rubber raft, happy as a clam. I don't know what my Christmas plans are yet, but I hope it is something interesting.

All is well in my little mud house. Yes, you heard me, MUD. After that long description of my house, I have found out it is actually mud. They build it out of mud, them they put a shmear of cement on the outside and inside walls. I wonder what my journeyman brother would think of that kind of high-end construction?

Due to the current political state, I am not really hard at work yet. The vote has put me a month behind, but the projects I have planned are really getting me excited.

Margaret, a good friend and AFRTS veteran, sent some school supplies last month. She sent two over-whelming boxes with crayons, colored pencils, paints and coloring books. So, I took half of them to the nursery school JAM runs. This school has 55 children in one room, at least three kids to a desk, and no fun colorful materials that kids that age need (can you even imagine 3-5 year old children sitting at a desk, let alone three to a desk). I hope to have pictures soon of their colorful artwork hanging on the walls. The other half went to my friend Carol's orphanage she is working at. She has taken pictures too. Of those orphans, probably a third are HIV positive and the others are AIDS orphans, or the children of mothers who died of AIDS. She said that they were just THRILLED with their stuff. Thanks Margaret and Cami for brightening the day of really deserving kids!

Ok, I am just hoping that with the change of site (from Kitui to Oyugis) that the letters that I hoped to receive have just been lost in the mail or something. I have gotten just one letter from my sister since I moved to Oyugis, and she sent that to the new address. I called our mail guy in Nairobi and he swears that there is nothing for me there. So, I hope that y'all haven't forgotten me. In thinking ahead to Christmas, I hope I haven't been dropped off the Christmas Card Lists of my friends, even if they might come in January.

Speaking of the holiday season, I hope that everyone has wonderful Thanksgiving and eats until they bust. Hey, and after you have eaten your fill of the traditional fixin's, order a pizza and think of me. Due to the political situation, I will be having a romen noodle and apple dinner all by my lonesome. We have been restricted to our sites. So, have an extra slice of pie for me too!

Happy Thanksgiving from Kenya! I promise to post more!

A Correction

2005-10-21T06:17:00.000-05:00

In the interest of clarity and honesty, I am attaching a note that my
beloved friend Bonnie sent me. She is getting ready to go to my
beloved Thailand to teach (she was a PCV with me) with another of my
beloved friends Scott. Yep, that is some serious lovin' going on!
Well, Bonnie is a Kiswahili star, and I wish to share how crappy my
language skills are, and I am totally at one with that fact! So here
you go...

"okay, i know you soooo don't want your swahili
corrected from the PCKenya drop out--but i was catching up
on your journaling and it wouldn't be watatu--the
m/wa class is strictly for living things and while
matatu certainly seem to have a mind of their own
they are in fact inanimate objects..thus they are in
the n class for foriegn nouns--and would be the same
in singular and plural...i love you misty dearest and
trust that in two years you'll know a helluva lot more
than i ever could!"

Now, I live in Lou-land, so we both know that won't be the case, even
if I lived in a Bantu tribal land (Kiswahili is a Bantu language and
Dhlou is NOT). No matter, I love that she rocked our Kiswahili world,
and knowing this girl will be fluent in Thai within six months. Have
a Pad Thai for me!

__________________________________
Start your day with Yahoo! - Make it your home page!
http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs

No Hiding From The Universe

2005-10-16T02:38:00.000-05:00

The other day I was sitting in my Supervisor's office so he could show
me a grant application. To be honest, I wasn't really in the mood to
have to deal with it, because it involves walking a fine line of being
a PCV and not being seen as a source of money, being a grant writing
machine, but also realizing that projects require funding. This is
why most veteran PCV's suggest staying away from funding issues for at
least the first 6 months. But my Supervisor completely understands my
role here, and he was only looking for a suggestion on a project to
submit with the grant.

I'll be honest, I had not one idea for the first 45 minutes of staring
at the grant form, its parameters and goals. I just sat there. Then
I had a small idea and figured that if nothing else, I tried, and if
he liked it he could run with it. I sat down, typed up a one-page
(production speak for ideas and brief details that is only one page
long) left it on his desk and went on my merry way.

He calls me and says he loves the idea and let's talk detail. Um,
what detail? I didn't even have a title for the thing.

Next day he and I go over the questions on the application and
miraculously I seem to come up with the answers. I am actually really
liking the idea by now. I'm into it and I hope we get the grant so we
can execute this workshop.

So, you wanna know what it is, well too bad, I'm gonna tell you
anyway. In Kenya there is a new-ish type of health care called Home
Based Care (HBC). As cruel as this may sound, it is care for People
Living With AIDS (PLWA's) at home for all but the direr of medical
needs. The health care system is just too over-whelmed to provide
care in hospitals, and even if it weren't, it is still too
prohibitively expensive for most to seek routine or preventive care.
HBC is provided by Community Health Workers (CHW's). CHW's are
"volunteers" (that means something completely different here) who go
through minimal training (my Red Cross training makes me better
trained) to treat and refer HBC patients. My organization has about
35 CHW's, but of those only between 5 and 10 are really active and
motivated. These (mostly) women work in their villages with little
training, no supplies and little support, at least their out there
though.

My idea is to take these 5 or 10 active CHW's and put them through an
intensive workshop focusing on more medical training, but especially
leadership training. Women in rural Kenya are painfully shy (read
oppressed) and we have an opportunity to take these already motivated
women and provide skills and guidance. They can be CHW leaders and
mentors along with being examples to the next generation. With this
grant we'd also be able to provide them with supplies (field kits)
that would include such items as gloves, and did I mention GLOVES.

All of a sudden I'm excited about the prospect of empowering future
community leaders. So, like I said, there's no hiding from the
Universe, she'll find you whether you want her to or not.

A Few Questions Asked and Answered

2005-10-16T02:36:00.000-05:00

So, a few questions have come my way and so I am going to throw out
some answers. One question was how you get around (short and long
distances). So, have I ever explained matatus (technically the plural
of this Kiswahili word would be watatu, but I'm just showing off my
very limited language, and everyone calls them matatus). They are the
public transport system of Kenya. Most matatus are about the size of
an American mini-van, except they have higher capacity seating bolted
in. By Kenya law, these mini-vans matatus are restricted to 14 paying
passengers, 1 tout, 1 driver and 80 kilometers per hour. My last
matatu ride had 19 paying passengers, 2 touts, 3 chickens, 2 babies
and 1 driver. Oh, and they'd jimmied the governors cup and were
easily going 100kph while passing on blind curves. This was an
unexceptional matatu ride. There are police check-in points along the
road, we passed 3. That's all I'll say about that (publicly) until I
COS (Close of Service). What's hard to comprehend is that everyone
who was here before the new law putting limits on matatus was passed
says that they used to be soooo much worse. I try to imagine it, but
I can't. What is great about these flying TB machines (as I have come
to affectionately call them) is that it's the cheapest and grandest
entertainment you'll ever get. It costs me 150 shillings ($2 US) to
make the 1.5 to 2 hour trip from my house to Kisumu, and it is ALWAYS
an adventure. That is the journey I made today to bring you this
wonderful update.

Another question was how do I re-charge my phone and other electrical
stuff? Yes, while I don't have electricity in my house, plenty of
other places do. There are little shops in town you can pay a small
fee to and they will charge it up. My organization's office has
electricity, and I can plug in there. That is all provided the one
line from Kisii hasn't gone down, which it does frequently (daily).
My phone doesn't need charging more than once a week, so I am usually
ok. This is also why my phone isn't always on (but it is usually on
between 5-9pm Kenya time). It is also a three mile walk (up hill both
ways). Some other volunteers have electricity in their houses, so
when I am crashing in their lap of luxury, I avail myself. All this
to say that not having electricity in my own house hasn't proven to be
a big obstacle…yet.

The other question from many of you is about food. This is a
complicated answer. There's what Kenyans eat, what I eat when Kenyans
cook and what I eat at home when I "cook."

So, the staple food in Kenya is maize (less flavorful corn). Kenyans
eat massive (no like, brick size portions) amounts of a maize flour
dish called ugali, with every meal. Ugali is difficult to explain to
the un-initiated. The maize flour is poured in boiling water and then
cooked (with noting else) until it forms a firm mound. The only thing
close would be to imagine grits without sugar, salt or milk and cooked
until its firm enough to take a shape. Served with this massive
amount of ugali is sukumawiki, or kale, as we would call it. These
are like greens, minus the pork and with a lot more salt and Crisco.
If it is a special occasion there might be chicken (or goat or beef)
in a "soup" what we'd call stew. The Kenyans also make chapatti (not
like Indian chapatti) that resembles really thick tortillas. Other
staples are "English" potatoes and sweet potatoes (not orange, but
still yummy). Rounding out any given meal are various types of beans.
Now, at any given Kenyan's dinner table I'll be served any or all of
the above, and I will eat it too, but in much smaller portions (I can
only eat a small fist size serving of ugali). My homestay brother was
convinced he'd starve in America after watching me eat for 10 weeks.
Food security is a big issue here, so you eat food and lots of it when
it is available. They also (especially women) work their butts off
and need to calories. I do not.

When I am tucked away in my house, I do not make ugali or sukuma. I
make eggs. And did you know you don't need a toaster to make toast or
a microwave to make popcorn? Who knew? I have also started eating
something I'd never touched in college, Romen Noodles. Those things
aren't half bad, and cook mighty fast too! I am eating cucumbers,
apples and come January it's mango season. I'd like to eat more
pineapple since they are only $.50 for a whole one, but I can't eat a
whole one in a sitting. They are a pain to cut and I can't preserve
it once sliced.

That's all from Kenya for right now. I'm sure this has been more than
enough! So, until next time…WRITE ME!

New Address

2005-10-03T04:19:00.000-05:00

Ok, y'all have been asking for it (and I jump for joy everytime, cuz it means your thinkin' of me), so here are the new addresses. But don't fret, the old address isn't invalid, anything sent there will get to me, eventually! This also means that the addresses that appear at www.travelgurl.com are not the newest information. I will try to have that changed soon, but my webmaster (the ever busy best friends' husband, Daniel) get to that after working, school and trying to squeeze in time with his wife and four kids. So, what I am saying is that it won't be soon. This is both a mass email and a blog update (sorry), so you can always refer to the blog for this information as well, but it will scroll of the page in a few months most likely ( www.travelgurl.blogspot.com). Ok, here goes...

Packages

Kirsten Sheldon, PCV

c/o Misty Ellis

P.O. Box 2791

Kisumu 40100

Kenya

My friend Kirsten has made nice with the mail guy in Kisumu, so there are usually no customs charges when she gets packages, and I see her at least 2 or 3 times a month! Letters sent to this address will reach me, but not as fast. Then again, I haven't gotten a letter delivery from Peace Corps Nairobi since coming to site, so fast is a relative term, eh! Kirsten's packages seem to get to her from Jersey in 7-10 days (I still think she is lying to me, but why would she, ha ha). So, I guess we'll just have to see. A bright side, my friend Josie got a package 2 months ago (August 2005 for those keeping score at home) that was sent to her in October of 2004. So, even if the awesome stuff you have sent hasn't arrived, it doesn't mean it won't ever, it just might make it in time to celebrate my 1st anniversary in Kenya, and that will STILL be awesome!

M Bag: This is something I have been meaning to post about. The US mail offers a special surface mail rate for media material called M Bag. This includes books, papers, magazines and all media material. It is shockingly slow, but WAY cheaper than airmail. The first 10 lbs. of material costs about $10, and then $1 for every pound after that. Those that know me even as a passing acquaintance know the feverish rate at which I consume books and magazines, so if you clean out the magazine rack or bookshelves, don't hesitate to box them up and put them on a slow boat to Kenya. Ask your postmaster about M Bags today! (You can take the producer outta Nashville, but you can't take the producer outta the girl.)

Letters Only

Misty Ellis, PCV

JAM

P.O. Box 465

Oyugis 40222

Kenya

This is a place in my town and so will come to me (relatively) quickly.

Thank you, erocamano (Dhlou), asanta sana (Kiswahili), danka (German), Kapkumka (Thai)...basically thanks a thousand times over because just hearing from you all makes my day, and sometimes my week. I'll never be able to adequately explain the absolute joy letters and pictures (let alone packages) bring to my life, and to others. For I carry on that Peace Corps spirit and share (bribe?) my fellow volunteers. I force them to look at pictures, listen to tid bits from letters and as a reward they might get a few Starbursts or a stick of American Spearmint Extra gum for their indulgence.

Net of Slience (I Wish)

2005-09-17T07:38:00.000-05:00

A few weeks before I left for Peace Corps, I was at a (glorious?) sprawling Persians store in Indy with Nioka buying the "cutest" pink mosquito net for her daughter's bedroom. Now, in theory, I knew I'd soon be living under a mosquito net for more than decorative reasons. I had no idea that I could come to see my mosquito net as my own persona force field. Now, this may sound bizarre, but you have to understand that my bed is huge (well, from what I am used to) and so, at night, when I put the net over the bed posts, it's like a whole new room. A room that is protected from all the scary things, real and imagined, that lay just outside my thin, chemically treated net. I liken this to the "cone of silence" on the old Get Smart show. Soon, I'll be writing about my shoe phone. :)

I have a wonderful new addiction to my home, a World Space Radio! This magic (ok, just a regular old satellite radio, but seems magical right now) has brought the soothing voices of Carl Castle, Cory Flintoff and Sunan Stamberg into my waterless, powerless Kenyan home. I can't begin to explain the exaggerated happy dance I did when I finally got the thing working and those reassuring NPR voices began filling the room. World Space Radio works just like XM radio (actually owned by the same company). Most PCV's bring a shortwave radio, but those can be hard to tune and of limited options (Voice of America, BBC World Service). While rumor has it one of the World Space channels has the Daily Show. I will find it once I can get over the pure joy of listening to NPR (could be weeks).

Being smacked dumb by one of the worst natural disasters our country has ever seen made me hasten my subscription to World Space Radio. As much as I am working in rural Kenya for the next few years, I am still an American who must go home to America soon enough and I need to understand the home in which I intend to return. Plus, once I finally get over the NPR elation, I'll be able to listen Jon Stewart and laugh 'til I cry.

Kenya is in the midst of the "short rains," or the short rainy season. Where we did our training, Kitui, that probably means another disappointing season. But here in Oyugis, so close to Lake Victoria, that is not the case. This is not a very dry place in, or out of the rainy seasons. When I first moved here, I loved the sound of a gentle rain falling on my corrugated tin roof. Then the short rains came, and they brought their good friends torrential downpour and hail. Now, about 6pm when the sky grows dark and thunder rumbles in the distance, I brace myself for what's to come. It begins with just a few massive rain drops, and within minutes it is POURING! Soon after, the hail begins. Sometimes it is only pea size, but sometimes it can be big marble size. I could scream bloody murder and even I couldn't hear it, for the racket is so loud. The cement walls crumble and chunks fall to the floor from the force of the rain. This intensity lasts anywhere from 1/2 to 1 1/2 hours and I am convinced the house is going to fall in on top of me the whole time.

There are no construction standards here. The description of my house on paper included the words "semi-permanent." And while in a larger, philosophical sense, I guess that's true of all structures, but here they are serious about it. The house next to me was torn down and re-built 100ft away in less than a day. But when its made of mainly mud and sticks, I guess that's ok. My house isn't such, it is cement, but just not the permanent kind (its the crumbly kind).

Come November, it is open season at Casa de Misty (or kwa nyumbani Misty in kiswahili). After the paradise like description from above, I'm sure all my friends are lining up to make reservations. Well, I'm here to say, no reservations needed! Karibu nyumbani Misty!. November is when "lock down" at site ends and I can finally see more of Kenya, and anywhere else for that matter (Kristen, you know you want to go to Egypt for Christmas). Also, come November, I'll have actual projects to write about, instead of the mundane house details. I know y'all can't wait!

Ok, outta here for now. Don't forget to send (at least) email or (even better) letters. Sending BIG shouts to the Film House Folks who have changed the 1/2 room in my house into a "modern" shower (now I know y'all will come visit). You guys are the best and I can't thank you enough, especially JP who, after scores of disappearing packages still has faith that Posta Kenya will actually come through. She's such an optimist. Hope to have some pictures up by Christmas, computers willing!

Getting Used To It

2005-09-06T04:46:00.000-05:00

Other than worrying about the goings on in my home country, I am
settling into life here in Oyugis. I have met another PCV who lives
close to me and is super cool. I am finally off the stupidest malaria
drug EVER!! LIfe is finally getting into a mild routine. This is
still the hardest time period for PCV's, so the adjustment is meant to
continue for few more months.

I am working with an amazing organization that would thrive without me
even being here. They are really trying to take care of me
(althougth, I am not so good at being taken care of) and they are just
over-whelmingly excited to have me here. That in and of itself is a
lot of pressure. You have no idea what they really expect of you, and
you also have no idea what you really have to offer! The AIDS crisis
in this part of Kenya is really harsh. The country as a whole has a
5-7% AIDS rate, this area has a 27% AIDS rate. Imagine that, one in
four people will die of AIDS complications. I plan to write soon
about the difference between AIDS in America and AIDS here, because in
some ways it is a different disease.

My little house has yet to aquire any character. I am not very good
at creating my own space. In my last apartment, it took me two years
before I finally accepted I was really going to live there, and I put
things up on the wall and finished unpacking boxes. I hope it doesn't
take that long this time.

Ok, hope you all will write me and tell me you are ok and how life is
going, even if it sin't going so well. I want to know how EVERYONE is
at this crazy time.

The Mirror

2005-09-06T04:24:00.000-05:00

So, I am so far outside the loop that it would be a full 12 hour
matatu ride just to see where the loop might be.

Since I have gotten to Kenya, I have managed to go weeks without
seeing my face in a mirror. I don't know if you have ever tried this,
but I don't suggest it. When I do finally see my face, it is a shock,
because I do not recognize myself. Something you think you are as
familiar with as your own face becomes a bit foriegn.

This same feeling washed over me last Friday. I have gone weeks
without reading a newspaper or hearing englis radio broadcasts. The
result was, that it took an email from my friend Renee to let me know
what was going on in America. I went straight to internet news
sources, and again, I didn't recognize my own country. The reports
reminded me more of things I expect to be happening in Nairobi, not
New Orleans. I am lucky, all of my family is safe. I have friends
here and in America who I can't even imagine their pain right now and
my thoughts are with them always.

All my love...

A Tale of Two Mistys

2005-08-24T05:30:00.000-05:00

OK, so I know I am supposed to be writing about all the amazing things that are going on right now, but honestly, I am just settling into this life. I have only begun to get to know the area and just started making visits to community groups this week. It has been a bit trippy to go out to these meetings. They are conducted all in Lou (not even Kiswahili, where I might have a chance following along) and I wonder if things are being done or said a certain way just because I am there. People are genuinely offended when I don't remember their names from a MONTH ago. Now, those of you that know me know that I am crap with names to begin with, add meeting 20 new people a day who insist on giving you two names and see how easy it is to commit those to the ole noggin. I am also getting lectured on how I need to learn Lou. Ok, I am not arguing this point too much, but I would like to ask them how long it took them to learn English (they start English classes in 4th grade here, and all High School and College courses are taught in English)? I then want to ask them if they speak Kiswahili well (which in this part of the country, they do not). Then I want to say to get off my tako (butt in Kiswahili and a favorite word of mine because it reminds of happy "taco bell" thoughts from home). I had an 80 year old British woman go on and on about it. Now, keep in mind that she lived in Oyugis for 17 YEARS and doesn't speak any Lou OR Kiswahili. Go figure!

A bunch of us met the other day in Kisumu to debrief and destress from our first two weeks at site. I have been to Kisumu quite a bit as of late. A few days before that I went to go say good bye to yet another extremely close friend who was ETing. That makes the second of I would say my 4 closest friends who has gone home, and both of them have excellent reasons for their decisions, enough so that it even gave me pause. Needless to say, each departure is tough on the ole spirit. But Saturday's gathering was a definite boost. It is hard to imagine the duel life you have to lead, especially as a woman PCV here in Kenya. At site I am what I have taken to calling "Kenya Misty." With my friends, and other Americans, I am just normal Misty who can laugh and say outrageous funny things without fear of being shunned or thought of as a "whore." Women don't even ride bikes here in Kenya, so you can imagine the sight of me tooling down the road. It is difficult some days to reconcile these two lives. Kenya Misty feels stifling in some moments, but I know that in the long run, to be effective and have any impact, Kenya Misty has to exist because not being culturally sensitive is by far more damaging. Hopefully as I integrate more into the community the two Misty's will merge and I don't have to lead a duel life. Maybe.

A few of you have called recently, and I am so glad for that. It has been excellent to hear these familiar voices from home. Some of you have been worried by my tone, don't be. I don't think in all the volumes of research I did, did I ever find anyone who wrote honestly about the difficulties of this time, and I know I am not doing a good job of it either (you never know who is watching). Suffice to say that I am content so far and that I know I have choices. Right now (and for a long time to come) I choose to stay here and try and do a good job (whatever that job may be). Thanks for the concern, y'all are always on my mind and I love and miss you so!

Trying To Call It Home

2005-08-16T04:07:00.000-05:00

Aug 16, 2005

Well, I have been at site one week, and I think I know how newly released penitentiary inmates feel. After 10 weeks of living under the watchful (and strict-ish) eye of Peace Corps Administration and Training Staff, they turn you loose upon the country, separate you from the friends you have seen day in and day out and tell you to make your own way. Needless to say, it is a unique adjustment.

My very empty house is slowly but surely becoming inhabited. I now have a real bed, a kitchen table and two chairs. I had all of that hand made, along with a day bed I'll use as a couch and spare bed that I fetch on Friday, for under $100. Now, I am not lying about this. And this is HEAVY wooden furniture, stained, varnished and well made. Oh, and they did it in 4 days. It is so well made I wonder if I could ship it home. Never would I have imagined having furniture custum made for a stupid low price. I almost feel guilty, but then at the end of my tour the stuff will be passed on to the incoming PCV or the family I share a compound with.

My health is finally back to what I guess will be normal in Kenya. I am hoping that now I am at site that the routine will allow my system to normalize and I also hope to start sleeping anytime soon (malaria meds are not good for the sleep patterns of this PCV).

I thought I'd list a few things that I no longer find odd:Cows "mowing" the grass in front of my house.

Chickens roaming free as our exterminators (they are really good at it, they love the bugs).
Having the kids fetch jerry cans of water for me to use.
That I don't miss electricity as much as I thought I would (not to say I'd not take it back in a heartbeat).
Being home by dark, and in bed (and reading) by 9PM.
Shaking hands a million times a day, with everyone, including people I saw just an hour ago.
Three year old children wielding big knives for legitimate purposes.
Boiling water before I drink it.
Saying things like, "I'd rather a warm bucket bath than a cold shower anyday," and meaning it.
Wondering if I should try to read a newspaper sometime this week.
Sitting for an hour with 20 people and not understanding one word that was uttered.
Looking at a KitKat and thinking it is the best treat ever created. I didn't even eat KitKats at home.

Those are just a few of the things that have become a normal part of my life. I have no idea of some of the other things y'all might find weird or interesting, because now they just are normal for me. If you have questions (no matter how odd, I know you want to know), just leave a comment or drop me an email. I have to go for I have a 4 mile walk back home. Miss ya!

OFFICIAL

2005-08-16T03:36:00.000-05:00

August 8, 2005

Ok, it has been AGES since I have managed to actually post. Just when all the interesting things are happening is the time when I have no time to compose a post. I'll try to do one big wrap up with absolutly NO theme, much to my internal writer's chagrin!

Well, IT IS OFFICIAL. I am a Peace Corps Volunteer. I took my oath in a Swearing In ceremony last Friday in Nairobi. We were sworn in by the ambassador to Kenya (a Bush appointee, so no comment). I was convinced all week leading up to the Swearing In that I wasn't going to be allowed to swear in. I generally had a bad feeling in my gut.

See, technically I should have been at an Intermediate Mid level with my Kiswahili, but there was no way on this green earth I was going to test in at Int. Mid. There are a lot of reasons for that. One, I suck at new languages. When you are as proficient at English as I am, and as verbal, starting a new language is frustrating. Two, due to the change in training centers for PC Kenya, there were an inordinate number of new language teachers not as familiar with the approach Peace Corps has to language instruction. Two-thirds of my language instruction was by new (but promising) teachers, so I fell behind early. And three, I will be doing my service in Lou Land (it is actually Nyanza Provence, but parts of Kenya are referred to by the tribe that dominates them). Most of the tribes' mother languages here are a cousin of Kiswahili, but not the Lous. Lous are Nilotic people who moved down from the upper Nile, so their language is not in the Bantu family. This means that their English is better than their Kiswahili. They'd rather speak Lou or English to Kiswahili. So, I tested in at Novice High and I was shocked I was that high. I plan to continue Kiswahili tutoring (how cool will that language look on a resume) and also try to learn some Lou (pronounced, again, Lou-O).

But, after all that, that bad feeling in my gut wasn't all for naught. I got really sick towards the end of the week. One of my closest friends and cluster mate spent 5 days prior in the hospital for pneumonia. I spent at least 60% of my time with her. Needless to say, I picked up a nasty bug. By the time Friday came, I had NO voice. Never in my life had I completely lost my voice. So, technically I didn't take the oath or swear in, but I did sign the oath, so they can take that PCV title away from me so easily.

I spent TWO days with NO VOICE at all. I was going out of my mind. I could whisper slightly, but when you are amongst a group as boisterous as ours, light whispers wasn't going to cut it. I learned a valuable lesson during those days, and it is that while I knew I was a vocal person, there are other ways to communicate. At my homestay, our Shamba Boy Juma was deaf and the Baba taught at the Deaf School. So, I had been picking up a few signs here and there. When a PCV from the Deaf Education came to speak with us (PC Kenya has the only Def. Ed. program in the world) I learned most of the alphabet and some more signs, and just in time really. So, between whispering and some KSL, I managed to get my point across. But, needless to say, I never want to loose my voice again. KSL is another language I plan to continue to learn, it really isn't that hard. The bad thing is, it isn't used anywhere but Kenya, I guess just another fun fact for the resume. Oh, and BTW, I do not know a bit of ASL, so don't ask!

For our Swearing In celebration, my group did the traditional dinner at Carnivores. It is a very famous restaurant that used to serve crazy meats, sort of a Brazilian BBQ, Kenyan style. They served zebra and warthog and other stuff until the government put a ban on game meat. But there were still some surprises in store. We had some great traditional stuff, beef, chicken, lamb. But most awesome part of the night was the camel. Now, I know you don't think that camel could taste good, but it was AWESOME. I think someone in the states should start farming it. I can't explain what it tasted like, but it was so tender and yummy. Hey Jeff, here is the next big thing! The other delicious part was the ostrich. I had had ostrich in the US, but they made these amazing meatballs that would make you want to smack your mama! The sad part was that they didn't have any goat on the menu. I bet they could have done a great job with that.

The last few days in Kitui were crazy. We were all trying to re-gather our stuff, as we had stored a large chunk so we didn't lug half the world to homestay. It was almost like Christmas again, to see all the stuff I had pack after a ten week absence. I don't care what advice all those other PCV's give, I am glad for every frivolous thing I put in my bags and I wish I had put more.

Per my normal role, I took it upon myself to organize transport to site for the 15 of us going to the west. This got crazy, but it was nice to feel useful and in control again. We all got to site with very few hiccups, surprisingly enough for Kenya. That is where I am writing this email from. I spent last night (my first night) in my house and loving it. I wasn't sure I would when, after it started raining a long millipede came in, but luckily the bug spray that is legal here makes Raid look like Lysol. So what if I'll grow a third arm, I'm sure I'll find a use for it. The spray is called Doom, and for good reason. I have no furniture in my house, just some stuff and a foam mattress on a concrete floor, it reminds me of college.

I hope to post some pictures in the next few months so you can see the lap of luxury I am living in. As I write that, I know y'all will think I am crazy when I say that adjusting to living without running water and electricity is not the hardest part about Peace Corps. I found myself saying the other night in a hotel that "I'd rather have a warm bucket bath than a cold shower any day." And I meant it. When it is your reality, it just is and you manage.

The next three months are spent on what is called community integration. I won't actually working on my projects, but learning about the people and becoming part of this new home. Although, another volunteer's project has presented me an amazing opportunity to put my past life's skills to work. She needs a producer, and I happen to be one. Yippeeee! (Yes, I thought it would take me longer to think that too, but oh well).

I have finally seen some cool animals, but only from a bus window, but it counts. Just roaming on the side of the road I have seen: zebras, warthogs, baboons, antelope and twiga (giraffe in Kiswahili and much easier to spell). Also I have seen MASSIVE floating pink patches in lakes that are flamingos!

Ok, now that I am here at site, I have some serious letters to catch up on. Lisa is still reigning champion of letter writing (so much to my complete delight). Soon I'll get these out to you. You might be wondering if I have a new address, yes, but it is not for public consumption yet, PC is still paying duty on packages and the like until mid-September, so until then, the current info is good.

I miss you all, and feel free to call me. Another volunteer says that the Sam's calling cards give a pretty good rate to Africa.

Twice in One Day - Oh My

2005-07-12T06:32:00.000-05:00

Ok, this has been just stellar! I have just spent AGES catching up on my surfing. Actually, to catch up I'd be here for days, but I am at least ahead of the game at the moment. It is amazing how much time you can get on a computer when there are 34 other people circling around you like vultures and when there is a few hours in the middle of the day (since dark is our "curfew").

I just wanted to add a few things to what was a stupid long post above already. First, I know I have talked to a few of you about projects with school kids. As soon as I get settled here I'll make some arrangements. But I know the prime buying time for supplies is coming up, so here are a few things here the kids never have enough of: pencils and pencil sharpeners, colored pencils (crayons melt and are too fragile), coloring books, notebooks, rulers, pens. t is really just the basics. Most of these kids don't even have a sanitary place to go potty or clean water to drink. I look forward to establishing a relationship with a specific school soon. The organization I am going to be working with has an excellent orphans program. Since there is no Foster Care in Kenya, JAM is taking orphans into a living facility and counseling them (they probably just lost one or both parents to AIDS or malaria). Then, they find a family, and then bring them together in a good and nurturing way and counsel them as a group (not just throwing the kid in some house). They also help the family with a little money for expenses, such as uniforms for school. I can already tell you where a lot of these resources are going to go.

I am still calling out for pictures. You would be absolutely amazed at how curious Kenyans are about the way we live in America. They also have a hard time believing that America is as diverse as it is (yes, that is patent guilt to one half of my family!).

Oh, and I know y'all already know, but thanks again for bearing with the spelling and syntax mistakes. When one is pressed for time, editing suffers. Plus, y'all know I am dyslexic too, so I feel double cursed some days. Look forward to hearing from you.

And The Winner Is...

2005-07-12T05:03:00.000-05:00

Ok, for the moment you all have been waiting for (not really, but I was), DRUM ROLL PLEASE...the place I am going to be living for the next two years is: Oyugis, Nyanza Province.

Ok, so that means nothing to y'all, or at least those that don't read my blog with an atlas. If you will go to a map of Kenya, go west all the Way to Lake Victoria, find the city of Kisumu. South of that city you'll see another city called Kisii. I am almost halfway between the two on the Kisumu to Kisii highway (conveniently named don't you think). I am going to be working with an organization called JAM (Justice and Mercy). The are a NGO (non-governmental organization, newly converted from a CBO, or community based organization). They have a lot of programs going on including home based care, a widow's and orphans program and, what will be my focus, a newly opened clinic (sorry Nioka, I know that wasn't your favorite option).

I am writing this from the Oyugis (pronounced O-yU-gEEs) posta right now. I have been in town for a few days meeting all the folks that work with JAM, and all the community folks I will be dealing with. Now, Kenya is roughly broken up into provinces based on tribes. Oyugis is in a Lou (pronounced Lou-O) part of Kenya. They are part of the Nilotic tribes that are said to have come down from Egypt. They speak Lou, but because it is not a Bantu language, it isn't in the Kiswahili family. This means I will have to start learning a whole new language, again!

There are several of my fellow PCT's around this area (within 3-4 hours) and a few current PCV's as well. I will be living in a rustic little hose about 100 yards from the clinic. The clinic is a new addition to JAM's endeavors and has only one staff member, a retired nurse (called sister in the British tradition of nurses titles). She is a very nice woman. She basically treats what she can and referrs the complicated cases to Oygis hospital or an MSF (Medicines Sans Frontiers, or in English, Doctors Without Boarders) doctor. What she says she spends most of her time seeing is Malaria, upper respiratory infections (which could be anything from TB to Typhoid) and the AIDS patients who come in with OI (opportunistic infections, which around here is usually malaria). Since she is the only clinician, she doesn't have time to do consultations on malaria prevention, safe water practices or HIV/AIDS prevention and testing. I will be the main source of that kind of stuff. I'll also be working to help train their HIV/AIDS Educators and Community Health Workers. I am sure I'll also find a way to get into some other kind of trouble, but that is plenty for the moment.

Ok, when I say rustic little house, yes I mean it has no inside running water or electricity, but you'd be surprised at how fast you can adapt to that. It does have a decent pit latrine (choo) that I won't be sharing and an outside tap to get water, so I don't have to trek for an hour to the river to get water. There is a rather large living room, smallish bedroom and this little random room that might serve a number of purposes (possibly the guest room...hahaha). For anyone who knew my Nashville apartment, this place is probably about the same size. It is about 3 miles from town. The house is on a family compound and has a security guard around at night, so it is safe too! The area gets a good deal or rain, the we are amongst these beautiful rolling hills and farmland. The view from the house is great! This will be a great bike riding area (PCV's get bikes for site). I am told that there are many fresh veggies and lots of fish (mostly talapia from the lake). I am still going to try to grow herbs and spinach for salads and the like.

To get here we drove through the Rift Valley, from Lake Niavasha to here. It was just STUNNING. But, as per my continuing luck, the only animals I saw were the exotic African cow, Kenyan fighting chickens (we call them "free-range" in America) and the roaming goat. I was promised that there would be no animals on the drive but. "zebras, giraffes and antelope" (apparently those don't count here) and I didn't see ONE zebra, or anything else for that matter. Up until we all left for FSV (future site visit) it had taken 3 of us to see a whole baboon. My colleagues had better luck and I got a flurry of text messages from them listing all the cool animals they had seen. Pole for me. I still have a chance. This weekend I'll be going back to Nairobi through the rift valley, maybe this time I'll see my elusive zebra. I am beginning to think this whole "cool animals in Kenya" thing might be a big scam, or it could just be my luck. At least the people and the landscape (outside Kitui) are just beautiful!

So, I need to send a BIG hello to "Betty from California." I finally know who you are, and I must say that Shawn (we call him Frodo) is a lovely boy, y'all did a great job! By the way, he was one of our barefoot softballers who made a valiant effort at trying to salvage our pride at the 4th of July event. Look forward to hearing from you again.

In last weeks mail bag I got my brand new Titan's bandannas lovingly made by Sabrina. I also got Nioka's card (you'll both get a letter soon enough). I know there are still packages out there floating around, and I am very eager to get them. Peace Corps did give us some great news, that packages received until mid-September will actually come to us costumes free, so that opens up the cheap package window a little more. Thanks again for the emails asking what I need/want.

I don't have the new mailing info yet, so just stick with the already circulated information, I'll alert you as to when it changes. Also, I have to send big props to wonderful Kristin who called me the other day (on her way to work, just like at home). I was able to text msg her as well. I am told that those with Cingular can receive and send text messages very easily, and those with Sprint can receive. I hear that those with Verizon are SOL, but I haven't tested this for sure yet. If you would like to test it, my new number (and dialing instructions) are in the previous post.

Well, we are a mere 3 weeks or so from swearing in. That is when we become official PCV's (oddly enough, we take the same oath as the President, hopefully I'll maintain more honor for it). Things will be hectic (as if they've been calm until now) from here on out. After swearing in we are making our way back to our sites with the load of crap we must procure for our houses. Then, we will spend the first 3 months doing community entry stuff, not really working on our projects. This is the time where we become members of the community and try needs assessment exercises (see how official all that sounds, gotta love government phraseology!).

I should rap this novel up. I just checked email and it seems mom and Crissy are having problems getting email to me, anyone else? Just to make sure, use: Travelgurl@gmail.com

Congrats on the new house Crissy, I better be getting some pictures soon. I am doing just fine Grandma, don't worry about me (fat chance I know). If you have problems with email, you can always leave me a comment and it will come to my email. I miss you all and look forward to hearing from you. So, until the next installment...

Dial a PCV

2005-07-07T07:05:00.000-05:00

Ok, as promised to my prized clients, I have a cell phone. I make no promises about having it with me or turned on all the time, but at least I am reachable. The good thing is that you Text Message me for very little money (or so I have been told by other PCT's). I can also text you, but it is not as cheap, but cheaper than calling you. I will try to find a few phone cards with good rates to Kenya (I've heard as low as 15 cents a minute), but until then, feel free to call me any way you like. The following number includes the international access from the USA and the Kenya country code, so for my international mates, you know what number (011) to omit.

011 (254) 7354-41394

So, now if anyone is worried, bored or generally curious as to what a phone call to Africa would be like, dial a PCV!

Oh, and less than 24 hours away from site announcement. I had a nightmare (laruim induced) about my site. I won't go into details, but basically I was working as a Kenyan PCV in Indiana. I woke up in a cold sweat.

More Later...

PS -- Yes, this is a blog update and a mass email. Love me!

Packages Arrived!

2005-07-05T05:28:00.000-05:00

Well, we are back from Niarobi with little to no incident. As a group we spent much time at the Sarit Center (Mall) and ingesting foods not known to our town of Kitui. If you'll just indulge me for a moment, I will tell you about the amazing beef fillet we ate one night. It was simply amazing, and so tender we cut it with a butter knife. This is different from our regular diet of Kenyan Fighting Chickens (the chicken that bites back) and tough roasted goat. As many of you know, I have grown to enjoy the goaty goodness, but the tender beef was a delight none the less.

The embassy party was a blast. It was like being the actors at a party, we were the poor ones hording food and drink and taking any hand outs that came our way. The Peace Corps played the Embassy guys in a softball game, where we were promptly whipped! Now, these guys took their softball seriously, some even had cleats. While the PCV's were playing barefoot and some had a big bottle of beer next to them in the out field. No one was surprised by the outcome, despite our mediocre efforts.

It is only a few more days until site announcement. We are all anxious and nervous, but mostly excited at the prospect of training being over. All next week I will be away visiting my future site, but no one really knows what that means.

My language skills are just pathetic at this point, so I'll not comment on them. End of story.

Ok, big thanks to Mom! I got the pre-packed packages she sent to me, and it was like Christmas, so much stuff I forgot I wanted. Nioka also came through like a CHAMP with the coolest bag, pictures and STARBURTS. A few things that, if they cross your mind, to drop into a package are things like: powdered drink mixes (crystal light, Gatorade), powdered cheese mixes (the stuff in Kraft dinners and the Parmesan cheese packets from Domino's or such), hair accessories of any kind, hot seeds for cucumbers, spinach, herbs or anything else that goes in a salad. Yes, you heard me, seeds. I am going to attempt a sack garden (I'll explain later), and no I am not kidding. I'll maybe fail miserably, but I at least I'll try to grow my salad.

Well, hope all is well at home. Miss ya heaps and I'll post as soon as I have a site.

Finally An Update

2005-06-27T03:37:00.000-05:00

Hey gang...so I am still in Kitui, in training and still being held captive. I would love to tell you what Kenya looks like, but if it isn't being seen out a bus window, or on the 5 miles of walking around Kitui I do everyday, then I don't know it yet. We have managed one field trip that was not run the way my Producer's soul would have liked, but at least I did get to see the really amazingly beautiful area around Mt. Kenya, where they grow the tea and where the British Royals tend to hang out. Next week, we are on a field trip to Niarobi wehre there are many BIG plans to shop, eat and all kinds of general debauchery; that will teach Peace Corps to keep us cut off from FUN. In this little field trip we will be going to the US Embassy's 4th of the July party, so if there is an international incident, do NOT be surprised.

We find out our sites in about a week and a half, then we'll immediatly go for a week of "Future Site Visit" so I will have big news in a bit. That also means that this thing they call training, and I call hazing, is almost half over. Although, I will miss the Kiswahili lessons everyday, I won't miss being at Homestay and being scheduled within an inch of my life. Good thing is, Peace Corps will pay for continued Kiswahili lessons once I am at site, and I will need them.

Ok, letters...WHERE ARE THEY!!?? I have to give props to the current tote board leader, Lisa B, with a total of three received letters. Thanks girl, I knew you'd have my back. I have also gotten areograms from Gaye, Sabrina and Grandma (thanks Grams!). I got a super short letter from Kristin, but she was about to start a Trey job, so she is totally forgiven for that, and has all my, ahem, encouragement. Otherwise, I better be hearing from you soon. Right now it is difficult to get to email because of too many factors to list, but easy to guess.

Oh, and a HUGE shout out to JP who has sent be a BOX and I am dying to get it. Now, this brings up an interesting point, travel time for letters and packages. I don't know it exactly, but it is looking like two weeks for a letter and could be forever for packages. I sent long-ass letters to Sabrina, Lisa (x2), Gaye, Kristin, and Nioka, and Areograms to Mom and Grandma, so when I get the report on how long it took them to get those, I'll know the Africa to US time (but I hear it is about three weeks). Just and FYI though, the US post office actually has NO CLUE how long it takes to get a package to Kenya, even when they tell you 10 days. Oh, and about customs charges, I don't have to pay any for at least my first three months here, Peace Corps picks them up, so send away for the next two weeks. That brings me to the things I am in dire need of (or at least think I am, my standards keep lowering by the day!).

First, thank you so much for wanting to supply me with the goodies that make American life so cushy, it means a lot that y'all are eager to go through the hassel! Don't forget to read the mailing instructions on the website, and when declaring what is in the package, make it as general and generic as possible. Put clothes, educational materials, supplies, just do not put what is really in there. OK, now this may sound sad, but you haven't fought it out with African batteries, so Batteries will ALWAYS be welcome!!! I am using AA and AAA battereis. And for my electronics, I would love it if you could drop in some of those Energizer lithium batteries, I know they are pricey, but I just ran my CD player on one of those for 3 weeks, and I use my CD player A LOT. Pictures of what yall have been up to and general pictures of the houses (or farm) and general american stuff would be great!

Candy and gum, as absurd as that sounds, I could use some cherry life savers, starbursts, extra spirement gum, cherry twizzlers...general crap that is awful for you but valued currency amongst my co-tainees and something I can horde for the bad days. Ok, I can't remember what else, just anything is a HUGE deal for me, so make it goofy, practical or silly, I don't care and I will LOVE it!!!!!

So, to wrap it us, everything is going fine here. I should tell you a bit about my homestay family (sorry for the disjointed thoughts, but I am limited on time and tired from the 4 mile walk up and down hills just to get here). The mama is a nurse at the Kitui hospital (what a conwinkydink, eh). The Baba is a teacher at the deaf school. They have one 11 year old son still at home and two shamba boys (farm hands). One of them is deaf, so I have learned more KSL (Kenyan Sign Language) at homestay than I have Kiswahili. They are nice folks, but I have lived independantly to really cope well with being at a homestay. I made dinner for them the other night (penne pasta and tomatoe sauce, heavy on the garlic) and I don't think they were to fond of it. I wanted to say see, that is how I feel about Ugali and pigeon peas, but I would never do that. They are very reserved and have and fairly nice place, especially be Kenyan standards. And contrary to my own thoughts, bucket baths and pit laterines are not that difficult to deal with. The village where my homestay family lives is about 3-4 miles away from training and town, so I have gotten plenty of walking in. Also, everyone elses villages are pretty far from me too, so it feels like endless walking some days (and no, I am not skinnier -- the Univers is saying something). It is also a very hilly place. Dark happens around 7pm so we need to be back at the homestay by 6-ish pm. And let me tell you, if there is no moon, Conrad was serious about Darkness, cuz Africa gets DARK. We eat dinner at about 8:30pm and am in bed by 9:00pm. I try to read by headlamp for awhile, but I know Mama will be up at 4:30am to begin dropping buckets on the floor and whatever other general mayham goes on, so I do fall asleep early. They have 4 cows that need milking, so I guess that is why they get up. Myself, I'd get those cows on a better schedule! Also, sleep is a wierd thing because of the malaria med I am on, Laruim. It gives you really VIVID dreams and makes sleep sometimes a hard thing to come by. I am hoping it settles down soon, but until then, Karibu Kenay (welcome to Kenya).

Well, I am excited to learn where my site will be. Training is interesting, and the community based stuff is the best. We have already met some REALLY amazing people living with AIDS and I can't wait to start work. Hope to hear from y'all soon. I miss you so much and I hope all is well.

Training

2005-06-03T08:49:00.000-05:00

Well, I should post and let everyone know that training has started. We are in Kitui, a town 3.5 hours southeast of Niarobi. So far things are fine. I have moved in with he host family (not my favorite part) but they are nice people. Mama is a nurse and Baba is a teacher at the deaf school. I haven't had ANY time to myself, and the posta (where I am writing this) will be closing shortly. I just wanted to post and remind everyone to WRITE ME! They have us quite cut-off for most of training, and checking email has proved to be a test of ones speed and patience (duh). I haven't seen much of Kenya (they really do hold you captive), but what I say out the bus window to Kitui was beautiful.

My training group is great, but as predicted I am nearly the oldest woman in the group and the next oldest is a guy who is 41. Our youngest member is 20. So far we have lost only 2 members and that was before we left DC. Keep your fingers crossed. We find out in 5 weeks what our sites will be, so that will e the next hurdle.

So far I don't have any major wish list items. I know a few things that if sent in the next week (so I don't pay customs, PC does) would be nice. I did not bring enough gaff tape (can you believe a producer didn't bring enough). I would also love letters, did I mention that. Oh, and in those letters (not the aerograms I gave you) put in pictures. My host family wants to see pictures of y'alls houses, farms pets, work, just whatever. They weren't too happy to see just my pictures of people. Ok...hope to write something insightful soon. Miss everyone heaps!

Packing List

2005-05-19T14:07:00.000-05:00

Coming Soon - Hopefully...cuz I am sick of packing!

The Surreal Life

2005-05-17T22:32:00.000-05:00

I am existing in this really bizarre limbo at the moment. Staying with my mom has really warped time. It feels like ages until I leave. Actually, it doesn't feel like I am leaving for Kenya. It feels as if I should be loading my car for a return trip back to Nashville. I flee home to Nastyville after a few days here in Indiana normally. This is the first time I have spent more than 5 days here since 1993, and oh boy, do I know why. This town I grew up in doesn't have any FedEx drop-off. That should be the first sign of civilization. And why the lack of FedEx concerns me considering my upcoming adventure in simple living is beyond me.

Well, could the those above thoughts be more disjointed and discombobulated? I guess this is all to say I wish I felt more excited about leaving. But, this is pretty par for the course for me. I never think an adventure is going to actually happen until my luggage is checked and I have a boarding pass in my hand.

It's Great Being A Girl

2005-04-25T22:03:00.000-05:00

My friend Margaret treated me and Lisa to a luxurious pedicure today. I had never had a pedicure. I know that must seem strange, but it never occurred to me to get one. I don't know why. Now my cute little tootsies look like someone else's feet have been attached to my ankles. I wonder what the etiquette for cute toes and wearing chacos is?

It was a great experiences. I might try this pampering thing again sometime.

The Best Best Friends EVER

2005-04-25T21:49:00.000-05:00

I have the best Best Friends ever! This past weekend was just insane. Nike came down to help with the yard sale. Saturday was bitterly cold, but at least we were spared the rain. Almost all of my stuff sold. This was my first yard sale (as the seller, not the buyer). Thanks to Breeny's additions, there was actually a large amount of stuff splayed on my lawn. What was odd about it was that the male shoppers out numbered female 3 to 1. I don’t know why I find that odd, but I do.

I couldn’t have gotten through this weekend without Nike and Breeny, emotionally, physically or spiritually. There were times when I just sat back and watched my sister from childhood have a true laugh with my sister from adulthood and I could only feel amazingly lucky. They are such beautiful people, smart, funny and drop dead geniuses. The Universe has blessed me with people who understand the misery that I came from and the happiness I aspire to.

My apartment is nearly empty and its so strange. It seems so much smaller. I don’t know how 350 square feet can possibly seem smaller, but when it has just a bed, TV and boxes of clothes, it is down right suffocating. I guess it is the spirit that seems to be missing most.

Big news for today is that my Staging packet has arrived. I was worried that with the move next Saturday, that I might miss the info. I won’t be in Indiana for a few more weeks. So, I called the Kenya Country Desk to inquire. These guys were so very nice to me. She immediately emailed me the info and told me that the packets were sent out Friday as well. Well, when I got home, the packet was sitting in my mailbox. How come the mail moved like the speed of light with this, but the invite seemed to take a month? I guess my eagerness was a little too eager this time round.

Ends up that Staging will be in DC, Arlington to be exact (previously thought to be in Philly). I guess I will be celebrating my birthday in the same place as last year, what an odd coincidence. For my 30th birthday last year I was in DC for a script conference. So, on the day of my birthday I did what I called my “Day of Death” tour. I went to Arlington Cemetery, The Vietnam Wall memorial, Korean War Memorial, the WWII Memorial and the Holocaust Museum. I wasn’t all that thrilled to be turning 30. It was in the room with all the shoes at the Holocaust Museum that it hit me, that I was at least getting the chance to turn 30 years old. That room with the shoes just shattered me. I am a history buff and have studied the Holocaust, but the shoes brought it to life for me. Afterwards, I thought the perfect way to celebrate my life was to remember the lives of those who suffered unspeakable pain.

I think my 31st birthday will be vastly different. Get to DC on the 23rd of May. Continue Staging on the 24th (my birthday). Get loads of shots and leave for Kenya on the 25th. Wow, I guess this is going to happen. Staging should prove to be a whirl of activity, but I will finally get to meet all these cool folks who I’ve been “virtually” getting to know for a few months now. I can’t tell ya how much I am looking forward to it.

2005-04-18T22:05:00.000-05:00

Cammi learning early what paradise really means. Tahiti beach in the Bahamas (hope you like this sweetie!).
copyright ME

2005-04-18T22:01:00.000-05:00

This will be the Mascot for all you kids out there following my Kenyan Adventure. Her name is Punda Milia (Zebra in Kiswhili)
copyright ME

2005-04-16T08:07:00.000-05:00

My Unitarian Jihad Name is: The Garrote of Desirable Mindfulness.

Get yours.

BBQ

2005-04-14T20:36:00.000-05:00

When I first moved to the south, nearly half my life ago, I heard every yankee joke you could imagine. One friend's dad asked if I was a yankee or a damn yankee. I asked what the difference was and he explained that a yankee just comes to visit, a damn yankee comes and stays. After a moment of silence, he grumbles and says he takes me for a damn yankee. I had no idea he'd be right. At this point I consider myself a Midwestern Southerner (Breeny is gagging at this very moment).

The only reason I bring this up is to comment on a fantastic dinner I just had. I know other people in this wide wonderful country think they know how to do BBQ, and I don't deny there is potential. But c'mon, I live in Tennessee and there are folks here who simply have a gift. It was just stellar. I am writing about this now so that I can look back and remember this when I have had ugali for a week straight. Oh my!

Time is getting tight. Next week I sell most of my worldly goods on my front lawn in a yard sale. After that, it is going to be close to four months before I have a home of my own again. I still have a few more weeks of work, so I won't be bored at least. This is just too much to think about right now. I am going back to the left over BBQ in the fridge.

Outright Solicitation

2005-04-11T17:45:00.000-05:00

I am requesting any quotations you have found particularly uplifting, inspirational, insightful or just thought provoking. Erin left a comment with this excellent idea and I can’t help but steal it. I will compile them and take them with me.

A Motivating Mantra

2005-04-09T14:58:00.000-05:00

While I was cleaning out more stuff last night, I came across something that really moved me, and I can’t believe that I had stored it away. Reading it over again, it’s clear that the Universe was sending me a little reminder of what is ahead of me and why I am doing it (spiritually speaking, at least).

_____________________________________________________

The Mantra

Instructions for Life in the new millennium from the Dalai Lama

Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.

Follow the three R’s: Respect for self, respect for others, responsibility for all your actions

Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.

Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.

Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

Spend some time alone every day.

Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.

Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.

A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.

In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don’t bring up the past.

Share your knowledge. It’s a way to achieve immortality.

Be gentle with the earth.

Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.

Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.

Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.

Back In The Saddle

2005-04-06T20:13:00.000-05:00

Ahhhh…there is nothing like the sweet smell of vacation! So, I am back from the Bahamas (and a side trip to Miami). Granted, when I think of a vacation, it generally involves a longer period of time (a minimum of a month) and lots of uncomfortable transiting (bring me your cramped airplanes, overcrowded buses, horse-drawn carriages). But, it was nice to see how the other half lives. Plus, I had the opportunity to shoot the hell out of my new camera (hence the all the new pictures).

What was really great about this trip was having the absolute pleasure to meet friends of my host. Kelly and Bev were an amazing delight to get to know. I wish I could tell you how cool these folks were. But, we all know that one of the main reasons I love to travel is for the personal encounters with people I’d never normally have the chance to meet. Bev and Kelly, I am serious, open doors for all y’all :). It was just a wonderful time with Margaret, her husband, daughter and their (now my) friends.

This time off also gave me time to really try and get prepared for my upcoming journey. I thought that I was pretty prepared for the upcoming craziness, but I was deluding myself. I think that I kept telling myself that I had heaps of time. When I went and paid my last months rent yesterday, it was concrete. I have only 24 days left in my apartment. Also, the vast majority of my work is done. I sent in my final edits yesterday. While there is no shortage of personal things to do, wrapping out this job and my office makes me very nervous. I am not one who is comfortable without work. I wouldn’t call me a workaholic, but having a job is vital to me. Where I am from and the way I was raised, you shouldn’t ever be without work.

So, I hope you are looking forward to posts in the next few weeks that reek of nerves, confusion, joy, excitement and sadness. Until then, tip back a drink and think of lovely beaches. Oh, and if you are quietly lurking about here, drop and note. At least tell me what you think of the pictures. I know you're out there.

2005-04-06T19:53:00.000-05:00

Smell the salt air. Feel the warm water. Are you jealous yet?
copyright ME

2005-04-06T19:47:00.000-05:00

Beach of love...
copyright ME

2005-04-06T19:45:00.000-05:00

C'mon...does it get much better than this
copyright ME

2005-04-06T19:43:00.000-05:00

Age and Beauty merge in the Everglades.
copyright ME

2005-04-06T19:37:00.000-05:00

I love unbridled nature. This lovely calls the wilds of Everglades National Park home.
copyright ME

2005-04-06T19:34:00.000-05:00

Ok, this is a shocker for anyone who vaguely knows me. This is a SUNRISE picture. Long story, but having a cool camera motivated me to shimmy on down to the beach for this steller shot.
copyright ME

2005-04-06T19:32:00.000-05:00

A Killer sunset, one of many.
copyright ME

2005-04-06T19:30:00.000-05:00

Yep...another one. And me with just my camera and an adult beverage.
copyright ME

2005-04-06T19:20:00.000-05:00

This was our lush Hopetown Hideaway. I know, what a radical change from my usual bamboo bungalow and rice mats. I promise not to become accustomed to such luxuary.
copyright ME

2005-04-06T19:17:00.000-05:00

This is the FAMOUS Hopetown Lighthouse. Famous for being the only lighthouse to still burn kerosene (I know, desperate, but cute).
copyright ME

Family Letter -- PC Kenya

2005-03-22T18:47:00.000-06:00

OK Gang...

I'll be giving out a hard copy of this before I jet, but this will be here as a reference copy. Now, not hearing from me for months on end is nothing new to you (my beloved friends and famly), but here are the official instructions for staying in touch. Now, you know you should check here first, as I might be more likely to post as to send a mass email. So, without further adu...

______________________________________________________________

Dear Prospective Volunteer: Please give this letter to your family and ask them to hold on to it for as long as you are in Kenya.
______________________________________________________________

March 2005

Dear Families,

Greetings from the Kenya Desk in Washington, D.C. It is with great pleasure that we welcome your family member to Peace Corps. During the past year we have received many requests from Volunteers and family members alike regarding travel plans, sending money, relaying messages and mail, etc. As we are unable to involve ourselves in the personal arrangements of Volunteers, we would like to offer you advice and assistance in advance by providing specific examples of situations and how we suggest they be handled.

Irregular Communication
The mail service in Kenya is not as efficient as the U.S. Postal Service. Thus, it is important to be patient. It can take three to four weeks for mail coming from Kenya to arrive in the United States via the Kenyan postal system. From a Volunteer's post, mail might take 1-2 months to reach the United States. Sometimes mail is hand carried to the States by a traveler and then mailed through the US postal system. This leg of the trip can take another several weeks, as it is also dependent on the frequency of travelers to the U.S.

We suggest that in your first letters, you ask your Volunteer family member to give an estimate of how long it takes for him/her to receive your letters and then try to establish a predictable pattern of how often you will write to each other. We would also like to suggest that you consider the use of "aerograms," generally a blue sheet of paper which folds into an envelope. These are available in most stationary stores or at post offices. Volunteers have had good success in receiving their mail in this form. Also, try numbering your letters so that the Volunteer knows if he/she has missed one. Postcards should be sent in envelopes--otherwise they may be found on the wall of the local post office!

Volunteers often enjoy telling their "war" stories when they write home. Letters might describe recent illnesses, lack of good food, isolation, etc. While the subject matter is good reading material, it is often misinterpreted on the home front. Please do not assume that if your family member has been ill that he or she has been unattended. Peace Corps has a doctor and two physician's assistants on staff in Nairobi. Through regular contact, they monitor the health of the Volunteers. In the event of a serious illness, the Volunteer comes to Nairobi and is cared for by our medical staff. If the Volunteer requires medical care that is not available in Kenya, he/she will be medically evacuated to South Africa or the United States, depending on the medical care required. Fortunately, these are rare circumstances.

If, for some reason, your communication pattern is broken and you do not hear from your family member for three months, you should contact the Office of Special Services (OSS) at Peace Corps Washington at 1-800-424-8580, extension 1470. OSS will then contact the Peace Corps Director and ask her/him to check up on the Volunteer. Also, in the case of an emergency at home (death in the family, sudden illness, etc.), please do not hesitate to call OSS or our weekend and off hours Duty Officer (202) 638-2574 immediately so that the Volunteer will be informed as soon as possible.

Telephone Calls
The telephone system in Kenya is relatively good. Service to the United States is somewhat reliable, phones exist in most larger towns and Volunteers can often plan to be at a phone on a certain date to receive calls from home. This usually works, but there are also innumerable factors that can make the best-laid plans fall apart.

The Kenya Desk communicates the Peace Corps office in Nairobi daily. However, these calls are reserved for business only and we cannot relay personal messages over the phone. All communication between family members and the Volunteer must be done via international mail.

Sending mail during Pre Service Training (PST)

Your name, Peace Corps Trainee
P.O. Box 30518
Nairobi, Kenya

Sending packages
Both parents and Volunteers like to send and receive care packages through the mail. Unfortunately, sending packages can be a frustrating experience for all involved due to the possible theft and heavy customs taxes. You may want to try to send inexpensive items through the mail, but there is no guarantee that these items will arrive. We do not recommend, however, that costly items be sent through the mail. Even though Volunteers choose to get local post office boxes, you may use the following address to send letters to your family member at any time during his or her service:

John Doe, PCV
U.S. Peace Corps
P.O. Box 30518
Village Market, 00621
Nairobi, Kenya

We recommend that packages be sent in padded envelopes if possible, as boxes tend to be taxed more frequently. Custom fees can be quite expensive. For lightweight but important items (e.g. airline tickets), several services, such as DHL, FedEx, TNT, and UPS operate in Kenya. These services however, are very expensive, and can cost as much as $70 for a letter. If you do choose to send items through them, you must address the package to the Country Director, c/o Peace Corps, Nairobi, Kenya. (The street address of the Peace Corps office in Nairobi is: Grivellia Groove, Westlands, Nairobi, Kenya). If you send the item to the Country Director, no liability can be assumed.

Sending airplane tickets and/or cash is not recommended. Certain airlines will allow you to buy a pre-paid ticket in the States; they will telex their Nairobi office to have the ticket ready. Unfortunately, this system is not always reliable. Several European carriers fly to Kenya. Please call the airline of your choice for more information. You could also send tickets via mail services as mentioned previously. However, Peace Corps will assume no liability in the event of a lost/stolen airline ticket.

Trying to send cash or checks is very risky and is discouraged. If your Volunteer family member requests money from you, it is his/her responsibility to arrange for its receipt. There is Western Union service available in Nairobi, although there are many charges involved in the sending and exchange of money. Bear in mind that Volunteers will be aware of people visiting the States and can request that they call the Volunteers' families when they arrive in the States should airline tickets or cash need to be sent back to Kenya.

We hope this information is helpful to you during the time your family member is serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Kenya. We understand how frustrating communication difficulties can be when your family member is overseas. and we appreciate your using this information as a guide. Please feel free to contact us at the Kenya Desk in Washington, D.C. if you have any further questions. Our phone number is 1-800-424-8580, ext. 2324/2323 or locally, 202-692-2324/202-692-2302.

Best Thing Ever

2005-03-05T18:51:00.000-06:00

During my morning shower, I have taken to looking up at that gloriously hot water flowing down and I say, “hot water, it is you I’ll miss most of all.” Don’t get me wrong, friends and family are important, but it is that hot shower that I will pine for on a daily basis. I am trying to savor every moment now, so I won’t have wasted these last few weeks when it is all gone.

I keep a very famous list (at least famous amongst my friends). I am a person who loves a searing hot shower. I hate baths and spas; give me one of those Silkwood nuclear blast showers any day. That being said, I keep a list of the best showers I have ever taken (all you pervs letting your minds wonder, call me). It usually takes some extraordinarily difficult circumstances to have a shower make the list. There are only 10 slots available on the list. Some have asked why I don’t expand the list to include all the great showers, but I don’t think that is fair to all the other showers. When I have a shower experience that I think is worthy of the list, I have to really sit and compare it to these, and that is some heavy competition. This is what discriminating taste is all about.

Number 1 - Still top of the list is the luke-warm beauty I took after a week of rafting the Kali Gahndaki in Nepal. Not only didn’t I get to bathe for that week, but I also had to endure my first bout of dysentery. That shower made me truly love the modern wonder of heated water flowing from a fixture. This is the shower that started the list

Number 2 - I nearly passed out taking this shower. It happened at an expensive (for me at least, $23 a night for goodness sakes) hotel in Quito, Ecuador after I had spent a month living in Santo Domingo doing a radio internship. The water was so scalding hot and I stayed in for so long (45 minutes) I nearly blacked out. I wrote my mom a three-page letter about this one. Oh, it was awesome.

Number 3 - One stifling July day some friends and I went out for a little 5-mile stroll on some trails at Mammoth Cave National Park. After some monstrously bad navigation by yours truly, we emerged back at the car suffering near heat stroke and dehydration because 5 miles turned into 11 miles. I wanted to move into the shower that evening, what a glory that hot water was!

Number 4 - I once spent 22 hours straight on a Mexican bus going from Tijuana to La Paz in Baja. Needless to say, the shower that cleaned that layer of funk off me was simply delightful.

Number 5 - On the journey from Cambodia to Thailand, I had to abandon the bus I was on (due to a bridge outage), trudge through a muddy rice paddy and hitch a ride in the back of a Nissan truck crammed with 15 other people. I spent 4 hours hurtling towards the Thai boarder down an unbelievably rutted, dusty dirt road at the speed of light. Once I finally got back to Bangkok, I put my deeply bruised ass into the hot shower and stayed there for almost an hour.

Number 6 - Shortly after graduating college, I moved to London, England. I lived there for 6 months before returning to the States. I don’t know how the English consider themselves part of the western world when they have yet to master such primitive 20th century technology as truly hot water and actual water pressure. The first shower stateside was just magical. I used every drop of heated water in my friend’s apartment.

Number 7 - The shower I took after three days of hiking through the mountains in Northern Thailand was simply exceptional. It had been cold, muddy and poured sheets of rain for most of the time, I was in the shower so long I thought the guesthouse was going to kick me out.

Number 8 - The slow boat down the Mekong to Luang Prabang, Laos, is just that, slow and chilly. That wouldn’t have been bad at all except I was so very sick the whole time. I spent two days alternating between the fetal position and leaning my head over the edge of the boat. The relief of a hot water shower is simply impossible to explain.

Number 9 - I stayed at this hotel in Inle Lake, Burma that had simply the best bathroom I have ever seen. For the princely sum of $8 a night (a bit steep for me) I enjoyed endless scorching hot water and pounding pressure from one of those rain type fixtures. If that weren’t enough, the place was decorated with these river rocks all cemented to the walls. I hadn’t endured anything to earn such a wonderful shower, but it was great nonetheless.

Number 10 - The shower I took after a day spent on the roof of a coal powered train, a jammed rural bus and a moto taxi (all said 17 hours, 8 of which I urgently needed to pee), the shower I took at a Cuenca hotel in Ecuador was just a relief. Beautiful and simple perfection.

I know that during my Peace Corps service, several of these are going to be bumped off the list. All I can say is I look forward to the adventure that can top any of these.

Elmo Has New Shoes

2005-03-04T23:33:00.000-06:00

Some girls go wild for the Jimmy Choo’s; others would kill for a pair of Manolo Blanhnik. Not me! The mere mention of Vasque or Montrails is what makes me go all-weak in the knees. It isn’t diamonds or designer bags that get me in a capitalistic tizzy, it is technical outdoor gear. If anyone wishes to win my heart with materialistic goods, skip the useless jewelry, pass up any frilly whatnots and go straight for the waterproof down sleeping bag or the newest Gregory expedition pack with the hydration insert (science only makes nature even better).

So, I have my new Peace Corps shoes. First, big props to the folks at Chaco. Not only are they making the best water/hiking sandal, they are supporting some worthy causes. They have a special program for Peace Corps people where you pay about half of what they shoes are retail. Oh, and when I called to place the order, they couldn’t have been nicer people, they kept thanking me for what I’m doing. I haven’t done diddly yet; I hope I can live up to such praise.

Next we have a great shoe that is perfect for the dressier occasions. These Timberland cork soled sandals are durable and stylish. They are light, pack easy and still have that feminine touch.

Next week maybe I’ll report on the cool new Macabi skirt I am trying out.

2005-03-04T23:07:00.000-06:00

These ARE my dancin' shoes...
copyright ME

2005-03-04T23:05:00.000-06:00

Lovin' life in my new Chacos...
copyright ME

Suggested Packing List

2005-02-22T18:33:00.000-06:00

So, I finally got the Suggested Packing List. I don't know what to make of it yet. To be perfectly honest, I'm not freaked out about packing. I figure if I managed to live for 6 months out of my backpack on my 'Round the World trip, this shouldn't be a big deal. It is almost a better situation, for I will have a humble abode. The only thing that has me concerned is the 80 lb. weight limit. So, whaddya think of this list :

Necessities

Tampons (lots !)*
Water bottles (2 recommended-Nalgene) or camelback
Batteries (rechargable are a good idea)*
A nice dressy outfit for first week dinner with officials
Headlamp with batteries and replacement bulb
Bathing suits (2-your size may change while here)
Glasses/sunglasses (2 pair)
English dictionary
Nice comfortable shoes (think nice sandals, Tevas, Chacos)
Professional clothing in breathable fabrics
Good bras (tons!)
Good underwear (they have these in country, but quality is poor)
Good pair of tennis shoes
Nice flip-flops*
Pictures from home
Camera and film (lots!)*
Duct tape
Sweater, sweatshirt or long-sleeve shirt
Medium book bag (for 3-4 day trips)
Toiletries for three months (shampoo, conditioner, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, razors)*
Hairbrush or comb
Three month supply of prescription drugs
Watch
Portable alarm clock*
Leatherman or swiss army knife
Towel (travel/camping ones work well because they dry quickly)

Not necessary but useful for some volunteers (not all, don’t go buy all of this)

Shortwave radio*
Wall calendar*
Solar showers
Cookbooks (Better Homes and Garden, Fanny Farmer, Joy of Cooking, CD rom cookbook, ethnic or vegetarian cookbooks that use natural, non-processed ingredients)
Favorite recipes
Adaptor (if bringing electrical appliances)
CDs or tapes (lots! You will be listening to them for two years)
CD player and/or tape player (portable with speakers or small “Walmart” battery operated one*)
Tupperware*
Ziploc bags
Raincoat/pancho
Travel/Camping towels
Money belt
U.S. stamps (can easily be sent to you by mail)
Beauty products/ pampering things for de-stressing (if you use them)*
Money (in large denominations, $50, $100, traveller’s cheques, Euros)
Your favorite pillow (if you’re picky about that)*
Spices/spice packets*
Good exercise pants
Linen/ cotton clothing (you can find linen and cotton here and get clothing made)*
Measuring cups/spoons (a must if you bake or cook)
Tea tree oil (great antiseptic for those skin infections and mosquito bites!)
Catalogue of clothing (to show to tailor to get copies made)
Good pens (if they are important to you, bics are available)*
Bandanas*
Games
Sports bras
Pepper/ pepper grinder*
Good flashlight*
Seeds (spices, veggies, etc.- can be purchased here or sent later also)*
Wet wipes

Educatoin Specific (also not necessary, just suggestions)

Art supplies (markers*, crayons, paints, construction paper, rubber cement, etc.)
Children’s books
World map/ map of Africa (can get free from AAA if member)
Calculator*
Stapler*
Appointment book*
CD books (there are computers at work stations and in some schools; they are smaller han books, packable, and can be useful, ie encyclopaedias, journals, etc.)
Stickers (can be easily sent here, too)
Blank cassettes (for making listening comprehensions)
Tape player/ recorder

Gift Ideas for Host Families (not necessary, can be bought here, too)

Coloring
books
Dollar store stuff (tacky is good here!)
Candy*
Pocket
knives
T-shirts
Flashlights*
Karate/Action movies on VCD (not regular DVD!)*
UNO

Don’t Bring

Too many books (all classics in country)
Short skirts (above the knee)
Too many shorts (can only be worn indoors or when exercising)
Too many white clothes (they turn brown)
Tight clothes (culturally inappropriate)
Spaghetti strap tops (unless used as PJs)
Too many socks (1-2 pairs)
Over the counter medication (Tylenol, allergy meds, eye drops, etc provided by PC)
Too many electrical appliances (you may not have electricity)
Mosquito repellant (provided by PC)
(*) means you can find these things in country

It is interesting to see what is culturally appropriate and inappropriate in the clothes department.

Camera Love is True Love

2005-02-17T23:20:00.000-06:00

Ok, I went out shooting this afternoon and I am in LOVE! I love this camera. I stumbled across the man below and just shot like 30 pictures of him feeding the "rats with wings" as Breeny calls them. It was great to shoot a butt-load of shots and not have to worry about processing and prints (and the money it would cost). So, I will be post more pictures if I deem them worthy, but if none of them are, it is my fault and not this beautiful camera.

2005-02-17T23:19:00.000-06:00

Bird Man of Nashville
copyright ME

All This To Say...

2005-02-16T20:53:00.000-06:00

I did it...I am now the proud owner of a brand new Nikon D70. It is very odd to know that I am the first owner of this piece of gear, I don't have much that I can say that about. None of the pictures below were taken with the new super camera, but they serve as an inspiration to get my happy ass out the door and shoot! All I can say about the new camera is, damn there sure are a lot of buttons, and the manual reads like War and Peace. Keep a look for new pics to be posted soon!

2005-02-16T20:52:00.000-06:00

2005-02-16T20:50:00.000-06:00

2005-02-16T20:48:00.000-06:00

2005-02-16T20:29:00.000-06:00

2005-02-16T20:27:00.000-06:00

The Price Could Be Right

2005-02-13T20:43:00.000-06:00

Well, I guess I finally know my worth in life. I don't know if I should be flattered or frustrated. Anywho, the following is my current going price. I don't know what you get for this amount of money (do not insert joke here, email me), but I can promise you that it will NOT exclude PMS or bad hair days.

I am worth $1,669,048.00 on HumanForSale.com

Maybe one day I'll make something of myself and won't be such a bargain, if indeed, that is what I am.

Counting the Days

2005-02-01T19:04:00.000-06:00

I am dead in the middle of production, and so slammed I can't see straight. I am looking forward to my marathon shoot tomorrow in the freezing rain with the client on set...yip-freaking-eee. I am currently 109 days away from staging and the excitement is beginning to build.

So, my camera dilemma remains. I am such an avid photog, but have never bought gear retail. One reason for that is because my current cameras are about as old as I am. I have the dosh, but can't seem to part with it. But, check this out, I'll buy plane tickets in a heart beat, not even giving it a second thought. Last week a friend invited me to stay with her family at a house they rented in the Bahamas. In a matter of days I had bought the tix and confirmed the trip. Now, the natty part of this story is, the plane tickets were half the price of my desired camera, but I have been drooling over the new camera for about 5 months. What in the world is wrong with me? I know part of it, at least with my 30 year old cameras, I know the technology is outdated, but time tested. With the new stuff, next week could be something better coming down the pike.

Ok, back to the grind. At least this bout of production is a reminder of what I am giving up and how much it doesn't even phase me.

Out With the Really Old

2005-01-08T08:29:00.000-06:00

So, I have begun the cleaning out process. I know it seems a bit early, but I have a twisted logic applied here. I figure if I begin now, and attack it fairly slowly, I won't miss all the crap I am throwing away. And what kind of crap am I throwing away? Well, I am finding the paperwork I have amassed simply shocking.

One of the reasons I think that my collective clutter has gotten out of hand is because I haven't moved flats in nearly four years (close to a lifetime record for those that know me). So, I have encountered scary stuff like: a Precision Tune receipt from 1996, work invoices from 6 years ago, money market cancelled checks from 9 years ago, my hometown phone book from 1993 and to top it all off, more personal calendars than you could shake a stick at. I must have averaged 3 a year since college, geez, what was I thinkin'?

So, if you know me and wish to lay claim to anything in my flat, drop me a line and we'll make arrangements. Now, note that the book collection is NOT up for grabs, but the bookcase is.

I will continue the purging process for several months. I have a hectic production schedule starting Monday, so minus that month long break, I will just keep chucking out the clutter of the space and the mind hopefully.

Elmo Has New Shoes

2005-01-04T23:08:00.000-06:00

Some girls love the Jimmy Choo's, some girls would die for a pair of Manolo Blahnik, but me, my heart can skip a beat at the mere mention of Vasque or Montrail. One day I will be registering for gifts for one event or another, and it won't be a Target or Dillards list, no, it will be with REI or Sierra Trading Post. Finally someone else will be getting my that new waterproof down sleeping bag (ohmygod, can you believe they now have waterproof down!) or GoLite Bivey tent with a matching backpack that is under two pounds. Give me a moment and talk amongst yourselves while I pull myself together.

Ok, I am more composed now. I don't know what it is about outdoor technical gear that makes my heart go all a-flutter, but it does. As you can see from these pictures, I have purchased new shoes for Kenya. The Chacos company is a very thoughtful group of folks. They have a special Peace Corps deal, and if you call them they will sell you a pair for almost half the retail price, and be extremely sweet about it. While I was placing the order, the guy on the phone just kept saying "thanks for what you're doing." I didn't know what to say, for I haven't done diddly yet, but it was a very sweet moment.

Then, I found this sporty pair of Timberland cork and rubber soled shoes that will be perfect for occasions that require a bit of a dressier option. The up side is they are durable and light weight while still being feminine.

____________________________________________

Soygal Rinpoche's Daily Meditation for March 4th

Buddha sat in serene and humble dignity on the ground, with the sky above him and around him, as if to show us that in meditation you sit with open, sky-like attitude of mind, yet remain present, earthed, and grounded. The sky is our absolute nature, which has no barriers and is boundless, and the ground is our reality, our relative, ordinary condition.

The posture we take when we meditate signifies that we are linking absolute and relative, sky and ground, heaven and earth, like two wings of a bird, integrating the skylike deathless nature of mind and ground of our transient, mortal nature.

______________________________________________

This meditative direction seemed like something I wanted to share. I had a Religions of Asia professor in college that would lecture on the differences between eastern and western traditions, and that major difference is duality. This meditation talks about our relative world, the dualistic world where things are, either or, black or white, up or down; and the infinite Buddha Nature in us all that transcends dualism.

I think Peace Corps will be a step on my path in helping to shed the confines of duality.

Gee...Um...Really Glad Your Not Dead

2004-12-30T21:36:00.000-06:00

I am feeling so much love today. A lot of my friends have called to ask if I had been in Thailand, would I have been there? And then they tell me how happy they are that I am not dead.

Here is the back story, I usually take an annual trip to South East Asia (SEA). I start in Thailand, visit someplace, come back for the holiday and then off to somewhere else. If your interested, the links to the right are my expensive personal hobbies combined, photography and travel. Well, the year before last I was on Koh Phi Phi (pronounced Pee Pee) and last year I was on Koh Lanta. Both destroyed a few days ago.

For the past three weeks I have done nothing but bitch and whine about how cold it is here and poor me because I am missing my normal 6 weeks of Christmas vacation in order to work. My mental reprieve was my upcoming service in Kenya. So, when I see the news of this horrific disaster in South and SE Asia, my first selfish thought is, not only would I have been there, but I'd be dead. I am not trying to be dramatic, but just brutally honest. I had planned to go back to Koh Lanta this year, and to the same beach place. My hut would have been 100 feet from the beach. I most likely would have been half asleep on the beach with a book over my face. Now all I can do is shut the F#@& up.

I think Breeny put it best when she told me that the Universe had saved my ass again. She couldn't be more right. She thinks that the Universe has a plan for me. I am not as confident in that, but I can say that once again Her big eye in the sky steered my ship to the right port. It is even more sobering that when my ship is still safe, there are (at this moment) 117,000 people who have no more life. Countless more will endure unfathomable circumstances over the next months and years, and there is nothing I can do to help. I sit here in my warm house in my comfy jammi pants and I wonder how? I know that everything has a purpose, the Universe is not random chaos but intentional and pointed chaos, but it still cuts deep to see such destruction and pain.

Thanks to all who wished me happy "not dead" tidings. I am apologizing in advance when you worry about me in the future. When something strange or tragic happens in Africa and you're not really sure if that is near me and you worry anyway, I am sorry. I will always try to be safe, but if for some reason my ship isn't safe, keep in mind I am doing what makes me happy and fulfilled, it won't all be for naught.

What Is Reality

2004-12-22T11:09:00.000-06:00

So, I am supposed to be "processing' all of this new information, but it doesn't seem real. I mean, yes, it is fantastic to have this packet of information, and a country to point to and say I am going there, but it doesn't seem like it will really happen.

By my calculations, I am 150 days away from Staging. Six months seems so far way (although I know it isn't). As I tell friends and work folks about the good news, they all have this bizarre reaction that I don't know how to deal with. They are all so kind and they look at me as if I had just said I am entering Mother Teresa's convent to help lepers. While there are a lot of reasons to join the Peace Corps, I don't know if anyone who does should believe it is wholly altruistic. From what I have read, those that see themselves that way usually find themselves sorely disappointed (and may return home early). So, I am feeling slightly like a fraud today. I am trying to figure out a way to communicate the totality of my motivation to join Peace Corps, but I don't think I even know that.

Per my invitation kit instructions, I am meant to be writing an "Aspiration Statement" and emailing it to my country desk. Technically, I should email it before Christmas, but I won't get to it. I find myself at a loss for what to write. I must have dug up 15 other PCV's statements on the web, but I am still unclear as to what I "should" be writing. I look back at my application and the two statements I had to write for that and I wonder if they were good or bad or if they were even read by my recruiter. Will my Country Director read them or do they just sit there? Most of all I wonder if I have the clarity or capability for putting into words what I think and feel for my Aspiration Statement. Then I think it doesn't matter, because whatever I think I want to aspire to, I really have no earthly idea what 2 years working in Kenya on HIV/AIDS education will mean to me.

So, Bri, that is where I am today. On this cold, rainy Winter's day I am dwelling in place that isn't pretty or nice, feeling fake and distant. My adventurous spirit is whispering in my ear that it is she who pushed for the Peace Corps, she wants to see what life in another world is like and be part of that life and if the Universe is kind, to be of some help, if even just a little bit.

Invitation Day...

2004-12-11T22:24:00.000-06:00

Well, after what seems like an eternity (and was actually 5 days), my mail guy plopped my invitation packet at my doorstep. Apparently he had no clue as to what a valuable package he so carelessly thumped against my door on this cold and rainy day. I did manage a moderate amount of decorum and let him get back to his little vehicle before I leapt at the door. I didn’t need him to witness this little spectacle, now did I?

So, to the meat of this post…(drum roll here)…it is KENYA!!! I know this isn’t a big surprise, but there is something inexplicable about having this official piece of paper in my hands. I am no longer guessing and speculating about where, or if, I go. There is no question, the Peace Corps wants me, they really want me (*said like Sally Fields*).

I also have a clearer idea of what I’ll be doing. My job title is “HIV/AIDS and Hygiene Educator.” I guess the old saying is true, be careful what you wish for. I wanted Africa, I wanted Health, and I wanted Peace Corps. The packet says I’ll probably have a rural posting, and that means no running water and no electricity. Here again, be careful what you wish for. I have been joking for years that my ideal mud hut is just waiting for me. I wonder what else I have carelessly wished for (heeellllllooooo Denzel)?

Ok, I will have so much more to say once I process all this (and read the butt-load of stuff they sent).

Lookie...it's fer'real!

2004-12-11T22:00:00.000-06:00

Actual Proof that the Eagle Has Landed...

copyright ME

Mail Person Don't Fail Me Now

2004-12-07T11:15:00.000-06:00

Why haven't we developed transporter technology (ala Star Trek), or an even better question, why did Peace Corps stop FedEx'ing invitation packets??? My email notification came this morning that my Invitation Packet was put into the mail YESTERDAY. Now, I will have to spend all week stalking my poor Mail Guy like he was a common ex-boyfriend. Previously (like last year) PC would FedEx these things...but now they wish to save money. Now, I was all for that until it applied to ME. This is my marked lack of patience coming through and this is just another lesson. If nothing else, I am basking in the glow of knowing that my invitation exists and that soon I will have tangible information and not the mere speculation I have been using to fuel my dreams!

Poetry Corner ... For a Bestest Friend

2004-11-23T22:08:00.000-06:00

Every woman may have heard "of" this poem, but every woman should KNOW this poem. Take a moment and read it aloud with passion and fire. Feel it begin in the pit of your stomach and finish in the fullness of your throat, tasting of cool jazz and warm blues. And most of all, B, know you are a Phenomenal Woman in every way!

Phenomenal Woman
By Maya Angelou (who else)

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I'm telling lies.
I say,
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It's the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can't see.
I say,
It's in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Now you understand
Just why my head's not bowed.
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It's in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need of my care.
'Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Fear and Loathing ... A Cautionary Tale

2004-11-10T15:45:00.000-06:00

If you have a few moments, this person's story is both scary and enlightening. As a person about to be an employee of the Federal Government (and that sounds as ominous to me as it does to you) this is especially learned. Keep in mind, nothing on the net is private!

http://www.livejournal.com/users/anniesj/331112.html

After reading this poor guy's tale, we have to ask A) where has everyone's sense of humor gone and B) why isn't any worried about it?

Where's that Hand Basket at Already?

2004-11-04T19:48:00.000-06:00

I have been trying to think of a not-so-vile way to comment on the events of the past few days, but I am failing miserably at it. I think for the first time in my life I have completely lost faith in humanity, or, at least humanity’s capacity to think in any deep or compassionate way.

It is amazing to me that most of those 58 million voters who cast their lot with Bush based it on “moral reasons.” So, I want just one of those folks to call me up and tell me exactly when, in the history of Christianity did the priorities change. When did Jesus’ message of Love, Compassion, Grace, Forgiveness and Faith morph into one of Judgment, Anger, Hate, Greed and Exclusion? I guess that comes from God Bless America, and screw the rest of the world.

Now, I know it sounds as if my beef is with a religious group when it should be with a political party, but when there is no discernable difference between their agendas, and in fact, when one is clearly driving the other, I refuse to separate them.

I do remember a time when you could best describe the Republicans as “Fiscal Conservatives.” When they were the voice of less government and more spending responsibility. But now, it seems that Republicans only want less government when it comes to drinking clean water, breathing clean air, keeping corporate thieves out our wallets, giving our children a well-financed education, or ensuring that medical care isn’t just a fallacy to all but the wealthy. Now, the place government is meant to be, is, of course, regulating the functions of our body, defining the validity of human relationships, dictating parameters of our children’s religious expression,any protection of privacy from the government, and by all means, we need government to tell us what not to read, watch or listen to.

I, unlike the other 55 million people who voted much like myself, have a 27-month reprieve from this administration. I get to go Africa and escape what Bush is calling a “mandate” for more of the same. I am putting my money where my mouth is, and I couldn’t be more grateful. My only regret is that I can’t take all of my truly compassionate compadres with me, and that it isn’t for 48 months.

Please, if you have anything redemptive to say, say it here and say it now. I need it!

Not PC Related -- But Glorious None The Less

2004-10-27T23:12:00.000-05:00

Just so we're clear on this, I am in no way compromising my allegiance and lifetime affiliation to the Cubs organization, are we clear! That being said -- YIPPPPEEEEE RED SOX!!! While the Chicago Cubs are historically more deserving, it is a wonderful day to see the Red Sox vanquish it's two arch enemies in 8 straight victories. Now, just for you history buffs out there (at least the ones who aren't burned out by these trivial facts from SportsCenter), the last World Series won by the Red Sox was in 1918, and just a little personal turn of the knife, they beat the Cubs (the last World Series won by the Cubs was 1908, thereby making us far more deserving).

Even if there was no speaking of a curse, it was pure pleasure to see the Yankees bite it after a 3 game lead, and then for the Sox to sweep the Cards after they dominated the NL Central all season (and killing the Cubs shot at a playoff spot) is the height of joy.

What am I going to do for two years without football Sundays, SportsCenter, ESPN Magazine, hockey games at the GEC, and most of all, Minor and Major League Baseball??? I will need frequent Sports Illustrated and ESPN Magazine sponsors (and if there is a generous soul who can slip me Baseball Weekly, there could be a first born child in it for you, I won't need it).

My hat off to you, Bambino. Those of us who love the lore of baseball as much as the game owe you so much. May we all go down swingin'!

Titles Suck...taking suggestions below

2004-10-22T20:49:00.000-05:00

I guess first things first. I will NOT be unemployed until my departure. My current Executive Producer could not have been more thrilled that my departure was delayed (nothin' but love from ole Eddie). Actually, it is very sweet and supportive. Even after I turned down the next project (because I didn't know when I was to leave for PC and still planning on a January departure) he was still trying to figure out a way for me to do it, working around my time constraints. When it turns out I could complete project, he and his Creative Producer nearly jumped for joy (seriously guys, this shouldn't have made them this happy). So, I'll still be able to pay the rent and stash a little more dosh away. Still, given my druthers, I'd rather leave in January. I'm not worried about my apartment because I have lived here for years and I'm sure they'll extend my lease, they love me too! (Ha ha...This whole paragraph sounds a bit self-absorbed...apologies all around.)

I have spent the last day doing some thought provoking reading. The internet has made the world of personal experience a fascinating and revealing place. I am able to read almost instantly what one person half way around the world is feeling, thinking or doing. It is amazing how candid people are willing to be in such a public place as the internet! I have to admit that I will be thankful for that honesty for a very long time, and I hope by continuing that circle here, others can benefit as well. One of the key pieces of advice that everyone associated with PC gives is to have "no expectations." I think this is in response to the propensity for pollianaism amongst new recruits. The blogs I have been reading in the past couple of days are a real dose of reality about the frustrations and disappointments that are part of the PCV experience. While I am working really hard to avoid any preconceived notions, at least I am not going into this with delusions of grandeur.

Ok, one last note...I emailed my new PO (after of days of her not answering the phone) and she has told me that invitations for my placement won't go out until late November or early December, but that I will be one of the first to receive an invitation. I think I will end on that positive note.

A Note On Niceness

2004-10-12T20:59:00.000-05:00

Today I had some really great people say some really great things to me and it made a huge difference. Dawn (you don't care who she is) out of the blue, pulled me aside and told me how much she always enjoys chatting with me. She also said a few other great things. Then, Debbie said some really supportive things that just made me smile. I just wanted to publicly acknowledge how important it is to hear such sincere comments and it is a terrific reminder to also give that goodness to the amazing folks that populate my life.

Some News...

2004-10-12T18:49:00.000-05:00

Ok, I think that I have a new subject to research. I talked to my PO today and I know a little more, for whatever it's worth. I was motivated into calling Patrick by my current Executive Producer, he asked me about the next project (I know I turned it down, but there is still some ambiguity, go figure). So, I call and his news is about as expected, he says I have two options, a program leaving in May or one leaving in August.

The program leaving in May is Public Health in Africa. The program leaving in August is basically a television production job in the same country. It would be working within a program to create and produce HIV/AIDS PSA’s. I was torn for a few minutes about this one. But there were two very strong deciding factors that clinched the deal. First, I was shattered about a five-month delay from my original departure date; eight months would really find me homeless and penniless. Secondly, one of the main reasons for joining Peace Corps was because I am not so sure Television Production is what I want to do with the next big chunk of my life. I also think I should take this opportunity to learn a new skill set.

I fretted over this for a few minutes, and then relaxed into a reassuring calm that I had made the right decision. And for the biggest news of this post, WHERE I am probably going…Kenya! Well, that is at least my most educated guess. There are only two programs leaving for Africa in May that allow asthma, and only Kenya has Public Health. Needless to say, I am way excited about the idea of living in Kenya and possibly learning Swahili (one of 4 languages in Kenya). I still have to wait for the official invitation that won’t go out until sometime in November. Also, I have a new Placement Officer. I am not so happy about that, for Patrick was a very nice guy who was always straight with me. We’ll see how Allyson Gardner turns out to be. We’ll also have to see what I manage to do about a living arrangement and earning some dosh. Nike once observed that I manage to always land a job, so let’s pin our hopes on my past performance.

A Happy Place That Helps

2004-10-12T18:40:00.000-05:00

Surely if Monks can teach cats to jump through hoops, all else can't be THAT difficult...
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