I arrived in Kenya only two weeks ago, but it feels like it has been much longer than that. I have seen and learned many, many things along the way and want to highlight them here.
One. Princene (who everyone calls Che) and I are now great friends. I have introduced her to sticking out tongues, making faces, and tickling. She laughs at most of these, and will run from me during others. I brought a WWU tshirt for Sylvia, and Princene quickly decided this was hers and didn't want to take it off. It is a floor length gown on her, but of course looks wonderful. She is the chattiest 2 and a half year old I have ever met, and sings and dances ALL the time.
Two. If unmarried in Kenya (or really just a person under the age of probably 30) you will be asked if you are married, and then why you are not married. Practically every conversation I have with people, my age comes up, and then if I'm married follows. I have memorized a - I will finish medical school (age 26 or 27) story before I'm married and repeat it often. If you are single, you may experience the meeting of similarly aged people of the opposite sex for tea, or for computer trainings. It is highly entertaining! Someone asked me the other day if at home womens' parents receive cows when they are married like they do here, and I said no, but that my parents would actually probably appreciate some cows for the farm. THey laughed and so did I.
Three. I have never in my life seen sunsets of this color. The sky turns pink, and purple and the sun is a huge orb. It takes significantly longer for the sun to go down here - more time for enjoying it, although people think I'm a little strange for standing outside looking at the sky with my camera for so long (these pictures are for you parents!). Once the sun goes down, it is completely dark outside, with no streetlights or carlights to light up the night. I couldn't figure out why sleeping here felt so different - but it's because the darkness literally envelopes and tucks you in before you fall asleep.
Four. Storms here are frighteningly wonderful. I experienced my first rain storm last Friday. The roofs here are made of tin and sitting inside sounds like metal tools are being thrown violently at your roof. The sky flashes with lightening and washes the surroundings with brightness, and the thunder is equally as violent. You can barely hold conversations at dinner without shouting at your neighbor. Mud will cake your feet and your shoes the next day, and picking paths to walk places feels like you are a mouse in a maze hunting for cheese. We don't know what rain storms are in Washington...
Five. Piki pikis (motorbikes) are possibly the best way in the World to travel. We drove to Homa Bay yesterday to send some mail and pick up other items. I had no need to go, but asked if I could because I wanted to ride on a piki piki so badly. Sylvia thinks I'm crazy - she's terrified of them because people go zooming by at high speeds without helmets. The drive to Homa Bay goes along Lake Victoria with green hills on the other side. People wave at you along the way and the breeze dries the constant sweat from my shirt. The ride home we were chased by rain and the sun was setting over Lake Victoria. The sky was an angry dark blue/purple and I had to wipe dirt from my mouth upon arrival because I was smiling the whole ride.
Six. You should all come here and just listen. Listen to the stories of people - I spend most of my time following Sylvia or Emmanuel around listening to their stories of people in Kochia or about their life. I have never met people who have so many joyful, sad, incredible stories - or who tell them so well. I hunt for aimless questions just so they will continue talking to me. Listen to the laughter of children - I try to bring my camera everywhere, just so that I can show the LCD screen with a kid's picture on it to hear them laugh. They also laugh at my trying to learn Luo, or participating in chores and cooking with them. Listen to the sounds at night. Dogs, crickets, people - it's sometimes hard to sleep because of the outside noise here, but it reminds you of how connected you are to other people and the World around you.
Seven. Slow down. If you know me well, you know that I move through life in fast forward - rarely slowing for anyone or anything. The time in this place seems to be in another dimension from the time back home. Travelling places takes about four times as long as people tell you it will, and meetings never stick to a schedule. If arriving at someone's house to discuss something, you will be showed the entire compound, school, church - everything, and then sat down in the living room and force fed tea, ground nuts (peanuts), and white bread. I was very anxious the first couple of days here, because I spend a lot of my time sitting and not doing a lot, but I am coming to love it. Days are wonderfully long and full of great moments - many more than I ever realized could be packed into one day. Am I doing anything I thought I would be doing? Nope! Am I concerned? Not in the slightest (okay well maaaaybe a little when those medical school apps float in my head, but not really).
THe list could continue forever, but Che is asking where the Mzungu is, and there's too many other people to go spend time with.
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