Im learning... :) Itll get better, I promise.

Pictures, one more try...

Smile.

So I dont have computer skills, this we have just learned, ok, maybe not just. I tried uploading pictures and either the connection is too slow or I am too slow. Im going to believe the former to help my self esteem. :) Any who, I am ay Nyumbani Children's Home, I arrived Monday and Sister Julie was here to greet me with a smile. I put my things down and got a tour, where I was happy to see the expanded since I was last here. They have added a soccer field, 4 new hostels for the teens, are putting on a library and have aquired a home for Sister Mary (the woman in charge). I am staying in the Noel Volunteer House and my roommate is Elizabeth. Currently there are only 5 volunteers here, but more on the way. The kids are at school, but come July they will be home all day and I will be teaching. :) There are 100 kids total, with maybe 3 on the way. All of then are HIV positive, but none of them have AIDS. Most all of them are very healthy as they are on ARVs and eat good meals everyday. The kids live a good life, go to school everyday, play at night, clean, do homework and are just as normal as any other kids. The cabin I will be spending my time with is the boys in cabin AB, who are about 9-13 years old and have gone through a series of Uncles in the past weeks; so they are A LOT of energy. How the system works: There are 7 cabins with about 14-18 kids each and one 'mum' or 'uncle'. TheMum/Uncles take 4/5 day shifts of working 24 days so like Mum Fracine works Monday-Friday and then is off for 5 days. She will sleep here, feed the kids, get them ready for school, be their 'mum'. And so forth. The cabins are somewhat divided by age and gender, but for the young ones its mixed. The ages here range from 6 mo. to 22 years old. We have a school, a kitchen, a computer lab, a diagnostics lab, soccer feild, nuns house, and lots more. :) Oh, there is so much to tell and Im sure I will as they days go on. The kids are angels, they really are. And they have "outside time" now so i think I may go play with them while I have free time as well before I have to go help Jane clean. :) As always I look forward to hearing from you and your words make me smile. Peace and Love. Godspeed.

MY NYUMBANI! :)

Nyumbani means home in Swahili. FINALLLLLY!! Yall, I havent been holding back on you, its just internet at Sandys went out, Im too cheap to go to an internet cafe (and havent really had time) and the last two times here at Nyumbani Ive tried to publish that last post it wouldnt go up. Ive had it saved as a word document for like a week now. So sorry. I am safe, alive and well. In fact, Im better than ok. I arrive Monday here at Nyumbani and dont really have time to write as I have to help make lunch in uhhh ohhh 3 minutes, but I wanted to let you know that I am safe and well. I should have some free time later to write and post pics, that is if the internet is working and the power doesnt shut down... oh how I heart Kenya. :) No, really. And if some of they day care kids dont meander their way into the lab to distract me. :) Ok, Maureen needs my cooking expertise (YAH RIGHT) in the kitchen. Things are fabulous here at Nyumbani, you shall hear much more later about the wonderful kids, the crazy boys that may kill me, my cold showers, and the wonderful people who are my new family, oh and my crazy (in a wonderful way) Italian roomie. CHOW (im picking up italian as well). Godspeed.

The road less traveled

I have net gotten lost on the Kenyan roads, I swear. Ok, well, I have, just not forever. Ha. Its not that I have been forgetting to write, I have been in Mombassa and have not had internet and computer access. No worries, I am here to update you now on some fun times. So, phew, it’s been a whole week. Ok, we shall go day by day: Friday, June 15 The day was pretty chill, I believe Peter and I walked around town and even visited the University of Nairobi, which was interesting to see; especially in comparison to both their high school systems and our higher education systems. Later in the evening we went out for a night of fun with Sandra, Tony, and a few a Sandra’s international co-workers Daz (Indonesia), Teselem (Ethiopia) and Terry (Ecuador/California). We had a wonderful dinner and the of course made our way to the dance floor and well, Tony and I made our way to the bar for some Tusker. Dinner conversation was filled with learning about cultures, comparing travel stories and just really getting to know each other; we really enjoyed ourselves. Better yet it was 90’s night in the club, so the old school really brought the best out in all of us and by best I mean moves. ha ha. We got home a bit late, and I crashed as I had to be up early for… Saturday, June 16 Mombassa time, I rode a coach bus from Nairobi to Mombassa on just a few hours of sleep. I figured the ride would be a bit smoother on a coach bus, but I was wrong, plus I have a huge fear of getting mugged (yes, even on a bus), so I didn’t sleep. However, I was next to a very pleasant woman, Joyce and we conversed until she got off in Voi. Alright, I don’t think I’ve described to you Kenya’s roads. You know how you feel about taxes, you just LOOOOOOVEEEE complaining about them. You know it’s true, we all do. Well Kenya’s do so about roads. Why you ask? Because they are like riding the back of my dad’s pick-up on the trails up north; but it doesn’t slow traffic, as they still go 60-70 mph. I mean like potholes the size your bathtub. It’s so bad that people don’t know where the roads end and start, so they use sidewalks, driveways, grass, whatever they need to get through. It’s like a mad house. There are no traffic laws. Wait, I take that back. There is one, Click It or TICKET is enforced. You are fined (must bribe) the officer 1000 shillings (like $15) or go to jail if they catch you. Other than that it’s a free for all. Yall think Chicago is bad, uf, New Yorkers and Brits have NOTHING on Nairobi drivers. I mean they literally come within centimeters of hitting pedestrians. Oh, and crosswalks, what’s that??!!?! Here in Kenya, you do what ya want. No, really, you risk you life each time your bolt across the street. So the government is “fixing” the roads, but its taking ages and so the citizens rightfully are complaining. And now the Chinese are even helping build roads. Oh no, don’t get me started on the Chinese in Africa. Anyway, ok, hopefully you have a picture of all of this. So 9 or so hours later I arrive in Mombassa, a beautiful city. However, my ears are shrieking with past warnings of what has happened to Americans in Mombassa, as they have a high crime rate. Mombassa is a coastal town and has a very mixed population of Indians, Swahilis, Muslims, various tribes, I mean really everyone has settled here, plus it’s a huge tourist destination. So I have yet to meet the family I am staying with, but I see a man waving at me from the bus, so with a sign of ease I wave back. I relax, grab my bag and get off the bus only to find that there are about 10 men waving at me acting as if they are my best friends. So I ask “And you are?” “Simon, where can I take you?” he responds. Dumb Anna doesn’t realize that he is waving because he wants to give me a taxi ride. Ohhhh yes, I laugh to myself, then say no, I’m good, thank you though. After the short laughter the sudden realization of CRAP I’m in a huge city without anyone I know and have lots of valuable things on me, I’m a target waiting to be mugged. So I call Harold and he is like “ohh, you are here sooo early, we shall leave now”, (which I later learn is typical coastal fashion). The nice taxi driver, Simon then tells dumb dumb Anna to go sit somewhere and NOT stand in the middle to the sidewalk where she WILL get mugged, raped and maybe killed. So I go wait for about 30 min in bus station, where I see that the manager is actually running a mugging business, having small children bring him back the goods they’ve pick pocketed. The little boy can probably hear my heart beating, but I keep a stern “don’t mess with me” look on my face to distract him. Finally they arrive, Harold and Beatrice. Oh, they were wonderful! I go back to their home where I meet their 4 year old Brandon and sister Linah. Then, it’s BED TIME for this girl. Sunday, June 17 5:01AM AHHHHHHH, Is everything ok, is it a natural disaster, WTFFFFFFFFFF. I almost wet the bed, I’m not sure what is happening, something is wrong; there is a warning, there is a loud speaker announcing what is going wrong, but I cant understand it, its in a different language. Wait, the man isn’t speaking, he’s, he’s almost singing. Why is no one else up? I grab for my glasses, look out the window, no one, nothing. Maybe I’m dreaming; I fall back asleep. 5:30AM The rooster is crowing, the kids are playing, the church ladies are singing. WTF. This is a coastal town I thought they didn’t rise till like noon. Well, apparently not on Sundays. So I lay in bed awake for the next 2 hours. Finally I hear life in the house, I get up, shower (cold water- no need for coffee), and have breakfast with the family. We head to Tumani Children’s Home, an orphanage for HIV/AIDS infected and affected children started in 2001. We were given a tour and then, AND THEN we got to play with the kids. Oh I was I heaven! I’m telling you, these kids, straight from heaven. Oh, they were little angels. We stayed for a few hours and I found it so hard to leave, but they had to eat. Then we ate lunch and went into town to see Fort Jesus, the Old Court and Old Town Mombassa. It was wonderful, as they explained the history, culture and heritage behind everything. We headed to the beach for some drinks but were detoured as President Kibaki was in town, so we found a nice place on the water and just enjoyed ourselves. From there we headed back, had dinner and then I attempted to catch up on sleep. Ohhh, and let me clarify, the natural disaster that I thought was occurring; it was actually just a Mosque, as they have prayer 5x a day. Yes, another culture shock for me. Monday, June 18 Today Linah, the neighbor’s son, Abubakar and I traveled to BOMU Medical Center, which is funded mainly by USAID (PEPFAR) and Alicia Keyes. Yes, the same Alicia Keyes you know. We first met with Clinician Said and then he introduced used to Admin. Chaudury, who spoke with for quiet some time; or rather I spoke with for quiet sometime. We spoke politics, health issues, poverty, etc. Since they are funded by USAID it’s interesting, to me, to know what they get out of it, how many patients they service, if they have good equipment, if they have enough aid, if they have to write reports, if anyone does follow-ups, etc. So I had a lot of questions for him. I don’t know how I got to meet with him; I don’t know how I get to meet with any of these important people, as I insist that I don’t. I’m sure he had much better things to do. I’m not sure what it is that they think is worth spending their time on me; I think its part of the welcoming culture, and that’s something I’ve learned to embrace. Admin. Chaudray did two things for us; he set us up for an in-depth tour of the clinic and scheduled a meeting at a clinic in a worse part of town the next day with another woman. The tour was amazing. Having worked in a hospital, I was really comparing the supplies, the procedures, the policies, etc. Not that there is one way to do things, but rather that I know (relatively) what above/below par supplies are and it was wonderful to see that the facility really did the best of supplies. Granted they had very few for the number of clients they served, they still do a thorough job a servicing their clientele. When we returned we had lunch, Linah and I chatted about university life and then we traveled to where I would be staying for the next few days. There I met Jackie, Barbara and baby Abby. We didn’t do much, settled in, met the neighbors, had dinner and the rested. I must note that I have had lunch and showered in between writing, so I suggest you do the same, or you may snooze off. Tuesday, June 19 I was up around 7:30, got ready and was set to go by 8. However, as I had been learned on my trip, coastal life is different than African time. There is African time, which is like 30 minutes late and then there is coastal life which is, whenever I feel like it. Yes, yes, I know what you are thinking, this is how I live my life, but I do so in a manner that gets things done, not one that spends an hour eating breakfast and then two hours talking to the neighbor boy and then another hour just walking around. It is as if there is no concept of time, this my friends, is where I almost had my first anxiety attack. I felt it coming on, I really did. Heart was slowing beating stronger, breathing getting heavier, sweating a bit- but just from the face; I think I had a mini anxiety attack. So Jackie and I leave ohh, around 11:15 (after my anxiety attack), and head to Haller Park where we see animals of all sorts, we then miss seeing the SOS School (because of time constraints) and head to meet Zakia, the appt. the BOMU Admin had set up. Jackie wasn’t so much one for directions and since I don’t speak Swahili, we were having issues. She also didn’t really like talking to strangers, so I would have to insist (in a polite way) that we ask this person and that we leave early. I felt really bad, as I don’t think she wanted to go here and I offered to just get a cab and go by myself, but she said it was ok. She we traveled for about an hour and after getting lost a few times we found our way, and we were even early… in MOMBASA! That’s like an oxy-moron here. So we waited, and let me tell you, my first born child is going to be named after this woman. Zakia holds herself with grace, power and more heart that I have ever seen; she is a walking mother Teresa that has a story to tell, and I was there to listen. Her life and mission unfolded to us as we walked through the slums to meet her clients. She tracks over 200 HIV/AIDS patients mainly in the slums to make sure they are on meds, eating well, and doing ok. She is also a leader of women’s groups, educational groups, a Red Cross volunteer, a HIV/AIDS speaker, a mentor, a mother of 3, a woman of faith, she has started various Community Based Organizations and she works hard each and every day to make the world a better place. This woman is a hero of mine. She is the hope so many people look for each day, she is the life that people hang on to and she bread that people feed from when they are hungry, and this woman is unbelievable. After meeting a few of her clients and talking her to as we walked, she invited us into her home where we talked further. I could have listened forever. She has a spark that lights up the room and I hope that one day I do even half the good she has done. Oh, she was amazing. The rest of the trip was ok. We went back to the house, met with the family, talked politics, life, education, etc and then off to bed, as I needed to get up for my bus ride. I must not forget this, this is especially for Ryan, but really for everyone. Ryan, I would have taken a picture, but my digi would have been snatched faster than you can say Favre. I saw a Packer shirt! Yes, I did, on the streets of Mombassa. It was a teenage boy and he was sporting a Tasmanian Devil Green and Gold stylish shirt. Don’t act you never had one, we all did. Ha ha. So even though I didn’t bring the kids GB Favre jerseys they still have the pride over here, or at least the one kid did. Wednesday, June 20 Bussssssss rideee, all day! However, I must write that even while riding a bus, learning does occur. Not just from talking to the people near me, but from watching the landscape. First and foremost, it gives me a chance to read the entire newspaper. If you ever want to learn about a foreign country, all you have to do is read the newspaper, it will give you the most accurate picture of society. Also, I actually learned a lot on this bus ride, while watching the road construction. For every one worker, it seemed like they had 10 supervisors, what a waste, I thought. The I realized that this company was one of two things, hired by the Chinese or government contracted; meaning that their paychecks are going to come regardless if they get 2 inches or 2 miles of the road complete as there is no accountability. Which led me to (and I can’t believe I’m going to say this) appreciate business. When corruption is built into government, the only systematic function to fix things is business; the people must act for them selves. I cant even begin to think how many professors tried to teach me that lesson, but I always said “NO, big business is bad for the small shop keeper and hurts the people and the government” and I could go on to list many reasons why. And I still could, but now, I see, that there are some places that are crying out for business. NOW, I’m not saying I LOVE BIG BUSINESS and that it’s the solution to the worlds problems, its not at all, but sooner or later the 3rd world has to be self-sufficient and if their governments don’t straighten-up, business is a second accountable solution, in some cases. Also, we always say “the UN is a waste, they do nothing”; back up that truck. In the developed world, we don’t see the effects of the policy they write, because we automatically sign onto most of the international governing bodies, but in developing countries the media, the people and the activists hold onto the every word of organizations like the UN, World Bank, IMF, World Vision, etc. In fact, maybe we should even realize that we have signed but not implemented all of them, particularly ones affecting the environment and global warming. Ok, so this is what I do on bus rides, think too much.  I got home, gave Sandy a big hug, talked about my trip and her week and crashed. Thursday, June 21 I slept in… hheeeeeyy. Yah, super nice. I unpacked, got organized, did some reading, got caught up on emails, walked around a bit and just relaxed. Peter came over; we had a nice visit and then headed to town. In town I went to the ATM (where I almost lost my card, bc I forgot my pin), and then went to Nakumatt (our equivalent of Pick n’ Save). Oh, I miss grocery shopping, I really do. So that was nice. Since I hadn’t been home and since Sandy and Tony are so wonderful I decided to cook them a nice meal. So I spent 3 hours in the kitchen, jamming out and cooking. It’s the weirdest things that make me feel at home, but this did. So we had some a wonderful meal and enjoyed ourselves. I’m thinking about finding a sugar daddy and becoming a chief here in Nairobi, you know Tom Cruise Cocktail style.  I really like the fresh fruits and veggies and oh how you can play with them while cooking. Did you ever think mangos would taste good in pasta? It does! Friday, June 22, 2007 OH MY GOODNESS, I LOVE TO LEARN! Today I went to Mugungo (sp?) clinic with 11 journalists who were doing a story on 2nd line anti-viral treatments for HIV/AIDS patients. The clinic specializes in caring for only women commercial sex workers. Yes, go ahead and re-read that, it’s true. Controversial, maybe, but the bottom line of it all is that hookers or not, they are people too and they are more likely to be infected. The clinic is mainly sponsored by the University of Nairobi and is small, but serves a large population. We got to ask questions to both the nurses and the doctor on staff, and we also got a tour. You may have heard about this clinic if you watch BBC, CNN, MSNBC, etc. as a few years back they have a group of sex workers who were basically immune to diseases regardless of exposure. The clinic does a lot of research of the clients, but does not reveal its direct findings (i.e., the Doc couldn’t tell us). There was never really an outcome from there story, as to what it was that prevented them from getting infected, but I’m sure there is an answer some where. There were two great angles to this day, one was obviously learning about the clinic and the second was seeing stories through the eyes of the media, as I was following 11 radio journalists. After the clinic I went to the market where I filled the whole fridge for less than 200 ksh ($4). Yah, fresh fruits and veggies like nobodies business and they let you try them, and you can bargain and if you want to just stare, you can do that too.  I went to the market with David, who pretty much did the bargaining, as many of the farmers don’t speak English and well, I’m not good at bargaining. Tonight we are having a bit of a gathering, a party if you will, for Nancy, who is leaving for Australia to get her masters in nursing. Then tomorrow we are going to a Gala sponsored by the Ministry of Health, which would be like our Dept. of Health (govt), and then Monday I’m at Nyumbani. Through this whole week, I have learned a lot, but most importantly is something that I strive everyday to work at. Stop judging and start helping. I don’t know the path each person walked to get where they are today, but because they may be at a crossroads does not give me the right to judge them, all I can do is open my heart, lend a hand and offer to do what I can. This lesson is most importantly learned when we get a taste of our own medicine. So often people are over charging me, looking at me as a rich tourist, judging me by the color of my skin, and it hurts, not only in terms of money, but emotionally. By no means has my life been given to me on a silver platter and so many assume that simply because I’m an American, I learned that it hurts to be judged. I’ve had to work hard ever step of the way to get where I am and guess what, maybe they have as well. Chances are, they have had it worse as their country is infested with disease, stricken by poverty and crime and run by a corrupt government which fosters a dysfunctional economy. Who am I to judge them or anyone else. It doesn’t matter who they are, hookers, beggars, business workers, bankers, farmers, homeless; no one has the right to judge another, not for creed, country, wealth, status, education, sexuality, age, employment, anything really. We don’t have the right to judge because we are all human, we are all children of God, we all have a place in this world and there is something good we can do for each other everyday. So I always try to remember what it feels like to be judged, step back, realize the strength in each and every person and smile to let that person know that I’m not there to judge, only to listen and lend a hand if needed. I miss everyone tons, but I really am learning so much and having the time of my life. Thanks so much for all of your love and support. Peace and love

Live to laugh, laugh to learn

So I was thinking, I haven't really told any good stories since Ive been away, just my day to day adventures. Well, it was just a average day or two at home, but ekk... bad news bears. First, we have a dinner date and all is well. I have some free time during the day so I prepare a nice Cobb salad and then when run grocery shopping and I promise to make dessert since Tony is cooking the main course. Well, my US recipe did not work out well, let me tell you. You all know that my middle name is improvisation, so we changed oreos to some butternut something or others, cool whip to whipping cream, jello pudding to home-made custard and icing to home-made chocolate; no worries bananas were still bananas. So we get home and the cookie crumb crust turns out just fine.. I'm pleased. Then, then we get to the custard, which I have never made before, from scratch. I have never used natural sugar before either. So this turns all wrong and it is oozing out of the pot, Tony is yelling at me (sarcastically) and I am laughing pouring in milk thinking that will stop the globs. Well I eventually sift (yes I used a sift) the globs out and thus custard we had, so it looked...hmmm ok. I suppose. But I wanted to make it chocolate and it wasn't sweet enough so my additions of this cadburry stuff they use in tea and natural sugar made for an interesting substance. In the freezer it went with bananas on top. Now, cool whip would have covered that whole mess up, but no cool whip for us. So Sandra insists that whipping cream is worth while. I think I remember whipping cream for Tom and Jerry's one Christmas so I thought sure, lets try it. After beating the crap out of it and Tony on the floor laughing at me we realize something isn't right. But there are no instructions I think "they must be to whip it, cuz who would write Instructions: Whip under Whipping Cream", right? You are laughing, but you know I'm right. So I continue to whip and hey it gets bigger, but it tastes horrid, so I add sugar...ekk..that ruins it all. So I ask "who knows the science of sugar?". Sandra thinks we should microwave it. And thus we do. It all melts, so I just pour that on top. Then, I make some dark chocolate and add that to the top and after freezing Voouuuuaawwalla! ha ha.... It was... hmm... edible. :) Note to you, don't turn a US recipe Kenya. ha ha. Ok, so what happens today you ask? Well, its getting to be dinner time so I think Ill cook everyone dinner, I look at what we have in the apt and think a nice stir fry would be good. Dum de de dum dum, Im cooking away, things are fine and then BAM.... pitch black. Its me and the gas burners. I think oh its fine, maybe the power just went in the kitchen, so I continue stirring until I reach for the handle and grab the pot.... owwww. Yup, learned my lesson. Gas burners off, Anna out of kitchen, lights tested, neighborhood check...yup, darkness everywhere. Hmm, what now I think? Well, I dont want the food to go bad, so I slither my way back to the kitchen zombie-style as if not to injure anything else. Dark in here, like super dark, so I find the counter top, open the cupboard and uf off goes the one woman drum show. I fumble and knock over ever pot and pan. Her neighbors should were probably thinking I was getting robbed. After finding the covers, leave the food and go play cell phone yatzee for the next few minutes. Until, you know me, Miss ADD gets bored. Oh, Sandy has got to have candles, so I text her. Sure, I find some, place it in a Tusker bottle and the cooking is back on. Except now I have only a little tiny candle to light the whole kitchen, but I'm determined. So I have to switch pans as the veggies have been stir fried and now its time for the rice. Well these pans have no handles. So I reach with the kitchen towel (no oven mitt) for the rice to move it to the front burner and not only to I sizzle a bit a flesh but I also start a small house fire with the towel. Frantically waving the towel into the sink I drop the rice onto the front burner and put out the flame. After that squabble is complete I'm putting the rice into the new pan and sure enough a pleasant breeze blows the Tusker candle right out. Alone I stand staring at the gas burners, with a bit of a smirk on my face, probably much like the one you may have after reading this. Having learned my lesson, its bottom-up when I feel my way for the location this time setting the pot down; I relight the candle and smile. I suppose I never realized my great dependence on electricity until now. The only think I could do was watch traffic outside, play yatzee on my cell phone (me and the phone were 2 -1) and read by candle-light. I felt like Laura Engles Wilder sprawled across the living room floor reading and snacking on a cooking before dinner. Just another think I have come to be thankful for; not that I wasnt before, but I realize it more so now. There are times I just want to step back and get away from it all, technology, the Internet, TV, cellphones and just live life and nature intended. Hopefully that trek to Kilimanjaro will become a reality before I leave here and that will leave me with the sensation Ive been longing for. Speaking of nature and lack of technology if any of you see my pops wish him a HAPPY FATHERS DAY for me. I love him and miss him sooooooo much!!!! Daddy, I think about you tons and am so grateful for everything you have taught me in life, I wouldn't be where I am today without you. I love you!!! :) What have I learned today? Take every experience with a smile! Learn to laugh at yourself. I may have struggled, but I still make a mean stir fry. :) Things may not always go the way you had planned, but if they had life wouldn't be as wonderful as it is. :) When people ask me what my plan is in life I always say plan A is to go with whatever comes my way, but if that fails I have planes B though G in my back pocket. :) Have a wonderful day and a wonderful weekend. Peace and Love

Omo, Bafu & Anna

Laundry soap, the bathroom and Anna...yup, that's been my day so far. So I haven't washed my clothes in a bathtub since junior year of high school in Madrid, and even then I think you can image what 6 teenagers in a foreign hotel room is like attempting domestic tasks. What I was doing did sound like Sandra's laundry lady from Sunday morning, so that's a good sign, I think. The clothes look good, the apartment smells mountain fresh and I think I may have just mastered my first domestic task; that is, beyond the basics. Today is a pretty chill day, as the first week was pretty hustle and bustle. I was supposed to meet Jane in town this morning for a meeting with the Young Women Campaign Against AIDS, but with the Internet down last night, I couldn't get a hold of her. No worries, I will be meeting with them tomorrow and you will hear all about it. Yesterday we traveled to Machakos, which is about a 2 hour drive from Nairobi. Sandra grew up here and thus I was introduced to her parents, grandmother and a few cousins. We first walked around town. Machokos is a small town at the foothills of a small mountain where the air is fresh and the trees are plentiful. It is a small town, but one that many from around the country and world call home. Sandra's parents are both missionaries, her mother is currently a professor at a Christian college while her father is the Elections Commissioner for the district. We had a wonderful lunch and then walked a few minutes to Rev. Ndonye's office. His position would be similar to that of a State Elections Official. He walked us through his office and the process of registering voters, elections exercises and election day. As you all know I am a bit of a nerd so this was particularly interesting to me, especially since I have studied Kenyan politics before; much of which has been distorted information I have come to learn. I wont bore you with the details of the system, but he has been in the position for 9 years and has been working for the GK (Government of Kenya) for over 15 years. For those of you who don't know Kenya has only had independence since 1963 and has only had a multi-party system since 1990. The 1997 elections brought on a vast amount of violence in the country and they are expecting the same this year, as it is an election year. The 2002 elections were a bit more peaceful, but there were still claims of fraud and violence. Kenya is a developing democracy and the building stages are being seen everyday, which is why I find it interesting to encounter and converse with a wide variety of people as many of them will have drastically different opinions. Rev. Ndonye brought us around the country side, where I couldn't help but want to grab my bags and stay forever. With the peaceful breeze, the view of the mountain-side and the mix of chirping birds and children's laughter from a nearby school yard. Ah, the simple life. There was a Red-Cross and an orphanage down the road a bit, maybe that is where I will end up. :) The Reverend also pointed out the first signs of "white man" in Kenya, which was a church and a tree. As most of you know if whites are looked at in a negative manner here it is only because in the 1800 and 1900's they ripped apart all of Africa. Everyone from the Brits, the Dutch, Portuguese, French, etc. They created divides which we now call countries in Africa and ever since the 50's-80's when the country's fought for their independence they have been working to mend those ties. Now keep in mind that is the most general history as can be, but I know that some reading this may not be aware... as I have a tendency to forget my 5th grade social studies.... ha ha. No really, someone asked me if I had been to "The Desert State", and I was like, umm... "The Desert State"... Arizona, Nevada, hmm. So I just went with the overall no, as I haven't been to many western states. ha ha. Sometimes I wonder how I made it this far in life.. ohh goodness. Anyway, the plan for today is to read my literature from Rev. Ndonye (yes, I'm a nerd like that I want to read 'A Handbook for the Kenyan Voter'), catch up on my US news, and then Tony, Sandra and I have a date tonight. Yes, yes Tony is cooking Tilopia, I am making desert, Sandra is bringing Tusker and we are going to watch Happy Feet. :) So I shall not write until tomorrow or so, but that is the plan. Tomorrow I will be going to the Young Women Campaign Against AIDS, and then maybe Oceans 13. I know.... explorative. :) This weekend I will either be traveling to Mombasa (the coast) or Kisume (Lake Victoria). Peter said he can even connect me to see the Obama's house, as he was a Luo (a tribe that occupies a lot of this area). What I have learned: To do laundry in a bathtub, ha ha. No, but really. Taxes, we all complain every day about paying taxes, but we have so much to be thankful for in terms of what our money is spent on. Take a moment to realize all of the things that our taxes pay for: good education, quality roads, good health care, safe police, quality water and sanitation. Here, the roads are horrible, no one picks up the garbage, you are upper-class if you have TV and running water, and the police are slow to respond; yet up to 30% of a person's paycheck goes straight to the government and they don't get a cent back. I was mad that I still hadn't gotten my state tax returns before I left. I'm not saying that government doesn't have its flaws, all do; but we never take the time to be thankful for what we do have. I feel bless to have had a great public education, running water, quality roads, sidewalks to play on, police that give me baseball cards, firemen that respond and a government that you can contact and write to if you do have issues. I am a strong believer that government should work for the people and I think it often takes times like these, away from home, to realize that it does. However, if you do think something is wrong, don't tell your neighbor or your brother, tell your government representatives. They don't know if you don't tell them, just remember that. :) Ok, my rant and rave on my love for democracies is to end as I need to read in the sun! Have a wonderful day and know that I am thinking about you lots! Thank you so much for all of the emails and wonderful thoughts, they really do make my day. Kendal asked what I missed the most... its so sad, but its Chipotle. Well that's besides people and Ella of course. :) I miss you so much. Oh, I haven't posted pictures because I have yet to find a electricity converter that works, so I want to save my battery for the kids! If anyone has a solution, please do let me know. Peace and Love.

Riiinnngg, Riinnngg

Hey hey... I gave into technology and have a cell... You can reach me at: +254-720-100124 That number includes the country code. No worries, it is FREE for me! It just may cost you an arm and a leg! :) Please remember the time difference, as I think it is 9 hours, double check that. Right now it is 6:10pm for me. I look forward to hearing from you. If any of you heard about the explosion in Nairobi, no worries, I am ok, as I was on the other side of town today. Today, Sandra and I went to a press conference sponsored by the Human Rights Commission of Kenya (I love them) on abortion. It was interesting to both see the way a press conference is run as well as hear the views and issues of abortion and how they are framed for the media and the public. After which we had coffee with Peter which entered a gruelling debate on marriage, which took much longer than expected. And I even got to meet a member of Parliament (He thought Colorado was next to WI... I let it slide). It was interesting to hear a traditional mans perspective though, regarding marriage, as it brought up issues of polygamy, age, control, etc. Sandra and I headed to town after and as we are both cheap we compared prices for cell phones all over... ha ha. No worries, we found a great deal. See, for those of you who are like "Anna, but you don't even answer my calls in the US", I must let you know that I was almost FORCED to get a cell phone here. For a few reasons mainly, security. They don't have landlines anywhere and the only real method of communication is cell phones. If I am ever alone and lost... I am in trouble. Also, Peter tells me that he needs to know where I am at all times. ha ha. And finally, I want to be able to hear your chipper voices! :) After we returned from town Henry, Sandra's friend stopped by and we talked politics and current events for some time until he had to run to class. Although Kenya has a democracy as well they have a Multi-party system, so it runs much differently than ours. Needless to say, I have a lot of questions. Speaking of politics, I hear there may be a Obama/Gore ticket... AKA my dream come trrrruuuuueeeee! :) No, really. Alright, Tony has stopped by and I think they are watching The Prestige, so I shall be rude no longer. Oh, what have I learned today: Hmm... Don't live in fear! Today there was an explosion in town, but that didn't stop us from doing our daily thing. Too often after 9-11 we are afraid of doing things because of what has happened or not even that, simple things, we are afraid of confronting our fears. If we live in fear, we will always be taking one step forward and two back, as we are afraid of what is ahead. Take a chance, as the world is a beautiful place with so much to offer.

Hakuna Matata

Ohh... I'm good, Ive only skipped one day. :) I'm trying really hard to keep up with this. So what has happened you would like to know? Friday, June 8 Alright, well yesterday Sandra and I got up and talked all morning long (we like to do that you see) and then we took a trip into town. It was my first time on a Mat (short for Mutatu), which is the public transportation. Its wonderful, because to get into Nairobi, it cost about 30 cents... what a deal. However, I was a bit scared as a Mat is much different that US public transportation. Imagine a hippie van with max capacity seating and the door constantly opening and the driving out of control on the streets on Chicago and people getting in and out whenever they like... that will give you an image of why I was a bit scared. However, like confronting all fears I found that it was nothing... in fact, I felt very safe and was in fact delighted when I converted the price to find that it cost me only 30 cents. Anyway, we took the Mat into Nairobi where we visited Internews, where Sandra works. Internews is an NGO (worldwide) that works with local media to help them develop accurate stories and reach the public. Her division focuses on healthcare, so their main issues are HIV/AIDS, TB, Malaria, and other STIs (our STDs). It was interesting to see what they do, as I actually got to see a few stories that were going to cast on the local and national news that were edited, produced and or worked on by Sandra and her colleagues. However, they don't take any credit for these stories, they give the ownership to the local media and train them how to develop a story line, take good shots, etc. This brought in a great deal of appreciation for the media, as I didn't realize that organizations like hers existed. After Internews we walked around she gave me a brief history of the city and we went to eat some traditional Kenya food. Ohhhhh.... as my father would say... straight from the lawnmower and onto my plate, just the way I like it. ha ha. It was wonderful. The fresh food here is just amazing and they find a way to cook it would out all of the fats and spices so that the natural tastes salivate your taste buds. We walked around a bit more, came back home and relaxed. I had some time to read (as Peter has given me another assignment - beyond pushing his car). Later on that evening Tony, Sandra's friend came over and we had a good laugh while enjoying Borat... a classic! :) Today - Saturday, June 9 Up early... again. Peter was here to greet me at 8:20am. Ok, I don't recall how much of a background I gave you on Peter, so I'm ganna do it again incase I didn't. In fact, once his website is up and running I will direct you to that. Peter is a "consultant" as he does anything and everything. I met him last time I was in Kenya as he was in charge of all of our travel arrangements. Not like plane tickets, more like going to the UN and and Safari and such. Peter knows everyone who is anyone, but he will be the last to tell you that. He runs a African Homestay business where he connects people to live, work and study in Kenya. He deals with all of Marquette, a lot of Chinese business men and many people from around the world. He speaks Swahili, English, his tribal tongue, Chinese and a few other tribes. He is thirty-something but has the spirit of a ten year old (in a positive manner) and can make conversation with anyone he meets. Ok, now that you have the history, once we left at 8:20 we took a mat and a bus to what is called "Capitol Hill" which looks pretty much like a fancy business park. It is where all of the Ministry (healthy, security, education, etc) buildings, main banks and insurance companies have these ridiculously nice buildings that look like anything you would see in a normal US city. We found our way (after getting lost) to the Africa Re building where the IFC, a division of the World Bank is located. Peter is on a team to screen business proposals to reduce poverty in developing countries, which was our mission today. There are millions of dollars invested and it has grown and helped people all over the world, check it our if you are interested at http://www.bidnetwork.org . Since Kenyans have a way of welcoming everyone I was soon invited to become part of the prestigious screening team, even though these people when through a tremendous screening process themselves. :) This may be long and boring for most of you, so feel free to skip over, but it was very interesting. The criteria were to reduce poverty, meet the Millennium Development Goals (set by the UN), and encourage entrepreneurship. It gave me a new perspective on business. More often than not I find myself wanting to challenge business to do better for the community, and here it is doing just that. Oddly enough, Peter in the same day, introduced me to a woman who was also using business to work in her favor, or rather the favor of others. Jane started a nonprofit organization that is an outreach organization for waitresses. Why waitresses you ask? Well, because often they don't make enough money so they double as prostitutes. Her group has reached the stages where the women form investment groups and create business ventures on their own. The start-up capital is allotted by grants and funds provided. There is a lot of counseling, meetings, etc. along the way, but that is the general idea. Jane is also starting an outreach group on sex education for teens who have dropped out of school. Next week I will be joining her in some meetings with these women to hear about their business proposals in their groups and hopefully I will be able to spare some of my free days to help her write grants as well as reach out to the people in the slums, where they have trouble getting to. Peter and I met with some people he with and then came back to Sandras. After visiting for a while Sandra, Jeff, Tony, Nancy and I went to see Mr. Bean Holiday, which was quiet funny. We visited and told funny college stories and compared youth times. It was interesting to see what differences there are in culture, but mainly, how much is actually similar. Anna's Lesson that has been learned: Well, a million, but one that can always be reiterated and is never really appreciated enough, is to listen. Ive listened a lot. Well, maybe its because I ask so many questions. ha ha. No, but all to often in life we don't listen to each other. I really appreciate what these people have to say and what they are doing and they are so interested and willing to share and it just makes me so happy. Today Jane traveled across town, just to speak with me. Peter got up at 6 am to pick me up at the airport. Sandra took off time from work. People shouldn't be going out of their way like this, I just feel horrible. They do, and they do because its their culture. Every time I meet someone they say Karibu (welcome) at least 3 times and they offer me anything and everything. Are you hungry, thirty, do you have somewhere to stay, are you enjoying yourself. --Wait, I don't know how I got on this tangent.-- Anyway, the point is, if you take the time to listen you will hear that people actually care and they care a whole lot. :) If you want to stay updated on local news check out http://www.nationmedia.com, they are great source of Kenyan news. AND they had something good to say about Georgie today as he raised the Pepfar (Presidents Emergency Program For Assistance Relief - I think) has almost doubled the funding to Kenya in this area of relief for HIV/AIDS help, which is much needed. So, when you all say that I have nothing nice to say about GW... I think that was WONDERFUL of him to make such an effort and if I read my CNN email reports correctly today he is still focusing on AIDS relief even after the G8 summit, thats wonderful. Ok, I will stop before I run out of nice things to say. So, I have only been here a few days, but I have learned so much in these few days. And though we have spent maybe 4 hours of conversation on violence and danger I still feel very safe and welcomed, so I will end in a Swahili phrase you should all know, Hakuna Matata. :)

Karibu Kenya!

That means Welcome, which I have most certainly gotten the best of in my first days in Kenya. I arrived woozy as ever from the 16 hours of flying and 11 hours of layovers in Nairobi at 6am yesterday morning where I was greeted by Peter, a friend which I met last time in Kenya (he runs home stay programs and was our consultant among other amazing things which you will hear much about). It was so great to see him, the sheer smile on his face was the perfect start to the trip and let me know I was in good hands. From there Peter and I went to his house, before which I was given my first task. Yes, yes, since Peter left his lights on at the airport I had to give him a running start by pushing the car. ha ha :) Once we got to Peter's which is in Kitigatela (sp?) I got to meet his new 37 day old baby Natalia, who is an Angel! He also has two boys Algore and Powell and a lovely wife Victoria. We had tea and visited for a while as I got to ask about life, their new house, the new baby and such. After that we drove to town, stopping to meet a few of Peters friends along the way. Finally we got to Sandra's house. Oh, if you are going to be frequent readers, you are going to hear a lot about Sandra. Sandra is the woman I am staying with for the first few weeks, and she is a spitfire of a rockstar. Interesting explanation you say? Well, to be a bit more frank, she is a journalist who works for Internews which is funded by organizations such as USAID, the Ford Foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, etc., she focuses on health care issues and works a lot with the the local community. However, Internews is a worldwide organization, which I suggest you learn a lot about, as I plan to in the future. Their real goal is to empower local communities to use and fight for their freedom of speech, which is something I think we often take for granted in the US. Anyway, you will hear lots about Sandra, who she is, how amazing she is and what she does. :) After we chatted for a while, she realized that I was about to tip over and let me rest. She is so sweet she has a whole room for me set up, computer, closets, everything. She just has such a great outlook on life. You know how sometimes first impressions are really good, and you know they are really good because the person is genuinely amazing? Yup, that's her! :) Anyway, after my nap, Sandra woke me up to a dinner that she had cooked, even though she doesn't cook. How sweet is she? :) Her friends Tony and Jeff were over and I got to meet and visit with them. They were just so nice, friendly and welcoming. We had dinner, talked about life, culture and politics and then ventured off for a drink at the Klub House, a local bar where they play R&B-ish music on Thursday nights. It was soooo nice and the perfect end to my long day. Tony, Jeff, Sandra and I laughed, chatted, talked about life and really just relaxed on a nice evening. It was so great. I was a bit quiet, as I tend to be when I first meet people; but I will warm up. This morning I got up around 8am... I know, me? Yah, right. ha ha. I showered, which was soooo needed after 3 days of flying and now I am relaxing, reading up on the literature Peter and Sandra gave me and journal as I look out on the morning traffic traveling into Nairobi. :) I am safe and sound, and in the best of hands. Thanks so much for reading and I hope you all have a wonderful day. What if I do a tip of the day sort of thing, kind of like, what I have learned?!?! Tip of the day: Read the local news, be active, take advantage of local media. It isn't everywhere that they have freedom of speech. :) peace and love