A rainy day in Nairobi

So here's a good story of my day yesterday... After teaching my computer class I walked back with some kids to their house and waited out the rain a bit.  Then once it stopped, I headed to town to see if I'd have bball practice.  So I left at 3:30, stopped along the way to eat a little when I had to change vehicles, and then reached town around 5 in the midst of a torrential downpour.  Nothing here is meant for rain, so I had to bob and weave my way through traffic and massive rivers which had taken over the roads to get to my friends who sell books under an overhang.  I was feeling silly walking in my soaked jeans and no umbrella, although I had my nice northface rain jacket on.  This feeling was confirmed as I approached looking for a bit of a laugh, and heard coming out of the crowd that had gathered around their books "you look like shit!!".  I love good friends : )  It was cute as the crowd parted to let the soaking wet white girl who apparently knows the booksellers in.  We hung out a bit as I tried to get warm and thought maybe the storm might subside, then I waded and jumped my way to my bus.  Got on the bus and sat in a soaking wet seat (which I decided was better for me to do than anyone else as I was already soaked though) and then the bus took off.  This was at 6pm.  Roughly 45 seconds later, the bus stopped, still within sight of the bus station we'd left, and we sat there in traffic for the next 2 hours.  I just kept laughing through this whole situation and am not sure I can describe it fully, but here goes- I'm wedged into a three seater so that I'm by the window, the guy next to me keeps talking to me and kind of hitting on me (which is weird cause he's old, but I play along cause I'm bored and its more fun to talk when stuck on a bus), and the bus leaks.  So I had to keep my rain coat on and zipped as there was a spot above me that allowed the rain to pass through every so often.  The radio had some cool mixes on, and it was just a very silly situation stuck, contemplating the fact that the traffic might never move, rocking out in the rain, on the bus.  Got to a friend's house who lives on the way to my house at 9pm, and took a hot shower and drank some hot chocolate.  Very silly, very Kenya, night.  2 days ago it rained for 30 minutes in town and it took me 4.5 hours to get home.  It's amazing to me how a small storm can literally shut down the economic hub of East Africa.  A good parallel of life here though, as most people make enough money to pay the regular bills and eat, until one thing like a funeral, or medical bill comes up- then with minimal safety nets , the savings are used up and then life gets difficult.  Its been 2 days between this incident and now that I’m actually ready to post it, and another humorous story should probably be added here.  Today I got off my matatu in the rain and was so proud of myself for carrying my umbrella and having it accessible enough to use right away.  So then as I walked my way to where I was going I stepped in some mud and sunk in up to my mid calf.  As I pulled upwards against the suction of the mud to get my leg out, my flipflop came off and stayed in the mud.  So then I was in the middle of this muddy road trying to balance my umbrella with one hand, and digging in the mud with the other arm.  It took me a full 2 minutes to locate my shoe and pull it out.  Some guy saw my struggles and offered to help me while we both shared a laugh, but I was able to proudly hold up my arm/show which were both covered in mud in success and continue on my way.  Well I’ll try my best to stay dry moving forward, although the rain seems to bring more funny stories with it… : )

Upcountry 2.0

At 90 years old, you would expect Papa Matilda’s grandmother to be either retired and living a quiet life at home, or possibly in a nursing home somewhere.  But that is much less of an option in rural Kenya, and as we showed up at her house on Saturday we found her sitting on the ground enjoying the afternoon.  Our presence prompted her to get up and excitedly greet me, Mama Matilda, and her great grand-daughter Jasmine.  After talking for a while, she led us past her kitchen (which is a self contained room at the front of her property which seems to have a constant stream of smoke coming from it), and the main house building, to her garden/farm.  There are avacado trees, banana trees, maize, passion fruit, and sugar cane growing right by the house.  Further down the valley they also have chai (tea) growing plentifully (the whole area does and walking around you are surrounded by beautiful bright green plants).  She had carried her machete and quickly cut us 5 stalks of sugar cane to carry back with us.  As we sat back down to eat one before going home and sharing with the rest of our family and friends, she stripped the outer covering off from her seat on the ground, passing each of us and some of the kids who were playing nearby the fruits of her labor.  At first I felt awkward that she had given it all away and kept none for herself, but then I realized that she has only about 5 teeth, and therefore is unable to eat this delicious, chewing intensive, treat. 

 

The big reason for us going upcountry was to host a Thanksgiving service at the local church there.   So we invited lots of friends and family and were able to fill the little church to the point of people standing outside and listening from there.  Mama Matilda had two very difficult childbirths, and this was a celebration where they publicly thanked God for the immense blessing of their two beautiful children and healthy mother.  It was very humbling to be a part of their family, which truly takes the time to see God in the little things and doesn’t take his blessings for granted.  As a family, we bought a bunch of plastic chairs to donate to the congregation as an upgrade from the thin wooden benches with no backs which I found uncomfortable, never mind the aging population of the church on a typical Sunday.  Mama Matilda was telling me that their plan is to buy more chairs each time they are blessed with money. 

 

 

This is Mama Matilda, Papa Matilda, and Jasmine standing up the hill a bit from their upcountry home.  There is not a bad view in the area, and I love just standing outside by the house and looking out at the hills and valleys filled with various crops and especially chai.  I like the pace of life upcountry, especially when there on vacation (farming is very hard work and I wasn’t involved in that side of life there).  Saturday morning I washed the floors throughout the house, ridding them of a few months of dirt and dust since they’d been up there last, while our good friend Ann washed all of the dishes.  Then the two of us just hung out for a while on the benches by the house, later we helped cut things to help cook lunch, and watched Jasmine.  It was a nice amount of having time to just relax and enjoy being there, while also having the opportunity to work and pitch in when you wanted to.  I spent one night on this bench where I laid down just as it was beginning to get dark, and stayed there for the next 3 hours or so (even taking my dinner on the bench) watching the stars.  It was so cool as there is not power there yet, so the stars are many and it was sweet to see them all come out, and then wait as the clouds rolled in and they disappeared again.  I liked feeling like I was part of the whole cycle.  Papa Matilda’s brother Michael and also one of the young boys who live with the neighbors kept me company, and we laughed and joked while watching the stars.  It was a great night!

  

 

The class 8 kids at Hamomi are eagerly learning in computer class, even taking their exams early so as to get in more time with me.  Today we built a spread sheet and learned about Microsoft Excel, they will each be getting email addresses soon as well.  Last week we went online and I asked them what they wanted to learn about.  So we googled “planets” and they were intrigued to click links and learn information about each planet very easily.  We checked out image searches and found nice pictures as well.  It’s cool seeing their eyes opened to things that I’ve known most of my life and taken for granted.  I haven’t been using the internet much at all lately (either because I haven’t bought credit for my modem, the internet here hasn’t been working, or I’ve been busy and away from my computer), and there are many times that I realize how easy it would be to find out information quickly online, but instead end up going through a more round about process to figure things out.  For instance, I wanted to know who won March Madness, and met a kid at the basketball court who had DSTV (the big cable package here) and then he went home and later texted me what he found out from watching ESPN.  Everyone is a bit more dependent on each other here.

 

We had a lengthy discussion on the car ride home from upcountry yesterday about the culture of giving in Kenya, and the challenges facing foreigners living here.  It is very Kenyan to serve a large meal to visitors, no matter what time they come to your home.  So no matter what the culture is where you are from, you are expected to adapt to the local culture and provide this to visitors, especially since they do it for you whenever you go there.  The mutuality is nice here, although I’m realizing that I need to depend on people a bit more, asking of them just like they ask of me.  We also talked about giving money to people in your family who are really in need, and when it would be ok to refuse them, and especially when working in the NGO world, to ensure that you are not neglecting your own family to help others in need. 

 

I’m learning about myself as I struggle daily with the opportunities to give to those around me.  When within a mutual relationship of giving and taking, I am excited to join into this culture and love picking out food to carry with me and give whenever I stay at someone’s house for the night.  But when I feel that people are expecting me to give, that is when I find myself holding back and becoming more guarded.  Ironically, those situations are when I am truly faced with need and when people could really benefit from a gift.  Yet I struggle with wanting to be seen as a person, building relationships, instead of just a meal ticket.

 

How people view “the rich” is also an interesting thing.  It seems that nobody anywhere ever likes the rich, yet they work their whole lives to be one of them.  People in the US get annoyed when people with money spend it, and see it as flaunting it in their faces.  People in Kenya get upset when rich people don’t spend their money on them and share what they have. 

 

So I hope you are doing well!  Kenya is great, starting to get rainy which makes things a bit different, but still very good.  I love the work I’m doing with the various organizations I work for, and am loving getting better at Swahili.  Going to see an And 1 basketball game this weekend which should be lots of fun!  Love you all :)

Stories from Nairobi

 

We have been waiting for it to rain here in Nairobi, and today it happened.  In church last week the pastor asked the congregation to pray for rain, although my mom (who was here for a week with my Melissa and Uncle Dave Johnson as well) said she’d pray that there was no rain for as long as they were here.  Apparently her prayers were stronger than the rest of the people, because it held off, and a day after she returned to the US, it has rained.  I love the smell of rain.  I’m realizing that living in California, and then moving to Kenya, I have gone almost an entire year without seeing much rain.  The rain tends to depress me sometimes like in a place like Meadville where it happens for days without letting the sun shine, but here, knowing that it has come to nourish the fields and that food will once again become cheap, and farmers will be able to make a living, it comes with a different connotation than just making me stay inside.  My friend Greg told me that if a Kenyan hears a gun shot, they will continue to go about their business in the same vicinity of the shooting, whereas if they feel a drop of rain- they will run screaming for cover.  Today as I arrived and began my walk to Hamomi, I was enjoying hearing the swirling of the thunder, knowing that the rain was about to come.  Just as I came into sight of the school, it began pouring.  The 1st and 2nd grade classrooms spotted me and begain screaming “kimbia! kuja! mzungu, kimbia!” which means come, run, come!!  So I ran through the first few minutes of the rain and reached the safety of the classroom and we pulled the door shut just as the rain turned very heavy.  It must have made for a very humorous sight (that is if anyone had braved the rain and stayed outside to watch long enough, which I strongly doubt).  The roof of the classroom is tin, so then we all sat trying to move the desks away from the walls that were getting wet, yelling instructions to eachother, yet unable to hear anything due to the pounding on the roof.  The teacher had gone out and left them with some homework to fill out, so I sat and made sure they finished it.  Next, they gave me books on science and religion, so I taught about the parts of animals such as wings and horns, and then told the story of Abraham obeying God to the point of willingness to sacrifice Isaac.  After the rain let up, I climbed up the hill to the offices (which I’m very proud to say I managed without falling), and hung out with the teachers over lunch.  This is always a fun part of my day and I enjoy the jokes we tell and how I get better at Swahili.  

 

I had a great week with my mom, uncle and sister!  They got to see my life here, ate lots of food, met many of my friends, and spent the end of the week by the ocean.  Thank you guys so much for coming!!!

Yesterday I went swimming at a public pool and I love going here because the level of swimming is so different than in the US.  Here most of the learners are adults, and many of the kids can swim circles around the adults, many of who learned on their own in rivers.  We have been teaching my friend Kevin to swim, and his goal is that by the time I leave to go back to America, he will be able to go with us into the deep end.  I learned to swim all these fancy strokes in swimming lessons as a kid, so it was funny teaching them to people who have just learned to swim on their own and without formal teaching.  My friends want to learn to “stand in the water” next time we go, which is to tread water without your hands.

Last night I boarded the bus to go back to Mwiki and read my book.  For the last 10 minutes of the bus ride there was a drunk guy who kept yelling at me and trying to bother me.  It was dark by the time I reached the bus station in Mwiki and I was trying to think of a way to get rid of this guy as a boarded so that he couldn’t follow me.  Then one of the guys I know from a barber shop I stop and talk to people at occasionally (some of my many friends in town I greet daily) spotted my trouble and pushed the other guy away and walked with me to the barber shop.  We then picked up another friend and they bought me soup.  They boil meat with some water, adding flavorings, and then serve the flavored water as soup.  My friends handed me my cup saying that it would most likely make me sick.  How’s that for a warning!  But it was delicious, and I finished and then had them walk me home.  So I’m happy to report that God has blessed me with many good friends, and turned a potentially bad situation into a good one that didn’t even end up with a stomach ache!

Here are some random observations I’d like to share with the world. You should be able to share these insights with your friends and feel smart and cultured:

When Kenyan women are learning to type on a keyboard, they have difficulty just pushing down a key enough for only one letter to be typed. Their hands are rough from years of tough labor and that delicate touch is not the first instinct.

The word “funga” means close, and is also used in basketball to refer to finishing a basket, or dunking the ball. (This tidbit is courtesy of the women’s club team I’ve been playing on lately which is really fun)

Standardized testing is huge in Kenya. The news for the last week or so has been all about the secondary schools in the nation who ranked the best on last years end of secondary school examinations (KCSE). Kids in their senior year put tons of effort into passing this test, the results of which are the biggest factor towards any continuation to university.

I watched the Uconn Syracuse Big East Tourney game with friends and we all were thinking of where we were when watching that epic 6 over time matchup a few years ago. Even separated by so much distance, its kind of cool to see how common our lives are at times. And even though my internet has been super spotty lately, worked it out and filled out my March Madness bracket!

“1 like a stick, 2 like a duck, 3 like a butterfly, 4 like a chair, 5 like a pussycat, 6 like a spoon, 7 like a walking stick, 8 like a snake, 9 like a head and leg, 10 like a stick and ball” This is a song for how kids here learn to write numbers.

This is a bit old, but an interesting tidbit none the less- There is a province called Nyeri in Kenya and last month a bunch of cases occurred there of men being beaten by their husbands.  Spousal abuse by men is much more common here than in the US, but it was very interesting to see it going the other way, and the cases were on the news showing men being beaten and scarred within an inch of their lives.  In response to this, the chairmen of Men’s rights issued the women of Nyeri a “red card” for their actions on national tv. 

There was a soccer game between two national teams that are tribal rivals here recently and they had to stop the game for 15 minutes because the fans started to riot and throw rocks on the field.  An interesting sight to watch on tv as these professional athletes walked across the field removing the rocks from the playing field so the game could resume.  It was like the girls who gather the flowers once a figure skater skates and people throw things like animals onto the ice. 

One of my favorite things about Kenyans is that they like sharing stories.  Hope you’ve enjoyed the selection of ones I’ve told here!