Home Sweet Home

Merry Belated Christmas to everyone, and a Happy Early New Year (since I have no idea if I’ll have a chance to post an update before then). I’m safe and sound in Sipili, Kenya, in my new home and community, and I’m getting settled “slowly by slowly” (as the Kenyans say). It's typically dusty and hot, but there were some refreshing rains yesterday (I have a new appreciation for the Toto lyric "I bless the rains down in Africa"). There is one other Peace Corps volunteer here, and her name is Jessica– we traveled here together from Nairobi with her supervisor. She’s a Math/Science Education volunteer, which means she was training in Loitokitok while I was in Machakos with the Deaf Education group.

The journey here on December 16th was long, but not unbearable. Jessica, her supervisor and I took a matatu from Nairobi to Nyahururu, which took about three hours, and then took another matatu from Nyahururu, through Kinamba (where the paved road or “tarmac” ends) and on the dirt road eight more kilometers into Sipili. The second leg took about two hours. It was early afternoon when we arrived – first we went to Jessica’s house and had lunch and tea. It was so hard to be patient during lunch and introductions with the family on her compound since I was so anxious to see my place. I would have been more restless, but I was too exhausted from the journey, which was only exacerbated by the fact that I’d gotten no sleep the night before. A group of us newly sworn-in volunteers opted to go out dancing in Nairobi instead of packing and sleeping in preparation for the journey ahead. Even though I was lethargic during our trip, dancing was not a regrettable decision.

After getting Jessica settled, we walked the 2-3 kilometers to my house (with luggage in tow) and I was finally able to see my place. As I mentioned before, my house is on a family compound, and the family I’m staying with is amazing. Their house is about 15 feet from mine, and the family’s kitchen is between our two houses. The kitchen is actually really cool – it has a brick stove contraption with fire under a metal grate when you can place a pot (called a sufuria in Kenya) on top for cooking. It reminds me of cooking over a campfire, and it’s a nice place to sit with the other people in the family even though I don't cook there myself. Luckily, my house is just perfect for me! It has a bright blue door, and red cement floor. There are two rooms, each with a little window and surprisingly charming curtains. One room has a little table with a gas stove with two burners, and the other room has my bed, a small table and chair, and a corner that is portioned off with plywood for bathing. Some carpenters came over the other day to take measurements for a few more pieces of furniture I need (especially a wardrobe – my clothes are currently stacked on the table in my room rendering it useless) and that will hopefully built and installed within the next couple of weeks. When I first saw my place there was no electricity, but since then I’ve had two lights installed in the house that are powered by a solar panel on the roof of the main house. The solar panel isn’t strong enough to provide power to an outlet so there’s no way to charge anything, but Jessica’s house has an outlet so I charge my phone over there. Also, there’s no running water, but that was the case in Machakos so I’m a pro at living without pipes.

During the first day here we also took a tour of the garden/farm ("shamba" in Kiswahili) that the family I’m living with owns. It’s absolutely incredible. The family compound sits between the two parts of the shamba; one part has mostly maize, and the other part is FULL of fruits and vegetables. I bet you can guess which part is my favorite. I love walking through the rows of fruits, picking a pineapple or passionfruit if it looks ripe, wondering when the mangoes will be ready, snapping off a piece of sugarcane and gnawing on it while I guess which plants are cowpeas or black beans or soybeans. It’s like a free grocery store that’s always stocked and always fresh. There are even fruits that I’d never heard of or tasted before (tree tomatoes are rapidly becoming a new favorite of mine). The family has graciously offered to let me take anything I want from the shamba, since it’s so big and plentiful. The father of the family takes care of the shamba almost exclusively, and he’s trying to get people in the community to plant more fruits since they’re heartier than some of the traditional crops. His idea is that a shift to that kind of farming would provide more food security in this region which is typically quite arid. He and his wife both have a very community-minded outlook, and they’re very focused on helping people help themselves. He was actually instrumental in applying for a Peace Corps volunteer for both the secondary school (Jessica) and for the school for the deaf (myself). It's really amazing to be surrounded by a forward-thinking, self-sustaining, happy and friendly family. And the three kids are adorable and incredibly helpful in helping me navigate my new surroundings.

Since the first days here, I’ve been able to explore a bit. I’ve traveled with Jessica into Nyahururu a couple of times since we arrived to get supplies that we can’t get in Sipili (since it’s pretty remote). One of the trips was especially comical; it involved me bringing an empty 15 kg gas can (for my stove) into town and bringing a full one back to Sipili. Of course it’s huge, metal and unmanageable, and I already stick out wherever I go here in Kenya by virtue of my skin color. But I dragged that sucker through Sipili, onto the matatu, through Nyahururu and back. It was totally worth it too, because now I can cook for myself and heat my own bathwater. Self-sufficiency and reclaimed independence is one of the best parts of settling into a home, since we were forced to rely so heavily on other people during training.

School doesn’t start until the 4th of January, so there is a lot of down time between now and then. The following is a list of things (aside from wandering in the shamba, as I mentioned) that keep me entertained in the meantime:

1. Reading. I have read two and a half books over the past week – A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers (not bad for a memoir), Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut (finally, I’d been meaning to read that one for a long time ) and half of Dr. Zhivago by Boris Pasternak (SO GOOD).

2. Writing. Each night I write until my hand hurts so I can keep my mind sharp, because I have noticed that somehow I’m losing some English. All the volunteers who have been here for about a year say that it’s inevitable, but I’m hoping to stave it off. I’m not exactly sure why it’s happening since I’m speaking English all the time (I’m not good enough at Kiswahili yet to effectively converse), but it’s happening.

3. Watching the animals around the compound. The family here has dogs, cats and chickens, and there are little kittens and chicks hiding in woodpiles and bushes, so it’s a good diversion to go searching for them and watch them do whatever cute things kittens and chicks do once they’re found.

4. Catching frogs. The frogs come out at night, and most evenings I have about three in my house (somehow). I’m nervous that they’ll make a mess or die overnight while I’m sleeping, so it’s a nightly ritual to find them with my headlamp (they get scared and freeze when I shine light on them), usher them into a paper bag and put them outside. It’s a pretty adorable infestation, honestly. Way better than rats or cockroaches or something.

5. Wandering around Sipili town. Although there is really only one main road, one store that could be considered a supermarket/general store and a smattering of other flour mills/milk bars/convenience stores, it’s nice to get out and see the people in town and hopefully get people used to a mzungu wandering around their town.

Otherwise, life is pretty calm here in Sipili. Christmas was like any other day (except my family slaughtered two chickens, and the kids chased each other around with the heads and entrails), and there is a slow, easy pace to life. Even more than in Machakos. But that’s what I was expecting, and I’m enjoying it more every day. The next exciting step will be when school begins. I can’t wait to meet the students, not to mention my fellow teachers! I’ve seen the school, but no one is there yet. In just over a week it will be completely full of kids, and I can hardly wait. Between now and then, I’ll travel out of site for New Years and travel back just a couple of days before school begins. I’ll be sure to update shortly after school starts and share my impressions.

Volunteer Status

NOTE: MY ADDRESS HAS CHANGED. IF YOU SENT SOMETHING TO THE NAIROBI ADDRESS, IT WILL STILL GET TO ME. HOWEVER, FROM NOW ON, PLEASE POST ANY MAIL TO THE ADDRESS AT MY SITE, LISTED AT RIGHT. THANK YOU! :)

This past week has been the most eventful since I got to Kenya, and I've been waiting until today to post an update for reasons that will become clear as you read on. But before I get to the most recent excitement, I'll pick up my story where I left off.

We trainees said goodbye to our host families in Machakos last Saturday night, which was bittersweet for most of us. We all recognize that it's an accomplishment to be finished with training, but through countless awkward moments, stories of our lives and hard work (mostly learning how to wash clothes by hand, cook on charcoal, barter at the market, etc.) we had built a home and strong relationships with our host families. I felt as though my Mama here in Kenya was like a second mother, and my brother and sister felt like my actual siblings. It was difficult to part ways, but the next stage of this journey was beckoning. So we packed up ALL of our luggage again (along with the 7+ new manuals/books/packets of information Peace Corps had assigned at some point during training which are causing our bags to explode) and left on Sunday morning for a hotel in Nairobi.

Nairobi was (and continues to be) a bit of a culture shock for many of us. On Monday we visited a mall called "Westgate," which is so modern that it could be a mall in America. When we visited, there were Christmas decorations all over the mall, and there were clothing stores, coffee kiosks, a Nakumatt (a Kenyan Wal-Mart of sorts) and more mzungus than we had seen in our entire Pre-Service Training. We came to the consensus that we have no idea how we'll be able to handle reintegration into American life once our Peace Corps tour is over, because after only 2 months we are already completely overwhelmed in such a Western-influenced environment. But we were all able to purchase a few items that we needed (I got batteries, an external CD drive, orange juice and fruit roll ups to share with my fellow trainees - a little taste of America). After our excursion, we went to a restaurant called Pizza Garden and had actual brick oven pizza. Most of us got sick after that since our bodies haven't encountered cheese or spices in weeks, but we decided it was worth it.

On Tuesday morning, we were still feeling a little sick to our stomachs, but this time it was due to nerves instead of pizza, since the first item on the day's agenda was the supervisors' workshop. All of our supervisors-to-be in the schools where we will be teaching had traveled to Nairobi to participate in the workshop with us, so this was our very first opportunity to meet them. After the initial awkwardness and difficulty in communication, we were able to ask all of our burning questions about our communities, our schools, and our houses. My supervisor is incredibly friendly and helpful. He told me about the home I'll be in, and I felt my excitement and anticipation growing as he explained the setup. I'll be living on a family compound, which means that I am living with a family but I'll be in a separate house. My house is modest (there are two rooms and it has no electricity or running water) but according to my supervisor the family is incredibly kind and welcoming. Also, their entire estate is full of every different kind of fruit! Passionfruit, mangoes, bananas... you name it, they have it. I'd take that over a flushing toilet any day.

After a day full of activities with our supervisors, we all went to bed early so we could rest well for our big event today: the swearing-in ceremony. Since the day is now over and I have been sworn in, this is my first blog post as an official Peace Corps Volunteer!! I know it's just semantics and that there isn't really a huge distinction between a trainee and a volunteer, but there is at least a slight difference. It is an indication that we've adapted to our surroundings enough to stay in the country for 2 months and that we've become proficient enough in our language to be entrusted with the job of educating youth in Kenya. I still feel under qualified, but now that's just an incentive to work even harder than if I was feeling completely prepared.

The ceremony was held at the residence of the Deputy Chief of Mission (the second-in-command to the US Ambassador to Kenya). His home was incredible. As the ceremony began, we heard remarks from various people who had been instrumental in the training and placement processes, as well as the Peace Corps Country Director for all of Kenya and the Deputy Chief himself. The remarks were all well presented and poignant, reminding us all of the opportunity we have in front of us. One of my favorite moments was when the DC told us that "the purpose of life is to live a life of purpose." It was a fantastic reminder for all of us - we've been spending so much time in the trenches already, trudging around our training towns and working hard to learn languages and integrate into the culture. But of course there is a larger vision, and we're all working as a part of a movement in Kenya and the world to increase friendship and understanding between nations. It was a moment to pause, reflect on our motivation and poise ourselves for the long journey ahead.

After the remarks, we rose our right hands and took the same oath as the president of the US takes when he takes office, to "solemnly swear to defend the constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic," among other things. At the conclusion of the oath, we all became official volunteers. Then we were officially accepted by the Kenyan Ministry of Education as teachers in Kenya, and received certificates alongside our supervisors. The entire ceremony was short and sweet, and more meaningful than I expected.

Me and my supervisor during the swearing-in ceremony

The reception that followed was a real celebration - there were American refreshments (if you're noticing that Peace Corps volunteers get disproportionately excited about American food, you're right. But try eating ugali and kale for two months and then see how amazing a Christmas cookie sounds to you) and photo ops galore. It began to sink in as we mingled with our newly sworn-in colleagues and our trainers and the supervisors and dignitaries - we're finished with this phase of our Peace Corps experience, and we're about to start the next exciting chapter. Tomorrow morning we'll say goodbye to the friends we've made in training. That will undoubtedly be difficult. We've all become so unexpectedly close, and we know we can rely on each other to get us through the difficult moments when Kenyan life is too overwhelming. But we just have to remember that those friends are always a phone call away (provided the phone networks are working) and we're about to meet a new community of friends who will be a support system as well.

Before I sign off and re-pack my bags for the trek to Laikipia district tomorrow (only about 4-5 hours of travel - much luckier than the multi-day trips for the folks going to the coast), I want to share an anecdote that gives me a bit of hope for the next couple of years:

When we first landed in Nairobi eight weeks ago, the very first thing we did after collecting our bags at the airport and loading them onto a matatu was to drive to our hotel and dump our things in our room. After two nights in the hotel, we again loaded up our luggage and went to our training sites and our homestay families. Once I began unpacking my things in my room at my homestay, I realized that I was missing one of my most essential pieces of Peace Corps gear - my new blue Chaco sandals. I had bought them in Seattle on my road trip with my close friends this past summer with my Peace Corps service in mind, so they were both functional AND had sentimental value. I knew I must have left them in the hotel in Nairobi. At that point I was so overwhelmed by the new things I was learning and experiencing that I didn't know who to ask about my sandals, and I assumed they would be gone. I said a sad goodbye to them in my mind and left it at that.

Fast forward to this past Sunday. When we arrived to Nairobi, we checked into the same hotel we stayed in during our first couple of nights in Kenya. I decided to take a shot in the dark and ask the front desk a question that even sounded funny to me: "do you know if there was a pair of sandals found here... about 2 months ago?" I expected a laugh and a "No," but instead I got a smile and a "yes, I think they are just here!" and my Chacos were brought out from a cabinet. This whole experience challenged my expectations, especially in Kenya. During our training, before I left America, and throughout almost every conversation I've had with someone about living in Kenya, I have been met with the advice to "stay safe" and "be very careful, people in Africa are different than people in America." Now I know how true that statement is. After all, I am almost certain that two months after leaving something in a hotel in America, it would be long gone. And in Kenya, a nearly-new pair of Chaco sandals could have fetched a good deal of shillings from any roadside shop. But the caretakers of the hotel held onto my sandals, tucked away in a safe place, in case I ever returned and asked about them. They had no obligation to keep them for me, and yet they chose to do so. Maybe it's an insignificant incident, and I'm just lucky that I have my sandals back. But I choose to think that this is a good reminder that Kenyans aren't "dangerous" just because theft and burglary rates are high. Maybe there are other motivations, misconceptions or needs behind those actions. Most Kenyans I have met are eager to help, teach and care for the people they encounter, just as much (or more) than any American. That was always something I imagined was true before I came here, but this incident reminded me to stay positive in the situations I encounter here, and maintain hope. People and situations may be surprising.

So now, as a PCV, I'm off to my new home. I have no electricity, but I'll do my best to stay in touch! Happy Holidays to everyone, good luck with finals to those who are in the middle of tests, and travel safely to those who are visiting family!

Time after time

Time makes very little sense in Africa.

There's obviously nothing about Africa itself that alters the normal passage of time, but it's disorienting for me to think about how just eight weeks ago, I was in a different hemisphere. Sometimes the days crawl by, but now, as December is beginning, it seems like time has flown since we all first landed in Nairobi. But, although it's gone by faster than I expected, it seems like I've known the other trainees forever and that I've lived with my host family for ages. As we all prepare to say even MORE goodbyes (seriously, the word "goodbye" is the theme of 2010) and travel to our homes for the next two years, it's interesting to look back over training and really see how far we've come.

First of all, we can all now communicate in Kenyan Sign Language. Some trainees came to Kenya with a pretty high proficiency in ASL, but all of us were starting from square one in KSL. But, after weeks of language training (that oftentimes tested the limits of our patience) we're all to the point where, this week, we have all been teaching in a mock classroom setting to primary students who are deaf. And the kicker is, they all understand us!! (At least, they usually do). Today I taught a math lesson to Class 5 students (parallel and perpendicular lines), an English lesson to Class 4 students (vocabulary relating to things you find on a farm), and a "Life Skills" lesson to Class 6 students about disease prevention and how to stay healthy- that one was definitely the highlight of my day. Teaching in sign language is a total blast, too - it's a great excuse to be totally dramatic and overact, since all communication is visual.

We've also become accustomed to the Kenyan pace of life. Nothing has a set schedule, and everything happens at an easy pace. Although that was hard to adjust to at first (it's easy to get frustrated when class was supposed to start at 8 and doesn't actually get going until 11), I'm finding that it makes a lot of sense to do things the Kenyan way. People spend more time with one another, and don't allow schedules or clocks to control their actions. Conversations are intentional, and relaxation time is taken seriously. It's common to take two or three tea breaks during a work day, not including lunch. And every tea break includes tea, which means time to cook, cool and drink the tea. On a related note, I don't think I've ever drunk more tea in my life than I have these past two months.

Finally (and most importantly) since our communication skills have grown and our patience has increased, we've all gotten used to being the person who, in any group of Kenyans, is different. We have even learned how to deal with all the "unwanted attention" (the Peace Corps term for anything from being asked for spare change to unexpected marriage proposals). At first we were annoyed with all the attention. It was hard to say "no" to everything anyone asked for - It was hard to explain why I, as a person from America, don't actually have tons of money to buy someone a car, or why I, as a young woman, am not interested in finding a husband yet. But, the cultural misconceptions on BOTH sides were (and still are) huge. For the most part, Americans don't understand Kenyans, and Kenyans don't understand Americans. But I've started to change my own mindset, and now, even though I don't completely understand the culture, I understand my Kenyan mama. And I understand my Kenyan language trainers. And I understand some of the Kenyan people I interact with on a daily basis. And I think they're starting to understand me, too. It takes time and I still get a little frustrated when someone assumes I'm made of money or asks me if I want to marry their son, but I understand that it's all part of the experience. And now that I understand the motivation behind the "unwanted attention," it's not so scary to walk through town like it was in the beginning. In fact, it's become one of my favorite parts of the day.

Of course, just as all these adjustments are settling in, we'll be leaving for Nairobi. But I think we now have the skills to easily adjust when we arrive at our sites, and we're all so excited. In the meantime I have to run - a new supermarket just opened in town, which promises to be the Machakos shopping event of the year.

Thank you again to everyone for mail - I just posted a couple of replies, so keep your eyes on the mailbox!

Snapshots

Every time I start to write a blog entry, there are hundreds of things that come to my mind to write about. There isn't much about my life in Africa that reminds me of my life in America, so there are so many stories to share. But the stories aren't necessarily related to one another, so I've decided that this post will consist of a couple of unrelated aspects of my past month-or-so in Kenya that I hope you'll find interesting, informative, and maybe even comical.

One inevitable consequence of traveling to a foreign place and immersing yourself in a whole new way of life is the roller coaster ride that follows. Since coming to Kenya, there have been some pretty high highs, and pretty low lows, and it's usually something inconsequential (or would be inconsequential in America) that can shift the scale from one extreme to the other. So, all of us trainees have developed a system of storing up things that can shift bad days into good ones, in case we find ourselves feeling bummed out. Following is a list of things that can cause a bad day:

1. Surprise rain storms that turn the dusty roads into ankle-deep red mud.
2. Getting the "mzungu price" whenever you try to buy something at the market. To calculate the mzungu price, simply take the price that an average Kenyan pays, and double it. (Also, FYI, mzungu is the Kiswahili word for white person).
3. Chewing sukuma wiki (kale) and almost breaking your tooth on a stone that SOMEhow got in the food.
4. Terrifying dreams/hallucinations from the malaria medication.
5. Realizing that a diet that consists of roughly 90% refined sugar and other carbohydrates is not ideal for dental health, and thus, cavities are forming.
6. Accidentally making a "friend" who is drunk and loves to follow you around town while mumbling in Kiswhili.

And now, a list of things that can make a bad day better:
1. A lollipop from the man at the small duka (roadside stand) sitting under an umbrella who always smiles and says "Habari!" (this may also have something to do with #5 above).
2. Mail. Any mail. Some of us hide letters in our room so we have something to open when we really need it.
3. A movie that we've gotten from another volunteer. I know "O Brother Where Art Thou" is on my laptop, just waiting for a tough day.
4. Successfully purchasing and loading minutes onto our phones.
5. Communicating successfully in Kenyan Sign Language.
6. Skipping church with our families so we can go to someone's house to "study," and instead spending the whole morning venting, doing yoga and laughing with fellow trainees.

As trainees, we've gotten pretty skilled at sharing the good things we come across, and mitigating the negatives. We have each others' backs, and have also gotten good at laughing off the ridiculous situations we encounter. I can't imagine being in Kenya without everyone else.

Now, an anecdote. One of my favorite moments so far in my homestay house happened about three weeks ago, when I was still pretty new to this whole experience. It was a Saturday morning, and a woman had come to our house to help my Mama with washing clothes, because everything has to be washed by hand, and there's no way my Mama can wash a week's worth of clothes for her and her two kids in one day without some help. (In related news, I have nothing but the highest reverence and respect for single mothers in Africa). After the woman had gotten there, my host brother and I kept hearing a chicken coming from SOMEwhere nearby. This was puzzling, because we don't own a chicken, and neither do our neighbors. And it was LOUD. We looked around the perimeter of the house - outside the front door, back door, and out the side windows - but couldn't see anything. We gave up after a while, and I eventually went to take my morning bath (from a bucket, as usual). When I returned to my bedroom after the bath, I was getting dressed when I noticed a basket in the corner of my room that wasn't there when I had woken up, and didn't belong to me. I figured it was nothing, and continued to get dressed. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw the basket move. I looked closer and realized that the chicken we had been hearing was in that basket, in my room, with its feet tied together, looking straight at me. I was definitely startled at first, but once I realized the comedy in the situation I hurried to finish getting dressed, and went out to tell my Mama that "I think I found the chicken." When I explained the situation, we both had a good laugh - apparently, the woman who had come to help my Mama had brought the chicken in hopes that we'd want to buy it. Turns out we did... and guess what we had for dinner? It was a first for me - I don't think I'd ever had an animal for dinner that had, earlier in the day, watched me get dressed.

That's all I have time for now, so I'll give a quick update on what's happening currently. Today we had our Language Proficiency Interviews (LPIs), and whoever passed will be able to start Kiswahili lessons next week, so keep your fingers crossed! I think I did alright, but we'll be getting our results tomorrow and then we'll know for sure. There are only three weeks of training left, so I'll be saying goodbye to Machakos soon and heading to the Laikipia district in the Rift Valley. We'll be swearing in as a group (Deaf Ed. along with Math and Science Ed.) on December 15th in Nairobi, and then traveling to our respective sites with our supervisors. We're all very excited.

Thank you to everyone who has sent letters!! As I mentioned, mail is one of the best mood elevators, and I love staying updated on everyone's lives and experiences. Keep them coming, and I promise I'll write you back :)

Still Alive

Greetings from Machakos, Kenya!!

I know it has been a long time since I've been able to update my blog, but internet in Kenya is certainly less accessible than internet back in the US. The good news is that I waste far less time on Facebook while on this continent, but the obvious downside is that online communication is sparse. But I've found a little bit of time in the midst of training to post a quick update.

Since my last post in Nairobi, only a few weeks have passed, but it's been the longest few weeks of my life. That probably sounds negative, but I really just mean that there has been so much to learn, so many new adjustments to make, and countless experiences that have added up, to the point where I can hardly believe that I've only been in Kenya for less than one month.

As for the basics, I live with a host family here in Machakos. I have a host mama who is AMAZING, and one host sister (age 13) and one host brother (age 12). My mama is divorced, which is pretty uncommon in Kenya, but since she went to University in Nairobi she has a less traditional outlook on cultural norms than many people in the country (or even in Machakos, which is a relatively progressive town due to it's larger size). That's actually been one of my favorite aspects of my homestay experience - my mama understands my Western mindset, and she's patient with my frustrations. In fact, she oftentimes has the same frustrations that I have. My siblings are great kids. My host sister is about to sit for her class 8 exams (more on the education system at some later time), and my host brother is pretty much like every other 12-year-old boy I've ever met. Super hilarious. The kids in Kenya are SO much quieter than the kids at home, though, so when I first met them, I thought they were scared of me or something. But I've decided they're just more reserved.

Our home in Machakos is really quite nice. I've become very comfortable there, although it did take a few days to adjust. We have electricity, but outages are common. We only have running water on Saturdays, so we fill up all the 100 L water storage bins (and any miscellaneous buckets we have) on Saturday and use that water for the rest of the week. We have a gas stove, but we don't use it all the time because gas can be expensive, so we oftentimes use a charcoal stove or a "jiko" to cook.

On most days, we have language training in the morning (for us, it's Kenyan Sign Language or KSL) at one of the homestay houses, and then we go into town for lunch. After lunch we have cultural sessions (or other pertinent sessions that will help us as primary school teachers) at a school in town. After that, we all walk home. We have to be home before dark (which is at 6:30 every day), so that's been an adjustment. Also, female volunteers are advised to almost never walk alone. That loss of independence has been one of the biggest adjustments I've had to make, but it's just part of the culture.

Unfortunately, I have so many more updates, but very limited time - so for now, I'll sign off, but I'll attempt to post again soon. In the meantime, feel free to send mail! :)

Alive

I've officially arrived in Kenya! After over 24 hours of traveling, we landed last night around 7:30 PM Kenya time (and I was right - it felt completely amazing), got all of our luggage by 9, got to the "hostel" (feels more like a hotel - we all have our own rooms with running water and electricity) in Nairobi at around 10:30, had some dinner (rice and beans! I already love Kenyan food), and crashed by 11:30 or 12. We have limited internet access and connectivity, but this is probably the only time we'll have wireless during our service here, so I had to take advantage and post a quick update.

Today has been full of paperwork and an extensive introduction to our new lives in Kenya. We can already tell it will be quite an adjustment, especially for us Americans (even more especially for us women) to dress and act as conservatively as is expected, since most of us trainees find our identities in independence and self-expression. But we can't really complain, we know it's all part of the cross-cultural experience.

I'm excited to rest a bit tonight (under my mosquito net, of course) since we were bombarded with so much information today, we didn't sleep much at all last night, and we have an early morning tomorrow. Our deaf education group (9 people) leaves in the morning for Machakos for our training, while the rest of the trainees (29 people) head to Loitokitok for their training. We'll be meeting our host families on Sunday, and starting our language training on Monday. As you can probably tell, t's all happening rather fast.

Just FYI, the PO Box that we're using is different from the one I initially put up on the right side of the blog, but now it's correct. Also, for the first 90 days, all incoming packages are customs-free (no charge) for me :) If you do decide to send something, you'll probably have to fill out a customs form. No matter what's inside the package, don't check "food" as being in the package, or the customs agents will open it and go through it. Just say "books" or something similar.

And as I expected, Kenya is absolutely beautiful. It's in the 70s and sunny - it reminds me of San Diego! I am so excited to make this my home away from home. No giraffes or zebras yet, but I'm keeping my eyes open.

Also, friends, please send me your address if you'd like to receive mail from me. You can shoot me an e-mail, and hopefully I'll get a chance to check it within the next couple weeks. After today, internet access is a complete unknown.

This update is scattered and not totally comprehensive, but the bottom line is I'm here, alive and quite happy... and ready to start learning

Let's Go!

Whew.

These last twelve days have been an absolute whirlwind. New York was everything I had hoped it would be and more. Spending time with Ian and Kelsey was comfortable and easy but still QUITE eventful. Since there aren't words enough to fully describe the trip, I'll summarize our activities in no particular order: we stayed in a hostel in Harlem, visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the MoMA, the Guggenheim and the Frick Collection, took a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, went on a boat tour with views of Manhattan and Lady Liberty, participated in an actor-guided city tour/adventure, went to the top of the Empire State Building, cheered and booed at Amateur Night at the Apollo theatre, watched (and even danced at) the Broadway show FELA, lounged at Central Park, rocked out at a Ratatat concert, and ate at some of the best restaurants I've ever been to (Italian, French, Chinese, Cuban... and Bubby's!), and visited the sights of the city (Rockefeller Center, St. Patrick's, St. Paul's, WTC site, the UN, Chrysler Building, etc.) And we walked. For miles. And took the subway. A LOT.

Needless to say, after that kind of itinerary I slept for probably 20 out of the first 24 hours in Philadelphia. After my near-coma, I worked on getting my bags reorganized. Yesterday I finally ventured out of Morgan's apartment on my own (bless Morgan for her hospitality) and saw the sights of Old City Philadelphia. It was actually very calming to see all of the historic places where the Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation and Constitution were drafted and signed, and where people like Franklin and Washington lived. The old buildings seemed like old friends, and it felt like I was getting a nod of approval from my home country. I don't consider myself zealously patriotic, but I have respect for the philosophies of liberty and equality that informed the inception of our country. However, I do recognize that these noble values aren't always what our country's policies reflect, and my reverence doesn't take into account the collateral damage associated with the birth of our nation. But my optimistic side is hopeful that most people strive to reflect the spirit of brotherhood and sisterhood that guided the founding of Philadelphia (and eventually the United States) despite our human shortcomings. I think it's a good model to reflect upon as I start this chapter of my life. I'm attempting to participate in something designed to promote understanding and peace, despite my own shortcomings and inadequacies. I won't do things right the first time (or, in all likelihood, the first few times), but I'm not going to let my mistakes define my experience. I'll just keep trying to do my job correctly, rooted in love.

This morning, after a lovely evening out on the town in South Philly with Morgan and her friends from Temple, I re-packed (once again) and took a cab this morning to... STAGING!! I have been anticipating this day ever since I began applying for the Peace Corps. I finally got to meet all of the other Kenya volunteers, which was very exciting. Everyone is so warm and approachable, and we're all enthusiastic about getting to know one another. I guess that's a good approach, since we'll be each others support system for the next 27 months or so. Staging itself was a 6-hour basic orientation to the Peace Corps, complete with information on what's expected of the volunteers and what we can expect from the experience. I think we'll go into more detail on all of those points during Pre-Service Training (PST), but for now I'm more than content with the information we have. My head is still spinning after all the final phone calls to family and friends (and my credit card company), so I'm ready to just get on the plane. We'll take a bus in the morning to JFK, fly to Amsterdam in the afternoon where we'll spend about four hours, and then fly on to Nairobi. Each flight is about eight hours, which is relatively manageable. I do anticipate that landing in Nairobi will be one of the best feelings ever, though.

I'm officially done with phone communication for a while now, so if you feel like getting in touch, feel free to send something to the address on the right side of this blog. I have no idea when I'll have internet again, but I'll post again when I do. And so this is goodbye for now... I'll see you in December 2012, America!

Packed

It's the first day of October, and my last day in Anchorage. I definitely need to get one last coffee from Kaladi Brothers before I leave tonight... I doubt there's a Kaladi's in Kenya. There will be plenty of goats, but no red goats!

I'm finally all moved out of my apartment, which is bittersweet since I really loved that little place. After consolidating everything, I somehow sorted through all my worldly possessions and eliminated a LOT. The things that I didn't give away and that I'm not taking with me to Africa are in boxes and stored in my parents' house. Then there's the couple of bags that are coming with me to Kenya - my 60 + 10 L backpack and a small duffel bag. They're cleverly packed (no more than 80 pounds total, neither bag weighing more than 40) and actually pretty manageable. I'm a little anxious about forgetting to bring something, leaving something behind that I thought I had remembered or generally being woefully underprepared. But I've gone over the official packing list (and a few other less official lists I found online from past volunteers) over and over again, so now I think it's just time to trust that I have enough, and that I'll be alright.

So, tonight I'll fly out of Anchorage at about 9:30 PM, and this time tomorrow I'll be exploring the streets of Manhattan with two of my best friends. After spending eight days with them, I'll take an Amtrak train down to Philadelphia where I'll do some exploring and sightseeing on my own and spend a few days with a dear friend from college who is oh-so-graciously letting me crash at her place. Then, at 12:30 PM on October 12th, staging begins at a hotel in Philadelphia... and then off to Kenya on the 13th! While I'm looking forward to the next week and a half of seeing some of our country's most incredible cities with some of my best friends, part of me is ready to be in Kenya right now. But I know that will come soon enough.

I'll post an update sometime during staging. Thank you to everyone who has been so supportive, loving and encouraging over these past few weeks of rapid preparation. I'm convinced that the people I have in my life are some of the best people in the entire world :)

But for now... to New York!!

The Beginning

The beginning of a blog requires a bit of an introduction, so here's a MUCH abridged version of how I've gotten to where I am now:

If you've talked to me at all in the past year or so, you know that I've been working on becoming a Peace Corps volunteer. After "knowing" that I wanted to be a doctor the majority of my life (inspired by my particularly brilliant cardiologist grandfather), I realized that I had no idea what it meant to be a doctor around the end of my sophomore year of college. I knew I wouldn't be ready for medical school immediately after my undergraduate education, but I knew I wanted to do something challenging that would help me refine my vision of my future career. I knew I wanted it to incorporate aspects of advancing social justice and I wanted the organization I was with to recognize the value in building community connections (the two most important things I learned in college... yes, even as a biochemistry major). I knew I loved to travel, that I'm not too bad at roughing it, and that I want to learn how to live simply. All the signs seemed to point to some sort of time abroad, but I was not interested in aimlessly wandering or making an unsustainable impact just to make myself feel benevolent.

So, I thought back to some high school teachers, old friends and friends of friends who had gone abroad with the Peace Corps. I looked into it a little, and decided that they offered everything that I was hoping for - sustainable changes in communities that request the presence of volunteers, government support and training, not to mention a pretty solid track record and reputation. So I started applying last summer. After writing essays, interviewing, lots of medical check-ups and tests, and a LOT of waiting, I finally received my invitation to serve as a Deaf Education volunteer in Kenya. Now, if you've talked to me ever, you probably also know that I'm not deaf, I don't know sign language (except for the alphabet and the Alaska Flag Song in ASL - real helpful). I wasn't trained as an educator, and I don't know Swahili. Also, I received my invitation about a month before I'm scheduled to leave. My staging will be held in Philadelphia on October 12th, and I leave for Kenya on the 13th. Needless to say, these days I oscillate between euphoric excitement and overwhelming fear. Hopefully that will even out before I get on the plane.

In the meantime I'm making a packing list, filling out paperwork, tying up loose ends, and saying see you laters (NOT goodbyes). I plan on updating this blog as I'm able, but I have no idea how that will work while I'm abroad. I'll post my address as soon as I know it, and I know at that point I'd LOVE to get mail. And I promise I'll write back.

Here's to the next 28 days in the country! What happens after that? Your guess is as good as mine.

Oh, and the name of this blog, upendo, is the Swahili word for "love". I hope it serves as a personal reminder that the opposite of fear is love, and that if I view my new home through lenses of love instead of fear and uncertainty, I'll gain more than I could otherwise. That's just one of many challenges I'm sure I'll face. But I'm as ready as I'll ever be.