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!