Monday, February 28, 2011

Leaving Africa Behind....

It is said that one can leave Africa but Africa never leaves you. I can attest to that and I imagine Amber will soon agree. It has been a wonderful time, seeing old friends, showing Amber around, making new friends, bartering, visiting and yes, going on safari. I will be sad tomorrow as we depart. I always am. But this is not the place for me to be at this time.

We enjoyed our last day here. We slept in, spent some time around the pool, sorted out what to pack for Amsterdam and what to just pack. Amber downloaded her students' work and graded papers for a few hours. We walked across the street for pizza at about 8 pm. Amber was asleep by 9:15 and I'm doing the electronic stuff....clearing the memory card on the camera, charging the iPod and now a bit on the blog.

Before we stepped out of the hotel, I asked the concierge if it was safe to go across the street for pizza. He said it was not safe for us to go out. Amber asked if they would deliver pizza. He replied, "oh, you want pizza? I can show you where to get pizza" and took us out of the hotel, and pointed to the Pizza Inn...across the street, the place I asked about at first. So, it is not safe to go out for pizza but if you want pizza, you can go out to this place. That is typical of many of our experiences with this English language. Apparently our sentence structure, body language and gestures make it difficult for Kenyans to know what we mean. The Pizza Inn is directly across the street. We had to cross three lanes of one way bumper to bumper traffic. There were dozens of people on the sidewalks, in the street. You cannot imagine the vehicle and foot traffic. And we were the only msungu (white) people on the street. I took a short video of the street earlier in the day. Maybe I can post things when I get back to Greentown.

The last leg of our trip should be fun! Neither of us have ever been to Amsterdam (I've been through the airport 19 times so on #20, I will get out and "do" the city!!!) Our hotel is in the theater district. We've found that we can buy an iAmsterdam pass for public transportation that includes admission to several museums and a canal boat ride. It's 59 Euros (about $100) but it should be a bargain for Tues pm, all day Wed and Thurs. Amber, the planner, has a guidebook and has looked over where we might want to go. One place is a handbag museum....I'll like that! I have entirely too  many totes and handbags--I think I'm looking for the perfect bag. It will be fun to see the bags over the centuries. Of course, we will go to Anne Frank House and the Van Gogh and maybe the Rembrandt museums. And the street market. And buy tulips. And....And...And..

It is after 10 pm here. We must be up at 4:15 to take the "courtesy" ($20) shuttle to the airport.

Lala salama.....which in Kiswahili means "sleep well". I said that to Amber the other night and she answered with "Haile Selassi"....funny girl! She doesn't have much Kiswahili!!

Sunday, February 27, 2011

More photos

More photos are just not possible from the Hilton this morning. I don't know what the problem is but I cannot get any more to upload.

We have a quiet day today. Hand laundry, repack our bags, rest. I have to write an article for the Advocate (USFWI magazine) and Amber has much information to record and begin to digest and assess.  It may not be as "quiet" and "restful" as I had hoped. Tomorrow we fly to Amsterdam for our short visit there!

A long day with a serendipitous extra game drive!!

The monkeys threw things on our tent last night! Annoying! The wakeup hot chocolate and tea were delivered to our tent at 5:45 am. I didn’t wear my pajama top on the game drive this morning. The Fairmont has terry bathrobes for the guests so Amber and I both showed up dress with our robes over our clothes! It was chilly!!
The major things we have not seen yet are the rhinos, the leopard and the crested crested crane. Chase, Jimmy’s wife, was able to get away from surgery in Tenwek Hospital and joined her husband and children in our van. She kept asking Hunter if she had pictures of the elephants, the gazelles, the zebra…everything. And of course Hunter had lots! The first stop of the van was in front of a tree with a leopard vulture perched on top. Apparently it ‘cleans’ up the carcass when the leopard is finished.
We drove around looking for lions but seeing elephants, zebra, topi, wildebeest, gazelles, and impala. We have only seen the waterbuck twice and there were no cheetahs today. Finally, Wilson heard on the radio and went to the spot. A male lion was sleeping out in the open. We watched a while, he woke up and “posed nicely” for photos, then walked into the bush. Further in was the lioness that we have seen before. We have not been able to get close to her…only seeing her and the three cubs through the bush. This morning they were out playing. They were just fun to watch.


I had told Wilson we needed to see a crested crane. Soon a pair flew over. That wasn’t exactly what I had in mind but it would have to suffice. Our next stop was a Hippo Point.  We got out of the van and walked up to the river’s edge. Our vantage point was high above the river so we were overlooking the point where dozens were sunning. We walked further and looked across to see a large crocodile sunning.
Back in the rover for our next adventure! We stopped at a Masai compound. The moran came out to see if we wanted to tour the boma. Chase and Jimmy were interested but their children were not. Amber and I were not but we encouraged the other s to go if they wanted to. We were ok to wait. After all, how often do you have the chance to go inside a Masai home? I went in 2001 and think once is enough but I did go then. They didn’t stay long but were able to take photos. We who waited were not allowed to take any pictures. (I’ve heard that the Masai believe that tourists come, take pictures and sell them to National Geographic or similar magazines. If their pictures are going to be sold, they want part of the money. Journalists have probably done that in the past.) 
We went back to the Fairmont, had breakfast, packed, shopped in the gift shop. Amber had been eying a necklace since Friday. It has large cow bone pieces and some orange/yellow beads. When she paid for it, the clerk said the ‘beads’ are yellow AMBER! How wonderful that she was able to get amber. There was one amber pendant that was $300. The yellow amber is not that expensive. I bought the amethyst…I never get tired of it…and you know, it will match everything I own!
We were waiting for our bags to be brought from the tent only to find he had carried them out to the pickup spot. We paid our bill, Kennedy’s bill and after a farewell to Leah, the wonderful receptionist, we were off. We drove the 12 km to the t-road and Kennedy turned right. I thought it should be to the left but he had just come in from Narok so I assumed he was right. We were seeing lots of animals on this road and Amber and I both commented that we had not seen animals as we came in on Friday. Amber saw a crested crane but I didn’t have the camera out.  After 45 minutes, Kennedy said “I am starting to question”, meaning he wasn’t sure about the road. We turned around. There was nothing out there. No houses, no traffic, no passersby. I saw a sign for David Livingstone Lodge and said we should go there. And now, the gas gauge is below ¼. It is 61 km to the main road from Fairmont. I am getting a bit concerned. I asked if the lodges sold fuel to independent drivers and he assured me they do. We neared the David Livingstone and stopped where there were three men gathered under a tree. Armed with directions, we headed back to the place just 12 km. from the Fairmont where he had turned right. Along the way we saw more animals and there were now two crested cranes! Kennedy stopped so I could get a picture. We finally located a Masai market where there was a shanty with a sign “filling station”. There was nothing there but they gave us directions to another Masai market. I had some candy so we gave it to the children we saw. It was another 6-8 km. to the next market. We pulled into the station. I said to ask the price so I would know whether to get only enough to get us out of the Mara or to fill up. She said it was 100 /- per liter. That translated into about 35 cents/gallon more than we would have to pay in Narok or Nairobi but she didn’t have any. She forwarded us to a mud/dung structure a few hundred metres away. They had fuel! They siphoned it from an old water cooler tank. There was no pump meter so Kennedy had to watch the gas gauge and estimate when it showed what he thought was 3000/- worth. Children were nearby so I motioned to them and gave them candy. They giggled and ran away. After a few minutes they came back with their hands out. We gave them more and they ran off happy.
Leaving this market, we still had to get out of the Mara. One of the drivers had told Kennedy a ‘short cut’ so after 2 hours of roaming around in the wilderness, we headed out. I took photos of the Masai women doing laundry at the river. They were not happy and were yelling at us! We had left the Fairmont at 12 noon. We finally got to the paved road at 3:30 pm. It was a long “61 kilometres.”
We stopped in Narok for a rest stop and a bit of lunch. The samosas were 100/- each, about double what they should have been but they were big. It was 1650/- for 9 samosas, 3 sodas and 3 waters….$22. Leaving Narok, we went up the escarpment and round the narrow road on the edge of the mountains. I love the view but Amber was not so impressed with the mountain on one side and the dropoff on the other. It is a beautiful but dangerous drive. We arrived in Nairobi by 6 pm. The desk clerk said “have you been on safari?” so we must look rough!  
We were happy to have a/c and hot showers after our long afternoon game drive and trek to Nairobi!
(Monday-having trouble uploading photos. Will post them separately. Note that background of the lion is savannah and the cub is in green grass.....they were 20 feet apart! That is the diversity of the Mara!!)

Saturday

Saturday, February 26, 2011
“Hodi” was the quiet call at the door at 5:30 am. The porter had come with our hot chocolate and tea as our wakeup call for the 6:30 game drive. We got ready and were at the reception at 6:25, ready to go. For some reason, I did not bring a sweater or jacket from Nairobi. All I have here is short sleeves and I knew it would be cool on the savannah. I apologized and wore my fleece pajama top over my shirt. We were riding with the same family from yesterday. Jimmy with Aaron, Hunter and Isaiah. Hunter is a high school senior and she plans to go to Asbury next year. The boys are maybe 15 and 12. (Oops…later  discovered they are 14 and 9).
We saw most of the animals from yesterday. We did see jackals yesterday that I didn’t mention. Today we added male waterbuck, lioness with cubs, ground horned bill (bird) and elephants!! The herd of elephants was magnificent. There were several babies with them. We watched and watched and some went into the bush. The bush is so thick that once an animal is in a few feet, you cannot locate them unless you have seen them go in. It is difficult to imagine just how many animals might be in that bush.
Wilson heard on the walkie-talkie radio that there was a lioness who had made a kill and taken it to her cubs. We went to the location and waited while another jeep backed out. Then we drove in. The lioness was several metres ahead of us. The cubs were romping and playing but it was difficult to see them. The photos taken by my average camera may not show them.  The lioness got up and moved but did not come close enough.
Wilson took us to a curio shop out in the Mara….far from everything! I didn’t buy but did look. Hunter was looking and Isaiah, the 9 year old, was saying she should hurry. She looks at everything and doesn’t buy. I told him that is why they call it “shopping”. She said ‘thanks’. I imagine she gets it from those boys like Darian did from Dylan and Dalton (my grandkids). Amber bought a unique piece and bar-gained quite well.
On the way back to the lodge we saw a strange large bird, maybe the size of a pelican. It is black with a red head and a big bill….a ground hornbill. There was a pair of them. We also saw a tawny eagle perched in a tree.  Still no rhinos…maybe this afternoon.
We stopped in the Fairmont gift shop when we returned. There is a beautiful amethyst necklace with silver that I’m eyeing; however, I did stop at reception to ask about the hot air balloon ride.  A balloon ride over the Mara has been on my “bucket list” for about five years. It makes sense to try to do it while I’m here this time as it is long to the Mara and expensive. This may be my last big safari.  Leah, the clerk, told me she would check. Amber signed up for a full body massage. She brought her swimsuit so will be in the pool after the massage. I didn’t bring a suit so I don’t know what I’ll be doing. My camera needs to be charged and so does the laptop so I’ll be doing that kind of stuff too.
Leah came to our table during breakfast to tell me that I am the only one signed up for the balloon. They need three more…the minimum is 4. If she can find others, I’ll be going up on Sunday morning. If she cannot….maybe I’ll get the necklace! If she cannot find others, then I will know that God has taken the balloon ride off the bucket list! Leah also told us that the lodge changed internet carriers and that even though we joined the president’s club, our free internet will come with our next visit but the rate for internet changed. So we will pay 1000/- per laptop for our entire stay instead of per day. It’s a good deal…better than the Hilton! Yesterday it was an excellent connection which is difficult to understand. We are very remote out in the middle of the savannah. The connection at Sosa was so slow and it is in a populated area. But This is Kenya!
Breakfast was a large buffet with eggs, ham, baked beans, sweet potato hashbrowns, breads, fruit, juice, and eggs with kuchambari. It was like deviled eggs except the filling was kuchumbari. That’s a clever idea but the kuchambari was too hot for me! (Finely chopped tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, cilantro and hot sauce).
After breakfast we went to Hippo Lookout. Jimmy and Isaiah were there and Isaiah had counted ….are you ready?.......65 hippos basking in the river. Oh MY! You cannot imagine! I didn’t count but there were many out of the water and others kept coming up and going back down. We watched them sleep for twenty minutes or more. Impossible to catch a snap (photo) of one with his mouth opened…they are just too quick.

My next task was the blog and Amber went for her massage. She came into the lodge area (no internet in the tents) and said it was the most wonderful massage she has ever had. She looked relaxed! The pool was not heated so in comparison to the hot sun, it was cold. I didn’t miss anything by not getting in the pool.  Maybe I can do a massage tomorrow? But we check out tomorrow….
This safari life is a life of luxury. Great service, wonderful amenities….not your every day stuff.  
After a leisurely morning and a big breakfast, Amber opted to skip lunch. I had a small piece of cake and some minted cucumbers. It was soon time to go for the afternoon drive. We stopped to see Leah and the balloon party is a maybe…if Amber goes and if they find one more person.
The goal for this drive was to find a male lion and to find rhinos. We followed the narrow paths and went up and down searching. Then we went up a hill and Wilson told us to get out of the rover. We were at a curio shop so I thought it was another friend. No…a conservancy officer joined us and then we were to climb the hill. Wilson stayed with the Rover and another officer came along. In the distance we saw a rhino, we continued to climb, another! And another!! I was huffin’ and puffin’. We were on a hillside overlooking an open area with four rhinos…big ones! The guide said, “danger, hide!” So here we are out in the open with two guides who only have a stick. We are watching these rhinos eat grass, as we snap pictures and wonder about these big boys!! They are massive!! It starts to rain. We keep taking pictures. Finally, we began going down the hill. The guides’ job is to keep track of these rhinos to keep poachers away. I’m not sure they are equipped to protect the tourists.

Getting back in the rover, I asked about snakes in the Mara. Wilson said only cobras, puff adders and the green mamba were here. That was a bit jarring. Amber had been in flipflops and I had Crocs on as we were out meandering the hillside.
Next big find….two male lions asleep in the bush. They were sprawled out. Vehicles came and went as we got in close to get more photos. We watched them sleep for half an hour, then one awoke and sat up. Wilson jockeyed us around to the front side and this lion was ten feet from me…looking me directly in the eye. You’ll love the photos!!

On to find the hyenas. There was a pack with several babies. The mother had brought back some scavenged food and the babies were chewing on the bones. We did hear the hysterical laugh. They romped and played. They have a strange posture with their shoulders higher than haunch. They have round ears. The kids thought they looked like bears.
Heading home, we saw a pack of mongoose. We stopped three times to take pictures of the setting sun. It was a glorious sight. Wilson stopped so that we could get an acacia tree in the foreground. There was a stork in the tree and a zebra beside it and the mountain on the horizon. The pinks and purples of the sunset were beautiful.

I had booked a massage for myself at 7pm.  I just got out of the rover and went directly to the massage table. Leah at reception had said I would get an African massage (the game drive) and then a Swedish Massage. It was wonderful. I lay on the table while Maggie worked on my body. The birds were singing and every so often I heard the hippos’ grunts and the water splashing when they turned over. At one point I realized she didn’t have music playing which is typical when you get a massage. Nature sounds were the music.
Supper at 8 and both Amber and I got tickled about one thing after another. We laughed til we cried. We are tired but relaxed. It has been a good day. But I did find that no one was found to be the 4th person on the balloon ride and the 3rd person canceled. I guess I’m not supposed to take it this time either!
As I type, I can hear the music from the special event. The drums are loud and it sounds like tribal dancing. It doesn’t really sound Masai but not sure what it is.
We have a wakeup for 5:45 for our last game drive.
Sunday drive is finished. We are checking out and posting this today. Will download photos and hopefully post tomorrow but if we go the the cybercafe, photos will not come. Hopefully, wi-fi will be free in Amsterdam. I don't mind paying a reasonable price but $11/hr is much!!
Blessings on you today as you worship. Hasn't God created an incredible amazing world and we are privileged to be a part of it. Just as there is beauty in Africa, so is there beauty all round each of us. Take a look today and praise Him for all that you see and all that you have. This has been a grand safari! If you have come this far in reading, I think you will agree. Thanks for coming along and there is more to come!!

Saturday, February 26, 2011

More memorable photos

Pair of cheetahs drinking after missing a kill
Cape buffalo...meanest animal in the plain. Usually in herds but we saw a solitary one.
Masai Giraffe...there are three kinds of giraffe in Kenya, the Masai found in the ...Masai Mara, the Rothschild found in the central area and the Reticulated Giraffe found north of the equator.

Baboons were seen along the road as we approached Fairmont and out on the savannah.

This is a female. The male has black feathers. We are in a vehicle like the one pictured. The top is raised so you can stand up to see out. It is not easy to stand while moving because of the deep ruts. Riding across the savannah is much like riding across a field that has been plowed but not cultivated....rugged!

This is a Topi, an antelope. He is different from the water buck in that he is smaller and had a blue "patch" on his hind side. They call it 'blue jeans'. Beautiful animal. Better shot still on camera but it is being charged just now.

Giraffe in the bush. At one point we saw 14 together.


Finally Fotos!!

This was our cottage at Sosa.

Amber interviewing John Muhanji at Sosa outside in February.


Tea at Vihiga Boys School. Bread and Butter, boiled egg, mandazi, watermelon, chai.

Amber cuddling a baby at Kaimosi Hospital.


A magnificent cheetah. See Friday blog for his story!












Meeting with Dorothy Selebwa, Janet, and Gladys Kang'ahi in Chavakali. Dorothy is Presiding Clerk of USFW-Kenya.












A precious little 3 year old girl, daughter of one of the staff at Sosa. Her hat says Obama. I asked her name and it is Michelle! Sweet!











Tea fields near Kericho....when we had gone too far..see Friday post. The houses in the back are provided by the plantation owner for the pickers and other employees. Tea fields are as big as Indiana corn fields or bigger!

Pat and Amber halfway through our 8 hour drive to Fairmont. I think we'd both had one nap by this point. We were beginning to look tired.

Friday, February 25, 2011

Finished with the Research!!

When I awoke, Amber was on the phone with Madison. When she finished, she asked “what was is that  noise we are hearing”.  It was a donkey but it was not the familiar hee-haw but a crying sort of bray. Loud and annoying!
This morning began as usual with breakfast…fresh fruit (passion, pineapple, banana, watermelon), tea, eggs and toast. I pass on the sausages and cereal and juice. We again joined John, Mai and Roger. We are learning their personalities and our conversations are profitable to us and hopefully to them. John gave Amber a book about peace and reconciliation and some tips about traveling ‘round Paris…a trip she plans for later in the year.
The drive from Sosa to Chevakali is short and I was intentional today about pointing out a few things to Amber. They seem common to me (for Africa) but I have to remember that this is Amber’s first trip. We saw a carwash…a spot alongside the road with a rain tank and a few men washing vehicles. There were many small children, maybe 2 or 3 years old, walking about near the road while their mothers tilled the ground with jembas (similar to a hoe). 
We were at the hotel by 9:30 for our meeting which was to begin at 10. The six people on the secondary school peace curriculum committee arrived one by one until about 11 when tea was served. I was expecting USFW Kenya women to come and meet with me and they also arrived at about 11 (but our appointment was for 11). We arranged for another room and ordered tea. It was a wonderful meeting with Gladys Kang’ahi, Dorothy Selebwa and Janet ??. They had come from Vihiga, Kakamega and Kitale. Gladys had traveled since 6 am. We chatted a bit and then talked about USFW International and USFW Kenya concerns. They invited me to come to the USFW-Kenya Triennial in April of 2012 and be the installing officer. I imagine it may also involve speaking but maybe not. We ordered lunch which came at 1:30. I told these women that I had shared with FUM General Board about the regular prayer meetings that they hold….when nearly 3,000 women come together from far distances to pray all day. They do this 4 times a year. The ladies were humbled that the board was informed.  (The location is moved around but nearly half of the women who attend will travel at least a few hours to attend!) More conversation and then expressions of appreciation. They wanted to meet Amber so I went up the 3 flights of stairs (for now the 3rd time today) to see if she would be able to get away for a few minutes. The committee was also finishing up so I remained there for those expressions of appreciation and prayers, then asked Amber to join us. We visited with the women a few minutes then headed for the vehicle. Henry was taking three women, two from Amber’s meeting and one from mine, so they did not have to pay transport. We stopped in a small village to check on mail for one of them. Finally we were dropped at Sosa. We will not see Henry and Wesley again on this trip. Amber gave me a letter that a former student of mine had sent via a committee member. He was on the committee but had had a death in the family and was not able to attend. He sent greetings and regrets that we did not meet as “you are like a mother to us”.  
 Amber was especially impressed with the caliber of teachers she met today. They are writing curriculum. She told them that in the US, major companies write curriculum, not local teachers. They are doing the student text and the teacher manuals. 
Sasita has introduced me four times…at Vihiga Secondary School, at Kaimosi Primary School, and at the two Peace Curriculum Committee meetings. He tells them that “She is Patricia Shrock, the president of the USFW International…president of the whole world!!”  Receiving honor is almost unQuakerly as we do have the Testimony of Simplicity and the Testimony of Equality. In the evenings though, Amber jokingly reminds me that I am the president of the whole world. : )
We spent the afternoon processing much of what we have seen these last four days. This evening she will work on getting her data categorized. I need to write an article for the USFW magazine, The Advocate.  I will try to post a blog or two and pay our bill. I have told them that we will pay tonight after supper so that it is taken care of.  We also have to pack up everything as we leave at 6 am for the Masai Mara for two days of game drives! Let’s hope that the internet is better there and you can see some photos!!
Posting on Fri. We talked and talked last night and did not get our work done. We are now at the Mara...had a great day, have great internet access and hope to post many photos tomorrow. The trip was an 8 hour drive and the last two hours on jutted dirt path across the floor of the Rift Valley to the camp.
We are at a tented camp. The generator goes off at 12 midnight so we won't be working late! But the game drive is at 6:30 am! We had one game drive this afternoon and saw baboons, eland, Thompson's gazelles, Grant's gazelles, zebra, giraffe, warthogs, ostrich, cape buffalo, topi, water buck, dik dik, secretary bird, a lion from a distance and two cheetah stalking a small herd of wildebeest.  We watched the stalk for about half an hour, then they pounced and ran. The wildebeest scattered and the cheetah are still hungry. The verandah on our tent overlooks the river where the hippos are half submerged. The monkeys threw things at Amber when she sat outside. Most of the animals listed above were in groups of four or five or even herds. Amazing! Beautiful!!
Tutaonana

Wednesday


This has been a long but productive day. Amber met with the Primary School Curriculum Committee, actually only seven of the sixteen were able to attend.  The meeting was scheduled to begin at 10. Few had arrived so Amber and I skimmed the newspaper. Article titles included: Manhandled!; electrocuted as he pruned tree; Granny narrates rape ordeal from grandson; Fight over milk earns villager years in prison (7); Even with Facebook, Kenyans can’t unite. Man Here are some quotes from the FB article: ‘they may be economic giants but democracy and an open society is only good for the God-forsaken West, not for the pious east”, “at the advent of the internet, the temple curtains were torn. Anything is now possible”, “there is one thing that unites us, singular pursuit for the embellishment of our individual stomachs. Mine is so full I’m belching.” Don’t they have a way with words?
By 10:50 five had arrived so we began. The other two made it by 12. (Transportation is a problem here. Those who were late may have been on the road for hours and stuck in a matatu somewhere.) The conversation began slowly. It took some time for everyone to feel comfortable. Tea and queen cake was served at about 11:30 and we worked through. Questions were asked several times in various forms as Amber tried to understand some areas. After two hours of intense interviewing which included a few animated conversations, the “light bulb” came on! It was the key to the confusion. 
And then lunch was served at 1:30 pm! We had chicken, beef, chapatti, ugali, sucumawiki and raw cabbage. After lunch came the summary and appreciation speeches. Amber shared small gifts with the teachers. Several had conversations with her about classroom concerns. One is working on her PhD and Amber was able to give her a book title that will be helpful in her research.
We tried to leave by 3 pm but had to wait for a couple of people to come to the vehicle. Finally, we were back at Sosa by 4pm. After taking care of some things, I took my flashdrive to the office to post two blogs and three pictures on each. At least that was my plan. The internet is very slooow. It was fully 5 minutes to get to my email. I skimmed through that and went to the blog page. Three-four minutes to load it and then I copied from the memory stick to the blog. It took five minutes to load the first one. I tried to load a picture and it was still transferring after ten minutes. I still had a second blog and six pictures to upload. I don’t know how long the picture would have taken; I just gave up. I did load the second blog and read a little on Facebook. Very few messages!!
By this time (6:30) Amber came down to say that John Muhanji had asked if she would interview Joseph Makokha, the clerk of the Friends Church Peace Team. They are on the way. Amber and I had a pineapple Navida soda as Muhanji and the Brits arrived. Amber gave a summary of the day. The Brits visited for a while and then went to order their supper. It is 7:30 now and Amber asked John to call and see if Joseph could wait until tomorrow. John said they had said they would eat supper first and then come so they were, in fact, not on the way at 6:30. He did call and they were now about 3 minutes from Sosa. They arrived and even though we had all been together all day and had just parted from Henry and Sasita at 4 pm, we shook hands all around and asked about one another’s day. Of course, everyone had to chat for a bit.
It was beginning to get cool outside so we moved inside. It was nice even though the windows and doors remained open. I mentioned to the waiter that it was getting cold so he brought in firewood and lit the fireplace but the windows and doors remained open. The conversation with Joseph was rich. He told stories of his youth, of tribal skirmishes, of being chased out of his home on three occasions, of being treated unfairly when taking his KPSE, of his own struggles with tobacco and alcohol. It was touching, humbling and gripping. He is indeed a wise and gentle man. He shared his passion for peace and why this Peace Curriculum is so important to him. It is his desire that his grandchildren will learn to be peacemakers and live in peace. Even though he had scored highly in every class in secondary school, he did not go to university. His father did send him to Teacher’s Training School in Kaimosi. He earned a diploma but not a degree. He is now 55-60…hard to tell and who asks? He taught for many years, was retrenched at age 51 with pension, was the Presiding Clerk of a Yearly Meeting and is now the clerk of the recently (2008 after the post election violence) organized FCPT.
Makokha shared that he was the second son, seventh child, of his father’s first wife. His father had a total of 5 wives and 35 children. When the elder died, he left 150 grandchildren but more have come since he passed. He had been a businessman and was able to educate all of his children. Polygamy was common in the past. As you read this and form an opinion, I would say to not be too judgmental. There are positive aspects of polygamy that the western mind does not comprehend. I am not saying it is right but that there are things we would not consider.
This morning Makokha had said to the committee, “history has your name”, “do not let your names disappear”. We would say “Leave a legacy.”
Our day ends looking at the wisdom of men like Makokha and Sasita, enthusiasm of young men like Mudavadi and others. It was a rich, rich day and we are blessed to know these people and so many others like them that we have met this week.
On a lighter note, the hot water worked better today! It was fine on Monday but we only had cold water on Tuesday. I don’t do very well with cold showers. We had a spider meltdown yesterday but none today (Amber did not deal well with the 3-4 spiders in our room!) Her hand is still swelled but much better. I am still looking for Aleve…I must have left it in the bag in storage at the Hilton. And….we are still getting along very well! Lots of laughs! We find hilarity in the same things.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Bees, Babies, Bubbles, Briquettes,Bodies, BUSHED!!


Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2011
It’s time to charge the computer, the camera and the cell phone…it’s been a draining day. I think I may need to be recharged too!! I have taken ibuprofen…wish I could find the Aleve!! My back would benefit and my knees and leg and…well, it would just be nice to have some Aleve.

Breakfast at 7:30; John came at 8. Amber gave him the DVDs that FUM has prepared about the Peace Curriculum. He wanted to watch it before we set off. Amber was setting up her laptop and somehow in the confusion was stung twice! Her hand immediately swelled. I went off to the room to get the Benedryl gel. She had the tablets with her so I opened those for her. She later said it felt like a fire ant and she has two welts. John picked out one stinger but we are not sure about the other one. I told her that (and you won’t get this if you don’t remember President Kennedy’s comments when he and Jackie were in either Berlin or Paris.) I was the one who accompanied Amber Reed to Africa! (JFK said he accompanied Jacqueline.) With Benedryl taking effect, we set off for the Kaimosi Primary School.

Here’s a story about Henry who is a yearly meeting Secretary of Education and serving as our driver this week. Yesterday he mentioned that he is hard of hearing. We have been making a special effort to be sure he knows we are talking to him by speaking loudly or tapping his shoulder, etc. At some point yesterday, he drew Amber aside and asked her if she could take his prescription to the US for two hearing aids and perhaps he would be able to reimburse her. He said it would be 120,000/- ($1500 ) for each ear. She told him that would be not be possible. Then today when he did not see several speed bumps (and friends, these are 18-24 inches high and across the road!), he mentioned that his vision is not so good. Please pray for us as we are traveling. But God is with us as I have lived to write this!

 We visited with the principal at Kaimosi and were told by Wesley that most primary schools have head teachers, not principals. This school is well known and respected. Even people from Nairobi , some seven or eight hours away by car, send their children to Kaimosi. We took a tour of the facilities and Amber spotted a mama carrying her baby on her back to the hospital next door for the well baby clinic. She went down to see the baby and ask the mama to show her how the leso is tied to hold the child and if she would take him off and then back on. The little mother didn’t have much English so Wesley came to translate. The baby was friendly and happy. When he crawled on the mother’s back, Amber was teary. She told Wesley it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. He said, “Really??”

Back to the tour of the school, we saw the library and computer room (all at least 5-6 years old) and then returned to the office. The children were taking midterm exams so we didn’t get into any classrooms. Mai , the Brit, joined us for a part of the interview. We aren’t sure about the intent of their trip. Mai then left to join John and Roger for the secondary school tour. Amber continued with her questions. I asked about the small children, the Baby Class, the Nursery Class and Kindergarten so Judith, the principal, took us to see them…no exams in those classes! The Baby Class was learning to blow bubbles, the Nursery Class was doing flashcards and the Kindergarten children each had bottle caps in front of them doing their counting lessons. We completed our visit and walked over to Kaimosi Hospital.

I asked to see Calystus, the accounts clerk and a friend of mine. We were taken to an office and Judy Davis was there. She is a nurse from Iowa who volunteers 3 months a year at Kaimosi Hospital…and has for seven years. She showed us around the hospital. The maternity wing has several new babies. The pediatrics unit had several children, one recovering from burns sustained when she fell into the cooking fire. We visited the medical patients and then the well baby clinic. Many mothers do bring their babies in for vaccinations. There were four in the waiting room and several outside under a tree. Judy walked us to the gate and shared that she is at the midway point of her 3 months and that is the hard time for her. We prayed with her and left the hospital. Joyce, Amber and I walked to EAYM Office where Wesley and Henry had gone while we were occupied.

We arrived at Friends Theological College, only a few hundred metres down.  I asked the askari to find Shiverenje for me. Wambani came with him and they greeted me warmly. Henry asked me what years I had taught at FTC and then asked if I knew Mrs. Yano. Of course, I did! She is his sister! So Wesley and Henry left us with Shiverenje and took Joyce back to join the others. Shiverenje is like the son I never had. He took me up to see several of my friends, Fredrick, Wilson, Rose, Mary, Eunice, Perucy, and Elijah. We visited the library and then went up the hill to greet Ann Riggs, the principal. She asked if I had looked at the new income producing projects. She showed me the solar lamps and explained that the solar collector on these small almost tensor size could also charge a cell phone. We went back down the hill and looked at the tailoring project and the briquette project, alternative fuel. They are making briquettes from paper and sawdust, thus recycling. This will replace charcoal and in turn, save trees. There is a small jiko (cooking stove) that is made, then these briquettes. Elijah and Eunice demonstrated. The jiko is 400/- ($5) and the briquettes are 10/- for 3 (12 ½ cents). This is more economical and environmentally safer. I took pictures for FUM/Quaker Life but the battery on the camera died. Amber finished for me.

While I was greeting the kitchen staff (some listed above), the students were released for tea. Some of the staff came to greet me as well as two students I had taught in the diploma program. They are now completing the degree program.

Now we headed to Kennedy Shiverenje’s house. One quick stop at Alex’s to buy sodas, then interior to the home in the car borrowed from Calystus. We went over to look at the house Kennedy is constructing. He has been working on it for 4 years. The total cost will be less than $4,500 but on his income, it is very difficult to scratch out any extra after paying school fees for daughters, Sandy and Faith. His daughter Jackie was at home with her new baby, Beth, born on Jan 17. Margaret Makokha came when she finished teaching her class. Then 8 year old daughter Faith arrived home from school. We had a nice visit and I gave Jackie the baby gifts. Dorothy came in from teaching a class at Mago in hairdressing. She had cut my hair when I lived in Kaimosi.  Calystus, who had retrieved his vehicle to go to Kisumu to pick someone up from airport, arrived to take us back to Sosa. I had forgotten to take so many things when I gathered up things this morning, a game for the girls, some shampoo, letters from the Davises for some people, and the papers Leonard sent for his mother.  On the way back a vehicle passed us moving rather fast. Kennedy and Calystus pointed out that there was a dead body in a plastic bag (think trash bag, not body bag) on top of the car! It appeared to be folded in “half”. There are no funeral homes here, no hearses. So how else would one transport a dead body? The rush in passing us on the road had been to get to the petrol station before they closed!

Now it is 7 pm, we have not had lunch…only sodas (cokes) at the Primary School and cokes and biscuits (cookies) and cake at Shiverenje’s. We went down to order and sat outside enjoying the coolness of the evening. I ordered fish and she asked if I wanted it “wet” or “dry”. The explanations didn’t make sense so I asked the server how she would prefer it and took it “dry”. After 30 minutes or so, we decided to eat in the dining room and not outside. Mai, John and Roger invited us to join their table. We did and the conversation was good. The fish arrived complete with head. The carrots were served in a green bell pepper. The roasted potatoes were shaped like mushrooms. Some culinary art going on here!

John gave me some suggestions for my anticipated three month ministry term in North Ireland later this year. He and Amber had quite the discussion about her work.  That was all so very academic! They were discussing theory of education, etc.  I was sure then that I was only “the one who accompanied Amber Reed to Africa”.

Nairobi to Kisumu to Sosa...

“Pat! It’s 5 a.m.!!!” was the first sound I heard this morning. That’s not my favourite hour to get up but considering we were to be on the ‘courtesy van’ ($20) at 5:15 a.m., the announcement was a shock! Fortunately, we had put some bags in the Hilton storage and paid the bill and showered last night. We just had to get dressed and somewhat presentable, pack up the few things strewn about and get downstairs in 15 minutes! We made it only to find that the driver insisted on seeing our card…which reception had not given. There was some question as to whether we had cleared the bill. Amber produced the receipt and after careful inspection, we were allowed in. The three people already in the airport vehicle were not happy to see us when we climbed in. The couple was on their way to Entebbe, the Brit to Zanzibar and we were dropped at the domestic terminal for Kisumu, not nearly as exotic!
Our short flight entitled us to a snack. They brought juice and a small packet. Stamped on the biscuit/cookie was “digestive”. Amber asked ‘just what are these?’  It is what the British call graham crackers. She was afraid it might be a “prune cookie” by the name and was sure she didn’t want any of that!
It was fun to see this flight through Amber’s eyes. The Great Rift Valley is obvious in the view from the air. It is a sudden drop off and then ridged like a brain. There are volcanos and lakes in the part near Nairobi and huge green fields of tea on the slopes of the mountains near Kisumu.  It was a 40 minute flight coming in over Lake Victoria. Kenya has only 6% of Lake Victoria but from our small plane that looked pretty big! The water hyacinth are getting much worse. Five years ago they threatened the fishing. While they are lovely with lavender blooms, hyacinth are invasive! Our drivers were not at the airport so I called Muhanji and he assured me they were on the way. We took a seat under the trees and ordered tea (Amber had juice…can’t get her to order tea) and just about the time the tea arrived, so did our transport--two men who have positions in the hierarchy of the Friends’ Church Ministry of Education. We loaded up our bags and drove downtown where Wesley Sasita had an appointment. We waited in the vehicle for him and then we were on our way….from sea level Kisumu, up the escarpment to the 5000 ft altitude Western Province.
We went directly to Vihiga Friends Secondary School and met the principal. We spent the next six hours with him. First, we had introductions and were served “tea” (tea, mandazi, peanut butter sandwiches, and boiled eggs). {Mandazi are Kenyan doughnuts} “A cup of tea” usually means a full spread. We did not have biscuits (cookies) or ground nuts (peanuts) or bananas. Any and all of those things are typically served at tea.
After our tea we went to the teachers’ lounge where they were having tea…they only had tea. All 45 teachers were introduced. We were introduced. Long on form here! Then the tour began. We went into several classrooms, every laboratory, every workroom, the kitchen, the library, the computer lab and the original church structure that is in a bad state of disrepair but it is over 100 years old and had no interior work ever. I must tell you about the computer room. It is the dry season so it is very dusty. The windows were open with no screens, of course, no air conditioning is available. The students had left their shoes outside the open door. I asked Ezekiel why the shoes were there and he said that it was so the students do not carry dust into the room because the computers are sensitive to dust!! And…there was fire burning just across the way so the smoke was coming toward the computer room. I asked the principal if we could move away from the smoke…Amber has allergies and the smoke was pretty miserable to me. The smoky kitchen was even worse with 6-8 wood fired sufurias going. These sufurias held twenty to thirty gallons of food. Someone was chopping sucumawiki (collard greens). Can you imagine cutting greens for 1100 students, 45 teachers and 40 support staff? Amber asked many questions and took opportunity to teach the teachers various techniques.   They need more teachers but have no funds. Most classes are 40 or so. They have compulsory classes of English, Swahili, math, physics and chemistry.  Humanities consist of history, French, art design, CRE (Christian Religious Education) and then there is a computer class.
We had met up with John Muhanji and Joyce Hollingsworth (visiting Kenya from Illinois, 80 years old, spunky but maybe ditzy too). John left after tea with the teachers as he has another group at another school. John is the FUM Director of the African Ministries Office of Friends and made most of our appointments for us. A side note: John pronounces Amber as Ahm behr but then I am Pa tree cee ah
Returning to the office, Amber interviewed the principal, Ezekiel (I didn’t get his last name). He was wonderful! Amber told him he has many progressive ideas. After an hour she finished up the interview. She had a small gift for him and had left it in the van so I went out to get it. When I returned, they were bringing in lunch. It was 2:30. We had rice, beef, sucumawiki (collard greens), kuchambari (kind of like salsa), roasted potatoes and chapatti (flat bread) and a mixed fruit salad (pineapple, papaya, watermelon and passion fruit). Ezekiel gave us all calendars and Amber gave him his gift. Then we did the speeches. Everyone around the table gave an appreciation speech. There were other administrators and our team so we had seven speeches, two to five minutes each. Later Amber told me she was very surprised at the goodbye speeches. She had expected the welcome but not the appreciation. I hadn’t given her a heads up on that one.  Now we were ready to depart. It was another twenty minutes as people showed up to walk us to the vehicle and were asking for our contacts. We got away and after 6-8 kilometres, Joyce realized she had forgotten her folder so back we go.
Vihiga Friends Boys School is on the Majengo Road to the west. We got back to the junction at Majengo and crossed the Kisumu Road to continue on the Majengo Road to the east.  I heard Henry who was driving say to Sasita, “I think it should be around here” so I leaned forward and pointed out the Sosa Guesthouse. I doubt they have ever had reason to know where it is. Our room is small and not air conditioned so in the afternoon, it was hot but there was a breeze coming in. Now that it is dark, it has cooled off and I will soon close the windows. There are no screens and I wanted to be sure we have no mosquito friends with us.
I was so tired from our early morning mad dash. The clerk brought us mango juice and we sat on the verandah at the restaurant. Three Britons came up. They are on another Quaker education team. Basically the two men are rude and ruder. So much for Quaker education! John Muhanji, Henry and Wesley joined us. Amber had gone to try to call Madison but John wanted to have a meeting. He sent the clerk to collect Amber. The pompous Brits droned on and on about their trust funds and tried to make jokes. The Africans talked long with their monotone voices. As I said, I was tired, I had just had a big meal and I was sitting in the sun. Very soon I was asleep. Sitting up. At the table. I left poor Amber to deal with it by herself. She could hardly contain herself choking down guffaws while she tried to stay in the conversation. Or so she told me later.
I think Sosa will be nice, certainly more than adequate. The grounds are beautiful. The shower has no curtain…it’s just there. The beds are hard but and the cottages comfortable. We have a tiny verandah with chairs. The dining room has a decent menu. They ask that you order an hour ahead so we are having samosas tonight. That will be plenty after that big lunch! Later Amber said she would not stay her by herself. It is less than adequate for her although the grounds are beautiful, sitting outside on a verandah at 8 pm with the breeze and the quiet. However, the ants are not making her happy.
The shower is called a “widow maker” because it heats at the spout.  One turns the heater on and when it gets too hot, turn the control to cool, then back to hot….. The small heater is wired direct. The water flow is slow.
John had scheduled Amber’s interview with him for Wednesday so I made plans for Tuesday afternoon in Kaimosi to visit FTC and some friends. John told her tonight that he needs to meet with her tomorrow so she is doing that interview now. The wi-fi is not working here but they told us we could use the modem (internet connection through a device that looks like a flashdrive) at no charge but of course, when I went to get the modem, Job, the desk clerk, was on break.  How can I complain since the Hilton didn’t have free wi-fi?
Later…it didn’t work. And at this point, what good would it do to complain? Actually, it is the carrier.

Wed., 5 pm. As it has taken 20 minutes to load the blog, I will not include photos....that might be another hour and I have another blog to post. Be very grateful for your internet connections. It is not easy on this side!!

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Checking in

We are ok. I came to the office at Sosa to use their computer. I have two days of blogs and many photos on the flashdrive...however, it took me nearly 10 minutes to get to the blogpage. The internet server upcountry is so very slow. I don't have time to load the blogs and photos as our driver has arrived and our day is beginning.

Today we interview 5 teachers, have tea, have a workshop with them and then lunch. Lunch is served at 1 pm here so we are hoping to be back at our Guesthouse by 3 so we will try again to do some email and posting.

Our days are full and tiring. The weather is hot and dry just now although still very green. We are in the rural area and somewhat mountainous. Amber's allergies are not bothering her but she did get a bee sting yesterday or maybe a fire ant or who knows what. She is on Benedryl and doing well.

I am getting tired of all the sitting and meetings. Yesterday was fun as we visited many people I know.

Tutaonana (later)

Pat

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Sunday

Amber wanted to attend a "lively" worship. We asked Angeline and she recommended Nairobi Pentecostal Church on Valley Rd. They have three services so we opted for the 10 am. Each service is 2 hours. We arrived a bit early and there was so much traffic congestion. The road was jammed and cars were not moving. I got the taxi driver's number and he promised to be back at 12. We walked the short distance and entered the gate. The parking lot held about 50 cars. Lots to tell about the service but probably won't. Just a few bullet points
  • Choir of 50-60, all dressed in red, no robes but red shirts, dresses.
  • Choir did a 'conga -line' during one number...came down, crossed to other side and back onto platform---you had to see it!!
  • Saxophone, drums, violin and piano
  • Baby dedication the 3rd Sunday of every month...about 15 today
  • Nearly 2500 in attendance
  • No time between services so the worship team was leading us in closing song and next service in opening song at same time
  • we tried to leave as another 2000 were coming in
  • taxi driver could not get to us; called my cell to tell me "I can see you standing" so we walked to meet him.
  • Pastor Irene ?? preached...taught on the Ark of Incense...much more applicable than the Beth Moore study!!
  • we sat on hard benches with backs and were literally shoulder to shoulder...no space between
  • Prayers and singing magnificent!
  • Choir sang a number from So Africa so it was foreign to the Kenyans too
From there we went to the American Memorial. The American Embassy was bombed in 1998 by Al Queda. 34 Americans, 218 Kenyans died; 5,000 were injured. Many blinded. About 40 buildings were affected...the embassy was totally destroyed.

Lunch at Java House (a different location from yesterday) and then a walk to the Masai Market. We knew their "game" so today we were ready for them. Amber bought two things she had wanted yesterday but did her own bar-gaining.

Back to hotel and a real fiasco as we are trying to arrange transport to the game safari. It will work out but tonight, it is discouraging.

I only have a few pictures from the Memorial.

Can you tell I am getting tired of the city? I am ready to be upcountry. We still have to pack for our early flight. We need to be at the airport at 5:30 a.m. We will "hit the ground running" in Kisumu as we will tour Vihiga Secondary School at about 10 am.

We don't know if the Sosa Guesthouse has internet capabilities or not. We may be in a "quiet zone" for a few days!!

I have seen on FB that it is cold and maybe bad weather in Kokomo/Greentown. Well...maybe winter has returned!

Saturday, February 19, 2011

A Touristy Day in Nairobi


Saturday, February 19, 2011
Today we were ‘rise and shine’ girls!! Up at 6:30, to breakfast by 7:30 and off to the Maasai Market by 8. First, there were no Maasai. It was simply a large craft market. We had to bar-gain but now there are men who meet you at the gate and go round with you to collect what you might want. Then at the end, they bar-gain to get the ‘best’ price for you. By the time we had gone only 20 metres, I was not pleased with this. I told them I was not comfortable with this system as the three of them hung over us saying we should get this and what about that? When we asked the price, they would say ‘oh we will get you a good price at the end’. After ten minutes of this I had the first “episode”. I said we were also spending other people’s money. They had sent only so much. If we got to the end and the price was too much, then we had to start over to get our friends’ items. We got a couple of prices but nothing firm. I asked one of the women vendors a question and Simon, ‘our helper’ answered for her. I was hot!! I said to him, “Does she not have a voice?!” She appeared to fear him a bit. Or maybe she was just uncomfortable with a woman speaking to a man in that manner. We continued.

I asked the price of a small child’s outfit…4500/- (about $58). It was a simple top and shorts with a stamped giraffe on it. It was worth $8 at Wal-Mart. Now I was very hot and the whole side of the market was aware of it. I told these men that I did not like their system. I could see no reason to continue as I now knew their prices were inflated and I was finished. Amber had picked out a few things but said she agreed so we headed for the gate. Apologetic men were ready to be nice. We resumed shopping and then the bar-gaining began. We separated out things. I did my items one by one. A bracelet he wanted 4,000/-; I paid 1,600/-. A necklace-2,000/-; I paid 800/=. I had managed to get a price on bookmarks so that only left the small outfit. I had said leave it but he brought it so we could come to an agreement. He gave me the ‘this is good fabric’, the ‘seamstress has spent much time’, the ‘giraffe were hand painted’, etc. story but for me, he would come down to only 4,000/-, then 3,500/-, then 2,500/-, then what do you want to pay? I said 800/-. He complained, I said then leave it. He offered 2,000/-. I said leave it. Amber was having less luck. Her dealer wanted to work in dollars and her small pile was $385. She had 16 carved animal napkin rings, 1 shuka, 2 kikois, 5 carved animals, 2 oil paintings not stretched and a couple of small things. I told her it was worth maybe $100. And the dance had begun. I’m not sure of her total cost but it was much closer to $100 than even $200.



While we were doing all of this, a young mother with a baby on her back came and whispered that she needed food for the baby. I told her quietly that we would meet her outside but when I got out money for the vendors, I palmed some. She may have seen it for she came up and asked if I wanted to see the baby again. I don’t usually give to beggars but I thought she was very brave to come to the ONLY white people in a sea of hundreds of vendors and shoppers. There was an older man selling copper bracelets. He slipped up to me and said “I have seen how you are. Can you buy some bracelets from me?” He also said I was like his mother. He asked for $20 for 8 and we bar-gained down to $12 for 8 and he was happy. Now the “helpers” were asking us for tips for all the assistance we had received. I refused and told them I still wasn’t sure the money would go to the women who were working the booths. Now we were really on the way out. I saw a rungu that Amber and I had talked about—something Masai warriors carry. First price 2000/-, final price 900/-. Now we were out….what a harrowing morning. Fortunately Amber was familiar with the markets from her time in Jamaica.
We walked back to the Hilton to meet up with our taxi driver who was taking us to the David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage. Along the way, I asked the driver if he is Kisii…he replied that he was and was surprised that I could tell. I told him it was from the way he mixed up “p” and “b”. He chuckled and we had a nice chat on our 45 minute drive with several traffic jams on the way.

 We saw Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts in uniform cleaning up the easements along the road. We got a few pictures. You can only see the baby elephants from 11-12. We arrived at 11:05, hurried back and of course, all the tall men were at the front so children and short women had problems. The Kenya Wildlife Service attendant explained about the elephants and ‘introduced’ them by name.

One was only a few weeks old. There was a large watering hole that brought the elephants great joy as they slid down into the mud. After 25 minutes the smallest were taken in and the ‘teenage’ elephants, those about 2-3 years old were brought out. At about this time, the battery on my camera died. Amber was still taking pics. We did enjoy these babies. Wart hogs were wandering about. There was a rhino in a cage so we stopped to see him and then beat the crowd out to our vehicle. Our driver waits for us when we go into these places and we pay an hourly rate for his time plus our transport rate.
Our next stop was the Sarit Centre, a shopping mall that appeals to foreigners (us) and Kenyans of some means. I had asked a friend who is working on her PhD to meet us there. She called to see if we would pick her up in Karen. The driver felt it was out of the way (by 5 km.) but he did it. We looked around the mall a bit and then had lunch at a Java House. Java House is a chain of restaurants that are a cross between Starbucks and Panera. I could tell Angeline had no idea what to order. Amber had a burrito and I had a quesadilla. We described those to Angeline and she ordered a quesadilla. She and I shared a piece of Red Velvet cake later. Our chat was very good. It was particularly nice for Angeline as she is becoming discouraged in her doctoral thesis work. Amber encouraged her, gave her some authors to investigate and explained a system of coding for her data. After a couple of hours we left. Angeline had an appointment at the Nazarene University. She had security get us a taxi…the cheapest one so far…and we returned to the hotel. She did ride into town with us so she could get a matatu to go back to where she is staying. She lives and studies in Kakamega at the university there but was in Nairobi for a conference and was using the library at Nazarene University.
There was an aggravating situation with the electronic stuff. I tried to charge my camera battery. I had a Kenyan adaptor and a convertor purchased in the US for $40. I put the adaptor in the wall, then the convertor, then the camera plug. The weight was too much so there was no connection.

 I was holding the converter with my left hand and the camera plug with my right to get juice. Amber brought a bag of stuff to prop up the plugs and that is how the camera battery was recharged. My computer plug will not fit into my adaptor or converter so I’m waiting for Amber’s adaptor to recharge the laptop. Technology!!
Our original plan had been to go to the American Memorial. It was only 4:15 now but I was too tired for a 6 block walk to and fro. We sorted out our purchases, made arrangements with the desk to hold one bag for us while we go upcountry and on safari and then Amber went for a swim and I took a nap.
She went down to the café to write more on her research. When she came back, what a hilarious story she had of some tourists from Philadelphia! I missed the funniest part of the day. Among other things…these folks are not understanding the exchange rate. Will they be surprised when they get their Visa bill!!
The plan for tonight is to finish sorting our things into the ‘take with’ bags and the ‘put in storage’ bags and get everything ‘charged up’. Tomorrow we are attending worship at Nairobi Pentecostal Church at 10 am. Praise Him with the sounding of the trumpet; praise him with the harp and lyre. praise him with timbrel and dancing...praise Him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath, praise the Lord, Ps. 150:3,4a, 5a, 6. We may make it to the American Memorial. We leave for the airport at 5:15 am.

Friday, February 18, 2011

Pictures--I hope

This is the lettuce wrap!!
The workroom at Kizuri Beads..this is the pottery area. Picture above was a preschooler who had her face painted at Giraffe Center...just like our children do!!
Feeding a giraffe. Beautiful animals!!

Today was a good one. Amber had an appointmen with Dr. Sabina Wangia, Education Director of the Friends Schools in Kenya...200 secondary Quaker schools and hundreds more primary schools. The Presiding Clerk of Nairobi Yearly Meeting was off today but Dr. Wangia called to let him know there were "illustrious guests" so he came in to meet us. I also met the local USFW presiding clerk. We were served tea and mandazi. Even though our taxi driver had no idea where Friends Centre was and even though we had to call for directions, it was a good morning. On the way back to the hotel, I asked him to stop at a Kazuri outlet on Ngong Road. He assured me that Kazuri is in Karen (which is an area of Nairobi). We asked two security guards at a shopping center. Both of them said...only in Karen. Finally one remembered that there is indeed a shop at a mall about two blocks from where I had told the driver. This driver was not nearly as helpful as the one we had yesterday!

We had a late lunch of pizza. Then decided that one day of REAL internet service might be worth it. Amber swam a bit in the pool. I sat in the sun. I did one day's lesson in my Bible study but am still far behind.


Thursday, February 17, 2011

Thursday in Nairobi


I don't know if you will be able to open the pht.xx photos or not (the backspace on this computer is kaput!). Remember we are in Kenya!! Have a happy day wherever you are!! It is warm and bright blue skies , very nice here!

Feb 15…for blog
First calamity of the day…misplaced my boarding passes!! After going through my two carry on bags with multiple pockets, zippers and compartments, I walked back to security. I had left them in the tray. They said they had paged but Amber and I were so absorbed in the search that we didn’t hear the call. But all was fine. I thought I would get a sandwich so I ordered a steakburger lettuce wrap. I was thinking a wrap as in a tortilla around the meat but it was literally a lettuce wrap steakburger!!..
Lettuce wrap.JPGAmber asks about the hair color!.JPG
Flight from Indy to NYC uneventful but not a very smooth landing. Had to think of Capt. Sullenberger as we descended over the bay. We deplaned, had a long, long walk and then stairs with our bags. My hand luggage probably weighs 40 lbs. total. The layover was five hours. We saw lots of styling gals with spike heels and way out fashion. And then folks set to travel…like me and Amber in our casual togs. Sight of all sights….as we waited, there was a woman coloring another woman’s hair…this is the truth!! Amber went to investigate. Oh this is going to be a great trip!!
Eight hours to Amsterdam…tired. Walked the airport a bit. We were able to get online at a free spot for a few minutes. We went to get on the next flight…the line was so long!! This plane was lots bigger…over 400 people. We met a couple of young girls on their way to a medical internship for 6 weeks. They had received NO cultural training so in the 20 minutes in line, I tried to be helpful.  I cannot imagine coming with a leader who just said “ask someone”. He is interested in the medical research and left them pretty much on their own.  Also saw Nancy McCormack who is going to meet Karen Bauer’s work team (this is relevant to my Quaker readers.) This flight was also eight hours but felt much much longer. As Amber said when we finally arrived, “the last three hours were brutal!!) We made  our way off the plane to exchange money, buy a SIM card for the cell phone, go through immigration, collect our bags (everything was there!!!) and find the courtesy van ($20 each) to the Hilton. Amber asked about the free wifi in the lobby which was advertised. She was told that internet is $50/day or $11/hour…no free in the lobby. When she reminded of their advertising, the reply was “others have told us that too”. So we will look for an internet café where the charge is 3/= per   minute or approximately $2.25/hour. We settled in our room, made a few phone calls and crashed!!  (midnight Kenya time….4 pm Indiana time—but we’d had a hard 30 hours!)
Thursday, Feb 17, was a fruitful day. We slept late but managed to get to breakfast before they closed the buffet at 10:30 am.  The porter gave us a Nairobi map and called a taxi for us.  We went first to the Text Box: Amber was enamored with the preschool children on a field trip so we took photos of them first. Face painting was fun for them. Amber talked with the teachers. Delightful Giraffe Center.
Africa, travel and 1st day 006.JPG After that Kizuri Beads, a favorite place of mine. We saw the pottery and the bead process….from clay to fired to painted and fired to stringing the beads to the showroom floor. This is a wonderful industry that employs over 350 people and has a top quality product sold all over the world!! Every bead is hand crafted.
Africa, travel and 1st day 023.JPG
The taxi driver dropped us at the Catholic Bookstore. We bought some cards and postcards and walked back to the hotel…only six blocks or so. When we arrived, my friend Noah was waiting for our 4 pm appointment. We had a good chat and then Patrick, friend of Shirley Hoy, came to pick up some books she had sent him. By now it is nearly 7 pm. We have had a full day and the rain has begun. We only had a snack in the afternoon but will have supper and sleep well!!
(Because of the internet issues, I will take a flashdrive to the cybercafé and hope that everything transfers. Please be patient with me if it does not.)
Pat feeding giraffe.JPG