As I went for a run today I found myself wondering, “What is more unbelievable? That I have ran through 3 herds of cows in the past 15 minutes, that I have passed multiple kids carrying machetes under the age of ten, that the person running next to me is the 6th person who has voluntarily joined in on my run, or that everywhere I look, I find it hard to believe that the landscape I am surrounded by is real.” Call me crazy, but after some thought, I find the environment to be the most incredible. Every time I look at my “new backyard” I find it looking vastly different than it did 20 minutes before. I have taken the same picture of Elephant Mountain over and over again because the clouds have a way of drastically changing its appearance.
On Wednesday, one of our drivers, Uncle Charles, informed us that a dead elephant had been found not far from our site. After about a 10-minute drive, we crossed over the electrical fence into the “wild”. We got out at the base of the mountain and hiked 20 minutes to the animal. However, way before we could even see the elephant, we could smell it. The smell was so potent it made it hard to breath. It ended up being a 20-year-old, male elephant that died from natural causes. By the time we had gotten there it had been dead for about a week and the Foresters had already removed it’s ivory, leaving the trunk detached and the head fairly caved in. If the smell wasn’t enough, the millions of maggots that had gotten to it before us, could make one sick. In fact, if you were quiet enough you could even hear the maggots eating away at its flesh. Stench aside, it was a very cool experience and one I will never forget.
Yesterday, another volunteer and I had planned to go into town to do some errands. Just as we were about to leave and start walking, Uncle Charles came up the hill and asked if we wanted to catch a ride with him and Uncle Oliver. We anxiously accepted his offer knowing that driving would save us about 20 minutes. We hopped into the newly fixed Flying Kites vehicle, a Land Rover that is older than the car I drive at home, in other words, fairly ancient. Little did we know, Uncle Charles had to make a phone call before we left. After waiting patiently for about 25 minutes for Uncle Charles to get off his phone, Uncle Oliver asked if I knew how to drive stick. “Yea!” I replied, even though I have only driven stick a handful of times and have, on every occasion, stalled out. I hopped into the driver seat (which is on the right, because people drive on the left side of the road in Kenya) and turned the key. After stalling out once, which I blame strictly on the fact that I was wearing rain boots, that we were on a hill, and that the road is made of mud, I got the car to start. I was nervous about how Uncle Charles would respond, so after about 10 feet, I stopped to wait for his expression. He surprised me. What I didn’t expect was for him to climb into the passenger seat and wave me on, that’s exactly what he did. So, I drove down the very steep and muddy road into town.
Being white and walking down the streets of Njabini is enough to start a scene on its own. Now, add being female and driving a car to the equation and that’s enough reason for some of the locals to faint. I was worried for their health, so as we got to the main road I pulled over and let Uncle Charles do the rest of the driving.
I am having an amazing time and seeing incredible thing with great people. But, as I have said time and time again, I miss everyone from home very much and hope that all is well with each and every one of you! Love and Kisses - "Auntie Stephanie"
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Friday, October 15, 2010
Day 8
I went to bed last night with the phrase “Did today actually happen?” going through my head.
One of the teachers at our site had a father who passed away a couple days ago. As a way to show our support for him, the Flying Kites crew including the children, volunteers and matrons took a drive to his house in Naivasha where the funeral was held. As we arrived, being the only white people in sight, the experience started with many stares. Because we were early, we sat on the roadside to wait for the funeral to start. After about 20 minutes, everyone arrived (dressed in colors, not in all black like the traditional American way) and we all piled under two tents out in Teacher Karioki’s front yard. The tent that we sat under, along with other friends of the family, had wooden benches under it for us to sit on. The other tent had rows of plastic blue chairs, all of which sat behind a sofa; this is where the family members sat.
As we sat and waited, we heard sirens in the distance. The sound grew closer and I immediately thought we were all in trouble for some reason, however, that was far from the truth. In fact, those sirens, along with the flashing lights, belonged to a police van that pulled right into the middle of the yard. Immediately, six Kenyan men rushed over to the van where they carried the casket out of the back and into the middle of the yard on to a wooden table. Next, a man with a video camera walked the perimeter of the lawn to catch the entire ceremony on tape. During this time, music played over a speaker system. This music reminded me, and many of the other volunteers, of the music from the popular video game “Mario Kart” with a hint of techno mixed in.
With the music still playing, three women decorated the casket with flowers and a picture of Teacher Kaioki’s father. The “Ceremony Master” then started the funeral by calling different groups of people to the center of the yard to take a picture with the casket. Much to our surprise, one of those groups included the Flying Kites crew who, apparently, are “all the way from Holland” (?). After many pictures, two men, microphone in hand, stood up and started chanting in both Kiswahili and Kikuyu (we later found out that the Kiswahili translation was for us, unfortunately, none of us know Kiswahili). The chanting went on for a long time with one break for the all attendees to stand up and sing together. During the singing, a man walked around the ceremony selling lollipops and crackers out of a wooden box that he held above his head. This reminded me very much of a seat vendor at a baseball game, so much, that I was genuinely waiting for him to start shouting “get your peanuts, get your peanuts!” After much more chanting the funeral ended after 3 1/2 hours, right before the rain. From there, we all piled back into the Matatu for a 30 minute ride back to the site.
Today was a fairly different day than yesterday, but still interesting. I took a trip into town with one of the other volunteers to try and set up Internet on my computer. Unfortunately, it will probably be a couple more days before that will happen. After doing miscellaneous things in town, mainly buying things for the house, we took the long way home. About 15 minutes into our walk/hike, we had about 10 kids following us. I started to recognize a song they were singing. Because it is very uncommon for us to understand what they are saying, usually because it is in Kikuyu, I was intrigued to figure out what it was. I told them to continue singing. After some time, I realized, that they were singing the World Cup theme song “waka waka”. I joined in and the looks they gave me were hysterical. It was as if they were thinking "how in the world does this American girl know what we are singing?".
Being that I am in Kenya and all, and that Teacher Tabby is a pro at braiding hair, I decided to have my hair braided tomorrow. She was amazed when I asked her because I am a “mtzungu” and because my hair is so long. She said it’ll take about 6 hours and that we should maybe do it in two days, Ill let you know how it goes, until then, wish me luck!
It was so awesome to hear from so many of you this morning via text. Because of the time difference, I usually don’t get them till I wake up, but it’s the best way to start my day. I love and miss you all. Take care, Love and Kisses – “Auntie Stephanie”
One of the teachers at our site had a father who passed away a couple days ago. As a way to show our support for him, the Flying Kites crew including the children, volunteers and matrons took a drive to his house in Naivasha where the funeral was held. As we arrived, being the only white people in sight, the experience started with many stares. Because we were early, we sat on the roadside to wait for the funeral to start. After about 20 minutes, everyone arrived (dressed in colors, not in all black like the traditional American way) and we all piled under two tents out in Teacher Karioki’s front yard. The tent that we sat under, along with other friends of the family, had wooden benches under it for us to sit on. The other tent had rows of plastic blue chairs, all of which sat behind a sofa; this is where the family members sat.
As we sat and waited, we heard sirens in the distance. The sound grew closer and I immediately thought we were all in trouble for some reason, however, that was far from the truth. In fact, those sirens, along with the flashing lights, belonged to a police van that pulled right into the middle of the yard. Immediately, six Kenyan men rushed over to the van where they carried the casket out of the back and into the middle of the yard on to a wooden table. Next, a man with a video camera walked the perimeter of the lawn to catch the entire ceremony on tape. During this time, music played over a speaker system. This music reminded me, and many of the other volunteers, of the music from the popular video game “Mario Kart” with a hint of techno mixed in.
With the music still playing, three women decorated the casket with flowers and a picture of Teacher Kaioki’s father. The “Ceremony Master” then started the funeral by calling different groups of people to the center of the yard to take a picture with the casket. Much to our surprise, one of those groups included the Flying Kites crew who, apparently, are “all the way from Holland” (?). After many pictures, two men, microphone in hand, stood up and started chanting in both Kiswahili and Kikuyu (we later found out that the Kiswahili translation was for us, unfortunately, none of us know Kiswahili). The chanting went on for a long time with one break for the all attendees to stand up and sing together. During the singing, a man walked around the ceremony selling lollipops and crackers out of a wooden box that he held above his head. This reminded me very much of a seat vendor at a baseball game, so much, that I was genuinely waiting for him to start shouting “get your peanuts, get your peanuts!” After much more chanting the funeral ended after 3 1/2 hours, right before the rain. From there, we all piled back into the Matatu for a 30 minute ride back to the site.
Today was a fairly different day than yesterday, but still interesting. I took a trip into town with one of the other volunteers to try and set up Internet on my computer. Unfortunately, it will probably be a couple more days before that will happen. After doing miscellaneous things in town, mainly buying things for the house, we took the long way home. About 15 minutes into our walk/hike, we had about 10 kids following us. I started to recognize a song they were singing. Because it is very uncommon for us to understand what they are saying, usually because it is in Kikuyu, I was intrigued to figure out what it was. I told them to continue singing. After some time, I realized, that they were singing the World Cup theme song “waka waka”. I joined in and the looks they gave me were hysterical. It was as if they were thinking "how in the world does this American girl know what we are singing?".
Being that I am in Kenya and all, and that Teacher Tabby is a pro at braiding hair, I decided to have my hair braided tomorrow. She was amazed when I asked her because I am a “mtzungu” and because my hair is so long. She said it’ll take about 6 hours and that we should maybe do it in two days, Ill let you know how it goes, until then, wish me luck!
It was so awesome to hear from so many of you this morning via text. Because of the time difference, I usually don’t get them till I wake up, but it’s the best way to start my day. I love and miss you all. Take care, Love and Kisses – “Auntie Stephanie”
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Day 6
The more I see of this country the less I believe it exists. The landscape is something out of a dream. On Sunday, the other volunteers and I took the kids to the river for a swim. What they refer to as a river (I assume because it’s the biggest body of water near by) looks much more like a stream to me. To get there we trekked through numerous crop fields and climbed a fair amount of fences. About 20 minutes later, we arrived to this “river” which sat at the base of a mountain. There in the water were two cows waiting to greet us. I imagine that they had ventured away from their home to enjoy a drink of water. As we hiked down the trail we passed two Kenyan women and one of their daughters carrying wood on their back UP the mountain. It amazed me that even with such a heavy load these women still took the time to smile and acknowledge us with a friendly “Habari”.
The other night was one of our boys’ 11th birthday. As a gift I gave him one of the glow stick necklaces that I brought from home. To say he cherished it is an understatement. Not only was he in love with it when it glowed that night, but he continued wearing it while he slept and throughout the entire next day.
Yesterday the volunteers and I took a trip to Kenya’s capital, Nairobi. To get to Nairobi we took a “Matatu” which is a narrow bus that fits about 12 people comfortably however, it usually has up to 20 people crammed in. Needless to say it made for an interesting ride. Once in Nairobi, we sat down for the first cold drink since I arrived. After, we took a taxi to “The Wildebeest” where we slept that night. We rented two quad tents each fully equipped with running water, warm showers, down comforters and electricity! In the US, a night at this hotel would probably go for at least $200/night. In Kenya however, it only cost us $25 each. After dinner we went out for a night in Nairobi. I met two locals who took us to one of their favorite spots in town. After a much needed peaceful night’s sleep, we journeyed on over to the Masaai Market where handcrafted items are displayed all over a large empty lot. Everything there is beautiful and dirt cheap. I bought this amazing decorative bowl made from soapstone for 800 shillings. Easily sold in the US for around $100, it cost me about $10. The prices however, aren’t the only memorable thing about the Masaai Market. Once we arrived, about 15 Kenyan men looking to “help” us throughout our Market experience, basically as a middleman, greeted us. After repeatedly telling each of them that we were fine to shop on our own they finally backed off, sort of. Inside, the bartering only got more intense. It was very difficult to walk away from a seller without buying something. It was extremely overwhelming at first but by the end when it was time to go I got the hang of it and I now pride myself a little on my bargaining skills. From there, we all crammed into a “Tulaga” which is a tiny bit more spacious than a Matatu but still very tight. After a long, bumpy ride we made it back to Njabini just after the rain had stopped. We were gracious we missed the rain but the muddy mile long hill it left behind was unfortunate. Caked in mud after having to walk barefoot up the road, we arrived back at site where we were once again greeted by all 19 kids (we welcomed a new boy to our family on Monday), each with big smiles and even bigger hugs.
The way of life here is so much slower than it is at home. It has been very difficult for me to connect to the internet still. This is why I haven’t written that frequently. I miss everyone back in New Jersey so much (especially my family and animals). I love receiving texts when I wake up in the morning, so keep them coming, just remember I cant text back. Love and Kisses – “Auntie Steph”
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Day 1
Arrival to Kenya and the Flying kites site way surpassed my wildest dreams. Who could have predicted seeing my first wild giraffe, or the indescribable welcoming ceremony we received from the students?
After riding for about an hour and a half in a rickety "Mataru" and passing the beautiful Rift Valley, we arrived in Njabini where many of the locals ran to the roadside to see the very rare sight of a white person, or "Wanzungus" as they refer to us. As we pulled up to FK the sound of 71 school children singing in Swahili was all you could hear. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't have held back my tears. The sight of these stunning faces smiling back at you was one of the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.
Day 3
After 3 days at Flying Kites I have begun to get a hang of the life style I will be living for 8 months.
Wake up is around 7 o'clock depending on how loud the roosters crow. And from there is a breakfast which has for me been hard boiled eggs (which takes about 30 minutes to make at such a high altitude). Then, I have so far, either helped out in the class room or tutored. Because the children have about 4 breaks a day during the school day, I get plenty of time to play football (soccer) or tag out on the yard. I also get to go exploring with the animal lover out of the kids. He has shown me chameleons and monkeys. After lunch the same routine starts again. Dinner is prepared by the matrons which usually consists of rice and beans.
The landscape is unbelievable. I have never seen such a beautiful place. On site we have an amazing view of "Elephant Mountain" which is named after the peak which looks exactly like an elephant, also, for the elephants that inhabit the mountain. I went for a run yesterday and by the end had about 10 village children join in and follow me all the way back to the FK site. I didn't run today however, because one of the girls surprised me this morning with the very nice deed of washing my running shoes in a bucket of water, they are still soaked!
The kids refer to me as "Auntie Nyera" because one of the founders of the group apparently looks like me. No one believes me when I say I am not related to her and have not actually ever met her haha.
Tonight is talent show night where most of the skits seem to be about Hanah Montana. It is starting soon so I have to go, but I am well and miss you all at home very much and can't wait to see you in June. Love and Kisses - Stephanie or "Auntie Stephanie"
Arrival to Kenya and the Flying kites site way surpassed my wildest dreams. Who could have predicted seeing my first wild giraffe, or the indescribable welcoming ceremony we received from the students?
After riding for about an hour and a half in a rickety "Mataru" and passing the beautiful Rift Valley, we arrived in Njabini where many of the locals ran to the roadside to see the very rare sight of a white person, or "Wanzungus" as they refer to us. As we pulled up to FK the sound of 71 school children singing in Swahili was all you could hear. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't have held back my tears. The sight of these stunning faces smiling back at you was one of the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.
Day 3
After 3 days at Flying Kites I have begun to get a hang of the life style I will be living for 8 months.
Wake up is around 7 o'clock depending on how loud the roosters crow. And from there is a breakfast which has for me been hard boiled eggs (which takes about 30 minutes to make at such a high altitude). Then, I have so far, either helped out in the class room or tutored. Because the children have about 4 breaks a day during the school day, I get plenty of time to play football (soccer) or tag out on the yard. I also get to go exploring with the animal lover out of the kids. He has shown me chameleons and monkeys. After lunch the same routine starts again. Dinner is prepared by the matrons which usually consists of rice and beans.
The landscape is unbelievable. I have never seen such a beautiful place. On site we have an amazing view of "Elephant Mountain" which is named after the peak which looks exactly like an elephant, also, for the elephants that inhabit the mountain. I went for a run yesterday and by the end had about 10 village children join in and follow me all the way back to the FK site. I didn't run today however, because one of the girls surprised me this morning with the very nice deed of washing my running shoes in a bucket of water, they are still soaked!
The kids refer to me as "Auntie Nyera" because one of the founders of the group apparently looks like me. No one believes me when I say I am not related to her and have not actually ever met her haha.
Tonight is talent show night where most of the skits seem to be about Hanah Montana. It is starting soon so I have to go, but I am well and miss you all at home very much and can't wait to see you in June. Love and Kisses - Stephanie or "Auntie Stephanie"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)