Tidbits

It's nice to be missed. So many of you have emailed about me being MIA on my blog so I thought I better do a quick update.  No, I have not been maimed on a matatu or washed away in the seasonal monsoon. It has just been one of those Peace Corps lulls that usually happens mid point in service.

I'm here in Nairobi for mid-service medical which begins tomorrow. It is a three day physical to be sure you have not contracted some vile disease  or parasite. Unless mine is hibernating, I feel fine having had my health adventures (fruit fly incubation, tick hibernation) earlier in my gig.

I arrived here from Kisumu (Kenya's third largest city) having been at an HIV/AIDS program for a week.  I was excited about going to Kisumu since that is the only area of Kenya yet to grace my Chaco's flip flop feet. It lies on the eastern edge of Lake Victoria and is just as dirty, noisy and crowded as Nairobi.  We stayed at a Catholic Conference Center on the outskirts of town. Remember, I told you the Catholics here have all the shillingi and this was just another example of how they get the business done.  It was a beautiful property with modern, spacious rooms and of course maji moto. I was sooooo thrilled at being able to take a hot shower--beats the hell out of my tepid bucket bath. I didn't have time to get to the lake this trip but am definitely putting it up to the top of the list.

It's quite hot there this time of year so when some of the volunteers from the area suggested a pool afternoon, I was more than ready to get my burn on. In Kenya if you want to swim, you go to a local hotel because a private pool is truly for the wealthy and rare at that.  So we headed into town and landed at the equivalent of a Day's Inn.  I don't think it would keep the light on at night.  It was surprisingly clean and crowded.  But, then it is school break so tons of kids were there.  Kenyan dress customs are mega conservative so I was agog at what people wore for swimming.  Young boys wore real speedo type suits, some men wore regular swimsuits, little tykes wore bathing suits.  But then you had everything else and what a comical mishmash.  Everything from street clothes, long pants and tee shirts to workout suits for guys.  Women also wore long pants with regular shirts.  The most comical was one woman in a full body girdle!! No kidding.  And when she hit the water everything was in full glorious wet view.  Thank God she wore big girl panties underneath cause on her humongous body that would have been a scary sight.  We saw leggings under body suits with oversized shirts on top.  Nursing babies were just buck naked being dipped by Mama in the kiddie pool.  I really wanted to take a few pics but thought it would be too obvious, so I didn't.  Of course the naked muzungus were center stage.  At least we seemed naked in our bikinis, lathered with sunscreen lying prone on the plastic chaises.  Totally worth it though and we even did a repeat the next day.  Sure gonna miss being able to basque in the sun.

Meanwhile, back in Kabarnet--I'm about to be homeless, maybe.  My organization was hand delivered an eviction letter for me for 1 Sept if they do not pay my rent on time.  They were 8 weeks late before. I can't believe they will come up with the money as they are circling the drain.  So plans are in the works to find someone else there to sponsor me or guess I'll move on down the road--again.  I've let it be known that I wouldn't mind going back to Maralal if I could work/live with Father Jorge on his compound.  Even though it is in the boonies, I loved being there and Sukari would get to spend some time with her MaMa.

Speaking of my little girl...

Here she is celebrating her first birthday with a bone for breakfast.  Still sweet as ever.

We had another birthday on my compound a few weeks back.

Here mother and daughter are eyeing each other for the first time.  It's amazing how the calf pops right out and then stands up! No, I didn't watch her being born--too gross for me. Sukari loved to chase her out of our front yard but now that heifer is brave and just stands her ground and glares.

But mostly it's just been raining--ever since 4 April , every day.

 Here comes another one.  Some of the storms have had hail that lasted for an hour or more.  And it's cold! I sit bundled in my sleeping bag.  Hopefully it will be all over when I return home later this week.  Then I won't have to dodge my laundry hanging on every available spot inside for days at a time drying.

I'm really missing my friend and traveling buddy, Dutch.  She returned home to Colorado.  She was evacuated from Mombasa a few weeks back after a bombing incident there.  No suitable alternate site could be arranged for her.  Guess my return to Lamu will have to be solo. Or maybe it's time to head to South Africa for a winery tour, hmmmm.