Week Three

January 13, 2008

Today was AWESOME. It started with Tariq (a friend of KJ’s) coming over to discuss the ins and outs of social life at USIU, which starts tomorrow. Apparently we are supposed to steer clear of a group of “Nigerian thugs,” among other boys notorious for being with girls on our specific program each semester. Plus Tariq is hilarious so that made the discussion even more hysterical.

Afterwards we went to Mama Fatuma’s Goodwill Children’s Home in Eastleigh (a slum on the other side of Nairobi) and it was the best trip we have taken. I really think I want to intern there because the kids are so great and I think I can really make something of it. We’ll see what happens, and if I get to work at Mama Fatuma’s I will discuss my plans because I am pretty pumped. But let’s talk about these amazing children. There are about 50 kids at the home and they range from age 3 to 17, both boys and girls. It seemed a bit like organized chaos and everywhere I turned there was another little girl or boy about to launch herself at me. It wasn’t all a good time though. The kids didn’t have a yard, but more like little squares of cement ground to play on. They also didn’t have any toys and very few books. It wasn’t that I was expecting a hue mansion with an enormous backyard and a playground set. It is located in a slum after all, but I just didn’t know what to expect. I guess I didn’t really think about it before hand, but parts of it were pretty rough. One great thing was that all the kids loved having their pictures taken! I have over 100 from the orphanage and all of them are adorable.

Then we went to Masai Market at Ya Ya Center which is pretty cool, but it was really hard to go from an orphanage in the slum to a western style mall where money isn’t an issue for the people who go there regularly. The Market, which is just outside the mall, was a lot better, They sell the greatest things, all hand crafted by Kenyans and at great prices. KJ gave us each 100 shillings (which is a little over a dollar) and we had to go out and practice our bargaining. It was a lot of fun, but pretty hectic. We were hustled up and down the aisles being hunted down by men and women who were dead set on doing business with us.

Following that we went to an outdoor concert promoting peace in light of the alleged upcoming rallies planned for later this week. Eric Wainaina (famous Kenyan musician) performed and we all got up and started dancing in the field.

I really enjoyed each part of the day because it was really good for our group dynamic. I like how each day you can feel everyone bond just a little bit more.

January 14, 2008

Classes started today and I was not a happy camper. Normally I like school because I am a pretty epic nerd, but this was just so overwhelming. United States International University is a royal pain to get to. We have to take a taxi to the bus stop and then a bus to USIU and traffic can be out of control. New York City has absolutely nothing on Nairobi. We have been told that it can often take up to an hour and ½ to make it a mile during rush hour and it is even worse when it rains here. Once we are allowed to take matatus (public transport shuttles) we will have to walk about a mile to the matatu stage and then take a matatu to the bus stop and then bus stop to school.

So I arrived on campus, which is beautiful, at around 9:00 this morning. I didn’t have class until 11:00 so I decided to get my textbooks from the library and dealt with all of the administrative stuff, then grabbed a snack with Liz before class.

My first class was 20^th Century East Africa and as soon as I got the course outline I was just thought to myself…what am I doing here?! But as we went through the outline I decided that after 4 years at Sacred Heart Academy and 3 semesters of busting my butt at AU I could handle it. 2 tests, a midterm, and a final; that was all. Except then I realized that I haven’t enjoyed a history course since sophomore year of high school and the only reason I enjoyed that was because Mr. Marino (aka my best friend) taught it. The professor started teaching and I immediately decided I had to get into a political or international course or I would not enjoy my time at USIU even in the slightest. Luckily, I still had hope for my next class, Family and Kinship in a Multicultural Context…

Think again! The professor had the thickest accent I had ever heard in my entire life and I couldn’t understand his English for the life of me. Also, the course wasn’t at all what I had been expecting. I was expecting it to be a comparative sociology class that encompassed different cultures and what not, but rather it was just a class about marriage in Africa. So I dropped that class immediately as well.

Now I am taking African International Relations, which is 100% up my alley and I am extremely excited for. There are a few other people from AU in the class and they said that the professor is awesome and the class sounds like it will be challenging, but rewarding. My second class is called HIV/AIDS Testing and Counseling. I won’t be getting any credit towards my major for that class, but I think it will be worth it, considering my interest in African health care.

So I am much happier with my second schedule and I am hoping that it will remain. As long as I like most of the material and can understand my professors’ English I think I will be able to handle myself.

After I got home from school Carrie and I did some pretty hard core bonding. We walked downtown to Zebra Market right around closing time, so we were literally the only people there. Sellers were chasing us down the alleys of the market begging us to buy their crafts and jewelry. It was some pretty intense hustling, but we managed to escape without spending exorbitant amounts of money. Plus I have taken an unnatural liking to bartering.

At night we all went to Mark’s house (U.S. Ambassador’s son) who we are all getting pretty friendly with. Liz, Kim, and Allen were all students here last semester so they know him very well. We went swimming in the enormous 90 degree pool and then Mark brought out his new hookah. Afterwards we hung out for a bit around the grounds and sat in the library watching football (that’s soccer to all you American back home), and then we went out to a pool hall which everyone really enjoyed because it was so easy to relax. It’s just weird because all of the pool tables here are half the size of an American pool table. We’re all convinced it has something to do with the British….

So apart from panicking over classes it was a really good day and I had a blast with the group.

Tomorrow we are resuming with orientation activities and meeting with a few more internship organizations, then starting Swahili classes! I will be fluent before you know it!

January 17, 2008

Yesterday was what I consider a day of rest, so I did not even bother typing anything up. Today, on the other hand, was quite busy.

We met at 10:00 with the group, KJ, Victor, and Maura. Maura is a former student of the AU Abroad program and she is now a development worker with an import/export business. In case I haven’t mention Victor in previous entries, he is an assistant to the program and he is awesome! He is Kenyan and has spent his entire life here. Right now he is going through a hard time with the election violence because his wife and two children are stranded in Kisumu, another section of Kenya, because it is not yet safe enough for them to make the drive back to Nairobi. We are all hoping that the family will be reunited soon,

Afterwards we went to a factory/store/café called Amani, which is Kiswahili for “peace.” The compound is run by a group of women who have been saved from ethnic or sexual conflict and they train themselves to make fabric, crafts, and clothes… pretty much everything you can imagine. Each and every item sold in the shop is hand made by these women in the factory, including the fabric itself. The factory isn’t quite how some of you might be imagining it. Each woman has their own sewing machine, there are great working conditions, and all the women sing as they work. It was such a great atmosphere. Some of the products are a little expensive, but you purchase them knowing that each shilling goes right back to the women who have created your purchase. We were able to take a tour of the compound and do some shopping it was one of my favorite experiences so far, especially interacting with the women.

Afterwards we volunteered again at a relief camp for those families who are still unable to return to their homes due to the current events. We weren’t needed for any major projects so we spent the afternoon running around with the children and learning Swahili church songs, which was actually pretty hilarious. You all know how well I can sing and what not.

And now we are all heading off to Swahili class with Fred!

January 18, 2008

Today was pretty low key and it involved a 3 hour nap, which is fabulous. We went to a meeting at the US Embassy which wasn’t nearly as exciting as it originally sounded, primarily because it was just a bunch of American citizens asking questions and freaking out about the current situation.

Afterwards we went out to lunch at Java House, which is just mzungu central. But at lunch we heard from Jinga, the director of Shangalia. It is a children's home/school/social work organization with a focus on the performing arts. School is from 8-4 and performing arts is from 4-dark. I would most likely intern at the school or as a social worker, which involves visiting the homes of students there and really working hands on with their issues. I want this internship so badly, but there is only one spot and 3 of us who want it, so I am going to have to fight tooth and nail.

Then I came home and fell asleep! We have the week end off, which everyone is really excited for, and on Monday I will start my new classes. Hopefully by the end of next week we will know which internships we will have.