Low Tide and Trust

Other than pure relaxation, the last couple of days have not been particularily eventful. We swim, we sleep, we have good food, and we enjoy the marvelous views on the Indian Ocean. It is the perfect break from our rather hectic and demanding experiences in Nairobi.

Today the tide was EXTREMELY low so Kevin and I walked nearly 200 yards out on shallow water which is normallydeep sea. Two Kenyans walked with us, pointing out sea urchents, sea slugs, sea cucumbers, and other sea creatures that we had no idea existed. I felt like I was in the Twilight Zone a little, as the coast was very far yet we were walking on what was normally the deep sea. It was almost as bizzare as when the drunk English man tried to explain what Oxtail soup was to us on that overnight train.

Trust is nearly non-existent here in Mombasa. Nearly every human who approaches you here is exclusively interested in your money, even if their actions and words seem to suggest otherwise. They will walk you out during low tide and give you a tour you never asked for. They will jack up nearly every price, shorten nearly every activity, and guide you in any direction they can where you will wind up spending more money that you asked to. None of this is surprising. A lot of these people are very poor, and any extra shilling they desperately need. Kevin and I are both respectful and mindful of this, and so we compensate all of these individuals when it is so rightly deserved.

Since trust is not a value held highly here, we too use this for our advantage - yet purely from a humorous perspective. We constantly give out fake names to the aggressive beach vendors. One moment I was P.J. The next I was Dennis. At night by the bar I was Vincent Pageworth, even though moments before he forgot my name was Dan. Kevin has been Clemson, Andre, and my personal favorite - Lloyd Wright. We both thought of the hardest name for the Kenyans to pronounce. When he introduced himself as such, the Kenyan vendor laughed and said Lloiyye Wryyy...Loyee Rye....to which he then said, "That is very hard to pronounce." Mission accomplished.

I hope nobody finds us to be insensitive. We are simply overwhelmed with the aggression and dishonesty before us sometimes, and so it is extremely tempting to bite back a little. I have always believed in the saying, "When in Rome."

Tonight Clemson and I are heading back to Nairobi on the overnight train. On Thursday we are going on a safari! We will be sure to update you as much as possible! Thanks again for reading, hope you enjoyed!

Dennis

Mombawesome

Alas, Kevin and I have arrived in Mombasa! For those who are unfamiliar, Mombasa is in south eastern Kenya, and fortunately for us, it lies smack on the Indian Ocean. We absolutely love the place. The beach itself looks like paradise. The sand is white and soft, the ocean green and shiny, and the waters are filled with sailboats, jetskis, windsurfers, and old wooden fishing boats.

Kevin and I are staying in a really cool room. For just 25 bucks a night, we have a ton of space, including an outdoor patio where tons of monkeys like to jump over our clothes. I threw an un-ripe avocado out there and an entire family of them were chewing on it. Our room is just steps from the ocean, and if you peak within the cocunut trees from the patio you will be able to see some of it. To make things even better, Mombasa is known for its authentic Italian cuisine. Kevin and I downed 2 pizzas last night!

Aside from the gorgeous scenery I have little more to say about the place. Pictures are essential. Nothing I say will be able to capture this.

I did not have the time to blog about my last day at the hospital so I will mention some things now. I thoroughly enjoyed my last day. Before work I went to the local supermarket and bought many materials for the hospital. Some items included: pens, white-out, clipboards, tea, chili sauce, post-it notes, a broom and dust pan, and name tags for the staff. Just around 25 dollars made a significant difference for the staff. They now do not have to shell out their own money to buy break food, office supplies, or materials to clean the units. It will slightly ease the burden on their shoulders, but needless to say this is not enough. More has to be done.

Dr. Jarred set up a bank account for the hospital and gave me a copy of the information I will need to make deposits towards it. In addition, we exchanged numbers and I received information regarding exactly what the hospital needs and what it will cost. The doctor will scan copies of the receipts he gets while purchasing these items, and then send them to me via email. This way the hospital will remain accountable for all dollars donated to them.

I will meet one more time with many of my coworkers next Saturday at the Homeland Inn. We are all going to have one last meal together before I go back home. On the menu will be roasted goat!

I am time-crunched at the moment so I must go! Thanks again so much for reading. I will keep you all posted.

TOMMY

Panama, Fresh Rabbit, and a Sick Goat

Today I had the privilege to visit Kevin's school and teach the children. I have never taught anything to anybody in my life before, so it was definitely a unique experience for me. Since Kevin knows nothing about U.S history, I started off with a general overview of it. I often quizzed the children throughout my lecture. Some thought Panama was a U.S state, others shouted Texas for every other answer they gave, even if shouting Texas made no sense at all. We briefly went over the Civil War, both world wars, Lincoln, and basic U.S geography. The kids wrote everything down meticulously, as we stressed the importance of knowing this information later on.

We broke the class into 3 teams and made them give each of themselves names. One team was "The Tigers." Another was "The Lions." The third was named "The Chameleons." Kevin and I formed our own team too. If all 3 of their teams missed the answer Kevin and I would receive 5 points. Did I say Kevin and I? I meant "The Super Giraffes."

Teams competed for points, having to answer anything from "Name at least 1 thing Americans put on their hot dogs" to U.S history and geography. For our U.S culture question, we made each team bring up a member who could sing an American song. We heard one song we had never heard before and still don't know. We heard Amazing Grace. The last kid threw a curve ball at us and belted out "Sweet Home Alabama." We have that on tape.

For the final round we asked each team to perform a song and dance for us and both Kevin and I, along with the other teachers would judge them based on their performances. All three performed wonderfully, and we have all three of their acts on tape. The Tigers ended up taking the cake. I have never seen kids so happy to win something in my life!

After school Kevin and I went with one of the teachers to his farm. It was absolutely gorgeous. His farm is atop a high hill and is filled with coffee, avocado, mango and guava trees. He has many goats, cows, roosters, and rabbits! In fact, he slaughtered a cute rabbit the night before and we ate it for lunch! It was so fresh tasting. After lunch he served us tea made with fresh cow's milk and fresh ground soybeans. That too tasted so fresh. The entire experience was really special. Later on we toured the farm and walked back to town.

Many people here are constantly asking Kevin and I for some kind of financial assistance. It is simply impossible to provide assistance for everybody's needs. I am focusing 100% of my efforts on the health center, as I know that this will be the most effective way to help the most amount of people. If Kevin and I helped everybody here, this is what we would have to do....


1. Pay for Janet's son's secondary school.

2. Buy flights to America for Janet's sister, Dr. Jarred, Chris, Alex and the nursing staff.

3. Let Janet's sister, Dr. Jarred, Chris, Alex and the nursing staff stay at our homes as they apply to training programs and find jobs. This would be one heck of a reality show. Tom and Kev + 8,000.

4. Purchase an anti-hemmoroidal injection for Kimani's ill goat.

Now, as we understand it, the injection is quite cheap, so Kevin might actually be able to buy this for Kimani's goat. The poor thing can hardly walk.

We are now off to see a local artist who is making a picture of my grandfather out of banana fibers he finds around town. I gave him a picture of my grandfather in Kenya during the 40's - petting a leopard. He is going to make an exact replica of it out of these fibers! I am now off to see his progress.

Thanks again for reading my blog! I cannot wait to post pictures and videos. I will do so when I return to the states. Right now these are all words to you, yet I hope it is conjuring up some sort of image as well. The pictures are out of this world, so stay tuned!


- TOMMY

Jammin With Janet

Work was very eventful today. We billed and registered an unusually high volume of patients. In addition, I got my chance to meet with the head of the hospital - Dr. Jarred. The goal of the meeting was to figure out a way I can help the hospital once I get home. Here is what happened..

Jarred and I made a list of nearly 50 things the hospital is in dire need of. This ranged from paint jobs to office supplies to blood pressure machines. The sheer volume of the hospital's needs really didn't surprise me. If you look around for even 2 seconds, that much will become very clear to you very quickly. What surprised me was how incredibly cheap each item they were asking for was. Pens, index cards, bedsheets, masks, gloves and pregnancy packs were all items almost any American could easily provide without even the smallest of sacrifices. If you added up all of these items, about 5,000 dollars would significantly improve the quality and efficiency of care in this health center. It is truly remarkable.

I told Jarred that if people donate to this cause, they will inevitably need to see some form of accountability. They want to know their dollars are spent towards the items they want to buy for the center. He understood completely, and so we devised a rough, tentative plan. I will send him donations specifying exactly what these donors want to contribute and for what specific items. After he sends me a receipt proving he bought these items, I will then move on to more items and more donors. I cannot provide additional donations until I see that previous ones have gone towards rehabilitating the hospital. He said this process would be rather easy, and he welcomed it as a good way for me to measure the progress as well.

Aside from renovations within the health center itself, I told Jarred that specific donations would go towards covering the treatment costs for the slum of Soweto. As I mentioned before this cost would be rather marginal, as it only costs the equivalent of an American quarter to treat each person.

The tricky part about all this is creating a way by which people can easily donate and simultaneously see the results of their donations. People will be a lot more willing to donate if they know and see how much of an impact their donation will be.

With all of this in mind, I think creating an interactive website is the best bet. The health center can be visually drawn out on a web page. People can then see how bare the center is, and they can then click on "upgrades" to make it better. The best part about all of this is that none of these items entail donating even a moderate amount of money. We are talking 3 or 4 dollars at a time, sometimes more, sometimes less, to improve this place drastically. The entire plan is currently in its earliest stages, but I am definitely leaning towards an interactive-type website to get this thing running.

At the end of my work day Janet and I closed the windows and doors and began "jamming." This involves Janet singing Kikuyu folk songs as I drum with my hand and ruler on the hard, flat table. Janet composes songs for her Sunday school children, and she brags that she usually wins all of the awards that go to the top composers. She sang me two songs today. One was called "God Loves a Cheerful Giver" and the other was "What a Friend we Have in Jesus." Janet would raise her hands in the air and shake her head as she sang these songs. She was so passionate about them! I think Janet is religious.

Today Janet looked upwards and asked me who is taller, me or her. She wanted me to reach something for her. It was the first time, and hopefully the last, that a 4 foot 9 Kikuyu woman wondered if she was taller than me. I am slowly but surely getting a reputation for being a small man.

Thanks again for reading! For the record I am feeling a lot better! I still ate 2 avocados today, but I have been drinking plenty of water. Both Kevin and I are super excited for the Indian Ocean this Friday! Below is a link to the place we are staying for 3 nights...


http://www.bamburiresort.com/

The title picture is that of an acacia tree - my favorite kind of tree in Africa. I absolutely love these trees, and take pictures of them whenever I am lucky enough to spot one.


TOMMY

Avacados, Dehydration and Sick Day

Today I had to stay home from work. I felt incredibly tired upon waking up, even after receiving over 9 hours of sleep. My body felt very weak and woozy, and I knew I was not up for the work day ahead. I have been contemplating several reasons why I feel this way, and I think I am leaning towards one hypothesis more than the other.

Hypothesis number one is that I have eaten too many avocados. I ate about three yesterday, and just ate another one today. That makes 4 in just two days. Although possibly the culprit behind my malaise, I simply cannot pass down the fresh, mushy avocados. They are good with just about any meal you eat, and their nutritional benefits are staggering...

"About 75% of an avocado's calories come from fat, most of which is monounsaturated fat. Avocados also have 60% more potassium than bananas. They are rich in B vitamins, as well as vitamin E and vitamin K.^[19] They have the highest fiber content of any fruit - including 75% insoluble and 25% soluble fiber.^[20]"

The most surprising part about all that is that avocados are fruits. I always thought they were vegetables.

They are also proven to significantly reduce bad cholesterol and increase the good. But 4 in just 2 days? They do say too much of anything is not good. Let's move onto hypothesis number two.

This weekend we biked 15 miles, went out almost all night, and definitely did not drink enough water in the process. My nursing brain kicked in and said, "Wait, we MUST be dehydrated!" Dehydration is known to increase your body temperature, hence making you feel febrile, weak and defeated. It makes perfect sense to both Kevin and myself, and after this blog we intend on drinking a ton of water. We will also buy a lot of Cadbury chocolates.

Although I do love our town and our work, I am ready to kick back and relax on the Indian Ocean this weekend. I feel like the time differences, the meals, the work, and change of lifestyle is catching up to us faster than we are ready to handle it. The ocean might be the perfect respite to a rather hectic two weeks we have had.


I will leave you all with a few things you may find interesting...


1. I have learned a general rule here and that is to never shake hands with any strangers, no matter how nice they may seem. Strangers tend to never let go of your hand, and they often will use their other one to try and take things from you. Although nothing has been taken just yet, my hand has been grabbed, and the drunk bastard wouldn't let go! Luckily drunk people are clumsy and weak, so it is almost inevitable that you can escape their firm grip.

2. At work I sit right next to a small window that always allows me to witness interesting scenes from outside. Yesterday I saw a goat eat an entire banana peel - sans the banana. I then had a drunk lady blabber for many minutes in my ear, understanding nothing other than the fact that it was probably vodka given her breath.

3. I REALLY REALLY miss 80's music. I can't wait to blast it in my apartment when I get home.



Thanks again for reading! Stay tuned for some exciting blogs ahead! Safaris, Indian Ocean escapades and a whole lot more!!!

- TOMMY

Birthday

Last night the lights went out, and I walked into a living room that lit up all of the sudden and began singing to me. My host family was all dressed up. They sang "Happy Birthday" and "How Old are You Now?" After repeating 22 several times, I glanced at the table. On it contained a heart shaped cake with icing, two plates of popcorn topped with the Kenyan equivalent of jolly ranchers, 6 glasses of juice, and an envelope that read "Tommy." I was definitely surprised and very grateful. It was so wonderful to have everybody there to celebrate with me. They snapped several photos of the event, including one bizarre ritual where Kevin fed me a piece of my cake. I felt like I was in a wedding for a moment. A wedding with another man.

Work today was very busy. Mondays are the busiest days of the week so we had to register and bill many more patients than usual. Other than that my day was pretty ordinary. I want to shift gears now and talk a little bit about my life at the home stay.

Our home stay has many family members. Mr. and Mrs. Steven Kamau are the heads of the family. Steven is one of the nicest people I have ever met in my life. He is always laughing hysterically at things, even if they are not funny. He is always in a good mood and is an incredibly good host. He is a devout Christian who accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour in 1977. He usually leads the prayer before dinner, and is always in attendence at his local church. Although I am not particularly religious myself, I know that Jesus would want every Christian to be like Steven. He is such a good person - not a bad bone in his entire body.

Steven has 3 boys and 2 girls. Samuel is the youngest, Daniel the middle and Peter the oldest. His girls are named Faith and Grace. They are both very young. The housekeeper is named Carolyn. Both she and Faith play cards with Kevin and I nearly every night. We sit outside on the sofas and play on the table. It is usually nice and cool and we hear many animals during our time playing. It is a cozy routine no doubt.

On an unrelated note, there seems to be a huge paradox here involving the fertility of the red-dirted soil. It is incredibly dry because of recent droughts, yet it produces the JUCIEST mangos I have ever consumed. I do not understand where the juice comes from. Apparently the red soil is incredibly fertile. Also, it is said that Mombasa (the Indian ocean coast where we are headed soon) has even tastier mangos! I cannot imagine a mango tastier than these. I can hardly wait!

I was supposed to meet with the head of my health center today regarding ways in which I can assist the hospital once I get back. Unfortunately we experienced a very high volume of patients today and he was unable to squeeze some time in for me. I have been thinking a lot about how exactly I can help. I have two ideas...

Soweto is a slum adjacent to the health center. Every day we bill about 5 or so people from that slum. This amounts to only 100 shillings, which equates to a little less than a dollar and fifty cents a day. It is within my budget to cover the expenses of these individuals on a day to day basis. With this idea, the entire slum of Soweto would not have to pay for their health care costs simply by donating a few dollars a month for their treatment.

Idea #2 involves paying for 1 day of treatment for everyone in the health center. This may sound overly ambitious yet the numbers indicate otherwise. We serve anywhere from 30-50 people a day. This equates to roughly 1000 shillings a day, or less than 15 dollars. If I donated the equivalent of 15 dollars twice a month for the next 12 months, 2 days of treatment would be virtually free for anyone visiting the health center that day. Although this option would be interesting to pursue, I am leaning towards helping Soweto first and foremost. The people are poorer, and it is more likely to be a sustainable project as it will not put too much of a strain on my poor college-life budget.

These are simply ideas, and I have yet to finalize anything I have thought up. If you all have any ideas, PLEASE comment and let me know. I am open to anything!

I must go now as Kevin has to use the bathroom pretty badly and can't hold it in any longer. Since I am not too good with directions, I must follow him home now. Thanks so much for reading! Take care.


- Tommy

One Hell of a Birthday

I quite possibly had the best weekend of my entire life. Kevin, Peter and I stayed at a hotel next to Hell's Gate National Park. The three of us rented bicycles at the hotel to tour the park, 2 of which broke down almost immediately upon riding them. Despite about an hour of figuring out the logistics of returning old bikes and getting new ones, it was all so worth it in the end.

Upon entering the park we immediately encountered multiple families of very large baboons. When we stopped to take some photos, many of them ran like the devil up the cliffs, making very audible monkey noises in the process. I felt like I was in two movies at once, Jurassic Park and Planet of the Apes. It was pretty wild biking within a few feet of baboons.

As we pedaled ahead, the view before us was stunning. The entire landscape was wide open. The sun was shining elegantly over the large jagged cliffs. Huge grasslands were smothered with zebras, warthogs, bulls and sprinting gazelles. For your information, seeing gazelles sprint in herds is not a pleasant experience when you are biking in the wild. You can't help but wonder which carnivore they might be running from. Turns out they were just playing. Goats have a sense of humor, gazelles play - I am learning a lot here.

As we rode through the park, zebras often crossed 15 feet in front of our route. Large warthogs loomed in the bushes 10 feet from our wheels. A group of angry looking bulls stared at us as they blocked our path ahead. At this point I questioned whether or not this trip was a good idea. Luckily for us, the bulls kept moving onward, although a few of them kept giving us the evil eye.

Soon after the bull encounter, we came across five tall giraffes grazing upon a shorter tree. It was absolutely stunning to see these giraffes in their natural habitat. We snapped a few photos, but quickly figured out how camera shy the tall beast can be. Within a few moments they scurried away. Kevin and I have an absolutely amazing picture of the two of us on some rocks with giraffes in the background. It will be framed in the near future.

Several miles later, we came across the famous gorges. All three of us hopped off of the bikes, and followed a tour guide through treacherous paths nestled in between narrow cliffs and slippery rocks upon many creeks. It involved a lot of jumping, climbing, running, and hanging on. It also involved a lot of fear. After the gorge tour we started riding home.

The ride home was grueling. It was nearly all uphill, and we had about 7 miles ahead and not enough time before dark to ride through it leisurely. We were even told that leopards come out at night as it starts to cool. I did not want to come across a leopard. I hear they like to eat people.

The bike ride was a total of about 17 miles round trip. Our body's were in a state of utter exhaustion. It felt great though, and I hadn't ever experienced anything like that ride before. I will never forget Hell's Gate. It was by far the most amazing thing I have ever done.

After a brief nap and a Kenyan dinner, we made our way to the bar and nightclub. The three of us had a ball at the bar, then toasted to my birthday at midnight. We then stumbled around towards the nightclub named, "Green Houze." It is open until 6 in the morning and blasts African tunes until that time. The dance floor was flooded with smooth-movers, and surrounded by two white guys who couldn't dance to save their lives. The D.J stopped his tunes to wish me a happy birthday. After many a Tusker and thousands of sweat drops from dancing, we exited the bar to get some sleep. It was one of the greatest nights I have ever had.

On the ride back home Kevin and I purchased two goat-skin bongo drums for only 1500 shillings each (19 dollars). They are incredibly beautiful and will be wonderful to drum with while we listen to local Kenyan music on the Indian Ocean next week! We both love the music here!

Thanks again for reading about my adventure here! I will leave you with a brief list of things you may all find interesting.



1. Last night a drunk Kenyan man walked up to me and said "Fuck America." He then flicked me off and ran off to the night club. I wish he had given me the time to say thank you.

2. A local matatu here had a huge picture of Osama Bin Laden on the back of it, in addition to large letters displaying "OSAMA" on the front hood.

3. Kevin and I purchased tons of souvenirs for friends and family back home. These gifts are so special. They were all handcrafted by a local man who lives in our small town. The things he makes are absolutely unbelievable. I can't wait to give them to you all when I get back home.


Stay tuned for more fun and adventures. We are only a third of the way through now, so the adventure has really just begun!


TOMMY

Soweto, Pasturization, and Pregnancy

As my title may indicate, I had yet another day filled with unpredictability and excitement. But before I delve into the details here, I would like to start with a rather sobering account of my life at the hospital.

Kenyans are such good people. Today a very poor woman from Soweto staggered up to our desk and asked us if we could register her little son for treatment. She told us candidly that she does not have the 20 shillings for treatment, but she was intent on seeing to it that her son could be treated. Janet, my coworker, said something in Kenyan and pointed as I saw the lady walk back quietly to the bench. Janet explained to me that this lady was one of those individuals who are simply unable to pay for any treatment. The equivalent of 25 U.S cents was too much for her. Janet said she would wind up paying for her.

This little story was not surprising to me, as I have experienced it and mentioned it on my blog a time before. Yet part of this story I have not mentioned. Janet is extremely poor herself. The hospital pays her next to nothing, and she does not even have enough money to send her son to secondary school this fall. Despite her poverty, and despite her desire to provide an education to her son, she still offered to pay for this lady. She did not even know this woman. Imagine the billing lady at your hospital paying for you. Unheard of. Especially if that billing lady is very poor herself. Not wanting to see Janet pay for this either, I reached out of my pocket to pay it myself. Anybody I know would. A quarter is nothing. It's not even nearly enough money to any of us in that it would be the slightest sacrifice.

Today at work I was super excited for my favorite meal during lunch. The cooks outside said they were making Ugali, which is essentially African bread with meat and vegetables. It is my favorite dish here. All day I thought about this dish in my head, thinking about each second I would savor while eating it. Just before lunch, I hear a lady screaming in one of the rooms. She was about to give birth, and the head nurse rushed me in to witness it. No better way to ruin my lunch.

The Kenyan woman did not have any of the luxeries American women have while giving birth. She laid down on a sheetless bed. No towels, IV's, painkillers, family members, or even the dignity of a hospital gown to cover her. Just a sheetless bed and resolve. Within moments her baby sprung out of the body, just as the vomit was about to spring out of mine. I am usually a fan of imagery in my writing, but for the sake of my readers I will take a pass. You can thank me when I get home.

The best part of my day was when Kevin visited the hospital before lunch. I said, "Kevin, come see this woman, she just delivered a baby."

"Oh cool man, he said." Let's just say he ate those words later.

After work, one of the staff members gave Kevin and I a tour of Soweto - a giant slum. It was unbelievable to see people living in such conditions. Broken shacks were surrounded by mounds of burning trash and open sewage leaking into the walking paths. Goats and pigs slurrped up whatever edible filth they could find, and people walked into homes hardly taller than themselves. Despite the unpleasentness of it all, the slum overlooks a gorgeous lake sitting within a great view of the entire town. It is utterly pathetic, frustrating, and dispicable that nobody in the world can manage to spend just several thousand dollars to clean the place up. I know it isn't as easy as that may be, but it is impossible that this is the best that can be done.

On Monday Janet said she will have a special present for me. She is going to bring me fresh milk from her cow. I nervously looked at her and asked "pasturized?" to which she looked at me as if I had 300 heads. I still don't know if I am going to try this milk. It has been a heated debate within my head for several hours now. I am leaning towards yes, or maybe yes and no - which would entail a gurgle or two without swallowing. It's just that I am imagining clumps, which is very unsettling to me.

On an unrelated note, it has been quite interesting to hear what Kenyans think of President Obama. Almost all of them say that he is a good man and they are proud of his Kenyan roots. They still warn however, that he is a U.S president, and so he is naturally detached from their everyday troubles and will serve the U.S interests before anyone else. They are also quite insulted that he has refused to visit Kenya because of "too much corruption." They acknowledge the corruption within their government, but they argue that every nation in the world is filled with corruption themselves - including many nations Obama has already visited. So they take his presidency with a grain of salt. It looks great, and in part it is, but don't get too caught up in the glitz and glamour of it all.

This weekend I will be in Lake Naivasha and Hell's Gate, celebrating 22 years of life on planet Earth. Lake Naivasha is part of West Africa - a region known for its vast wilderness yet only starting to be explored by tourists. Me, Kevin and the eldest son of our family Peter, will all get a hotel on the lake and then take a cab to Hell's Gate, a national park that allows bike riding! We will then find a fun disotech and dance the night away to African music!

Thanks again so much for reading! As I have said before, I still have a ton of things to address about my time here. If any of you are wondering about anything specific, simply ask.

- Tommy

Goats, Weddings and John

I am having so much fun here. Whether it's at work or home, or just walking around, Kenya is getting better and better by the day. And this is why.
Today was the first time I walked to work on my own. I know, that sounds pathetic. But before today, I was still a little intimidated to walk around freely. After all, I am new to the town and other than Kevin and maybe 2 or 3 others - I am the only "Muzungu" in town. So, back to my walk to work...
Walking to work is so special. I first walk upon red dirt paths, as I slowly approach the main road. In the far distance I hear faint rooster crows, which remind me constantly that it is very early in the morning. I often hear many moos, and almost always stumble across wandering goats. Kenyans cycle or drive by me yelling "hi brother" or "how are you!' As I approach the main road, high hills filled with avacado trees and rustic Kenyan villages are exposed to me as they mount the red dirt paths (as you can probably tell I am absolutely crazy about the red dirt paths). Within a few moments, I wave my hand up in the air to catch a Matatu. I am then taken to town for another 15 minutes of walking.
Part of the charm here involves what you see and experience simply by walking around. As I walked towards the railroad tracks on the way to work, two men with a bicycle full of bananas yell "HEY JOHN!" to me. I wasn't quite sure what to be more surprised about. The fact that they assumed my name was John and yelled it, or that they each had a bicycle full of bananas. Either way, I did the polite thing and said "Hi" back, even though for the record, my name has always been Tommy.
Carolyn, the housekeeper in of our home-stay, gave me another nickname. She calls me Kamau (CAHM-OW). It is a name from the famous "Kikuyu" tribe here in Kenya. She said I remind her of a Kikuyu. I didn't know what to think of this. See if you can see the resemblance yourself. When I asked her to clarify this she said, "you are a small man." What an ego stroke.
Today at work I did the usual. I helped register and bill the patients with my coworker Sicily. She is Kikuyu too but she is a woman so she is expected to be small. She is a very nice lady. I took her out to lunch at our favorite place. Fresh dirt-road made french fries, salsa, rice, and a freshly-sliced avacado. Only 60 shillings for the both of us. That is roughly 80 cents. Kenyans are so nice. The cooks offered to carry my plate literally 20 feet to my desk. If I was a British colonialist in the 1930's, I would have happily accepted.
I am becoming great friends with my coworkers. We laugh and talk about anything, and I am absolutely amazed by how close you can become with complete strangers in such a short period of time. I feel 100% comfortable with them. They already want me to stay longer with them and one of them wanted me to come to her daughter's wedding! For the record, I am SO upset that I can't make it to that! Apparently they are all sacrificing a goat before the ceremony by slitting its throat. As much as I hate animal cruelty, I also hate not being able to eat a freshly killed goat. Unfortunately I have to be at a beach resort on the Indian Ocean that day. Clearly my life here is very hard.
Thanks again so much for reading! I have a ton more to share, and will do so in future posts. Among those things....


1. Members of my host family

2. More on the hospital environment

3. My upcoming birthday weekend in West Africa!

4. Indian Ocean trip

5. Safari at the end of this whole thing!

And anything else that happens in between...

WOW!

I aptly entitled this entry "WOW" because so many things here are starting to shock me. Allow me to share some of these experiences with you.
Yesterday a woman was denied treatment because she did not have 20 shillings to pay for it. Twenty shillings is equal to one American quarter. She came back today to pay for it. She had scrounged up 25 cents. It shocked me that such a small amount of money was so unaffordable for somebody. Wow.
Yesterday I glanced at a sheet of prices in my hospital to learn that a pregnancy costs 2,000 shillings. This amount of money is equivalent to buying a cell phone here or in the states, or about 25 dollars. Despite being only 15 dollars, many women can simply not afford this charge. Some stay home and die during childbirth, or their children die, while others get lucky and survive despite never seeking treatment. Wow.
My hospital too, is very poor. Our doctors are poor, our nurses are poor, and every social worker, pastor or maintenance worker is poor too. Our staff has one staff toilet. It is utterly filthy and without toilet paper. Number 1 is your only option.
My coworker drinks water out of a plastic bag. A water bottle is rarely seen in this town. Unless you can afford jugs or bottles of it at the supermarket, you will likely use a bag. Yes, another, "wow" moment.
I had a wonderful time at work today. I helped register patients through our system, which involved manual entries of their names and numbers on the backside of already used scrap paper. I then stamped the time and date on each paper, then handed this paper to the patient who would then wait in an endless line for treatment. I felt very productive. I felt very useful.
At lunch time me and Janet (my friendly Kenyan coworker who works the desk with me) went a few feet outside to grab some lunch. Now, when I say "lunch" do not envision a Subway or a Corner Bakery. We stopped by a woman who had a pan on the dirt road and was using a fire to cook up a fresh lunch. She peeled potatoes, threw them into the pan and made french fries. She then used these fries to top a dish of beans and tomatoes that she made a few minutes earlier. We then bought a fresh avacado to slice over the dish. It tasted absolutely wonderful. Janet goes there every day. I will too now.
One golden rule I am constantly disobeying here is the "don't buy meals on the side of the road" rule. These meals are too good and too authentic to pass down. Plus I got my vaccinations. Polio? Bring it on. Hepatitis A? Hmph. Please. Typhoid? I'll crush your soul. Cholera? Well...let's just hope people are washing their hands after going number 2.
I spoke with Janet about trying to arrange a way I can help the health center once I get back to the states. Seeing people turned down for treatment for so little money is just so unnecessary and frustrating. There is no need for them to be turned down. Countless amount of Americans would hand out a quarter if they knew it could treat a fellow human being, or even save their life. I haven't quite figured out how I am going to help, but I arranged a special meeting with the head of the hospital to work out a way I can. We meet Monday, so I will be sure to update you all on how that goes.
There are several other WOW moments about this place. It has happened many times now, that I feel a small hand grab my arm and look to see a small Kenyan girl beaming with joy and exclaiming "hello" to me. In fact, today a large group of them gathered around me and stared, only to laugh and jump when I smiled and said hello. They are so adorable. Creepy too, but adorable.
The animals around here never cease to amaze me. I have seen goats fighting two days in a row now. They both jump up in the air and land on the ground to butt heads. My coworker said they were just joking around. I didn't know goats had the capacity to joke. Another sighting made me snicker. I was casually looking around the town stores when I saw a chicken wander into a butchery. I had never felt so bad for the fact that chickens are illiterate.
My last "wow" moment involves how candid people here are about race. My coworker today took me to a lunch stand and said "this is for me and Muzungu." (MOO-ZOON-GOO) This means, "this is for me and the white man." In fact, I am constantly referred to as Muzungu. I am not Tommy here. Nope. Not at all. I am "the white man."
Thanks for reading! I'll keep you all posted!

Roosters, AK47s and Proper Gait

It occurred to me earlier that every day in Kenya I have been awoken by a different animal. On day one it was an unrelenting rooster. Day 2 was a quarrel between the neighborhood dogs, followed by a cow who was either really hungry or dying. Either way he was very loud.
After a breakfast of pancakes with plum jam, our family's eldest son Peter walked me to the health center. Peter is a university student studying English literature. He is incredibly articulate and a joy to talk to. He is just like the rest of his family - kind and hospitable.


I toured the health center a day before with Kevin and our coordinator. The center is incredibly overcrowded. Hundreds of people line the benches inside and out of the hospital in anticipation of being cared for. Countless others line the hallways outside of the examination rooms. It is the kind of image Republicans paint for us when they want us to imagine what a health care system would look like if Democrats took over. It was that bad.


I chose to work in the maternity ward for my project mainly because I find that specialty particularly interesting. Almost immediately upon entering the ward, a young lady was carried in by her arms and legs and swung onto a torn-up, barren hospital bed. She had been poisoned by a man who told her he could speed up her pregnancy. Instead he nearly killed her. She was breathing, shaking, and sweating uncontrollably - a telltale sign of an allergic reaction or overdose. Thankfully, IV fluids and the Kenyan equivalent of epinephrine started to stabilize her. Within minutes I hopped into an ambulance with a few staff members and transferred her to a different hospital that was more equipped in dealing with these cases. Some people wake up to Folgers. I wake up to howling farm animals and poisoned Kenyans.

After returning to my health center I sat in on an HIV counseling session. The doctor was advising the Kenyan women on what steps they must take if they are soon to be found HIV positive. It was a sobering meeting no doubt, and I felt the anxiety and tension in the room brewing as each woman's finger got pricked to test for the virus.

Twenty minutes later, each woman entered the examination room one by one to find out their results. Thankfully, none of the women were HIV positive. The doctor's humor may have been a tad misplaced as he revealed the results. He kept joking around, "Are you sure you are negative?" "Check again." It reminded me of this moment during a Family Guy episode. Bad taste. Unnecessary.

For about another hour I took about 20 or so blood pressure readings using a worn-out manual blood pressure cuff. I can't stand manual blood pressure cuffs but it was definitely good practice. I will now be more prepared when my entire hospital has a blackout and needs quick blood pressure readings.

I am now with Kevin at an internet cafe in the downtown area of Kahawa West. We are both excited to go home and stay with our host family. Last night we all taught each other card games. The little girls taught me "AK-47." The game is very simple. The first person to get an Ace a King a 4 and a 7, throws down their cards and goes "AK 47!!!!!!!." I felt like a bad-ass playing that game, even though it was with a deck of cards, not a gun, and I was playing with two grade school Kenyan girls, not gangsters.

Our host family is great fun. They prepare us delicious Kenyan meals and are always so overtly polite. Here is just one example of their politeness: Kevin accidentally walked into a wall and the little girl looked at him and said "Sorry!." I was sorry too. Sorry I had a friend dumb enough to walk into walls.

Both Kevin and I find our work to be quite challenging. We both work within two systems that are structurally flawed beyond belief, underfunded, mismanaged, and incredibly vulnerable to failure. We know there is not much we can do to change any of this. But at least we are doing something, however little it may be, and that contribution, if done by many others as well, will eventually pay off in the long haul.

Thanks so much for reading. There may be many things you have questions about, as I have been told my blog is rather vague. I will be sure to touch base on these things in a future post. I hope this one was a little more detailed for you. Can't wait to see you all when I get back!



TOMMY

Work and Home

Today we moved into our host family's residence. It has been quite the experience. It is a family of 7, with the addition of a housekeeper who makes 8, plus us two which makes 10. The unit is very small and not very well off. We use buckets of water to shower and all food we eat must be prepared first by starting a fire under a large pan. There is an entire backyard full of junk and storage. Stray dogs and goats wander around next to the compound. Needless to say Kevin and I are happy with our home stay. Hell, we're better off here than we were in our junior year apartment. And you all probably think that is an exaggeration....
Despite being the only white people in our village, Kevin and I feel very comfortable. The villagers greet us warmly, often saying "hello" and once saying "wasszzzup." Although they stare at us like we are aliens from space, they welcome our presence, and we feel safe. I feel genuinely safer here than I do in Rogers Park. The Kenyan people are wonderful.
I will update my trip to the hospital in the coming day or so. My lack of available shillings is cutting this post short.

First Day

Here we are! Safe and sound. Kevin and I landed yesterday morning. We were immediately shocked by what we saw on the drive away from the airport. Around us was perhaps one of the poorest slums on the face of the earth. Thousands of Kenyans saturated the grass alongside the street amongst their broken shacks and destroyed cars. Almost all of them were working or selling something. Many lined chairs along the grass to sell. Others hurled gigantic jugs of water over their heads as they walked in the sweltering heat and humidity. It was utter chaos, and both Kevin and I were considerably intimidated to be in that environment. Thankfully, this was nothing like the experiences ahead.

A few hours later Kevin and I tagged along with some other volunteers to a place called "Paradise Lost." The walk there was probably 3 or 4 miles and full of beautiful coffee plantations, green rolling hills, rocky red dirt paths, and fresh clean air. It also made my socks filthy and made my entire foot one giant blister. But it was all worth it.

Upon entering "Paradise Lost" we all got turns to ride a camel. He was stubborn as shit, and wouldn't get up unless his master beat him senselessly with a stick. After a few cruel beatings, he rose, and gave us a fun ride by the lake. We then walked down to a thatched roof bar and had a local "Tuskeer" beer. We sat on chairs facing the lake as a Kenyan man in tribal clothing sang a Swahili song to us. It was a wonderful song, but for all I know he could have been cursing us out.
We walked a long road home, but for part of it we jumped into a "Matatu." Matatus are public transport vans. They are a lot like cabs except for the fact that they cram 20 people into one car who all usually smell a lot like shit. I counted heads in the last van: 20 people. I didn't even have a seat. I sat in between the edge of two people's seats. Actually it was more like 4 people's seats, because two people shared each seat. This is not a way to travel for the everyday claustrophobe.

We returned to our hostel for a nice Kenyan dinner. The two cooks are such friendly ladies and they love to laugh and smile no matter what you say or do. One of them laughed hysterically because I told her squirrels have tails. I wish they were the kind of people who watched my stand up comedy.

Day 1 was amazing. It was the perfect way to experience Kenya. Words themselves do no justice, so I will be eager to eventually post pictures (probably when I return to the states) so that these experiences will become more real for those who are not here. Thanks for reading.

Dubai Dubai Dubai

At around 8:30 PM local time, Kevin and I landed here in Dubai International Airport. The view from the plane was a bit uninspiring but the airport itself is quite impressive. Aside from a free internet cafe, it is filled with tall palm trees, Indian and Thai restaurants, and a wide variety of stores selling anything from Arabic jewelry to little camel dolls that seem to have no particular use other than letting you say you just bought a little camel doll.
Kevin and I heard that Dubai is known for its Indian and Thai cuisine. As we strolled by the food court we decided to bypass the tempting McArabia burger at Mcdonalds, and instead ate some samosas and curry chicken with rice. It was wonderful but we are going to pay for it later in the men's room. Thank God for cipro. We are going to need it.
I have never felt like such a tourist, and I have been a tourist many times in my life. As soon as Kevin and I were handed our dinners, we rummaged through our backpacks to grab our cameras. We snapped photos of the plate like the paparazzi snaps photos of Lindsay Lohan after she walks out of a rehab center. It made me feel weird doing that, but I just had to capture the pic of the samosa to rub it in Michaela's face when I get home.
In a few hours, we will be en route to Kenya via Kenya Airways. Five hours later, we will finally arrive in Kenya. I hope to keep you all posted once we get there. Thanks very much for reading. Can't wait to see you all when I get back!

- Tommy