Poopin Kenyan Style

What a BEAUTIFUL day we’ve got going on here!

For the most part, Kenyan life has been going pretty well. My family is great. I’m learning a lot of KSL and a bit of swahili. But training can be EXTREMELY frustrating. However, this is expected as I’ve never heard from any volunteer that they actually enjoyed the training.

This morning I went for a little walk and I mapped out a good route for running. This was the first time that I actually had time to explore the area around my neighborhood. I would’ve like to have found a nice secluded area to write some letters but I got sick of everyone staring at me and went home. There are times when I really like to get out of the house (right now being a good example as my youngest brother is wailing like a baby in the other room) but then I have to deal with all of the staring. Like this morning, I was walking down the road and a bunch of kids ran up to me saying “howru!?” Farmers will see me coming and they will drop whatever they’re doing to just stare at me as I approach, as I’m passing, and as I’m leaving. I’ve somewhat gotten used to it but sometimes people are in a dead stare for the longest time. It will really get out of hand when I am at my site and I will be the only white person for miles.

I should explain the finer details of living in Kenya. One of the most significant change, if not the most, is “poopin kenyan style.” It is fairly straightforward because the is no mechanism involved at all. There is no handle to flush, or seat to put back down for the ladies, or a nice bowl with a seat to sit on relax and read and spend the whole freaking day reading (yes, this means you dave). I never miss America as much as I do when I first open the choo door and get a whiff of all the waste that lies beneath the floor. These things are disgusting.

I have gotten used to the choo and I figure I’ll at least have stronger legs after two years of squatting. If its the middle of the night and I have to go, I’ll have to grab my headlamp, unlock the padlock on the back door of the house, put on some slippers walk across the mud and relieve myself. The other night I made the biggest mistake of peering down the whole with the light of my headlamp. I mean, come on you gotta be curious as to how deep the thing is. Sometimes I feel like a snake is just gonna pop outta there and take a bite out of my you-know- what. Thankfully, I have not encountered such an event. However, a week ago when I was making a late night trip I came face to face with a wild dog.

The wild dogs are everywhere, but I’m just a little paranoid about them, because we were told by our doctor that rabies is one of the many diseases widespread in Africa and that it is 100% fatal. “If you get it, you’re a goner.” That night I just stood there staring into his eyes, which were a glowing green from the light of my headlamp. After a minute he just walked away as they usually do…whew. My new best friend here was telling us on the first night with his host family he could not find his way out of the house, so he had to urinate in a bottle. Well, sure enough one night the same thing happened to me. I could not figure out how to unlock the door to let myself out of the house, so I figured if Paul can do it I can do it.

The home stay experience is going quite well. The boys are a lot of fun and my parents are very laid back. The other trainees came by on Sunday morning to practice sign language but mostly we all just wanted to get out of going to church (church service is five hours here!!). So my family ended up making all of us lunch which was very nice of them. We also have a nanny who watches over the boys all day and takes care of the house. Every time I come home from training she’ll make some tea and/or coffee and/or porridge and/or chai and/or hot chocolate. This is nice but sometimes, I just want to relax in my room. After five minutes she’ll knock on the door, “Matthew! Come have tea!.” Not long after that she’ll be like “Matthew, go take a shower.” A shower of course consist of a bucket of lukewarm water.

In other news, I have recently purchased a mobile phone which can access the internet. I am told that somehow I can pair up the phone with my laptop and use it as a modem, but until then I probably won’t respond to your emails or be able to blog as much as I’d like to. I still read the emails on my phone, so keep them coming…

I frequently check up on the news and I take pleasure in knowing how cold it is back home. I also find myself checking ESPN several times a day hoping to be shocked by the news of CC Sabathia resigning with the Brewers.

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!