6 More Real Weeks

Now that I am preparing to finish work (one month left!), pack up and leave Kenya, I am starting to think about the things that I am really excited to see and do when I am back home.  Life here is pretty good, but Minnesota is home to some things that just cannot be replicated no matter how hard I try.  I have made a little list so that you can all doubly appreciate these wondrous things.

11.      Target.  Need I say more?  I’m fairly certain this was also on the top of my America list when I was in Guatemala.  Target is just the best.  Nakumatt tries, but simply does not match up.

22.      24-hour food.  Sometimes I get hungry after 9 pm, due to the fact that I am a human.  In Rongai, that means I am screwed.  Trust me, I have tried.  I have searched every corner of this town and after 8:30 or so, Pizza Inn closes and I am out of luck.

a.       Late-night food delivery.  That Pizza Inn at 8:30 also involves a 20-minute bus ride into the middle of Rongai.

b.      Via a mobile app.  Sometimes you just don’t feel like talking to another person, ya know? I AM NOT ASHAMED

33.       Various foods at the Bulldog NE.  Namely, the deep-fried caramel roll, but also including chicken and waffles (yes, I am willing to wait longer), pork belly tacos, and truffle fries.  These items cannot be duplicated.

44.       Reliably hot shower.  Hot water hours seem to run around 10 am- 3 pm, so If I come home filthy after a day of riding public transit and I work before ten the next day, I am going to smell.  Yes, I could take a cold shower.  No, I do not like it.  And as many of you know, I don’t often do things I don’t like.  Them’s the facts, folks. 

55.       Anonymity.  Having MZUNGU yelled at me whenever I go out gets a little old.  There are plenty of white people/foreigners/Kenyan Cowboys around Karen and Nairobi, but I am a bit of a rare breed here in Rongai.  My friends say walking with me through town and being stared at/ talked to is the weirdest experience.  I don’t feel unsafe and it is just a nuisance, but sometimes I just want to be ignored/ go out in my pajamas without feeling out of place.

I'll check in soon with 5 things I will miss the most!

6 weeks to go

Final 6 Weeks (of work!)

I am finally done traveling and have some time to work in the Nairobi area before I leave.  I’m trying to take advantage of what I have here in Rongai and see some new things, meet some new people, etc.

I googled around on the internet and found an organization for deaf livelihoods really close to my house, so I checked that out last week.  I met some other expats working there and discovered that they have a craft shop where a group of artisans makes beautiful jewelry.  I ordered a custom bracelet and get to pick it up this week!  It was cool to see a well-run organization just about a mile from my house that I never knew was there.

I also explored a tailor in town and got a really nice suit jacket made for about 7 dollars.  I think I am going to overwhelm them with orders for the rest of my trip.  As you know, I have amassed quite the collection of fabric since I arrived here.  

I am also working on getting the Raspberry Pi set up for school use, which involves getting some equipment such as a TV screen.  I am trying to keep this as cheap as possible, so that the project can be scaled up to our other projects.  This involves taking a friend into town and hiding while they haggle for the best price.  Otherwise I will get a mzungu price, which might be twice as expensive. 

I’ll let you know what treasures I find.

Lodwar Video

For the second week in a row, I'm posting an Erin-eye view of what the town around one of my sites looks like.  Enjoy Lodwar, in the north of Kenya!

Western by Bike

It's a video blog!  Today I want to show you what the area of western Kenya that I work in looks look, from the viewpoint of a boda boda.

Enjoy!