...just kidding. :) wouldn't that be just terrible though?
i just thought i'd write a quick note to let everyone know i am safely out of kenya and back in the States. i'm staying at a hotel in new york overnight (i have an actual bed...and a TV? and no mosquito net to fall down on me in the middle of the night. whats up with that?!)
i'll be in cinci by 8:30 tomorrow morning and head straight from the airport to cbus for classes (how awful). but then i'm coming back to cincinnati for the weekend to catch up on sleep and OF COURSE more importantly catch up with the fam.
well, seeing as my wakeup call is in 3 hours i should probably get to bed! hopefully i can finally fill everyone in on everything in the next couple of days!
ps - i miss kenya terribly
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
election news!! (sorry it's long...and maybe even boring to you)
oh my goodness i can't even believe i made it to a computer. finally. as much as i am DYING to talk about all of the amazing things i've done the past week and a half, i feel like most of you may be more intersted (or concerned) about what is going on now. the fun stories will have to wait until next time.
i have no idea if it's made national news and if it has how much has been covered, but things are a bit crazy around here. way more than a bit. the presidential elections were held on the 27th and it was pretty intense. two of the main candidates (Raila and Kibaki) had the country really divided and even before the voting began there was a lot of tension. it was so interesting to be here to see all of that firsthand. even the family i am staying with (the directors of the orphanage) was divided, as the mom and three daughters strongly supported Kibaki and the father (who i actually still haven't met as he had been in Western Kenya campaigning for Raila and is now stuck there until things calm down) and the son were very passionate about Raila.
anyways, as predicted the race was very tight, but Raila had seemed to be holding a steady lead throughout as the results were coming in. all of the Kibaki supporters i talked to were very disappointed (some even terrified for their country) but no one was angry or violent or any of that. they had all kind of come to accept that they had lost and Raila would be the next President. however the third day or so, the results began to swing the other way in Kibaki's favor and trouble began. even though Raila was still leading, his supporters started to get very nervous and as a result began to cause a lot of trouble.
for those who don't know, there are 42 (i think?) tribes in Kenya. and all of them are very proud to be a part of the group that they are in. as a result, it is not uncommon for their to be some tension between tribes. and in this case, it really made thigns get dangerous. the Kikuyu tribe is the largest and is the tribe that Kibaki is a part of. as a result, most Kikuyos backed him. Raila however is part of the Luau tribe (sorry about these spellings...) and so of course the Luau people strongly backed him. unfortunately, the Luau people are known to be a little more violent than most. so not many were surprised when things quickly escalated as the votes began to turn in Kibakis favor.
there was a period of one or two days when people had to wait for the votes to be counted in the last couple provinces that would determine the election's outcome, so of course during this time as people waited anxiously, things only got worse. there were shootings and cars being set on fire in the streets, people throwing large rocks (or pretty much anything they could get their hands on) not really caring who they hit, and basically just total chaos. it was actually really frightening. many people have been killed and so many more severely injured. i still have a hard time believing it happened (and is still happening). even in the areas that werent quite as bad, there was still a lot of tension. so much so that even i, who (to my parents' worries especially in situations like this) generally never thinks that i am ever in any danger, was pretty nervous.
when the final results came out, things somehow managed to get worse, as Kibaki was declared the winner by a very small number of votes. people just went nuts. riots got so dangerous that the government forbid the news from airing any more live coverage, as they didnt want to add to the chaos with panic by everyone else. as frightening as it may have been to watch the coverage, it was almost more reassuring to me when i could see it and know where things were happening. before, the news was on 24/7 in the house, but since coverage was restricted, i haven't seen the news on more than once. it's just so weird to think that all of this is happening and people in their homes aren't really sure of exactly what might be going on.
not only is the fighting dangerous, but it really makes life difficult for everyone in the country. all stores and markets have been shut down (as any stores open during the riots were looted). without a way to get food or other items they might need, people are really struggling. yesterday, Jane (the director of the orphanage) travelled hours to the only market that was opened and she said the line was out of the door with people waiting to get in.
i've heard that today things have gotten a bit calmer, which is good. however, tomorrow Raila plans to hold a rally in downtown Nairobi, so things are bound to get bad again. fortunately (and unfortunately) my flight leaves tomorrow. i will get out before the rally begins, but i'm a little worried that things might be a little more difficult than they would be otherwise (don't worry mom and dad, i will be fine). because of that, i'm leaving for the airport by 5 AM tomorrow (5 hours before my flight) just to make sure i get there. i'm positive that's a little excessive, but i'm not going to take any chances seeing as if there's one place i'd hate to be stuck at MORE than the London airport right now, it would be in Nairobi.
it's weird to look back on all of the experiences i had before all of this craziness started. from the first day i was here, i was so overwhelmed by the people here. everyone i met was so friendly and welcoming and it was so apparent that they were very proud of their country and wanted me to see that and leave loving it just as much. now, with all this going on, it kind of seems unreal. after being welcomed with such kindness and developing such a great admiration for the genuiness of people here, it seems surreal to be leaving the country in the state that it's in. every Kenyan person i met had such a peaceful way about them. so the fact that there is such hatred and violence going on right now is really hard for me to believe. i really hope that the problems can be resolved quickly so that the division that has been created can be overcome and life can get back to normal for the people here.
well, that's all i have time for today. i'm hoping to get to a computer in new york (or maybe even in the Nairobi airport as i will hopefully have a ton of time to kill before my flight). i hope everyone had a great christmas! i can't wait to see/talk to you all soon.
i have no idea if it's made national news and if it has how much has been covered, but things are a bit crazy around here. way more than a bit. the presidential elections were held on the 27th and it was pretty intense. two of the main candidates (Raila and Kibaki) had the country really divided and even before the voting began there was a lot of tension. it was so interesting to be here to see all of that firsthand. even the family i am staying with (the directors of the orphanage) was divided, as the mom and three daughters strongly supported Kibaki and the father (who i actually still haven't met as he had been in Western Kenya campaigning for Raila and is now stuck there until things calm down) and the son were very passionate about Raila.
anyways, as predicted the race was very tight, but Raila had seemed to be holding a steady lead throughout as the results were coming in. all of the Kibaki supporters i talked to were very disappointed (some even terrified for their country) but no one was angry or violent or any of that. they had all kind of come to accept that they had lost and Raila would be the next President. however the third day or so, the results began to swing the other way in Kibaki's favor and trouble began. even though Raila was still leading, his supporters started to get very nervous and as a result began to cause a lot of trouble.
for those who don't know, there are 42 (i think?) tribes in Kenya. and all of them are very proud to be a part of the group that they are in. as a result, it is not uncommon for their to be some tension between tribes. and in this case, it really made thigns get dangerous. the Kikuyu tribe is the largest and is the tribe that Kibaki is a part of. as a result, most Kikuyos backed him. Raila however is part of the Luau tribe (sorry about these spellings...) and so of course the Luau people strongly backed him. unfortunately, the Luau people are known to be a little more violent than most. so not many were surprised when things quickly escalated as the votes began to turn in Kibakis favor.
there was a period of one or two days when people had to wait for the votes to be counted in the last couple provinces that would determine the election's outcome, so of course during this time as people waited anxiously, things only got worse. there were shootings and cars being set on fire in the streets, people throwing large rocks (or pretty much anything they could get their hands on) not really caring who they hit, and basically just total chaos. it was actually really frightening. many people have been killed and so many more severely injured. i still have a hard time believing it happened (and is still happening). even in the areas that werent quite as bad, there was still a lot of tension. so much so that even i, who (to my parents' worries especially in situations like this) generally never thinks that i am ever in any danger, was pretty nervous.
when the final results came out, things somehow managed to get worse, as Kibaki was declared the winner by a very small number of votes. people just went nuts. riots got so dangerous that the government forbid the news from airing any more live coverage, as they didnt want to add to the chaos with panic by everyone else. as frightening as it may have been to watch the coverage, it was almost more reassuring to me when i could see it and know where things were happening. before, the news was on 24/7 in the house, but since coverage was restricted, i haven't seen the news on more than once. it's just so weird to think that all of this is happening and people in their homes aren't really sure of exactly what might be going on.
not only is the fighting dangerous, but it really makes life difficult for everyone in the country. all stores and markets have been shut down (as any stores open during the riots were looted). without a way to get food or other items they might need, people are really struggling. yesterday, Jane (the director of the orphanage) travelled hours to the only market that was opened and she said the line was out of the door with people waiting to get in.
i've heard that today things have gotten a bit calmer, which is good. however, tomorrow Raila plans to hold a rally in downtown Nairobi, so things are bound to get bad again. fortunately (and unfortunately) my flight leaves tomorrow. i will get out before the rally begins, but i'm a little worried that things might be a little more difficult than they would be otherwise (don't worry mom and dad, i will be fine). because of that, i'm leaving for the airport by 5 AM tomorrow (5 hours before my flight) just to make sure i get there. i'm positive that's a little excessive, but i'm not going to take any chances seeing as if there's one place i'd hate to be stuck at MORE than the London airport right now, it would be in Nairobi.
it's weird to look back on all of the experiences i had before all of this craziness started. from the first day i was here, i was so overwhelmed by the people here. everyone i met was so friendly and welcoming and it was so apparent that they were very proud of their country and wanted me to see that and leave loving it just as much. now, with all this going on, it kind of seems unreal. after being welcomed with such kindness and developing such a great admiration for the genuiness of people here, it seems surreal to be leaving the country in the state that it's in. every Kenyan person i met had such a peaceful way about them. so the fact that there is such hatred and violence going on right now is really hard for me to believe. i really hope that the problems can be resolved quickly so that the division that has been created can be overcome and life can get back to normal for the people here.
well, that's all i have time for today. i'm hoping to get to a computer in new york (or maybe even in the Nairobi airport as i will hopefully have a ton of time to kill before my flight). i hope everyone had a great christmas! i can't wait to see/talk to you all soon.
Friday, December 28, 2007
don't worry...i'm still alive :)
hey everyone! sorry i haven't been able to write in so long...things have been really crazy. actually, they still are. i only have a minute, but i thought i'd let everyone know things are still going great! really great. i'm at father john's right now (i'm with him for the weekend...an amazing vacation away from 24/7 babies - even though i love it). i should be able to get to a computer on sunday or monday and fill everyone in on what has been going on (SOOO much since last time i wrote). i hope everyone had a great christmas!!!!
Thursday, December 20, 2007
I wish I had more time!!!
Hey again! I'm back! And I have money. Phew! (Mom and Dad, you can now breathe easy....or easier i guess :) )
Things are still going great! I actually had my last lesson with Edith today. I can't believe how much i've learned in just these few days. It's a lot more fun to be in the city and actually be able to understand what people are saying. And even more fun when I can surprise them and actually respond back with Kiswahili!
Nairobi is such a cool city. Downtown is a lot different than I had expected it to be. It's actually a lot like the big cities in America (only a lot of street vendors and a LOT more people). We came into town to exchange some money and to buy a SIM card to put in my phone so that I could keep in touch with Edith and Pastor Ian and the other girls I'm staying with this week once we all leave for our different projects on Sunday.
Tonight we're cooking dinner for everyone (Laura, Becky, and I). I'm not sure how it's going to go, seeing as we still havent decided what we're making...not to mention i'm not the greatest of cooks But it will be fun. There is a woman who lives at the house named Esther who usually cooks for us. She is one of the sweetest most kind-hearted people I have ever met. Just so gentle-natured and always smiling. She told us that in exchange for us cooking dinner, she would teach us how to cook some of the meals she has made. Hopefully she doesn't decide to take that back once she tastes what we end up throwing together. :)
Tomorrow we are going to spend the day visiting different places (parks, bomas - I'll explain this more later, and other fun places). I'm really excited. We also found out today that on Saturday we will be going to the wedding of one of Edith's friends. I really can't wait! And feel so lucky that we will get to experience that.
Well that's all the time I have for now! I still haven't talked about the Matatu (for those who have no idea what the heck this Matatu thing is I keep mentioning, it's kind of like a bus...only not at all)...fortunately the story will be even more exciting as on our way here today, our Matatu broke down! Hopefully something else will happen on the way home and I'll hae even more to share. :)
Kwaheri! :)
Things are still going great! I actually had my last lesson with Edith today. I can't believe how much i've learned in just these few days. It's a lot more fun to be in the city and actually be able to understand what people are saying. And even more fun when I can surprise them and actually respond back with Kiswahili!
Nairobi is such a cool city. Downtown is a lot different than I had expected it to be. It's actually a lot like the big cities in America (only a lot of street vendors and a LOT more people). We came into town to exchange some money and to buy a SIM card to put in my phone so that I could keep in touch with Edith and Pastor Ian and the other girls I'm staying with this week once we all leave for our different projects on Sunday.
Tonight we're cooking dinner for everyone (Laura, Becky, and I). I'm not sure how it's going to go, seeing as we still havent decided what we're making...not to mention i'm not the greatest of cooks But it will be fun. There is a woman who lives at the house named Esther who usually cooks for us. She is one of the sweetest most kind-hearted people I have ever met. Just so gentle-natured and always smiling. She told us that in exchange for us cooking dinner, she would teach us how to cook some of the meals she has made. Hopefully she doesn't decide to take that back once she tastes what we end up throwing together. :)
Tomorrow we are going to spend the day visiting different places (parks, bomas - I'll explain this more later, and other fun places). I'm really excited. We also found out today that on Saturday we will be going to the wedding of one of Edith's friends. I really can't wait! And feel so lucky that we will get to experience that.
Well that's all the time I have for now! I still haven't talked about the Matatu (for those who have no idea what the heck this Matatu thing is I keep mentioning, it's kind of like a bus...only not at all)...fortunately the story will be even more exciting as on our way here today, our Matatu broke down! Hopefully something else will happen on the way home and I'll hae even more to share. :)
Kwaheri! :)
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Far Away from London...Finally!!!
Hey everyone! So I finally made it to Nairobi. While there is quite the dramatic story I could tell, my time is pretty limited as I am in a Cybercafe in the city with only 50 shillings to my name (it's a Kenyan holiday - they have those when it can make things more difficult for me it seems - so I haven't been able to exchange any money). I'm watching the time tick away and the money I owe add up, so I'll have to make this quick.
I just wanted to let everyone know that I made it in one piece. Like i said, London was pretty much just terrible. However, I'm sure that when I look back on this trip, my troubles in London will be the last thing I remember. In a way, I'm kind of glad I went through it all. No matter how miserable my 36+ hours there may have ended up being, all I know is that once I finally held my plane ticket to Nairobi in my hand, I couldn't have possibly felt greater feelings of excitement, relief, and complete happiness. (Even if I could only feel those feelings for a second, as I was instructed to sprint to security and through the huge Heathrow airport to find my gate with only 35 minutes to takeoff and 5 minutes from when the gate would close...) But all that matters is I made it! It wasn't until I sat down in my seat that it finally sunk in that I was actually going to Kenya. After months of planning and years of dreaming, it was finally real. I took a deep breath (the first good one since I had been in London :) ) and smiled the biggest smile I ever have.
The flight was awesome. I ended up sitting between 2 guys from Nairobi whose band had actually just been named "The Most Talented Band in the World" by the BBC network. They were so much fun. I hooked them up with some Tabloid magazines and they hooked me up with some great information and a lot of Swahili (including telling me NOT to say 'Jambo' unless I wanted to look like a total tourist - as if my appearance doesnt give that away already...). They were so friendly and really gave me a good feeling about where I was headed. When they heard what I was going there to do, they were so encouraging. I wish I had written down some of things they had said about the beauty of the people in Kenya, but everything they shared made me more excited to get there and even more confident about my choice to do this. I really feel so lucky to have met them. The flight flew by and was over before I knew it. However not before I got to see the sunrise. It was the most beautiful sight I have ever seen. I wish I could explain it, but nothing I could say would ever do it justice. The horizon began with the brightest orange and faded to a deep deep purple. It was amazing.
Anyways, enough about London and the flight. I'm sure you'll all be happy (and some maybe even surprised) to know that Pastor Ian actually does exist! And he actually showed up at the airport to get me. Not only does he exist, but he is truly amazing. He has the biggest smile I have ever seen. He was very friendly and I felt welcomed and comfortable immediately. I found at that I am actually staying at a hostel that he runs with his family for my week of orientation. His family is just as amazing as he is. His wife, Edith, teaches us classes and is so sweet. And they have 3 children, all of which are just beautiful. I really feel comfortable there and completely safe. There are 2 other girls with me at the hostel right now, Laura and Becky. They are also very nice and it has been fun going through all ofthis with them. I have learned so much in the past 2 days from Edith. Yesterday I had to have a double session to catch up with the other girls since I missed the first day of class. So after another day of class, I feel like my brain just might explode, although my Swahili is really improving so it's all worth it.
Unfortunately, I am pretty much out of time. But I have so much more I wish I could share about my time here so far (including my first Mutatu ride...oh my goodness was it fun)! I guess it will have to wait until next time. Hopefully I'll have a chance to write again in the next couple of days! I just wanted to let you all know I'm here and safe and LOVING IT!
ps - for those who have emailed THANKS! I proooomise I'll get back to youu next time. When I have the money to do it. ;) I love you all!
I just wanted to let everyone know that I made it in one piece. Like i said, London was pretty much just terrible. However, I'm sure that when I look back on this trip, my troubles in London will be the last thing I remember. In a way, I'm kind of glad I went through it all. No matter how miserable my 36+ hours there may have ended up being, all I know is that once I finally held my plane ticket to Nairobi in my hand, I couldn't have possibly felt greater feelings of excitement, relief, and complete happiness. (Even if I could only feel those feelings for a second, as I was instructed to sprint to security and through the huge Heathrow airport to find my gate with only 35 minutes to takeoff and 5 minutes from when the gate would close...) But all that matters is I made it! It wasn't until I sat down in my seat that it finally sunk in that I was actually going to Kenya. After months of planning and years of dreaming, it was finally real. I took a deep breath (the first good one since I had been in London :) ) and smiled the biggest smile I ever have.
The flight was awesome. I ended up sitting between 2 guys from Nairobi whose band had actually just been named "The Most Talented Band in the World" by the BBC network. They were so much fun. I hooked them up with some Tabloid magazines and they hooked me up with some great information and a lot of Swahili (including telling me NOT to say 'Jambo' unless I wanted to look like a total tourist - as if my appearance doesnt give that away already...). They were so friendly and really gave me a good feeling about where I was headed. When they heard what I was going there to do, they were so encouraging. I wish I had written down some of things they had said about the beauty of the people in Kenya, but everything they shared made me more excited to get there and even more confident about my choice to do this. I really feel so lucky to have met them. The flight flew by and was over before I knew it. However not before I got to see the sunrise. It was the most beautiful sight I have ever seen. I wish I could explain it, but nothing I could say would ever do it justice. The horizon began with the brightest orange and faded to a deep deep purple. It was amazing.
Anyways, enough about London and the flight. I'm sure you'll all be happy (and some maybe even surprised) to know that Pastor Ian actually does exist! And he actually showed up at the airport to get me. Not only does he exist, but he is truly amazing. He has the biggest smile I have ever seen. He was very friendly and I felt welcomed and comfortable immediately. I found at that I am actually staying at a hostel that he runs with his family for my week of orientation. His family is just as amazing as he is. His wife, Edith, teaches us classes and is so sweet. And they have 3 children, all of which are just beautiful. I really feel comfortable there and completely safe. There are 2 other girls with me at the hostel right now, Laura and Becky. They are also very nice and it has been fun going through all ofthis with them. I have learned so much in the past 2 days from Edith. Yesterday I had to have a double session to catch up with the other girls since I missed the first day of class. So after another day of class, I feel like my brain just might explode, although my Swahili is really improving so it's all worth it.
Unfortunately, I am pretty much out of time. But I have so much more I wish I could share about my time here so far (including my first Mutatu ride...oh my goodness was it fun)! I guess it will have to wait until next time. Hopefully I'll have a chance to write again in the next couple of days! I just wanted to let you all know I'm here and safe and LOVING IT!
ps - for those who have emailed THANKS! I proooomise I'll get back to youu next time. When I have the money to do it. ;) I love you all!
Monday, December 17, 2007
Layover in Londonnn
London was amazingly beautiful! Actually, it still is. I'm stuck here still...
I'm currently in London's airport. I wish I could say the same for my bags (they were lost somewhere between New York and here). It's been a disasterous 24 hours or so, but at this point I'm on standby for a flight that leaves tonight around 7. According to my new best friends at the airline's customer service, as of this morning they thought I had a fairly good chance to get on it - although they may have just said that because I looked like an absolute wreck. :) Don't worry, I'm not a wreck anymore. Life is good...I'm just crossing my fingers now. Hopefully, hopefully, hopefully it all works out! I have a feeling it will...and if not I have a feeling it will eventually. By now, I'm kind of starting to feel at home here. So if worst comes to worse, I guess I could just live in the airport. :)
Hopefully the next time I have a chance to get on here I will be writing from Nairobi!!!! Hopefully.
I'm currently in London's airport. I wish I could say the same for my bags (they were lost somewhere between New York and here). It's been a disasterous 24 hours or so, but at this point I'm on standby for a flight that leaves tonight around 7. According to my new best friends at the airline's customer service, as of this morning they thought I had a fairly good chance to get on it - although they may have just said that because I looked like an absolute wreck. :) Don't worry, I'm not a wreck anymore. Life is good...I'm just crossing my fingers now. Hopefully, hopefully, hopefully it all works out! I have a feeling it will...and if not I have a feeling it will eventually. By now, I'm kind of starting to feel at home here. So if worst comes to worse, I guess I could just live in the airport. :)
Hopefully the next time I have a chance to get on here I will be writing from Nairobi!!!! Hopefully.
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