A weeks worth of babbling

Sorry it’s been a week since I last wrote, but it’s been busy. Sort of. Let’s work backwards.

Saturday
Neil, Ephy, her three children, and I went to Kisumu. When we went last month to buy a bunch of stationary supplies, something happened to one of the bags. We went to go ask if they still had it or if things were put back in stock, but eventually Ephy just accused the staff of theft. Needless to say it was an infuriating and fruitless trip. The man tried to convince us the problem was with our staff. He promised to start an investigation, and I asked for his card and name, assuming that if I call him every couple of days to inquire, eventually something might actually get done. I doubt it.

After this we went to the museum. It had a snake pit (most of them surprising small, all local, and all totally venomous, of course. I am rethinking plans to visit the Kakamega Forest, to be sure.), a crocodile enclosure with two large but sleepy crocodiles (I had to reassure Ephy that they could not jump high enough to get out of the cage.), a fresh water aquarium (that looked like a pet store, as Neil pointed out), a room with exhibits about the history of the people of Western Kenya that was interesting but not hugely specific (for example, they have used tools ‘since the earliest time’.), and a traditional Lua homestead, a small village looking thing, that we were all too hungry to visit, which is a shame, but I figure we see pretty close to the real thing every time we go out in the field.

We went to lunch at Mon Ami, a restaurant behind the huge supermarket that we go to for our food, as it is the only one with imported stuff that almost tastes like home. The restaurant had really great iced coffee, which was such a treat. Who could imagine missing Tim Horton’s? I’m surprised, but when you can’t get a cup of coffee to save your life, you start to miss things like that. Don’t even get me started on Starbucks. Mmmm….. frapachinos… mmmm…

Anyway, we had a good lunch there, and Ephy had a meeting right after, so Neil and I looked after the kids for an hour and a bit. (We’re turning into regular baby sitters out here.) First we went into the store to look at bathing suits (as these are the kids I’m going to be teaching to swim soon), and of course they also got distracted by the toys. It was so nice at that age, to be enthralled by something as simple as a little doll. Now you have to spend $100 on something shiny to make me happy.

We also took the kids to a (play-per-use!) playground, and they drove some cars around a track (and off the track a couple of times in the youngest one’s case), and played on swings and slides and everything. I found it ridiculously hot, but they were having a great time. Their mom called to let us know she was back, and we headed in the buy the suits for the kids, and to get groceries for Neil and I. It’s kind of expensive, since when we go we’re looking for the stuff we can’t get here in Kakamega, like sliced deli meat and cheese, butter, bacon, and that sort of thing. I figure if we only go once or twice a month, and then spend almost nothing here, getting vegetables from the market is dirt cheap, then we shouldn’t have any troubles.

After that we went home, watched ‘Erin Brokovich’ on the TV, had some potato and leek soup (from a mix, no blenders here), and went to bed. Neil’s allergies have been giving him a hard time, so I gave him to Benadryl, and he was out like a light. I envied him, as the people below us argued well into the night, and then started again around 7 am. When the rooster outside our window joined in I put in my ear plugs.

Friday, or the day we played games and realized I am 20% psychic.
I was sick again, so Neil and I took the day off. I figured it was something I ate, and just stayed in bed or the bathroom all day. Again Neil took awesome care of me, getting me ginger ale when I asked for it, and making sure I ate. There was a wicked thunderstorm that knocked out the power for over twelve hours, meaning we had to clean out our fridge on Saturday, but that was ok because it meant we could fit all the new food in.

After the rain stopped Neil went to the restaurant to drink tea and work on the computer by candle light, and I stayed in bed reading with a flashlight. That was pretty much the most productive point of the day.

Thursday
Went to work, did work things, walked home, and watched some of Season One ‘Prison Break’, which Neil bought at a DVD and tape stand, then went to bed. It was a simple day.

Wednesday, or “Play That Funky Music White Boy” night.
The American family next door left on Thursday, so on Wednesday night they invited us to dinner to thank us for watching their kids, and to a dance part at their place. I honestly don’t think there is anything I can write that will do justice to this party. The mom made chocolate chip cookies, which was awesome and Neil ate a whole bunch, since they’ve become a novelty to us (we have a stove top, but no oven, so we can’t do it ourselves, and they mostly sell biscuits here, not cookies, which is a shame.), and then they put on oldies music, and the dancing began. Well, not for the little guy, he was sleepy and just lay on the couch, only popping up to eat cookies as they were brought fresh to the coffee table.

Honestly, just watching the three adults and the daughter dance, Neil and I were exhausted. And, not going to lie, it was pretty surreal, standing in this apartment with almost strangers, eating cookies, and watching them rock out to Cyndi Lopper. And I mean ‘rock out’. There was much singing along, flailing of the arms and legs, and throwing of oneself to the floor. Think of every action possible for the song “I Will Survive”….. Picturing it? Times it by ten, and that was what we were watching. I spent most of the evening with my mouth dropped open.
We finally begged off after 11, and went right to bed, so very tired, and needing to get up for work early.

Tuesday
On Tuesday we had an unusual offer from a British Evangelical preacher. He and his wife were going back to England for two months, and offered to let us stay in their house. They took us right to see it, and it was quite nice, a big kitchen, living room, and dining room, and three bedrooms. It was located in Kelfinco Estates, which, he explained to us in a low voice, is where all the Asians live, all the shop keepers, (who are actually Indian, but for some reason have always been referred to as Asian in Kenya), and so the Estate is where all the money is. Very safe, he assured us, very nice neighborhood. And it was; it was a little subdivision, with a bunch of guards, closed gates, and high fences. Even in the ‘safe’ areas here you know you’re in a different, very violent and dangerous, country.

The man was annoying. There is no other way to put it. He had us sit down in the living room and kept talking, or as he put it, “sharing with us”. He was also a bit racist. He talked at length about the corruption at every level, and how the “Kenyans aren’t the brightest people.” Did I mention that his wife, who was now in the kitchen making him dinner, was born and raised in Kakamega? It was discouraging to learn though, that despite his being here for as long as he has, people still prefer “what is in his pocket, not what’s in his heart.” I had hoped that the endless asking for money and assuming that we can pay three times something’s worth, simply because we are white, would stop once people had gotten used to us. Apparently it never stops.

Anyway, they were willing to let us have the place for what they pay, which is less than our guesthouse. Neil was very taken with the offer; mostly I think he wanted couches that he fits it, which do not exist at the guesthouse. I suggested we not even think about it until the next day.
We discussed it over breakfast, and I listed my reasons why I didn’t want to do it. He listed his reasons why he wanted to, and then suggested we simply rent both. I listed my reasons why I didn’t want to do that either. So, we stopped talking about it until lunch, which was about the same. And then at dinner with the American family he got the men to back him up, and one of them did, but one of them sided with me. So, eventually, Neil conceded, and we’re still at the guest house.

(And if you’re wondering why I didn’t want to do it, it basically came down to the inconvenience of moving, the fact that I feel safe here, that the people know us and help us, that we get a good free breakfast every morning, that I don’t have to do any of the cleaning, and that we get new sheets on the beds every Monday night, none of which would happen in the house. I have the rest of my life to clean; I would like to take advantage of this time when I don’t have to. Plus, they give us toilet paper here, and cost of the amount we use when we’re ill probably amounts to the difference in the cost between the two places.)

Monday
I don’t remember Monday… I assume it was boring. I designed a bunch of business cards to show to Ephy for the marketing campaign we’re working on for CABDA… and that might actually be it…

Well, there you have it, a sum up of my week. I hope everyone at home is doing well!
Lots of love,
Courtney