Being Taira In Kenya

Jumbo to everyone! Thank you for patiently waiting for this installment of my blog.

Life here the first few days had us secluded away with little trips to western like stores....I think to keep us from major culture shock. And it worked! However Kelsey thought better of that and promptly whisked me into nothing short of chaos. My first experince of a Matatu (small van crammed with people) was exhilerating and not for the faint of heart. Thank the sweet heavens that it was fairly short and the reward was a little store filled with familiar items....cell phones and cereal. I obviously had given her reason to believe I was ready for more so she volunteered to take myself and two other volunteers to Ngong, the town where I would be based. This Matatu ride was way past anything I had experienced in the air or on land. Swevering around pot holes, other Matatus', goats, people, and large busses and cars we flew down a narrow road that often became three lanes instead of it's intended two. Armed with my sea bands(for car sickness) gravol and bubble gum (my sure fire remedie for nausea) I felt I had it all under control. And when we finally pulled into Ngong I though I had survived the worst. I was not entirely surprised by the look of the place but the smell did feel overpowering after my dizzying ride. But we pressed on and found the orphange that I and one of the other volunteers would be working at. We had a short impromtu visit with Lucy the director....and I say short as she speaks very little English. But we did see the two school rooms which until recently were also home for about 26 kids. (I will do a piece on the orphanage later). After our visit we headed back on a Matatu....this time feeling a little more prepared for the journey!

I have over the last week had a mix of emotions as each new experience surprises me. It is different to be stared at and when I say stared at I mean open mouth turning heads gawking. Combined with whistleing, and shouting. There is even some physical grabbing at the Matatu stands over potential customers. The smell of course has taken a bit of getting use to, as smell is my super power, I have had to tough it out with rotting garbage, burning garbage, latrines and general sewage that wafts from steaming grates thoughout the town. To top it off the amount of garbage strewn everywhere is beyond anything I have ever experienced except at the dump. Add to that goat dung and dusty unpaved roads, wind, and heat and you have the experience of Ngong! Having said all that, I am having fun, honestly. It's been great to travel around with Kelsey and learn from her; and nothing is funnier than seeing a a white women trying to pry her rear out of the back of a Matatu while trying to appear unscathed by the near death experience!

Thanks again to everyone! Miss you all and think about you every day!

Taira