Colonialism

School started last week Tuesday. I am taking International Development: Critical Perspectives on Theory and Practice, Country Analysis Kenya, and Kiswahili. We are currently discussing how colonialism created African countries dependent on foreign aid and over-stretched urban centers. I live about a twenty minute walk away from Nazarene University, where we take classes, and I meet up with Grace to walk to class in the morning.

Nazarene University

Sara, me, Richelle

I am starting to get used to Kenyan time! At school, we take two breaks for tea and lunch and often start late and get out early. This was frustrating for me at first, but I'm starting to learn the ways. For example, my host family asked me out for lunch because electricty is turned off in our neighborhood on Sundays. I agreed to come, thinking it would be an hour long affair. We were there for seven hours...

I have discovered passion fruit juice...mmm!

Ninatoka nchi ya Amerika lakini sasa ninakaa nchi ya Kenya

Today was the first day I saw sunshine for longer than an hour since I've been in Kenya! But the sunshine was much deserved after the tragedy in the Sinai slums yesterday morning (read the Daily Nation). Although I am comfortable on the other side of Nairobi, living in a third world country brings a disaster into a reality, and reading the newspaper was challenging today.

I went to the Maasai Market with Emma in downtown Nairobi this weekend, and I wish I had pictures to show of all the colorful jewelry, scarves, and trinkets. I didn't bring my camera into downtown because pickpocketing is common. Emma and I were followed everywhere and people were constantly grabbing my hand to bring me to look at their stuff. One man gave me a stone with an elephant on it for free because apparently I personally know Barak Obama. After the market, we explored downtown Nairobi, but I'm pretty sure we just walked in circles.

Absolutely nothing reminds me of home here, but then I saw a Taco Bell. Even that doesn't remind me of home because I can't remember the last time I stepped into a Taco Bell. We stopped for lunch at a very Westernized coffee shop and I felt guilty spending 400 shillings on my lunch (about $4). After eating ugali and sukuma wiki for two weeks though, you really can't blame me for craving a ham sandwich!

I don't have any pictures for you...so here's a monkey...

Bird watching is a wise use of the land...

Hujambo rafiki! I finally have time to update you all on my adventure in Kenya. But first, thank you all for your support. It has been a difficult, but amazing, two weeks. I arrived at the Jomo Kenyatta airport in Nairobi on Monday night. All of us were immediately put on a bus (a big safari bus) and taken to a youth yostel.

We spent the night and drove to Lake Nakuru for Orientation the next morning. At Lake Nakuru, we met some of the Minnesota Studies International Development (MSID) staff and learned the ropes of what it means to be a mzungu (white person) in Kenya. The baboons hopped over the fence into the compound every morning and we had to make sure to lock our cabins from the outside so they wouldn't play with our stuff. We were all surprised to see them the first morning, but got very annoyed with them the rest of the week.

We went on three safaris into Lake Nakuru National Park, visited the Samburu people, and stepped on the equator. Here is what I found...

Grey Crowned Crane

Definitely my favorite creature to watch.

Simba (Lion)

We were lucky enough to spot the lions twice

Nyati (Buffalo)

Punda Milia (Zebra)

Lake Nakuru

Lake Nakuru was wonderful. It was surrounded by pelicans and flamingos. Our safaris weren't like what I imagined safaris to be. It was rainy and cold all week (and I didn't get sunburn), but the bus had to break through some crazy terrain! I have feared for my life numerous times since I've been here, and the majority of those times were in vehicles.  

Two Little Love Birds

Mikalia Falls

Kifaru (Rhino)

I took this photo on a friend's camera, turned out way better than mine.

Mom, I want a nicer camera for Christmas :)

Baboon Cliff

We made a new friend...

Sunrise over Lake Nakuru

Flowers in the Compound

Now that we got all the touristy stuff out of the way, we packed up our bags to meet our host families in Nairobi. And that was my first week in Kenya...

I learned that my internship will be in Kisumu on Lake Victoria where I will do outreach at a HIV clinic to prostitutes in the area. School started on Tuesday and my first kiswahili lesson was salama. Some friends and I walked through Kibara, the largest slum in Africa and second largest in the world. Tomorrow I am going to the Maasai Market in downtown Nairobi.  

My stay here has been filled with ups and downs (as expected), and I hope to catch up on blogging and give more details this weekend. For now though, my host family is wonderful, I have been eating plenty of food, and I am doing my best to adapt to Kenyan life.