Happy 2009! Kenya continues to be mzuri sana (very good). As we speak, I'm turning into a giant mango from over-consumption of my favorite fruit. Kidding. It's hard to believe that I've already been here for six weeks! Dr. K says that I've adapted so well that it seems as if I've lived here forever. I have very little to complain about here-- the food is wonderful if not very starchy, the scenery is breathtaking, the people are so kind and hospitable, and I've learned to co-exist with giant spiders. I'm not only trying to learn basic Kiswahili phrases, but Kimeru (the tribal language spoken in Meru) as well. Let's just say that people are very amused when I try to pronounce words, although a new level of respect is attained when I say "Mooga!" (hello/how are you in Kimeru).
Meru is such an interesting place. It is alive with colors and sounds (and sometimes, unfortunately, smells). The city centre is a hodgepodge of ramshackle shops, butcheries (in unprecedented numbers), women sitting amongst heaps of mangoes and bananas to sell, men peddling miraa (a local plant-turned-drug), Toyota Corollas from the early 80s with at least 6 passengers in them at all times, carts pulled by sad looking donkeys, matatus (old rickety vans used as public transport) with names painted on the upper windshield like "Handsome", "Lord Lover", "Real Scare" and "Slim Thug", lots of stray dogs (sadface), and thousands of people dressed mostly in clothes I would wear in winter (perfect for an equatorial climate of course). But it's not all dust and less-than-savory shops. In the middle of all the craziness is THE symbol of wealth and Western influence, a giant Nakumatt store. Nakumatt is Kenya's version of Walmart, only it's cleaner and better organized. The parking lot is rarely full and the cars that are there are usually newer and shinier than the rest in Meru. I go to Nakumatt no fewer than three times a week for various things-- shopping there is strangely (maybe more like sadly) comforting. And, Nakumatt has the best bathrooms going... 5 cents to use them and they are clean and modern (even if there are no toilet seats, you have no idea how great these are unless, well, you've seen the other "public toilets" in Meru).
Only the main roads are paved, so as soon as you are out of town's centre and off the tarmac it's rural farmland and scattered houses for miles. Everything you can think of is grown here and people work really hard to maintain their farms. A different set of mountains is always in the distance and when I am lucky enough to get a glimpse of Mt. Kenya jutting into the sky I have to catch my breath. Its peaks are magnificent and uninviting at the same time. I can't wait to get out my ice pick and start climbing. In the midst of all the natural beauty, however, is the darker side of Kenya: poverty, sometimes extreme. It is still overwhelming to see small children with dirty, torn clothes and no shoes, or an elderly lady walking long distances with heavy firewood on her back to sell for 150 Kenyan shillings (about 2$) in town. I just try and remind myself that unfortunately I can't save everyone but I can try to make a few people more comfortable. Small steps.
The holiday season was very busy but successful. We handed out Christmas bags with various items of importance to over 75 IPI kids. It was really fun playing Santa Clause. Since the New Year, we have been hosting some American visitors at Dr. K's house. Whenever more mzungus are in town, many parties and gatherings ensue (which means mounds and mounds of food three times a day: beans and maize, potatoes, stew, goat, chicken, fruit, rice, etc). We have hosted and attended many meetings as well, including home visits to see where IPI kids live and helping a group of elderly women and men start a dairy goat project to sustain themselves and their grandchildren, etc. It has been fun and interesting! And the most exciting thing is that we are going on safari tomorrow for a few days!! Lions and elephants and giraffes, oh my! (sorry, cheesy and overused, eh?) We will be driving to Samburu and Nakuru before heading to Nairobi to see our visitors off at the airport. It's still strange to me that heading south to Nairobi means crossing to a new hemisphere. The joys of equatorial living!
OK, I tend to ramble so I will end this long post here. I must pack for safari and charge up my camera batteries! I hope you've had the chance to take a look at some of my pictures on that PIcasa link. More to come soon!
Lala salaama (good night) from Meru!
xxEM
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
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