Can you tell I have been busy? No time to blog every day. But this is Friday night of an undoubtedly relaxing 3 day weekend, so I can catch up.
I have moved out of the hostel. They charged me a full month's rent and then when I changed my mind they said too bad we already rented your room, so whatever. I dragged my suitcase down the road in the rain last night. I'm staying with people who live next door and won't charge me $60/day or even $600/month. And where the blinds close and the whole stove works.
I'm house/dog sitting at the moment. Azu zena (lily in some south American language?) is my new buddy. She looks almost exactly like the cartoon dog Pluto and she is one of the more emotionally intelligent dogs I have ever met. She likes to hold hands, and she goes out of the room if she has to scratch in the middle of the night (which I really appreciate). We go for long walks early in the morning. And there is a maid that does my laundry! I was really weirded out about the maid thing at first, but I guess it is expected here to employ local people like that and people feel that even if they can't change the world they can at least make a difference in a few people's lives by employing them.
On Monday I went running with two women from my work. They don't look like crazy athletes and they are a little older and wear sweat pants to run, so I thought it would be cake. It started out good even though I had a cramp, and I was thinking "look at me, keeping up with the Kenyans". But then they kicked my ass. It was so hot and I guess the altitude here is really dramatic (but I have no concept of meters, thank you USA). And their run consists of running around and then down this endless hill and then RUNNING BACK UP. I don't usually run up mountains, especially not when it is a thousand degrees out. So I had to walk most of the way back. I haven't been again because of lab work and walking the dog and going to yoga, but I want to keep trying. It could potentially be the best training of my life. For being a badass.
Work is going really well finally! I've started on my project and they are encouraging me to start writing a paper so we can publish it. I was not expecting that at all but it's pretty cool. I work in the lab with a woman named Alice. She has buggy eyes and is sometimes a really good teacher and at other times, like when you actually need something, she is one of the least helpful people I have ever met. There is also young guy they call Dickens and Alice loves to boss him around. Whenever I need something she says "Dickens, get it for her!". I just love that his name is Dickens. He is nice though, and I had him show me how to help myself so Alice doesn't have to boss him around anymore. There are other Kenyan people in the lab and they just talk to each other and laugh in Kiswahili so I just sit there and do my work. I now wish I had my ipod. Salma is the only other non swahili speaker. She is an older PhD student from Sudan and a huge sweethart so I think I will stick with her.
Ok, this part might be really boring, but it was kind of funny to and I want to remember it. So, I need to print stuff here. On the first day I asked how I can do that and they said I need a PIN. So I asked for a PIN. Nothing. The next day I asked again. Nothing. On the third day I asked again and Sarah, the administrative person for our project called and yelled at them. The next day I got a PIN. Then I tried to print, but the printer that I was supposed to print to was not connected with my computer. So I emailed someone about that. Nothing. The next week Sarah helped me add the printer. Finally, I can print? I hit print and go enter my PIN at the printer. Nothing happens. I bother Phil to help me. We hit print again and just as I am about to enter my PIN while he is watching, the power goes out. When the power is back, I try again but the PIN is not working. I go see Sarah. She watches me enter my PIN. Nothing. She calls IT. Ohhh of course, there is a special program they need to install on my computer. How dumb of me for not knowing that. They come install it. I hit print and enter my PIN with the IT girl watching. Invalid PIN. She tries. Still invalid. She calls her department. Oh, they forgot to activate it. Now it works. Finally. And I get 3 copies of everything because it remembers all the times I tried...
On a related note. My name here is Julia Little. When I pointed out the fact that my email was spelled wrong, they just said "so? it's close enough isn't it? You aren't going to be here for that long". Ok... So I have to spell my name wrong every time I log on to my computer, and when I give people my ILRI email I have to explain that it is not really my name. And then it was made official today when I got my ID card that I have to wear around my neck at all times. Julia Little.
Other than that it has been raining a lot, there are beautiful birds everywhere, and I played soccer this evening. I really wanted to play last week but when I saw that it was all men and that they took it really seriously, I decided against it. But they invited me to play this week and even though we were one man down and I was one of the remaining players on the team, we still tied and they said I was welcome anytime. So now I have a big head.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Kapiti
Want the short version? Just look at the pictures http://www.flickr.com/photos/38741292@N03/ (these don't have many animal shots because we used a bigger camera for that)
Day 6 and I still haden't slept through the night...
I woke up, packed my bag, cursed the mold in my water bladder, and walked over to JJs.
Jo(oomlout)rg Jores is a young German vet who works here at ILRI. He is an identical twin, likes fancy cheese, is going home to get a German Shorthair puppy next week, says funny things with his German accent, and was one of the first people to really make me feel welcome here. This French friend, Thierry (roll that R), had arrived the night before and was also coming to Kapiti. Thierry had been married to a German woman so I was the odd man out, linguistically speaking.
Then we drove to the nearby market and met Andre (accent egu) and his two sons Paul (4) and Hannes (2). They were also German, and pretty much the cutest family you have ever seen. I suddenly wished I had payed more attention in German class. Did anyone want to hear me recite half a poem in German?
We bought a ton of food, noted the country music playing in the background, and headed off just in time to be stuck in the late morning traffic. To pass the time, JJ leaned out the window and admired all of the goods being sold along the road. Everything from bandanas to knives to paintings of flowers and toy airplanes. I found out that the average life expectancy was around 40 when I commented on the amount of exhaust these guys must breathe on a regular basis. We drove perpendicularly through traffic at each rotary (there are many) and finally made it out to the highway.
Mombassa road is the major if not only road to and from the coast. In some areas there are 3 lanes on each side separated by a median (with cows and goats grazing in it), and at other times it is literally a dirt traffic jam. The latter section is ironically placed between two cement factories. You can barely see the people, animals, and cars through the dust. We pulled over to let Paul pee, and bought some sugar cane to share with drivers stopped next to us. Further out the pavement resumed but basically in one wide lane with no line down the middle. Passing is an art and necessity in this situation, as vehicles from unrecognizable truck things to BMWs travel at all speeds possible. There are no real rules, just get where you can, and feel free to use the dirt shoulder if you can navigate the potholes. Andy, you would love driving here. If someone tried to crowd us off the road, JJ would just lean on the horn. He chuckled and explained to us that "they hate that, it gets them really irritated, you can always get the right of way".
Past people, goats, cows, factories, shacks, bicycles, and even a herd of camels. Then a right turn off the highway onto a dirt road. Kapiti is a "farm" owned by ILRI where they employ local people to raise cows and take care of the property. It is also a getaway spot for employees complete with a huge house, Joshua at your service (weird!), and thousands of acres to drive or walk around on to see wildlife. I think it cost about $40 for us all to stay for the weekend. We saw an ostrich and a family of warthogs on the way in (they are so cute!).
After we each found our own wing of the house, we settled down for tea in the back yard. Hannes poured milk everywhere, I learned the German word for fly (fliega), and we watched a herd of giraffes in the distance. Then we set out on Safari!
Thierry with the camera in the front with Popie Andre driving (beer in hand), the boys in their carseats in the middle (toy lions in hand), and JJ and I crammed in the back seat (knees in face). Bumping down dirt paths all over the property we saw so much amazing wildlife. First was a lone gazelle, then a hartabeast, then herds of zebras, warthogs, cattle, kudu, and wildebeest (Gnu! Gnu! the little boys yelled). The carcases and skulls here and there were just as interesting. A zebra had gotten caught in a fence. Andre brought over a Gnu skull to the car for his kids to check out. On and on we went, Hannes fell asleep, then we had to stop to find his lion when he woke up. At one point we got out and walked around with animals all around us. Hannes and Paul grabbed my hands and dragged me off to see the Gnu. Thierry teased me about my new boyfriends.
Down another path we saw giraffes all around us. They let you get really close and then they lope off in super slow motion. It almost makes you dizzy. There were lots of babies. The road was blocked by a cow carcass over a small bridge at one point so I had to be the woman and rip it apart so we could go through. The boys just held their noses and watched. Then JJ found a way around.
Then it was nap/explore on your own time back at the house. After walking around for a while I went back to the yard and played with the little boys. They speak German to their popie, English to each other, and even some swahili here and there. I was starting to understand a lot, and I learned that "du schtinkst" means "we have to clean your poo". Andre was one of the best fathers I have ever seen in action. He wiped their noses, changed diapers, held their hands in the car, brushed flies off them, watched them play, laughed and smiled at them all the time, never sat down for more than 2 seconds, never got upset, cut apple slices, showed them bugs, and had a joint tucked behind his ear (the key to good parenting?).
The cows were brought slowly home for the evening. In the US, we feel an economic loss if a cow ever stops eating. That is essentially the rate limiting step to making more milk. Here, cows are confined at night without food so that they are not eaten.
Joshua came over to talk to me. He asked me where I was from and if I was cold. Then I told him he was lucky to live there. Why he asked? Because it is so beautiful. Do you like it? Yes he replied, I have to, it is my country.
I remember sitting there looking at the horizon and feeling like I was just living my life. There at that moment. No need to look forward and wonder what was next.
Before dinner, JJ and Thierry made sure to tell me plenty of scary stories about the house and the dangers of Africa in general. They ever showed me where a woman had been brutally murdered by warring tribes right above my room. I had some small revenge when I learned of JJ's fear of snakes, but it didn't make me less scared. Then they kept me up late around a fire, talking and laughing for hours. It was a good time. And then I had to go to bed and be scared all night long. Another night without sleep...
The next day we woke up, ate breakfast, and went for a hike. The little boys and popie came for a short while and then went home. JJ, Thierry, and I kept going. And going. Normally you are not allowed to walk in the National parks either at all or without a ranger and his gun, but there were no rules at Kapiti. We followed animal paths up on the ridge for a few hours and then dropped down to the campground and back home on the path. It was hot and steep. JJ turned around at one point and in his German accent told us "You don't have to be ashamed. It is ok. If you are not as strong as me". I almost peed laughing.
We saw birds, flowers, warthogs, skulls, bones, kudu, giraffes, and TICKS! Thousands of them, everywhere! Adults with fancy patterns, nymphs the size of a sesame seed, and little red larval ticks that you could barely see (thousands of them). JJ and Thierry were worried about their balls, and I was glad I didn't have any. Ironically ticks in Kapiti are far less dangerous to people than ticks in Massachusetts.
And that was about it. We made it home safely, showered, and collapsed.
I slept all night.
Day 6 and I still haden't slept through the night...
I woke up, packed my bag, cursed the mold in my water bladder, and walked over to JJs.
Jo(oomlout)rg Jores is a young German vet who works here at ILRI. He is an identical twin, likes fancy cheese, is going home to get a German Shorthair puppy next week, says funny things with his German accent, and was one of the first people to really make me feel welcome here. This French friend, Thierry (roll that R), had arrived the night before and was also coming to Kapiti. Thierry had been married to a German woman so I was the odd man out, linguistically speaking.
Then we drove to the nearby market and met Andre (accent egu) and his two sons Paul (4) and Hannes (2). They were also German, and pretty much the cutest family you have ever seen. I suddenly wished I had payed more attention in German class. Did anyone want to hear me recite half a poem in German?
We bought a ton of food, noted the country music playing in the background, and headed off just in time to be stuck in the late morning traffic. To pass the time, JJ leaned out the window and admired all of the goods being sold along the road. Everything from bandanas to knives to paintings of flowers and toy airplanes. I found out that the average life expectancy was around 40 when I commented on the amount of exhaust these guys must breathe on a regular basis. We drove perpendicularly through traffic at each rotary (there are many) and finally made it out to the highway.
Mombassa road is the major if not only road to and from the coast. In some areas there are 3 lanes on each side separated by a median (with cows and goats grazing in it), and at other times it is literally a dirt traffic jam. The latter section is ironically placed between two cement factories. You can barely see the people, animals, and cars through the dust. We pulled over to let Paul pee, and bought some sugar cane to share with drivers stopped next to us. Further out the pavement resumed but basically in one wide lane with no line down the middle. Passing is an art and necessity in this situation, as vehicles from unrecognizable truck things to BMWs travel at all speeds possible. There are no real rules, just get where you can, and feel free to use the dirt shoulder if you can navigate the potholes. Andy, you would love driving here. If someone tried to crowd us off the road, JJ would just lean on the horn. He chuckled and explained to us that "they hate that, it gets them really irritated, you can always get the right of way".
Past people, goats, cows, factories, shacks, bicycles, and even a herd of camels. Then a right turn off the highway onto a dirt road. Kapiti is a "farm" owned by ILRI where they employ local people to raise cows and take care of the property. It is also a getaway spot for employees complete with a huge house, Joshua at your service (weird!), and thousands of acres to drive or walk around on to see wildlife. I think it cost about $40 for us all to stay for the weekend. We saw an ostrich and a family of warthogs on the way in (they are so cute!).
After we each found our own wing of the house, we settled down for tea in the back yard. Hannes poured milk everywhere, I learned the German word for fly (fliega), and we watched a herd of giraffes in the distance. Then we set out on Safari!
Thierry with the camera in the front with Popie Andre driving (beer in hand), the boys in their carseats in the middle (toy lions in hand), and JJ and I crammed in the back seat (knees in face). Bumping down dirt paths all over the property we saw so much amazing wildlife. First was a lone gazelle, then a hartabeast, then herds of zebras, warthogs, cattle, kudu, and wildebeest (Gnu! Gnu! the little boys yelled). The carcases and skulls here and there were just as interesting. A zebra had gotten caught in a fence. Andre brought over a Gnu skull to the car for his kids to check out. On and on we went, Hannes fell asleep, then we had to stop to find his lion when he woke up. At one point we got out and walked around with animals all around us. Hannes and Paul grabbed my hands and dragged me off to see the Gnu. Thierry teased me about my new boyfriends.
Down another path we saw giraffes all around us. They let you get really close and then they lope off in super slow motion. It almost makes you dizzy. There were lots of babies. The road was blocked by a cow carcass over a small bridge at one point so I had to be the woman and rip it apart so we could go through. The boys just held their noses and watched. Then JJ found a way around.
Then it was nap/explore on your own time back at the house. After walking around for a while I went back to the yard and played with the little boys. They speak German to their popie, English to each other, and even some swahili here and there. I was starting to understand a lot, and I learned that "du schtinkst" means "we have to clean your poo". Andre was one of the best fathers I have ever seen in action. He wiped their noses, changed diapers, held their hands in the car, brushed flies off them, watched them play, laughed and smiled at them all the time, never sat down for more than 2 seconds, never got upset, cut apple slices, showed them bugs, and had a joint tucked behind his ear (the key to good parenting?).
The cows were brought slowly home for the evening. In the US, we feel an economic loss if a cow ever stops eating. That is essentially the rate limiting step to making more milk. Here, cows are confined at night without food so that they are not eaten.
Joshua came over to talk to me. He asked me where I was from and if I was cold. Then I told him he was lucky to live there. Why he asked? Because it is so beautiful. Do you like it? Yes he replied, I have to, it is my country.
I remember sitting there looking at the horizon and feeling like I was just living my life. There at that moment. No need to look forward and wonder what was next.
Before dinner, JJ and Thierry made sure to tell me plenty of scary stories about the house and the dangers of Africa in general. They ever showed me where a woman had been brutally murdered by warring tribes right above my room. I had some small revenge when I learned of JJ's fear of snakes, but it didn't make me less scared. Then they kept me up late around a fire, talking and laughing for hours. It was a good time. And then I had to go to bed and be scared all night long. Another night without sleep...
The next day we woke up, ate breakfast, and went for a hike. The little boys and popie came for a short while and then went home. JJ, Thierry, and I kept going. And going. Normally you are not allowed to walk in the National parks either at all or without a ranger and his gun, but there were no rules at Kapiti. We followed animal paths up on the ridge for a few hours and then dropped down to the campground and back home on the path. It was hot and steep. JJ turned around at one point and in his German accent told us "You don't have to be ashamed. It is ok. If you are not as strong as me". I almost peed laughing.
We saw birds, flowers, warthogs, skulls, bones, kudu, giraffes, and TICKS! Thousands of them, everywhere! Adults with fancy patterns, nymphs the size of a sesame seed, and little red larval ticks that you could barely see (thousands of them). JJ and Thierry were worried about their balls, and I was glad I didn't have any. Ironically ticks in Kapiti are far less dangerous to people than ticks in Massachusetts.
And that was about it. We made it home safely, showered, and collapsed.
I slept all night.
Friday, May 22, 2009
All You Need is Dog
Well, I gave it a little time, and things got so much better.
We had an institute wide coffee hour today, and I had to get in front of everyone with a squalky microphone and introduce myself. The only problem was, Phil, my adviser, said everything there was to say about me in my introduction, so all I could say was "Hi, this is my first time in Africa, I'm really excited to be here..."
But after that I went and had lunch in the cafeteria, and people actually came up to me and said hi and sat with me, since I had introduced myself and they knew why I was there. So it payed off.
Other major improvements include:
Meeting someone with a dog who is going away next week and wants me to watch her dog!!! I will have a dog! I can walk the dog! I can sleep with the dog! I don't have to be alone for a few days because I will have a dog! The polishtralian couple also offered to sell me their dalmation and I would have been tempted had I not already had dog plans for next week.
So, I'm off to Kapiti tomorrow. It is a large farm that ILRI owns and we are sure to see lots of giraffs and zebras and hopefully some cats. Phil said he saw a cobra last time he was there.
I'll tell you all about it when I get back!
We had an institute wide coffee hour today, and I had to get in front of everyone with a squalky microphone and introduce myself. The only problem was, Phil, my adviser, said everything there was to say about me in my introduction, so all I could say was "Hi, this is my first time in Africa, I'm really excited to be here..."
But after that I went and had lunch in the cafeteria, and people actually came up to me and said hi and sat with me, since I had introduced myself and they knew why I was there. So it payed off.
Other major improvements include:
- Getting music into my room (thank you Eric Larson)
- Meeting a crazy Kenyan woman who wants to be best friends and only understands every other word I say
- Doing my laundry
- Meeting a really nice Polish/Australian couple with the cutest 2 little kids who gave me a sleeping bag for my trip this weekend
- Actually having plans to go somewhere this weekend
- Talking to Andy on the phone
Meeting someone with a dog who is going away next week and wants me to watch her dog!!! I will have a dog! I can walk the dog! I can sleep with the dog! I don't have to be alone for a few days because I will have a dog! The polishtralian couple also offered to sell me their dalmation and I would have been tempted had I not already had dog plans for next week.
So, I'm off to Kapiti tomorrow. It is a large farm that ILRI owns and we are sure to see lots of giraffs and zebras and hopefully some cats. Phil said he saw a cobra last time he was there.
I'll tell you all about it when I get back!
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Jetlag
It came out of nowhere. I thought I had somehow avoided it. "Aren't you tired?" people would ask. No, I'm fine, the transition was easy. Hah.
I should have known that waking up at 2 am and staring at the ceiling for 4 or 5 hours meant something was off. But it didn't feel weird the first day. I was too excited.
Then my alarm went off yesterday morning and I felt like I weighed 6000 lbs. I couldn't get up. There was no way. The fear of being late on my first real full day eventually got me up and in the shower and down to the office.
I shouldn't have bothered. There was nothing for me to do. I waited around for a meeting that was supposed to be at 11, reading a blurry paper about the immunology behind my new un-favorite tick borne disease. Check email. Read some. Wait for meeting. Check email. Write down a question. Wait more. Check blog. Oh no, I broke the computer, my blog is opening up in 40 windows. Restart computer. Note to self: no blogging in the office.
Around 12:30 I found out we were going to meet at 2 instead of 11. Did I look disappointed? I tried not to.
I went back to my room, took a short nap, and then my alarm went off again and I had to go back to the office. Hadn't I done this once already? Check email. Wait for meeting. It's after 2. Finally, time for the meeting. Yay. I get to talk to someone.
The meeting was good, I even got a small assignment out of it, but I still was not going to be able to start in the lab for two more days due to training logistics. I tried to stay down at the office as long as I could, since the chance of talking to someone was greater than 0% there. I didn't last long.
Back in the room I thought about all the things I could do: go for a walk, cook some food, read. I fell asleep.
Around 6 all the little kids started playing outside my room. It was the best signal I had heard all day to get out of bed. I went outside and found the Ithaca high school kids playing volleyball. For those of you who were on my ill fated freshman IM volleyball team (does anyone remember our name?), you know that it is not my best sport. In fact, I have made it a point to avoid volleyball since then. And I was wearing a full length skirt. But suddenly I was taking off my shoes and my watch and rolling up my skirt. My desire to interact with people in even the most embarrassing way was taking over. And it was really fun. They had stopped caring much about the game even before I got there, so my level of play was actually quite appropriate.
On my way back to my room I saw a man jogging with his black lab puppy from across the field. I thought about running after him but decided against it. Volleyball had somehow worked out and this was pushing my luck. I went inside to make dinner.
In my room I have a two burner electric stove/oven. It's called a Baby Belling. Only the small burner works. There are some pots, a handle-less warped frying pan, a huge dull knife that looks like it was used to cut rocks in the past, and a 2.5 foot wooden paddle. I'm not kidding. There is not other way to describe it. You could probably use it as a canoe paddle if you were in a pinch.
I made cabbage and grilled cheese and watched the Kenyan news. There was a shipment of maize that was contaminated with wheebles. I hate living alone.
It's amazing how destitute you can feel after just one day without the possibility of friends and family. My day really hadn't been that bad, but it hadn't been the exotic African adventure I was expecting either. Here at ILRI we are really isolated from the rest of Nairobi. Most of the people are from Europe so there is more than just one culture to navigate, and wouldn't it figure people don't wear signs saying where they are from so it is always a guessing game. And most of them are with their families. I had met people the night before but I couldn't remember where they lived and at this point I probably wasn't very much fun to be around anyway. Would I ever make friends? Would I ever see what Nairobi and the surrounding country is really like? Probably, but it sure didn't feel like it. I considered reading but my eyes started burning so I went to bed. It was 8 pm.
Today is a new day. Phil, my supervisor, had told me to take it easy so I slept in until the maid woke me up at 8:30 to clean the room. I tried to tell her the first day that it really wasn't necessary for her to come every day, but she seemed to think it was. The way she phrased it made it sound like she had to check on the room every day to make sure I hadn't destroyed anything. I fumbled around pretending to make breakfast while she made my bed and flushed my toilet for me. Finally she left, but not before thanking me. I wonder what she really thinks of me.
With low expectations I came down to the office, again for the purpose of increasing my chances of human interaction. And it worked! Phil introduced me to a South African girl, Cassandra, who is about my age and just got back to ILRI and is also living in the hostel! Praise the lord. I might actually make a friend. So I have been sitting here at my desk, pretending to be busy, but really just writing this. And now you understand why it is so long, if you even got this far. The South Korean kid who sits next to me gave me another banana today. He literally speaks no English. But he has some other South Korean friends who he hangs out with so don't feel bad for him. They bring him the bananas.
Oh, I have to stop. This is probably not healthy. Time to face the real world.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
African Princess Cows
Ok, that is not their name, and they are bulls, but seriously. Does anyone know what breed this is? How can you not like cows a little more now? Come on, don't deny it...cows are awesome.I didn't have much to do today because the bio-safety lady is out of the office so I must wait to be trained how to be safe in the lab. So instead I read about my new favorite disease, East Coast Fever. I will spare you the details but it is a big deal here.
After being charged $10 for breakfast I decided I needed to go grocery shopping. My adviser's wife was nice enough to take me to the supermarket where I stocked up on things like rice, lentils, and pasta. I did get some passion fruit though. Mmmmm.....
I walked around the ILRI campus after shopping and took a bunch of pictures. Here are a few: http://picasaweb.google.com/julia.littell/Kenya1#
Every Tuesday they have a social gathering for folks working and living here. It is a weird mixture of a bar, a potluck, and waiters to take your plates away. I met some really great people there. A vet student from Sweden, a couple from Holland, various crazies from Great Brittain, native and non-native Kenyans, and a family from Ithaca. One of the crop science professors is on her sabbatical and has two boys that graduated high school early to come join her. The boys and their friends who were also visiting had been shooting documentaries for various organizations and we got to see one about the school that is taking care of children in the slums next door. There were also lots of families with little kids. One American couple was due yesterday, but got sick of waiting so they decided to join the party. The soon to be grandma flew in from Idaho to help with the baby when it eventually decides to come.
I am looking forward to tomorrow, but as usual, I have no idea what I will be doing.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Traveling to Nairobi
I made it! I'm here! I haven't slept more than maybe 2 hours since I left but I need to write things down before I forget. Sleep shmeep.
Let's see. Mom and pop dropped me off at the airport in Boston and I was all sad and weepy so they parked the car and held my hand while I waited to go through security for an hour. I'm not sure why I was being so weird, but I really appreciated it.
The flight to Amsterdam was pretty standard. I stayed up all night and watched movies (the night was only about 4.5 hours long) and interacted minimally with the man next to me. All the trees are in lines in Amsterdam and there are little fields with white cows and waterways between everything. It reminded me of a board game (enchanted forest anyone?).
Then I got on the biggest plane ever and despite my reservation of a window seat found myself wedged between two much larger adults in the center isle. And no personal TV! It was not high tech at all. I thought it was going to be terrible but the company made up for it.
On my left was Patricia, a 59 year old Kenyan woman who now lives in Nashua, NH and is a nurse (like one of my aunts), and a masseuse (like my other aunt!). I know how old she is because I had to fill out all her forms for her when we arrived. We talked about all sorts of things. Her job (loves it), my dogs (her eyes popped out when I told her they slept in my bed), the apparently culture transcending fact that I have the same name as one 'Julia Gulia' in The Wedding Singer, and knitting (she grabbed my project on a number of occasions and worked on it for me). She also gave me her sister in law's cell phone number here in Nairobi and told me to ask for Auntie Sweety when I called. And her number in NH. No email address. I think she just wants me to call and chat.
On my right was a man whose daughter just graduated from Trinity College and is now doing Teach for America in Hartford. He was en route to Rawanda for his job as an economist (?) so needless to say we had a few things to talk about. But I did not get his phone number.
When I got off the plane I waited in line to get through immigration. When the man in front of me was at the head of our line the officer got up and left for no obvious reason. And never came back. When we asked the other attendanant what was going on he told us to "have patience!". Eventually another woman strolling around decided to take his spot and we got through.
After I grabbed my bag, I walked through the doors to a line of men holding signs. After a moment, I saw it! My name! Spelled right and everything. The Kenyan man holding the sign smiled, grabbed my bag, took me out to the curb and told me to wait while he got the car. He was back in 5 minutes and we were off. His name was Joseph and he worked for a transport service that ILRI hires. He works 24 hour shifts at $3/shift. He was a good driver and he told me all about the animals in Kenya. His favorite is the cheetah and we compared notes about deer vs. zeebras running out in the road in front of you. Let's just say it is a good thing deer don't travel in large herds and stampede accross wherever their leader has chosen to take them, even if it is the major highway.
As we were driving along talking about his 4 kids and my 3 siblings, we came upon a traffic jam. The traffic on the other side of the median was stopped. As we got closer Joseph exclamed "see this is the probloem! Kenyan drivers have no patience!" and sure enough cars had started to just drive accross the median and use our side of the highway. Oncoming traffic? Who cares! So for the next 5 miles we were relegated to the outside one of three lanes that were supposed to all be going the same direction. But Joseph handeled it like a pro and soon I was delivered safely through the iron gates of the ILRI compound to my private apartment. Where I am now. Really roughing it.
I haven't met anyone here except the security guard who gave me my key and I have no idea where to go tomorrow or when I am supposed to be there. But trust me, I will keep you posted. Right now, my bed is calling.
Let's see. Mom and pop dropped me off at the airport in Boston and I was all sad and weepy so they parked the car and held my hand while I waited to go through security for an hour. I'm not sure why I was being so weird, but I really appreciated it.
The flight to Amsterdam was pretty standard. I stayed up all night and watched movies (the night was only about 4.5 hours long) and interacted minimally with the man next to me. All the trees are in lines in Amsterdam and there are little fields with white cows and waterways between everything. It reminded me of a board game (enchanted forest anyone?).
Then I got on the biggest plane ever and despite my reservation of a window seat found myself wedged between two much larger adults in the center isle. And no personal TV! It was not high tech at all. I thought it was going to be terrible but the company made up for it.
On my left was Patricia, a 59 year old Kenyan woman who now lives in Nashua, NH and is a nurse (like one of my aunts), and a masseuse (like my other aunt!). I know how old she is because I had to fill out all her forms for her when we arrived. We talked about all sorts of things. Her job (loves it), my dogs (her eyes popped out when I told her they slept in my bed), the apparently culture transcending fact that I have the same name as one 'Julia Gulia' in The Wedding Singer, and knitting (she grabbed my project on a number of occasions and worked on it for me). She also gave me her sister in law's cell phone number here in Nairobi and told me to ask for Auntie Sweety when I called. And her number in NH. No email address. I think she just wants me to call and chat.
On my right was a man whose daughter just graduated from Trinity College and is now doing Teach for America in Hartford. He was en route to Rawanda for his job as an economist (?) so needless to say we had a few things to talk about. But I did not get his phone number.
When I got off the plane I waited in line to get through immigration. When the man in front of me was at the head of our line the officer got up and left for no obvious reason. And never came back. When we asked the other attendanant what was going on he told us to "have patience!". Eventually another woman strolling around decided to take his spot and we got through.
After I grabbed my bag, I walked through the doors to a line of men holding signs. After a moment, I saw it! My name! Spelled right and everything. The Kenyan man holding the sign smiled, grabbed my bag, took me out to the curb and told me to wait while he got the car. He was back in 5 minutes and we were off. His name was Joseph and he worked for a transport service that ILRI hires. He works 24 hour shifts at $3/shift. He was a good driver and he told me all about the animals in Kenya. His favorite is the cheetah and we compared notes about deer vs. zeebras running out in the road in front of you. Let's just say it is a good thing deer don't travel in large herds and stampede accross wherever their leader has chosen to take them, even if it is the major highway.
As we were driving along talking about his 4 kids and my 3 siblings, we came upon a traffic jam. The traffic on the other side of the median was stopped. As we got closer Joseph exclamed "see this is the probloem! Kenyan drivers have no patience!" and sure enough cars had started to just drive accross the median and use our side of the highway. Oncoming traffic? Who cares! So for the next 5 miles we were relegated to the outside one of three lanes that were supposed to all be going the same direction. But Joseph handeled it like a pro and soon I was delivered safely through the iron gates of the ILRI compound to my private apartment. Where I am now. Really roughing it.
I haven't met anyone here except the security guard who gave me my key and I have no idea where to go tomorrow or when I am supposed to be there. But trust me, I will keep you posted. Right now, my bed is calling.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
My First Blog
Whee. I have a blog.
I'm getting ready to leave for Nairobi tomorrow! Things have seemingly fallen into place.
I leave tomorrow night from Boston, stop in Amsterdam, and will be in Nairobi on the 18th at 7pm local time. The time there is 17 hours behind Eastern Standard Time. I will post something as soon as I can figure out the wireless but that might not be until the next day sometime, so don't get ants in your pants. Don't you just love the interweb?
I'm getting ready to leave for Nairobi tomorrow! Things have seemingly fallen into place.
- I am 74% sure I passed year 2 of vet school.
- My visa arrived 2 whole hours before I had to drive home from Ithaca.
- A very nice border collie named Fred let me share the front seat of a Chevy Aveo all the way home to Massachusetts.
- My chaco sandals won't be delivered from the repair shop for another week (thank you Petey) so I had a great excuse to go buy some new keens (thank you mom).
- Asia helped me figure out how to audio chat with people via a little sight called meebo. Still trying to figure out the video chat thing but my computer might just be too ancient to even know what a webcam is.
- I think someone will be there to get me when I arrive, although I don't know who and I wouldn't know where to tell them to take me so I hope they know where they are going. And are nice.
- I have a blog.
I leave tomorrow night from Boston, stop in Amsterdam, and will be in Nairobi on the 18th at 7pm local time. The time there is 17 hours behind Eastern Standard Time. I will post something as soon as I can figure out the wireless but that might not be until the next day sometime, so don't get ants in your pants. Don't you just love the interweb?
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