Week 5 in Nairobi, the middle of my time here, brought with it an overwhelming feeling that I was not taking full advantage of my opportunity here. I was back in the lab, not really learning anything new, and going home to an empty house each night. I became frustrated at my inability to entertain myself on this exotic continent supposedly overflowing with adventure, which I couldn't even get a whiff of. But then again, what was I supposed to do? Most adventures here require a companion, a car, or a Y chromosome. I decided to try focusing on small wonders and did my best to enjoy all the free time I had. Eventually something would have to happen, right?
On Friday, Cassandra let me help with her long anticipated vaccine trial. She is designing a vaccine that targets a protein on the inside of tick digestive tracts, so in theory then when the ticks suck blood from the vaccinated cows, they are attacked from the inside and either die or lose the ability to transmit disease. Very cool if it ends up working. And the main disease this would help control is the one I am studying, East Coast Fever. There are 16 cows in her trial, so we had to hand mix the vaccines from ingredients she had prepared. After some minor technical difficulties (leaky syringes and cramping fingers) we headed down to the barn with our 16 vaccines on ice.
The little fuzzy Friesian bulls, at that awkward stage where they are peppered with ring worm fungus, came prance-bumbling down a ramp and we herded them into a chute. One by one they got a shot under the skin by their shoulder and were then released into a pen containing some very exciting sawdust. An official vet did the actual sticking, so I helped keep the line moving and Cassandra made sure each bull got the right vaccine (half were "fake"). Things were going smoothly until we realized we were short a vaccine! How could this happen? We had been so careful. But it had sprouted legs and walked away. It was one of the fakers, so we let it go since they would be getting two more doses over the course of the trial. Sshhhhhh. That is a secret. That is not how you are "supposed" to do "science".
The next morning our power went out. Common in Africa yes, but ILRI is not really Africa and this was sort of a big deal. Later we learned a generator had exploded into flames, and a heroic worker had bravely risked his life to put out the fire and prevent further damage. But the problem would take 9 hour chunks of Saturday and Sunday to rectify, and in the meantime we couldn't cook, watch TV, go online, take hot showers, or keep all of our important scientific materials and samples at sufficiently low temperatures. My boredom seemed doomed to intensify.
When I couldn't take it anymore, I went to bug Cassandra. We decided to go down and check on her newly vaccinated calves (all 16 were there), and I raided the avocado tree by their paddock. We also tested out the nearby pomegranates, but they weren't quite ripe. I will be back soon though. With fresh produce on our minds and nothing else to do, we took a deep breath and ventured outside the ILRI gates into the village of Uthuru. Why hadn't we done this before!? Beyond the broken down cars, butcher shops, dusty couches for sale, and numerous other small businesses, we found a little general store. I wanted some yogurt, but they only had the permanently un-refrigerated variety so I declined. Instead got some Obama chewing gum. This modern Kenyan wonder is Bazooka shaped, comes in either orange or strawberry flavor, and has our president and first lady featured on the wrapper. I opted for orange since that is the kind of gum Deirdre showed me how to blow bubbles with long ago in the back of the old gray van. Each piece costs one kenyan shilling, or 0.78 cents and if you are lucky I might bring you a piece. However, I do not recommend chewing it, because it tastes like tire rubber and completely disintegrates in your mouth. We walked home on the other side of the road where all the produce stands were. I got 2 mangoes, 8 bananas, 4 oranges, 4 tomatoes, 5 red onions, 4 green peppers, and an avocado for under $2. Asante sana (thank you very much)!
That night Nancy took us to the mall and we watched Angels and Demons and went out to eat. Tickets cost 550 KSH but the man selling them had nothing but 1000 and 500 KSH bills. We managed between the three of us but I wondered if I would have been allowed to see the movie had I not had exact change. I read in my guide book that you have to stand for the national anthem before the movie. Neither Nancy or Cassandra believed me, but my book was correct. They play an abridged version set to a Kenyan flag waving in the wind, not quite as interesting as Thailand's version with the royal family doing various charitable activities across a beautiful landscape. Those actually used to make me cry.
I don't have a smooth ending for this post because this is not actually the end. But after being compared to certain philosophy blogs (in length only, I assure you!), I am attempting to write slightly shorter posts. So after you go to the bathroom and get a snack, come back for the rest of the story (Mongoose Blessing).
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