A Wonderful Holiday
Monday, July 16, 2007

Today was such a good day I have to write about it. First of all it is a national holiday: Moi Day, named after a former Kenyan President. So we didn't have school...a nice surprise.

This morning I took my time getting ready: just a few extra cosmetic things that made me feel more like myself. Then I went up to Esther's house again. I even remembered how to get there. I also met Jackline from class 7 and her cousin on the way and she invited me to visit her afterwards, she lives right next door. I had lots of tea at Esther's then we headed to Kathenjuri which is very close to her home. When we came back we had lunch...3 lunches really. First a "small" bowl of Kitheri, then Ugali and Sukuma Wiki. Then we went next door to Jackline's where I drank Hot Cocoa and ate some buttered bread while waiting to be served rice and Sukuma Wiki. She has a really nice house. Its large with a very high ceiling. It is a stone house with a cement floor. The interior is simple and very clean. She had a TV and I saw a short clip about a track meet and even something about a design exhibit somwhere. Her mom showed me some photos of when she graduated from Pre-Law school. I like her mom - she is quiet but intelligent and practical and she takes great care in the maintenence of her home. They have a well which is somthing new. We gathered Macadamian nuts and passion fruit: 2 of my favorite things! Jackline is very good at climbing trees! She just wriggles up the smooth tall trunks and starts throwing things down.

After lunch we went to the volunteer's camp. When we arrived they were preparing to go on a home visit, so I went with them. We went to the house of Lucas who lives near the Chairlady of the Karago Women's group. It was an odd visit. I think it's different being in a work camp than being a long term volunteer. They were less exposed to the culture of the people here.

During the visit they told us about the baskets that the women's group makes. I have seen them around and I have been wanting to buy one. I didn't know they made them. I want to buy several as gifts and I think maybe I could make a website to help their sales overseas when I go home.

I went back to the work camp with the other volunteers and I talked to a KVDA member, Harmon for a bit. He was very interesting to talk to, though also pretty opinionated. I also met the blind kenyan man, Babusa. He's really cool and really amazing actually. He does more work than some of the seeing people and he never falls on the steep, uneven trails. He could tell I was tall just be talking to me. Crazy.

I was sitting on one of the benches when an old woman hobbled by. No one else said anything to her and I felt bad so I said Mweiga! Oh man, that set her off on a long train of excited KiEmbu far beyond my understanding. I tried to say Dice KiEmbu, but she kept going. So I was smiling and nodding...alot! Until a boy came over and started translating. She was saying "God will bless you". I could then reply asante sana and she hobbled off. When she left he asked if I knew Kiswahili or KiEmbu. (I thought it was quite obvious from the scenerio) I said I only knew a few simple phrases. So he offered to teach me. I spent the next hour or so in an African language lesson. He was a very good teacher, very patient and he told me alittle bit of how the language works instead of just teaching me vocabulary words. He admitted that it is a difficult language to understand. Most of them tell me Kiembu is very easy and that English is the complicated one. He reminded me of Thogo alittle bit, the way he talked and smiled. He only lives 200m from the volunteers camp so I hope I can get another lesson from him. He speaks English very well. Carlos is his name, he is probably only 15 or so and is already in secondary school.

The chariman's dog Osama walked me home. He made me nervous at first because he would trot ahead and then if I got to far behind hed sprint back at me and circle around me. The dogs here are for protection and I wasn't sure what to make of his behavior. But it became evident that he really was waiting for me to catch up and follow him. I was thankful becuase it was getting very dark.

It was a really good day which is in direct correlation to the people that I spent time with. Each of our lives is made up of bits of other people's lives.