With Family, In Nairobi

Jambo all,

I believe I misled you all when I told you I was going to be staying at a resort in a nature reserve. After a four hour ride down a bumpy, dusty, makeshift road (while they fix the main one) which was twice as long as it was supposed to take, we arrived at Lake Nakuru Game Reserve. We stayed at the camp compound, and it was beautiful. The compound consisted of many circular buildings including a classroom, kitchen, dining area and many dorms and toilets/showers all surrounded by a big circular fence to keep the animals out. We had about 10 people to a room where we bunked and shared one of three toilet facilities with hot bucket showers. Because hot water was limited, several of us would share a bucket. In this way, we really did become one big family. We spent the mornings in a circle of chairs having orientation while the equatorial sun burnt through layers and layers of 50SPF and higher sunscreen. Everyone of us is burnt, it's amazing.

The orientation was fun actually, especially because no fence can keep out a baboon. So, they ran all around us. Big ones, little ones, angry ones having loud fights near us, and hungry ones digging through our garbage. On more than one occasion, Francis, our cook, would run out of the kitchen throwing things at a very big guy who would not give up.

In the early evenings, we were taken on game drives. We saw buffalo, thousands of flamingos, eland, water buck, zebras, white rhinos and one black rhino. We saw many impala and gazelle. Warthogs were one of my favorites and we even saw one leopard right next to our truck. The views were amazing of course as we are in the Rift Valley.

On Saturday morning we left early for Nairobi where we were to meet our families. My palms sweat even now as I remember the feeling of arrival. We sat outside of our school as we waited for our parents to arrive. I felt a little like an orphan who was close to her fellow orphans as we each one at a time were snatched up and waved goodbye. Students left in little white cars, pickups, cars of aqua green, and one black Mercedes Benz. I was picked up by my mother and brother and we had to wait for a cab to come take us home.

My brother is Kevin and he is really beautiful. Seriously, a face like an angel and very happy to meet me. My mother is Esther. She wouldn't look at me and spent our time waiting complaining to Simon (a coordinator) about something in Swahili. So, Kevin and I got acquainted. Once in our cab, I realized that there would be no conversation if I didn't talk, so I did the best I could asking questions. My mom told me that they wanted a boy. I said, "Oh, well, maybe next time". We got to the tiny, little apartment, and my father, John, was watching TV. The TV stayed on as I sat on the couch with them in silence. After some time, however, I lost my nervousness, as they kept saying it was my home, and Esther and I finally got to know one another. She is actually quite sweet, but many times, she just looks pissed. I broke the ice with Kevin by pulling out the paper, and teaching him Sudoku from the puzzles page (he loves math and numbers but never learned this). It is easy to make my little brother laugh, and once we were lying on the floor making faces at each other and goofing around, I could see that my mother was happy with me.

I am one of the only ones at a home without house help, so I will be making my own breaky (no prob), and doing my own laundry (little prob). Lunch and dinner are provided, but it's the same meal as mom told me "Why spend so much time cooking? I cook once, then we microwave". She had had one other student who was gluten intolerant so she understands. That student's name was also Emily, she was also the oldest in the group, and she also had a boyfriend named Mike. However, she was a problem for them because Mike broke up with her while she was here and she cried all the time. So...that's where we differ. Right? Mike?

Today is Sunday and we went to church down the street. It was quite fun in the beginning, the music is fantastic. I couldn't help but clap and swing and sing the Swahili on the screen. But it got difficult once that ended after fifteen minutes. The service is two hours long. That's a lot of God. Most of it was about HIV/AIDS stigma and how to deal with it. Strange to have in church, but the pastor found no shortage of passages related to that issue. And he had numerous ways to alert the end of his sermon."Finally...", ten minutes later, "Lastly....", ten minutes later, "In my conclusion.....", five minutes later, "Amen". Thankfully, Esther was up and out, but almost too fast cause I nearly lost her. This afternoon, she left me to chat with neighbors, so I finally got here and asked if I could email and here I am.

I've seen one other student's home down the street as Esther was strict on me cybercafeing it with someone else, and I've talked with her and one other now. They both have been out escorted around so they are familiar with the area. My father stays in the bedroom all day and watches TV, and my mother stays in the living room all day watching TV. Kevin runs out every once in a while, and mom does only when it's visit the neighbors time. They are very kind, but I cannot wait for tomorrow, when I begin school and start doing my own thing. I should also tell you that my family has been hosting since 2002. They've had over 10 host children, so they are probably just very used to it all. So, tomorrow we all meet at school again (I have a forty min. walk), and we go into central Nairobi to buy cell phones. By Wednesday, we begin our normal classes. Joy.

I have also learned about my internship. I am located at the bottom of Mt.Kenya in the small town of Embu. I am working for NEMA, National Environmental Management Agency. I will be trained on proper work and farming methods, then visiting small businesses in Embu and making sure they are up to code. It's not exactly what I asked for, but they showed me what I wrote on my app, and and I had forgotten how environmental I was in my theme. I am truly very excited about it. It is closer to what I am truly passionate about. And, Mom, they tried to get me involved with The Green Belt Movement, but it is located in central Kenya right now. Too dangerous according to the US government, so I can't even visit it. However, Esther laughed when I told her this. She said she could take me no problem, so, we'll see.

Overall there have been no major problems. No one has fallen ill, and it seems we are all very comfortable and welcome here. I have to stick with my earlier exclamation, I love this place! And the weather is perfect right now. About 70, cloudy with occasional thunder, but no rain yet. I'm down the dusty, rocky, road from this Internet place, so I can probably email often. Especially as it seems my family isn't one for "family time". But I'll remind you all again: send no forwards please and no photos. I appreciate the pic of Mike, Melinda, but it will take too long for me to open my inbox if you keep that up. Besides, I have many, many photos of him with me. Love again to you all. Mom, or someone, please keep these somewhere, as I don't trust that I can. I will give out my address here soon if anyone wants to send anything. I already know I need pencil tip erasers as my brother has already stolen mine. He's never seen them before, I'd like to get a whole bag of multi-color ones.

Asante, asante sana,

Emily Sara