This is me getting all super butch style hanging a nail for my mosquito net(which is to my left)
Notice the "student center" sign. This is at a polytechnic school near my office
Enough said - it was the size of my palm
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Settling In
I’ve been in Kenya for a week and a half now and most things are starting to make sense. The process is slow but sure. I now know that none of the restaurants have menus and 90% of them don’t have signs either. Given that there is no menu, we have figured out-as a group- that we should just look for any type of caged enclosure because this is typically where the person who will take your money is sitting. It’s a bit of a farce really, considering that the cage is usually no stronger than chicken wire and will only surround one or two of the sides of the cashier; Not terribly secure(assuming security is the intention). Yesterday we went out and ate at the “Elite Café”(which the locals pronounce E – Light caf), which is just down the street from two schools. It was filled high school age students and all conversation ceased as we walked in. Although the novelty of Kenya is wearing off for me, its nice (kind of) to see that the novelty of me is not wearing off for Kenya. It took us an eternity three or for minutes to figure out how to order and was the experience yielding the lessons learned outlined above. The food was great and people were mostly friendly. Just after we sat down, this Kenyan came and sat at the table next to us. Conversation quickly went from where we were from to propositioning our friend Grace who was a little to naive to realize what was going on. At first it was comedic but we decided we should rescue her before the guy got too attached. Last night was the first night that I’ve actually felt cold while I slept. I ended up turning off the fan, which sits at the foot of my bed but under the mosquito net. This wasn’t enough so I’m actually sitting here in a long sleeve t-shirt that I put on last night to stay warm. This is notable because the sensation of “I’m cold” has been a luxury un-enjoyed the entire time I’ve been in Kenya - cold liquids, cold showers, cold breezes, and cold rooms all seem to be a huge luxury. That’s all for now.
This is me getting all super butch style hanging a nail for my mosquito net(which is to my left)
Notice the "student center" sign. This is at a polytechnic school near my office
Enough said - it was the size of my palm
This is me getting all super butch style hanging a nail for my mosquito net(which is to my left)
Notice the "student center" sign. This is at a polytechnic school near my office
Enough said - it was the size of my palm
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2 comments:
If that's how big the spiders are - I hate to see the mosquito you're protecting yourself from!
Take care of yourself! Did you dip your net?
» Visit your health care provider 4-6 weeks before foreign travel for any necessary vaccinations and a prescription for an antimalarial drug. (Hope you did that!)
» Take your antimalarial drug exactly on schedule without missing doses
» Prevent mosquito and other insect bites. Use DEET insect repellent on exposed skin and flying insect spray in the room where you sleep
» Wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts, especially from dusk to dawn. This is the time when mosquitoes that spread malaria bite
» Sleep under a mosquito bednet that has been dipped in permethrin insecticide if you are not living in screened or air-conditioned housing
Hey Andrew...don't know if you remember me, but it's Kim's friend Siobhan. I wandered onto your blog from Kim's blog when I saw "Kenya," and having spent three months in Senegal, just had to see you were faring. I must say, I'm particularly fond on this spider picture as I have one of my own from Village de Tortugue in Dakar. I say the same thing too..."It was as big as my palm!"
I have to say also, it is interesting to read about your experiences as some of them are so much like mine were. I remember feeling out of place and wondering if I was acting superior and hoping not. I got a lot of marriage proposals too. The main language in Senegal is Wolof, so I learned how to say "Thank you, but I already have two husbands." That usually garnered a laugh (Senegal is a polygamous Muslim country) and the issue was dropped. Ah...fun times.
In any case, sorry for the long comment...I know internet time is precious...but I couldn't help it. I hope you are having a great time...it's such a wonderful experience.
~Siobhan
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