things that make you go "hmmmm"

So, I've decided to list some of the odds things I've run into living here.

In Kenya, cars drive down the left side of the street. This also translates to how people walk down the street, or on sidewalks, or in the hospital, wherever. Up until this last week, I was constantly bumping into people, and in other people's way just because I was on the wrong side of the hall. I think I've got this problem fixed.

Also, everyday around 11, everybody in the hospital gets tea. People come around to every department with a giant thermos full of tea. The tea here is somewhat odd, it's like regular black tea, but it's made with hot milk instead of hot water. I've come to like it, but not as much as everyone else.

Kenya's national language is English, everyone learns it in school, that is, everyone who goes to school. But the language of the East African Union is Swahili, and so everyone knows swahili. I know a little swahili, and I'm working on learning more, but I've noticed a lot of people will mix the two together, speaking half enligsh, half swahili sentances. It's crazy.

I went into nairobi a lot this week, on business I guess. I rode a small bus in to nairobi. One of these buses is called a Matatu, and they're like small 15 passenger things, that sometimes get more like 19 passengers. And the road to nairobi is bumpy, so it was like cedar point, but less expensive.

In Nairobi, the names of the fast food places are hilarious. Right next to the Taco Club, there were 3 places, Pizza Inn, Chicken Inn, and Creamy Inn (for ice cream). I ended up eating at a small resturant (I went to nairobi with my boss, and he knows the town pretty well) and I had fish with ugali and french beans (which are what they call green beans). It was great.

Well, hopefully more updates to follow, and I guess some pictures, because everyone loves pictures, and this entry only had words.

Pictures

I've posted a few pictures to facebook, you  can check them out here.

Taking in and expending calories.

So... I thought I'd explained everything about Kenya in my last entry, coke in glass bottles, it's great. But, I figure everyone wants to know a little more.

Well, here's a picture of the view I was talking about, you can compare it to the Willamette Valley (from the Oregon trail), and you'll see just how right I was.

(Maybe you can't tell, but there is a mountain in the background, actually it's a dormant volcano! That's might be interesting in blog posts to come)

So... here's what's new, I've still got no roommate, so it's just me, making a mess of the place. I've been cooking most of my meals myself, usually it's just something like grilled onions, garlic, and beans. (Maybe it's for the best I don't have a roommate). There's a small cafeteria-type place at the hospital, and sometimes I go there for lunch, where I can get about as much african food as I want for about a dollar. Like the other day, I ended up getting ugali (which is like mashed potatoes, but made from corn flour), anyway, I had ugali, beef stew, vegetables (think cole slaw minus mayonnaise), chapati, mandazi, and a coke. I went a little overboard, but I love those foods! 

And as I walked out with my two plates into the dinning room everyone was looking at me, possibly because I was the only white guy, and I was eating by myself, but also, equally as possible because I was embodying the american spirit of Joey Chestnut, and wolfing down 2 huge plates of food with a ton of hot sauce.

I also played basketball with some kenyans the other day, and then just yesterday I found a pick up soccer game with some of the staff from the hospital over at the RVA gym. (To explain, RVA is Rift Valley Academy, a large, really nice boarding school that's also in the village of Kijabe. Kijabe really only has the hospital and RVA.) Anyway, it was nice to meet some of the people who work at the hospital, as most of my time is spent in the IT dungeon. But more on that in a later update!!! (maybe!)

Pazhalsta Kenya!

So here I am in Kenya, finally settled down enough to write a blog post. I figure you have to be pretty well settled down to start ignoring things like the ironing and cooking to write a blog post.

But here I am, in Kijabe, exploring the town, eating sour porridge, drinking tea. Maybe a little update on my life: I'm staying in a three bedroom flat, and nobody else is occupying it at the time, so it's just me, and it's very spacious, and has a great kitchen. I'll have a roommate by tomorrow though, and he'll be here a week, but the flat is great.

The best part? It's on the 3rd floor, and the living room has a large window that looks out onto the rift valley. I wake up every morning, and look outside and it looks like I just beat the Oregon Trail.

Today I was shown around the town by one of my co-workers, we took a walk around the surrounding area and saw some baboons. Apparently, they're like deer in ohio, in the morning they might be there eating the grass on your lawn. (or in the case of the baboon, eating the onions you planted.) Anyway, if anyone's sending me a package, one of those lazer guns from the movie Congo would be nice. 

Also, how great is it that my favorite drink of all time, Coca-Cola, is available everywhere! (And it's so cheap here! and comes in glass bottles. We should all be so lucky)