Dear Friends, After two rather long and arduous months of Peace Corps training, I am now all settled into my work site. First a few words on Peace Corps training ------it was tedious being with so many young people just out of college. They would interrupt the instructors, laugh outragiously at things that really weren't that funny and drink beer every night (OK, that last comment isn't really a complaint! I DID occassionally join them for a Kenyan Tusker brew).
There were six of us "seniors" in the group and only one of them was a beer drinker, so I did have to join the youngsters at times.
The training itself was good but long and gosh, it had been so long since I had to attend classes! We were in class from 8am till 4 or 5pm everyday. The language instruction was so intense - I finally did pass. I am now speaking kiswahili everyday ----had to stand in front of hundreds of school kids and introduce myself. They understood me!! I need to greatly improve my kiswahili but am hoping it will come along as I have to use it constanty. I can tell you a lot about HIV in kiswahili.
The training was in a "town" at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro. That view was spectacular but the town itself is covered in plastic bags stuck in bushes and other trash everywhere. Some PC volunteer needs to have a town clean up day for them. I lived with a host family that was interesting but, like being in class all day with younger people, living with a family is something I hadn't done in years. I was thrilled when the two months ended.
I am now living at my permanent work site for the next two years. Pity me ---I am right on the coast of Eastern Kenya, slightly north of Mombasa (of pirate fame). I live up a "sort of" dirt road, about 2.5 miles off of a paved road. I live in a cement block house, no electricity or running water, but the house is just fine. The roof is metal and doesn't leak! I am right next to a health clinic that I work with. But other than these two buildings, I am surrounded by mud huts. The villagers are quite poor but extremely friendly and happy to see me. As I walk around the villages (there are several separate villages up here but within sight of eachother - most of the villagers are from the same tribe) the children scream out my name. I am teaching them to call me Mary rather than the ubiquitious chat of "Mzungu" - white person.
It is incredibly beautiful here. I am surrounded by baobob trees, coconut palms, a huge sisal plantation, banana trees, and a spectacular view of the Indian Ocean. The down side is that the two professional people who work at the clinic live outside the area. After 5pm everyday, it is just me and the villagers. It gets dark every night (year round) by 7pm - it is a good thing I can recharge my laptop at the clinic---blogging could become a big past time for me! I have a kerosene lantern and cook stove and am very glad I brought my solar shower. It is so hot (and it is winter here) that I don't even heat the water but it does allow me to shower.
I will close for now but check again in another week or so for pictures from my new home. For now, enjoy these few shots from around Loittokitok. Yes, that is me in the traditional Maasi dress - a gift from my host family. EVERY American said I looked like Pocohontas!
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