Tuesday, 23 December 2008
Tuesday, 16 December 2008
Weathering the Storm
It’s Sunday morning and in the past here I’ve either gone to church or relaxed somewhere doing nothing in particular. This morning I’m pushed for time between welcoming a new group of guests, and emailing a list of future visitors to find out what time they’ll be getting here over the next 3 weeks or so. The Christmas rush has begun.
It’s been a mixed week here with some discouragements and a bit of loneliness but my brother is due to arrive tonight and I’m looking forward to focusing on him for the next 2 weeks, being his personal tour guide will be an excuse for plenty of fun trips out.
On Monday Rachel arrived and she’s really been what’s kept me going this week. She’s a zoologist and nearly as crazy about birds as Aaron and Albert are, except her real passion is bats. I never thought I would say this but last night I helped put up a bat net. Then I joined Rachel sitting on a little stool to wait and see if we caught a bat which we could look at, take photos of and release. Apparently it’s a regular hobby for some people. Apart from the bat thing though she’s quite normal :) and it’s actually been OK to share my room again and a relief to have someone to talk to. She’s extremely practical and also very good with people and languages; she’s genuinely trying to learn Swahili, rather than picking up the odd useful phrase like Aaron and I. It’s obvious that Colin realised she would be a real asset to Mwamba and encouraged her to come. She was only meant to stay for a couple of weeks but so far the data she was meant to enter still hasn’t been delivered. It looks like she will stay right over Christmas and she’s found plenty of other ways to make herself useful from mending bird ringing nets to escorting our new group of guests around the snake farm later.
Plans are always changing here, almost by the minute sometimes. Suzanne, Aaron’s fiancée has decided she wants to stay on as a volunteer when his parents go home next weekend. It makes sense as she’s only just out of college and has no job to go back to in Canada at the moment, and Aaron is here until February. Also we lost Jo so we were a volunteer down. From a purely selfish point of view however I’m feeling slightly dubious about January – my brother will have left and Rachel will probably set off on her travels again in the New Year, Bernard is also finishing on 28th December. So the volunteer team will consist of me and a young engaged couple counting down the weeks until their wedding, I may run out of ways to make myself scarce before the end of the month, if you have any ideas please send them ;)
This week seems to have been dominated by children. I was meant to do administrative tasks such as completing the end of year newsletter but on Wednesday I spent the whole afternoon teaching an 8 year old how to play Monopoly. I wondered about the ethics of it afterwards, she picked it up very quickly and then became rather obsessed with those pink ‘500’ notes. Her family left on Thursday but not before she’d taught another little girl, Lispa’s cousin how to play. Apparently the game is not known in Kenya – what an opportunity! Lispa’s cousin, Keziah and her little niece Nalius are staying throughout Christmas and are a lot of fun. Apart from learning Monopoly Keziah also wants to learn how to swim and became a keen amateur photographer last night when she got hold of my camera. Yesterday Bernard, (who is their new best friend) Rachel and I took them to the beach. It was a beautiful afternoon and so easy to get great photos. Keziah has just come and interrupted me now because she wants to know if there are waves on the beach today.
All day yesterday we were waiting for our new guests to arrive. Unfortunately for them they had taken the train from Nairobi which is notorious for breaking down. After a late night phone call we thought they would be staying the night in Mombasa and went to bed unconcerned. At 3am Aaron was woken up by banging and car hooting. They’d arrived in the middle of the night and of course did not know which rooms they were staying in or even where the rooms were. Aaron, bless him got up and showed them where to go, all 10 of them which was interesting as there were only meant to be 7. This morning we had a few issues regarding not enough cereal and where to sleep the extra guests but I think we’ve weathered the storm.
It’s time for me to entertain the children again so I’ll sign off for now…
Just in case anyone was pondering visiting but is still not sure this was the beach on Saturday afternoon...
For Those Who Pray
Pray that my brother arrives safely and we have a good time together.
Pray we can manage the guests coming to and fro and make some money for Mwamba and Arocha over the holiday season and maintain good relations all round.
Pray that I can get my head around January and it won’t be as difficult as I’m anticipating.
Thank you!
rx
It’s been a mixed week here with some discouragements and a bit of loneliness but my brother is due to arrive tonight and I’m looking forward to focusing on him for the next 2 weeks, being his personal tour guide will be an excuse for plenty of fun trips out.
On Monday Rachel arrived and she’s really been what’s kept me going this week. She’s a zoologist and nearly as crazy about birds as Aaron and Albert are, except her real passion is bats. I never thought I would say this but last night I helped put up a bat net. Then I joined Rachel sitting on a little stool to wait and see if we caught a bat which we could look at, take photos of and release. Apparently it’s a regular hobby for some people. Apart from the bat thing though she’s quite normal :) and it’s actually been OK to share my room again and a relief to have someone to talk to. She’s extremely practical and also very good with people and languages; she’s genuinely trying to learn Swahili, rather than picking up the odd useful phrase like Aaron and I. It’s obvious that Colin realised she would be a real asset to Mwamba and encouraged her to come. She was only meant to stay for a couple of weeks but so far the data she was meant to enter still hasn’t been delivered. It looks like she will stay right over Christmas and she’s found plenty of other ways to make herself useful from mending bird ringing nets to escorting our new group of guests around the snake farm later.
Plans are always changing here, almost by the minute sometimes. Suzanne, Aaron’s fiancée has decided she wants to stay on as a volunteer when his parents go home next weekend. It makes sense as she’s only just out of college and has no job to go back to in Canada at the moment, and Aaron is here until February. Also we lost Jo so we were a volunteer down. From a purely selfish point of view however I’m feeling slightly dubious about January – my brother will have left and Rachel will probably set off on her travels again in the New Year, Bernard is also finishing on 28th December. So the volunteer team will consist of me and a young engaged couple counting down the weeks until their wedding, I may run out of ways to make myself scarce before the end of the month, if you have any ideas please send them ;)
This week seems to have been dominated by children. I was meant to do administrative tasks such as completing the end of year newsletter but on Wednesday I spent the whole afternoon teaching an 8 year old how to play Monopoly. I wondered about the ethics of it afterwards, she picked it up very quickly and then became rather obsessed with those pink ‘500’ notes. Her family left on Thursday but not before she’d taught another little girl, Lispa’s cousin how to play. Apparently the game is not known in Kenya – what an opportunity! Lispa’s cousin, Keziah and her little niece Nalius are staying throughout Christmas and are a lot of fun. Apart from learning Monopoly Keziah also wants to learn how to swim and became a keen amateur photographer last night when she got hold of my camera. Yesterday Bernard, (who is their new best friend) Rachel and I took them to the beach. It was a beautiful afternoon and so easy to get great photos. Keziah has just come and interrupted me now because she wants to know if there are waves on the beach today.
All day yesterday we were waiting for our new guests to arrive. Unfortunately for them they had taken the train from Nairobi which is notorious for breaking down. After a late night phone call we thought they would be staying the night in Mombasa and went to bed unconcerned. At 3am Aaron was woken up by banging and car hooting. They’d arrived in the middle of the night and of course did not know which rooms they were staying in or even where the rooms were. Aaron, bless him got up and showed them where to go, all 10 of them which was interesting as there were only meant to be 7. This morning we had a few issues regarding not enough cereal and where to sleep the extra guests but I think we’ve weathered the storm.
It’s time for me to entertain the children again so I’ll sign off for now…
Just in case anyone was pondering visiting but is still not sure this was the beach on Saturday afternoon...
For Those Who Pray
Pray that my brother arrives safely and we have a good time together.
Pray we can manage the guests coming to and fro and make some money for Mwamba and Arocha over the holiday season and maintain good relations all round.
Pray that I can get my head around January and it won’t be as difficult as I’m anticipating.
Thank you!
rx
Tuesday, 9 December 2008
Comings and Goings
Mwamba is a place where people come and go. That’s what happens here day in and day out people are always arriving for the first time or maybe leaving for the last. I’m beginning to understand how hard it must be for the Kigens, who live here all the time to watch the rest of the world scurrying about. They’re about to go back to their home town in the west of the country for Christmas, it will be the first time in a year they’ve visited and the first time Ivy has seen her wider family. In a country as big as Kenya where a lot of people don’t have their own transport sometimes coming and going is difficult. It’s even more difficult if your work is your life.
My big news this week is that my brother is coming to visit! He managed to ring me at the beginning of last week, while I was within mobile reception and told me he was coming on the 15th of December and will stay until after Christmas. Just the two weeks notice for me. Lucky for him we have a bed free. All year Mwamba has wanted more guests and now finally during December the place is booked out. So this week I’ve been going around in a bit of a daze making mental notes of what to tell him to bring and wondering what he might want to do. It’s going to be an interesting Christmas with the two of us, Aaron (who’ll have just said goodbye to his family), Bernard and Lispa our cook and about 12 guests, mostly Kenyans. One or two staff members will pop in to do essential jobs but basically Aaron, Bernard and I will be running the guest house - and now I’ll be entertaining as well :)
On Wednesday last week I went snorkelling for the first time with some of the Earthwatch group. They’d all been before and confidently disappeared into the water while I splashed about with the mask on my face but no desire to go beneath the surface. Going underwater without taking in air and holding it is like teaching yourself to drown and I just couldn’t get my head down. Then one of the boat men who’d taken us out to the reef approached me with a life ring. This was embarrassing to start with until he explained he wanted me to hang on to it and gradually put my face in the water while he pulled me along. Eventually I managed to regulate my breathing and started to enjoy it. The smaller fish swim so close to you, you can reach out and touch them if you’re quick enough and it’s amazing passing right through a shoal of them. Some of the group saw a Stingray and by then I was feeling brave enough to go and look for it myself. I didn’t see it but there were plenty of Zebra fish and some Red Snapper and so many others of which I don’t know the names. Unfortunately the coral itself is in a bad state. I don’t really know what coral is meant to look like but I’d heard it was very damaged here and it did look like a lunar landscape with bubbles which I'm sure its not meant to. I’m not sure if our snorkelling is the kind of activity that contributes to its destruction..?
The following day we said goodbye to the Earthwatch group as they’d completed their monkey studies and then Aaron arrived back with his parents and fiancée from a week’s safari. It was Kate’s birthday and I made an attempt at banoffee pie. Claire, I’m not sure you’d have recognised it but none of them knew any better and seemed to enjoy it. The Kenyans said it was too sweet though – and how much sugar do they put in their chai?!
For Those Who Pray
Thank God that my brother is coming and will support me with work over Christmas. Pray he can get here safely and I can make sure he has a great holiday.
Pray that Aaron, Lispa and I can manage things well while the Kigens are away and still manage to take a break at Christmas time.
My big news this week is that my brother is coming to visit! He managed to ring me at the beginning of last week, while I was within mobile reception and told me he was coming on the 15th of December and will stay until after Christmas. Just the two weeks notice for me. Lucky for him we have a bed free. All year Mwamba has wanted more guests and now finally during December the place is booked out. So this week I’ve been going around in a bit of a daze making mental notes of what to tell him to bring and wondering what he might want to do. It’s going to be an interesting Christmas with the two of us, Aaron (who’ll have just said goodbye to his family), Bernard and Lispa our cook and about 12 guests, mostly Kenyans. One or two staff members will pop in to do essential jobs but basically Aaron, Bernard and I will be running the guest house - and now I’ll be entertaining as well :)
On Wednesday last week I went snorkelling for the first time with some of the Earthwatch group. They’d all been before and confidently disappeared into the water while I splashed about with the mask on my face but no desire to go beneath the surface. Going underwater without taking in air and holding it is like teaching yourself to drown and I just couldn’t get my head down. Then one of the boat men who’d taken us out to the reef approached me with a life ring. This was embarrassing to start with until he explained he wanted me to hang on to it and gradually put my face in the water while he pulled me along. Eventually I managed to regulate my breathing and started to enjoy it. The smaller fish swim so close to you, you can reach out and touch them if you’re quick enough and it’s amazing passing right through a shoal of them. Some of the group saw a Stingray and by then I was feeling brave enough to go and look for it myself. I didn’t see it but there were plenty of Zebra fish and some Red Snapper and so many others of which I don’t know the names. Unfortunately the coral itself is in a bad state. I don’t really know what coral is meant to look like but I’d heard it was very damaged here and it did look like a lunar landscape with bubbles which I'm sure its not meant to. I’m not sure if our snorkelling is the kind of activity that contributes to its destruction..?
The following day we said goodbye to the Earthwatch group as they’d completed their monkey studies and then Aaron arrived back with his parents and fiancée from a week’s safari. It was Kate’s birthday and I made an attempt at banoffee pie. Claire, I’m not sure you’d have recognised it but none of them knew any better and seemed to enjoy it. The Kenyans said it was too sweet though – and how much sugar do they put in their chai?!
Then on Friday it was Kate and Jordan’s turn to leave. This was a sad moment as they’ve really entertained me for the last few weeks :) it’s certainly a lot quieter around here without them. It transpires that Jo will not be returning after her trip to Nairobi either. This is a complicated story but she was never very happy at Mwamba and has probably done the right thing in going home – if that’s where she is. H&B are still following up this issue so I won’t say anymore about it now. I’ve had a room to myself for the last couple of weeks but Rachel is due to arrive any minute. She’s from Australia but has been working in Africa with our director Colin doing some bird ringing and now she’s coming to Mwamba to enter her data.
There are some constants here: the ginger cat that’s been hanging around finally looks like its beginning to fend for itself. Unlike a genuine stray it stayed outside the bedrooms all the time begging for food and woke us up at night with its howling. At home there are obvious solutions as to what to do with stray animals but things are different here. Colin doesn’t allow cats as Mwamba is supposed to be a bird sanctuary and we knew feeding it wouldn’t make it go away. After a while though it was getting so scrawny I couldn’t ignore it any more. I told Henry I would be very distressed if it died on my doorstep and he supposed we’d better give it something. It perked up and last night we saw it with something in its mouth (hopefully one of the mice whose been chewing through the computer cables).
It’s been hotter this week, Henry keeps warning it will get even hotter in January. If anyone fancies some winter sun on one of the world’s best and quietest beaches you’re more than welcome to visit. Last night as the sun went down I went for a quick swim and then realised I was the only person on the beach…
There are some constants here: the ginger cat that’s been hanging around finally looks like its beginning to fend for itself. Unlike a genuine stray it stayed outside the bedrooms all the time begging for food and woke us up at night with its howling. At home there are obvious solutions as to what to do with stray animals but things are different here. Colin doesn’t allow cats as Mwamba is supposed to be a bird sanctuary and we knew feeding it wouldn’t make it go away. After a while though it was getting so scrawny I couldn’t ignore it any more. I told Henry I would be very distressed if it died on my doorstep and he supposed we’d better give it something. It perked up and last night we saw it with something in its mouth (hopefully one of the mice whose been chewing through the computer cables).
It’s been hotter this week, Henry keeps warning it will get even hotter in January. If anyone fancies some winter sun on one of the world’s best and quietest beaches you’re more than welcome to visit. Last night as the sun went down I went for a quick swim and then realised I was the only person on the beach…
Kate and Jordan say goodbye
For Those Who Pray
Thank God that my brother is coming and will support me with work over Christmas. Pray he can get here safely and I can make sure he has a great holiday.
Pray that Aaron, Lispa and I can manage things well while the Kigens are away and still manage to take a break at Christmas time.
Pray the Kigens will have a good break and come back in January inspired for the new year.
The last few days I've spent quite a bit of time on my own which has been fine but its feels a little like I'm losing the plot sometimes. I have no one to really be accountable to here and if I wanted to go crazy I don't think anyone would stop me. Pray I don't go crazy. Thank you.
Monday, 1 December 2008
Various Happenings
Killer Tree!Last week started peacefully, on Sunday Kate, Jordan & I had a tour of Gede Ruins. It’s an ancient Swahili town (around 13th century) that disappeared after the Portuguese arrived. It’s mostly just old stones now but there are some amazing trees preserved there too including, the Baobab and a fig tree that survives by growing around another tree until it kills it and has to move on to another host.
On Monday morning I decided I was desperate for exercise. Despite the healthy food we eat here I’m beginning to feel like a bit of a balloon because it’s always too far or too hot to walk anywhere. There’s a small window just before sunset when it’s cool enough to jog along the beach but I haven’t been very disciplined about it and swimming is more like splashing about while you chat to people. So I was really pleased when Bernard leant me his bicycle (Bernard is another volunteer here from the Rift Valley Region in Kenya).
It’s a while since I’ve ridden a bike and the pot holes on the road make it interesting. Also the rules of the road here are such that if you hear hooting behind you you’re expected to get into the gutter quickly or get flattened by a Matatu. Still, it was great to have the freedom just to go to the end of the road and back. I must be very out of shape though because I was so tired I had to go and lie down during our Monday morning meeting!
Jo, another volunteer had been feeling unwell the previous day and also had to leave the meeting. She’d asked Henry to take her to the clinic but unfortunately this Monday the UNDP auditor (who’d been with us all weekend) was giving his all important feedback. Eventually Henry dropped Jo at the clinic and arranged for a taxi to bring her back.
At lunch time the taxi driver turned up alone to say that Jo had fainted and might need some help getting home. Aaron and I rushed back to the clinic in the taxi wondering what awful disease she’d come down with. It turned out the doctor had diagnosed a stomach infection. Then he’d given her a shot of something to take away the nausea which was so strong she’d passed out. Aaron then had to carry her to the car. Meanwhile 9 guests from a group called Earthwatch had arrived, one of whom was supposed to share Jo’s room. We had to ask her to repack so I could move in with Jo instead and keep an eye on her.
The rest of the week was much less eventful. I wrote blogs on Earthwatch and the end of term schools quiz from the week before and finished the E-news letter we send out every 6 weeks or so. I also went back to Mida Creek and replaced some of the signs on the information boards there and tried to work out what to put in a badly needed information display we’re going to put out the front here.
I continued to feel really tired, having sudden moments of just needing to lie down regardless of what I was doing. Jo got a lot better and even managed to leave for Nairobi on Wednesday for Thanksgiving but I was convinced I’d got what she had. I had incredibly intense heartburn which lasted for over 24 hours but managed to fight it off with Peptobismol tablets (Americans are great for carrying every medicine under the sun!) We’ve each complained of strange stomachs as if something is going round that we’re all trying to fight off.
On Tuesday Aaron also left for Nairobi, his parents and fiancée are visiting and they’re off on safari for a week. Earthwatch, (2 Kenyans, 4 Brits and 3 Americans) stay until next Thursday as do K&J and then it’s going to be very quiet here. The staff are starting to go on leave now. I don’t know if it’s normal to take a month off in the summer here or whether the ARK staff are just over due their holidays (Peter?)
Having Earthwatch has been fun they’re here for some ‘voluntourism’ monitoring Sykes Monkeys in the forest. I’ve got to sit in on a couple of evening presentations about Monkeys and one about Kenya’s endangered Black Rhino.
It’s hard to believe I’ve been here a month now it’s gone so fast. I’ve been thinking about what I do and don’t miss about home.
After a month I definitely miss:
Washing machines! – Not only does the centre not have one they’re apparently uncommon generally in this part of Kenya so at least 2 hours every weekend is taken up with hand washing my clothes. I never thought I was spoilt before now…
Being cool (but not cold!)
Cakes & biscuits (I am beginning to miss sweet things now)
Watching the news (seriously, please tell me what’s going on in the world!)
Walking to places
The bathroom at home (I’m jealous Barbara!)
Skimmed/semi skimmed milk – they only have full fat here
Broadband internet (a lot!!!)
My family and friends of course J
What I don’t miss:
The dark! – I find it so hard to imagine how dark it is in England these days when it’s so bright here all the time.
All the pre-Christmas faff – there’s none here despite the children having broken up for Christmas (summer) holidays already
TV – apart from the news (We watched a couple of films on Jordan’s laptop this week though which was fun)
The price of everything back home!
The commute to work
Being in a city away from the beach
Cooking for myself (strange because I thought I would)
Plans for this week might include…
Watching a Giriama dance (local tribe)
Going snorkelling with the Earthwatch group
Staring ARK’s annual newsletter
Making Banoffee pie for Katelin’s birthday
(Thanks Claire! I managed to get all the ingredients although in order to get the caramel sauce I had to ask the Italian ice cream shop if they would sell me half one of their bottles - which they import direct from Italy!)
If any of you have read all this way you deserve a medal!
Until next time…
For Those Who Pray
Thank you! I’ve felt close to getting sick more than once since I’ve been here but I haven’t so thank you so much for praying.
On Monday morning I decided I was desperate for exercise. Despite the healthy food we eat here I’m beginning to feel like a bit of a balloon because it’s always too far or too hot to walk anywhere. There’s a small window just before sunset when it’s cool enough to jog along the beach but I haven’t been very disciplined about it and swimming is more like splashing about while you chat to people. So I was really pleased when Bernard leant me his bicycle (Bernard is another volunteer here from the Rift Valley Region in Kenya).
It’s a while since I’ve ridden a bike and the pot holes on the road make it interesting. Also the rules of the road here are such that if you hear hooting behind you you’re expected to get into the gutter quickly or get flattened by a Matatu. Still, it was great to have the freedom just to go to the end of the road and back. I must be very out of shape though because I was so tired I had to go and lie down during our Monday morning meeting!
Jo, another volunteer had been feeling unwell the previous day and also had to leave the meeting. She’d asked Henry to take her to the clinic but unfortunately this Monday the UNDP auditor (who’d been with us all weekend) was giving his all important feedback. Eventually Henry dropped Jo at the clinic and arranged for a taxi to bring her back.
At lunch time the taxi driver turned up alone to say that Jo had fainted and might need some help getting home. Aaron and I rushed back to the clinic in the taxi wondering what awful disease she’d come down with. It turned out the doctor had diagnosed a stomach infection. Then he’d given her a shot of something to take away the nausea which was so strong she’d passed out. Aaron then had to carry her to the car. Meanwhile 9 guests from a group called Earthwatch had arrived, one of whom was supposed to share Jo’s room. We had to ask her to repack so I could move in with Jo instead and keep an eye on her.
The rest of the week was much less eventful. I wrote blogs on Earthwatch and the end of term schools quiz from the week before and finished the E-news letter we send out every 6 weeks or so. I also went back to Mida Creek and replaced some of the signs on the information boards there and tried to work out what to put in a badly needed information display we’re going to put out the front here.
I continued to feel really tired, having sudden moments of just needing to lie down regardless of what I was doing. Jo got a lot better and even managed to leave for Nairobi on Wednesday for Thanksgiving but I was convinced I’d got what she had. I had incredibly intense heartburn which lasted for over 24 hours but managed to fight it off with Peptobismol tablets (Americans are great for carrying every medicine under the sun!) We’ve each complained of strange stomachs as if something is going round that we’re all trying to fight off.
On Tuesday Aaron also left for Nairobi, his parents and fiancée are visiting and they’re off on safari for a week. Earthwatch, (2 Kenyans, 4 Brits and 3 Americans) stay until next Thursday as do K&J and then it’s going to be very quiet here. The staff are starting to go on leave now. I don’t know if it’s normal to take a month off in the summer here or whether the ARK staff are just over due their holidays (Peter?)
Having Earthwatch has been fun they’re here for some ‘voluntourism’ monitoring Sykes Monkeys in the forest. I’ve got to sit in on a couple of evening presentations about Monkeys and one about Kenya’s endangered Black Rhino.
It’s hard to believe I’ve been here a month now it’s gone so fast. I’ve been thinking about what I do and don’t miss about home.
After a month I definitely miss:
Washing machines! – Not only does the centre not have one they’re apparently uncommon generally in this part of Kenya so at least 2 hours every weekend is taken up with hand washing my clothes. I never thought I was spoilt before now…
Being cool (but not cold!)
Cakes & biscuits (I am beginning to miss sweet things now)
Watching the news (seriously, please tell me what’s going on in the world!)
Walking to places
The bathroom at home (I’m jealous Barbara!)
Skimmed/semi skimmed milk – they only have full fat here
Broadband internet (a lot!!!)
My family and friends of course J
What I don’t miss:
The dark! – I find it so hard to imagine how dark it is in England these days when it’s so bright here all the time.
All the pre-Christmas faff – there’s none here despite the children having broken up for Christmas (summer) holidays already
TV – apart from the news (We watched a couple of films on Jordan’s laptop this week though which was fun)
The price of everything back home!
The commute to work
Being in a city away from the beach
Cooking for myself (strange because I thought I would)
Plans for this week might include…
Watching a Giriama dance (local tribe)
Going snorkelling with the Earthwatch group
Staring ARK’s annual newsletter
Making Banoffee pie for Katelin’s birthday
(Thanks Claire! I managed to get all the ingredients although in order to get the caramel sauce I had to ask the Italian ice cream shop if they would sell me half one of their bottles - which they import direct from Italy!)
If any of you have read all this way you deserve a medal!
Until next time…
For Those Who Pray
Thank you! I’ve felt close to getting sick more than once since I’ve been here but I haven’t so thank you so much for praying.
Thanks too if you prayed about creep crawlies - so far no nasty encounters in the night long may it last.
Keep praying for my relationship with H and B its still difficult sometimes but they are going on leave soon so I'm trying to make a special effort until then.
Pray for Jo who I now share a room with and who comes back from Nairoboi today/tomorrow (if she comes back) I think she may have some issues that go deeper than a stomach infection and has certainly found her time here more difficult than I have so far (more detail another time)
thanks again!
rx
Tuesday, 25 November 2008
Settling Down
My first week here was interesting, my second just hard and the last week’s been quite fun. I finally feel like I’m settling in a bit and learning how to cope. I’m coping better with sharing a room I was definitely resentful when Katelin moved in after I’d had the place to myself for a week.
Katelin and Jordan are both 20 and from St. Lawrence University in Upstate New York. They’re working with Watamu Turtle Watch who’re based across the road but sleep here and have their meals with us. I wasn’t looking forward to sharing with a 20 year old student and have definitely had to grit my teeth a few times but actually they’re quite fun. Jordan fulfils a certain stereotype by talking loudly at every meal on any subject. They’ve been in Kenya nearly 4 months now and he’s quite clearly an expert but he has a great sense of humour and can always take a joke on himself and his country.
We’ve also done more since they arrived. Their presence highlights the fact that not a lot goes on here in the evenings. H&B disappear soon after dinner to attend to their 10 month old and the staff have all gone home. There’s no TV which is not a bad thing (although I am missing the news – what’s happening in the world?!) We’ve been asked not to go into Watamu to the night clubs there. They don’t have a great reputation locally I think while Arocha is trying to maintain one. Going to Palms Bar is deemed OK though. I suppose it’s our ‘local’ it’s a bit of a dive where you can clearly see the prostitutes come and go but its only a short walk and I think safe once your face gets known. Also a pint of Tusker is only 100 KSH, very reasonable. Otherwise there are regular Trips to Ocean Sports Hotel - K&A both have laptops so can make use to the free wireless they have there.
Last weekend the four of us enlisted Albert’s services and went on Safari to Tsavo East Park, the closest National Park to where we are. I went on Safari once before but was so young I have very little memory of it so I didn’t know what to expect. It was an amazing and surreal day. You really do leave humanity behind and enter the animal kingdom, having to stay on the road in your vehicle while the animals roam free enforces the feeling that you’re a visitor in another world. I was really impressed with my little compact camera as well, managed to get some great shots – especially of the 3 Cheetah’s that crossed right in front of us just as we approached the park gate - that was a good start to the day! (see above picture)
Katelin and Jordan are both 20 and from St. Lawrence University in Upstate New York. They’re working with Watamu Turtle Watch who’re based across the road but sleep here and have their meals with us. I wasn’t looking forward to sharing with a 20 year old student and have definitely had to grit my teeth a few times but actually they’re quite fun. Jordan fulfils a certain stereotype by talking loudly at every meal on any subject. They’ve been in Kenya nearly 4 months now and he’s quite clearly an expert but he has a great sense of humour and can always take a joke on himself and his country.
We’ve also done more since they arrived. Their presence highlights the fact that not a lot goes on here in the evenings. H&B disappear soon after dinner to attend to their 10 month old and the staff have all gone home. There’s no TV which is not a bad thing (although I am missing the news – what’s happening in the world?!) We’ve been asked not to go into Watamu to the night clubs there. They don’t have a great reputation locally I think while Arocha is trying to maintain one. Going to Palms Bar is deemed OK though. I suppose it’s our ‘local’ it’s a bit of a dive where you can clearly see the prostitutes come and go but its only a short walk and I think safe once your face gets known. Also a pint of Tusker is only 100 KSH, very reasonable. Otherwise there are regular Trips to Ocean Sports Hotel - K&A both have laptops so can make use to the free wireless they have there.
Last weekend the four of us enlisted Albert’s services and went on Safari to Tsavo East Park, the closest National Park to where we are. I went on Safari once before but was so young I have very little memory of it so I didn’t know what to expect. It was an amazing and surreal day. You really do leave humanity behind and enter the animal kingdom, having to stay on the road in your vehicle while the animals roam free enforces the feeling that you’re a visitor in another world. I was really impressed with my little compact camera as well, managed to get some great shots – especially of the 3 Cheetah’s that crossed right in front of us just as we approached the park gate - that was a good start to the day! (see above picture)
On Thursday as we were about to go to sleep Jordan knocked on our door- Turtle Watch had called him - there was a green turtle laying her eggs on the beach. We jumped in the back of the van and then stumbled across the sand in the dark - torches confuse the turtles. The last few metres we had to crawl on our knees getting covered in goodness knows what and then she was there the biggest turtle I've ever seen laying eggs in the sand. Good evidence of why you're not really supposed to go walking on the beach at night here - not only would she be distracted she could be quite scary if you stumbled across her by mistake. I guess that's the kind of thing that happens in the evenings here...
I've felt better this week after getting my head around exactly what the problems in management are where I'm staying. I think at a basic level there's a lack of understanding of the help westerners need to culturally adjust. Nobody wants to behave like a spoilt brat but a look of mystified confusion when you're struggling to adapt to a toilet that doesn't always flush or ants in your dinner isn't always helpful. Aaron has been an absolute rock. He and I are opposite temperaments and capable of clashing totally but he's extremely kind, patient and open minded. He also gets on with Henry really well which helps. We're now having weekly meetings with Henry and Aaron and I are going to write a volunteers handbook to make life easier for future volunteers - both his ideas. The upside of working for a place that is struggling is the sense you're part of something that's growing and that will be better if you come back and visit in a few years. We have a real chance to permanently contribute while we're here which is exciting.
Too much has been going on to write it all. A busy weekend including a visit from our director Colin - finally got to meet him - and a UNDP rep from Nairobi who was here to carry out an audit on the place (funding dependant!) We now have a centre full of guests from a group called Earthwatch and I have moved rooms - long story.
Some things I've noticed while living here so far
- You can't go anywhere without seeing people you know on the way back and giving them a lift - especially if you take the pick-up - we took a whole bunch of teachers in the back once who'd just left school- friends of Tsofa who used to teach in the local area.
- When you're travelling the children on the roadside will always wave and shout at you and appreciate a wave a back. They normally assume you're Italians - the majority tourist in this area - and shout Ciao! Don't wave at the adults though they'll just think you're weird.
- Power cuts are a regular thing - always back up your work frequently! They can last anything from a few minutes to a whole day sometimes! If its a long one the best thing to do is go to the beach.
- Goats run across the road here like cows do in India - although they're not considered sacred its just easier to graze them that way than keep them fenced in apparently
Finally, this week I visited a tree nursery with Jonathan, one of the staff. I had visions of a long neatly layed out green house under the trees. Instead we went to a local school and looked at some small plants in the back yard. These were planted by the parents of the Assets children - their part of the bargain when Assets sponsors their child to go to secondary school. They use their own shambas (plots) and school land as well and have been learning how to treat the soil in some areas where its weak. This was conservation meeting poverty alleviation head on and I felt privileged to be there. I guess this is the whole reason why I'm here at all. If you want to find out more about Assets go to http://www.assets-kenya.org/
Thanks for reading
rx
For Those Who Pray
Thank God that I'm settling in and coping better
Thank God for Aaron!
Pray we get our money from the UNDP (united nations development fund)
Thanks for reading
rx
For Those Who Pray
Thank God that I'm settling in and coping better
Thank God for Aaron!
Pray we get our money from the UNDP (united nations development fund)
Tuesday, 18 November 2008
Getting Around
My first picture I took on the first day - Aaron holding the Monitor Lizzard that lives in the garden - he likes wildlife...Travelling around Watamu is an interesting experience. There’s a variety of transport methods at differing prices and levels of comfort depending on what you want to spend. I feel the
If you want to go any distance you stick your hand out and get on a Matatu, a mini van that can take about 8 passengers (or more if the need arises). There are normally about three guys sharing the jobs of driving, taking the money, opening and closing the door and playing the music loudly. The vans are the fastest and worst driven vehicles on the road but they do get you from A to B swiftly. You can go all the way to Malindi (25km) or just from Watamu’s small town centre down to Turtle Bay Beach Club, a couple of miles for just 40 shillings (currently 118 shillings to the GBP).
Then there’s just a walk up the dusty drive way, watching out for the Safari Ants if its evening and when you reach the top of the rise the sea comes into view, an especially welcome site on your first day.
We’re in a mainly rural area, only built up at all due to tourism. I was told that 80% of the locals are farmers, mostly subsistence apart from those who fish of course. Arabuko Sokoke forest is a few miles away where Arocha’s Assets scheme is focussed enabling some children from poorer communities to get into high school while their parents get involved in local conservation work in the forest
Working Sleeping & Eating
I’m also gathering items for the end of year newsletter and yesterday I was at Mida Creek replacing some of the signs from the information boards. There’s a board walk through the mangrove trees which leads to a bird hide. Keen birders pay a small fee to use it which goes to Assets.
The staff members all eat together at lunch, it’s usually rice, maybe ugali and beans and salad. We eat well and I’m not missing my sweet snacks much, you just don’t need them here. In the afternoon you try to keep yourself occupied, there might be some maintenance work – on Friday I painted a sign for the gate – or some admin – I also filed some receipts for Belinda. Then about 4.30 it’s cool enough to go for a jog along the beach or throw yourself into the sea to cool off although the water is as warm as a bath by that time.
For Those Who Pray
I’ve had a dodgy stomach over the last few days although I haven’t actually been sick thankfully. It’s sapping my energy though so please pray it would clear up soon.
Please keep praying for the general organisation and attitudes here at Mwamba. It’s been a really hard week and I’ve felt quite isolated at times. I think there is a lack of understanding about how much cultural adjustment those from ‘the west’ need not in terms of time but encouragement. Everybody means well but there are often failures in communication.
Pray for ARK in general because they really need more money. We're having an audit soon and and there's a chance we'll get some more funding out of it but only if we do well.
Thanks for reading
rx
Tuesday, 11 November 2008
Arrival and Beyond
Hello from 4,500 miles away (or thereabouts). Having been in Kenya for a week now I'm sure you can imagine there is so much I could write about that it's hard to know what to leave out. I'll try not to overload you (or run up a huge bill in Dreamworld - Watamu's internet cafe).
My journey here was uneventful until I got to Nairobi. I found domestic departures easily enough then I was told that my flight to Malindi wasn't happening today and I should go to Mombassa instead. I'd been awake all night, I had big bags to carry and people I'd never met were meant to be meeting me in Malindi not Mombassa so I was determined not to go. However the check-in assistant was very accomodating and promised they would arrange a car to take me the hour or so's journey from Mombassa to Malindi free of charge so I assented and got straight on the plane as it was about to leave - no hanging about for me. Once on the plane I got chatting to an English woman. When I told her my change of plans she said "good luck with getting the car".
They did get me a car, I was very impressed when a man found me at the airport and had my name on a bit of paper and it was even spelt correctly! Then he waved me towards a taxi driver who was quickly walking away with my bags and I had to follow slightly nervously. I thought for security reasons I should stay awake during the drive and also because I wanted to see the scenery but I was asleep within a few minutes. The very nice taxi driver woke me up as we arrived at Malindi airport and for a minute I was worried. If you've ever been to Sheffield airport you'll know the size of the one at Malindi only it's slightly smaller and scruffier. However, it does have a TV showing CNN. Welcome to Kenya :)
A little while later a young white man appeared at the door with something resembling my name on a bit of paper. This was Aaron, he's another volunteer with ARK, he's Canadian, 22, a Menonite, he's been here for nearly 2 months already but going home about the same time as I am, he's getting married next May and he's obsessed with birds, as is Albert. Albert is in charge of research and monitoring for ARK and is a total dude. He speaks Swahili, English and German and has worked as a Safari tour guide. He drove us to Watamu really slowly (compared with my speedy taxi journey) and he and Aaron had their heads out of the window most of the time looking into the trees. Welcome to Arocha :)
On arriving at Mwamba I finally met Belinda who I've been emailing on and off since May, her husband Henry and their nine month old Ivy who is gorgeous. Julia was another British volunteer who was in her final week. Everyone was very friendly and I was told I could go to sleep in the afternoon if I wanted and I'd have several days to acclimatise before I had much to do. Despite the heat I went to sleep straight away.
What have I done so far?
I've been into Watamu on a shopping trip where Julia showed me what was where
I've been to a school on the edge of the forest to present a gift of some desks from a local church
I've watched a turtle being released back into the sea and visited the Watamu Turtle Watch centre across the road. And yesterday we watched a tiny hatchling battle his way across acres (for him) of sand to the sea for the first time.
I've found the internet cafe - yay!
I've re-ordered Mwamba's library (OK it's a book shelf)
I've met the rest of the ARK staff and those who keep Mwamba running and been to my first Monday morning meeting
I've got sunburnt - impossible not to if you do a beach clearing at 10am
I'm gradually getting my head around the IT infrastructure here and accepting how slow everything is and how often the computers break!
I've gone on a crow count (yep we actually counted crows as they flew past)
I've welcomed a guest
Done my washing by hand - not much fun
Been to a church service in Malindi
Enjoyed watching the Kenyan's celebrate 'Obama day' :)
I've had to say goodby to Julia after she'd been so helpful at settling me in :(
Ups and Downs
Although there is a big spider that lives on the kitchen ceiling (no Liming its not as scary as you described more colourful and spindly) that's not been the hardest thing to deal with so far and I'm actually quite enjoying watching the gheckos on the walls and the occasional crab that scuttles across the dining room in the evening. I've also been looking out for the monkeys who seem shy most of the time and then on Monday decided to surround our rooftop meeting in the trees and make a lot of squawking and were almost agressive. Turned out they were just trying to distract us while they stole a loaf of bread.
The hardest thing has been accepting the lack of efficiency in the office at Mwamba and getting my head around such concepts as 'wireless dial-up'. They really struggle to get wireless reception -possibly due to being surrounded by so many trees. The old landline is unreliable because the monkeys swing on the lines. This makes phonecalls and internet connection intermittent and slow. We have to take the wireless phone up onto the roof to get 2 bars. They could do with a big extension arial but this would cost them about 850GBP - about 68000 Kenyan shillings I think(?) Unthinkable for a struggling charity but they are trying to fundraise.
They also want to get more guests to stay and improve the place as a guest house but while they are trying to run it as a working environment it kind of pulls in opposite directions.
Saturday was the first time I was given any formal introduction to Mwamba and Arocha's work. There are understandable reasons for this - H&B only started a year ago and have been very busy. At the end of last December the violence in Kenya meant a lot of bookings were cancelled and volunteers pulled out or went home early. Then in January their daughter Ivy was born several weeks prematurely. By the time Belinda was back on her feet the director Colin had left for South Africa as his wife (a South African) was admitted to hospital there. She has a very rare condition where she has too much iron in her blood and could have died. Since last March Colin who is supposed to be in charge has visited only twice. So as you can imagine things are not running as they're supposed to be. On the plus side H&B are open to new ideas from volunteers and are a very genuine and sweet couple and Ivy is lovely.
For Those Who Pray
Please pray for me that I can encourage H&B without criticising them and accept the way things are here.
Pray for H&B that they get enough rest - they are going on leave in December and Ivy will meet some of her extended family for the first time.
Pray for me that I can cope with the facilities some of which are basic - made harder because I'm now sharing a room and with the creepy crawlies (Aaron enjoys anticipating with creature I'll see next, maybe a Whip-Scorpion this week?)
Pray for the work of ARK in general that they can raise enough money through eco-tourism to pay their costs and cover the Assets scheme (more on that later)
More next week!
rx
My journey here was uneventful until I got to Nairobi. I found domestic departures easily enough then I was told that my flight to Malindi wasn't happening today and I should go to Mombassa instead. I'd been awake all night, I had big bags to carry and people I'd never met were meant to be meeting me in Malindi not Mombassa so I was determined not to go. However the check-in assistant was very accomodating and promised they would arrange a car to take me the hour or so's journey from Mombassa to Malindi free of charge so I assented and got straight on the plane as it was about to leave - no hanging about for me. Once on the plane I got chatting to an English woman. When I told her my change of plans she said "good luck with getting the car".
They did get me a car, I was very impressed when a man found me at the airport and had my name on a bit of paper and it was even spelt correctly! Then he waved me towards a taxi driver who was quickly walking away with my bags and I had to follow slightly nervously. I thought for security reasons I should stay awake during the drive and also because I wanted to see the scenery but I was asleep within a few minutes. The very nice taxi driver woke me up as we arrived at Malindi airport and for a minute I was worried. If you've ever been to Sheffield airport you'll know the size of the one at Malindi only it's slightly smaller and scruffier. However, it does have a TV showing CNN. Welcome to Kenya :)
A little while later a young white man appeared at the door with something resembling my name on a bit of paper. This was Aaron, he's another volunteer with ARK, he's Canadian, 22, a Menonite, he's been here for nearly 2 months already but going home about the same time as I am, he's getting married next May and he's obsessed with birds, as is Albert. Albert is in charge of research and monitoring for ARK and is a total dude. He speaks Swahili, English and German and has worked as a Safari tour guide. He drove us to Watamu really slowly (compared with my speedy taxi journey) and he and Aaron had their heads out of the window most of the time looking into the trees. Welcome to Arocha :)
On arriving at Mwamba I finally met Belinda who I've been emailing on and off since May, her husband Henry and their nine month old Ivy who is gorgeous. Julia was another British volunteer who was in her final week. Everyone was very friendly and I was told I could go to sleep in the afternoon if I wanted and I'd have several days to acclimatise before I had much to do. Despite the heat I went to sleep straight away.
What have I done so far?
I've been into Watamu on a shopping trip where Julia showed me what was where
I've been to a school on the edge of the forest to present a gift of some desks from a local church
I've watched a turtle being released back into the sea and visited the Watamu Turtle Watch centre across the road. And yesterday we watched a tiny hatchling battle his way across acres (for him) of sand to the sea for the first time.
I've found the internet cafe - yay!
I've re-ordered Mwamba's library (OK it's a book shelf)
I've met the rest of the ARK staff and those who keep Mwamba running and been to my first Monday morning meeting
I've got sunburnt - impossible not to if you do a beach clearing at 10am
I'm gradually getting my head around the IT infrastructure here and accepting how slow everything is and how often the computers break!
I've gone on a crow count (yep we actually counted crows as they flew past)
I've welcomed a guest
Done my washing by hand - not much fun
Been to a church service in Malindi
Enjoyed watching the Kenyan's celebrate 'Obama day' :)
I've had to say goodby to Julia after she'd been so helpful at settling me in :(
Ups and Downs
Although there is a big spider that lives on the kitchen ceiling (no Liming its not as scary as you described more colourful and spindly) that's not been the hardest thing to deal with so far and I'm actually quite enjoying watching the gheckos on the walls and the occasional crab that scuttles across the dining room in the evening. I've also been looking out for the monkeys who seem shy most of the time and then on Monday decided to surround our rooftop meeting in the trees and make a lot of squawking and were almost agressive. Turned out they were just trying to distract us while they stole a loaf of bread.
The hardest thing has been accepting the lack of efficiency in the office at Mwamba and getting my head around such concepts as 'wireless dial-up'. They really struggle to get wireless reception -possibly due to being surrounded by so many trees. The old landline is unreliable because the monkeys swing on the lines. This makes phonecalls and internet connection intermittent and slow. We have to take the wireless phone up onto the roof to get 2 bars. They could do with a big extension arial but this would cost them about 850GBP - about 68000 Kenyan shillings I think(?) Unthinkable for a struggling charity but they are trying to fundraise.
They also want to get more guests to stay and improve the place as a guest house but while they are trying to run it as a working environment it kind of pulls in opposite directions.
Saturday was the first time I was given any formal introduction to Mwamba and Arocha's work. There are understandable reasons for this - H&B only started a year ago and have been very busy. At the end of last December the violence in Kenya meant a lot of bookings were cancelled and volunteers pulled out or went home early. Then in January their daughter Ivy was born several weeks prematurely. By the time Belinda was back on her feet the director Colin had left for South Africa as his wife (a South African) was admitted to hospital there. She has a very rare condition where she has too much iron in her blood and could have died. Since last March Colin who is supposed to be in charge has visited only twice. So as you can imagine things are not running as they're supposed to be. On the plus side H&B are open to new ideas from volunteers and are a very genuine and sweet couple and Ivy is lovely.
For Those Who Pray
Please pray for me that I can encourage H&B without criticising them and accept the way things are here.
Pray for H&B that they get enough rest - they are going on leave in December and Ivy will meet some of her extended family for the first time.
Pray for me that I can cope with the facilities some of which are basic - made harder because I'm now sharing a room and with the creepy crawlies (Aaron enjoys anticipating with creature I'll see next, maybe a Whip-Scorpion this week?)
Pray for the work of ARK in general that they can raise enough money through eco-tourism to pay their costs and cover the Assets scheme (more on that later)
More next week!
rx
Saturday, 1 November 2008
Take Off...
Actually I'm still in the UK (feels like I'm never going to leave!!) but I have left Leeds now for at least 4 months - strange feeling - and I fly tomorrow so next time I'll finally have something interesting to write about :)
However I don't know when that next time will be. I'm not sure what my internet access is going to be like in Kenya seeing as I don't have my own laptop and so far my phone has been pretty useless. ARK (Arocha Kenya) have advised me that I probably won't be able to use their office computer as it will naturally be tied up with Arocha Business. And as yet I don't know when my days off will be when I'll get time to wander into Watamu and search out an internet cafe. It could all be a bit hit and miss...
So this could be it... the shortest blog in history :(
Plans for tomorrow & the next day
Manage to get all my bags on the train to Kings Cross and then as far as Archway Tube station without collapsing (Archway is on the way to Africa honest)
Have lunch with a friend - I hope you're looking forward to some bag carrying Trudi
Get back on the tube to Heathrow in one piece after leaving a few items at Trudi's that will come in handy next February - brrr!
Finally get rid of my luggage - yay!
Get very excited about going through the barrier - it was never me while I was growing up!
Enjoy the flight a lot
Regret not having slept all night when I land at Nairobi Kenyatta Airport at 6.30am
Walk around in sunglasses trying to look confident and not get approached by anyone while waiting for connecting flight
Finally arrive in Malindi at 12.15 (9.15 GMT)
Get met by someone..? Possibly Henry and Belinda but not confirmed...
Get my first real taste of Kenya
After all that who knows... soon find out though...
However I don't know when that next time will be. I'm not sure what my internet access is going to be like in Kenya seeing as I don't have my own laptop and so far my phone has been pretty useless. ARK (Arocha Kenya) have advised me that I probably won't be able to use their office computer as it will naturally be tied up with Arocha Business. And as yet I don't know when my days off will be when I'll get time to wander into Watamu and search out an internet cafe. It could all be a bit hit and miss...
So this could be it... the shortest blog in history :(
Plans for tomorrow & the next day
Manage to get all my bags on the train to Kings Cross and then as far as Archway Tube station without collapsing (Archway is on the way to Africa honest)
Have lunch with a friend - I hope you're looking forward to some bag carrying Trudi
Get back on the tube to Heathrow in one piece after leaving a few items at Trudi's that will come in handy next February - brrr!
Finally get rid of my luggage - yay!
Get very excited about going through the barrier - it was never me while I was growing up!
Enjoy the flight a lot
Regret not having slept all night when I land at Nairobi Kenyatta Airport at 6.30am
Walk around in sunglasses trying to look confident and not get approached by anyone while waiting for connecting flight
Finally arrive in Malindi at 12.15 (9.15 GMT)
Get met by someone..? Possibly Henry and Belinda but not confirmed...
Get my first real taste of Kenya
After all that who knows... soon find out though...
Wednesday, 29 October 2008
Time Travel
I'm realising I've never packed to go away for 4 months before. I'm trying to remember my last "big trip" and am amazed to discover that in the last 6 and a half years I've not been out of Leeds for more than 2 weeks at a time - that's madness 6 and a half years continuously in the same city! But it feels like I was away for longer so what will 4 months feel like?I'm going to miss the winter (or thought I was until winter came early!) For the first time there won't be a bonfire night, no pre Christmas faff (yay!) Or the Christmas day I'm used to :( never mind I'll be on the beach :) I feel like I'm cheating slightly, breaking the laws of nature just a little.
I'm leaving my life where it's been dropped, stopping the world and getting off for a little while. Hopefully it'll be for long enough so that I'll know what it feels like to really go away but short enough that I can slot back into things when I get home and other people will say, it feels like you've never been away.
NB. The mystery package finally arrived from the USA. All good, just baby clothes nothing suspicious thankfully.
Oh and I added the picture to proove that eating cake really was on my to-do list (loved the mango pudding Liming - please make it again when I get back :)
Saturday, 25 October 2008
Malaria & Diabetes
My second Saturday night in in a row - rock and roll. Despite some incredibly generous donations by certain people - you know who you are (thank you!!) I still think its wise to save my pennies for Kenya so I'm being very restrained and not joining my housemates and others for Chinese food tonight (I am so restrained)
So its a party for one - my last night in alone for sometime I imagine. From next week I'll be sharing a house with about 12 other people, my meals will all be cooked for me which will be nice but I won't get to choose what I eat or when I eat it. This is making me slightly nervous as I'm fairly dependent on my food. Now, half of you understand what I mean by that but for the benefit of the rest of you:
Do you know those people who always seem to interrupt everything with a snack break? The ones who say they need to eat and then get unreasonable when you suggest lunch in half an hour, the kind of fussy people who complain when there's only white bread... I think the polite term is 'sugar sensitive'. I've packed about 20 cereal bars in preparation for the "only white bread moments". I may have to share a room, being unreasonable will not be an option.
Otherwise a clean bill of health for me. I'm not allergic to anything as far as I know which really helps and so far the malaria tablets haven't given me nightmares. I chose to take the Larium ones despite all the warnings. Malarone is far too expensive to buy for 4 months and the only other option wasn't good for people with sensitive skin. I've had 2 tablets so far and the first week there were no side effects at all. This week I haven't been sleeping so well. This could be for a number of reasons of course: maybe I'm just nervous about going away, maybe I'm excited about going away! Maybe I've been drinking a lot more tea due to being at home most of the time. Maybe I think I'm a diabetic. Maybe I'm worried about not sleeping properly...
Probably being at home without a job to do doesn't help. What do unemployed people do all day?! After the last few weeks I have a lot more sympathy for those out of work. For those who're not it goes something like this:
You get up late because there's no reason to get up early. Breakfast is a major point in the day in fact all meals are - you take a long time over it. You watch BBC News 24 for a while until the same articles come round again then you realise half the morning has gone and you ought to think about doing something useful. Planning this takes a little while and then there's just enough time to fit in one activity - say a trip to the shop - before lunch.
Actually I realise I'm incredibly lucky not to have to work (I know its not fair on the rest of you). How often in life do you get the chance to take a few weeks out at home and think about things? I'm going to miss these days when they're gone but I am beginning to feel slightly without a purpose and a little crazy from all those days at home alone (or maybe thats the malaria tablets?) So what have I done this week?
Tick List
Negotiated a refund on my TV licence and generally sorted finances - yay!
Got a haircut
Learnt how to use my camera - watch out I can photoshop you all! (Pete & Barbara can testify)
Failed to see Brideshead Revisited at the cinema (I'm still annoyed!)
Bought some Christmas presents for my family
Found some really light-weight tops - thanks for the tip Joy but I was going for nearly see-through (nearly)
Saw Delirious? play on their farewell tour
Downloaded some Delirious? tracks to take away with me - I'd forgotten how good they were.
Gave some people feedback on their scripts - no nothing at all to do with my Kenya trip.
Final Preparations
I need to pack! Everything!
Spend a little time thinking about getting a job next year - just a little
Try out certain cosmetic purchases for the first time - and hope they work
Eat lots of cake - really its on the to-do list!
Catch up with some friends - Toby I could maybe do Tuesday morning...
Washing & Drying
Photocopying & security checking
Clear out my food cupboard
Take Susanna Marlow to diving on the bus
Learn how to write short blog entries
And finally while it may sound like I'm more anxious about this trip than excited I should think of some things to look forward to - the beach! The sun!! Mrs Simpson's House. Turtles (maybe) and blue monkeys definitely. Long haul flights are always exciting. All the people I'm going to meet for the first time. Missing the winter - yay! Then coming home and seeing everyone again aahhh (thanks to the guys who just came in with icecream and a really bad film :)
Soon...
rx
For Those Who Pray
Thank God again regarding my finances - yet more money provided (while I sit around musing the life of the unemployed...)
Pray that I will sleep better and the malaria tablets won't bother me.
Pray I can get everything done before I go and not miss my train on Friday
Pray for my parents that they're not too anxious about me going away
So its a party for one - my last night in alone for sometime I imagine. From next week I'll be sharing a house with about 12 other people, my meals will all be cooked for me which will be nice but I won't get to choose what I eat or when I eat it. This is making me slightly nervous as I'm fairly dependent on my food. Now, half of you understand what I mean by that but for the benefit of the rest of you:
Do you know those people who always seem to interrupt everything with a snack break? The ones who say they need to eat and then get unreasonable when you suggest lunch in half an hour, the kind of fussy people who complain when there's only white bread... I think the polite term is 'sugar sensitive'. I've packed about 20 cereal bars in preparation for the "only white bread moments". I may have to share a room, being unreasonable will not be an option.
Otherwise a clean bill of health for me. I'm not allergic to anything as far as I know which really helps and so far the malaria tablets haven't given me nightmares. I chose to take the Larium ones despite all the warnings. Malarone is far too expensive to buy for 4 months and the only other option wasn't good for people with sensitive skin. I've had 2 tablets so far and the first week there were no side effects at all. This week I haven't been sleeping so well. This could be for a number of reasons of course: maybe I'm just nervous about going away, maybe I'm excited about going away! Maybe I've been drinking a lot more tea due to being at home most of the time. Maybe I think I'm a diabetic. Maybe I'm worried about not sleeping properly...
Probably being at home without a job to do doesn't help. What do unemployed people do all day?! After the last few weeks I have a lot more sympathy for those out of work. For those who're not it goes something like this:
You get up late because there's no reason to get up early. Breakfast is a major point in the day in fact all meals are - you take a long time over it. You watch BBC News 24 for a while until the same articles come round again then you realise half the morning has gone and you ought to think about doing something useful. Planning this takes a little while and then there's just enough time to fit in one activity - say a trip to the shop - before lunch.
Actually I realise I'm incredibly lucky not to have to work (I know its not fair on the rest of you). How often in life do you get the chance to take a few weeks out at home and think about things? I'm going to miss these days when they're gone but I am beginning to feel slightly without a purpose and a little crazy from all those days at home alone (or maybe thats the malaria tablets?) So what have I done this week?
Tick List
Negotiated a refund on my TV licence and generally sorted finances - yay!
Got a haircut
Learnt how to use my camera - watch out I can photoshop you all! (Pete & Barbara can testify)
Failed to see Brideshead Revisited at the cinema (I'm still annoyed!)
Bought some Christmas presents for my family
Found some really light-weight tops - thanks for the tip Joy but I was going for nearly see-through (nearly)
Saw Delirious? play on their farewell tour
Downloaded some Delirious? tracks to take away with me - I'd forgotten how good they were.
Gave some people feedback on their scripts - no nothing at all to do with my Kenya trip.
Final Preparations
I need to pack! Everything!
Spend a little time thinking about getting a job next year - just a little
Try out certain cosmetic purchases for the first time - and hope they work
Eat lots of cake - really its on the to-do list!
Catch up with some friends - Toby I could maybe do Tuesday morning...
Washing & Drying
Photocopying & security checking
Clear out my food cupboard
Take Susanna Marlow to diving on the bus
Learn how to write short blog entries
And finally while it may sound like I'm more anxious about this trip than excited I should think of some things to look forward to - the beach! The sun!! Mrs Simpson's House. Turtles (maybe) and blue monkeys definitely. Long haul flights are always exciting. All the people I'm going to meet for the first time. Missing the winter - yay! Then coming home and seeing everyone again aahhh (thanks to the guys who just came in with icecream and a really bad film :)
Soon...
rx
For Those Who Pray
Thank God again regarding my finances - yet more money provided (while I sit around musing the life of the unemployed...)
Pray that I will sleep better and the malaria tablets won't bother me.
Pray I can get everything done before I go and not miss my train on Friday
Pray for my parents that they're not too anxious about me going away
Saturday, 18 October 2008
T minus 15 and counting
I created this blog last Wednesday but its been waiting since then (like an unpaid bill hidden in a draw) for me to write anything on it - when it came to it I couldn't think of anything to say!
I know you won't believe me because I ALWAYS have something to say but the truth is I've been writing a diary for years, a personal private journal existing for the fact that no one would ever see it. Now I'm typing this with the deliberate intent of emailing you all to tell you to look at it! Cringe.
(And you thought this was going to be about Kenya............................Don't worry it will be................................When I get there.................................
Now I feel like I've officially excused everything I'll ever write with the practicalities out of the way I can tell you what I'm doing:
In 2 weeks time I'm flying to Kenya to volunteer with Christian Conservation group Arocha http://www.arocha.org. They've got centres all over the world including in the UK (in Southall London) but Arocha Kenya take volunteers and Mwamba (their base) is 50 metres from the beach... (I nearly applied to go to Canada - I could have been about to fly out to Vancouver in the winter time - apparently the weather there is a lot like the UK - ha! ha!)
Actually I was very lucky because Mwamba normally only take people with specific conservation knowledge - in my case nil. I applied anyway and they've asked me to write reports on their projects and publish them on their website along with the photos I'll take. My knowledge of photography and publishing things on the web - nil. Oh well once I'm there and everything... (suckers!)
The voluntary placement is for 3 months and then I'll hang around a bit or maybe try and hitch a ride to Madagascar or more realistically Zanzibar (avoiding that ferry - thanks Judith) and by then I should be well practised at taking photos - excellent. Planning to be back in the UK sometime in February maybe probably to be honest I should really come back then and get a job and stop faffing around.
Preparations so far
Changed my banking to online.
Got a pin number for my credit card - have finally had to give in and use one breaking the habit of a lifetime.
Exchanged emails and phone messages with random woman in the USA who wants me to courier "baby" goods across to Kenya for her (does a blog stand up in court as evidence?)
Had 2 doctors appointments.
Attempted to learn how to use my camera.
Thought deeply about a lot of things.
Prayed.
Spent 5 hours (5!) shopping and I'm not even finished yet (does anyone know a good place to buy very light weight long sleeved cotton tops for a reasonable price? The shops are full of woolly hats and scarves) .
Oh and I started a blog..............
To Do List
Practice writing a blog.
Receive open and check mysterious parcel from the USA.
Finish reading my guide book.
More shopping.
Get a haircut ( a really good one).
Sort out mobile phone.
See Brideshead Revisited at the cinema.
Make apple cake.
Tell church what I'm doing.
solicit money from various people.
Try not to panic and enjoy the whole experience..................
BTW does anyone know what you're supposed to include in a blog? Should I have a "Thought for the Day"? Today I think it would be - where have the wine bottles that were in our kitchen suddenly disappeared to?
Acknowledgements:
Thanks for the laptop Johannes .
Claire thanks for the car.
Liming thanks for suggesting this site for a blog.
For Those Who Pray
Thank God for supplying all my finances. My last pay cheque was nearly twice as much as I thought it would be. That doesn't happen every day :)
Pray I would trust God and focus on the important things like the new people I'm going to be living with rather than factors of suncreams and styles of hats.
Pray for my sleep. I sometimes get too hot sleeping in England so that will be hard in Kenya.
Date of next blog TBC.
R
I know you won't believe me because I ALWAYS have something to say but the truth is I've been writing a diary for years, a personal private journal existing for the fact that no one would ever see it. Now I'm typing this with the deliberate intent of emailing you all to tell you to look at it! Cringe.
(And you thought this was going to be about Kenya............................Don't worry it will be................................When I get there.................................
Now I feel like I've officially excused everything I'll ever write with the practicalities out of the way I can tell you what I'm doing:
In 2 weeks time I'm flying to Kenya to volunteer with Christian Conservation group Arocha http://www.arocha.org. They've got centres all over the world including in the UK (in Southall London) but Arocha Kenya take volunteers and Mwamba (their base) is 50 metres from the beach... (I nearly applied to go to Canada - I could have been about to fly out to Vancouver in the winter time - apparently the weather there is a lot like the UK - ha! ha!)
Actually I was very lucky because Mwamba normally only take people with specific conservation knowledge - in my case nil. I applied anyway and they've asked me to write reports on their projects and publish them on their website along with the photos I'll take. My knowledge of photography and publishing things on the web - nil. Oh well once I'm there and everything... (suckers!)
The voluntary placement is for 3 months and then I'll hang around a bit or maybe try and hitch a ride to Madagascar or more realistically Zanzibar (avoiding that ferry - thanks Judith) and by then I should be well practised at taking photos - excellent. Planning to be back in the UK sometime in February maybe probably to be honest I should really come back then and get a job and stop faffing around.
Preparations so far
Changed my banking to online.
Got a pin number for my credit card - have finally had to give in and use one breaking the habit of a lifetime.
Exchanged emails and phone messages with random woman in the USA who wants me to courier "baby" goods across to Kenya for her (does a blog stand up in court as evidence?)
Had 2 doctors appointments.
Attempted to learn how to use my camera.
Thought deeply about a lot of things.
Prayed.
Spent 5 hours (5!) shopping and I'm not even finished yet (does anyone know a good place to buy very light weight long sleeved cotton tops for a reasonable price? The shops are full of woolly hats and scarves) .
Oh and I started a blog..............
To Do List
Practice writing a blog.
Receive open and check mysterious parcel from the USA.
Finish reading my guide book.
More shopping.
Get a haircut ( a really good one).
Sort out mobile phone.
See Brideshead Revisited at the cinema.
Make apple cake.
Tell church what I'm doing.
solicit money from various people.
Try not to panic and enjoy the whole experience..................
BTW does anyone know what you're supposed to include in a blog? Should I have a "Thought for the Day"? Today I think it would be - where have the wine bottles that were in our kitchen suddenly disappeared to?
Acknowledgements:
Thanks for the laptop Johannes .
Claire thanks for the car.
Liming thanks for suggesting this site for a blog.
For Those Who Pray
Thank God for supplying all my finances. My last pay cheque was nearly twice as much as I thought it would be. That doesn't happen every day :)
Pray I would trust God and focus on the important things like the new people I'm going to be living with rather than factors of suncreams and styles of hats.
Pray for my sleep. I sometimes get too hot sleeping in England so that will be hard in Kenya.
Date of next blog TBC.
R
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