Well, I've survived orientation and my first few days in Kenya! The flight to Amsterdam was rough but the one to Nairobi was really comfortable, with tons of food, and a really nice Kenyan sitting next to me that taught me a lot about the country during our 7.5 hrs of chatting.
Since we got to Nairobi at night I didn't get to see much of the city, but when we got to our apartments (upscale Njema Courts), there was NO electricity (and the whole town is pretty much pitch black after dark) so it was a really big adventure for my 3 roommates and I to figure out how to move around, unpack, and get ready for bed in complete darkness. We managed to find our way with a wind-up flashlight but didn't realize until we had light that our bedspreads are bright retro orange (like dad's old kitchen chairs) and the curtains have scenes of masaai warriors everywhere. But the place is beautiful. I'm on the top floor with a balcony that looks over the town, and the UN has a headquarters across the street. It's very safe and quiet at night- the hardest thing will be getting used to boil water to use, even to just brush your teeth. (The power came back on about 3am, when our entire apartment flashed on like a giant lightbulb...)
We drove out to the town of Naivasha to have orientation in a hotel there. The first day there I walked a few blocks down with two other AU students and we felt nervous (Lynsey the program coordinator laughed like crazy when she saw me power-walk past the hotel with a Kenyan fast on my heels trying to sell me coats-- he followed me 5 blocks before I finally turned around and ran back into the hotel). But today we had to tough it out because we did a drop-off, where each student is taken to a different part of the city and we have to find our way to a central surprise location my communicating with locals.
I was dropped off on a HIGHWAY. I got directions from a waitress at a gas station/cafe and headed down the side of the highway, avoiding cars (which drive on the left side) and oxen (that graze on the side of the road, wayy too close to comfort). I passes a matatu (bus) stop with a group of ten men waiting. As I passed, one called out and scolded me for not greeting the "mama," a woman sitting at the side of the road selling corn. So I followed him back to her and greeted her in Swahili. Then the whole group of men crowded around me and started asking questions- I seem to be the only mzungu (white person) they've seen. They were all very friendly and helped me down the road. I walked about 20 min. with a man selling small Kenyan doughnuts from the back of his bike. He spoke to me the entire time in Kukuyu (the tribal language) and I just nodded a lot...
Then the children appeared. "MZUNGU MZUNGU!!!!" As soon as I heard them I knew it would be a scene- kids LOVE white people. They were between 5 and 10 years old and more and more kept coming. They all wanted to shake my hand and say "hello" and "how are you." One brave girl gave me a hug and then jumped on me. They all wanted to touch my skin and feel my face. I was nervous because I was still walking along the highway with like ten kids grabbing on to me, but eventually I left them to cross the street, where a few other men were waiting to escort me. After a while I went on my own and then walked with a woman embarking on a 4-hr walk to the next town for shopping, complete with white heels on and a baby on her back. She was very sweet and directed me to my destination- I ended up getting there an hour early, so I left again to meet more locals. They're all super excited to talk to you and help you, but they had a lot of questions about America, too (one even asked if Obama was Muslim, and if not, why is he building a mosque by Ground Zero!). It was terrifying at first (a few girls cried when the bus dropped them off) but I feel like the drop-off really helped me gain confidence in myself while getting to know the hospitality of the people (they said Nairobi's not like this, though).
I also rode a matatu- the public transportation I'll be using every day. It's a bus the size of an airport shuttle with 12 seats- but the one I rode had almost 25 people in it. People that get on just sit in your lap or hand their children to you. They roar down the roads that are literally covered in deep 3x3ft potholes. I thought we were going to flip over or careen off the side of the road (especially because even though you're supposed to drive on the left lane, people often drive side-by-side on both lanes until they swerve off last-minute to avoid oncoming traffic).
I haven't gone into Nairobi yet, but tomorrow we're going to Masaai Market to buy produce and things, and then also to Kibera (the largest slum in Kenya). We have 3 Kenyan TAs that have been helping out with orientation, and one is from Kibera, so I'm excited to see it for myself (it's the slum featured in The Constant Gardener).
Tonight we're taking taxis to another surprise location- Lynsey works very hard to throw us curve balls so we get used to getting lost and trying new things, especially the local transportation. So far, so good!
Next time I write, I'll have photos to share :)
Julia
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