Are you ready to be milked?

So I’m not very good or consistent at this whole blogging thing, so my apologies.  Since it’s been a while I won’t give a play by play, but the highlights and gist of it.

The last few weeks have included more actual work in sanitation.  I have been able to help design the latrine, but the real hold ups have been find the materials we need.  Funny how as a non-engineer from tech, I’m now calculating parabolas and testing temperature loggers.  I also have been meeting with guys we work with to discuss the design, and materials.  This past week the project has really gained speed and we finally broke ground. Nancy and her husband dug the pit (in 1 day, just the 2 of them…) and this week will be more construction, which I’m stoked about. 

We have also had some non-work related adventures. Two weekends ago some of Emily’s friends came up to Lake Naivasha and we all went to Crater lake which was really pretty and they have an animal sanctuary you can drive/ride through.  On the way back we may have gotten run off the narrow road by a bus. We are fine, just some bruises and a bit of a burn from the exhaust pipe. 

We also went church that Sunday. Now I have been to my fair share of African churches, including “sneak attack” church in a Ugandan village. I even mentioned to Emily a few days before how I hate how African churches play loud off key and/or just random sound effects on the keyboards at church which cover up the pure and wonderful vocals.  But I still was not prepared for what this service would bring.  We went to this particular church because the pastor is also a motorcycle-taxi driver, Simon, who taught Emily how to ride her bike.  Meeting Simon that morning, he was talking to us about his church some and bragging that they “even have a guy who can play keyboard.” Simon drove us to the church and had us meet all of the pastoral staff.  We were clearly the only mzungus there, and maybe the only ones to have ever come to this church, thus we were given front row seats.  We were also warned that we may be asked to sing a song (so luckily on the way Emily and I ran through the verses of “All and All” to make sure we had something if called upon.  The first 2.5 hours included preaching (all in Kiswahi), prayer, an offering, and many songs and dances, and yes Emily and I singing our song.  It also included keyboard over terrible speakers that was trying, unsuccessfully, to find a pre-fabricated beat to match the song already being sung, as well as trying to match pitch.  (By the end of the service the keyboard player had found a laugh sound effect too.) About every hour the pastor would give us a sort of one-sentence summary of what was going on.  The next 2 or 2.5 hours were just the pastor asking for money specifically for Simon to go and continue ministry in another area.  As opposed to American churches, where members are rarely called upon to go up front to give money in view of everyone, here the pastor had everyone line up and he would count the money and announce the amount you gave before putting it in the basket.  When this line was gone, he proceeded to single people out who hadn’t given, or hadn’t given enough.  I was so uncomfortable.  At one point he hands out some mini bananas seemingly to the people who have donated, and to us the white guests who have yet to give to this second offering.  (We were later encouraged to pay for our gifted bananas).  Emily and I both at this point we just trying to stay awake, shift in our wooden pew and read our bibles since everything going on was in Kiswahili anyway.  Suddenly the pastor comes over to us and in English asks, “Are you ready to be milked?” Looking at our stunned and confused faces he says, “Are you ready to produce something?” Feeling extremely awkward and expected to give a large amount, seeing as how we are white, we tell him we will give it to Simon later.  Then after lunch we did get to play with kids for a bit before leaving, which was nice.  So I will be taking a hiatus from church for a while I think.

This past weekend we went to Nairobi for a 90s themed party with the people from the weekend before, which was almost as fun to prepare for as was the party itself.  Emily and I watched some Saved by the Bell to be inspired and listened to a ton of 90s music, from Alanis to Beck to Destiny’s Child.  Then we went to the market and bought some second hand clothes for our costumes: Emily as Zach Morris and me as blossom/Clasrissa —but really just a lot of denim.  The only time I will go to a club in a denim bucket hat, I’m sure. 

This week work was really crazy, just internet issues, Africans being late issues, me going to Nairobi, all around the city and back in 1 day for a total of probably 11 hours in the car. But this weekend was a perfect break.  Saturday Emily’s mountain climbing club all came to Naivasha and we biked through Hell’s Gate National Park. This park, if I haven’t told you, was the inspiration for much of the scenery in the Lion King, most notably Pride Rock.  It is really spectacular.

The group was so fun and we ended up climbing all around rock formations (getting a lot of help from the rest of the team), showering in waterfalls, and staying about a hour after the park closed.  On the way back Emily and I were rushing to get back and start dinner for the group.  I got ahead of her and was in the zone by myself. I was just enjoying the moment, watching some impala, when I look back to the road, there is a lone buffalo standing right by the roadside staring at me. At this point I was too close to stop, so I just road by him slowly, trying to look non-threatening. He kept watching me, but took a few steps backwards. I’m terrified, about to pee my pants, and wishing someone had witnessed this.   I keep going and Emily catches up with me asking, if I noticed the buffalo. Apparently there was a group behind me that stopped and watched the whole thing.  Anyway the day was amazing.  It got me thinking, do zebras ever become normal? I now can see them on my way to work in the mornings, but I smile ear to ear every time.  This whole place is so majestic feeling. I still can’t believe I get to be here sometimes. 

Also, it just came up that we may possibly get to stay longer. Sanivation might be doing another pilot test in the area. This is not for sure yet by any means, but it’s on the table.  I'm really excited, because I love it here.  I will definitely keep you posted.  

A Crazy Start

My short time here so far has been incredible.  God is so good! I couldn’t have planned for such an incredible opportunity.  The place, the people, the project are all amazing.  And thank you everyone for your support and prayers for my travel and stay in general. A special shout-out to those who surprised me at the airport and even bird called me as I walked through security-- I love you.  

It has been a wild ride from the 30 odd hours of travelling and every minute since. I have been immediately hit with the wonders and frustrations that permeate this amazing continent, even starting at the airport in Ethiopia before I got to Kenya.  Here is just one example of the craziness:

So I was on my 3rd layover, spending about 4 hours in Addis Ababa.  When I arrived I saw a line forming to go into the area with all the gates. I asked if I needed to wait in line if I already have my boarding pass and the man told me yes. I'm waiting in line and 10 minutes later a women comes up to me and says, "Oh you have your boarding pass. You can go ahead through." So I skip the line and go to check what gate my flight is leaving from. My flight is not listed. I go through security and ask one of the workers where I can find out. He checks a piece of paper and tells me gate 7.  I sit near gate 7 and wait, trying not to fall asleep.  After a while I go up to the desk that I hope is for gate 7 and ask if that is the right place for my flight to Nairobi, since the screen doesn't say Nairobi.  I'm told it is right, but they haven't started boarding.  I wait for about 1.5 hours while men desk agents walk around shouting the names of cities whose flights are leaving.  "Cairo, cairo, cairo", then "Nairobi". I get up and join the line with all of the other Nairobi passengers at the end of which, the lady checks our tickets and passports and has us all sit back down at gate 8. We wait for maybe another hour then they yell Nairobi again and we all file downstairs and into another line where they check our tickets and load us onto a shuttle.  Here is where it gets really fun.  The shuttle takes us around the tarmac and parks in front of a plane but the doors don't open.  We wait for maybe 10 or 15 minutes until something is said to a flight attendant aboard the plane to which we responds with just a shrug. The shuttle then takes us back to where we loaded and we wait here for another 10 minutes while one of the workers shouts at his coworker.  Finally we start moving and the shuttles goes back to what I'm pretty sure is the exact same plane where we finally board. 

Kenya though has been wonderful. Within the first afternoon I had seen and petted some of the best Africa has to offer.  First, Emily and I went with a friend of hers to the Giraffe Center in where we got to feed and get licked by giraffes.  Then we went over to an elephant orphanage where baby elephants who have lost their mothers, usually to poachers, are taken care of before they are released back into the wild.  So adorable. 

The rest of the day was basically sitting in traffic in Nairobi in a matatu which is a form of public transit like a small bus.  After several stops and carrying and rolling my suitcase over gravel roads we set off for Naivasha.  I slept most of the way, but the few moments when Emily woke me up to look at “happy valley” (Great Rift Valley) were amazing.  We live up on a hillside about 40 minutes outside Naivasha town where a bunch of travelers live and camp.  We went to a friend’s house for dinner that night and had great food and wine.  I just met them, but Emily’s two friends are generous and funny and I’m sure I will see a lot more of them. 

Day 2 we went into the Sanivation office in town and while Emily did real work I did the errands of living abroad: internet, phone, ATM.  Then we went for lunch where I got to have chapatti that I have been missing for the past 4 years! Then we went into the village of Mirera to meet with Nancy. We got a little lost and had to be the crazy mzungu girls winding through the village on their motorbike and stopping every 50 yards to ask directions.  Nancy wears a lot of hats including, business woman, women’s rights educator, and volunteer health worker, the last of which has made her a prime choice for someone to work with Sanivation on a project.  She is also a fireball. She and her husband are so ready to get moving that after talking through the plans and getting feed back from the design, we were scoping out a place to put the solar concentrator and they said “oh, we can cut down this tree and put it here. We love progress.” I love their desire.  The other cool thing is that we are not going to just build a personal latrine for her family, but it will also be for a 40 person church that is next door on her property.  It was so exhilarating to discuss these plans and actually get to be there with the people that the project will benefit. 

The next day was a “work from home” style day, which meant we got to sit on the porch of our kiwi neighbor’s house and sketch and research designs and materials with the backdrop of lake Naivasha.  Not too bad.
It’s interesting to work through what Sanivation did in Chile and how things are different here and certain materials aren’t available.  We also went grocery shopping.  What is a chore in the US is an amazing ride here through gorgeous landscape with zebra literally on the roadside and giraffes and other animals meandering about.  (Zebra is the only African animal I was unable to see on my safari in Uganda 4 years ago, and what do you know by day 3 I saw 40 of them).  Then after lunch Emily gave a lesson in driving a motorcycle on the grass down by the lake.  We stopped by a tree and watched a monkey gang-fight, where about 10 monkeys cornered one and pushed him out of the tree. A few of the aggressors even had babies latching on to their stomachs.  It was quite a sight.  All day I just kept thinking, I can’t believe I live here! Then a quick meeting with Chris, a mason and building supervisor, before some touch rugby with mostly older Dutch guys.  How nice that Emily came before me, found a place to live, the right people to work with, and a rugby team in this small town.  Rugby was great, though I prefer 15s and tackling to slow down the pace (I’m so out of shape) and then of course we all headed to a bar for some Tuskers (basically the only beer here). 

Today we met with Chris and went all around to the different villages and the to town to discuss building plans and material costs.  We even went to a quarry to look at stone costs, which was really a sight.  In town I went to get my internet fixed, which I was only able to do after getting the personal phone number of a lady working there and texting her information later that I didn’t have on me.  Oh Africa…  Tonight I will probably study up on my Kiswahili so that I can say more than How are you “Habari” and thank you very much “Asante sana” (yes just rafiki’s song in the lion king about squashed bananas).