i'm hot, sweaty and pretty tired.

Tuesday September 1, 2010

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!! I'm so glad I got to call and talk to you today - it felt good to hear a familiar voice.

Today I woke up late (10:30) and ate some breakfast (an apple and mango yogurt) and waited for Kevin to wake up. At around 11:30 I decided to go knock on his door, but just as I was about to leave him and a friend walked in. His friend's name is Albert, or Arnold or something. They were nice enough to show me around the city today! I also met four other friends of Kevin's who were girls, but cannot remember their names. I have a horrible time with that. We walked thorugh a huge park with lots of grass and endless space to lay and read. I imagine myself doing homework there a lot - although at night, Mama Carol tells me, it isn't very safe so I shouldn't be there past 6. I got a phone! It was quite expensive, but it's a necessity so I decided that it was worth it.

Walking around downtown was a bit of an experience, as there are no real crosswalks and to get across streets to just have to look and sort of run. At one point I forgot to look and was exceedingly close to a bus that was coming very fast down the street, but Kevin put his arm in front of me and pushed me back a little with a laugh. I believe I said "Oops! I forgot to pay attention..I'll have to remember to do that." His friend said that the trick to Nairobi is look like you know where you're going, even if you don't. As we walked I felt like everyone's eyes were on me all of the time, I saw one other caucasian man walking down the street and he smiled really big at me, obviously sensing my discomfort. He, however, looked quite used to Nairobi - he must live here or has been here for a while.

After about an hour downtown I started feeling quite nauseaus. Kevin's friends dispersed and him and I were walking to a shop he needed to go to but all of the sudden I knew I was going to throw up! I was so embarassed. But he led me to a restaurant where I ran to the bathroom and relieved myself of the mango yogurt. It hadn't been refridgerated and although it was still "good," I think it freaked out my body for a while. We stayed downtown for a bit after that, as I was feeling better, but then walked home. I've been feeling nauseated all day long and took a little nap to make myself feel better.

Amelia (another girl on the trip with me) came by with her host sister, Monique. We hung out and watched a terrible movie entitled "Spring Break: Shark Attack." It was pretty bad, but still entertaining. Mama Carol arrived home around 7 o'clock and her and I figured out how to call my parents in the states, which I did. Cecelia, the woman who helps them around the house - I don't know whether to call her a maid or not - made us dinner, which consisted of a salad, some vegetables in a vinegar type sauce and some sort of other thing, which I can't really describe but will compare it to huevos - a Mexican dish with eggs, meat and spices. It was delicious but I didn't eat too much because my stomach has been on the fritz today.

Mama Carol and I went over house rules, none of which are out of the ordinary for me, and now I'm off to bed. I have orientation tomorrow morning at 9 o'clock and Kevin is going to walk me to the school at around 8:30. He will also hopefully pick me up around 4:30 although the school is very close - essentially down the hill and take a right and it should be there, so I'm none too worried especially now that I have a phone with telephone numbers in it.

I miss everyone and am quite homesick, but it helps to know that we're starting off with a busy day tomorrow and I am having a great time despite everything.

Love you all!

PS: Here's a look from the outside of my building:

And here's my room setup: