Night at the Capital

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7.21.09

Thoughts from Mukeu:

There are a few things I forgot to add about our time in Mukeu.

On the last day there, Sarah and I were walking home and there were a bunch of kids who just got out of school who joined us. They don’t talk to us like Ugandan kids, but instead, laugh and point a lot. And stare. But on this particular day, one of them greeted me by throwing a rock at the back of my head. I don’t know enough in any African language to yell at them or reprimand, but I really wanted to use the universal African language of “I’m going to beat you with a stick until your skin turns color!” Needless to say, I told them sternly to go away and kept on walking.

And, although it was cold, it was a nice change for my joints. The hot weather is rough on them and the cold reduced the swelling down so I looked like a regular person.

We left Mukeu fairly early for the short-ish drive to Nairobi. Our first stop was at the Canadian Embassy so Bud and Irene could check on some visa things or something. It took a while, but the others were happy to be back on Canadian soil for a bit. Then we dropped things off at the hotel, and left Spencer, Wayne, Robertta and Chelsea there as well. Paul took Bud, Irene, Sarah and I to run a few errands.

First, we went to the market. Apparently it was mostly Maasai people selling their wares. It was a decent size space with lots of pushy vendors. Paul hooked us up with a local woman who would do our shopping for us, since white skin equal quadruple the price. I did a little buying on my own and traded my bandana for some gifts. Everyone there loved my bandana.

For a while, there was a group of about 5 guys following Sarah and I around. Some pretending to be helpful and others trying to sell us things. After a bit, we walked past another guy who looked at them and said, “You guys stop it. They hate you for doing that!” I thanked the man and was just about willing to pay him for making them go away.

Once everyone was done shopping, we headed to Paul’s office and Sarah and I went to the store. I finished 3 books in 4 days, so I was in need of a new one or two. (That’s 5 books since leaving home if anyone is counting.) Sarah and I got some books and then did some grocery shopping for dinner. Honestly, eating at a restaurant, especially one with Western food, sounded a lot better than sandwiches in the hotel, but I did as I was told.

One of the things I was most looking forward to in Nairobi was having a room with just Sarah and me. I know it’s small and petty, but having less shared space would have been a good break. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. Bud, Irene and the boys shared a room, and the 4 girls were in a room together again. They are sort of suites, so there’s a separate room with a double bed, and a main room with 3 twins. Sarah and I are both toasted from so much time with the group and needed to decompose, but she needed it more. She took the room to herself for some mental health time, and hosting this evening.

The other girls came into the room and told us that everyone wanted to watch a movie. What this meant was that my computer had to be used for viewing since it’s the only thing with movies on it. I was a little bit shocked, especially when the boys showed up within minutes, ready for a movie. Bud also came down. Apparently Irene was sleeping in their room, so everyone was hanging in mine. They all showered in there too.

We finally decided, from our 4 movie choices, that Waking Ned Divine was our best option. Everyone had a good time watching it.

The guys all left and I was happy to have my computer back, so I tried to get some stuff done.

To the coast tomorrow!

Here’s an interesting thing that I’ve been noticing: This family that we’re with does EVERYTHING together. It is rare for any of them to not be a part of what’s going on, even if it’s just running out for milk. Neither Sarah nor I come from big immediate families, so this is a little much for us. Four to a room is about 3 to many for me. There also isn’t a lot of organization or planning in anything. No time frames. One of the guys asked us about why we plan ahead and said, “Doesn’t it make your head explode thinking that far in advance?” I’m only asking for 12 hours in advance, not planning into November.

And I don’t know if it’s the difference in people or the fact that I haven’t traveled with my parents in a long time, but this trip sure makes me appreciate them more. For all their faults and quirks, they have a lot of strengths. And I don’t tell them that enough. I think I don’t see it often because I’m looking at the other things.

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