So yesterday was Monday and we've been here a week! How crazy is that?! I had the day off with Nadja because of a mix up with the schedules and I decided to finally do a tour of the apartment! So here goes with pics and a video (below).
Let's start off with our living room. A sofa and two extremely comfortable sofa chairs, a TV and a table for four.
Our "kufurahi chumba", relaxing room, aka balcony
The kitchen
Our second balcony
View fron said balcony
Now the bathroom. It's not a hole-in-the-ground bathroom but a normal bathroom just like at home! Except not as nice :D We actually have two bathrooms, one in the other bedroom (on the left).
The bedrooms: Two of us sleep in the "smaller" bedroom with the bathroom and the rest of us in the other one. They added an extra bunk bed because we are six instead of four like they usually allow.
So that's that for the apartment. The rent is quite high, 80,000 ksh (800€), but they are asking for 90,000 ksh (900€) "because we are six, not four", even though we have an e-mail clearly saying 80,000 ksh for the six of us! We'll see what happens... I refuse to pay an extra 10,000 ksh (100€) because we had already agreed on 80,000! It's because we're white. Jk. Ish...
So on Sunday we had arranged to go to church with one of the local teachers. We'd been told to be ready at the gate at 7.45 am, but I got a call at 7:40 am saying she was already at the gate! We all had to hurry to get down there as none of us was exactly ready to leave at that moment. We were expecting her to arrive a little late, as is custom here in Kenya. You set a time to meet up and the person you are meeting comes 30-90 mins late like it's no big deal. I guess it really isn't here..
Babies had their own room so
no crying in church!
Church was different, to say the least. The singing was actually catchy and nice to listen to! The sermon in itself wasn't to my liking because I'm not very religious. The message was good: Help the needy not by giving them money, but by giving them what they really need - food and especially water. He had a great point (not that I listened very closely) about how people in Europe and the US send money to a charity and how the money never really reaches the people that need it desperately, but is taken by the organisation and its' leaders.
Thankfully we got a snack after
church, we wouldn't have
survived without it!
After the service we were asked to come up and shake hands with the ministers and whatnot and were taken to a room at the back and told to sit down. We were told about the church (CITAM - Christ Is The Answer Ministries) and were offered a drink (I had Fanta) and biscuits, Ginger snaps, which tasted almost like gingerbread biscuits in my opinion. I've never been offered anything in a church in Finland. It felt very warm and welcoming. They even had two people appointed to welcome new potential members. We all felt extremely welcome.
Us in church wear
After church we went to the market, where it was so crowded that you could hardly see half a metre in front of you! We were told to keep all our possessions in front of us as close to our body as possible and not to take pictures as the cameras/phones would surely be snatched from our hands. I didn't take any pictures but one of the other girls did and she said we could all use them in our blogs etc.
Beans being sold at the market
The stench at the market is indescribable! It smelled like rotting food, compost, urine, feces, sweat...! I can't tell you how bad it smelt. But the food there was a LOT cheaper (even for us white folk) than in the shops. I still would never go there without a guide of some sort. I even got a slash on my bag where someone was hoping for something to fall out. That, thankfully, didn't happen! Nothing was stolen and the bag I had had no value monetarily or otherwise. Nothing else noteworthy happened, really. We took a matatu, as you can see on the video below. That was a new experience. They are a lot cheaper than tuktuks! Only about 10-20 shillings/trip (10-20 cents).
Can you tell who's not a
local?
After the market we went to the hotel to wait for the professor to come pick us up for lunch at his house, He was "only" an hour late. He did apologise, though! We had no idea where the professor lived and we were hoping to get some lunch in us soon. We hadn't eaten anything after breakfast and it was past 1 pm when he finally got there. We got in his car and like every other Kenyan he drove like a mad man! I've never been scared of anyone's style of driving as much as I am of everyone's here! I have to film traffic a little more so you could see how crazy it really is here!
From the countryside
So we drive for over an hour and finally, 80 km later, we arrive at a narrow poorly kept road that leads to the professor's house. He has lived there for more or less his whole life and his parents, brothers and sisters all live nearby. The house looks smart enough, but it wasn't what I was expecting. It was very minimalistic in decor and I was expecting something with a little more grandeur. We were all ready to go in, but we were seated outside to watch some performers perform traditional music (see video). His children had also prepared a few songs and poems, most of which I filmed. I personally found his son's performance most entertaining as it was an old traditional dance and song, presumably about us coming from a faraway land to Kisumu, Kenya.
Our delicious meal
The performances lasted maybe 30 minutes but it felt like forever because we were all very hungry! We could not wait to be showed in to the readily set table full of wonderful food. There was rice, the traditional ugali (cornflour), coleslaw without the mayo/cream, fried whole potatoes, chicken (presumably their own) and meat (a little like our Finnish Karelian stew) and delicious chapati bread. It was all very delicious and we even got fruit salad for dessert! The pineapples were so deliciously sweet and the watermelon so refreshing! A funny (read different) habit they have here is that they don't drink as they eat, but after everyone has eaten we are offered a beverage, I would have liked something to drink with the meal as that's what I'm used to, but when in Rome...
The washroom
After the meal we went to the bathroom expecting (read hoping) for a hole-in-the-ground-toilet, but found a normal toilet bowl that needs to be flushed like the one in our apartment, by adding water manually. After lunch/dinner he took us back to Kisumu, not a minute too soon because it started pouring as we hit the main road. The sun really doesn't shine all the time here in Kenya, believe it or not!
With such a packed day behind us we were all tired and went to bed early. And with that I'll leave you for now. Good night everyone!
So we arrived in Kisumu on Monday morning before 8 am, dead tired, just wanting to get some sleep (having slept less than an hour the past few days), but the apartment was still occupied by its' previous renters, who were leaving that afternoon. So instead of getting some sleep, we were taken to the hotel (where our teacher is currently staying). We got there around 9 or 10 am and stayed there, waiting for the other half of our group to arrive on the next flight to Kisumu.
Local fish (tilapia) and ugali (cornmeal)
We were left at the poolside to fend for ourselves without food, water or sun screen. We had no idea how long we'd be there so we ordered food and lay in the sun. The sun was scorching hot and I went for a swim in the pool. Turns out swimming wasn't the best idea, as my back got a bad sunburn. And now, four days later my back is peeling! I got a scrub and got one of the other girls to scrub my back and it feels and looks (or so they say) a lot better!
Fish at the market
The first few days are a blur now because so much happened in those two days. We went to a market near our apartment (see Days 1&2 below) where the locals get their produce. We're going there on Sunday as well after church.The market was very crowded and all the produce was out on display (including fish) with flies buzzing around and on the food. The fruit I'd definitely buy there but the fish, no way! Very poor hygiene and it doesn't look appertising at all. And you should have seen the chickens in the cages! There were tens of chickens in tiny cages! You could buy them and have them cut up for you right there and then.
Day 3: At the orphanage
with a few of the babies
The third day was our first day of work practice at an orphanage (see Day 3 below) and we spent it with the babies. They were adorable! All I wanted to do was to take them home! Now I'm sort of leaning towards adopting a child at some point in my life, when "the time is right". And if my husband agrees. Honey, how about it? ;)
Baby cribs
On day four (see Day 4 below) we were at the orphanage again but this time I got to see the disabled children's side. I have to say it was very exciting. There was a lot of shouting and running and screaming. We had a morning opening and then off we were to class. I was in the middle class and was assigned a "normal" boy, not disabled, to play with/teach. We did a few puzzles and toilet rolls painted. He was adorable and his smile just melts your heart!
Thursday was the first time I've ever experienced racism in my life. We were at the pool just chilling. We figured we'd go swim a little to cool off because it was a hot day. There were four other people at the pool swimming and at first everything seemed fine. I started swimming laps and all of a sudden one of the others had a phone out and was taking pictures of his friends just as I or one of the other girls was swimming by. After a while you could tell they weren't even trying to hide the fact that they were filming us and laughing. All that's fine(ish) by me but then they started following me and swimming next to me/in front of me, disturbing me on purpose and laughing about it. I got so annoyed that I had to get out of the pool. So childish. It definitely wasn't that they were interested or that they were being silly, you could tell they didn't want us there at all. It was so ridiculous that it ruined my day. Until we went to the shop to buy some groceries and about 40 school kids walked in right as I payed.
I was the only white person in sight and these school kids surround me, high-fiving and saying "hello", telling me I'm wise and that they like me! It just made my day how innocently and openly they expressed the fact that I was clearly different to them! You could tell they meant no harm, it was an experience for them to see a white person just walking around. I honestly didn't mind and felt a little like a celebrity in that moment! :D
Religion is a big part of everyday life
Friday (see Day 5) was my last day of my work practice at the orphanage. I spent the morning with the toddlers and a part of the day with the handicapped kids in the sensory room. The sensory room is a blacked out room with Christmas lights and flashing colours. I've never seen anything like it.
Today (Day 6 below) we had our first free day here. We chilled at the pool and had lunch at Nairobi Java Café. We all ordered Pepper Steak and it was DELISH! Then we went back to the pool and I got some colour on my stomach and legs! Not an easy task! :D
The Pepper Steak with vegetables <3
We've been to the pool almost every day this week and I've got some colour and I like it! I want to get some more on my back and stomach and legs 'cos let's face it, we're here for three months and I'm gonna look like a white idiot if I don't get any colour on me!
Tomorrow (see Day 7/Next Post) we're going to church and to the market and to some Professor's house (he invited us via our teacher) for lunch. I doubt I'll be able to film much at the church but I'll get as much as I can. I've heard they're a lot more entertaining here than in Finland.
I'll add the rest of the videos ASAP. Questions? Comments? Leave them in the comment box below ;)
Now the bathroom. It's not a hole-in-the-ground bathroom but a normal bathroom just like at home! Except not as nice :D We actually have two bathrooms, one in the other bedroom (on the left).
The bedrooms: Two of us sleep in the "smaller" bedroom with the bathroom and the rest of us in the other one. They added an extra bunk bed because we are six instead of four like they usually allow.
