Starting off in Kakamega
So I’ve been in Kakamega for three days now and all my stuff is pretty much in place and moved in. My house is exceptionally nice, perhaps even better then that duplex I vaguely remember living in long, long ago back in whatever country it was I came from. Then again, maybe my house isn’t such a paradise resort after all. Perhaps after living without electricity for 10 weeks and experiencing the living conditions of the average rural Kenyan my standards have changed significantly. In my house there’s piles of what appears to be coffee grounds, but is actually termite poop falling out of the ceiling, the walls and ceiling are water-logged and covered with moldy splotches, and my living room carpet is a strip of dirty Astroturf. Still, it’s admittedly better than some of the places I lived in college, but from American standards the house is definitely a fixer-upper.
The same change in attitude definitely rings true with Nairobi. My first impression of the city was one of absolute madness. The rule on Nairobi roads and Kenyan highways in general is that nobody has the right of way and it’s every man for himself. There are very few traffic lights in Nairobi, just chaotic four lane roundabouts filled with matatus, bicycles, motorbikes, and even pedestrians walking from car to car trying to sell wristwatches, apples, posters, or anything else small enough to carry. It’s hard to walk a hundred meters in some places without being asked for money or approached by a street kid, and when I first came to Nairobi, even in the nicer parts of town, I thought it was a dirty, overcrowded, and chaotic city. However, after almost three months living in small Kenyan villages I’ve really come to appreciate Nairobi. I can get almost anything I would eat in the States, catch a movie, and even upload pictures on a relatively quick Internet connection, although I couldn’t fit in time to do that last time. Nairobi is like an oasis of American amenities and Western culture surrounded by a completely different way of life in the rest of Kenya.
So I don’t check in with my new boss until Friday, and for the last few days I’ve been on my own. I wandered through town on Tuesday to run some errands and grocery shop, and in the Internet café I met a Kenyan college student studying Engineering in Nairobi. He’s determined to get to America to work and walked with me pretty much the rest of the day. His father is a manager at Mumias sugar, which is a huge sugar plant in the town of Mumias, about 20 miles from Kakamega. He invited me to tour the plant with him and I plan to make my way up there on Sunday to check it out. Yesterday I went back into town for Market day (hundreds of small kiosks selling veggies, clothing, fish, etc. every Wednesday and Sunday) and stocked up on fresh produce. This time I was accompanied by Melvin, who is another Kenyan about my age and the grandson of one of the mamas on my compound. Melvin seems very ambitious and determined to start his own business. His parents live in Mombasa and he recently moved back to Kakamega and is living in a very tiny one-room apartment trying to make something of himself. Melvin claims to be a cook and on Monday we may try to throw something together. Speaking of cooking, I cooked for myself the first time since I came here yesterday and it turned out surprisingly well. I fried some of the locally grown greens with carrots, tomatoes, onions, goat meat, and the secret to any Kenyan dinner: lots of vegetable fat and “Royco spicy beef flavour mchuzi mix.” Thanks to my fridge I’m probably the only PCV who is able to save my leftovers for the next day.
Today I had about everything done concerning shopping and spent the day at home by myself. I’ve realized that these first three months are not going to be easy. During that time I’m not allowed leave my site so I’m pretty much stuck here. I’ve never been much of a person to sit in one place and relax for very long, and I’ll have plenty of chances to do just that when I’m not working. I’m hoping I’ll stay plenty busy with my job so I’m not sitting at home alone thinking about who I am and what the heck I’m doing here too often. I managed to kill a good bit of time today reading, exercising, and practicing Swahili but I’m not sure how long I can keep myself entertained.
So that’s about it. Things are coming along well and I’m looking forward to starting the job tomorrow.
The same change in attitude definitely rings true with Nairobi. My first impression of the city was one of absolute madness. The rule on Nairobi roads and Kenyan highways in general is that nobody has the right of way and it’s every man for himself. There are very few traffic lights in Nairobi, just chaotic four lane roundabouts filled with matatus, bicycles, motorbikes, and even pedestrians walking from car to car trying to sell wristwatches, apples, posters, or anything else small enough to carry. It’s hard to walk a hundred meters in some places without being asked for money or approached by a street kid, and when I first came to Nairobi, even in the nicer parts of town, I thought it was a dirty, overcrowded, and chaotic city. However, after almost three months living in small Kenyan villages I’ve really come to appreciate Nairobi. I can get almost anything I would eat in the States, catch a movie, and even upload pictures on a relatively quick Internet connection, although I couldn’t fit in time to do that last time. Nairobi is like an oasis of American amenities and Western culture surrounded by a completely different way of life in the rest of Kenya.
So I don’t check in with my new boss until Friday, and for the last few days I’ve been on my own. I wandered through town on Tuesday to run some errands and grocery shop, and in the Internet café I met a Kenyan college student studying Engineering in Nairobi. He’s determined to get to America to work and walked with me pretty much the rest of the day. His father is a manager at Mumias sugar, which is a huge sugar plant in the town of Mumias, about 20 miles from Kakamega. He invited me to tour the plant with him and I plan to make my way up there on Sunday to check it out. Yesterday I went back into town for Market day (hundreds of small kiosks selling veggies, clothing, fish, etc. every Wednesday and Sunday) and stocked up on fresh produce. This time I was accompanied by Melvin, who is another Kenyan about my age and the grandson of one of the mamas on my compound. Melvin seems very ambitious and determined to start his own business. His parents live in Mombasa and he recently moved back to Kakamega and is living in a very tiny one-room apartment trying to make something of himself. Melvin claims to be a cook and on Monday we may try to throw something together. Speaking of cooking, I cooked for myself the first time since I came here yesterday and it turned out surprisingly well. I fried some of the locally grown greens with carrots, tomatoes, onions, goat meat, and the secret to any Kenyan dinner: lots of vegetable fat and “Royco spicy beef flavour mchuzi mix.” Thanks to my fridge I’m probably the only PCV who is able to save my leftovers for the next day.
Today I had about everything done concerning shopping and spent the day at home by myself. I’ve realized that these first three months are not going to be easy. During that time I’m not allowed leave my site so I’m pretty much stuck here. I’ve never been much of a person to sit in one place and relax for very long, and I’ll have plenty of chances to do just that when I’m not working. I’m hoping I’ll stay plenty busy with my job so I’m not sitting at home alone thinking about who I am and what the heck I’m doing here too often. I managed to kill a good bit of time today reading, exercising, and practicing Swahili but I’m not sure how long I can keep myself entertained.
So that’s about it. Things are coming along well and I’m looking forward to starting the job tomorrow.
posted by KenyaJoe at 11:38 PM
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