Life in Garissa Town

August 2nd:
I am now writing to you from my new home, Garissa. First, I guess I should fill you in on the time since I last wrote. Leaving Loitokitok was sad, especially because my mama kept telling me how much she would miss me and how bored she would be when I was gone. I already miss all the kids who would call my name as I went down the road and all the ladies in the market who I knew well enough to say hi to and get a smile in return. I had an impromptu going-away party thrown by the kids from my neighborhood. The last Saturday before we left (I guess, that would be a week from Yesterday, but it feels like much longer ago than that) I went with my friends Lizzie and Mitch to Mitch’s family’s house to watch him slaughter a chicken. He was really excited about doing and I for a long time I was opposed to watching, but eventually reasoned it would be a good thing to say I had done at some point in my life (watch anyway, because I could never do it myself). The process was much quicker than I could have imagined, actually. Afterwards I went home to pack and make mandazi (fried dough pillows that are delicious) because I had been promising Kelvin I would make them again before I left. My mama and baba were at the market, but Lydia and Kelvin (and what seemed to be every kid from the neighborhood) were home though and impatiently awaited a snack of andazi as I was making them. Eventually Lizzie and Mitch came over to have some andazi and hang out, but since all the kids were they came into the living room to join us too. Kelvin put on a music video that was actually just random clips of video from commercials and other weird clips put to music that in no way was related. The kids started all dancing around and playing and it was actually really fun, and very funny.
When my mama came home from the market that night she sent Kelvin and I running (literally sprinting) to the center of town to go get something. On the previous Thursday she had called me after class and asked me to stand on the corner of a certain building in Loitokitok because someone would be coming for me there to measure me. I awkwardly stood on the corner and was eventually summoned by a woman with a baby tied to her back to follow her up the steps inside the building. It had all the makings of a VERY shady transaction: cement building, meeting a total stranger and following them to an unknown destination. I was measured by a woman with a little clothing tailoring place in the end of a hallway and figured my mama must be having a dress made for me, but figured there wasn’t enough time for it to be done before I would have to leave. It was though, and as a result my brother and I sprinted to town in the dark with a flashlight each just in time for us to catch the woman before she went home. The dress was gorgeous too! My mama gave me a bracelet and necklace to wear with it the next day at our host family appreciation celebration. I felt really honored (and beautiful) wearing it the next day. Even the head of our technical training told me that in two years when I am done with the Peace Corps and return to America I will become a model. Haha, I don’t know about that, but it was very flattering. My mama and little sister wore matching outfits that were both amazing and my baba and brother each wore suits. Saying good bye was hard, but it was easier for knowing I would go back and visit, and that we could talk on the phone whenever we wanted to.
That night we had a lot of fun enjoying the freedom that we didn’t have while living with our host families, namely: staying out past dark and drinking more than one beer’s worth of alcohol. Its amazing how much I have come to love all these people who I trained with, or maybe its not considering we have spent the greater part of every day for the last few months together. Unfortunately, we had to leave Loitokitok very early the next morning and the mix of drinking the night before and motion sickness made for a epic journey to Nairobi. About 45 minutes into the trip over really bumpy dirt roads there was puking… on the bus. Then we stopped and there was more puking and sympathy puking… then there was puking out the window after that and another 5 stops worth of puking. All I can say is thank god some parts of the road are actually tarmaced because once we hit those it was smooth sailing. Its really a wonder we ever made it to Nairobi and a bigger wonder still that even after this display we heard many people saying we were one of the best groups of trainees yet J After being in a small town for 2 months Nairobi was like sensory overload. The first night we ate pizza (mmm cheese, how I have missed you so) at a really nice Italian place and had a glass of wine, then went to a coffee shop and had real coffee, and then went to see Harry Potter. It was a magical night, the epitome of sweet, sexy action (but also very spendy). The following night we had Mexican, but the next we decided to stay at the hostel for the free dinner to save some money and relax a bit. We had wine and watched movies and it was the most relaxing thing I have done in a long time.
On Thursday (July 30th) we swore in as Peace Corps Volunteers - that’s right, now I’m legit - and went out to Mexican and a bar called the crooked q to celebrate. I had so much fun hanging out with everyone that it just made leaving the next day (each to our own destination) that much harder. I couldn’t sleep well and was up early enough to see Lizzie leave at 5 and then most everyone else before they rocked out too which was nice even though all the extra time made me a great deal more anxious that I would have otherwise been. It was hard to see everyone leave knowing it was the last time we’d see each other for the 3 months until IST (in-service training) at least for those people who aren’t near enough to visit. Also, now that we’d been exposed to civilized foods like cheese again it was hard to admit we’d be deprived again so soon and back to eating beans and rice on a regular basis. My anxiety also had a lot to do with being so far from everyone else and not even sharing part of the journey with anyone… this was my first time being really alone in this whole Peace Corps journey. I have to keep telling myself that this is what the experience is really all about, not making friends like it has been up to this point. So, with out much nervousness I went with my supervisor and ended up at her relatives house in Nairobi (all alone in the living room with some really awful American movie on TV) while she did a few last minute errands before we boarded the bus. The trip went smoothly enough, and I even got my first glimpses of camels, though I haven’t seen any since arriving here. The ride took about 6 hours and was stifling hot by the time we arrived in Garissa (most likely attributable to my long skirt - the one my mama had made for me because it was my only one long enough - and the sweater I had to wear because apparently it is not appropriate for my arms to show). Before stepping off the bus in Garissa I donned my newest accessory, a head scarf. My supervisor is taking me shopping one of these days to find some more appropriate things to wear… I’m not entirely sure all my clothes are off limits, but time will tell.
Currently, I am sitting in a hotel room in Garissa because there was not planned house for me upon my arrival. I use the term “hotel” very loosely in this sense for what is offered in my lodging is much less than I would expect from the worst hotel I might ever consider staying at. At first it looked alright, but upon trying to use the sink in the bathroom I realized that the sink bowl was not actually connected to the pipe below and that when the water ran it dripped mostly onto the floor. I have since tried to rig it with a piece of my broken nalgene (for lack of any other sort of tie) but its generally not effective. The toilet in the bathroom is not as nice as having a choo considering there is no seat and the “hotel” does not provide even toilet paper (I had to use notebook paper for the first day and a half of my being here). There is a shower, which was very exciting to me until I realized that the spout on the bottom is in no way connected to the spout at the top and I can therefore deduce that it is only there for show (though there are rust stains that suggest it must have been functional at some point in the past). As for the beds… they are comfortable except for the itchy bites I find all over my arms in the morning… I’ve never seen the culprit but I’m willing to bet it’s a bed bug. I sprayed deet bug spray on the mattress today and so hopefully tomorrow I wont be totally covered with bites. I am hot and sweating and finding ways to occupy myself that don’t depend on electricity (as the lights are coming in and out on generator power). I was just informed also that I shouldn’t use my fan while the generator is working… it was my only saving grace so I desperately hope the power comes back on soon. At the very least, before I have to try and sleep. The heat on its own wouldn’t seem so bad maybe were it not for having to sleep under the mosquito net which effectively prevents any breeze from hitting my skin (more effectively than it prevents mosquitoes I imagine, given the holes in it). I cant wait to have my own place and set it up with my own bed and mosquito net.
What I thought was a description of my house on the information sheet we got with our site assignments a few weeks ago, was simply a description of what they would look for in suitable housing. So here I am, without a home for now at least. Today my supervisor and I were supposed to go look at a house that I would have a room in and share with 3 girls who recently moved her from Nyanza who work with a partner organization to mine. However, they weren’t home or something happened because that plan never materialized and I am left for another night in this hotel. Sarah stopped by tonight to tell me that tomorrow I might get to move into a place of my own that is near (maybe attached to) the hotel I am currently in. Happily, Sarah said it is bigger than the place we looked at yesterday which I could not be more thankful for. The proposed apartment made even this hotel seem like a relaxing, comforting alternative. I actually have a friend with me in the hotel right now, a small lizard on my wall whose skin appears to be see-through… maybe it’s a chameleon?
I took a walk today and ate dinner by myself at a restaurant in a nearby hotel. It feels lonely not having other volunteers around and not having any friends yet. There is not even the friendly chant of kids yelling “how are you” to bring some familiarity to my routine. I’m not sure why they don’t ask considering every kid in Loitokitok would starting yelling it at the distant site of our shimmering skin… I did get a stick thrown at me today by a group of kids, but thankfully and adult near told them not to throw things (it was nice to have someone on my side, especially so unexpectedly). A short time after that I was aware of someone walking near me and turned to find a guy walking close, I said “habari” Kiswahili for “how are you” and he grabbed my ass and ran away. I was so flustered that I couldn’t even think of what to say so I just made a disgusted noise and walked away (he was already half way down the road running away). I now have a response prepared in case anything happens again, but it was really just a disappointing experience. Its hard to walk with your head up after that, but you just have to assume that the majority of people around you are good and that there are bound to be bad eggs everywhere… If I didn’t believe that I probably wouldn’t be here right now. The experience hasn’t made me feel any different about the town in general. I guess with time this place will start to feel more welcoming and like home, it took a while in Loitokitok too. Though here I have the added awkwardness of wearing a head scarf and not with confidence. I cant figure out if its respectful or not… my supervisor said it is a must and that’s enough for me now, but I still wonder what people think of me. I go to work tomorrow and will continue to learn more about my role here so that will help bring some kind of anchor to my life until I can work out making friends. For now, I’m just thankful for the external hard drive B gave me because otherwise I would be so painfully bored.
August 12th:
I’ve been here for almost 2 weeks now, and am thankfully living in a house now. It is the one with three other girls and I’m glad to have the company actually. I feel more relaxed at night when otherwise I might be jumpy at any sound and its nice to have someone to talk with in the mornings and at night. This is a good set up for me to have while figuring out my place in the community and an easy way to have some quick friends.
Work is, well, not work. I go in and sit and try to look like I’m at least thinking about something important because there is nothing for me to do. My first days they had me just sit and watch what happened so I did that and tried my best to figure out the systems for each department. The office has a maternity ward, immunization room, laboratory section, exam room, prenatal care room and two different VCTs. My first day felt a bit like my first time at the Flynn center when I didn’t know anyone and was just desperately trying to figure out how everything worked and who did what tasks, except this was not as simple because the rules aren’t as rigid as health centers in the US. The second day however, was spent getting ready for the Agriculture Show in town (a big chance for our organization to show off). The show is a bit like the Puyallup Fair in that there are different booths that get judged on things like presentation, theme interpretation… etc. and they have animal judging, and entertainment and food. Its smaller, but the idea is the same. I sat with my counterpart, Hawa, for the majority of Wednesday helping to set up and really just making sure no one stole any of our stuff. We had a lot of time to talk and we get along really well. She is about my age and is working as a nurse with pregnant women at SIMAHO. She is fun and sassy, and occasionally swears which we had been told Kenyans do not do (but I fully appreciate). We were at the fair from Wednesday through Sunday and SIMAHO won three prizes: 2 first place trophys (best overall booth for non-governmental organization, and best overall booth for small community-based or non-governmental organization) and 1 second place for theme interpretation (which was a big deal because we were only second to agriculture and everyone loved to point out that of course they would win, its their show, so really the second place was as good as first). The fair was a good way for me to get to know the people I’ll be working with and served the added bonus of allowing me to be introduced to a lot of Garissa’s influential people as they came by our stand (like the chief - one of them, the Member of Parliament for the region, people from Kenya Red Cross - who I hope to partner with, and other people who will be good contacts as I start to find my place). Hawa and I also donated blood to the Kenya Red Cross which was totally worth it, not only because of how badly blood is needed, but because they gave us free Fantas for doing it. Score! Kenya is turning me into a soda adict with its hot temperatures and cold refreshing sodas… mmm. I never realized how much I took for granted in the US like being able to put ice into water on a hot day.
Anyway, after this weekend (which largely consisted of a crazy rush to get me settled in my new house) I am feeling better about living here. Its still hard to go out and feel completely out of place and work isn’t much better for the time being, but I’m gradually getting there. I don’t think that my supervisor had anything specific in mind for me to do once I started and I don’t know if that’s because she thought maybe I would come in and have my own agenda right away or if she thought that I could do things that I cant (like VCT - voluntary counseling and testing for HIV - and give immunizations), but work is a slow grind right now. I had my most productive day today so far: in the morning I got a PO Box, then came to work and spent about 2 hours making a list of things I’d like to do as part of my community needs assessment and talked to Hawa to get feedback, then practiced Swahili in my workbook until 3 and then just sat around and stared off into space until 5. It feels good to be making progress, even if its only theoretical at this point. Tomorrow I am going to the Bureau of Statistics to start gathering some basic data about Garissa for the community needs assessment (we have to turn in a 5-10 page report in 3 months when we go to IST). it’s a relief to start getting some of my perspective back. When I first arrived it was so overwhelming being in a new environment that it was hard for me to remember why I had come so far away from home and to feel that excitement that I felt I should be. Its trickling back now though and it’s a huge relief. Its going to be slow going at first, trying to make my way into the community, meet the right people, do the necessary first steps, but at least I’m moving in some direction. I hate being idle… one week was enough for me.
Note on the temperature: I have a thermometer built into my clock that has not gone below 80 in my room since I’ve been here. Also, it has never gone above 86 either so I guess I cant complain. Although, it really makes sleep difficult.
Oh, here are some funny things from the past few weeks:
I went to the market with Hawa on Saturday to buy some of the last things I needed for my house (we had bought all the basics, like a bed, a stove, buckets for water, kitchen essentials…etc on Friday) such as kerosene for my lamp. I didn’t have a container so instead of buying one Hawa gave me her water bottle. I chugged the water and after fighting in line with 10 other women filled the bottle with kerosene from a pump at the gas station. I went home that night, and we had electricity luckily so I just put the bottle with the rest of my kitchen stuff near the lamp. Later that night I realized that I hadn’t taken my medicine from the morning so I looked around for a water bottle (I have many now, I’m like a bag lady but I keep water bottles and have about 10 in my room to store water when I purify it). I grabbed a bottle, popped the pill in my mouth and took a swig. Unfortunately, I actually drank a little before my taste buds kicked in and the kerosene went flying out of my mouth. I couldn’t taste my dinner really that night and kept burping up gas… excellent. Don’t worry, no side effects other than a little stomach discomfort the next day and now the bottle is safely out of reach under my bed so I wont repeat the same mistake.
Two nights ago after watching a movie before bed, I wanted to go out to use the bathroom and brush my teeth, but as I was gathering my things I heard a strange sound from outside. I listened closer and realized it was the sound of a woman yelling in pain. I thought at first it was the sound of a woman getting beaten, but then it went on for too long and was too rhythmic and continuous… I came to the conclusion that it was a woman in labor, but I was already too unsettled to go out alone. Luckily one of my roommates was still up so I (with only a little embarrassment) asked her if she’d come out with me. She was going out anyway she said so as we walked outside I commented on the sound of the woman in labor. I said “she must be having a baby”. My roommate looked confused so I explained, “the sound right now, that woman must be in labor”. She looked puzzled for a minute and started laughing… she said “no, that’s a goat”. It turns out that farm animals make VERY different noises than they teach us as children.
I was standing in my yard on Sunday, outside the back door, just looking around. Our back door opens up to a slope upward of sand/clay/rock and some desert plants and I was admiring the scenery. I saw something move out of the corner of my eye and all of a sudden a troupe of monkeys (I think baboons, but don’t quote me on it) went traipsing across my backyard. - Not funny, but worth mentioning.
My supervisor gave me two dresses as presents the other day and wanted me to wear one of them to work today. No problem, except they are surprisingly similar to mumus that reach almost my ankles and have no shape, only a hole cut out for the head. It was so difficult for me to act grateful when she was showing them to me (mostly because I really wanted to cry… I hadn’t slept the night before because of my malaria prophylaxis and heat, I was stressed by the work situation, and annoyed at being treated like a child who has no idea how to run their life). I was so sure I wouldn’t have the courage to leave the house in one let alone board a matatu and walk through town in it so I took it in a bag to work and decided to change there. Hawa took one look at me and laughed so hard. She told me I made her day… I took it off (it smelled weird anyway because I hadn’t had a chance to wash it yet). I’m supposed to wear it tomorrow… we’ll see how it goes. The good news - for you anyway - is that this will make a good picture for face book. Gross.

August 13th:
I'm now wearing the outfit... I feel like Dobby the house elf in Harry Potter. This must be what it feels like to wear a pillow case. I'll admit though, that its really comfortable. I feel like I'm in pajamas. This has been a very productive day at work, but all I want to do in this outfit is go to sleep :)