I'll Be Back!

Hi guys,

I just wanted to drop a line and say that I know that I haven't been updating much, here or on Facebook, but  I need you to trust me that I have a good reason, and that I will be back. The past two weeks have been unlike any others in my life in terms of stress, issues, and lack of sleep, but things are now (hopefully) on the up and up. I promise once I have a little time to recover I'll be back and blogging better than ever.

Much love,
Meaghan

Can't...Stay Away...From Baby Elephants!

Saturday rolled around and I was ready for another weekend of adventures. It all started with Andrea coming over around 9:30am so that we could head out (once again, I know) to the DWTS Elephant Orphanage. This time, though, we went to a public viewing, which was MUCH different. There were an absolute TON of people. We really went so that D could adopt a baby elephant for her nephew, but it ended up just being a fun time gawking at baby pachyderms again. Didn't get to chat with Maxwell, but when we go back again (its happening) I will make sure to do so. I plan to adopt an elephant as well, so I am pretty excited to do some research and pick a good one, haha.

Look at all those PEOPLE!

Seriously, this was only half of the spectators. I am so glad we went last week as well!

Still really cute.

Teamwork!

Haha, this guy was NOT interested in drinking from a bucket. He wanted it straight from the source.

They didn't play in the mud at all this time, but they did flop around and throw dirt a lot.

He is like a cartoon of a trumpeting elephant.

Andrea and her elephriends.

Throwing dirt is all fun and games until the wind picks up and everyone gets mouths/eyes/faces/clothes full of grit!

After the elephants were fed, played, and left, we were got an unanticipated treat. The orphanage grounds open right onto the Nairobi National Park, and animals can come and go as they please. A family of warthogs, including twee little babies walked by. Big warthogs are really unattractive, but the babies were REALLY cute.

Mr. and Mrs. Pumba.

And family!

Such a pretty view of the park.

Once again, I left feeling like it was time and money well spent. A public viewing of the elephant feedings occurs every day from 11:00am-12:00pm, and has a suggested donation of 500Ksh (about $6.00). I promise you the money gets put to good use by some really great people doing amazing work to save really vulnerable animals.

The multiple projects of DSWT.

On our way back through Karen towards home, we got another surprise. WHAT IN THE HELL. That is an escaped camel, nonchalantly walking down the road. He could not possibly care less about what people think of him. Jackson said that parks in Nairobi sometimes have camels that kids can ride (what?) and he probably blew that Popsicle stand and set off on his own. SO random. Only in Africa.

"I'm WALKING here!"

"Just go around me, buddy."

After stopping briefly at Junction Mall to get passport photos and pick up some essentials, we came back here. Andrea and I chatted for a bit while D ran an errand, and then the three of us set off to Kawangware Market. Kawangware is a slum right up the street from our house. Most people in Kawangware live on less than $1 per day. D is one of the only wazungu who visits this market, and has developed relationships with some really great retailers there. Prices are drastically lower than at our local supermarket, and I feel better about buying things like produce there because the money is going directly to people who can really use it, rather than a corporation. Fresh produce comes in on Tuesdays and Fridays, so we will likely go to the market almost every Saturday to pick up some essentials. D also has a great seamstress, Catherine, who makes really beautiful clothes for really cheap (completely custom made dresses for a total of less than $20). I mostly browsed this week, but I am definitely going to have her whip me up some stuff sometime in the near future. There are a ton of stall selling absolutely stunning fabrics, and my crafty brain is exploding with ideas. I am pumped that we are so close. I think it is important to visit markets like Kawangware to get a more real, nuanced understanding of the "real" Nairobi. We are very careful when we go: dressing down, taking off jewelry, and being constantly cognizant of our belongings, and only bringing the essentials.

After shopping, we came home, where Andrea got picked up and we settled in to watch the first episode of The Newsroom, which I can't believe D, the communications guru, has never seen. But I guess I shouldn't be surprised because she's NEVER SEEN WEST WING. Apparently she lived under a ROCK before moving here, haha. No worries, I will teach her to love Aaron Sorkin. We are also going to check out Homeland at some point, because people can't stop gushing about it. I only wish the internet was faster here; it was so much easier to watch shows in Korea with their lightning fast connections.

A damper was put on the evening last night when we discovered that we may have been victims of theft when we had so many people in the apartment fixing various things last week. Our temporary roommate is unable to account for a big chunk of money in US dollars that she remembers being in her closet. I feel awful, because without even thinking, I left an electrician alone in her room for about 15 minutes, which may have been just enough time to rifle through her stuff. I guess I was still operating under the American idea that if a landlord sends someone to repair something in your house, they have already been vetted and are trustworthy. Lesson learned.

Today was a pretty relaxing day, with some time spent enjoying our balcony, blog writing, and preparing of the work week. Now I am off to cook some dinner before D gets home, so we can relax and watch another episode of The Newsroom tonight. 

My First Site Visit!

First off, can I just say that I'm super pumped you're all reading this blog? I was going through my Blogger Stats and I am blown away by how many times this blog as been viewed already. I hope you enjoy reading about my new, very different, life here in Nairobi. Keep the comments coming; I love them!

Well, my first full week on the job has come to an end, and I must say, I'm feeling like I am right where I belong. The commute continues to be miserably long, and I work 10+ hour days, but I come home feeling like I'm moving in the right direction every day. I also get to experience myriad new things (which is something I always hunger for) so at the end of the day I can't really think of anything to complain about. Sure there are challenges and frustrations, but the good absolutely exponentially outweighs the bad.

My adjustment to working in an office has going surprisingly smoothly. Our office is located in a fairly new, modern building on one of the main roads out of the city. It is very secure: there is a gated entry with guards who check trunks of cars as they enter and make note of any unfamiliar vehicle's license plates, etc. Once you get inside, there are two other guards posted just inside the door near reception. After making it past them as well, you take the elevator up to my office. In order to enter the floors housing our company, you have to pass muster at a fingerprint scanner. The fingerprint scanners are great, they not only provide security, but also automatically clock us in every morning and out every evening. It is a lot more efficient than having to sign-in or log-in somewhere. The only tricky thing is that since you have to scan in and out on every floor, I was totally at the mercy of co-workers for the first three days before IT was able to get my fingerprint into the system. Nothing makes you feel sketchier than loitering by the door to an office area, waiting to piggyback in on some hapless employee. But now that's all taken care of and not an issue anymore, thankfully!

The Curriculum Department, Teacher Training Department, and Production Department are all together in one big room. The Curriculum Team is the biggest in the company, with over 30 members. We have rows of short cubicles facing each other, and I am right by the door so I can see everyone in the room (and since I'm super nosy this is great!). Also on our floor is an open area for meetings, a few other departments (still trying to pin down exactly who is where), some small conference rooms, a large conference room, and a kitchen. I love the kitchen, because twice a day they bring in hot milk and clean mugs to make tea. Amazing. I generally need my first hit of deliciousness around 8:30am and the other around 2:30pm. It is perfect. Between all the milk tea and my breakfast cereal/yogurt, I am pretty sure I've consumed more dairy here in the past two weeks than I have in the past three months at home.

The office in general is very quiet. There are 5 wazungu (Americans in this case) on my floor and we are usually the ones you hear talking or laughing too loudly. It is definitely an adjustment to be in a huge quiet office full of adults instead of a room of crazy, energetic little kids. But I like it so far. This week I've been working a lot on finalizing long-term curriculum plans for Nursery Class, and figuring out what our whole Term 2 is going to look like. I'm also writing a variety of leveled children's books, preparing script templates, and teaching Virginia how to mail merge documents so that we can do things as efficiently as possible. Efficiency, for me, is the the name of the game, especially as we get into the nitty gritty of writing the actual scripts and preparing to innovate some new lessons and strategies for teaching concepts. Although I sit for the VAST majority of the day at a computer, I am really really excited about what I am doing so the time goes surprisingly quickly.

On Thursday, I was super pumped because I got to go out on my first school visit! The video production was heading out to a rural school just outside of Nairobi. Literally if you do a Google Map search of this town, all that comes up is our school. With the address "Dirt Road".

Google Maps is not wrong.

We left the office around 7:00am and due to (say it with me now) awful traffic, it took us about an hour and a half to get to the school. Let me begin by saying, our schools are pretty "no frills." The structures are simple, and really exist basically to provide a safe, enclosed space that protects pupils from the elements as they learn. Unlike many other school building organizations, who build great structures and then peace out, our concentration is not on the building itself, but on what occurs INSIDE that building. As one teacher said when being interviewed, "When the parents talk, it isn't about the school buildings or structures. It is about what is offered inside and the opportunities." We are one of only a very few organizations worldwide who concentrate so heavily on the actual curriculum being offered in our schools. Each teacher gets an e-reader with super scripted lesson plans, ensuring a standard delivery across our really diverse schools and teachers. It is a really innovative and fascinating process and I am excited to be a part of it.

Two classrooms (one on this side and one on the back).

Latrines. I have peed in many a squat toilet in my day, yet none could be so aptly described as a "hole in the ground."

Another set of classrooms, but 4 this time (two on the front, two on the back).

The final building (two classrooms on the back, and storage/offices on the front).

Looking out from the Baby Class to the field and latrines.

The exterior of the building from the Baby Class door.

This is the way we wash our hands, wash our hands, wash our hands.

Thursday was kind of an off-day to visit a school, because it was Nominations Day in Kenya. Basically, there are a ton of political parties, including six main parties. For each of those parties, many people put their name in for each position (Mayor, Representative, President, etc). Nominations Day is when members of each political party go to a central location and vote to narrow down the choices so that only one representative from each party is on the ballot for each position come elections in March. Public primary schools are closed, as many of them are used as polling places. Though our schools were open, many kids didn't come to school, so our Nursery Class had only 5 students, and the Baby Class I sat in on had 2. Usually class sizes are much bigger.

Anyway, I spent the whole morning in Baby Class. The two little ones, began the morning increeeedibly distracted by me, but slowly they got used to me being there (though I had to stand/sit directly behind them so they weren't just staring) and went along with their day. I think the teacher was also a little nervous to have me in there, but she was fine. Although it didn't give me the totally true school experience, it definitely got my mind going and 3 pages of notes outlined some ways I think we can improve things, as well as things we are already doing really well. It was exciting to actually get out to the schools and see the kids that my curriculum will be directly impacting.

Not quite a SmartBoard...but it does the trick. 

Learning the names of colours.

So much space for two teensie kids.

Just about every other activity on the Baby Class Schedule is "toileting."

Playtime means I get to take pictures!

Although it is technically the hot season, Thursday morning was quite cold and rainy. I had goosebumps on my arms and got the chills pretty bad in my short sleeved shirt.

They thought my camera was hilarious. Especially when I took a bunch of pictures and showed them.

I am having this printed for my desk.

Absolutely precious!

At recess, I was the hit of the school. "Mzungu! MZUNGU!!" The kids cried, rushing me. At one point I think I had about 25-30 kids just trying to touch me: patting my hands, touching my hair, hanging on my arms. Foreigner celebrity status strikes again. They also loved hamming for my camera, and were very excited to get to push the buttons to take pictures themselves. It was a total crowd pleaser.

They stopped in their tracks with a screeching halt when they saw me coming, haha.

One of the photos taken by a kid randomly pushing the button on my camera as I held it.

"Teacha, teacha!"

During the afternoon, I hung out with Victor and his team as they interviewed kids, parents, and teachers for a video they are putting together for the company-wide meeting next week. It was really exciting to hear, in their own words, why kids and parents like coming to our schools, and what makes the teachers want to stay there.

Adorable Class 4 girl who wants to be a singer when she grows up.

One of the mothers, who asked to take a picture with me. She said "I have two kids here. I like it very much. It is the best school. Thank you!"

At one point, a teacher was being interviewed and he was asked what he thought his students would be doing in the future. I got a little teary when he replied, "What do I believe the pupils will do in the future? Whatever their dream is. If they want to be a doctor, they can be. Because of [this school], they can meet their dreams." Another said that "Parents can see that our pupils, they are doing better than other schools' students. They can do their ABCs when other students can't. They can read and answer questions better and faster." One of the grade 6 students was asked what he thought of the school, and he said "My favorite thing about [the school] is our teachers. They are teaching well, and if you don't understand something you can always ask....If someone wants to send their children here, I say do it. Because [our school] is the best school." A few students also mentioned that they liked our schools because the teachers were trained well, and because the teachers weren't allowed to beat them. It was very interesting to listen to their answers to the interview questions.

Too soon, it was time to head back to the city. The kids came out to do their Outdoor Skills class (basically PE) and I snapped a few final photos of them dancing and laughing with their teachers. It was a great day.

Gorgeous end to the day!

The whole school lot!

Friday I was back at the office, but with a little more motivation after actually getting to meet the kids I'm serving. I am really looking forward to going out to more schools (hopefully this week) because I know the urban schools will be very different from this one in a lot of ways.

Transportation Trials and Cell Phone Secrets!

Whew, made it through my first week none worse for the wear! As I said in the last entry, at this point it is still going pretty quickly. We'll see how long that lasts.

By far, the most trying part of living here is simply getting from Point A to Point B. Traffic in this city is out of control. I spoke with a cab driver the other day and mentioned that I didn't remember the city being quite this choked with cars when I visited in 2005. He said that during the "Kibaki Years" (the time since President Mwai Kibaki came into power in December 2002) more and more and more people have been able to purchase cars and have done just that. However even in the face of an explosion in the number of cars on the roads, the infrastructure and roads have not grown to accommodate the much larger numbers. 

Another problem, which this BBC article about the worst traffic in the world mentions, is the roundabouts, or traffic circles. THEY ARE AWFUL. Roundabouts are fine when there is mild to moderate traffic, but as soon as you put a million cars on the road they are horrific. Each roundabout has traffic lights, which are timed to last an excruciatingly long time, and are often ignored. During rush hour (and honestly, rush hour lasts about 5 hours every morning and afternoon here) there are police officers posted at each roundabout "directing" traffic. I have yet to see a great deal of worth in what they are doing. Mostly it appears that they're standing around, talking to friends, and - at times - napping. 

Accurate on an given day. (Photo credit to From Countdown To Kenya, an awesome blog. Check it out.)

Whenever anyone asks where I live in relation to where I work, they always sigh exasperatedly (wow, I didn't think that was actually going to be a word) and shake their heads, saying "AH, Gitanga Road. The traffic is terrible there." BUT the truth of the matter is that by the time I get to Gitanga Road I've already been in traffic for about TWO HOURS, and it is much worse elsewhere. Let's talk a little about my commute.

Last week, I was spoiled. I was driven to and from work every day by the lovely Paul, who got me there in about a half an hour in the mornings and home (generally) in about an hour and a half. If main roads got too backed up, we went off-roading on little dirt side streets. We were almost always MOVING, even it was super slowly as we navigated huge mud puddles and potholes the size of my Scion. Plus I also got to see a bunch of different parts of the city and get to know my way around, all from the comfort of a shiny red car. I could also ask tons of questions about everything from elections to soccer. It was great! It was also costly. Our deal was costing me about $27 a day, and that was adding up QUICKLY. I knew I had to bite the bullet and jump aboard public transportation eventually. I just couldn't keep up with the costs of taxis, no matter how nice they were.

SO, what were my options? First, and most prevalent, are the dreaded matatus (dun dun DUN). I do distinctly remember being warned against riding on them when we were here with SAS, and doing it anyway with my host sister. C'est la vie. I remember them being intimidating when with someone who knew them like the back of her hand, though. 

Makes me think of the "Massachubatts" shirts in Seoul. (Photo credit: One Computer at a Time)

No...yeah....that's PROBABLY safe.... (Photo credit: Association for Safe International Road Travel)

Awesome and colorful. Too bad most are plain white! (Photo credit to Sweet Fresh Love)

Matatus are (often tricked out) mini-buses that zip all over Nairobi and beyond. Many have names emblazoned across them in big letters, music thumping, and colorful decorations and/or lights. They are known for being a tad reckless...as Jared said "matatus can usually get there faster than I can in a car...mostly because I never drive on sidewalks." Sad but true. Matatus often jump curbs and switch lanes to get there faster. They get a fairly bad wrap....but the truth of the matter is that with the sheer number of matatus out there on the road, the accidents that do occur are only a small percentage. Add that to the fact that we can barely get up to 40mph during rush hour when I'm in them, so chances of a bad crash are even lower. Each matatu is staffed by two people: the driver and the tout. The tout is in charge of soliciting customers and collecting money. They sometimes sit, but often hang out of the side of the matatu, yelling prices and destinations. Once you are on your way, they will take your money. All public transporation costs differ greatly depending on time of day, traffic, number of customers, and myriad other factors I don't yet fully understand. ANYWAY, matatus are the most prevalent form of public transportation here.

I don't always ride Kenyan buses, but when I do, I ride KBS....usually. (Photo credit: ExpatAds)

The other choice is buses. Buses are bigger and a little more commanding, however they are also a lot more restricted to "real" paved roads and more consistent routes. Matatus can go off route to avoid traffic (and often do) as long as they end up at the correct final destination. Buses have to stick it out. Buses come in all shapes and sizes, but for me, the most convenient ones to and from work happen to be big, blue, KBS (Kenya Bus Services) buses, or red, white, and blue checked Embassava buses. My journey has two legs: home to town, and town to work (or vice versa at the end of the day). 

I took my first stab at public transportation on Monday afternoon. Sam, one of my many very cool Kenyan co-workers, laid out the route for me and bolstered my confidence. Mostly. I was ready to do this. I think. Thankfully, Jared spoke to Peris, one of the other new girls to the Curriculum Department who had to go downtown as well. She (literally) held my hand as we crossed the six lanes of terrifying traffic on Mombasa Road ("Only three at a time" as Nuru, another great co-worker, says). That remains one of the worst parts of my commute. There are no crosswalks (that are used) here, so you just kind of take a deep breath, wait for a break in the highway traffic, and book it. There's often one person going just a little too fast, and one person going just a little too slow, which mess up the best windows to cross. But I guess its something you get used to?

Once we crossed, we boarded a big blue bus, which cost 30KSH (about 35cents) and headed into town. The trip downtown isn't that far distance wise, but takes FOREVER. When you get to the aforementioned roundabouts traffic completely ceases to move. At one roundabout, we sat, engine off, for 20 minutes. There are a lot of scents happening on a Nairobi bus, most unpleasant, and not a lot of air moving when you're completely stopped in traffic. Once I got downtown, Peris showed me where my bus would pick up to go home, and as importantly where I would get off in the morning and connect to the bus going towards work. It was absolutely invaluable, as I would have been really overwhelmed. She put me on my second bus (about 75cents) and sent me on my way. All told, it took me TWO HOURS AND TWENTY MINUTES to get home. I was crammed into an awful middle seat and it was just atrocious. I came home and basically went straight to bed. After changing, of course, because my clothes smelled like a stranger's body odour.

Tuesday morning I took public transport both ways. As most bus stops are basically non-existent, I am able to go right across the street outside my gate and flag down a bus going towards town. Yesterday it was super fast and easy, the first one stopped, I grabbed a seat, and we were on our way. I transferred without a problem, and got to work exactly 40 minutes after I left my house. Not half bad. Yesterday afternoon Peris came with me again and this time we took a matatu for the first half. Reggaeton blasting, we cruised towards town without incident, and I learned a new route for transferring (matatus and buses drop off in different locations in town so its helpful to know how to get between each option). I hopped on the second bus, got a great seat by an open window, and had an overall quite pleasant ride home. It only took an hour and fifty minutes, AND I got home before dark. I'm going to call that a win.

This morning we went a little back downhill. The KBS buses originate at Kawangware, which is quite close to our apartment, so usually finding a seat is not too tricky. But today it rained, and then all bets are off. EIGHT full buses passed me by on the street, a few spraying wet mud on me as they went by. THANKS GUYS. Eventually one stopped, and even though they are only supposed to pick up the number of people equal to free seats, they took pity on me and let me on even though they were full. I stood the first half, which was only slightly terrifying as my back was to the steps and completely open door. BUT I HELD ON TIGHT AND SURVIVED! Transferring to the second bus was fine again, but I ended up getting off too early and having to walk a bit to work (don't know what I was thinking). This afternoon I cheated a little as I shared a taxi with my great new co-worker Andrea, who was coming this way to look at an apartment. It was a nice little taste of luxury again. 

SO, that's transportation. Now on to useful tidbit about mobile phones here.

In Kenya, you buy airtime or "data bundles" to keep your phone loaded and able to access the internet, etc. You buy them according to the company that provides your cellphone service, so for me, that's Safaricom. You can check your balance by dialing *144#.

My mobile.

Not a lot of credit remaining. And I was totally out of data.

Today on the way home we realized we were low, and Paul literally pulled over on a street and called over a random dude who sells airtime. You buy these little scratch-offs, which come in all denominations.

Front of the scratch off cards. 2 cards at 100KSH each.

You have the option of putting it in as airtime or data. I did one of each. Teensie tiny on the bottom there you can read the instructions. You basically just send the code under the scratch off part to a specific number and you're done!

It really couldn't be easier. I'll let you know how long the 80MB lasts. I never use my phone to surf the web, but I do occasionally check emails with it, so its good to have.

On that note, I am going to CRAAAAASH. Why am I up this late?! (It is 10pm, no judgement.) I am super excited because I get to spend the entire day tomorrow at one of our schools and I am really really pumped. More to come soon!

The Highs and Lows of My First Week!

Wow, I can't believe that tomorrow will be the one-week anniversary of me arriving in Kenya. Frankly, it has moved quite fast. I know from experience that time spent living abroad moves differently than time in your home country, oscillating between crawling unbearably slowly and streaking by. So much has happened this week, so many new experiences, and I am definitely still trying to find my footing.

Wednesday and Thursday were basically spent getting myself familiarized with the work I'll be doing for Term 2, especially with the plans for Baby and Nursery classes. I was given an external hard drive with just a ton of documents on it, so I was able to look through it all and figure out what they have done in the past and what the plan might be for the future. I am excited about all the freedom I have, and the fact that I get to do some really fantastically awesome things, like write children's books (a bucket list item of mine!) that will be illustrated by professional Kenyan illustrators (some of which are absolutely phenomenal) and sent out to all our schools. How freaking cool is that? I'm so ready to get working and already have some great ideas. I have also met a ton of people this week (I remain, sadly, terrible with names) but some are starting to stick. It is a little tricky for me to come in new because they don't have any sort of roster listing people's names and jobs, so I am just going to have to take a bunch of notes...or drive Jared crazy asking over and over again, haha. So far, everyone has been lovely, and I seem to get along really well with everyone I've met so far. Virginia, one of the girls on my team, is quite quiet, but I am working on making friends and bringing her out of my shell. My commute still sucks.

On Friday, a few of us left the office around 11:30am and headed out to Karen, a suburb of Nairobi. Karen is very different from where I live (Lavington) in many ways. It is definitely more suburban, with lots of green space and more single family/smaller homes than we have here. We left the office and took a road that skirts along Nairobi National Park, which is quite close to city center. Many who go back and forth between the city and Karen get a yearly pass to the Kenyan National Parks (~$300 for the year) which allows unlimited access to all parks. This allows them to 1. enjoy the park on weekends without worrying about the cost, and 2. use the park to avoid traffic every once in a while. The only problem is that sometimes you might come across something like...oh, you know...a rhino that won't move off the road so you have to wait. TIA. This is Africa. The road we took is in the process of getting majorly updated and expanded. Many of the new larger roads and highways being built in Kenya are being completed by Chinese contractors. Apparently, they used to bring in whole teams of Chinese labourers (see what I did there? trying to acclimate to British English), but the Kenyan government wasn't real pleased by that, so now there is usually one Chinese foreman (who bizarrely wears a rice farmer hat at all times) and all Kenyan labourers working under him. The roads are apparently going up much faster now, which is good, and will hopefully be more reliable and stronger than the current roads that absolutely disintegrate under any kind of weather or traffic.

When we got to Karen we stopped a few places to pick up a few things, and then headed over to Erin's house. Erin is the girl I am taking over for, who had a baby about two and a half weeks ago. She, her partner, and her little girl live in an even more secluded area of Karen. Their compound is quite pretty, and is basically a series of small, one-story, single family homes all connected like a snake. They have a pretty extensive property, which includes a lovely wooded area, stream, volleyball courts, etc. There are also lots of dogs on the compound, owned by various families, so I got to talk to them as well (I miss Rusty and Belle!). We talked work for a while (including me finding out that the documents I was looking at for long-term planning were not the correct ones, oops) and then chatted over some KFC. It was really nice. After our meeting, I got dropped off at the Junction Mall, where I bought a few quick things at Nakumatt and headed home via taxi. Overall it was a good first week of work. I know, however, that things are going to pick up soon, as we really get more into crunch time for planning and producing documents. My team is responsible for producing scripts for 595.33 hours of instruction for three grades. And that's just Term 2. And it has to be done by the third week in March. NO PRESSURE!

Outside of work there have been some ups and downs as well. Kenya Water and Kenya Power have been driving us CRAZY this week! We have lost power four times (with hours ranging from a few minutes to hours in length) and we are currently in kind of a fight with Kenya Water. Last Tuesday, they came by when we were both at work, and shut off our water, saying we hadn't paid. Now, first, a little background. Water here is not like water at home. You have to get it delivered, either from the city or from a private provider. Behind our apartment building, there is a series of water tanks, one for each apartment. These tanks should be automatically filled by the city once a week. Then, we have a mechanism that pumps that water from the tanks downstairs up to the roof, and it is from there that the water in our showers/sinks/etc is produced. Water usually comes at the end of the week, but if you run out before then, you have to call and have someone deliver some (at a cost, of course). As I said, last Tuesday, Kenya Water came and "shut off" our water, which basically means they disconnected the pipes that allow us to get new water when it is delivered by the city. The problems with this are mutli-fold, but the main point is that we HAD paid, early in fact, and they never should have disconnected us. D called multiple times, and we thought things were worked out.  We got water delivered so that Lorna, our housekeeper, could do our cleaning/wash/etc on Wednesady, and thought we would be fine as we just needed to wait until new water was delivered at the end of the week.

Friday rolls around, and as I finish my shower water starts to wain. By the time we're finished getting ready, it is clear...no more water. None of the spigots produce anything. Ugh. I go down to check the water to see if it is just that the tank on the roof has run out (easy fix, just pump more up from the bottom tank) or if we are out completely. Here is a photo story of what that entails....

Step 1: Go down four flights of stairs to the ground floor.

Step 2: Walk down the slightly sketchy walkway between the shop and building.

Step 3: Go around to the back of the building.

Step 4: Find your water tank. Each apartment has their own locked tank.

Step 5: Open the cover, and see the actual tank.

Step 6: Open the tank. See that you have only about an inch of water left in the bottom.

Step 7: Dejectedly climb up 4 flight of stairs. Try not to get sweaty, because you know there is no refreshing shower waiting for you. Fail.

Step 8: Back into the apartment.

Step 9: Prepare to take a bucket shower using reserve water.

Step 10: Be less than thrilled about it.

Saturday morning we checked again, and STILL didn't have water, so we were back on the phone with Kenya power and our groundskeeper, Godfried. Turns out that they never reconnected us, so even though the city delivered water, we didn't get any in our tank. RAWR. And since it was now the weekend, there was nothing they could do until Monday. Gross. I don't know if most of you have any concept of how freaking annoying it is to not have water. To have to go into the reserve buckets for showers and handwashing (saving the water from each in a separate bucket to use to flush the toilet). To not be able to wash dishes or prepare food. It is obnoxious as hell. Trust me.  Finally today we had water delivered and I cannot cannot cannot wait to take a real shower! I am so excited.  I had to laugh when I was telling my mom about the various struggles with utilities, and she said (aghast) "Where are you LIVING?!" Surprise...a developing country. TIA.

When we woke up this morning the power was out (again) so I spent some time reading and preparing for an endless stream of people who were coming through the house today to get stuff done. First up: Henry, the contractor, coming to fix a leak in the roof on our back porch. Then Kuria, our carpenter, coming to drop off some frames he made for D and discuss plans to make my bed (modeled after the Malm... "But don't let me lay eyes on the Malm collection. I can't afford it, an I'm a sucker for it every time!" -Nick, New Girl), the guestroom bed, and my night table (all handmade to my exact specifications, for $415 total). Then Kilimani with a water delivery. Then Sam to discuss art and framing with D. It has been packed! And D has done even more stuff, outside of the house. Now I am just waiting for the electrician to come and fix a couple of things (like that light socket we messed up in the last entry), and that should be it for a little while. Whew. There are so many little things that come with moving into a new place and getting acclimated, I just look forward to more relaxing weekends with more exploring in the future.

BUT, this weekend (obviously) was not without a totally awesome, heartwarming, uplifting experience! On Saturday, D and I got to go with some of her Embassy colleagues to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, who work in Nairobi National Park. Began in the 1970s, this organization fosters orphaned baby elephants and rhinos, with the ultimate goal of reintroducing them into the wild where they can live the lives that they were supposed to. Babies are picked up all over Kenya, and come from not just a variety of environments, but also a variety of situations. Many have mothers who were victims to poachers. Poaching for ivory and rhino horn is pretty dire in Kenya right now. It was a huge problem in the 80s, but then was pretty much brought under control. However, recently the desire for ivory and horns in Asia has exploded (which is probably not helped by the influx of Chinese contractors mentioned earlier) and they have been using pretty technologically advanced weapons and resources to carry out really brutal murders. Just last week, a family of 11 elephants were gunned down in Tsavo West National Park, their tusks brutally hacked off, in one of Kenya's worst poaching incidents in recent memory. It is heart breaking. It is estimated that the trade in wild animals and products is the fourth largest illegal global trade after drugs, counterfeit goods, and humans. An estimated 38,000 elephants are killed each year for their ivory. Please consider this when thinking about buying ivory products! And then don't do it. Other babies lost their mothers to farmers who are angry that the elephants are encroaching on their crops and territory, and still others fall victim to natural circumstances such as drought. The remaining babies are often rescued from wells or pit latrines that have been dug by local communities. When their family members are unable to get them out, they must leave them for the good of the herd.

Elephants are pretty incredible. They experience and express a wide range of emotions, their memory rivals that of humans, and they seem to have a fairly deep understanding of what is going on around them. Above all, they are family oriented, and it is extremely psychologically damaging for these orphans to be left behind, regardless of the reason. The keepers said that the elephants older than six months old who lost family members to poaching are often extremely afraid of their human keepers because they remember that it was humans who inflicted such pain. However, the good news is that they also learn quickly. The elephants become quite attached to their human handlers, often looking up to them as a kind of foster parent. Baby elephants are totally milk dependent for the first three years of their lives, so the handlers must feed them every three hours, 24/7. Handlers sleep in little bunk beds in each elephant stall, and become quite close with the babies. It was so great to watch the babies interact with their handlers as well as each other. They're a lot like human children, being silly and pushing each other around, etc until their handlers scold them and then they look contrite.

It was extra special that we go to go to a private viewing, as well. Usually there are 100+ people, all crowded around, trying to catch a glimpse of the babies. We had 30. And about that many elephants. It was AWESOME.  We got to get very close and interact with them, watch them play, get all muddy thanks to their spraying, etc. It is an absolutely incredible experience! I'm so thankful D was able to get me on the list.

And now, for some photos! Our group, who all had connections to the US Embassy here, met at a Java House over near the embassy.

Jackson whisking us off. Notice the almost non-existent weekend traffic!

 After we hooked up with the rest of the group and boarded the bus, we battled construction traffic to get over the Karen Galleria Mall. We had about two hours to kill, so we had a great leisurely lunch with D's boss, Michael, and his two kids. They are a senior in high school and a sophomore in college, so we talked a lot about future plans, etc. It was great to relax and have a good conversation as the excitement of baby elephants built! After lunch we got back in the bus (and took like 20 minutes to get out of a spot...life lesson: don't park a bus in a car spot at a busy mall) and completed our short journey over to Nairobi National Park.

After lunch at the Karen Galleria, we headed out to DSWT.

One of the rangers gave us an overview of the project, and what they do at the Orphan's Center.

This is one of the stalls that the babies sleep in. Their keepers sleep in the bunk bed so they can be easily accessible for night feedings.

Heading back, through the beautiful compound, to see the babies.

The bottles are all lined up and labeled for each baby.

Here they come!

Seriously, could this get any cuter? She's trying to hold her keeper's hand!

Gaaah, so adorable. And messy!

One of the slightly older babies.

This animal is one big ball of crazy adaptations.

Some were just soooooo twee and cute. Look at him snarfing the mud.

Originally they told us the babies would come out in batches. We figured one group would leave and another would arrive, but they just kept coming!

Teehee, look at that little trunk!

After they ate, they all crammed into these small mud holes to play and cool off. This one liked stomping around and splashing.

D and one of the keepers. And a baby elephant face planting in the background. 

Having a snack and playing can be exhausting work!

There were so many!

The little ones often emulate the bigger orphans. It is precious.

Some delicious leaves?

Don't mind if I do.

AAAAAAHHHH so freaking cute.

Look at me, I can streeeeeeetch out my trunk.

BFFs?

Look at that crazy skin!

The little ones were just so ridiculously cute.

They ranged from about shoulder high....

To about waist high.

They loved D's boss, Michael, because he had a water bottle in his fanny pack and they were SURE it hid more milk.

So sleeeeeepyyyyyyy.

The elephants love to play and get mud splashed on them. It helps them cool off on warm days (it was about 80F yesterday). This handler was only too happy to oblige.

Someone got a little dirty! They use their trunks to wipe their eyes (which are already protected by ridiculously long eyelashes) and look like little kids. Totes adorbs.

This rather unladylike elephant decided to poop in the middle of my photo. Fun fact: Baby elephant poop looks a lot like guacamole.

And then, it was time for them to go of and play somewhere else!

I did really well staying clean until a six-month-old sprayed me during the last five minutes. Pesky kids! 

Don't get me wrong, I like elephants. But rhinos...man they are something else. They're so cool. And this might be my FAVOURITE rhino.

This is Maxwell. I challenge you to find a better name for a big, doofy black rhino. 

Maxwell is blind. He was discovered when he was less than a year old, frantically running around Nairobi National Park, unable to find his mother. It is likely that his mother left him because he was unable to follow her.

Unlike the other rhinos and baby elephants, Maxwell will never be able to be reintegrated into the wild. Black rhinos are solitary, and males must be able to define and protect their territory. Since Maxwell cannot see, he would not be able to defend himself or his land, and would be killed by wild rhinos.

So, instead, Max will spent the rest of his life at the trust. He's safe, and has lots of friends. He's turning seven next month, and since rhinos often live between 35-50 years, he has a lot of good life ahead of him. Elephants will come visit him, rattle his gate until he comes over, and then tap him on the head with their trunks to say hi. Tell me that is not among the cutest things you can possibly imagine.

Basically I love him and want to be his friend.

I love that rhinos are just made up of myriad ridiculous features. Look at that horn and nose! Those toes and jelly rolls! Those absurd Shrek ears! I LOVE THEM.

These are the stockades (or, as I like to think of them, dorm rooms) for the baby elephants.

When it gets cold, the baby elephants are kept warm by tying these blankets around their shoulders. Like a cape. I'll give you a second to imagine that.

All of this is thanks to Kenya Wildlife Services, and the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.

Love their logo.

If you ever get a chance to visit DSWT, especially on a private tour, you should absolutely jump at the opportunity. It is not to be missed.

Not to be outdone, we ran into this industrious little dung beetle in the parking lot on the way back to the bus, as well.

As I said, the babies are totally milk dependent for about the first three years. When they are about 2.5 years old, they are relocated to a second site, down at Tsavo National Park. There, they spent the next few years being weaned off milk, learning to interact with other elephants, and eventually, hopefully, integrating back into a wild herd. There are herds of elephants in Tsavo right now that are made up, in part or in whole, of former orphans that would have surely died without DSWT. And that is awesome. Sometimes, when an elephant has moved on, been accepted by a wild herd, and had a baby of their own, they will return with it to show the handlers. As if to say, "See mom? I did good."