First Day in Nairobi

Jambo Everyone!

I landed safely in Nairobi last night. Our flight was long but mostly uneventful. One of the other interns and I traveled together, which was really nice. Her name is Grace and she goes to Bowdoin. She and I oriented togeher in Cincinnati and we are going ot fly back together, but we willl actually be spending most of our time in different villages.

Orientation in Cincinnati was very nice. I stayed with the Chairwoman and founding member of SOTENI, Vic Wulsin, and I got to meet her hust band, mother and father. I spent th eorientaiton learning aobut Kenya, Soteni, and the projects that SOTENI is working on in Kenya. I also spent a lot of time maknig final changes and organizing for the research project.
Traveling to Kenya took a total of 22 hours (Cincinatti to Detroit, Detriot to Amsterdam, Amsterdam to Nairobi). When we got to the airport they made us rearrange our bags and boxes of donations because we were one pound over weight (moral of the story is that the airlines are realy serious about the weight regulations now, we tried to look really innocent and then even to make the guy feel guilty for not letting us take medical supplies to Africa, but he didn't care). The flights weren't bad though. The internation flights no whav tons of really good movie choices, so I was pretty occupied. We flew KLM, a Dutch Airline between Amsterdam and Nairobi, and that was the classiest flight I have ever been on. They even brought us Hot Towels before the meals.

Now I am in Nairobi, I'm staying at the Unu .. (I forgot the rest of the word) Centre-Christian Student Leadership Inn. It's sort of a cross between a bed and breafast, a conference, center an a hostely. It's modest, but very clean and there is a security Guard at teh door and a gate before teh driveway, so it is very safe. Its right nex to the University of Nairobi. Which is in Summer SEssoin right now, so there are many students there. WE have taken cabs so fare between the SOTENI office and the Hotel, but it is a very short walk and I think tomorrow we will wak through the campus. There is a shower, clean towel and sheets, and a mosquito net of the bed. Iwas shore that sleeping under a mosquito net was going to feel strange, but it doesn't (either that or yesterday I was too tired to notice). One oddity is that in every bathroom there is a large blue bucket. Mo, Grace and I discussed this and cannot come up with a good reason why there should be the same one in every bathroom. As we were walkin in tonight we heard a big cheer coming from the dorms. The security gaurd told us that there is a big game between the USA and Egypt. He is rooting for the US.

The two people who work a the SOTENI Kenya office are Edward (the Program Manager) and Marion (the buisness manager). They have been really great and have helped Grace and I orient to Nairobi, lean what we need to know about the SOTENI projects we are going to be working on, getting around Kenya, using cell phones and internet modems, and keeping track of our expenses.

This evening Mo, another inter who has alread been here for three weeks came to Nairobi from SOTENI Village of hope (SVH) Mbakalo. The trip took him eight hours by public transportation, but he made it. He and Grace are goin got be wrking together in SOTENI Village of Hope Mituntu while I work with Pat (the other intern who has been here with Mo) in SVH Ugenya.

Nairobi is a big city like any other. When we arrived last night, very exhausted, Grace adn I jokeed that we did not even feel like we were in Kenya, just in any big city. I know that this will definitely not be the cae in the rural villages that we are gointo move out to next week, but for now I just feel like I am in a big city anywhere in the world, not necessaraily in Africa.

Part of the reason I feel that way is probably because the only places I have been sofare in Nairobi are cabs, my hotel, three resturants, and the SOTENI office. Hopeuflly, walking through the campus tomorrow, I will get more of a feel for the city, and maybe Edward or Marion will come out a bit with us tomorrow afternon before we move out to the rural areas on Saturday.

I guess that's it for now. To answer eveyrone's inevitable questions:
1. I feel safe
2. I feel fine
3. I am drinking only bottled water
4. Yes I am taking my malarai medication
5. No, I have not eaten any fresh fruits or vegetables
6. I am having fun
7. I have not walked into traffic coming from the wrong side of the road, yet.

Cood night, I'll try to update again soon!