This post contains various pictures of different themes. I have posted some of them on Facebook but I realize many of you, my dear readers, may not visit Facebook, and that I wanted to journalize my journey so I need to put everything on this blog.
So, after the swearing in ceremony, we had our last night at the hostel with hot showers and great WIFI. I was able to FaceTime using their WIFI very well. Originally the Peace Corps expect all supervisors (headmasters or principals or head teachers) or counterparts that came to Nairobi for one day training and the swearing in ceremony would accompany us and lead us to our sites. They were supposed to help with the transportation (taxis, matatus, buses, and even for one of us, a plane ride). However, my principal had other plans and explained me how to travel to my site all on my own. Jeez, I have two big suitcases, one backpack, one knapsack, sleeping bag, and mosquito net bag. But on my last day, the principal changed plans and had my counterpart Samuel Akigo travel down to Nairobi and meet me at the hostel, and help get me to my site. That was a blessing. The matatu stage in Nairobi is simply a mess, and its even harder when you have too much with you.
So, once I got to Karatina, the medium-sized town closest to my school in Mukurwe-ini, a taxi met us, and held on to my luggage while we went in Uchumi (similar but smaller than Walmart, with groceries and things) and to the open-air fresh food market (the food market in Karatina is supposedly the largest open-air fresh food market in Kenya). I was a little tired and overwhelmed, and not being a real cook, I randomly tossed familiar foods in the cart, and familiar vegetables and fruits from the market. I knew I would be coming back to Karatina at least once every week to restock up on my groceries.
Then the taxi whisked us away to Reverend Muhoro Secondary School for the Deaf. Upon arrival there were a big ceremony with tents and ribbons. Of course it was hard to believe something like that was set up to welcome me, but instead it was a wedding someone had and used the school grounds for that. Of course tons of kids rushed to view an odd big creature like me. A mzungu!
So, once I got in the home, everything looked familiar except that the previous volunteer Amanda is no longer the host. I am now the new host. She left everything and took what she wanted, and it was up to me to keep or discard anything inside it. It was also very dirty with the reddish-brown dust and dirt from the environment outside, and I guess I will be cleaning house "forever" and it will still be dirty. Furthermore everything is concrete and the paint on the walls were flat pastel colors so everything looks faded and dirty.
My new roommates also welcomed me, saw some big spiders and one small mouse. But the mouse moved out, I think.
Amanda, maybe because she is a female concerned with peeping toms or security, kept all curtains covered and the home was very dark. I washed all the windows and all curtains (you would not believe the color of the water in the bucket turns out after washing, and how many times I changed water). I also think with open windows allowing breeze and sunshine in, I will see less spiders and webs.
I cleaned all afternoon through evening, and then the following morning at 2am (yep I woke up early because I am sleeping on unfamiliar bed and room) throughout until night. The mop (see picture below) broke in half, not because I mopped so hard, but because termites ate most of the wood weakening it. The home is all clean, to the best of my ability, and I feel comfortable now. There are some items I plan to buy to make things more cleaner and comfortable.
I came back to Karatina (to learn my way around with the transportation and town itself). There is another huge open-air market that sells all kinds of second hand clothes (clean). I feel like I am in a huge Goodwill or Consignment store. But at least I know I wont need to have my family and Adree send me clothes that may be easy to obtain here.
My "before" kitchen. I tossed everything I don't like or need, and washed everything else. A lot of reddish-brown dust is on everything including the baskets and shelves.
My "after" kitchen. All tidied up!
There were two knives but they were dull. It was hard to cut vegetables. I then realized I actually bought a new kitchen knife based on advice from previous volunteers. But I emptied all my bags and did not see my knife. I was disappointed and blamed the Airport's Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for removing it for safety reason. But after two days, a little Blue Jay bird came into my head and told me to go back to my suitcase and check the side pockets. Viola! There it is. I was so thrilled. It slices through anything so easily!
This is my water filter system -- much better than using PUR packets (which tastes like pool water). The top part is what I would put water from faucet in, and then one capful of Water Guard (bleach I think), then it would go through Water Filter "Candle" and drip clean water to the bottom part. Then I use the faucet to get my water. It is really so convenient and I love it; however, I am not able to find replacement water filter candle in Karatina. I will have to either travel to a bigger town Nyeri north of here, or go to Nairobi for them. I plan to buy like 4 of them at once and stock them up to serve me for the next two years. So, I cleaned the old candle and am still using it now.
As I told my friends, I promised myself that I would save my two cigars that I brought with me from America, that i would smoke my first one once I am all settled in, am comfortable, have a bonfire, and a beer. So, here is the evidence! I plan to use my second and last cigar maybe on Christmas Day.
It was easily said than done. There is simply no readily obtained firewood. People here use firewood to cook their meals, and they scavenge firewood for their survival. I realized that I burned firewood just for my personal enjoyment when it could be better used by others. So I turned myself into a Kenyan and now am using my bonfire pit to burn my trash. Everyone here burns their trash, and some things like glass and plastic containers, they either toss them or bury them. I am not gonna toss anything of course.
Theres banana trees around my home and school. This one is in the back of the house. I will learn how to cut it down and have fresh bananas!
This is my "modern"toilet. This is also where I take my bucket bath. There is a shower head, but it looks awful and drips constantly after use, so I just fill my bucket from the faucet (see picture), then add boiled water (I bought an electric heating coil that I can insert in the bucket and heat it faster) then bath from it. I ether bath from the floor, or from a stool. The water runs to a drain next to the toilet. The toilet works, but the flush handle broke, so I have to go inside the tank and pull the flapper open. I will see if I can find a new handle. I also plan to buy a toilet seat to cover the darn thing. I have outside choo that I do "number 2" business there, and use this toilet for other purposes.
The two tanks (70 Liter and 100 Liter) I fill up from the faucet, then let it sit for 3 days, then I can use it for bathing (if the water from faucet runs brown), or for cooking (but not for drinking). Remember my water comes from the nearby river (yes a river), and I am not sure if the school filters it, so it often runs clear (but not germ free of course) but sometimes it runs brown water. There is also a faucet in my kitchen sink (from same water source).
My twin bed. Pretty good mattress plus a foam add-on. I slept pretty good on it. Also notice the electric cooker. I can use that, or gas cooker, or Jiko (Kenyan' charcoal grill). I often use electric or gas but have not use Jiko yet. Also notice the outlet on the wall. When I came in, the entire outlet was hanging outside of the wall, exposing the wires. I saw that before when I visited the home last month, but of course they never fixed it. So, I used duct tape (I brought 2 rolls as I know duct tape can pretty much fix everything, including as a bandaid in emergency) to keep the outlet safely in the wall. I bought a power strip so I use the outlets on the strip and leave one plug in the outlet. Lastly, that is the ONLY outlet I got in the entire home. No outlets in kitchen nor living room!
I decided to take down the mosquito net (Amanda left hers, but I have mine as well) and washed the reddish-brown dust off. Then decided to store it away. There are no mosquitos up here in the mountains, as it is always cool except for noon days. As soon as I notice mosquitoes, I will put it back up. But I take anti-malaria medication regardless.
See the kerosene lamp on the top of the bookcase? It gives a nice warm and cozy feeling when I light it up at night, either when I want to watch a movie on the laptop or when the power was out. But one lamp is not enough if you want to talk to someone else sitting across you. Yesterday power was out, and it turns out that the school (empty except for me and a watchman/handyman) has not paid its electric bill. But its been taken care of now, whew!
There is something in the reddish-brown dirt. When its wet, either from the morning dew/fog, or when it rains, the dirt becomes something like clay. Its almost impossible to avoid this, and you will be weighted down walking short distance. Everyone here wears gums (rubber boots) and I gotta get myself one!
Yay, I bought myself gums! Hey reddish-brown dirt monster, go for it and attack my shoes and see if I care anymore!
Pretty much everyone walks and carries their stuff. I am always amazed and admire old grannies carrying loads, sometimes appearing that they weight more than themselves.
Samuel Akiga, my counterpart and I hiked down the mountain road from the school to the "bridge" where the matatus wait. It takes 45 minutes to walk down and an hour or so to walk back up. The road grade gets very steep often.
Notice how the rains wash away gorges on the road. No maintenance crews or road repair is done. The few cars and matatus simply continue to try to navigate through them. Imagine when it rains and everything is muddy, sometimes we just have to walk all the way.
Samuel and I visited his friend who lives about a mile away from our school. He is a local farmer who grows pretty much everything on the mountain side -- creating "steps" on the mountain side for crops. We noticed four avocados left on the tree so Samuel offered to try to climb up and get them. Notice no shoes!
There is hardly candy in villages (there are some in bigger towns) so most people simply chew sugar canes for the sugar. We suck on the fibers then spit them out. I am not crazy about that but out of politeness, I chewed one along with Samuel and our friend.
There are many paths off the dirt roads that lead to homes or other locations. They all are very steep. Samuel and I alternated carrying the gift box that the farmer gave me.
In the gift box, the farmer said he was very pleased to meet me, a mzungu visitor, and wanted to give me a Christmas present. So he gave me a box containing the sugar canes (I kept four and gave 6 to Samuel), bananas, passion fruit, and avocados.
Off the wall picture below -- showing one meal I made for myself -- a mix of Kenyan and American -- bowtie pasta with homemade (sic, cuz I am no cook) tomato sauce, chapati, avocado, and tea. I eat simple dinners.
