There was a picture posted of the long limbed greeters I found on arrival at the office. There are always the playful monkeys too, but that day was a surprise. I was worried about being too far away from the animals down here on the coast, but the birds and marine, caribbean style fish are beautiful too. I do enjoy somewhat experiencing my native Miami home again. Limestone cottages, breezes, birds, and nice winter weather. In March I will hate it.
As you know, I'm assigned to EcoEthics, a maritime conservation NGO started in 2000. Am involved in reworking the ECO Club curriculum in 52 schools, redesigning the latest membership cultivation piece, and working through some administrative issues with the board. Okeyo, the director, is a PhD marine fisheries conservation guy, working alongside a few more Kenyan ecologists and toxic waste mgt"experts" ...O may be late 40's, trained in Africa, Germany and England, the others are around my kids ages.
work life is noint the bush, but we have challenges everyday getting tasks done.... no wifi, fax or copiers, all material is 'paper free' so shared with staff through flash drive, electricity may be out part if the time, etc etc. Poor records to fall back on, in the sense that most files are in different places. Nevertheless, my non-profit years, plus last decade at PBS will help me guide them in certain areas, improving grant writing skills etc. Great guys, and they laugh hysterically when I put pili pili hot sauce on the polenta-like national dish, ugali, (making it 100 times more edible)
I start the typical day by listening to BBC News (by crank radio or solar charged, when I can baby sit the process during clothes washing by hand on a Sat... since I'm conserving on batteries for now)... I hope for water from the shower... really my bucket baths were more dependable! Then, I quickly put on one of my old sundresses from the 80's embellished up by local leso..tied in some fashion over shoulder or wrapped, whatever seems to be working... and head scarf. I try to look as Kenyan as possible and continue with the struggling Kiswahili.... for credibility....
...then I walk to matatu stand 12 minutes for commute (in Denver, quick to downtown from my house..this takes abo 40 min). The matatu is exhausting, like bumping along at high speed in a packed sardine can,,,
I return the same way, depending on the route I decide best suits my mood, fascinated by the maneuvering of the traffic snarls, sort of a cross between Rome and Bombay I think!
Weekends, I try and swim somewhere without the beach boys bothering me....I can be misinterpreted as a "shikamoo", or rich European mama needing entertainment. Its all true, of course but I don't have the budget of an old European divorcee!!
I don't know many people yet, so I try and keep busy, going to library, beach, old town dukas.... there is a nice, upscale area called Nyali Beach where there is a decent market, great coffee shop etc... or, look for places like the Bambolulu Cultural Center (they have great website www.bamboluluculturalcenter.com) to learn about amazing Kenyans making crafts and special bikes for and by the disabled.The roads here are terrible other than the main thoroughfares and Moi Avenue bank sidewalks..... the rest are and rutted out shoulders, somewhat trash ridden.So the handicapped wheelchairs with "SUPER" tires are making mobility possible for some. My "Keens" ugly, keep me looking like a PV vol, but upright at least...
SO, keep dropping in on me once in a while..I miss everyone
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