Hello.. I preface this to say I am so bored with my own opinions these days. Really.. it's tiresome. And I have been fairly lame about meeting people, even when they are right there and I just need to say hello. Uuurrgh. Crap.
Today was assessment day and all that entails. It was fine, I need to research the effects of malaria on development. I don't know if malaria is the cause of all these diabilities or just an easy scape goat. Seeing a fair amount of hemiplegia. Seeing a lot of hearing impairment, children who don't speak and other generally severe things. ur list of schools to go an consult with grows and grows. Maybe we should have a massive meeting where all the teachers in the district come and sit in the local stadium so we can talk about kids with disabilities. (hhmm. I will put it in my bloody work plan).
I am actually only in town briefly. There is a letter for me at the District Education Officers, I suspect it is my work visa?? What else would he have, but that seems too soon. I can use this as on opportunity to suggest the above. ha. So I am going to head out and work at home very soon.
Speaking of which.. I got some new rather smashing curtains made for my hall, front door and bedrooms. I need more material for the living room, (kitchen??) and bedroom cupboards. But not today. I'm hoping for guests around Feb 6th so really I need to prioritize furniture.. another bed and matteress, a bookcase and a bench. Oh and some plants.
Will be travelling up north to Butere-Mumias on Monday for a couple of days. There is another EARC up there and I need to nail down their Trainers of Teachers and schools.
Tired. Zucchini, Tomatoes and Onions for dinner tonight. Last night was potatoes, tomatoes, green pepper and onions. I am working on a book .. 365 meals with one stove top, 2 pans and less than 5 ingredients. I suspect it has already been written. b
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
So really today..
The problem with not writing for a very long time is there is too much to say. So how about this.. I will upload some photos.. they aren't terribly interesting, but I have been taking them of my schools and the teachers so I can keep things straight mentally!! And maybe it will help clarify things????
I am working on a plan these days.. a plan of action so to speak. Of course I get the sense that it could be all changed at anytime anyway.. but oh well.
Yesterday I found myself doing a community based rehab (CBR) site visit in Kanyagwal (even though we decided last week I wouldn't do anything with CBR's until April). It was the coolest thing. We (my coordinator Veronica and I) took a matatu to a town at the edge of Kisumu district. We then boarded boda-bodas and literally spent the next 40 or so minutes being pedalled through country side. There has been a lot of rain recently (inversely proportional to electricity access I might add) and the place was green and lush and almost swampy. Huge perfect waterliles floated in ponds/drainage ditches?? The sky was so blue and clear and it was amazing to be out of the town/city. When we arrived at the community center (concrete room with tin roof) 2 hours late (African time) 20+ adults many of them wearing their CBR t-shirts and head scarfs met us with singing and clapping and dancing. Then after praying we sat and listened. Literally.. we had come to listen. Then we left.
As life would have it, I have been reading "Mountain Beyond Mountain" by Tracy Kidder. And it's a good thing. I have been struggling to make sense of the whole point of me being here of late, and it provides an interesting perspective. I don't know that I necessarily agree with all the ideology of Paul Farmer, but it has certainly gotten me thinking about development work in a different.. not so bureacratic light. The take home message for me at this point being.. that sometimes you don't have to do anything. Sometimes being there, and paying attention and caring enough to try something is enough. In fact, as Veronica agreed.. we had encouraged and motivated action in this well flooded community in the back of beyond, merely because we had bothered to come and see them. I should add here, that this community group is all voluntary (wouldn't you have thought these people would have enough on their plates without agreeing to do home based care for those with disabilities??). So anyway.. it was great. I was glad I went and I am glad to be here. But, in a conventional sense - I have still done nothing useful.
The problem with not writing for a very long time is there is too much to say. So how about this.. I will upload some photos.. they aren't terribly interesting, but I have been taking them of my schools and the teachers so I can keep things straight mentally!! And maybe it will help clarify things????
I am working on a plan these days.. a plan of action so to speak. Of course I get the sense that it could be all changed at anytime anyway.. but oh well.
Yesterday I found myself doing a community based rehab (CBR) site visit in Kanyagwal (even though we decided last week I wouldn't do anything with CBR's until April). It was the coolest thing. We (my coordinator Veronica and I) took a matatu to a town at the edge of Kisumu district. We then boarded boda-bodas and literally spent the next 40 or so minutes being pedalled through country side. There has been a lot of rain recently (inversely proportional to electricity access I might add) and the place was green and lush and almost swampy. Huge perfect waterliles floated in ponds/drainage ditches?? The sky was so blue and clear and it was amazing to be out of the town/city. When we arrived at the community center (concrete room with tin roof) 2 hours late (African time) 20+ adults many of them wearing their CBR t-shirts and head scarfs met us with singing and clapping and dancing. Then after praying we sat and listened. Literally.. we had come to listen. Then we left.
As life would have it, I have been reading "Mountain Beyond Mountain" by Tracy Kidder. And it's a good thing. I have been struggling to make sense of the whole point of me being here of late, and it provides an interesting perspective. I don't know that I necessarily agree with all the ideology of Paul Farmer, but it has certainly gotten me thinking about development work in a different.. not so bureacratic light. The take home message for me at this point being.. that sometimes you don't have to do anything. Sometimes being there, and paying attention and caring enough to try something is enough. In fact, as Veronica agreed.. we had encouraged and motivated action in this well flooded community in the back of beyond, merely because we had bothered to come and see them. I should add here, that this community group is all voluntary (wouldn't you have thought these people would have enough on their plates without agreeing to do home based care for those with disabilities??). So anyway.. it was great. I was glad I went and I am glad to be here. But, in a conventional sense - I have still done nothing useful.
Okay.. so I am very behind... here is the weekend and recent download..
Saturday January 28, 2007
It is raining this evening. Crazy bucket loads of rain that blusters subtly through my apartment causing small pools in unpredictable places. It was a beautiful day, glorious morning light waking me from my slumber, hot African sun warming my legs as I walked to do chores. Now we have this storm that thrashes the windows shut and spills into the crevices. Although I bathed already I set my tubs out to gather in the downpour. It will be nice to have water that isn’t the color of clay; that leaves silt in the basin.
The rain is so intense that for the time being the liveliness of my neighborhood has taken pause. The sound of the drops on metal and concrete stills the sound of the voices and transportation and transactions usually taking place at all hours of the day. I actually wake around six every morning. Not I think, because of the rooster, but because of the peace, the quiet before the rush of living starts again. It is in this same hush that I find myself now, despite the noisiness of the rain.
Sunday January 29, 2007
The variety and availability of ingredients in the Kisumu market is astonishing. The vendors themselves spill out onto the footpaths surrounding the pavilion, so that as you browse you have to remember to avoid the matatus and boda-bodas who are as eager to run you down, as they are to get your custom. Along the roadside ladies sit with their mats and baskets of bell peppers, bunched cilantro, various shades of onions, twists of garlic, spiky green and red hot peppers, knobs of ginger, small and large bananas (green through black), piles of papaya, neatly stacked oranges, bags of passion fruit, sacks of potatoes, drums of rice (measure by the tin full) and dried pulses to name but a few. They also have smoked tilapia, chunks of meat, what looks like tiny dried sardines, and other things I don’t yet have names for.
Overall, I am getting much better at marketing. It has been a big adjustment, shopping and cooking for one. I don’t miss having a refrigerator but it changes the frequency at which I must buy fresh produce, as well as how long things keep for. I have to limit myself to purchasing only two fruit or vegetables per day. A small chunk of pumpkin and some beans makes a pretty hefty portion when added to 50 grams of rice. One avocado and a tomato made two massive guacamole sandwiches, far more than I would typically eat in one sitting.
When I first moved in, I hit the grocery store picking up a couple of this, one of that, a bag of the other (I bought a dozen eggs for goodness sakes!). Of course days later I found myself wondering what to do with all the moldy food that was only serving to excite the already hyperactive winged population in my house. I feel immense shame when I throw food away; compounded by the fact that the trash pile is centrally located between a cluster of other homes. In a country where the majority live off starchy ugali, greens and meat (if they’re lucky), my refuse is a pointed reminder of the lifestyle differences between myself and my neighbors. When I have scraps, I find myself putting them out when the goats or chickens are pecking about (could I give the livestock food poisoning??)
In addition to being better able to judge quantities, I now have a sense of what things should cost. Initially it was intimidating to attempt to buy goods when I hadn’t a clue what was a typical price. Is 30 cents a lot for a mango? A dollar too much for a pile of apples? I had a chat with someone’s housekeeper this weekend and she gave some general parameters. Though I am charged what I’m charged and I usually pay up without quarrel, I feel better being armed with the knowledge of relative costs.
So that all said this afternoon I headed for the market place, confident, assured, I was going to track down a bag of shelled peas for my dinner. My mission successful, I arrived home with plans to don my imaginary apron (frills and all) and cook up a curry. As I sit down now to a mango and a bar of chocolate instead, I’ll just say … the fact that the electricity would be out had never even entered my mind.
Saturday January 28, 2007
It is raining this evening. Crazy bucket loads of rain that blusters subtly through my apartment causing small pools in unpredictable places. It was a beautiful day, glorious morning light waking me from my slumber, hot African sun warming my legs as I walked to do chores. Now we have this storm that thrashes the windows shut and spills into the crevices. Although I bathed already I set my tubs out to gather in the downpour. It will be nice to have water that isn’t the color of clay; that leaves silt in the basin.
The rain is so intense that for the time being the liveliness of my neighborhood has taken pause. The sound of the drops on metal and concrete stills the sound of the voices and transportation and transactions usually taking place at all hours of the day. I actually wake around six every morning. Not I think, because of the rooster, but because of the peace, the quiet before the rush of living starts again. It is in this same hush that I find myself now, despite the noisiness of the rain.
Sunday January 29, 2007
The variety and availability of ingredients in the Kisumu market is astonishing. The vendors themselves spill out onto the footpaths surrounding the pavilion, so that as you browse you have to remember to avoid the matatus and boda-bodas who are as eager to run you down, as they are to get your custom. Along the roadside ladies sit with their mats and baskets of bell peppers, bunched cilantro, various shades of onions, twists of garlic, spiky green and red hot peppers, knobs of ginger, small and large bananas (green through black), piles of papaya, neatly stacked oranges, bags of passion fruit, sacks of potatoes, drums of rice (measure by the tin full) and dried pulses to name but a few. They also have smoked tilapia, chunks of meat, what looks like tiny dried sardines, and other things I don’t yet have names for.
Overall, I am getting much better at marketing. It has been a big adjustment, shopping and cooking for one. I don’t miss having a refrigerator but it changes the frequency at which I must buy fresh produce, as well as how long things keep for. I have to limit myself to purchasing only two fruit or vegetables per day. A small chunk of pumpkin and some beans makes a pretty hefty portion when added to 50 grams of rice. One avocado and a tomato made two massive guacamole sandwiches, far more than I would typically eat in one sitting.
When I first moved in, I hit the grocery store picking up a couple of this, one of that, a bag of the other (I bought a dozen eggs for goodness sakes!). Of course days later I found myself wondering what to do with all the moldy food that was only serving to excite the already hyperactive winged population in my house. I feel immense shame when I throw food away; compounded by the fact that the trash pile is centrally located between a cluster of other homes. In a country where the majority live off starchy ugali, greens and meat (if they’re lucky), my refuse is a pointed reminder of the lifestyle differences between myself and my neighbors. When I have scraps, I find myself putting them out when the goats or chickens are pecking about (could I give the livestock food poisoning??)
In addition to being better able to judge quantities, I now have a sense of what things should cost. Initially it was intimidating to attempt to buy goods when I hadn’t a clue what was a typical price. Is 30 cents a lot for a mango? A dollar too much for a pile of apples? I had a chat with someone’s housekeeper this weekend and she gave some general parameters. Though I am charged what I’m charged and I usually pay up without quarrel, I feel better being armed with the knowledge of relative costs.
So that all said this afternoon I headed for the market place, confident, assured, I was going to track down a bag of shelled peas for my dinner. My mission successful, I arrived home with plans to don my imaginary apron (frills and all) and cook up a curry. As I sit down now to a mango and a bar of chocolate instead, I’ll just say … the fact that the electricity would be out had never even entered my mind.
Friday, January 26, 2007
Visited three school today.. which leaves me with only 3 of the 8 in the Kisumu District left to visit. It's a funny process visiting schools. First you must go to the District Education Officer. THen the head teacher, and then can you visit the classrooms. The meetings are very formal and a little strange. I am introduced by my coordinator, and the DEO or Head Teacher introduces themselves. Then they talk about the school and the importance of the work going on there. How we must look after those with special needs. Then how blessed they are to have me and how they hope they will benefit greatly from my expertise. This can all take a very long time. But it's quite nice. My favorite is when someone asks one of my colleagues something to which there is a negative response (I hope one of the teacher trainers will be from my school?). They never say "no" or disagree, and yet they smooth the situation over so that the person asking surely knows, but yet nothing was said. Amazing. A skill I want to learn. Silas had massive complaint to bring to a headteacher and he did it in the nicest easiest way possible. It was hard to believe we were sitting here talking about a massive infringement of policy!
Anyway. Went to Maseno School for the Deaf, Maseno Mixed School (700 children??) and Lutheran which is nothing short of a zoo. I couldn't stand in the autism class, because apart from the students generally rolling around the place, one boy was scraping a metal plate on the floor to the detriment of everyone's hearing. Clare would not have been pleased as she was working with the teacher this week and clearly this was not what was supposed to be going on. CVolunteer consensus is.. you can change attitudes and change knowledge, changing skills is a whole other kettle of fish.
So. I am done for the day bright and early. Heading home to work on my computer.. program planning.. finishing up things I didn't do in Chicago.. the weekend lays before me. Originally I was supposed to go to a epilepsy clinic, but I am postponing all interaction with the community based rehabilitation organizations until April when the schools are on break. May find myself a swimming pool in this town to lay beside. It is gloriously hot. I wonder if the same establishment will serve cocktails? Apparently the Nyanza club is pretty swank and you can get a day pass. Very very tempting.
Anyway. Went to Maseno School for the Deaf, Maseno Mixed School (700 children??) and Lutheran which is nothing short of a zoo. I couldn't stand in the autism class, because apart from the students generally rolling around the place, one boy was scraping a metal plate on the floor to the detriment of everyone's hearing. Clare would not have been pleased as she was working with the teacher this week and clearly this was not what was supposed to be going on. CVolunteer consensus is.. you can change attitudes and change knowledge, changing skills is a whole other kettle of fish.
So. I am done for the day bright and early. Heading home to work on my computer.. program planning.. finishing up things I didn't do in Chicago.. the weekend lays before me. Originally I was supposed to go to a epilepsy clinic, but I am postponing all interaction with the community based rehabilitation organizations until April when the schools are on break. May find myself a swimming pool in this town to lay beside. It is gloriously hot. I wonder if the same establishment will serve cocktails? Apparently the Nyanza club is pretty swank and you can get a day pass. Very very tempting.
Thursday, January 25, 2007
So.. I have to write about this because I think it is so funny. I had a dream Tuesday night that someone proposed to me with a bright green hearing aid. What's more he had the aid made specifically for that purpose!! Ha! in my dream I knew I didn't want to marry him, and I was really annoyed that he had wasted the world's resource on a hearing piece he didn't need, when he could have just gotten a foam ear mold! Wierd. I think it was because one of the head teachers has a hearing aid, and Clare and I had been discussing the audiometer/hearing referral situation across various sites that day, and then that evening Phil called to tell me we were no longer married (sadly). But what a strange dream.. and so vivid!
Helllooo. I think I have finally opened a bank account. It only took two tries and honestly they haven't given me an account number yet so I am only slightly hopeful. Apparently they will call me. At that time I am invited to make a deposit. Ha. Until then, no volunteer stipend for me. I think the process of opening an account is an accurate view to how most bureaucratic processes work. The paper trail is seemingly endless. Speaking of which...
Wednesdays are assessment day at the Kisumu clinic. Holy shit. There were so many kids and the systems in place means it all takes so so long.. heaven forbid if the child came and saw us in 2001 and we have to locate their number.. and that is just the associated information collecting. As I have seen on past visits to this lovely continent.. 'This is my child.. she is eight.. and she has had this problem since a bout of malaria.. oh she was two when that happened' - so I am left wondering what were they doing in the intervening 6 years?? It didn't occur to the parents to come to the clinic when she was 4 just say? Or 5 years old? And I know to look up the developmental effects of malaria.. does it really cause the significant disabilities that parents attribute to it, or are the issues there, and they are using illness as an explanation?
It's great though that the clinic assesses and refers (and has place to refer) these children. The staff are very very organized and seemingly good at what they do. They also care about the families coming in. On top of all this.. during their days the staff don't eat because there is no "lunch arrangement" so I was trying my very very best to swallow my miss crabby pants, scowly face, growly tummy attitude that I felt coming on by 3pm and they were all as charming as ever. I have to start packing lunch.
My coworkers are lovely, patient, kind, and move at a leisurely pace. I was going somewhere and one of them said 'you can stroll this way' and I thought that was on apt description for our movements. Having said that then.. you really have to allow all day for one site visit. Tomorrow I have ambitiously scheduled two schools, we'll see how it goes!
So apart from assessment day.. Tuesday I went to the Vihigia assessment center (about 30 minutes from Kisumu) and to a school visit with the autism specialist Clare. It was a school I will also train in, and it is located in approximately the middle of nowhere western Kenya (though only 2 matatus and a boda-boda ride away). It was a good day though and I was able to solidify my mental plans for how I am going to approach this project.
Today we went to a school in Kisumu district. I will also be working with this site.. though there is a melodrama unfolding within the special education team which I won't go into now. The teacher's are very welcoming.
So.. must eat some lunch.. finish up some work and then read read the plethora of manuals and documents related to this project that are stacking up in my living room.
Speaking of home.. settling in nicely, and have started turning a blind eye to most creatures smaller than 5" (gecko/lizard things have an exemption.. because they are really animals it seems, so I leave them be.) Anyway, there have been only two huge beetles/bugs/roaches I have taken to with the can of Raid.. and so imagine my displeasure when I woke up this morning to find one of these mungo beasts INSIDE my mosquito net. How bloody rude. I mean really. That's just unacceptable. That's my little boudoir, my cozy bed. I raided him and flicked his massive carcass against the wall.. I hope he wasn't faking death. I will be very disappointed if he isn't still on his back when I get home (a thought that just occurred to me). It also crossed my mind that if a bug that big can get in, perhaps my mosquito net isn't going to be so effective?
Wednesdays are assessment day at the Kisumu clinic. Holy shit. There were so many kids and the systems in place means it all takes so so long.. heaven forbid if the child came and saw us in 2001 and we have to locate their number.. and that is just the associated information collecting. As I have seen on past visits to this lovely continent.. 'This is my child.. she is eight.. and she has had this problem since a bout of malaria.. oh she was two when that happened' - so I am left wondering what were they doing in the intervening 6 years?? It didn't occur to the parents to come to the clinic when she was 4 just say? Or 5 years old? And I know to look up the developmental effects of malaria.. does it really cause the significant disabilities that parents attribute to it, or are the issues there, and they are using illness as an explanation?
It's great though that the clinic assesses and refers (and has place to refer) these children. The staff are very very organized and seemingly good at what they do. They also care about the families coming in. On top of all this.. during their days the staff don't eat because there is no "lunch arrangement" so I was trying my very very best to swallow my miss crabby pants, scowly face, growly tummy attitude that I felt coming on by 3pm and they were all as charming as ever. I have to start packing lunch.
My coworkers are lovely, patient, kind, and move at a leisurely pace. I was going somewhere and one of them said 'you can stroll this way' and I thought that was on apt description for our movements. Having said that then.. you really have to allow all day for one site visit. Tomorrow I have ambitiously scheduled two schools, we'll see how it goes!
So apart from assessment day.. Tuesday I went to the Vihigia assessment center (about 30 minutes from Kisumu) and to a school visit with the autism specialist Clare. It was a school I will also train in, and it is located in approximately the middle of nowhere western Kenya (though only 2 matatus and a boda-boda ride away). It was a good day though and I was able to solidify my mental plans for how I am going to approach this project.
Today we went to a school in Kisumu district. I will also be working with this site.. though there is a melodrama unfolding within the special education team which I won't go into now. The teacher's are very welcoming.
So.. must eat some lunch.. finish up some work and then read read the plethora of manuals and documents related to this project that are stacking up in my living room.
Speaking of home.. settling in nicely, and have started turning a blind eye to most creatures smaller than 5" (gecko/lizard things have an exemption.. because they are really animals it seems, so I leave them be.) Anyway, there have been only two huge beetles/bugs/roaches I have taken to with the can of Raid.. and so imagine my displeasure when I woke up this morning to find one of these mungo beasts INSIDE my mosquito net. How bloody rude. I mean really. That's just unacceptable. That's my little boudoir, my cozy bed. I raided him and flicked his massive carcass against the wall.. I hope he wasn't faking death. I will be very disappointed if he isn't still on his back when I get home (a thought that just occurred to me). It also crossed my mind that if a bug that big can get in, perhaps my mosquito net isn't going to be so effective?
Monday, January 22, 2007
While I am here on internet.. I went to meet with the Association for the Physically Disabled of Kenya (APDK) today.. they do very very cool work. I will not however be there on a regular basis I sadly informed them. I just can't be. Until I work out the full realm of my responsibilities at least. APDK are located in the "Russian" or the Provincial hospital and have a relatively large physio and occupational therapy team as well as workshops for orthopedics. They also have cleft palate teams that come through this site and another hospital closer to Nairobi. I will work out what goes on with referral and follow up at some point in the near future. I know they also have a list of patients for me.
I bought cool cool in the school material for curtains today. And attempted.. note the word attempted to open a bank account. b xx
I bought cool cool in the school material for curtains today. And attempted.. note the word attempted to open a bank account. b xx
The other reason it's good to save these at home and upload them.. as you can get kicked off mid post which is very very frustrating. So take 2...
January 21, 2007
Well… it is Sunday night and I am not sure where the evening or the weekend went actually. I had planned to do so much more, but only got a little Leap work done and very little letter writing. Alas. I am going to start typing my blogs at home and then uploading them when I go into town.. I feel it will be much more efficient.
Tonight I actually ate a reasonably healthy dinner. I had a veggie burger and three beers for lunch so I was tempted to skip my evening meal entirely, but my malaria medication requires a full stomach I think. So I did boil up a potato, a carrot and snow peas and like every other meal I have eaten in this aqua house I topped it with sweet chilli sauce. Hmm. Actually.. this, salt and curry powder are the only seasonings/condiments I have to date. I have hot sauce on the list. Mum and I have also discussed the possible merits and pitfalls of un-refrigerated butter.
This afternoon I actually met up with the autism specialist who works on the same CDEP project which was useful. She is a speech therapist by training but has never done speech. Autism is another strand of the project so it has been her focus.. and fortunately for the world at large not mine. She also works with the ten sites, but sadly she leaves in April so we don’t have much of an overlap. She was originally based in Kitui but relocated to Nairobi and thinks my efforts would be best served if I focus on the Western sites. I hope to head to the Vihiga center with her Tuesday so plan to tap her brain for more specific information at that point. She also introduced me to a very delightful tucked away café which, while (relatively) expensive, actually has several vegetarian options. Although I love vegetable curry, I can appreciate a choice of meals as much as the next person.
This big event of the day… dadadada I bought a mattress. Hallelujah. The wooden bed frame and the sleeping bag wasn’t as bad as one might expect, but hot. I was not excited about the whole buying a mattress thing because I was completely unsure how the hell I was supposed to get it home. But they folded it in two! And I tucked it into a tuk-tuk. Ha. My sister did point out that most mattresses don’t actually fold in two, but oh well.. this one does (basically a slab of foam in a fancy quilted mattress looking cover!) and it beats the prior arrangement. It’s actually too small.. my bed is a 1 ½ single I think, but I will get myself a bigger mattress and put this one in the spare room at some point. It will do. I actually plan to buy a quilt.. because it would be pretty not because I need one (far too hot, though there may be cooler times in the year). There is this shack by the side of the road and they have lots of really beautiful (albeit dusty) quilts. I suspect these quilts are actually probably made somewhere in America by some well meaning craft group .. but I will check it out and let you know. I have an acute appreciation for pretty right now.
But to bed. I am sure I have to meet a plethora of people in the morning. So the name thing.. in case you were wondering.. has evolved to Veronica (the coordinator) introducing me by saying “this is Brenda, but she loves to be called Bea.” It is all so ridiculous. They can call me whatever they like. I wish she would follow that with “and she is nearly thirty, not 19.” Seriously. Veronica always says very kindly “Bea has lots of experience” and the recipient looks at me and then looks at her quizzically. I need an ‘I am 29 shirt.’
January 21, 2007
Well… it is Sunday night and I am not sure where the evening or the weekend went actually. I had planned to do so much more, but only got a little Leap work done and very little letter writing. Alas. I am going to start typing my blogs at home and then uploading them when I go into town.. I feel it will be much more efficient.
Tonight I actually ate a reasonably healthy dinner. I had a veggie burger and three beers for lunch so I was tempted to skip my evening meal entirely, but my malaria medication requires a full stomach I think. So I did boil up a potato, a carrot and snow peas and like every other meal I have eaten in this aqua house I topped it with sweet chilli sauce. Hmm. Actually.. this, salt and curry powder are the only seasonings/condiments I have to date. I have hot sauce on the list. Mum and I have also discussed the possible merits and pitfalls of un-refrigerated butter.
This afternoon I actually met up with the autism specialist who works on the same CDEP project which was useful. She is a speech therapist by training but has never done speech. Autism is another strand of the project so it has been her focus.. and fortunately for the world at large not mine. She also works with the ten sites, but sadly she leaves in April so we don’t have much of an overlap. She was originally based in Kitui but relocated to Nairobi and thinks my efforts would be best served if I focus on the Western sites. I hope to head to the Vihiga center with her Tuesday so plan to tap her brain for more specific information at that point. She also introduced me to a very delightful tucked away café which, while (relatively) expensive, actually has several vegetarian options. Although I love vegetable curry, I can appreciate a choice of meals as much as the next person.
This big event of the day… dadadada I bought a mattress. Hallelujah. The wooden bed frame and the sleeping bag wasn’t as bad as one might expect, but hot. I was not excited about the whole buying a mattress thing because I was completely unsure how the hell I was supposed to get it home. But they folded it in two! And I tucked it into a tuk-tuk. Ha. My sister did point out that most mattresses don’t actually fold in two, but oh well.. this one does (basically a slab of foam in a fancy quilted mattress looking cover!) and it beats the prior arrangement. It’s actually too small.. my bed is a 1 ½ single I think, but I will get myself a bigger mattress and put this one in the spare room at some point. It will do. I actually plan to buy a quilt.. because it would be pretty not because I need one (far too hot, though there may be cooler times in the year). There is this shack by the side of the road and they have lots of really beautiful (albeit dusty) quilts. I suspect these quilts are actually probably made somewhere in America by some well meaning craft group .. but I will check it out and let you know. I have an acute appreciation for pretty right now.
But to bed. I am sure I have to meet a plethora of people in the morning. So the name thing.. in case you were wondering.. has evolved to Veronica (the coordinator) introducing me by saying “this is Brenda, but she loves to be called Bea.” It is all so ridiculous. They can call me whatever they like. I wish she would follow that with “and she is nearly thirty, not 19.” Seriously. Veronica always says very kindly “Bea has lots of experience” and the recipient looks at me and then looks at her quizzically. I need an ‘I am 29 shirt.’
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Hello. This has probably been the single most craziest week of my life. I now live in Kisumu. The inside of my little house is painted mostly in aqua. I like it. Should I change my blog name? ha.
It is actually a good little house. I live there with a plethora of bugs large and small. And for the most part.. I have taken the Buddhist philosophy of live and let live. Sometimes though.. especially when the line of ants extend across an entire room I take to the lot with bug spray. Fortunately only the very smallest creatures can sleep with me, as they are the only ones who can get through the net. The disadvantage of reading in bed with a head lamp is that all these tiny little winged creatures then choose to fly around your face and it is very distracting even when Nigel Slater is doing a marvellous job of describing his mother's terrible cooking in "Toast."
The house has two bedrooms, a kitchen, a loo, a concrete cell of a shower room, an antechamber (is that what you call those entry hall rooms - I like this one tremendously for no particularly good reason, but I envision it filled with plants.. on my to do list), and a living room. There is a tap and a kitchen sink, but they are not attached to a water source as yet. Nor is the toilet. But it sits there. Fortunately some (prophetic?) soul explained to me the strategy for a good bucket shower and seeing as it is so fucking hot here.. one electric kettle full of boiling water actually takes care of a pretty comfy shower. I do have electricity. And I bought a single hotplate which I may eventually replace with a gas double cook top. Right now I only have the basics.
Actually the shopping trip I took yesterday in itself was an adventure. I have two male colleagues Silas and Gordon, both very enthusiastic about my joining the team. Gordon is set to retire in August, Silas still has five years. Silas is very very worried about me. His advice just freaks me out, rather than assures me. He wants me accompanied at all times which would be rather stifling and according to everyone else entirely unnecessary.
Anyway, Gordon and Silas poor souls were given the task of taking me to kit out my house. My house has NOTHING in it. I take that back.. it has a sofa, four chairs, a massive table, some small tables/stools and a bed. Not a mattress though I discovered far to late last night.. only a bed. Oh and a water filer without the filter candles (nice one.)So Silas and Gordon stood and suggested things while I randomly chose items and then they tried to figure out why the hell I had picked that item, that brand, that whatever. And much later asked me about my selections. Example: Silas "Bea, you have three forks, but only one bowl." I wanted to give him a common sense answer but I just didn't have one. It was random. Choices were based on absolutely nothing. My mind was far too foggy. But my coworkers had a car, so I knew I had to pick and pick fast. They are very very nice.
My boss.. the coordinator Veronica (who is unfortunately retiring in April) is also very nice. She lives very close to the compound I am in. Gordon and Silas live in the hills which is even further from town, but apparently less hot. The job I have been entrusted with is pretty amazing. Logistically amazing.
Here it is in a nutshell (what I have been able to take in so far):
In late February I am to train 30 trainers of teachers or ToT's (like Gordon and Silas) in Nairobi. There will be three from each of my 10 districts. This 5 day training will be speech therapy 101. Each of these ToT's will go back to their district and in 2-3 days replicate my workshop to train 20 or so teachers. I will attend these trainings and observe and provide feedback. The potential impact on children therefore is pretty impressive.
In terms of districts let me use Kisumu as an example.. they have 60,000 primary school children, 15,000 early childhood children and 25,000 secondary schoolers. The Kisumu Educational Assessment Resource Center (EARC) works with 57 schools/units/subcenters that have children with special needs. The push in Kenya is for full inclusion, though at Joylands (School for Physical disabilities) where we are based 2 of the 11 rooms are special education only. 1 specifically for cerebral palsy.
The project I am funded under has many strands of which speech and language is only 1. There apparently is an autism therapist who has a similar job but is based at a site south east of Nairobi. The data and evaluation materials/component in place is staggering.
In addition to training teachers I will also train community based resource staff who are parents and volunteers who work in the communities. I am less clear on this portion, because the February training is taking precedent. And I must say.. I am not starting from scratch. A past VSO.. Mombasa based SLP actually did a similar training and hopefully the document is still in electronic form. By mid year the training manual a combination of my and her presentations will be submitted for publication.
So.. busy.
I am not overwhelmed. Well maybe I am. Stunned is a better word for my current state. And I don't know if I can find my house again. Silas was pointing out landmarks ("like you do for the blind" he said). Something about a transformer in the street. Hopefully I will get close enough and recognize the compound's aqua gate.
Must run. please please please write to me. hot and sticky love. b
It is actually a good little house. I live there with a plethora of bugs large and small. And for the most part.. I have taken the Buddhist philosophy of live and let live. Sometimes though.. especially when the line of ants extend across an entire room I take to the lot with bug spray. Fortunately only the very smallest creatures can sleep with me, as they are the only ones who can get through the net. The disadvantage of reading in bed with a head lamp is that all these tiny little winged creatures then choose to fly around your face and it is very distracting even when Nigel Slater is doing a marvellous job of describing his mother's terrible cooking in "Toast."
The house has two bedrooms, a kitchen, a loo, a concrete cell of a shower room, an antechamber (is that what you call those entry hall rooms - I like this one tremendously for no particularly good reason, but I envision it filled with plants.. on my to do list), and a living room. There is a tap and a kitchen sink, but they are not attached to a water source as yet. Nor is the toilet. But it sits there. Fortunately some (prophetic?) soul explained to me the strategy for a good bucket shower and seeing as it is so fucking hot here.. one electric kettle full of boiling water actually takes care of a pretty comfy shower. I do have electricity. And I bought a single hotplate which I may eventually replace with a gas double cook top. Right now I only have the basics.
Actually the shopping trip I took yesterday in itself was an adventure. I have two male colleagues Silas and Gordon, both very enthusiastic about my joining the team. Gordon is set to retire in August, Silas still has five years. Silas is very very worried about me. His advice just freaks me out, rather than assures me. He wants me accompanied at all times which would be rather stifling and according to everyone else entirely unnecessary.
Anyway, Gordon and Silas poor souls were given the task of taking me to kit out my house. My house has NOTHING in it. I take that back.. it has a sofa, four chairs, a massive table, some small tables/stools and a bed. Not a mattress though I discovered far to late last night.. only a bed. Oh and a water filer without the filter candles (nice one.)So Silas and Gordon stood and suggested things while I randomly chose items and then they tried to figure out why the hell I had picked that item, that brand, that whatever. And much later asked me about my selections. Example: Silas "Bea, you have three forks, but only one bowl." I wanted to give him a common sense answer but I just didn't have one. It was random. Choices were based on absolutely nothing. My mind was far too foggy. But my coworkers had a car, so I knew I had to pick and pick fast. They are very very nice.
My boss.. the coordinator Veronica (who is unfortunately retiring in April) is also very nice. She lives very close to the compound I am in. Gordon and Silas live in the hills which is even further from town, but apparently less hot. The job I have been entrusted with is pretty amazing. Logistically amazing.
Here it is in a nutshell (what I have been able to take in so far):
In late February I am to train 30 trainers of teachers or ToT's (like Gordon and Silas) in Nairobi. There will be three from each of my 10 districts. This 5 day training will be speech therapy 101. Each of these ToT's will go back to their district and in 2-3 days replicate my workshop to train 20 or so teachers. I will attend these trainings and observe and provide feedback. The potential impact on children therefore is pretty impressive.
In terms of districts let me use Kisumu as an example.. they have 60,000 primary school children, 15,000 early childhood children and 25,000 secondary schoolers. The Kisumu Educational Assessment Resource Center (EARC) works with 57 schools/units/subcenters that have children with special needs. The push in Kenya is for full inclusion, though at Joylands (School for Physical disabilities) where we are based 2 of the 11 rooms are special education only. 1 specifically for cerebral palsy.
The project I am funded under has many strands of which speech and language is only 1. There apparently is an autism therapist who has a similar job but is based at a site south east of Nairobi. The data and evaluation materials/component in place is staggering.
In addition to training teachers I will also train community based resource staff who are parents and volunteers who work in the communities. I am less clear on this portion, because the February training is taking precedent. And I must say.. I am not starting from scratch. A past VSO.. Mombasa based SLP actually did a similar training and hopefully the document is still in electronic form. By mid year the training manual a combination of my and her presentations will be submitted for publication.
So.. busy.
I am not overwhelmed. Well maybe I am. Stunned is a better word for my current state. And I don't know if I can find my house again. Silas was pointing out landmarks ("like you do for the blind" he said). Something about a transformer in the street. Hopefully I will get close enough and recognize the compound's aqua gate.
Must run. please please please write to me. hot and sticky love. b
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Helllooo. I am in Nairobi, and I find myself unexpectedly relaxed though I spent all of Monday asleep and all of last night awake. And so trying to summon up some clarity I write.. and let me start with transportation.. (look, it was either that or vegetable curry)
This place is a fray. The frequent and convenient matatus in Nairobi wait only until a portion of the last passenger’s body is in the vehicle before setting off at a hair raising pace, making the person hanging onto the vehicle swiftly tumble inwards. Similarly, to end the ride they drop you off in a manner reminiscent of those gangster movies, where they open the door and barely come to a halt before they head off again. Maybe this is why Kenyan’s say “he will pick you” and “he will drop you,” because in truth the whole experience makes you feel like you were plucked into a temporary abyss and then swiftly deposited back to earth. Today I actually saw a full matatu squeeze on 12 small school girls (in the 5 second pause they made at a corner), and suddenly a child passed over two other passengers and plopped into my lap for the duration of the trip. I was completing the journey with my language trainer and this got us debating whether we would prefer the next passenger to be carrying a fish or a chicken. I strongly voted for the fish. I preferred the idea of something slimy, wet and scaly but DEAD to something less pungent, that was scratching and pecking and clucking around a crammed van full of people.
This ride incidentally came at the end of a most enjoyable day. It was a walking tour of Nairobi because someone, somewhere, had deemed it a requirement that I visit on foot every matatu stand in the city and learn which bus was going where. This would be fine if I could remember any of the information imparted. I know Easy Coach goes to Kisumu (and usually leaves on time), and another company leaves from a nearby petrol station and goes to Kitui. But after a day of roaming and bus numbers, I can only guarantee that I would get lost if left to my own devices. In addition to finding the correct vehicle there were complex instructions about what the organization will and will not pay for. Something about reimbursement for a cab but only to go to another part of town, not actually somewhere useful like the place you intend to spend the night. Right. So while I don’t remember much of the transportation drill (it must have flown out the window with yesterday’s KiSwahili vocabulary I have been sifting my brain for), I do recall my entire afternoon session about culture.
I was given a boyfriend lecture today. Ostensibly it was a discussion on differences between Kenya and Western value systems, but really it was a briefing on just how deplorable African men are (as viewed by my trainer who is himself a Kenyan). I have come from a world of corporate diversity trainings. Where an urban hospital which has mostly white staff (not from the lack of trying to create the oft mentioned ‘melting pot’ I might add) brings in an employee who is homosexual, another whom is Latino and a third that is let’s say bi-racial. This team gathers a mid-sized group of other employees together and we take an afternoon to be guided through discussions on tolerance and our experiences and many bullshit activities that aim to make us feel greater love for one an other, or at the very least that our voices have been heard (and I can appreciate that). Now I am not saying they shouldn’t make this feeble attempt at demonstrating their openness to individual differences, I am just saying the course itself was complete crap. My trainer on the other hand had truly been charged to bring about my awareness of differences in culture and diversity and the conversation went something like this:
T: “Alright cultural differences. How about time?”
B: “I anticipate that I will do a lot of waiting, that Kenyans are more laid back about time and things will start when they start.”
T: “Why hide their slovenliness under culture. No. Let me tell you a story …
… and so you see you must start your meetings right on time and say ‘tough you were late’ Or you should start late and then end late, they will hate that, but they will learn. They will know Bea (pronounced "bear" on this one occasion) doesn’t wait. She starts on time.”
B: “huh.”
And on men:
T: “You will get twenty marriage proposals before you are done here”
B: “You know I don’t think I am in the market for a relationship these days.”
T: “Good. You tell them that, and don’t let them buy you drinks or come to your house… (followed by much lecturing about the evil perils of being alone with African men)… In fact when you have a guy friend visiting it would be best if you flaunt all social and cultural norms regarding public displays of affection so everyone in Kisumu thinks you have a man.”
B: “huh.”
Granted these may not have been his words exactly. I summarized, paraphrased even, but you get the gist. I enjoyed the discourse. I am just not sure what to make of the advice.
This place is a fray. The frequent and convenient matatus in Nairobi wait only until a portion of the last passenger’s body is in the vehicle before setting off at a hair raising pace, making the person hanging onto the vehicle swiftly tumble inwards. Similarly, to end the ride they drop you off in a manner reminiscent of those gangster movies, where they open the door and barely come to a halt before they head off again. Maybe this is why Kenyan’s say “he will pick you” and “he will drop you,” because in truth the whole experience makes you feel like you were plucked into a temporary abyss and then swiftly deposited back to earth. Today I actually saw a full matatu squeeze on 12 small school girls (in the 5 second pause they made at a corner), and suddenly a child passed over two other passengers and plopped into my lap for the duration of the trip. I was completing the journey with my language trainer and this got us debating whether we would prefer the next passenger to be carrying a fish or a chicken. I strongly voted for the fish. I preferred the idea of something slimy, wet and scaly but DEAD to something less pungent, that was scratching and pecking and clucking around a crammed van full of people.
This ride incidentally came at the end of a most enjoyable day. It was a walking tour of Nairobi because someone, somewhere, had deemed it a requirement that I visit on foot every matatu stand in the city and learn which bus was going where. This would be fine if I could remember any of the information imparted. I know Easy Coach goes to Kisumu (and usually leaves on time), and another company leaves from a nearby petrol station and goes to Kitui. But after a day of roaming and bus numbers, I can only guarantee that I would get lost if left to my own devices. In addition to finding the correct vehicle there were complex instructions about what the organization will and will not pay for. Something about reimbursement for a cab but only to go to another part of town, not actually somewhere useful like the place you intend to spend the night. Right. So while I don’t remember much of the transportation drill (it must have flown out the window with yesterday’s KiSwahili vocabulary I have been sifting my brain for), I do recall my entire afternoon session about culture.
I was given a boyfriend lecture today. Ostensibly it was a discussion on differences between Kenya and Western value systems, but really it was a briefing on just how deplorable African men are (as viewed by my trainer who is himself a Kenyan). I have come from a world of corporate diversity trainings. Where an urban hospital which has mostly white staff (not from the lack of trying to create the oft mentioned ‘melting pot’ I might add) brings in an employee who is homosexual, another whom is Latino and a third that is let’s say bi-racial. This team gathers a mid-sized group of other employees together and we take an afternoon to be guided through discussions on tolerance and our experiences and many bullshit activities that aim to make us feel greater love for one an other, or at the very least that our voices have been heard (and I can appreciate that). Now I am not saying they shouldn’t make this feeble attempt at demonstrating their openness to individual differences, I am just saying the course itself was complete crap. My trainer on the other hand had truly been charged to bring about my awareness of differences in culture and diversity and the conversation went something like this:
T: “Alright cultural differences. How about time?”
B: “I anticipate that I will do a lot of waiting, that Kenyans are more laid back about time and things will start when they start.”
T: “Why hide their slovenliness under culture. No. Let me tell you a story …
… and so you see you must start your meetings right on time and say ‘tough you were late’ Or you should start late and then end late, they will hate that, but they will learn. They will know Bea (pronounced "bear" on this one occasion) doesn’t wait. She starts on time.”
B: “huh.”
And on men:
T: “You will get twenty marriage proposals before you are done here”
B: “You know I don’t think I am in the market for a relationship these days.”
T: “Good. You tell them that, and don’t let them buy you drinks or come to your house… (followed by much lecturing about the evil perils of being alone with African men)… In fact when you have a guy friend visiting it would be best if you flaunt all social and cultural norms regarding public displays of affection so everyone in Kisumu thinks you have a man.”
B: “huh.”
Granted these may not have been his words exactly. I summarized, paraphrased even, but you get the gist. I enjoyed the discourse. I am just not sure what to make of the advice.
Friday, January 12, 2007
I have been thinking a lot lately about the words 'I love you' and how trite they sound sometimes.. how they barely describe the depth of emotion I feel towards the people to whom I direct this sentiment. The words just don't touch on the way I feel about the advice, wisdom, perspective, company and absurdity that I have received recently.. especially on days where I barely kept it, myself, the vast and endless to-do list, together. And so.. if I didn't say it very well.. or at all.. it wasn't because I didn't feel it. And as a final word on all this soppy emotion business I must say that I have the most supportive workplace that ever there was. Yay. ra.
So.. I have embarked upon my 'leave of absence' (thanks Katie). And tonight shall be a rocking good time.
Next entry from Nairobi! I am there until Thursday.
So.. I have embarked upon my 'leave of absence' (thanks Katie). And tonight shall be a rocking good time.
Next entry from Nairobi! I am there until Thursday.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Two more sleeps.. and it has been a crazy week. One in which I wasn't sure if I was leaving Saturday or not.. but I am. And even though I am very excited.. yesterday was very teary. I was leaky for most of the evening. But today I am in much more buoyant spirits.
Also I just read (one of the perils of packing) a great book (another gift I am afraid).. called "Griffin & Sabine An Extraordinary Correspondence" by Nick Bantock. Think the adults guide to "The Jolly Postman"! Well worth a look in. One of those books you just want to keep forever.
Anyway. I will be writing.. from Nairobi.. sooner than I thought possible.
Also I just read (one of the perils of packing) a great book (another gift I am afraid).. called "Griffin & Sabine An Extraordinary Correspondence" by Nick Bantock. Think the adults guide to "The Jolly Postman"! Well worth a look in. One of those books you just want to keep forever.
Anyway. I will be writing.. from Nairobi.. sooner than I thought possible.
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Happy 2007.. and here is to a great year. It is the wee hours of the morning and I have spent a good deal of time perusing the internet for my year in the stars. I was reminded of horoscopes recently and think I am going to check them out whenever it croses my mind. I like the idea. Anything to verify an auspicious occasion really. After all do you ever see readings that spell doom and gloom?
I had a fabulous New Year's Eve.. one that rendered me unconscious until 3pm today which may have been jet lag.. may have been that i didn't get home until well after 5 (and may be why I am now awake at 2am) . Jamie, Steph, Rachel (I love having a new girlie pal who lives so close by) and I had a wonderful night.. quiet imbibing, enthusiastic story telling and no outrageous behaviors/dramas to be seen. Even experienced some late night Guitar Hero which for the uninitiated is dance dance revolution rock star style.
So my departure date is now 12 days away. This week..
- I will move out of Phil's officially.. every last box.. scrap.. never to return.
- I will drop my car in Naperville.. this may be in conjunction with the birth of Jen's second baby, but we'll see.. and let me use this Naperville comment as a segway to say that after all these years dad is moving to the far west Chicago suburb.. was he just waiting for me to leave the state?
- Move the remainder of my belongings that are not going to Kenya to Bev's for safe keeping
- Get divorced??? hhm.
- Get so much work done that a L (for Leap) appears in superhero gold on my chest (inspired of course by Bill Bryson's new autobiography "The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid"which is freakin' hilarious)
- Finish reading "The 21 Balloons" by William Pene du Bois
So.. feelings about the departure.. not many yet. I'm wondering if I will cry and cry at the airport and feel sorry for whoever has to drop me off. The seems like a burdensome chore but I have a special friend in mind (isn't it terrible how those closest often get the worst jobs?). Alright must attempt sleep.. take 2. My first 90 minute jag just wasn't long enough.
Just a quickie book update.. recently abandoned "A Fortune Teller Told Me" by T. Terzani. While I liked the premise, he needed a good edit. It was so long and tedious and I was throughly sick of his soapbox by page 50. At page 30 I started pencilling bitchy comments in the margins and that is always a bad sign. The worst thing is.. I mostly agreed with him, but he wrote so pompously as if he is the only soul in the whole wide world that has considered the west's overzealous push for modernization as destructive to some cultures.
But I just finished "The Bride Stripped Bare" and I bought this intrigued that it was written anonymously. However, having made my purchase the teller informed me that it was actually widely publicized and everyone knew who the author was. Hhmpf. Well not me apparently. I didn't find it to be particularly likeable, at times I skimmed forward and I thought it was a little dark (stygian perhaps?). But it sparked an interesting idea which I think will remain with me for some time. I like the mystery to her dissapearance. I like to think she went to Spain.
This blog will return to being about Kenya.. when I get there. May sleep fall swiftly upon my head (and yours too probably if you made it through all this nonsense. ha.)
I had a fabulous New Year's Eve.. one that rendered me unconscious until 3pm today which may have been jet lag.. may have been that i didn't get home until well after 5 (and may be why I am now awake at 2am) . Jamie, Steph, Rachel (I love having a new girlie pal who lives so close by) and I had a wonderful night.. quiet imbibing, enthusiastic story telling and no outrageous behaviors/dramas to be seen. Even experienced some late night Guitar Hero which for the uninitiated is dance dance revolution rock star style.
So my departure date is now 12 days away. This week..
- I will move out of Phil's officially.. every last box.. scrap.. never to return.
- I will drop my car in Naperville.. this may be in conjunction with the birth of Jen's second baby, but we'll see.. and let me use this Naperville comment as a segway to say that after all these years dad is moving to the far west Chicago suburb.. was he just waiting for me to leave the state?
- Move the remainder of my belongings that are not going to Kenya to Bev's for safe keeping
- Get divorced??? hhm.
- Get so much work done that a L (for Leap) appears in superhero gold on my chest (inspired of course by Bill Bryson's new autobiography "The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid"which is freakin' hilarious)
- Finish reading "The 21 Balloons" by William Pene du Bois
So.. feelings about the departure.. not many yet. I'm wondering if I will cry and cry at the airport and feel sorry for whoever has to drop me off. The seems like a burdensome chore but I have a special friend in mind (isn't it terrible how those closest often get the worst jobs?). Alright must attempt sleep.. take 2. My first 90 minute jag just wasn't long enough.
Just a quickie book update.. recently abandoned "A Fortune Teller Told Me" by T. Terzani. While I liked the premise, he needed a good edit. It was so long and tedious and I was throughly sick of his soapbox by page 50. At page 30 I started pencilling bitchy comments in the margins and that is always a bad sign. The worst thing is.. I mostly agreed with him, but he wrote so pompously as if he is the only soul in the whole wide world that has considered the west's overzealous push for modernization as destructive to some cultures.
But I just finished "The Bride Stripped Bare" and I bought this intrigued that it was written anonymously. However, having made my purchase the teller informed me that it was actually widely publicized and everyone knew who the author was. Hhmpf. Well not me apparently. I didn't find it to be particularly likeable, at times I skimmed forward and I thought it was a little dark (stygian perhaps?). But it sparked an interesting idea which I think will remain with me for some time. I like the mystery to her dissapearance. I like to think she went to Spain.
This blog will return to being about Kenya.. when I get there. May sleep fall swiftly upon my head (and yours too probably if you made it through all this nonsense. ha.)
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