Yellow House

Monday 12th February, 2007

My cousin emailed to say that my last entry was a bit Bridget Jonesesque. Well fine. I confess I do stand on the scales everyday. But I drink less than her and definitely date less than her. My romances are pretty much limited to texts and short conversations. But the weight thing.. I actually eat a better and more varied diet than ever before, I just eat less. Typically I have a snack in the morning and a big feed mid afternoon and that is it. Today for example I had a juice when I arrived at work, a yoghurt and 2 muffins while waiting for the customs guy at the post office. A mango when I got home and now 5pm I am about to eat several roma tomatoes, one zucchini and one small onion, peeled, diced and sautéed over 3 handfuls of bow-tie pasta. Far too much information. No one cares, but my dietician sister might. Anyway. My houseguests were making fun of me that I lacked a fan and some other seemingly basic necessities yet I had purchased a scale. I should have charged them rent.

So anyway back to Bridget.. Sunday really was just one of those days. When I got to the pool in my very small badly selected bathing costume, I found it to be throbbing with only men and children. I had approximately 20 cm2 of material covering my flesh. Anyway. When two British girls arrived in considerably more modest suits, I jumped in with them until my vegetable curry and beers arrived which was the whole impetus for my being there. I then went and changed in the hotel lobby bathroom simultaneously loading my purse with free condoms for no particularly good reason other than they were free. Sure enough, I go to get on the back of the boda boda and they fly out of my bag. I felt like I was about 15. The boda boda driver didn’t make any comment other than to say “pole” (sorry) and waited until we got into town to ask for my number. Super.

The main issue i have with the above scenario is there are a lot of people that make it their business to know about me and word gets around. For example, my landlord who lives in South Nyanza informed me yesterday that I had I had friends in town. But I think it’s the Kenyan way. If it’s my business it is their business. There is no separation between the two.

My coordinator asked me if I wanted to know what everyone in the neighborhood said about me. She lives there too and my housekeeper is quite tight with her sister I think. So I said yes. Who wouldn’t? But it was dissapointing. “They think” says Veronica “that one. You are very beautiful. Very very beautiful” (keep in mind most people think Claire and I are the same person. I might also be the same person as another white girl that works at Joylands, and apparently another called Lucy. Furthermore she is particularly stuck on the idea of my beauty because the deaf kids gave me a name sign which translates to ‘beautiful white person’). “Two, you are very very smart and three you are very well dressed” (it’s my parade of skirts). Clearly I need to be doing something more exciting if that’s all they could come up with.

There is a on old guy in the neighborhood, I think he mends shoes, who says daily “How are you my daughter, I love you like fish love water” while everyone else on the street cracks up. Who wouldn’t want to live in Kenya?

I am traveling the next couple of weeks anyway so maybe that will add some intrigue to the situation. My housekeeper is going to stay in my house when I am away and I must say it’s a pretty sweet deal for her, because she currently shares a room the size of my hallway with a bunch of family and if my schedule pans out the way it looks like it will, she will be living here every second month.

So.. I do have more serious issues on my mind, like why no one around here seems to give a shit about malaria and all the NGO’s are working only with HIV. I know there must be a sensible answer to this question but I haven’t found it yet. Every second person is falling down with malaria and yet no one is on prophalactics or sleeps under mosquito nets as far as I can tell. More on this later. I had a rather unimpressive visit to AMREF, but I am going to pose my questions to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) who are also apparently focused on community based HIV education. I realize that it is a needy area but honestly.

I am headed to Vihigia tomorrow. I am to meet the coordinator who apparently everyone knows embezzles all the money and his staff who do a good job in spite of it all. Wednesday I will accompany Martin in Mumias to his community play group. Thursday is a community assessment day and Friday.. well that all depends on several factors none of which I will bore you with.

I have new music today. Two separate packages came containing several CD’s. Something else also came but the head teacher couldn’t locate it. I am so excited and thrilled by what I did receive. Speaking of good things I have also decided to start saying good night prayers (inspired by Angie Brickner).. actually Deepak Chopra’s heart meditation considers it taking stock of blessings, but I digress. The primary reason for the change is sleep. It puts me straight to sleep. Hallelujah.