 Serena's future "precious" Swahili word of the week: karibou. Karibou means "welcome" in Swahili, but every time I hear the word, I think of this. It's official, culture shock and homesickness have set-in. This week I needed to get out of the hotel, have a salad, get a car, and take a long drive down the Pacific Coast Highway- and then everything would be okay. I am an independent take-action American women, and although the staff at Dewchurch Hotel are awesome, and have my best interest at heart, I really need my freedom. To continue, please click "Read More" on the right for the rest of the blog and photos Yesterday I moved out of the hotel and into a 1-bedroom furnished apartment. The apartment is just a few doors down from work and is in a family-friendly and safe section of town called MiliMani. The apartment is on the 3rd floor, has a fantastic view of Kisumu, Lake Victoria, a nearby slum, and gets a nice breeze in the afternoon. What's even better, is the apartment is about half the price of the hotel, freeing up part of my budget to explore more of Kenya. Furthermore, I don't need to worry about the hotel staff hitting on me anymore. My new neighbors and the guards are very friendly. The courtyard is filled with the sounds of children playing in the afternoon, and last night the night-guard took me to the fish market. Unfortunately, by the time we arrived, the fisherman had sold all of the tilapia. Next time. I am beginning to feel more comfortable with the public transportation in Kenya. Kenya has 5 modes of city transportation: foot, bicycle, motorcycle, tuk-tuk and taxi. I am happy to say I have now done them all, and am beginning to find out the real prices for a ride, not the mzungu (white person) prices. I have also discovered that the local supermarket, Nakumatt, sells bikes. The bikes are gorgeous, in black and chrome, with big headlamps, a side-mirror, fat sturdy wheels, and for only $75. I want one badly, but am going back and forth. When I told my supervisor Gabriel about wanting a bike last week, he was automatically against it. In the beginning of the conversation he said that riding a bike is dangerous, and that the motorcycles, tuk-tuks and cars will run me off the road. When I explained I wanted it to explore, to visit the lake and the wonders of Kisumu, away from city traffic, he divulged the real reason: In Kenya, people that are in positions of power, that have fancy job titles and money, ride in cars with a driver. People that are poor, have no education or status, ride bikes. He doesn't think it is a good idea for an OGRA mzungu to ride a bike, and that I should be driven in a car. I'm not sold yet, I think I will simply be seen as a crazy mzungu riding a bike. Unfortunately, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), and the nurse that gave me all of the immunization shots before I came to Kenya, I cannot eat a green salad while in Kenya. Well, I can eat a green salad in Kenya, if I want to visit the hospital again, or if I'm able to find a product I'll mention in a few minutes. My body has not developed the antibodies to combat the bacteria found in plants that grow low to the ground in Kenya, like lettuce, carrots, tomatoes and onions, unless they are cooked to mush. Luckily, I have researched an alternative, there is a product called Milton that is supposed to make fresh veggies safe. I am now on the hunt to find this product! It will be a glorious day! I am now in the process of finding friends in Kisumu, more specifically, mzungu friends. I interact with a lot of Kenyans during work and at home, but it would be nice and relaxing to find people that understand my accent, food cravings, and can give me insight into Kenyan culture. I have a list of restaurants and hotels that I'm going to visit over the next two weeks. I'll keep you posted! Until next week! P.S. I have began posting pictures from my travels in the Photos section and have begun to fill the Projects section of this website. P.P.S. Thanks for reading! |  Nairobi Highway  Dr. Mike Marks and Serena after a swim at Le Savannah Resort  My Dewchurch Hotel Key. (click the picture) This Heart song played in my head every time I unlocked my hotel door.  Another gorgeous Kenyan sunset  Serena's new apartment  Apartment entrance. Note the hand-washing basin in the living room/dining room.  The bathroom and clothes washing room. You have to switch a button to turn on the hot water. Water is collected in rain-barrels, located on the roof.  A new towel, that the salesman said was made in Kenya.  The kitchen. The stove is powered by both gas and electricity (there is a gas container you have to periodically fill.)  The view from the kitchen. The "decorative" bars cover every window in the apartment.  Serena's bedroom, with a mosquito net covering the bed.  Sunset, from Serena's apartment |
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