Karibu Kenya!

Index:
# of times per day I take a tea break: 2
# of shots I've gotten so far: 4
# of people who fit into a Toyota on my way to my host family's house: 15 plus about 250lbs of luggage on top
# of chickens in my host mother has: 17
# of times I've watched WWF Raw with John Cena while in Kenya: 1


Karibu Kenya! I've been here for about a week and a half. I'm living with a host family consisting of a mother, father, 2 sisters, 2 brothers and 2 cousins. Everyday I have training from about 8am-5pm; with 2-4 hours of swahili lessons and other technical sessions related to our job. I have a curfew of 6:30pm, so after class there really isn't much to do and town is a bit of a walk so I usually just go home and study after class.

I went to live with my host family on Sunday June 12th and was transported in a Toyota carrying 15 passengers. No joke. This was a Toyota with a front seat, middle seat and back bench. It was quite the sight to have that many people squeezed into a small SUV. I need to get used to that transportation style as I started to get a leg cramp from being contorted and thankfully I reached my host family before it got too bad.

I read a quote the other day in my cultural workbook "A thing is mysterious merely because it is unknown." I can now say that a choo is no longer mysterious to me. If you don't know what a choo is, I suggest that you google it and become enlightened on something that I will be using for the next two years! Hint: it's a bathroom "facility".

I've gotten about 4 shots so far and will continue to get shots for the next couple of weeks. I've made out pretty well in this area as I've already had all of my Hep A and B series a few years ago.

I can thank the Brits for my twice daily tea breaks, and I come to expect them daily. Kenyans drink chai multiple times per day and I have grown to love it. I liked chai in the States, but the Kenyan chai is a little different (mostly hot milk with a side of chai flavor).

My host mother has chickens and I got the privilege of killing one and making a delicious chicken and rice soup for my host family on Saturday. It went well except they have really dull knives here so I felt that was a little cruel. I learned how to butcher it from my host mother so that I can do it by myself when I get to site. It wasn't too hard, I just need to use a sharp knife!

Finally, yes, I watched WWF Raw in Kenya. I think it's hilarious the tv shows that make it abroad. I normally would never watch wrestling, but I soak up anything American at this point.

Contact info here:
My Name, PCT
c/o Peace Corps
Po Box 698-00621
Nairobi, Kenya

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO MAIL ME AMERICAN FOOD: particularly kraft velveeta mac & cheese... they don't have cheese here :( also candy, laughing cow cheese or the garlic herb triangle wedges- they don't have to be refridgerated, crystal light mixes, pens etc. It's all awesome. My first 3 months in country I can get packages duty free (i.e. I don't have to pay to receive them!) so that is the best time for me to get stuff cheaply.

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CALL ME: to dial my phone from the US dial "+ 254 704 596 566" just please remember that Kenya is 7 hours ahead (so basically the best time to reach me is between 10am-2:30pm EST in the States). Text messages are also pretty cheap, I think like 10 cents per msg to me if you have AT&T- but double check with your carrier. Incoming calls are free for me to receive, so call away :)

Hope you are all doing well :)
~Kelly