Those dancing days

It took one and a half month but I've finally been out dancing in Kenya. I had fun. A lot of fun! Since we're living 30 min outside the town and about 1 km walk from the main road we decided to stay at a hotel in the center. We were picked up by some friends we've gotten to know and the sight was hilarious. Imagen a pimped van with two big wannabe gangsta Indier sitting in the front! While driving, they had two mini tv's showing hip hop music videos. I don't even have to tell you about the base system making the whole car vibrate. Haha It was like a caricatyr :D

Anyways, we went to a place called The Summit, an outdorr club next to the national park. It was a fun night and I danced like crazy! The music varied, I think they covered every music style from 60's til now. The atmosphere was friendly and most of the gyus were like gentlemens. Not sleezy at all. However, when some gyus were too "on" our gangsta indier rescued us. He was more like a teddy bear than a gangsta. Asking if we were ok the entire evening! (Madde and Lala: he reminded me of Dippo :D or more like how Dippo wanted to be like haha)

The women were nice too! Teaching us how to dance and move. Not at all like in Sweden where the gyus are too drunk and the women looks at you with anger. And yes, the gyus can move those hips!

I'm going to Nairobi on friday, and we'll might hit the dance floor there too. I'm also going to hook up with Gabriella and visit a Norwegian NGO working in the Kibera slum.

I'm trying to upload pics on FB so stay tuned. Caroline have uploaded some pics on her blogg. Drop by and have a look: www.backpacking.se/calin

Things I like about Kenya

• The people! They are friendly, helpfull and talkative.
• The relaxed attitude towards time! Love it. No one is stressed for being five minutes (or even one hour) late.
• The never ending greetings! Not just amongst the neighbours, we shake hands with the kids several times per day.
  
• The agricultural closeness. One day I'm in the shamba digging, the other day the goat have popped out a baby goat :)
• The political awareness that imbues the society. It makes discussions interesting and you get different opinions and views depending on who you talk to.
• The weather! Even though it's the long rain season its between 20-30 degrees. Love it :D
• The amount of organisations (NGO's and CBO's) trying to make a difference.
• The Swahili language. Haven't learned as much as I'd like but I'm getting there.
  

Catching up

• Last week I visited a rehabilitation centre for street kids run by a Swedish Evangelican Lutheran church. On sundays street kids can come to their church for a meal and to wash their clothes. The ones who shows up regularly and shows an interest in changing their lives are taken to Bethesta outside Nakuru. There are 9 boys staying at the centre at the moment. Watching them doing acrobatics and later playing fotball with them, it is difficult to connect them with the boys you see in town with the glue bottle stuck up their nose. The vision at Bethesta is to keep it small in order to have a family feeling and also to prevent elder boys affecting the younger to run back to the streets. They go to school and sleep at Bethesta and will, if possible, be brought back to their families when ready. In comparision to phyllis where there are more than 100 children we got a good connection quite fast with the boys. After a couple of hours playing and making necklaces some boys held my hand asking if I could come back tomorrow. My heart melted.. They just want to be loved and be able to be kids like anyone else. However, the amount of scars and burnmarks on their arms, legs and heads reveals their violent history.

• The elder boys at Phyllis who go to boarding school have had their spring break. Two weeks ago they were going back to school. They were the one I had gotten to know best at the time so it was really sad waving them off. They were all dressed up in shirts and ties and I felt like a proud mum putting them on the bus..

• The same day as above another boy came back from visiting his family. He is 19 and is supposed to be in secondary school. One evening when I skipped supper he came down wondering if I was ok (alone time doesn't exist in Kenya). We sat and talked for a long time and he told me his life story. He was brought up in a violent household, with an abusive father. He left home and lived on the streets for 7 years.. Later he was taken in by Bethesta but ran away a couple of times (it was difficult to adjust). Since it was no option returning to his family he moved to Phyllis. He's the eldest here and is now catching up in school. He is a very charming, sympathic boy who has been through a lot. After his older brother and his father died he now feels the responsibility to provide for his mum and siblings. During the postelection violence his family's house was burned down too..
  

It's my birthday, I'm gonna party like it's my birth day

I woke up with the dream fresh in my head. In the dream I was pregnant... Hm, I hope the symbolic meaning was about my birthday and not about me having babies cuz in the dream I had no idea who the father was!

My roomies and fellow volunteers gave me presents and a candle to blow. Got two bottles of Fanta and two earrings! :) The rest of the day was spent in town, ate a good lunch and then picked up the cake I had order the day before. Pack to Phyllis, putting all the 29 candles in the cake (damn, it was many candles!) The evening consisted of eating a very sweet cake, singing and chatting. A perfect relaxed b-day!

Long time..

Ojojoj, time flies when in Kenya. Been of the blogging for a while. Much has happened.. A minor update follows:

• During the day its cloudy but warm and the long rains has really kicked in now in the afternoons. Good for the plants!
• We've made a bunch of new friends. Some sellers at the market. Very soft guys who are gonna take us out clubbing for the first time since we arrived. And yes I will try an African beer :D
• Another guy is the salesmen of a bakery where they sell the best samosas in town. Mmm spicy like I prefer! Every time we're there he points out that he is single and 29 years old haha.
• Sry, I know u want to see pics but it have to wait until I'm back in Nairobi. Takes forever to upload them here.
• We're gonna start Swedish lessons on weekends for the elder kids.
• I have to welcome Gabriella who has arrived in Kenya! Karibu rafiki!
• When it rains a lot some special kind of termites gets wings for a day. The children went crazy and started to catch them. Apparently they taste delicious. They hold on to the wings and eat the body. Of course I had to try.. but not until they were fried without the wings and with salt! It was quite good actually :)
• We are regulars at a coffee place in town called Cafe Guava. When we're tired of ugali and home cocked noodles we go there and eat wonderful food like chicken wrap, omelets and drink freshly made fruit juices.
  
• I'm off the coffee.. And I drink my tea without milk now. Big changes I'll tell you haha!
• Last week there was an athletic competition between primary schools in the neighbourhood. It was supposed to start at nine but it started when all the schools had arrived. Then around twelve the teachers had a meeting deciding the time table for all the events and who should be in charge of what.. it is interesting to observe the organization. The finest school (kabarak) had the highest saying in all the matters. Further, the field was a grass field and no times was taken. And damn when the guys ran 400 m.. it was fast I'll tell you!
• Best pick-up line so far: "You and me can make an Obama!"
• I can recommend a very good book which offers a general overview of the African history during the postwar era. "The State of Africa" written by Martin Meredith.
  
• I printed my very first business cards! I've attended some workshops and visited organizations and everyone throws business cards at you. Now I can do the same :) It cost only 140 skr for 200.
• Lala: guess what table and sweets are called in Swahili? Meza and peremende! Ah ah see the connection! ;)