So this is life

I've been super busy so sorry it's been awhile. I have a lot to catch you up on!

Two weekends ago we took a little adventure to a well-known river: The Nile! There were 13 of us, so we filled up a matatu which was good for organizing. We took a matatu up to the border at Busia and crossed into Uganda. No crazy border drama like Tanzania- just a $50 visa and a long line. From there we walked through the border town to the stage and grabbed another matat. We were going to Jinja and our camp was just outside of town. So of course we didn't really know where we were going-like most of our trips :) We had the driver take us to Jinja, but once we crossed the border I lost cell phone contact and I was the one who set everything up and was communicating with the camp and the contact, Nash. Ha well, we got into Jinja but our driver didnt know where the camp was when we told him the name of it. All of a sudden Janel's phone rings, and the guy asks for me! and its Nash- how did he get Janel's number?! we have no idea. But this is fantastic, Nash now talks to our driver and directs us to the camp.

We got to camp late, but the place was beautiful. It was up on a bluff overlooking the Nile. with a wonderful porch that they also call "the porch". Early in the morning we got up for breakfast, and coffee thank god, and got all geared up and on the bus to head for our launching spot. The rafts hold 7 people plus the guide. We only had 6 so we had strangers keep hopping in, a Finnish woman, a guy from California, and they were great to talk to. Our guide, Jeffry, was awesome! So entertaining and knew the boys liked to flip so we did that a few times (SCARY!). We made it safely down all the rapids, only flipping a few times, with the best lunch ever-Ugandan pineapple- and it was a fantastic day. That night we had a few Nile Specials (local brew, that I once called the Nile Perch- nice huh?), and hung out on the porch. We have a video of rafting circulating somewhere so I'll do my best to get a copy.

One of the most frustrating parts was trying to get a matatu back to the border. We had to bargain down our mzungu price- of course just to get to Jinja. In Jinja we found another matatu, and agreed on a price with the driver and conducter. But there were like 5 guys standing there and they started arguing over our money. So were sitting in the matat, it is so hot, the men are yelling at eachother and we have to get back because some of had to catch a bus. So we drive away, but this guy follows us and when we stop on the side of the road he runs over to the matat and starts yelling at the conductor. we think they were fighting over how to split up the fare-or commision for finding us or something. But the guy jumps on the matat and refuses to get off until the conductor gives him 1,000Ush, which is like $0.40. He is screaming at the man, and another man comes over and is yelling at our driver and this goes on for a good 10 minutes. So a few of us start yelling at them, because we need to go go go! It was quite intense, but finally the conductor gave the guy the money and we were able to leave. I tell you, public transportation is quite different here. ahaha ok.

Last week was so busy- we're trying to get a newsletter published and it is a lot of coordinating, students are taking exams all day every day for two weeks, and they don't have a lot of time to do anything but study. It's coming along, the kids will show up at my desk with articles they want me to read. They are great creative writers and starting to get the hang of reporting.

On Wednesday I stayed late after school because it was pouring. So I was talking to one of my journalism students, and we were just talking about things-music, tv, etc and then we started talking about voting. And he told me he will never vote. And I used that "Oh, you have to vote, your vote counts" line blah blah because it surprised me. And as we kept talking about it he asked me if I had ever seen a chicken killed- how they ring its neck. He was telling me he'll never vote here, because sometimes when you vote here, you get killed. Just like that. And his mom died from AIDS and his dad has it too, and he came to Kisumu on his own during the post election violence- because his tribe was being persecuted in Nairobi. And he is 18.

Then I was talking to another teacher about Kenya and the U.S. He just kept saying that hopefully one day the country will figure it out, and corruption will end- but its so deeply rooted he doesn't know how or when. He's just a guy trying to do his job, doens't get paid on a regular basis, but is in the classroom everyday. And I just had this overwhelming 'its not fair' feeling come over me that hasn't left yet.

Then I walked home in the rain and when I got to my fence gate it was locked so I had to wait until someone saw me. It was pouring, and across the dirt road there was a flock of sheep waiting at their respective gate as well. And there I was, standing in the rain, just like the sheep, waiting for my gate to be opened.


On Friday I went to Ring Road Primary/Secondary in the afternoon with all of our primary kids to play soccer. On the way there one of my flip-flops broke, and of course it was like the muddiest day and the muddiest field. As soon as I stopped, ALL the kids (probably 40) turned around, and at least 10 of them offered me their shoes, from their little primary feet. I declined and walked barefoot for a bit until one girl insisted and I gladly accepted her offer of a tire sandal (great reuse of materials ey?). Her name was Gloria, and we walked together the rest of the way, she is in Class 6. The last obstacle to the field was a little stream that you have to leap over. Of course all the kids are watching me, and a couple of them who didn't make it are soaking wet. I've got two different shoes on, a purse, and am wearing a skirt, so I take a running start and land my footing on the otherside. BARELY. but they all cheered for me, and then Gloria asked me if I did ballet, because I guess it was a really big leap haha. I watched the games- our girls lost, and so did our boys, they were much smaller than the Ring Road kids. During the games the kids took my broken shoes and sewed them back together by hand. Then Gloria walked me through the slums to find a piki piki to town and helped me negotiate the mzungu price down :) It was a great afternoon.

This past weekend I went to Mfangano Island in Lake Victoria- it was amazing, beautiful, and I have a million things to say about it so I'll write on it later. But it was an amazing weekend with great people and my roller coaster week definitely ended on a high. I know I will go back to visit Mfangano at some point in life-

Thanks for reading!