Nango!...Hello in Luo =D

Ahh, spent my first day here discovering the town of Oyugis! Started the day off with a HUGE breakfast! Jen and Amanda were not kidding when they told me the portions here are massive! After chilling in their rooms for a bit we headed out on a bit of the town’s sightseeing. Well sightseeing for me really as they have already been here for two weeks. First stop was to see Francis at the Rachuonyo District Hospital where we will be working to fulfill some of our tasks for the internship. After that took the coolest mode of transportation ever to the kitchen! I took a Boda Boda, which are the bicycle taxis here. I was terrified for the first bit while because the roads were so bumpy but soon relaxed after I was able to confirm that the ride was not going to end with me lying in a ditch somewhere along the path=D. Suffice it to say, I can’t wait to take it again! After the Bodas Bodas dropped off at the kitchen Jen and Amanda showed me where the Kitchen is, could not go inside as our Coordinator who has the site’s key was out of town.

Next stop was the marketplace. This place is definitely the heart of the city. There are so many vendors selling all sorts of goods! A shopaholic like me can spend days here and not get bored! I will be able to spend more time here today as Jen and Amanda want to get some dresses made. Also need to pick up some daily essentials like water and of course, hot sauce =D(can’t eat meals without adding a flavourful & spicy kick to it!). The grocery store I purchased the things from yesterday was so high-tech! The register had a computer, a scanner and a receipt printing machine. Def not what I was expecting but a pleasant surprise nonetheless.

After that we stopped at the internet cafe where I got a taste of the speed of the internet here. But it was access to internet nonetheless! Will be going back today. Later on in the day, the three of us headed to the field to play football with the kids here. They are absolutely crazy about this sport. I of course watched from the sidelines cheering the teams on. I did the teams a favour by not playing since my clumsiness is a factor that needs to be considered especially when playing sports. I did get hit with the ball though, but I just attributed that to the “Murphy’s Law” striking. We are going to go back and play with the kids again; I might even join this time. Can’t wait! I have made so many friends here already! The kids here are so respectful, intelligent and fun to be around. I shall take more pics and post them up soon.

The weather here is gorgeous! The skies are so clear and the sunsets are absolutely breathtaking. Also the streets here are so vibrant with the different species that are frequent residents such as cows, chickens, roosters (I swear I am going to eat them soon as they keep waking me up in the morning, I wish they had a Snooze button to them!), goats and the usual array of bugs. I feel like I am going to go the route that of a vegetarian as it is just weird thinking that some random and innocent animal I see on the streets might just end up on my plate. Their unfortunate demise just becomes way too real for me when put into perspective like that =/.The food here however has been really delicious so far! My favourite are the freshly made chapattis, I can’t wait to try it with peanut butter and jelly, thus making my own Kenyan version of PBJ!

I am also learning the Luo, the language spoken here. So much for learning the few Swahili words before getting here. The locals here find us really amusing when we speak Luo. Even saying a simple thank you will cause them to erupt into a fit of giggles! My Luo has improved a lot even though the kids find my accent hilarious and don’t hesitate to correct me. Although it has gotten confusing cause I now have like 10 kids teaching me what sounds like a different pronunciation of the same word =/.

The goal is to considerably improve my Luo by the time of my next post, I shall even post some words and phrases that I will have learned by then!

Well, I am out now to experience a new day that brings with it a new set of adventures!

Oriti! (Thats in Luo for goodbye =) )

:o) Rani