Update! Internet success..here’s yesterdays stories...So I
still have no internet (despite paying for the expensive modem and trying to
get it fixed twice), kind of annoying..but they say it should be working on
Monday so fingers crossed! Hence the reason why there are multiple blogs J. So we drove to Mutmbu from Kisumu a
few days ago...surrounded by shopping and our bags. The countryside is
amazing...it’s lusciously green with trees and rocky mountains rolling
alongside the road. There are little villages scattered alongside the roads and
as far as you can see people have hoed their bright red earth because it is
just coming into planting season. The houses are mostly clay-brick, covered
with mud and with either hay or iron rooves. They’re so cute, and surprisingly
cool in the heat of the day!
We live in a compound called with ‘White House’...not because
white people live there, but because it used to be painted white. It should now
be called the Red House..as it is now bright red and advertising some phone
company or something..all the buildings along the highway are brightly painted
for advertising. I will admit, there was a slight shock when I first arrived.
The ground is covered in huge stones, long grass and an assortment of
everything else you could think of. There are 12 rooms in total, which all face
inwards and make like a courtyard in the middle, which people do their washing
and stuff. There is only one entry/exit point. My room has a concrete floor and
an adjoining what would-have-been bathroom, if they had of finished it..now its
just a dirty area with a plug hole and a covered pipe for a toilet. Veronika
(the other volunteer I started with) loves cleaning, so we scrubbed our walls
(see photo of bucked afterwards..when they finally go up). Not the most homely
of rooms, but after I put my million photos up it will be fine.
I feel like I’m on a rollercoaster of emotions here...most of
the time I’m super happy and really calm, which is awesome..but occasionally I
get this massive rush of missing home and everyone and feel really down..although
don’t worry..this doesn’t last too long! For example..after cleaning my room I
was sitting on my bed and mum called through...I just burst into tears and
started howling lol...not that I was sad I suppose it was just a release (sorry
mum!). Just as I hung up the phone, this gorgeous little Kenya boy (whom I’d
never seen before) ran in and gave me a huge hug...I picked him and we played
for about 15 minutes with his mum. I think he thought I was a previous
volunteer...all us whites look the same apparently ;) poor little thing haha.
Anyway roll reversal when I put him down he chucked a spaz attack and HE
started crying..funny.
Anyway now my room has been ‘Lucy’d’...all my clothes are in
the dresser (which is missing a door), I have about 30 photos and all my cards
on the wall, as well as an Aussie flag with a boxing kangaroo on my wall (I
stole that from a room where a previous volunteer had been staying), my new
mosquito net is up and my teddy is on my bed. I actually already love my room!
I also bought some Kenyan printed material I will put up as curtains today as
mine are shizen and have a huge bug home attached to them lol.
This is a random collection of things and a bit
jumbled...sorry! Yesterday after doing my room, we went down to the Sidini
markets. This meant we had to get a Matatu (like a maxi taxi in Melbourne) –
they are used for public transport here along the main highway from Kisumu all
the way through to Uganda (about 100 km from where I am). Matatus are licensed
to carry 12 people (maybe less). On reaching Sadini yesterday we had 18 people
in our Matatu and I had a little boy on my lap to make more room. On the way
home we had 20. The drivers are also fairly crazy. Up side - super cheap!
Sidini is about 10km away and its costs about 30cents to get there J. Sidini markets were cool, they were
just a whole lot of stalls (peices of wood awkwardly strapped together) with
random assortments of things for sale (soap, vegetables, huge knifes, plows,
material, soda, etc). We had a soda (returned our bottle..who knows why?) and bought
a few things. I got some pegs, nails, tomatoes and material for my curtains.
Wow I
have written a lot...English teachers be proud (ignore the grammer). What
else...the village we are in is so cool. Surrounding us are small groups of the
mud-houses I wrote about. I know lots of people already who live there, and all
their kids. There are SO SO many kids, ranging from all ages. The youngest is a
little boy, 10 months old, oh he is so gorgeous and can always be found on the
back of his mum or sister or some random person around (including us in our
kitchen). They are very very friendly...”Lucy! I see you! Lucy! Can I have
colour (chalk)? Lucy! I come to the market with you”. They also attach
themselves to you, I get lots of cuddles and lots of high-fives. They all
appear to be quite well-fed (not too skinny), but they are quite dirty and some
of their clothes are very old and holey. But none of this bothers them, they go
on running around happy as larry all day long.
Some
final things from my first few days (dot points are required as I have crapped
on for wayyy too long!):
- I can totally cook (I have made bean scones and a
tomato/bean sauce with pasta..both surprisingly nice seeing through in Melbs I
despised beans!)..yes I am a vego now btw.
- The roads here are shizen..there may as well not be a
road..the huge pot holes spread across the entire road so you end up on the
opposite side of road (with other vehicles now on your actual side of the
road).
- Food is super cheap..veges..so cheap!
- Mobile coverage is amazing!!! It’s literally everywhere.
Here’s my Kenyan number 0708 299 561 for anyone wanting to contact me.
- Going to my school tomorrow..very excted!
- I currently have two kids in my room at the doorway
staring at me “Hello Lucy..can I take this to read (my paper). Who knows how
many words he will actually be able to read!
Sorry for the super long blog! Miss you all, Lucy xxx.
