First few days

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.