A cheetah bit my butt!

On recess duty today I saw a lone third grader sitting on a bench, so I went to see how she was doing. When I asked her if she was sad, her response was, "I'm not sad. I got bit by a cheetah, so my leg hurts." She went on to tell me how she was petting a caged cheetah this weekend at a park, and it attacked her. Our conversation was several minutes long about her trip to the hospital and stitches, but my favorite part was when she got a smile on her face and said, "It hurts to sit down because the cheetah bit my butt." The smile, the sentence, the cute French accent... Gotta love teaching in Africa.

Bowling Night

A bit of the day-in and day-out kind of stuff...

The city of Nairobi doesn't have a whole lot to offer in terms of entertainment after a year of the same restaurants. And you can only go to the movies so many times in a month, since the selection is not that great. So we decided to mix it up a little with a night of bowling on Thursday. Just a low-key night out with friends, and I was thinking of my blog fans when I took my camera...

Will and me between rounds.

Friends Adrian (Will's housemate) and Kami (my dearest girlfriend in Kenya).

Will chillin' while Carmen (another housemate of Will's) bowls for a strike.

Kami and me - BFF! :)

It was a great night out with good friends. Next time I blog about bowling, it will be to say I scored over 100! Here's hoping...!

Real Life

After living in Kenya for over a year, the novelty has worn off. Driving in chaotic traffic, passing donkey pulled carts on the street, and unlimited access to mangoes and avocados has become a normal part of every day life. A trip to the coast is still exciting, but nothing new to blog about. Safari pictures of elephants, lions, and cheetahs have been posted time and time again. The things that were blog-worthy have already been written about, so my blog is slowly losing its appeal. What is new about my view of Africa? It seems like everything here is just normal, filled with the day-to-day to-do list like everyone else: work, friends, family, grocery shopping, and the occasional dinner out on the town.

It's amazing how quickly a foreign place becomes familiar. I feel I've been reaching to find something new to write about and find nothing to grasp. Yet so much in my life has changed this year... I'm getting married. I'm changing jobs. I'm dealing with the joys and the stresses that comes with major life changes. To be honest, I haven't wanted to write about the real-life part of living in Africa, the part that isn't much different from living in America, the part that is very personal.

My view of Africa these days... It's real life like anywhere else.

The Heavens Opened...

Last night it began raining in Nairobi, and it didn't stop. We got a whole day of rain! Good rain. The kind that pours off the edges of the roof outside and leaks through the ceiling of Will's house. The kind that forms puddles that don't dry up right away. It was a good day in Nairobi. A wet day, bringing hope that maybe Kenya won't be in drought forever.

Lunch, Blood, and Flying Kites

It was a regular day at school, as I walked to get my lunch. As usual, I stood in line with the kids to get my deli sandwich overflowing with veggies. The lunch lady, who has my order memorized by now, put a plate on top of my lunch and handed it to me. She always gives me two plates, so I can cover my lunch with one to protect it from the kites (one of the many types of birds that hang around Rosslyn campus). On many occasions these pesky birds have been known to swoop down and take apples, sandwiches, and any other food they can grab right out of a child's hand. This particular day, I was the victim. While walking from the lunch line to the teacher's lounge, a kite swooped down out of nowhere and tried to get my plate-covered lunch! Luckily, my lunch was protected and spared from the kite's talons. But my hand was not! A little blood and a pounding heart were the only results, however. I guess living in Africa has to entail a little danger now and then.