The Cinema

I went to the movies on Monday night with new friends. Many of the latest movies are playing - the new Batman, Hancock, etc. For 380 shillings (about $6) you can get a movie ticket, popcorn, hotdog, and a pop on "Monday Mania" nights. So we went.

Things that are the same as America:
* Previews
* Ticket guy who takes your ticket and tells you which theater to go to
* Screen
* Seats

Things that are different from America:
* Non-censored previews (some not family friendly)
* The Kenyan national anthem before the movie plays, which you must stand up to or they'll kick you out
* Sound going from high to low to painful
* Assigned seats
* Reasonable price

The Kenyan cinema isn't as fancy as those in the States, but I would say that it beats the Orca Theater in Soldotna, Alaska (not by much, however).

Food

After being here for one week I finally ate my first Kenyan meal today. We drove to a small hole in the wall that you would not know was a restaurant if passing by - small shack with tin roof and make-shift walls. The meal consisted of many dishes on one big plate - too much for one person to eat. The picture here does not show all the things I ate. I cannot tell you the names of the dishes, that has yet to be learned, but it was full of starchy and protein rich foods. Some ingredients included cabbage and other unknown vegetables, maize, potatoes, chicken, rice, and beans. It was very filling, very delicious, and inexpensive. It will be a place I frequent.

I also had Ethiopian food yesterday. It was extremely delicious! It is a mix between Indian and Moroccan food. You eat with your fingers using a fermented bread. Anyone who comes to visit me must try it. It is my favorite meal thus far.

At home I have not cooked much. They've been taking us out to eat so much, but I've done lunch and breakfast at home. I boiled eggs, which took quite a long time, since we're at 6,000 feet elevation. I eat yogurt with fruit or granola and toast in the morning. I've found a peanut butter that is very similar to Adam's natural peanut butter (my favorite back home). I thought of you, Marla, when I tasted it for the first time. I eat a lot of mangoes and avocados. I LOVE the fresh veggies and tropical fruits. Apples and pears are sold in the supermarket, but they're much more expensive than tropical fruits. Yeah for me! I've bought stuff to make pizza, but haven't gotten the chance to cook it yet. I'll let you know how it goes.

One nice thing about Nairobi is the diversity of foods. Lucky for me, I can eat a lot and burn it off with all the walking I do to get everywhere.

Week One

I made it to Nairobi in one piece, safe and sound. I have been here five days, and it has been a learning experience already. There is so much to learn: how to speak Swahili, how to grocery shop, how to drive a stick shift, how to drive on the wrong side of the road. The list goes on. I'm taking one little step at a time. Right now I have the grocery shopping accomplished and how to get myself around a very small piece of town. I feel like my whole life right now is very, very small. It's humbling to lack the independence I had just last week.

Some things that are interesting or have made me laugh... 1. I live three houses down from the Embassy of Iraq, where we always see guards in three piece suits and sunglasses. They look like the men in black just hanging out on the street. 2. There are cockroaches that just hang out in my toaster. They are small, maybe a centimeter and a half, but they always come out when you start toasting bread. Yuck! It's a good thing that I'm not a picky eater! :) 3. I have eaten Italian, Chinese, and American food since I've been here. Today I'm going out for Ethiopian. What is Kenyan food like? I have yet to find out.

The internet here is sooooo slow. Rewind 10 years to America, and you'll have an idea of the internet connection at the school. I have yet to get internet at home. I'm told it's coming. So my emailing, skyping, and blogging will be a little slow these days. However, please know that I'm thinking of you all at home. I miss you already. I admit that I've been on the verge of tears yesterday and today, but I have such peace about what I'm doing here. God is good and this time of uncomfortable, friendless days will pass. However, everyone here has been so friendly and nice. They've taken very good care of me so far, and I'm excited to start school. Once that begins, I'll feel like I have a purpose. Right now I have a lot of free time on my hands, which isn't always good.

Thank you all for your prayers. Keep them up! This is the most difficult time here - adjusting and finding my place. I knew it was coming before I got here, but it doesn't make it any easier. I do know that when I am weak, God is strong. That's where my hope lies! I love you all!

3... 2... 1... BLASTOFF!

I leave for the airport in four and a half hours. I still have a few things to do, so I don't know if sleep is an option until I get on the plane. Probably not a good way to start this trip, but I'll definitely sleep on the plane! Everyone keeps asking me how I feel... nervous? scared? Those are everyone's first thoughts, but it's not at all how I feel. I feel really, really excited and a bit sad to say good-bye to awesome friends and family. Excited and sad. But I must admit more excited than sad. If you ask me in the morning as I'm saying good-bye to Pete and Linsey when they drop me off at the airport, I'll probably say more sad. Then again, I may be too tired to say anything.

I know this is exactly what I should be doing. I know I'm going where I've been called. I know it will be hard at times, but I also know it will be very fulfilling because it's the right thing. And I'm so thankful that God wants to use me for such an adventure. I feel very blessed in more ways than I can count (especially at this late hour).

So good-bye. I love you all! I'll write you from Kenya!

How many bags does it take to move to Kenya?

Five checked bags and two excessively overweight carry-ons. 33% of you got it right! After purging again and again because I couldn't fit everything and refusing to go to six bags, it's all packed. I admit that four was my goal, but I was not at all successful at that. Fifty pounds per bag is a small amount! I could have easily fit 100 lbs in some of those bags, so 250 lbs (plus about 65 more pounds with my carry-ons) puts all my belongings at just over 300 pounds. I think that's pretty good for a three year venture. Hopefully they'll measure the same weight at the airport because there is no extra space to reposition things. We'll see. Wish me luck!