Elective Africa: Day Seven

Mambo!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Saturday and looking forward to the weekend As much as I LOVE the hospital and going to see the students--it makes for one long week! I am very excited about this weekend because we are going to take a trip to the South Coast of Mombasa (my first ferry ride...pretty cool, right?) for a night away.

Today was just a typical day at the hospital. I am sad and excited to say that it was my last day on the Postpartum floor, but so very excited about going to Labor and Delivery next week. Ann (the supervisor of Postpartum) and Kimani said I must come and take tea with them even though I am not on their floor. There is always something nice about knowing people want your company, ya know? That's the thing about the Kenyan people...whether they are sleeping on the street or a doctor in the hospital...they will go out of their way to let you know your appreciated. I was talking with one of our night guards this evening and he was telling me how most white people don't go into the city if they are a tourist. He said it "Frightens" them...so they know when a white person is in the city they are typically here helping their brothers and sisters (everyone is brothers and sisters here). I thought that was moving.

So I haven't been able to tell you guys about my living situations and my new Kenyan family. I am living in a house while I'm over here and there is 5 people that work here (2 of which live on the property.) I haven't been able to get pictures of everyone quite yet...but Hakuna Matata...I will :) Dollas is my house mother...and I just love her to pieces. She cleans, prepares dinner, grocery shops, and just secures the house while we are out during the days. Silvanis and Iga both live on the property, doing various maintenance jobs around the property. Iga is also a security guard 7 to 7 along with Frank who is the other night guard. Benson is our program advisor and makes sure we have transportation and gives assistance whenever we are in need of it. Phares is our main guy who is in charge of us and everyone who is working for us. And then yesterday we met an intern working with Phares who is Isaac. Phares, Benson, and Isaac took us all out last night and it was SO much fun. I love love getting to know and meeting the Kenyan People…(I don’t know if I have said that enough! Haha)

Last we were talking to Issac and Phares and they were telling us about how Kenyans would do ANYTHING to get to America. Isaac said if they could come to America and sit in the Prison for the rest of their life they would do it. Now I know…grass is always greener on the other side…but that is just crazy to me. I mean, Yes, I am proud to be an American…but we really don’t know what it’s like to live and work hard for what we have. And I AM NOT SAYING people in America don’t work for what they have…because most of you reading this are some of the hardest working Americans I know. But think of all the machines we have that do nearly everything….everything! I’m not a political person….and politics stress me out and I pretty much get an anxiety attack if someone tries to debate with me…but we had the politic talk over here last night. As most of you know, Obama is from Kenya…well not technically from here. His father’s home tribe is from Western Kenya but he was actually raised in Hawaii (you all should read his book, “Dreams of my Father”). Anyways, he is from Kenya and the people over here love him and always want to talk politics. Like I said…I’m not your politics girl, I know the basics and watch the local news like 4 days in the morning, and can’t even tell you the last time I watched CNN or picked up a newspaper. Well, except for this morning, I’ve decided that I need to read the newspaper over here to really get to know Kenya and it’s always nice to read what they have to say about America. So I requested that we get the newspaper each morning so I can read it with my tea. Here I go getting off track again…So Isaac asks me if I’m going to vote Obama into office again and we were talking about the process of voting. I then asked him if he votes and he said…they have no say in the voting process. For example, in 2003 (I believe is what he said), a new president was elected into office and won the most votes…but the old president wouldn’t leave the office so the newly elected one never even took office. Crazy. I'm getting rained on at my table outside and it looks like it may storm!! So I'm off for the day! I'll post when I get back to the house about my trip to the South Coast!!!

Enjoy the pictures of my Kenyan Family J

“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and to endure the betrayal of false friends. To appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson