correspondence 9/20/06

all is well (so happy my bag is with me). I'm in Lamu, where to my astonishment I found an abundence of internet cafes. Weird. NO cars, no sanitation, few paved roads, even fewer children with shoes, garbage everywhere, donkey doo everywhere BUT internet. I just saw the NY Times news about the coup in Thailand. Everyone on that side of the world ok? Any thoughts from either of you? It's not every day I read about a coup d'etat.

I think I'm going to do my independent study project on the Takwa ruins on Manda Island. They're ruins from the golden age of Swahili trade (16th century). I bet you can look it up online. Manda is beautiful. I'd be spending half my time there and half my time in Lamu doing research. I'd be living 50 ft from a completely, COMPLETELY deserted beach. However, my tutor tells me to be careful of snakes (boa constrictor size - she refuses to go back to the island because of them) and Athman said to be careful of lions. Lions and tigers and bears oh my!

Lamu is also beautiful but the donkey doo can get a bit trying. Outside of walking, donkeys are the only means of transportation by land. There are only two cars on the island and I've seen one of them. It's hard to believe I've been here for a week and a half! I've learned more Kiswahili in that time than in 3 years of french. We have class from 7am to 12:30pm and then 2 hours with a tutor (conversation only). My regular tutor is a bit lax about speaking Kiswahili with me; our conversations are generally limited to culture questions (what's acceptable, why swahili do this etc). Today however, I met with the sister-in-law because Hadida was out of town. AMAZING time. We talked for about an hour in Kiswahili and then switched to English interspersed with some Kiswahili. She's goes very pole pole which is the perfect speed for me.

The house is getting along pretty well, we haven't had any fights or much drama. Unfortunately most of us are sick. I have an ear infection (I'm pretty sure it's swimmers ears), Jeanne believes Africa hates her (a rash, tummy problems and recovering from strep throat), Hattie had sun-stroke, Vicki's tummy just went into an existential crisis, Sivan and a couple others are recovering from colds. Oh hurrah for microscopic invaders! Our immune systems will be so strong by the time we get back.
Danny really reminds me of Evan, it's kind of bizarre but makes getting along with him a piece of cake.

I'm finally able to sleep through the 4:30am rooster calls (they don't end until 6ish) and the 5:30am call to prayer. I hate waking up because my dreams are so vivid and strange (thank you malaria medication). The other night I dreamt I'd flown back to Claremont for a day to see my friends. The dream was so real I pinched myself in my dream because I thought I must be dreaming. I felt the pinch! Very odd.

Being in Kenya has little to do with what I want to study back in Claremont which makes me wonder why I'm here. Especially when conjugating verbs and agreeing nouns get too much for me. I miss my loved ones...and fresh veggies. When I'm sitting in class trying to get the right noun agreement I seriously contemplate my reason for coming here. It's not pushing me in the way I thought it would. I don't mind the bugs, the heat, the poverty, the utter lack of sanitation. I don't feel helpless. I'm not reacting to it the way I reacted in Cambodia or Burma. I think I'm better at rolling with the punches of daily life. I don't feel a culture shock the way I thought I would. Unfortunately this was part of the reason why I wanted to do an SIT program, to push myself. But I wouldn't give this up for the world (or for london). It's a unique experience...oh but golly what a fun time I would've had in London! Some other time. I'm perfectly content with a forest of palm trees, the milky way and veiled women. Ok my body guard is waiting must leave!