Hakuna matata

Hakunamatata 9/9/06

I have a mass email I'm sending out now and then (whenever I run into an internet cafe and have free time - the two don't often go together). To save time and because I don't have everyone's email address I thought I'd post the letters here.

Hamjambo!

I finally have a free afternoon to do a proper sit-down email! They keep us very busy here in Kenya, though the general motto is "polepole" and "hakunamatata" ("slow" and "no worries", respectively). One of the first proverbs we learnt was "haraka, haraka, haina baraka" or "hurry, hurry, has no blessing". I love it. When I get back you'll be hearing those A LOT.

The trip here was an adventure and therefore fantastic. The flight to New York got in about 30 min late and half the bags were left in Seattle. I made friends with woman sitting next to me and we had a jolly time running around JFK trying to find her a flight to Burlington and then our bags. The next morning at the Emirates check-in, the attendent swore he'd booked my bag on a flight to Nairobi (ba ha ha ha). My mind innocent of worries, I made my way to the gate to meet the people I'd be spending the next 4 months with. Like I said before there are 17 of us. We hail from all over the US and one Japanese resident (Daniel - he'd never heard of Kakinokizaka but he knew Megoroku). The group really is fantastic. I was surprised how well we fit together.

I'll try to give an abbreviated portrait of everyone, just so you get an idea. Danny is as crazy about linguistics as I am about history and reminds me of my brother. Vicki has the most beautiful curly golden hair I've ever seen; she's gullible, laughs easily and has no colon. Kayleigh (Kay-lee) smiles often and enjoys twirling. Sivan is loud in everything she does, even her movements. Torrie bargains like nobody I've ever seen, except maybe my aunt Kit. Julia is quiet, with a voice like chamomile tea (it nearly puts me to sleep it's that soothing). Reed is witty, tall and does dead-pan quite well. Ashley asks thought provoking questions, is curious and very tall (the perfect dinner partner). She (Shay) says grace before each meal and has a smile I could eat up. Lindsey walks like she knows where she's going and says what she thinks. Hattie has a strong Minnesota accent and perfect cupid's bow lips. Jennifer loves marine archeology and children make her nervous. Jasmine is elegant with perfect poise - she goes to Pomona. Daniel is quiet and speaks Kiswahili with a Japanese accent. Jeanne is freckly and easy to talk to. Gracey has a petite nose, a sunny disposition and always has bug spray with her.

It took us a total 29 hours to get to Mombasa (not counting layovers). Upon arrival I found out my bag had decided to stay in New York and my stomach had decided to have an existential crisis. Hakunamatata! Mombasa looks like a cross between Chang Mai (spelling?) and Macau. For those of you close to Mexico, it reminded me a bit of Tijuana (again, spelling?). It's dirty, busy, noisy but glorious. Goats nibble on heaps of garbage in the streets and fully veiled women walk by with kohl on their eyes. Even though I'm dressed modestly compared to the tourists, I still feel strange. I think I'm going to get a full veil, it'll be so much easier to walk around. There is such a mix of people in Mombasa (and Malindi). Africans, Arabs, Indians, silly tourists and everything in between. People are very friendly but our professors told us to make it clear that we're wanafunzi (students) not tourists. We get more respect and assistence if we respond in Kiswahili, instead of the touristy "jambo!".

I'd like to take a moment to thank my parents for dragging me all over the world; it's made me so much more prepared for what I see here, especially the poverty. Cambodia, Burma, Chang Mai, Guang Dong province, Macau, Hong Kong, even Tokyo - everything makes it easier. However, the 5am call to prayer is still something I have to get used to. I still don't quite understand how anyone could think about anything at 4:45am EVERY DAY, particularly prayer.

There have been so many high points of my trip that I don't know where to start. I saw my first Baobab tree! The drive to Malindi was breath-taking. From grimy Mombasa to fields and fields of jungle (including a couple monkeys swinging in the trees), then fields and fields of produce (I'm not sure what - cashew nuts?), and finally the ocean. Eating with my hands is definitely another high point. We can eat with only our right hand (a challenge for Vicki who's a lefty) and it's so much fun! I don't know how I'm going to make the transition back. Torrie and I visited a primary school in Malindi yesterday. I was impressed with how many students had shoes. The children spoke beautiful English compared to my Kiswahili (I have mastered "I'm called", "I'm from", "I like", "I want" and the general polite greetings/responses but that's it). The class rooms were just cement boxes with large spaces for windows and a doorway. Children shared benches, notebooks, everything. This school was pretty well-furnished compared with other ones I've passed. They had a section for mentally disabled and mentally handicapped students which was unusual. I wrote down the address if anyone wants more information.

Alright, I think I've updated enough. Even though it's only been 6 days since I've arrived it feels much longer. I know I'm missing some things. OH we saw a partial eclipse! Spaghetti is hard to eat with the right hand. Not having a suitcase is character building. They have tuk-tuks here! And spiders as big as my hand (no joke). I'll think of more things as soon as I send this.

Love to all!