We have spent some time getting acquainted with the area and the people around here. Our house mother, Milka, is awesome. She makes us food and cleans the house. We are staying in a small apartment with two bathrooms, two showers (warm...although I have not figured out how to make them so, so they have been cold for me), and two rooms full of bunk beds where the volunteers sleep. We have gone to the Junction, which is a mall only a 15 minute walk away. They have some nice restaurants there and so I have had some western food, quesadillas and pizza, which have been delicious!
Yesterday we went into the city of Nairobi with a few of the other volunteers. I rode in my first Mutatu! Wow. They are tiny, 14 seater vans that drive around fast and stop along the way for people to get in and out. Many of them are 'pimped'. Ours had orange and white cushions attached to the roof which is very important because the seats are high up to make room for the sub-woofers underneath, and you are very likely to bang your head! I spent the whole trip hunched over the next seat, trying to align my head with the cushion instead of the bar along the roof...just in case. My head is fine. Oh...and did I mention the sub-woofers? They were blasting rap music so loud I could barely hear my own voice! Matatu's are also known as the fastest way of transport, mainly because if there is traffic they will weave in and out of cars, and even into the ditch if necessary! They are very adamant however that they do not break any driving rules, they merely bend them a little!
Today we had orientation. There were 22 new volunteers who were there. They told us about the different placements, where we will be staying and the opportunities available to us on weekends and during the weekday. They also taught us some things to watch out for so that we will be safe, especially so we do not get our pockets picked on the matatu's. Don't worry mom, I payed attention and they said they have never had a problem with any of their volunteers being robbed. We are now just smarter than the average mizungu (english speaker aka. money!).
Rilla and I are going to be working in a Rural town located near Kisii. It is 4.5 hours away from Nairobi so we will be far from most of the other volunteers, but I am really looking forward to going there! I am going to be helping in the hospital and doing visits to people who have HIV/AIDs. It should prove to be an extraordinary experience that we leave for on saturday!
