A-"Frican" Adventure

One week has passed since my last entry, and I don't know where to start. I am learning a lot each day, both about what I will be doing in the upcoming weeks, as well as the culture and people here. It is a lot to take in all at once. As excited as I am to get started - tomorrow - I must say that I feel a bit unsettled in this new world I have found myself in. For the first time, I am a minority figure. And on top of that, it appears that some of the people I cross paths with have never actually seen a white person before. Wherever I go, I am constantly stared at by people of all ages. Plus, in town, because I am white, it is assumed that I have money, and EVERYONE wants to talk with me. Men mostly in their upper teens or yound twenties swarm in and will NOT leave you alone. They ask lots of questions, want to walk with you, and sometimes ask you to marry them. I have become accustomed to saying either "I am married" or "I have a boyfriend already." The former didn't work as well because they always ask where my ring is. Perhaps they've heard this excuse before... In the village - where I am living now - kids come out screaming Mzungu, mzungo, mzungo - Imagine exclamation marks here. I can't seem to find them on this keyboard. In fact, on my first walk home to my new family home, I got lost. And all of the sudden there were about 30 kids all following me and screaming mzungu. This was followed by all the adults appearing from their homes to see what the comotion was. One father even came out and tried throwing rocks at the kids to get them to quiet down, and they still continued. But at least my 4 yo brother heard this and found me. He yelled to his "mama", "mama, mama, shanny, shanny..." And I was rescued from the mob of kids at last. This was perhaps one of the funniest experiences I have had yet.

Most people in this culture are genuinely friendly and hospitable, but the poverty here is rampant - unlike anything I've ever experience or even imagined - and it is hard to know who you can trust. So thus far in my ventures, I feel constantly on guard and on edge as I learn my bearings and how to be safe here. Nonetheless, I have experienced meeting several incredibly friendly, generous and welcoming friends.

Again, I have run out of time...more to come later.