One week!

Well, I've officially been here one week, and quite honestly am feeling comfortable getting around, using basic Swahili phrases, etc. I'm pretty much settled in--staying at the i-to-i house in Jamhuri estates, a "suburb" of Nairobi. There are about a dozen other volunteers staying there as well, so it's been great gleaning information from those that have been here quite some time, and sharing "newbie" experiences with those that have only just arrived. My start date coincided with two other volunteers in particular, so it's been fun learning the ropes with them. The house is fairly large, 3 levels, with about 7 bedrooms, 4 baths (complete with showers and toilets, although there are no toilet seats in all of Kenya!), a kitchen, dining room, and living area. We have a housekeeper who takes care of all the cooking and cleaning, which is great. I will definitely have an British accent by the end of my time here, as the other volunteers are mostly from England. "Brilliant" will probably be the new phrase for me when I return home, although my favorite so far has been "cheeky sod" (i.e. don't be such a cheeky sod). Getting around is always an adventure, and there are many options: taxi is a bit more expensive, so mostly I've been using the "citi hoppa" buses and the infamous "matatus," which are an experience in and of themselves. A typical matatu is a small van that seats about 14, although I've been in a couple with 17 bodies squished into them. They are usually equipped with a very extensive sound system, so picture hip-hop, Kenyan, or rap music blaring as loud as possible. Matatu drivers go as fast as possible, swerving in and out of traffic to get to their destinations in record time, so combined with the typical Kenyan road, this makes for a very bumpy and roller coaster-like ride. I've even gotten to ride in the "watch your death coming seat" as a previous volunteer here termed it, which is the front seat (explanation: the front of the matatus are flat, and since the operators like to ride as close to the car's bumper in front of them, so as to be completely unable to avoid an accident if the car in front should stop suddenly, and at the aforementioned high speeds, hence the term "watch your death coming seat")--surprisingly there is no extra charge for this seat of thrills! Food has been pretty good--meals mostly consist of starches (beans and rice) and vegetables, very rarely will meat be added, and only in small, like a stew. As of this week, we are actually not allowed to have any meat with the recent outbreak of Rift Valley Fever (the equivalent of our Mad Cow Disease), which has been one of the top stories on the news. I did try sugarcane for the first time the other day--pretty good! And last evening, one of the volunteers from Switzerland was feeling a bit homesick, so he suggested we go to a Swiss/French restaurant just down the road, and we feasted on cheese fondue and chocolate mousse for dessert!! It was amazing!! The owner is from Switzerland, and has been living in Nairobi for many years--he was so fascinating to talk to! Just when I was starting to get used to being in a 3rd world country, and then I go and have a gourmet meal at a fantastic restaurant!! Internet cafes are pretty much all over, however the connection speeds vary, depending on the system and weather. I did try to use two international call centers the other day, however the systems were down all over the area, so it can vary from day to day. Shopping for supplies has been quite interesting...the store of choice around here is called "Nakumatt" and is strikingly similar to our Wal-Mart back home, from the layout of the store (huge!) to the blue aprons all the employees wear with the store motto emblazoned on the back! My first laundry experience was this week--handwashing everything in a large basin! Mental note to self--do less more often!! I have gotten sunburned already--trying to keep covered up, but it's about 80 degrees here on average, and we haven't had a cloudy day yet!! Basically, I had to come to Africa to be a redneck! Trying to drink enough water so I don't get dehydrated again--which has got to be the worst feeling in the world! I had a follow-up doctor's visit in the city on Wednesday--he said the leg looks great and I finished taking my antibiotic, so I should be good to go. It basically just looks and feels like a bruise the size of an orange on my left calf. Still a bit stiff in the morning and I feel it at the end of the day if I overdo it with the kids at the orphanage, but I'm fine. I figured out this morning that for one night's hospitalization, bloodwork, a follow-up visit, and to get a prescription filled only cost me 105 U.S. dollars!!! Unbelievable!! This week at the orphanage was good--getting used to the kids and them getting used to me. It's hard to give enough attention to all of them--just sitting down to color a picture with them or playing a game of "football" (soccer--they love it here!) outside with them is just the best ever in their world! I've already introduced hangman and the dot square game--the older kids love both and it gives them a chance to use their English! Hopefully this week I'll be visiting a couple of other projects, and maybe even a pediatric orthodpedic hospital in nearby Kikuyu, which I'm really excited about. For those of you that have asked about sending care packages, I initially thought I wouldn't be able to receive any mail here, but I can! Just send it addressed to me, Stephanie Varnold, c/o Irene Wairimu, Sirona House Room 201, P.O. Box 1249-00100, G.P.O Nairobi - Kenya. Not sure how long it will take to get to me, so I'd say the cutoff for any mail to me should be sent about 3 weeks before I leave for Tanzania, which is on March 10. Love to all of you and I'll be in touch soon!