Usisafiriye na nyota ya mwenzio - Don't travel under another's lucky star

Today marks the 6 week countdown. 8 weeks and I will be home in Lake Oswego!

It was a beautiful weekend in Nairobi proper! Saturday my roommate Denise and I went to a Maasai Market in town near the Hilton and then to Kibera to meet with JECK. The Maasai Market was hot and crowded with "mzungu" swarming the rows of vendors. I bought presents for Jessi and Vincent and then Denise and I picked the KBS bus #32 to the DO's Office on the outskirt of Kibera. We walked into Mashimoni Village to St. John's Primary to meet with the women. Jemima, JECK's chairwoman, told us the women's would not be meeting on that Saturday because she was hosting a parents day for the school. It was amazing to observe a schoolwide parent-teacher-administrator conference! We left the conference early to meet our apartment-mate Sophie in a small vegetable market to buy our veggies for the weekend. We walked together to Nakumatt Prestige where we all took tea and used the free wireless Internet for couple hours. Hopped a bus back into town and headed home for relaxing Saturday evening and movie night!

Sunday morning Denise, Sophie and I woke up early and walked into Westlands. Denise and Sophie continued on to RaMoMa in Parklands (the Museum of Modern Art here in Nairobi). I bought a new adapter for my computer from the Sarit Center (a Western-ish shopping mall) and then caught up with them 45 min later. RaMoMa is a sanctuary of lush green plants and beautiful art from local artists. We walked to Diamond Plaza (a shopping mall frequented by the Indians who live in the Parklands neighborhood) and then picked a teksi (taxi) home to Njema Court. We spent the sunny afternoon laying by the pool and studying for out kiSwahili midterm on Tuesday. Denise and I went for a short jog and then our apartment watched a UNICEF program on tv that one of our apartment-mates was working at through her externship with Shangilia Mtoto wa Afrika!

Can't wait for Wednesday morning to watch the election results at the American Ambassador's Residence!

Spring Cleaning!

We cleaned all the spooks out of the office just in time for Halloween! Tuesday I arrived at the office and the floor was flooded with soapy water! I asked, "Today is spring cleaning?!" My bosses who were all covered in muddy water and sweat laughed, "Of course!" My boss' girlfriend Melissa tied a kanga around my waist and a head wrap over my hair and I got to work scrubbing the dusty floor with a handmade broom. Oj, one of my other directors came in after lunch and laughed and said, "Justine, I thought you were an African woman! You are bent over, scrubbing in a kanga!"

I am convinced my director's are turning me into a Kenya housewife. I cleaned on Tuesday and today I cooked! Melissa taught me how to make ugali and sukumawiki for lunch today. Ugali is pounded maize and sukuma is greens mixed with onions and tomatoes. My director taught me how to light a paraffin (sp?) flame to cook on! As he was setting the match to the wick, he paused and said, "Please don't tell your father I let you play with fire!" Haha!

Tomorrow is Halloween! My favorite holiday! ( I am with you Auntie Sherri!) Our three apartments are cooking a meal together in costumes!

(Picture is at Thompson Falls near Nakuru)