Wild Ride

This is the Kenyan version of public transportation. This bus is called a Matatu and it is my school bus. The interior is as colorful as the exterior with passengers who range from "Mzungu" or white people to Mamas and young children. There are flat screen TVs encased in the front that play hip hop and Kenyan music videos. They can be a lot of fun with the right crowd and the right music. Unfortunately, riding with the wrong crowd can be dangerous and costly. Yesterday two of my friends were robbed on the matatu at the stage near our apartment. It was an reminder for all of us to avoid getting too comfortable.
My classes at USIU are shaping up and Saturday I will know which internship I will have for the remainder of the semester. I am still very interested with ISSA but all of the options available in Kibera would be a blast. We start our Politics class on Friday with our country director. Kiswahili started last night and two of my classmates and I practically swam through a muddy monsoon on our 30 min walk to class.
I wish I could post a picture from my computer but last weekend I went the Giraffe Center where you get to smooch 'em and hug 'em all over. The rangers give you pellets to purse your lips around and the giraffe will come lick right out of your mouth. Pumba was there too! It was a dream come true!
I had a special request to write about what I hoped to accomplish during my time in Nairobi and I right now I don't have an answer. Right now I feel too much like a sponge to have the backbone to write in words what I want to achieve for myself here.
A girl at on of the clubs here in town was talking to one of my classmates and she said, "Of all the things you came here to do, the most important is that you came here to change your own life." I liked it.

Safari Njema

Habari!
The suspense is over! I am safe in Westlands Nairobi! We have been here 9 days and it feels like a month. Every day here feels like a lifetime worth of experiences and emotions. I started school at the United States International University on Monday. I am taking US/East African Relations and Cross Cultural Management. On our days away from campus we travel around the city to visit possible externship sites. The sites range from upscale boutiques like Amani (peace) that feature handicrafts made by refugee women from across the continent to the Initiative for Sports and Social Arts deep inside Kibera, a slum filled with people, dirt, garbage, kiosks and laughter. I won't find out until next Friday where I will be working, but I hoping to be placed in the Kibera or Kanguare.

I hope to post at least twice a week from now on but the infastructure in Kenya is lacking and the internet is very expensive. I can only get on a cafes and even then there the connection is slow and frustrating. This is among the joys of living in a developing country. I have yet to have a warm shower, we have had rolling blackouts for the past week. At times we will be out of power for over three hours.

Otherwise the scenery and the Jacaranda trees are stunning and the people are generous, hospitable and funny! To call me you have to buy a calling card and my number is 011 254 714746668.