Change Is A Way Of Life

Jambo! It was so great to hear from so many of you at Susan Lindgren. Thank you for reading my blog. It was especially nice to hear from my class. Tommy, I will try to get a picture of that monkey and Duncan, I can definetly find a chicken. Chickens are everywhere! Chickens are how many people get eggs. They go out in the morning and check the hens nest for eggs. Then they bring them in and cook them. Usually they fry the eggs in oil and they are very tasty. Of course, they also kill chickens and eat them for dinner.

I thought it might be fun to hear what a typical day in Africa is like. (If there is such a thing.) I usually get up around 7 am to the sound of loud cackling birds. Can you figure out what time it is in Minnesota when I am getting up here in Kenya? The birds are quite loud so it is hard to sleep once they start their cackling. Then I get myself ready for the day. They don’t have showers here, but they do have bathtubs. It makes bathing a very relaxing experience.

Then I usually eat toast and Kenyan tea for breakfast. Kenya is known for its tea. Much of the world’s tea supply is grown here. Kenyan tea is always boiled with milk and then they add a couple spoonfuls of sugar. It is fantastic. All forks, spoons, knives, plates, vegetables, and containers of anything must be washed in a mixture of water and bleach. The bleach kills the germs that our American systems cannot digest. It keeps someone like me very healthy.

I usually spend my days at the University either helping professors or helping students. Today I wrote an overview of a new masters program they are developing. They were looking for someone to take all the information and create a summary of it. I also help students by editing their papers. English is their second language, so they often need help. You guys know how much I love writing, so this is fun for me!

In the evening, I either go out with friends to some Kenyan restaurant or I make dinner here with friends. Kenyan food is very good. They eat something called Ugali. Ugali is a sticky (think of the consistency of play dough) white food made of corn meal. Many Kenyans love to eat it with goat meat, beef or chicken. There is a red gravy sauce. They also love to eat spinach cut up in small pieces with tomatoes and onions. That is a favorite dish too.

I do not watch TV here instead I spend the evening talking to people and hearing their stories. That is a very important way of life here. It honors someone to hear their story. People talk about their relatives, their childhood, their favorite experiences or their friends. This part of the day is my favorite part. Then at about 10:00 I got to bed.

Update on James:

Thank you so much for all your condolences for James nephew. It has been hard for their family, but your thoughts and prayers really helped lift his spirits. He is still planning on adopting the 2 remaining children and is working with the government here in Kenya and in the US to do that. James just received word that the immigration officer in the US needs some paper work to help the children come to the US, so James may be leaving for the United States this week. If that happens, I will change my plane ticket and leave for Uganda this week. Life is always changing and one moment is always different than the last. Flexibility is key! I also included a picture of where I am staying.

I hope you guys are enjoying warmer weather. Mr. Feige told me that he loves to play basketball so challenge him to a game!

Miss you all!
Ms. Miller