Goodbye Kenya

We are waiting to board our flight in Nairobi. It has been a amazing three weeks and we'll post a few more photos when we land. 

Tuesday Photos

July 23, 2013

Tuesday

Today was our second day on the worksite after Losiijo.  The morning was unusually cool and cloudy.  We walked over a little before 8 and got straight to work curing the walls.  It was great having the primary school kids back in school and there were much more of them today than there were yesterday.  They all gathered around and watched us work when they weren't in class.  After curing we continued working on the foundation for the veranda, filling it with mortar and foundation stones, and laid more lines of bricks on top of the lentil.  The walls are so high we've had to make the tables higher and use a ladder to climb onto them. 

We broke for tea at 10:30 and got back to work right before the kids were let out for break.  Marianna and I (Thea) sat in on a class 3 class (3^rd grade) and read and acted out the book “Animals Nobody Likes.” We walked back for lunch at 12:40. Most of us napped or read before we headed back to the worksite because we were quite tired and the afternoon seemed hotter than usual. 

When got back to the school at 3, the kids were still in class. We waited until some of them were let out so we could play duck-duck-goose with them.  They had a hard time learning to say “duck” and “goose” so we used the words “endep” (hand) and “eckiemoji” (fingers) instead.  One little girl was so afraid of Ycar (we think it was the braces, but can’t be sure) that she sprinted away from him when he got to close and wouldn’t let him touch her head in the game.  More kids started joining in and we decided to try another game.  We played follow the leader around the worksite with Charlotte as our fearless leader and then formed two circles to play other games we knew including wah.  The Olokai kids taught us a game they knew and we played that until we had to leave. 

Instead of going straight back to camp we walked to the health clinic nearby where Shani used to work. John, the man who runs it, talked to us about vaccinations, the scarcity and inconsistency of supplies, and just how hard it is for people to access the health care that is available.  He said that their only way of getting pregnant woman in labor to the clinic is on the back of motorcycles.  That was crazy to think about.  Marianna and Laurie, who went to the clinic two years ago, said that is greatly improved from what it was like then.

We walked back to camp around the school and met an adorable little girl alone on the road.  She was the same girl who came running up to us during our walk this morning and fell right on Charlotte’s feet. We walked her into town and then took tea and showers at camp.  We watched the moon rise over the mountains before checking in.  It was a long, tiring day, but a good one.  It’s sad to think we only have two days left in Olokai before heading back to Nairobi and then home.  

Thea

Reflections from our weekend at Loisiijo

“My highlight during my three-day stay at Loisiijo was waking up at 4: 38 am in the morning when it was pitch-black to see a pack of 14 lions on the safari. I also enjoyed the view outside of my room. I could see a group of baboons across the river, chattering loudly. The flowing river was so peaceful to watch. And lastly my highlight was the mosquito net blocking out the bats.”

-Zhamoyani

For me the highlight of the trip was definitely getting the chance to sit down and write some poetry. Using lines taken from a previous exercise we created short poems. Its not something that I get to do every day; very calming and introspective.

-Eddie Lee

My favorite part of our incredible weekend at Loisiijo was watching the beautiful sunrise and sunset over the mountains. They’re the most beautiful times of day; we could see outlines of each other but no details, the air is crisp and breezy, and there’s a red circle of light showing where the sun is hiding behind the mountains. Being awake at sunrise is exhilarating and beautiful, in a way that makes you feel as though you are truly alive.

Jessie

I can’t stand mornings.  I am a witch. However, the first few hours of “morning” at Loisiijo today were my favorite.  After tearing myself from my blankets at 4:30 in the bridal suite, the rest of the girls and I walked to the main lobby.  We drank fresh coffee, hot chocolate, Masai tea and ate cookies before walking over the footbridge to the other side of the river and our two landrovers to start our game drive. Before the sun had even risen we saw fourteen lions. Nature’s neat. 

Thea

This weekend, all the girls stayed in the bridal suite at Loisiijo which was awesome.  It not only had a flushing toilet and an outdoor shower, but also an amazing porch overlooking the river.  During our resting time, we sat on the porch and looked out at the baboons drinking and playing on the riverbank.  It was so peaceful to sit and just look out.  There was plenty of resting overall this weekend which was much needed by all of us.

Charlotte

Rest in a cooler climate has made all the difference these past two days. I would also like to provide a brief synopsis of Oloika, the Musical, which was largely put together this morning in the fancy-van-that-has-more-room-in-it by the girls and Laurie. Here is a basic skeleton of the plot: We begin with the journey from JFK to Kenya via Rwanda, cover several days on the worksite and at camp, Act I closing before we leave for Loisiijo lodge. Intermission is spent in an overheated safari vehicle.  Act II for the most part covers our two days here, and the week we have remaining will hopefully provide some new inspiration. So far, we have several songs ready, including “Is It a Road?,” “Moving Bricks,” “Moving Bricks (Reprises 1,2 and 3)” (we’ve decided that all stage transitions will include a segment of moving actual bricks across the stage to various locations), and a “Safari Montage,” a tap number featuring a pride of fourteen lions, with Laurie eventually heading the pyramid for the time step. Other songs include “What Isn’t Happening (On the Worksite),” and a series of vaudevillian vignettes featuring Thea and me singing thirteen different variations of the classic “I Have a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts (deedleedee),” a song we’ve shared over many a cup of evening coffee. We are tentatively in the process of inserting a final duet between Ycar and me, the two star-crossed lovers of the musical. I am forced to choose between Ycar, Groton student turned warrior on the African plains, and my love of home. At the crucial moment  before my decision, Thea’s voice is heard over the audience singing our song, and tearfully I join in, recognizing that even with my love for Ycar, staying would be impossible.  Stay tuned for the finale.

Marianna

The. Fighting. Giraffes.

(P.S. We’re all exhausted, so this is our freebie blog. Forgive us.)

Racy

Waking up at 4:40 in the morning (well for me that’s the middle of the night) was not the easiest to say the least. But it was so worth it after seeing a pride of 14 lions! Even Shani said it was the most lions he had ever seen together at once. Another exciting part was when we chased a hyena around and made it drop its prey. Can’t say I’ve done that before. Coming back after our morning game drive and resting in our luxurious bridal suite was so nice! It made me realize how much I love running water and how much I take it for granted.  The weather was beautiful and we all had a great time.

Varsha

14 Lions

We are back after a wonderful weekend at the amazing Loisiijo Lodge. We rested and relaxed by the river and oh yes we saw 14 lions on a early morning game drive.

Click to see more!

Bricks and Spears

Click for bricks and spear throwing!

Thursday report

Sopa!

Charlotte and Varsha here… back from our homestay! We set out Tuesday night to go experience the Masai life. We headed by Jeep to a nearby boma. For those of you who don’t know, a boma is a small enclosure surrounded by spiny sticks where the Masai live and keep their animals. After being greeted by the host, we were given delicious cups of Masai chai or tea. Following the introductions, several of the Masai girls and women entertained us with lovely singing and dancing. We ate some oogali, cabbage, and potatoes, underneath the lagir or stars.

As we were brushing our teeth behind the hut, a few young Masai boys decided to watch us. For some reason, we burst into laughter with Brooke and could not stop laughing for the next 25 minutes. We aren’t exactly sure what was so funny but the situation was so foreign and bizarre that we couldn’t help laughing at anything and everything around us. All three of us were literally crying as we made our way onto our cowhide and stick mattress where we were sleeping. We finally managed to calm the hysteria and fell asleep.

We awoke to the sounds of screaming goats and barking dogs. All throughout the night, we thought we heard a goat giving birth because we had met a very pregnant one earlier. We were disappointed to find out that we were wrong. L Brooke left to head back to camp with Shani and we were given Masai names. Charlotte’s is Naserian which means peacemaker or safe place. Varsha’s is Nawuosopat which means one who brings blessings. It turns out that this name proved to be accurate when a 2-day old sheep pooped on Varsha while she was holding it. In Masai culture, this is a blessing.

After morning chai, we headed with our translator Benjamin (who was also the preacher whom we had met on Sunday) to see our host’s sheep which were being cared for in another boma. After another cup of chai there, we walked a little with the sheep and the Masai men who were herding them. They even showed us their intense-looking spears which they use to kill lions. It was very cool! When we returned to our original boma, Charlotte had brought some coloring books and crayons for the children so we spent the rest of the morning coloring with them. All of the little kids enjoyed this a lot. We had another cup of chai (lots of chai here!) before our lunch of rice and beans.

We rested for around 4 hours in the afternoon because it was too hot to do anything. We stayed inside where we had slept. We planned to journal and sleep but were unable to do so because of the children who seemed to really enjoy our company. They would come inside and we would entertain them for a little bit and then we would tell them we wanted to sleep (we actually just wanted some alone time). However they kept on coming back inside! So after a while we developed a tactic of pretending to sleep whenever the children came in. As soon as someone opened the door we would drop our journals on our faces and pretend that we were sleeping. Now they probably think that all Westerners sleep with books on their faces.

Around 4, we went for a nature walk with Benjamin where we saw an antelope! After that, we had more chai (like actually, more chai) and talked to our host while waiting for Shani. He came and checked on us and made sure we were still alive before he headed back to the camp. Varsha brought out the Jenga game she had brought for the children and we played several intense games with the Masai kids and women. Benjamin turned out to be a Jenga master and won every single game except the last one where we all chanted, “Benjamin should lose! Benjamin should lose!” Then there was more singing and dancing by the Masai kids and women except this time we joined them. They kept asking us to sing American songs, and had a hard time understanding that we don’t dance the same way to these songs. We tried though. After failed attempts at Row, Row, Row Your Boat, Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, and Thrift Shop, we decided to do some American dancing. Naturally we chose the Macarena and the Cotton-Eyed Joe. They were not impressed; we finished our moves to blank stares. We decided to give up the thought of American dancing and stuck to the Masai stuff. For dinner we ate some more rice and beans then went to bed.

The next morning we woke up and had a gift exchange with the host before heading back to camp. Bucket showers and drop toilets have never felt this good! It was a really amazing experience, living as the Masai do. We returned to camp and had a nap before joining the others at the worksite. After work today we learned how to throw spears from the Masai warriors. Both of us were not very good at all, especially compared to the warriors who could throw practically the whole distance of the soccer field. They were having a competition among themselves and their sons to see who could throw the farthest. Whenever they threw really well, they “killed the lion.” Among us, Ycar was the only one who had any potential to “kill a lion.” We were not even close.

The boys left for their homestay today, and Laurie and Brandt joined them for an evening of dancing. We can’t wait to hear their homestay stories this weekend at Losijo, where we are spending our vacation from work. All of us are very excited for real showers and refrigeration! Looking forward to a well-deserved break!

Love,

Charlotte and Varsha

Quote of the Day: “I am a man of fixed and unbending principles, the first of which is to be flexible at all times.” Everett Dirksen

Hi Mommy, Daddy, and Varun! Varsha here. I’m fine and I’m having lots of fun! I almost brought home a baby goat except it pooped on me and I didn’t like it anymore. Hope all is fine with you guys. Can’t wait to see you when I get back!

Love, Varsha

Hi Mom, Popi, and Syd… it’s Char.  Someone asked me to marry them today for 30 cows.  I said we wanted more.  Hope all is well with you! -Char