Including a picture last time drew a lot of comments, so I have put in a picture of my granddaughter and me taken last April. It seems like such a long time ago. She has two teeth now and is sitting and crawling everywhere (mostly to grab the cat food according to her Mom).
I was reminded by a friend this last month of our hike on part of the Appalachian Trail. She wondered if being in Kenya kind of felt like that trip……you want to be there but it is hard, hard work. You only make it by remembering to put one foot in front of the other whether you feel like it or not……yes, friend, living here is like hiking the Appalachian Trail. The daily effort takes it toll, and the rewards are just as sweet as that feeling of accomplishment we had when we completed our trek. At days end, there are things to celebrate even with an achy body and spirit. It is the small pleasures that sustain.
One note of celebration is that my sense of smell is coming back. I do not know if it is the African climate or if it is the result of the long term therapy I have been on for my sinuses finally kicking in. If it is, thanks Dr Merrell and Dr Winder. My sister sent me a Yankee candle air freshener for my closet and the first time I opened the door and smelled it, I almost fainted…..it was too grand for words. I can “smell the coffee” now and food I have cooked. Of course, now I can also smell the choo (outdoor bathrooms) and all the crowded sweaty bodies on the matatu….eek…I can even smell myself!
At my former company, HCR Manor Care, we show a video called Minnie to new hires. It helps remind them that our patients have names and a life history to be honored as a part of their stay in our rehab center, and how important a name can be to someone. That lesson is driven home to me everyday in Kenya. I get called a lot of different names, Patricia (pronounced Pah tree see ah), shangazi (auntie by the teenagers), the ever ugly muzungu (white person) and everyone’s favorite, Mama. Every woman of a certain age and bearing are called mama if their name is not known. I often wonder how can they spot the mamas – is it just an age thing or do they check out the expanded hips, saggy breasts and the leftover rubbery baby pouch we all carry as a part of our tummies before they call you a mama. What is in a name???? I miss being called Patty. For some reason, Patty is a difficult word for Kenyans to say so they never call me that…….some days they do not call me anything, they just ask for sweets like I carry candy around with me……....weird.
Hey, more strange news, we have rats at the factory…..no real cause for celebration on this one. They keep eating our hand soap. Once they whittle it down to a small enough size, they pick it up and carry it back to wherever they live…..they have not started eating our fabric yet, but it is only a question of time. So, our quest is to catch the ones in the factory and plug up the openings so no more can get in. A friend sent me some rat traps. She mailed them months ago and like a miracle from heaven, they arrived the same week we discovered the rats. I am always the first in the office (some habits are hard to break) and so naturally I am the one who “discovers” the catch each day. I am all girl about this. I refuse to go near the traps. It gives me the willies (whatever that is).They are glue traps so the rat is still alive…..eek!
I think I am not adapting too well to some of the cultural practices. Kenyans really do not know how to keep time. It is not unusual for people to show up to meetings one to three hours late or even not at all. Worse, people sit around and wait for everyone before they start the meeting. I have begun too lose patience for this and have taken to leaving if people have not arrived within one hour of the agreed start time. It doesn’t make them more compliant but it does keep me from sitting there and getting angry about it. The other cultural practice is the handshake. Everyone gets a handshake whether it is a group of two or thirty……I am not that friendly a person to begin with so shaking many hands just wears me out, but it is a daily occurrence here. Every employee at the factory expects a handshake when I greet them each day. Every meeting includes a big round of handshakes. All “jambos” on the walk to work come with a handshake. It is rude not to shake hands. Even if you are eating at a table, you still offer your wrist for them to touch.
Some days I feel ashamed I behave like such a wretch when people are so kind to me. The young man who keeps me supplied with water each week does so with a smile and never complains or whines about carrying 120 liters of water up to the second floor. My friends in the community feed me, entertain me and generally look after me like family. I have to remind myself that life has its little pleasures and just like in the USA, it is wrapped around relationships, not the tasks or the trials of the Kenyan lifestyle.
Oswald Chambers, a great spiritual writer and teacher, says we get caught up in the concept of God leading us to some desired goal when in reality God’s goal for us is the process. I feel like this whole 10 months has been a classroom in process for me. I learn new things about myself (most of them are things I cannot brag about) and I am learning the hard way, in whatever state I am in to be content in Him. I am not sure I have ever appreciated that as I do here.
More cause for celebration, we have 35 people at the factory now and have sent our sample line to New York hoping we can capture the attention of a very big store. Our products are selling right now in the Serena Hotel chain (owned by the Aga Khan). Their gift shop is stocking our stuff! Serena is the premier hotel of Kenya. My Weighbridge grocery store is still lagging behind. I think the treasurer might have “borrowed” the funds and that is why the meetings have not been held. The SACCO is in the process of obtaining registration and we are working on their budget and figuring out the training schedule for running one.
And, I had Christmas in July – 6 packages arrived in one day! I got stuff from friends in Georgia, Virginia, Ohio and New York. The workers at the Posta were amazed. I had to hire a tuk tuk (a small three wheeled vehicle, kind of a taxi), to haul the stuff from the Posta to the matatu staging area for Mariakani. I am ever grateful that you all continue to remember me. I was running out of reading material and between all the packages I ended up with about 10 books and other delectable items such as beef jerky, jelly beans, energy bars, peanut butter crackers and other yummy stuff; and of course, the rat traps (useful stuff!).
I ended the month sick, but am on the road to recovery. I plan to hike Mt. Kenya next week if the bronchitis is cleared up enough. Otherwise, I will just look at it and enjoy the view. Enjoy your “dog days of summer” in the US; we are nearing the end of winter. Each day gets a little hotter and the rains are almost done. I miss you all more than you can know.
