Beware of Everything

In between posts about decorating my room...I just read my beautiful friend Bethany's recent blog post, and it touched me deeply. It also highlighted the fact that I rarely discuss, on my blog or in conversation with my US peeps, the way my heart has been slowly becoming entwined with the people and country of Kenya.

I think the main reason I don't talk about it (besides the obvious fact that I'm a horribly inconsistent blogger) is that my daily job here keeps me in very little contact with the "real" people of Kenya. I hesitate to write that, even with my ironic use of quotation marks around the word real. Obviously anyone who lives here makes up the dynamic local culture, and I am frequently around Kenyans--out and about in town, at the store, running camp, even at my own house. But the part of my life here where I am the most active, both socially and vocationally, does not involve a lot of cross-cultural interaction. The kids I hang out with, and the staff I work and live with, are not (for the most part) of African descent. They are from all over the world, and they make up a unique background, so it's not necessarily like living in a mini-America, but all the same it has been a slow process of integration with my surrounding Kenyan culture.

The deeper, more transparent reason behind my reticence is that I honestly feel self-conscious about discussing Kenyans in general, local political happenings, cultural normality, etc. I have lived here for 8 months, but I feel SO incapable of intelligently and sensitively communicating about a people group that I am still so unfamiliar with. I have quite a few friends here who work daily in local slums, at orphanages, or with social aid groups. The are in the trenches so to speak. They know a plethora of Swahili words. I think I know 40 tops. They are regularly affronted by the unspeakable atrocities of extreme poverty, human violence, and depravity--and have beautiful stories of redemption amidst the chaos. During the summer when we took our teams to the slums, and to the rural Kenyan villages, I was registering campers and taking care of the logistics of camp (a job I both enjoyed and thrived in), but nonetheless, I missed out on those formative experiences. As time has ticked by, I find that I'm sailing through what has become normal life for me, and barely coming in contact with what is actually an average life in the country I'm living in. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying this is always wrong, or even completely avoidable. Obviously I'm going to live where I am safe, and use the resources the Lord has blessed me with. I'm going to gravitate towards what I am used to, and comfortable in. But this is a fine line, one that I am still coming to terms with. I am keenly aware that although I live in Kenya, I am only just beginning to live in and understand Kenya.

I see people come here on a short project, or even for a few months, and leave with an almost arrogant view of their understanding of Kenya as a whole, or (even worse), their idea of Africa. I feel like I have only barely nicked the surface of even the part of the city I live in, let alone the characterization of entire people groups, countries, or a continent. Although people often have the best of intentions, it seems sort of ridiculous. If I spent a few weeks in Marietta, GA, I would barely have a grasp on the locals let alone the people of, say, Seattle. Why do we (Westerners? Americans? Christians?) tend to view Africa or even Kenya as easily graspable and generalizable.

I am not complaining about my daily life or job. I came here for a specific purpose, and have seen the beauty of God's planning and provision around it continue to unfold each day. I love what I do, my team, and the community we serve. And slowly and steadily, I am coming to love this complex, beautiful and often broken country and people. I am learning and soaking in knowledge daily.
And although I am loathe to too quickly claim an understanding or deep connection to a culture so different from my own, I am equally aware of the danger of over-precaution. I can't let my hesitance to own understanding keep me from trying to understand, or become a matter of pride or safety. From learning, seeing, and experiencing what is around me, even if I have to seek it out. And from sharing about it, even if it illuminates how basic and limited my truly African or Kenyan experiences are. Because in truth, though they are more few and far between than I might like, they are still deeply etched into my heart and soul, and I know you want to know more about my life here.

Forgive me for being hesitant to share it with you. I am inspired to try,

a local flower

safari sunrise

an ironic gate in my neighborhood

DIY Continued

Last month I had the delightful privilege of getting booted out of Kenya for passport reasons...which of course had the upside of landing me in Dallas with my amazing family. Not only was it just the restful, restorative time I needed after my first 6 months in Nairobi (and 2 months at camp-OY), it was the perfect opportunity to bring 3 more suitcases of stuff to Kenya. I didn't have to bring my down comforter this time, which freed up a lot of options. Things that made it in the bag: 7 bags of cereal (Kashi and Puffins of course), new clothes (since there's no Anthro or Forever 21 in Nairobi), and this hat (for the coast and safari, naturally). 

Then Babs and I decided to take a trip to Ikea, just for fun. Well fun led to lament as I thought about my room in Nairobi, which led to thinking of all that empty space in my suitcases, which led straight to the check-out  and my new curtains, guest bed duvet, pretty desk accessories, and the resolve to complete my Kenya DIY upon my return. 

Karibu to my room!

3 of my walls were made over in an avocado green, that's both warm and bright without being overwhelming. The new curtains replaced their basic, navy predecessors. The large wooden frame above the couch is a custom made piece, bought from one of the many side-of-the-road vendors. That door leads to my private little patio, which I use quite a bit, and overlooks our back yard.   

A closer look at my bird tree. The original was in my LA apt, and made for my friend JJ's bridal shower. It was a hit, so it stayed on the wall for over a year. The birds traveled with me in Feb, and thankfully butcher paper is easy to find in Nairobi. The whole thing was an easy and cheap way to decorate for my mobile lifestyle!

I picked more neutral curtains to go over my bed, because the bird print curtains are on 3 windows and that seemed like a lot of birds. My room is basically a huge square with a small rectangle attached. The smaller area is where my desk, closets and single guest bed are. I purposely kept the larger area in neutral shades, with just one wall painted green. Not that I'm into Feng Shui or anything, but I like the sleeping area to be soothing, while my little "guest room" is more patterned and vibrant. 

Lamps are pricey here, so instead of buying two, I made this lamp-sized tree detail to balance out the sides of my bed. The candlesticks were an awesome Masai market find.

A closer view of my curtains and a peak at my backyard. 

My beds are a pretty basic, plain shape and quality. I was not loving the mishmosh of wood tones in the room, so I spray painted them to match the nightstands. I was pretty proud of myself, taking apart the bed, sanding, and painting. 

These frames were another market purchase. Can't afford 4? No problem, just use butcher paper on two, it will balance out in the end. The pictures are all from my trip to the Isle of Skye in Scotland with Miss Whit. 

The view from my bed: door to the bathroom, and the hall. The bird tree theme continues on subdued cream walls. 

Ok, that's all for today. Hope you enjoy my nest so far. Up next, the bathroom and the "guest room/office."

DIY...Kenya Style

I remember the first time I came into my Nairobi bedroom. It was late at night. I was in a daze. I had just moved 9,657 miles across the world, with only my 4 suitcases, one trunk and a handbag (much to the hilarity of my 23 year-old male teammates...) I had moved from my very pretty and very much my apartment in LA, to a shared house with 4 other girls. In Kenya. No more Pottery Barn furniture or hand crackle painted armoires. Of course, I was prepared for this and was happy to make a new home with different ideals in my new adventurous Southern Hemisphere life. This did not diminish the effect of my very large, oddly shaped new bedroom, with brown floors, brown mis-matched furniture, putty-cream walls and navy curtains. Oh. My. Deep breaths. I can do this. I am not shallow. I am SO blessed to have a safe, clean room, a double bed, an extra couch. The thing is, I am a nester. And I am Barb's daughter. Design matters to me, inspiration is important. And I spend a lot of time in my room. It's my haven, my place to be alone, to think, to dream in the crazy and often chaotic life that I am blessed to lead here. So my DoItYourself project really began that very night, when at 11:30pm, my first act of living here was to bust out my down comforter and duvet cover that I vacuum packed into one of my 5 bags. Yup, that's right. I moved to Kenya with my down comforter. Judge all you want, not a day has gone by when I wasn't SO thankful that I made room for it. It's my bed, my couch, my sitting room for girl's nights, my lounge for late night roommate talks, for prayer, for work, and one important piece of familiarity in a place where all things seem new. 

I digress. 

DIY, starting with my comforter on day one (it's from Crate and Barrel FYI). Ahhh, I didn't sleep until 6am, wide-eyed with the weight of what I had just done, but darn it if I wasn't cozy in my comforter. Ironically, it was exactly that, comforting. As I grappled with thoughts and tears and doubts and dreams, I was tied back to reality by the sight of my very normal bedspread. Hey, I thought, I'm still me...just in Nairobi instead of LA. It all sounds a bit silly today, but it was somewhat of a lifeline on February 4. 

Soon I bought a bedside lamp for mood lighting (lamps are surprisingly expensive here) and found a few picture frames in my luggage. But oh, that couch. Good body, great lines...but SO unfortunately brown and stripy. 

And so much empty space. 

So I headed out to Mr. Price where I bought a simple grey-brown coverlet and 2 pillows. Did some simple draping. Added pillow cases from home (CB2). And I found a table no one seemed to be using in the house, and boom! Sitting room started. 

Months passed. I was settling in. And sharing the room with Michelle for a few months. But I was still dreaming of ways to make it feel more like my home. So this summer when I had 3 weeks in Nairobi and virtually everyone else was gone with the camp staff or in the US, I decided to make the move and paint my little coffee table. I headed to Nakumatt (our grocery store/mini Costco), bought some paint, a brush and some primer, and had myself a little weekend project. It's funny the things that you can or can't find here...drop clothes? Nope. Butcher paper. Yes, for about 15 cents. 

The color was a bit crazier than I had originally intended. But I LOVE it. And it was the first of what would spiral into a handful of room improvement projects. More on that soon. Oh, and that cute vase thing on the table is actually a hollowed out gourd that's been painted. Cheap, unique, and culturally appropriate. Yay. 

*A note on decorating in Nairobi: It's important that you know there are plenty of gorgeous and quality pieces available here. Beautiful, hand-crafted beds are even for sale on the side of the road. Carved solid wood tables, for a fraction of the price you would pay in the US. But sadly, still more than a non-profit gal can afford. And exported goods are completely out of most people's price range. So don't imagine it's impossible to create a homey place...you just have to be creative if you're on a budget. No Target lamps or Ikea projects round here...

Baby Elephants and Giraffe Kisses

No, not the name of my newest children's book. Just a day in the life...

While the BFF was visiting in March, we hit up the famed suburb of Karen where we visited an elephant orphanage, as well as a giraffe observatory (if only we could stay there, too! Mom and Dad???)

It would literally take DAYS to upload all my pictures to Blogger, hello Nairobi wifi! So here is a link to see the pictures on Flikr. Sorry they are so orange...I was trying to be artsy and use the miniature setting on my camera. I'm sure Miss W has better pictures somewhere on the web...

The elephant orphanage is so much more than just oooohing and ahhhing at cute elephants. They take about 20 minutes to explain how they save all the babies in the wild (victims of accidents, poaching, environmental issues, ditches/wells, and human encroachment/cruelty). Some of the stories blew my mind, it's all funded my private donors, and it's awesome how far they'll go to rescue one of those cute little (huge) guys. I actually learned SO much there, like how sensitive and emotional elephants are, and how they can die easily simply from trauma, stress, or depression. They rotate trainers every single day because the elephants will bond so much with one trainer that if he/she takes a vacation it might literally die due to sadness...crazy, huh? I wish I could remember all that I learned there, it was fascinating to hear how they take around 12 years to rehabilitate these elephants back into the wild. At the end of their time, they are 100% wild again, and go on to mate and live with wild herds. It was so amazing to see these tough, huge, animals and see how they really are like little babies/toddlers, drinking out of bottles, playing, fighting, etc.

Ironically, one of the toddlers got a little riled up right in front of me, and I ended up getting body checked by a ginormous baby elephant...but I loved it! The crowd gasped, Whitney and I laughed, and I felt special the rest of the day.

After that we ate lunch at this hidden little gem of an inn, complete with...a dragon fountain/sculpture at the pool. Then it was off to the giraffe observatory where we hand fed giraffes, and then each got a kiss by strategically holding a food pellet in our mouth to tempt the (lady) giraffes to kiss us with their incredibly long, purple and scratchy tongues. It was an incredibly strange and magical moment.

Needless to say, a beautiful day with the bestie and the beasts!

Happy 4th and 150th!

Today is my 150th day in Kenya. Don't worry, I didn't know that until I decided to count it out for this post. And it just so happens it's a nice, round, momentous number! Tomorrow is the 4th of July, and for the first time 3 years I won't be in a dinghy with my parents and friends in Marina del Rey watching fireworks from the channel. And apparently no one will, as my lovely state is flat broke. I will be celebrating the way that any patriotic American living in Kenya should...at Diamond Plaza, eating Indian food with my hodge podge group of friends that are in town. What says God Bless America more than naan and butter chicken? I'm hoping to make an apple pie, which should round things out.

With 150 days of life in Kenya under my belt, there is a lot to celebrate, reflect on, and laugh about:

My first birthday in Kenya, and my first fancy dinner out in Nairobi at Zen Garden, and my introduction to Kim's idea about what constitutes a picture opportunity...

A trip to Uganda to raft the Nile...in which I didn't drown, but thought I might. Also worth mentioning were the giant rats that fought it out in the roof 8 inches from my head on the top bunk, directly under a giant hole in the bamboo ceiling...and I went right back to sleep. Who says I'm high maintenance? The dead rat the size of a Yorkshire terrier outside our room the next morning proved some didn't fare as well as I did...

Matatus...van-taxis that abide by no apparent traffic laws, have incredibly crazy names like "Radiant Dancer" and "Blessed" and more than occasionally cause traffic jams, accidents, or Kim to lecture out of the car window. Just last week I took my first ride in one, which was happily uneventful. 

Whitney's visit! Sharing my new life with my best friend was an unmeasurable blessing. Not only did we have an epic safari in Masai Mara, but we visited baby elephants at the elephant orphanage and kissed giraffes. And that is giraffe food I'm holding in my mouth...not my tongue. 

They really are amazing, otherworldly creatures. Out near camp, we see them in the wild fairly regularly. Did you know that when they run, it looks exactly like slow motion? It's kind of crazy. I don't think I'll ever get used to seeing giraffe, baboons, monkeys, zebras, and antelope in "regular" life. 

Getting used to a no voice-mail world, which means a lot of texting, "flashing" people (where you call them once and they call you back), and people calling you 2-4 times in a ROW when you don't answer, letting it ring approx 15 times each. Add into that that the camp phone is my iPhone, and that parents call me at all hours of the day (9am on a Sat, 8:30pm or 7:12am any old day...) Love it. 

The beginning of my love affair with Ethiopian food at Habesha. A taste of LA at The Tribe. A re-discovery of chocolate mousse and a taste Europe at Art Cafe. $12 massages and incredible food at River Cafe. Stove-popped popcorn...even our housekeeper makes fun of how often I eat it. 

My first foray into middle school theater

A week on the African coast, complete with a sail in a wooden boat potentially held together by rope and scotch tape. Tide pools, cliff jumping, sea anemones, and a million stars by a campfire on the sand with friends. Ahhhhhh

Banana and taro chips. Tree tomatoes. The complexity of baking in another country. Shopping at a market, a green grocer, and a butcher every week. 

Trying to (and failing at) making homemade lard. For a pie. Which involved a flirty butcher, free fat, and the fact that I no longer shop there due to sheer awkwardness...

Discovering my intense fear of hippos. 

Becoming hooked on Brothers and Sisters. 

New friends. New life. New challenges. Same God. 

Happy 150th day together, Kenya. I don't say this lightly, I am falling in love with you, more and more each day.

Camp=Spandex and Face Paint

Yes, I am a very horrible blogger. I got distracted by a middle school production of Alice and Wonderland, gearing up for camp, a staff of 20+ college students arriving 6 weeks ago and all the glories of being at and helping to run a summer camp. Whew. But I couldn't go a day longer without explaining something truly important to you. About camp. And spandex unitards. Oh yes, what could be more entertaining to kids 7-18 then a bunch of adults wearing spandex body suits, wigs, and face paint?

The entire camp is divided into two teams, Chumvi and Nuru (salt and light), and we compete all week in teams for the fame and glory of winning the Chumvi/Nuru bead at the end of camp. Nuru is blue, Chumvi is red, and we have a bevy of dress-up clothes at our disposal. This was for the video we filmed to show each week--Kim and I went all out, and I was first introduced to the spandex "blue-nitard" that you may see again...in case you're wondering, Nuru has won both sessions of camp. :) 

The BlueSky Avenger is a regular Camp BlueSky hero. He even has a theme-song...Living on a Prayer by Jon Bon Jovi obviously. This year, he met his new arch-nemesis...the BlueSky Avenger. Isn't she pretty? Her theme song, incidentally, is Uptown Girl. They have a video, and make an appearance towards the end of camp where they have somewhat of a dance battle...ain't camp grand? 

On Fridays we have a very special night at camp called Summit Fires, and the entire camp comes with their faces painted in special colors for each group. Staff get to use all four, yippee. This was week one. 

And this was week two, after we had all received our special camp names. It's a long-standing tradition and there is a meaning behind each name. From left to right I give you: Rock, Star, Ice, Mama, Vendetta, Legend, Bro, Jubilee, and Sunshine. Oh, camp. 

And lastly, on Thursday nights we have BlueSky's Best Dance Crew, and the judges tend to be famous characters from movies or TV. The first week was Saved By the Bell (I was Lisa) and the second week some Wizard of Oz characters made an appearance. Dorothy, Glinda, Wicked Witch and Scarecrow. 

And y'all wondered how I'd put my theater degree to good use in Kenya? 

Snaps

Suffice it to say I haven't had time to be a great blogger with Michelle's arrival, Whitney's two week visit, our amazing safari, a week of substitute teaching and now a 5 day trip to the coast (yes, I realize I've been on 3 trips in two months...TIA).

To tide you over, here is a link to some of our safari "snaps" as our driver/guide/guru Evahnsu called them. It was life-changing, epic, humbling, glorious, amazing and so many more adjectives!

Love to you all!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2652386&id=3409163&l=e96d375e9c