This is Not Kenya

This is a dream. And I am probably dreaming somewhere in California.

Nairobi reminds me of Los Angeles. The billboards are all in English, the streets have crazy drivers (though car steering wheel are on the right and cars drive on the left-hand side of the road), and the petrol converts to about $4.60 per gallon (95shillings per liter). At certain places, towering palm trees serve as a road divider, and advertisements for "Budget" rent-a-car and other familiar U.S. brands could be seen throughout the drive. Palm trees?? I thought i was in Kenya. Even other U.S. states don't have palm trees. So far, my experience of East Africa is more familiar to my California roots than visits to Texas.

I am currently in a hostel not far from Nairobi, where I have most all the amenities I could ask for: flushing toilets, hot showers, electricity, internet, Ice Cream?? I was not expecting ice cream for a couple of years but the small strawberry & vanilla scoops proved a pleasant surprise. Yesterday morning I experienced a sunrise that would move even Keanu Reeves to show some degree of emotion, and a magnificent sunset accompanied me during a game of ultimate frisbee on a small grass field with other peace corps trainees. Also, for those of you who have played Oregon Trail, I no longer have to live in fear of Typhoid, since the vaccine (along with others) is coursing through my body.

I absolutely love my fellow trainees thus far, and it is so exciting to continually find out their different life stories. I have found two other berkeley graduates in my training group: one that lived in Los Angeles, and the other that I have nicknamed Babu (meaning grandfather in kiswahili). The staff here is amazing as well. We began our first Kiswahili lesson yesterday, and it is slow going for most of us.

Our food situation is similar to what I would find back home. Breakfast yesterday was cornflakes with warm milk, eggs, sausage and wheat toast. Lunch and dinner most always have rice and beans, with a buttery "coleslaw" for vegetables. On another note, I've been wearing the same outfit each day, and i'm deathly afraid of hand-washing my clothes.

It's becoming ever so slightly more real each passing moment, but once I believe I am actually in Kenya, I will be sure make it known.

Hopes, Expectations

In three days from this moment I will arrive in Nairobi to begin my two years and three months of service. In all honesty, I don't really believe I'm going. It's hard to wrap my head around being without all the comforts I have grown accustomed to, not to mention being without the people I have grown to love. When will be the next time I have strawberries? A hot, wasteful shower? Swim in a pool? Hear my mother's voice? Already I am nostalgic for the things of America, yet I am just in Pittsburgh, awaiting my staging tomorrow in Philadelphia. Last week I filled my last tank of gas at a shell station: $2.97 per gallon. At In-n-out burger, a Double Double cost $3.05. Stamps are currently $0.44. How much will prices change in a couple years? Still, my excitement builds with each passing minute. It will be the first time I visit the southern hemisphere, and the first time I travel alone without a cell phone.
My expectations of Africa are outrageous. I have this vision that as we arrive in Nairobi International Airport, we will be greeted by a Ladysmith Black Mambazo serenade while trained elephants unload our baggage. We ride on the backs of giraffes through golden plains, wearing safari garb and counting the leopards we spot. When we arrive at our village, almost naked pot-bellied children run to greet us with huge smiles, their bright teeth sharply contrasting against their deep black complexion.
This will obviously not be the case. I should expect poor living conditions, unbearable heat, and HIV-infected children. My biggest fear as a Peace Corps Volunteer is that I am ineffective at bringing about assistance to those around me. Many suffer from numerous medical conditions, and I am no doctor. Malaria kills 1 million people per year, and in Africa it is responsible for 1 in 5 deaths in children. The only thing I am infected with is enthusiasm. With hope, the malaria-bearing mosquitoes wont be the only ones contagious.

Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance

Maamkio! Here I begin an online journal of my forthcoming adventure in Kenya. This entry will be brief as I am pressed for time, though I hope to include my thoughts on: Kenyan culture, economics, food, weather, health, clothing, music, dance, rituals, traditions, and values in future posts, while giving insight to my own expectations, struggles, and triumphs. As such, my last couple days in the United States can be summed up as follows:

Q: What are you doing to prepare for your Peace Corps service in Africa?

A: Yesterday I packed a large suitcase, a backpack and a guitar. Today I watched The Lion King. Tomorrow I leave.

Is it really that simple? Nope. But hey, Hakuna Matata.