Trying New Things!

I recently discovered that one of the Kenyan's I know, Eric, is baking in the back of a small shop not far from where I live. He used to bake from someone's garage but then the cost of flour became to expensive and the baking discontinued. The oven was moved from the garage to the shop and is now operating again. It is a charcoal oven that was made by a student at some point as a project. I was enquiring how we could possibly get one for our property. But finding out that you can't actually just buy them I'll have to go to plan B. My plan B involves another person (Caleb) I have met on previous trips, although not yet seen them this trip. He is a young married guy who has been taking in homeless boys, caring for them, sending them to school and attempting to set up a trade school to help these boys later find employment. So plan B becomes bringing Caleb to see the oven and see if he can get the boys to produce one or more. It may be able to become an income for them?? Anyway, see how we go. But the real story to this blog is that we visited the little shop with the oven, all 14 of us (orphans, house parents, girls who stay with me, and an extra girl in hardship). We crammed into the back of the shop and covered the pizza's with tomatoe paste, tomatoes, capsicum, onion, pineapple, avacado, mixed herbs and some cheese that I had bought on my last trip to the airport. (Cheese is not readily available here. I bought it from a much bigger town with a dairy factory). We got the oven heated up with the charcoals and it turned out great. A new experience in ovens for me and a new experience in food for the kenyans. Its good having friends!

Off to Nairobi tomorrow to organise another visa. This time it has to be a work visa. It is a 6hr drive but I'm being told that the roads are being upgraded so hopefully this is right. I don't venture far from where I stay so an opportunity to see new things is welcome. Last time I was in a car to Nairobi was in the crazy scramble to try and catch a plane after missing the first plane from Eldoret. Of course we didn't make it to the flight but I think we may have been pretty close to a record time. Sometimes traveling at 160km on an unmarked road in the dark, barely able to see in front....I tended to look out the side window, although that was a bit of a blur. So a more relaxed drive during the day should be good.

Everywhere I walk there are children and sometimes adults calling out "how are you?" in a high pitched voice....they must all think we speak like this. Or they call out "Muzungu" (European) to get my attention. Yesterday some children must have learnt a new sentence they wanted to try out so they were sitting in the field outside our home calling "What is it?" "What is it?"

When many start to call out "How are you?" if I'm walking with the Robins they chime back "We are fine!" The standard answer to this question. I can hear children calling out to me from quite a distance away. I begun just to wave and this is enough acknowledgement for them. There is a little girl who lives near the Nest. When she sees me coming her mouth is wide open and she runs at me with her hand in the air to give me a very solid 'high 5' when she reaches me. I'll try and capture it on video or photo if I can. It doesnt happen every time and when it does happen sometimes she comes running from out of her yard and it is all happening before I can do anything. Except 'high 5' that is! Today I greeted some school children with the expected shaking of hands. Some continued to follow close behind me. I could hear them but didn't really pay attention to them but then all of a sudden one was brave enough to dash up behind me and grab my hand. It gave me a bit of a shock and them an extra laugh. They get so excited when they see a white person. Quite funny!