Bits and Pieces

There aren't any parks or any where really to go (we picnic at the Falls but this is quite a distance and still doesn't have anywhere to play) so we make our own fun in the backyard. It was Leah's (house mum) birthday so after cake and singing we went outside for balloon games. They had so much fun. Never sure if the house parents or the children get the most fun out of it. As we wound up and went inside Jotham (house dad) said "Wow! We are really going to have fun when we are all living on the property together!" He had had so much fun with balloon races, captain ball, tunnel ball and another chasing game. Rather than just sitting around I organise games and activities. Its always easy to do when you have such willing participants. And it always brings a laugh!

Interesting little things happen everyday. Like yesterday I decided I wanted a pineapple so off I set down the road to go to the road stall that I know sells pineapples. I left the house about 7.30am to try and beat the heat. I not only beat the heat but the sellers. I was too early so back up the hill I walked. I popped into the little shop at the end of our lane for some bread and eggs. I was invited into have tea. I've now become used to their milk tea and assumed that this is what it would be and so accepting the invitation should be fine. So I ducked under the counter and waited for the tea to be brought. I was told it was ready and so I should just take tea there before going home to my own tea. The tea wasnt quite ready but rice and cabbage was. Try facing that at 8 o'clock in the morning. I did my best and ate most of it. Then came the soya tea. A bit of a coffee taste but managed to drink it. It wasn't too bad by the time I got to the bottom of the cup. Never drinking tea or coffee in Australia this has been an adjustment. But certainly not the worst thing that could happen. It is nice to accept the hospitality of the locals. A young girl who just finished schooling last year and is waiting to start college in September to become an accountant was my host. She was delightful.

Today I was escorted to the next town by someone practising to drive. Not too bad...still sorting the gears and learning to steer away from the pot holes. Not always an easy task as the roads are sometimes just covered in holes. And some of those holes are enormous. We made it there and back safely at between 40 and 60kmph. I generally drive this road between 80 and 100kmph. Those experienced on this road drive up to 120kmph. I can never remember where the worst parts of the road are so I drive cautiously.

The car is always in the repair shop. These roads don't help and yesterday it had a collision with a cow. No one was injured and the car had minor damage. But there is always something. Last week I think it had 3 flat tyres! We are praying for a new 4WD to try and combat some of the roads. This was one of our sight seeing stops on our way back from Nairobi. We were at the top of a hill. The scenery around us was lovely.

I'll keep this brief as a newsletter will be circulated in the next couple of days with more photos and stories of what we've been up to.

Take care!

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!