Ordering from a Menu – the list may be long but, like travel in other parts of the majority world, only a few items might be available on any given day and the very tastiest item of the day may not be listed. So (Sa sa) it is best to ask for a recommendation and dialogue a little before you place an order. We have enjoyed some particularly tasty chicken stews. It is customary to eat with your hand – I must confess I still prefer a spoon or fork. This leads me to hand washing.
Hand Washing – In many restaurants and in private homes you are offered the opportunity to wash up … a jug of water and some soap or perhaps sliced lemon or lime appear and a basin held beneath your hands while the water is poured for your wash up. I like it! There is such a sweet attitude of servant hood that goes with this. After the meal, the same courtesy is offered.
Drinking chai – I have grown fond of drinking chai here – a thermos (usually very large) containing steaming hot milk arrives at the table along with tea bags and instant coffee. I stick to the tea. The Kenyan sugar is lovely and chai is usually consumed sweet. I may have to take this habit home with me! Sometimes the chai comes premade in the thermos … it is a real treat.
Greetings – Kenyans are very friendly people and there is plenty of time to shake hands and greet each other. I particularly love to offer my hand to the little ones who shake it and say ‘mzuri’ meaning fine. We were in church on Sunday and a very small boy (maybe 18 months old) came up to Ron to be held…. Very sweet. Some of the children are rather terrified by our white skin. Some cannot wait to get their fingers in our grey hair!
Time – there is North American time for some things, Kenyan time which is less definite and Swahili time which is totally different …. It keeps things interesting!
Courtesies – Kenyans ask about your well being and your family regularly and genuinely want to hear from you. Mothers are given a special place and to be introduced to an adult person’s mother is special. We have met some lovely mothers.
Age – I cannot do well guessing peoples age here - life is hard for many and a person of 50 might look so much older to me. I will not guess! Many women have their first child in their teens. The carry heavy bags on their heads, a baby on their back and other items in their hands. I cannot.
Driving – Drive on the left, right, or best side … drive beside the road or off on a track through the sand, through river beds ….. and in Turkana you will average about 35 Km/hour. We pray before we set out and give thanks when we arrive….. it is an adventure for sure!
Post Comments - sorry we have been unable to read your post comments but we will as soon as we have a good enough connection! We have posted a few photos on flickr if you care to look. Again not all have captions due to internet limits. But we HAVE internet!! Yeah!
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Sunday, October 26, 2008
DODGE BALL
One of the few PE activities I was reasonably good at a young girl was dodge ball. If you don’t know the game, half the class stood in a circle throwing a large ball at other half of the class who were inside the circle trying to ‘dodge’ the ball. It was not rocket science to excel at the game but it was an achievement for me none the less.
I thought of that game as we were discussing prioritizing the tasks before us. Just as in doing business at home in Canada there are urgent tasks, important tasks, busy work tasks and curve balls ( I was never good at dodging those ones). We want to give our best to the relief work we came to help manage. We want to be wise in the use of our time. We want to invest in encouraging and mentoring the wonderful promising bright lights of Kenya – well at least a few of them.
Kenyans are a fascinating people and I have great fun trying to adapt my North American accent to be clearly understood. Many Kenyans speak at least 2 languages – often 3 and sometimes additional local dialects on top of that. I am not particularly good at picking up languages. I have to concentrate on my English pronunciation, realizing how I often run one word into the next and drop endings!! I am improving. I try to use a little Swahili.
I love how Kenyans take time to warmly greet each other – looking at you with an big smile and recalling the last time you met. I love the custom of stopping in somewhere just to greet a person you have previously met. I love how even very small children will come to shake your hand. I love being wished a ‘safe journey’ and ending a conversation with ‘sawa sawa’ which loosely translated is something like ‘OK’ or ‘it is all good’.
I love buying vegetables in the local market and often gladly pay the first price I am given because it is an OK price in my eyes and it helps out the vendor. Sometimes we barter seriously; sometimes we barter and they pay a higher price because we want to…it is all part of living in another culture.
I love coming back to the house where we are stay in Eldoret and looking at the photos of the coast of Vancouver Island which we left on the walls here last year in December …. I love thinking about our family, friends, neighbors and church .. I love connecting with people here too and knowing that a part of us will always belong to Kenya!
I thought of that game as we were discussing prioritizing the tasks before us. Just as in doing business at home in Canada there are urgent tasks, important tasks, busy work tasks and curve balls ( I was never good at dodging those ones). We want to give our best to the relief work we came to help manage. We want to be wise in the use of our time. We want to invest in encouraging and mentoring the wonderful promising bright lights of Kenya – well at least a few of them.
Kenyans are a fascinating people and I have great fun trying to adapt my North American accent to be clearly understood. Many Kenyans speak at least 2 languages – often 3 and sometimes additional local dialects on top of that. I am not particularly good at picking up languages. I have to concentrate on my English pronunciation, realizing how I often run one word into the next and drop endings!! I am improving. I try to use a little Swahili.
I love how Kenyans take time to warmly greet each other – looking at you with an big smile and recalling the last time you met. I love the custom of stopping in somewhere just to greet a person you have previously met. I love how even very small children will come to shake your hand. I love being wished a ‘safe journey’ and ending a conversation with ‘sawa sawa’ which loosely translated is something like ‘OK’ or ‘it is all good’.
I love buying vegetables in the local market and often gladly pay the first price I am given because it is an OK price in my eyes and it helps out the vendor. Sometimes we barter seriously; sometimes we barter and they pay a higher price because we want to…it is all part of living in another culture.
I love coming back to the house where we are stay in Eldoret and looking at the photos of the coast of Vancouver Island which we left on the walls here last year in December …. I love thinking about our family, friends, neighbors and church .. I love connecting with people here too and knowing that a part of us will always belong to Kenya!
Monday, October 20, 2008
Blessed in Turkana Country
We have been to greet the people of Turkana (many of whom are still pastoralists) in a dry arid region in northwest Kenya , and more specifically the Internally Displaced People (IDPs) who call Turkana their ancestral home. They are amazing, adaptable and perseverant, welcoming us warmly and politely. They are ingenious at making a house out of the simplest of materials … they have many basic needs: food, irrigation, hope, schools….. hunger is an on-going serious problem and much of the land is unforgiving. Thousands live in camps.
We have travelled on long bumpy hot roads , seen an outstanding brilliantly colored rainbow, watched dik-diks and wart hogs scoot across the road, and observed the shepherds with their goats or camels. We have seen evidence of elephants and heard how they trample the crops.
We have met many of our local partner representatives and are getting to know some of them more personally. There are many stories among the IDPs – hard to fathom stories… as well as stories of the goodness of churches and well wishers.
The newspapers are still full of news relating to the post election violence, Keyans are still working through what happened and the evidence is widespread ….. here in Turkana we do not have to look far.
We are eagerly anticipating the beginning of food distributions – the lorries will be challenged by the road conditions…. very challenged! Please pray for safe passage!
We are happy to be here. We are blessed! Blessed in Turkana country!
We have travelled on long bumpy hot roads , seen an outstanding brilliantly colored rainbow, watched dik-diks and wart hogs scoot across the road, and observed the shepherds with their goats or camels. We have seen evidence of elephants and heard how they trample the crops.
We have met many of our local partner representatives and are getting to know some of them more personally. There are many stories among the IDPs – hard to fathom stories… as well as stories of the goodness of churches and well wishers.
The newspapers are still full of news relating to the post election violence, Keyans are still working through what happened and the evidence is widespread ….. here in Turkana we do not have to look far.
We are eagerly anticipating the beginning of food distributions – the lorries will be challenged by the road conditions…. very challenged! Please pray for safe passage!
We are happy to be here. We are blessed! Blessed in Turkana country!
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Back in the Saddle Again!
It is good to be back in Kenya – to renew friendships and to face new challenges.
Life is interesting and Africa makes it even more so! We are anticipating our responsibilities with lots of questions and excitement as well.
Regrets? Probably one -- I did not bring our digital SLR which we found attracted much attention and was somewhat cumbersome. So I need to adjust to using the small camera which we got using Aeroplan miles.
We are still in Nairobi – working out a plan for a quality vehicle to drive and delving into the details of the relief project. We should be in Turkana by Tuesday experiencing a whole new world.
Nairobi is cool with much needed nightly rains. Ron has been off to the Toyota dealership, the bank, & the Canadian embassy. I hope to experience a little more of the city on Saturday.
We will have the same house in Eldoret that we had last year which is very suitable for our purposes. Everything Turkana still feels like a mystery!
Tomorrow is a holiday in Kenya so getting all the needed work done before we head out looks a little questionable at the moment ….. time to prioritize.
In between times we are enjoying connecting with people at the guest house who serve in a multitude of ways.
Our National Relief Manager will head out for 2 weeks in Canada and the US as a speaker and attendee at the IRM conference in Michigan. It will be an amazing experience for him and dream come true,
Bless you all and stay tuned for some more descriptive colorful events!!
Sunday, September 28, 2008
PRAYING PLANNING PACKING and PLAYING
The phone rings and it is time to break out into overdrive – we leave home in 9 days! Destination Kenya after a brief stop in Ontario. What to do first??????
We need to pray.
We need to plan.
We need to pack.
We need to play!
Play? Spend time with friends and appreciate the things you can do at home that will not be part of your lives for some months – like exercising at the pool, tea time with friends, long safe walks any time of day, bible study with dear long time friends, racquetball with John and so on.
Will we miss these things? – yes. Are we happy to be going? – yes.
The project on which we will volunteer is in north western Kenya among the Turkana people who are living in harsh and unforgiving conditions. We will oversee food relief and will stay until the end of February …
As we plan, prepare and pack we begin to re-focus our mindset.
For example, We are driving along the highway following a vehicle with a unassembled Rubbermaid shed on the roof. We are reading the description on the box as we sit at a red light and simultaneously it strikes both of us how this mere shed suddenly looks like a sophisticated home !
Adventure and many challenges lie ahead. We are privileged to be able to participate. Old friends and new ones await – we’re coming - but first we pray, plan, pack and play!
We need to pray.
We need to plan.
We need to pack.
We need to play!
Play? Spend time with friends and appreciate the things you can do at home that will not be part of your lives for some months – like exercising at the pool, tea time with friends, long safe walks any time of day, bible study with dear long time friends, racquetball with John and so on.
Will we miss these things? – yes. Are we happy to be going? – yes.
The project on which we will volunteer is in north western Kenya among the Turkana people who are living in harsh and unforgiving conditions. We will oversee food relief and will stay until the end of February …
As we plan, prepare and pack we begin to re-focus our mindset.
For example, We are driving along the highway following a vehicle with a unassembled Rubbermaid shed on the roof. We are reading the description on the box as we sit at a red light and simultaneously it strikes both of us how this mere shed suddenly looks like a sophisticated home !
Adventure and many challenges lie ahead. We are privileged to be able to participate. Old friends and new ones await – we’re coming - but first we pray, plan, pack and play!
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
ANTICIPATION
So much has happened in our lives but posting blog entries has (sadly) not been a priority. We have had many wonderful visitors and adventures with family and dear friends. Thank you all for who you are and all you mean to us. You are truly amazing.
A new adventure is appaearing on the horizon. Details to follow if it comes into fullness!
A new adventure is appaearing on the horizon. Details to follow if it comes into fullness!
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Going to the Sun Road
Going- to- the- Sun Road, Glacier National Park Montana July 26, 2008.
Ron takes the opportunity to travel with 8 of the YWAM Montana TESOL class from Flathead Lake to Logan Pass on the Going-to-the Sun Road……for a taste of the mountain scenery of NW Montana.
The route followed by this legendary mountain road was identified in 1911, and construction was completed in 1932……and remains today much as it was in 1932. Vehicles longer than 21 feet (including bumpers) or wider than 8 feet (including mirrors) are prohibited. The dramatic (and narrow) 2 lane cliff-hanging climb to 2025 metre (6646 ft.) Logan Pass is breath-taking…….jagged peaks, waterfalls, lush valleys, lakes, inviting trails.
The weather is sunny and warm with light winds……more snow than usual following a severe winter and cool spring.
This is a perfect day for a short hike and we share the trail with tourists from around the world. From shorts and flip-flops, to full-on mountain gear…..a diverse bunch.
The short hike to Hidden Lake from the parking lot at Logan Pass involves a pastoral stroll on pavement and boardwalk, several traverses over slimy snowfields, scrambling over a narrow scree face, and an encounter with a family of mountain goats on the winding trail…….fulfilling one of Ron’s fantasies since childhood. Every direction is a photo-op….the ‘cathedral’ of rocky cliffs surrounding Hidden Lake……the marmots in the rocks…..the big-horned sheep on the horizon…..the ground squirrels looking for lunch……the mountain meadows. Wow. A place to contemplate, to reflect on God’s handiwork and to “be still and know that I am God”. A difficult place to leave.
We retrace our route…..realizing that there remains a lifetime of exploring and pondering available here.
A break for a Montana huckleberry shakes on the way, then home for supper.
Ron takes the opportunity to travel with 8 of the YWAM Montana TESOL class from Flathead Lake to Logan Pass on the Going-to-the Sun Road……for a taste of the mountain scenery of NW Montana.
The route followed by this legendary mountain road was identified in 1911, and construction was completed in 1932……and remains today much as it was in 1932. Vehicles longer than 21 feet (including bumpers) or wider than 8 feet (including mirrors) are prohibited. The dramatic (and narrow) 2 lane cliff-hanging climb to 2025 metre (6646 ft.) Logan Pass is breath-taking…….jagged peaks, waterfalls, lush valleys, lakes, inviting trails.
The weather is sunny and warm with light winds……more snow than usual following a severe winter and cool spring.
This is a perfect day for a short hike and we share the trail with tourists from around the world. From shorts and flip-flops, to full-on mountain gear…..a diverse bunch.
The short hike to Hidden Lake from the parking lot at Logan Pass involves a pastoral stroll on pavement and boardwalk, several traverses over slimy snowfields, scrambling over a narrow scree face, and an encounter with a family of mountain goats on the winding trail…….fulfilling one of Ron’s fantasies since childhood. Every direction is a photo-op….the ‘cathedral’ of rocky cliffs surrounding Hidden Lake……the marmots in the rocks…..the big-horned sheep on the horizon…..the ground squirrels looking for lunch……the mountain meadows. Wow. A place to contemplate, to reflect on God’s handiwork and to “be still and know that I am God”. A difficult place to leave.
We retrace our route…..realizing that there remains a lifetime of exploring and pondering available here.
A break for a Montana huckleberry shakes on the way, then home for supper.
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