week one done

Things have gotten much better. They say that culture shock is kind of a roller coaster, going up really high and down really low at first, then the oscillations get smaller each time, ending in a happy medium, accepting the fact that this is now where you live. And I have accepted that fact for the most part. I am not completely done with culture shock, as I have not been out of Nairobi yet…

I think the biggest thing for me to accept is that I am a mzungu (white person). No matter how much I understand the culture and learn to fit in, it won’t change the color of my skin. As such, I think I will get to a point where they won’t take advantage of me because I am white. Sure, strangers on the streets will always see me as a mzungu. But I hope to become a part of the culture enough that store keepers and Matatu conductors will know that I am another one of them, not just a clueless tourist.

Monday and Tuesday were spent finishing the most intense portion of orientation. More Swahili lessons, more Matatu rides, and just getting acquainted with Kenya and AIM. Wednesday morning, I got to take a tour of some different AIM facilities, and see where in the city certain offices are located. Most of the offices are in the hangar, as International Services have all their offices there.

Wednesday afternoon, I started in the hangar. There really isn’t too much to work on this week, and another team is headed to Lake Victoria to try to pull 1EA out of the water. So Wednesday afternoon and Thursday I kind of wandered around, trying to find little things to work on. I do look forward to lunch break though. Lunch at the airport is an exciting experience…

Thursday, I went next door to a little nicer establishment. You get to pick what you want, but it also costs more than twice as much as the bucket lady. But at 120 /= (shillings) for a full meal with a Coke, its converts to less than a buck and a half, which is dirt cheap. The bucket lady is a little sketchier, but I am assured it is ok, because the food is hot enough. You walk up to the window, tell her how many servings you want, and she scoops stuff out of several different buckets onto a plate, and you pay 30 /=, less than 50 cents. That was my first real Kenyan meal experience on Wednesday.

We are leaving on a ladies retreat today. I don’t know exactly what it entails, other than it is out in the Karen area of Nairobi. Since I am moving out of the guesthouse, I will conveniently have all that I own on this continent with me anyways.

Internet is REALLY slow, but I am trying to get some pics uploaded. The link to the album is
http://picasaweb.google.com/wind.rider.05/AfricaBeginnings?authkey=nmlQl2zMIOs#