A bit of peripheral information

(using big words. always encouraged. Expand your vocabulary. =)

This is going to be a blog of other random-ish things that I feel like sharing with you, however incomplete they might be.

Laughter!

Africans love to joke and laugh about everything! It's been such a comfort adjusting to being here.

It's in the warmth laughter provides.

The life it gives to a room.

Healing and comfort.

Relaxation! Joy!

...making a joyful noise to the Lord!

It's fun. enjoying people

because they mean something.

A piece of my spiritual life

I'm quite consoled here. It has, so far, been a time of spiritual feast. I'm happy especially about mass here. I feel like I can relate and connect better than I could in Guatemala. Although I don't always understand the Kiswahili (mostly in the songs), the whole things resonates. It puts the desire inside to learn Kiswahil! The singing, dancing, and people make it so beautiful a celebration. I'm happy to live in a Franciscan guest/retreat house. It's good to be around genuinely good people who happen to be nuns and brothers. I have been so blessed here! I'm reading Proverbs. and Micah. Psalms all the time. 23, 27 and such

This area- Langata

They call it the "small Vatican" or the "little Vatican." It has numerous religious communities. It's kinda out in it's own area as there aren't many people out here who aren't college students, professors, or religious people. It's very rural even though it's right on the edge of Nairobi.

Kiswahili words I know

1. Jambo= hello
2. Asante= thank you
3. sana= much or very
4. mchockosi= troublemaker
5. mcora= gangster/criminal
6. nzuri= (I'm doing) well
7. amani= peace
8. haki= justice
9. sawa= okay/ alright
10. sa sa?= (slang) how's it goin'?

Light Rationing

There is light rationing (tomorrow, I will not have electricity in the building here.) Two days per week, we have no electricity. In Kenya, much of the electricity is generated by hydro-electricity. Right now, there is very little water around because of the whole ' possibly the worst drought in 30-some years' thing, so they need to rotate electrical outages. It's serious business.

What's on the News in Kenya?

The Mau Forrest complex- There are recent settlers in Kenya's Mau Forrest (10 years or more ago). They've settled illegally, and the news is that they are being evicted because of that and they are destroying the forrest. The only reason, it seems to me, that anyone cares is the water shortage here. The Mau is apparently one of, if not the, last or best "water catch" in Kenya. It keeps water from just running off into Lake Victoria or the ocean. The desire is to reforest where the settlers have cleared down trees and everything to farm and graze the animals.

The Water Shortage- It used to seem to me that Eastern Africa was always in a drought. Before too recently, all the news I had ever heard of this area of the world was of its droughts. Now they are happening more often. I've heard that this drought could be the worst since 33 years ago. A huge problem (aside from the lack of food) is that Kenya depends on hydroelectric power. Thus there is very little water. They have to ration light, water too in places. During the two days without electricity, we just do other things. Luckily all the cooking is done without the electricity. CUEA has generators powered by diesel gas that keep the university online.

Police Bribes- The news the other night showed hidden camera tape of how the matatus bribe the police, and how they have to in order to get by. Police can make 30,000 Kenyan Shilling per day (almost $400USD).

Kibera Apartments- People want compensation for their houses before they move out. They say that they have property rights. The government has built many apartments for Kiberians to move into in an effort to start to get people out of the slum. People have gotten used to it though. Some have grown up there and desire nothing better. It sure is light on the pocket book to live there.

Do let me know if you enjoy information like this! I journal about it anyway, but if it's not worth blogging about, I can write other things! I hope you're all swell!

love you!!