May 24 Backpost

We are having technical issues in the office this morning, so I have a few minutes to run to the cybercafe to write. My current phone number is now +254734161967 (thanks, Carley). There is a slight chance I can reconnect my old number (the service is much less expensive), but I need one of my new "brothers" to mess around with my phone to unlock it for me.

I just moved in to my permanent homestay yesterday. Paul is really smart and interesting, and Jeniffer, who is called "Mama Vicky" (she is Vicky's mama) is very warm and wants to do everything in Kenya with me. The family primarily speaks Kiswahili at home. I am starting to learn, but it has been a slow process so far. They are of the Luo tribe, so they mix the Lou language with Kiswahili and English so much it can be very confusing! Mama Vicky is teaching me already, and also teaching me how to cook Kenyan food. We started this morning by cooking pancakes - there is no bisquick or syrup here so they put marmalade on them. I haven't had the heart to tell them that I don't like pancakes. On a side note, when we were discussing syrup, Paul noted jokingly that he thinks Canadians are not creative because all they did to make their flag was copy a maple leaf - take that Radhika!! Haha! He has travelled all over the US and Canada doing economic research. He has lived in Maryland and even been to NJ. We get along very well. Tomorrow we will cook a fried bread thing that I can't remember how to say. I made it once with Ruth, but she made the dough and I just fried it on the outdoor range.

In the house now are Paul, Mama Vicky and their daughter Vicky, who is studying medicine (which is an undergrad program in Kenya) at Nairobi University. Vicky is 23 and primarily lives in their Nairobi house, but Nairobi University is on strike, so she is home for a bit. There are also two cousins living in the house: Cliff, who is 16 and Nick, who is 21. They are all fun, laugh a lot and are very welcoming. Nick and I had a very fun time of trying to hang the mosquito net over my bed last night, making a lot of noise and falling a lot while trying to hammer a nail above the curtains. I have my own room and a big double bed with a ballerina barbie comforter. It's really awesome. Everyone loves to laugh and joke around, and they are indeed "a jolly family", as Amos described them to me.

The house is really big and nice, but not finished. They have running water, but there is no shower, so we bathe in the place where a shower will eventually be with buckets. I haven't tried it yet, but it doesn't seem to difficult. I am mostly worried about how to wash my hair, as I have a different challenge there than the rest of the family. There are big gardens in the back and front yards. The back yard has a type of spinach, sugar cane, an orange tree and two avocado trees that totally put mine to shame. They have lots of avocados! There are also a few chickens who just run around and we have fresh eggs. Everyone is excited to eat the grown chickens in December. There are a few babies too. There are also two dogs who live outside. They are guard dogs, and I haven't seen them yet. Mama Vicky assured me that they are very big, and since they don't know me, the will eat me up! Cliff primarily manages caring for the dogs. I have only heard them barking outside.

Mama Vicky is also related to Obama's Grandma!! They come from the same place, where Mama Vicky and Paul still keep a rural home. When we go to the rural home later this summer, we will go to meet Obama's Grandma, who goes by "Mama Sara". I have seen pictures of their previous visits and the place looks beautiful and she looks like a funny woman.

Another funny thing is that apparently "Alex" is really only a man's name here, which everyone feels compelled to tell me anytime I introduce myself. It generates a lot of funny looks, and people are always trying to find other names to call me, such as Alexis. I sometimes just introduce myself as Alexandria (even Alexandra is misinterpreted) to avoid confusion. It's always interesting to me to see that people have such strong feelings about things that barely matter to me!

I am running off to work soon (we had an unexpected mid-morning break due to a computer error), but I will write again soon! Mama Vicky also told me today of a place in Nakuru where I may be able to get on a wireless connection with my laptop. I am not sure if it will be fast enough to upload photos, but I will definitely try! They use an aircard type thing to plug into their laptop for internet at home, but they are quite expensive, so I am trying to hold off for as long as I can.

Some of you have asked for my address. I believe incoming mail is somewhat reliable as long as there isn't anything valuable in it. I am not sure about outgoing mail. If you send things, photos would be a great inclusion!

Paul and Jeniffer Gamba
P.O Box 244- 20100
Nakuru.
Olive Inn Estate
Kenya

I hope all is well in the States. I love getting emails about what is going on, and I do read them although it saves a lot of time to respond as one email. I hope to have some pictures up soon!