Travel + Two Weeks

I have now lived in Nairobi for two complete weeks. Orientations, shopping, work projects, taxi rides and meeting people have packed the last 14 days. I feel like I could write half a dozen posts about everything already. On one hand everything is still really unfamiliar - I can only (semi) confidently walk two places without getting lost (work and the grocery); On the other hand I have already helped plan one big work event and have enough projects to keep me busy for at least another two weeks straight with nothing else added. 

Here's some highlights of the last couple weeks:

Travel

Basically everything in London
made me freak out from a TV
show or movie reference

All my travel went exceptionally well. For my 24-hour layover in London I booked a bed at the Pride of Paddington hostel so I could sleep and see the city. I (shockingly) navigated the Tube ("chube" people, seriously?) and walked around through the city for several hours, but because I'd have to mortgage at least 2 future children to buy anything in London, I stuck with sightseeing. The city was cold but awesome, I'd love to go back with more time. 

Staying at hostels never fails to disappoint for gathering stories... After my somewhat terrifying at the time, but funny later, experience at a hostel in the red light district in Frankfurt in 2012, I told myself I'd never book a mixed gender dorm room again. Well... that cost ~ £18 more at Pride of Paddington! No way. Mixed dorm it was. So I finally make it back to the room around midnight, the other two guys staying in the room are already asleep. I'd just gone to bed when someone else comes in, turns the light on (rude), stands in the middle of the room and gets totally undressed. Then he proceeds to ask me if he may make a phone call. "Umm... Yes, yes you may. If you turn off the light... and put some pants on." 
Yeah, I never learn.

For Molly - Jammie dodger and tea

Soho

 Kenya

Beautiful, as I remember, but different this time. Loiyangalani, where I lived before, sits in the barren, northern bush where trees are few, the tan, rocky horizon stretches out before you and a perfectly unblemished blue sky vaults above. Here, red dirt paths slice through vivid green clusters of trees, tropical flowers bursting out in spurts. Tangled vines crowd the buildings, crawling over the barbed wire or glass topped security walls, and puffy, white clouds will cluster together to give us some rain. Night reveals more stars then you can imagine shining unimpeded in Loiy, while singing from the village is the only noise you can hear. City lights, traffic noise and snippets of Swahili, Hindi and English conversations clutter cool Nairobi evenings. I like them both. 

The infamous traffic lives up to its reputation, I once sat for 2 hours to go 9 miles. Fortunately this is prime Kiswahili learning time as I talk with taxi drivers - they love sharing about Kenya and teaching me the language. Someone held out a baby for me to take through the window as we crept along amid rush hour. Can't say I've ever had that happen before. 

I can live fairly inexpensively buying local food and produce, but anything imported costs a lot. I can buy huge, fresh avocados or mangoes for about 25 cents apiece (my soul sings). So far the main detractor of living here is the lack of mobility. I can't just hop in a car and go somewhere or even walk through the city by myself, my Alaskan heart already craves some time outside of a big city. I'm hoping to visit Hell's Gate National Park and Lake Naivasha in the next couple of weeks though. 

Last weekend I reconnected with my dear friends, Paul and Callie Teasdale, who live and work with their kids Zack and Annabelle as missionaries in Loiyangalani, Northern Kenya (a village near Lake Turkana; scenes from The Constant Gardener were shot here - that's the claim to fame). They traveled to Nairobi for supplies and, this time, to pick up their parents for a visit. It was a great visit time with lots of coffee, Ethiopian food and a sleepover with Annabelle.

Work

No time for hesitation at the IJM office as I have jumped in with both feet to the work here. My boss oversees our legal, investigations and aftercare departments so meetings, case updates, events and correspondence fill his schedule. I honestly don't know how he accomplishes everything on his plate, so I'm glad I can help a little with the load. I really get a good look at all facets of the office's work and I love that, but I can see even more clearly how prevalent violence against the poor and vulnerable is. Corruption and depravity pervades, scarring both body and spirit. I'm disturbed hearing and reading about the unthinkable abuse forced on children in our CSA (child sexual assault) cases, but equally discouraged seeing the cowardly impunity some law enforcement officers use to intimidate and accuse innocent Kenyans in our police abuse cases.

But don't think things are hopeless, there is always hope. Even this past week I witnessed an entire room full of professionals from law enforcement, public education, the government, NGOs and churches join together to passionately discuss ways to collaborate and improve the services in the prison system. A perpetrator faced justice this week and a little girl will live without fear from him. She won't be alone on her path to heal either as IJM and external counselors walk with her and the family to restore wholeness to their lives.  

I love what I get to do and know that I don't walk through this alone either.