Hiccup

Just when I was finally falling into a routine, I had a weekend that turned my world upside down.  I spent friday night out at a friend’s house, and got a call on saturday morning from my supervisor saying that he was at my house and the pad lock was broken.  I rushed home to find the following items missing; my bicycle, laptop, digital camera, usb modem, solar charger, a bag with all my electronic cables, my mattress, shoes, my suitcase with some money, passport and glasses in it, my solar radio, my hiking backpack, and probably a few other items that I can’t remember.  After freaking out for a short bit I started the process of reporting it to the police and to the Peace Corps.  I spent a few nights sleeping on the couch (since they stole my mattress) then PC called me to come to Nairobi to report my passport to the embassy.  So I have been in Nairobi for a while dealing with paperwork, insurance, and finally going to the optomologist to get new glasses.  Somehow the chaos has been exciting, and also a wake up call to how dependent on those material items I had become.  It has also been nice to have a hot shower, and some decent food.  My friend from college is also in town.  He worked for an NGO here in Kenya for a while, but is returning to the states, so I was glad that I could hang out with him for a while before he left.

I was able to forget about the stress for a while on halloween, and went out on the town with friends.  I used toilet paper for my costume because I didn’t have time to be very creative.  I tried to be a mummy, but the toilet paper kept falling down.  So I wrapped just my head and put some make up on to make it look like I was dead.  At first, my friends did the head wrap, and put red marker all over it, but the way they wrapped it made it look like a turban.  So people thought I was a dead terrorist, which apparently was a good costume because lots of people laughed at it.  I felt offensive though, and eventually rewrapped it so it looked more like a head trauma case.  But then when I tried to get into a club, the bouncer thought it was a religious hat again, and made me take it off…what a punk.  I went outside to get some street food, as it was nearing sunrise, and a couple approached me and asked me if I was ok, and if the fight had just happened.  I guess the make-up was more convincing than I thought!  I told them it was a costume and they laughed.

While waiting to get in to another club, my friend was pick pocketed, and I got a call from another friend in Eldoret saying that he had been arrested for a public display of affection and had to bribe his way out of jail.  Another friend lost a cell phone.  Overall, it was a pretty crazy weekend.

After saying all that, I want to emphasize that I am still enjoying my experiences, and I do not regret my decision to do this one bit.  I am learning a lot about myself, and the world at large.  The more people you talk to, the more situations you work through, the more you feel alive and part of this world.  I am feeling stronger connections to more people, and I also feel a little bit more learned with how the world works (or doesn’t). 

Thanks to everyone who is offering support, though really, I think this could’ve been a lot worse.  I’ve heard stories about robbers that find the house owners inside, and it is much more gruesome than burglary.  One friend told me that when she got robbed, the thieves made dinner in her kitchen, and didn’t even do the dishes OR leave her any leftovers! Some people, I tell you…

Ok, well now I have In service Training in Nairobi for the next few weeks.  It will be great to see all the people in my group again, and share stories about our sites.  Hopefully my next post will be less frightening.  Thanks again to everyone for the encouragement!