Jambo!

Nairobi-"So, what is it that you, would like to do in our country?" said the receptionist at Upperhill on my first morning in Kenya. When I explained I planned on doing refugee work and help with local swimmers she replied approvingly, "Oh, okay."

Upperhill Campsite and Backpackers is a hodgepodge of accommodations: camping, cabins, and rooms in the main building. My first 2 nights were in the main building, I even had my own bathroom, but the extra price wasn't worth it to me, so today I switched to a cabin outside. It is not nearly as warm here as I had thought it would be. Last night I slept with 2 blankets. Supposedly the coldest months are ending and as we are at altitude (about the same as Denver), it never gets as hot in Nairobi as it does in other parts of the country. There is talk of a drought, but the "troubles" are for now, somewhat under check.

I still haven't gotten out much yet. Just 2 trips on 2 days to the "western" mall called YaYa shopping center ("y shop anywhere else?"), to check my email and play on Facebook. Tomorrow I have 2 job interviews and lunch with Kenya's first family of swimming: the 2 brothers, David and Jason D. both swam great in Beijing, but leave for school in the states tomorrow. I am happy I get to meet them before they go. The best part of my life in Sri Lanka was being involved with the swimming community and hopefully I will find a place to fit in here too.

I have also been invited to a dinner party tomorrow night by a friend of a friend who also needs a house-sitter so things are improving from Day 1!

Since I have nothing to really report, I thought I'd tell you about the people who I've met here at Upperhill. There is Jen who is a trauma nurse from the US/UK/Zimbabwe/World. She is widowed, but no more than 30. She has a biological son and is trying to adopt 2 Kenyan children who suffered some horrible, horrible abuse at the hands of their families. It is some of the most grotesque abuse that I have ever heard, which says a lot since I represented victims of torture and persecution for 2 years. The children are adorable, the boys have mohawks. Jen is pretty amazing and her life impressive.

The first woman I met was Claire from Yorkshire. She lives in a tent and is here volunteering with a UK children's charity. She has lived in Africa on and off for years. She is a very lovely woman. As we were chatting, me at the top of my voice (no surprises there) and complaining about the Chinese Communist Party, a young man from the Czech Republic asked to sit with us. His name is Jamie and he is a video game programmer. He and I thought up one yesterday as we lazed about perusing maps of Nairobi and Kenya. He was planning his safaris and left this morning for one to Masai Mara.

As dusk fell, and my day had somehow been eaten up, Simon from Montreal, via Edmonton, arrived. Simon is an anthropologist Ph.D candidate who has been here on and off for 4 years studying the implications on social behaviour from structural changes to a group of people in western Kenya (or something to that effect!). He speaks Swahili and Maa.

Everyone is so different and adventurous here. This is just what I needed to shake things up a bit. I mean, I love my life in NYC; I love the luxuries and the lifestyle that I am very lucky to have, but Jen and Simon made fun of me when they saw how big my bag was! I thought I was doing well because I only brought 1. I certainly don't think I could live in a tent for the next 3 months (let alone 1 night) however, a cabin and a share toilet, I can do. At least for a little while. But I do need to do something about finding a pool…