1. Anyone talking about Ebola?
It is on people’s minds, but not in an imminent threat capacity. The government has taken several preemptive steps, including banning travel from Ebola infected countries. We recently received an update from the US Embassy with reassurance and information. We are signed up to be part of their notification system and get periodic notices regarding security issues as well.
Currently, there are no confirmed cases of Ebola in Kenya, and the countries that are suffering are on the other side of a vast continent. It is, however, something everyone in Africa is closely monitoring and, as such, here is what the superintendent sent out in a letter to parents last week:
With concerns related to the Ebola virus continuing to be on the minds of many, I did want to assure you that Rosslyn has been keeping abreast of all news related to the disease (including reports from the various embassies) and has been developing responses for the still unlikely event that Ebola were to reach East Africa and touch our community. We have been particularly grateful to the US embassy for their reports on the disease and to the Association of International Schools of Kenya (of which we are a founding member) for their work. Thanks to communication within the AISK schools - and in particular the work of ISK - we have developed our own protocols based on various possible scenarios.
Currently, there have been no confirmed reports of Ebola in Kenya and the government has taken considerable action to try to ensure that the threat is minimized. Under our protocol (with the threat level at low) all school activities and practices are continuing as normal. If the threat level changes, we will, of course, be contacting our community to inform them of the school's next steps. Thankfully, the threat to our community is minimal and we hope and pray that will continue to be the case.”
2. Have you found a church? I'm praying that you can find a group of women you can relate to and talk to easily.
We have been to the church on campus many times; it is a good international mix of people, run entirely by volunteers (even the preaching is done by non-paid staff), our neighbors run the worship team; it’s got a very community-based feel, which we like. However, as one teacher succinctly put it, “we live here, we work, here, we’d like to go to church elsewhere to be more involved in Nairobi’s community.” So, we are still looking, trying to find a good fit. We visited a large Kenyan church last Sunday with that same couple; it was good, but there are a few others we would like to check out a few more.
I’m hoping for a group of friends like that, too! There are a few women on campus who invited me to a Bible Study that meets in the next week or so. I’ve enjoyed getting to know two of them, so I am looking forward to that. There is also a mom’s group that meets on Thursdays that I will try out as a way to meet people as well.
3. What do you eat regularly?
We eat a lot of the same things that we ate in California, with the notable exception of not much Mexican food because it’s not available. Claire noticed tonight that we haven’t tried Chinese food here yet, so that is now on the list! The Ethiopian and Indian food we’ve had here is delicious. That said, we haven’t been eating out a ton, because we are really saving our pennies for travel—hoping to go on a safari soon! We are borrowing a great international cookbook that has given us many new dishes. Rosslyn has its own cookbook as well, a compilation of favorite recipes from the families who live and go here-it’s been fun to try those out as well, knowing that one of our neighbors submitted it; it’s like a glimpse into their kitchens!
4. Is there anything that you wish you could have that we could send?
Hmmm, I am making a list of things that seem hard/impossible to find. I think this list will get longer as we are here for some time and really start craving things. So far, the things that I wish for are kind of silly: Goldfish crackers (which my Mom is sending), Ziploc baggies (especially freezer gallon but sandwich size also) and Nalgene-type water bottles. We are doing fine with washing and reusing the baggies we brought and reusing plastic water bottles for the moment. Towels! (way too bulky to send though, but thanks for asking. Just wish I had brought more) Beach towels and bath towels are SUPER expensive and hard to find good quality. If I could trade all the Nakumatts in Nairobi for just one Target…But seriously, we don’t really feel deprived at all. Some families spend a fortune on food trying to re-create their American menus, but that seems a little crazy to us, since there is plentiful fresh food and so many new flavors to try.
5. Can you sit outside at night or are there mosquitoes?
There are very few mosquitoes here, thankfully! (We got a net for our room anyway because if there is even one mosquito on campus, it will make its way straight to my ear at night!) Most nights are beautiful here, with a warm wind. They call you outside to the veranda to just spend time. We have had several dinners al fresco because it’s too beautiful to be inside. Some day we will have a set of patio furniture and then we may just move outside for most of the year! The last few nights have been POURING rain with thunderstorms. Pretty awesome to witness. We stand outside listening to the water pound on the roof.
6. What’s the biggest bug you have seen?
Probably the giant spider climbing on our washing machine the first night we were here. Thankfully we haven’t seen many even close to that size since! There was also a pretty good sized (4 inches?) praying mantis on the table outside last night, joining us for dinner! Kirk was just remarking a few days ago that our “bug tolerance” has increased significantly. He could count 7 bugs just from where he was inside the shower. Mostly, they are harmless tiny moths, ants, or those slow, silly mosquito-eaters. Audrey looked down to find a spider on her leg the other night on the veranda and calmly shook it off (as opposed to the screaming and freaking out that normally would’ve occurred). Claire has assigned us all roles, “Ainsley gets the tiny bugs, I’ll get the small bugs, Mommy gets the medium bugs and Daddy gets the really gigantic bugs!” Lucky him!
7. Do you have a car?
We just signed a contract for one today! It’s kind of a long story (isn’t everything so far?), so more in an upcoming post that Kirk has promised to write. But it is a blue Toyota Prado (nice and tall with big bumpers!).
8. Are you learning to drive or just Kirk?
We both have driven quite a bit. Driving helps me remember the way to many places, so I’ve been eager to do so. There are no leisurely drives in Nairobi, though; you are always focused. But, I have to say that it didn’t take much time to adjust to the “other” side of the car and of the road (the girls squealed with delight the two times I hit the curb making a left turn and begged me to do it again). We usually end up turning on the windshield wipers instead of the blinker at least once during a drive, since those are switched as well! Driving is intense, but it definitely gives you a rush of adrenaline-it’s like you’ve conquered a wild beast each time you go out and navigate successfully!
9. When does Claire begin preschool? How long and how many days a week?
Claire started preschool 3 weeks ago, when Kirk did. She is in the morning class, from 8:30-11:30. Her teacher is amazing.
10. Can you get a house helper; do you need that?
This was one of the things we have endlessly debated, on both sides of the ocean. We were told that it is pretty much “expected” that you hire anyone you can so that you provide jobs for people. It took us a month to even slightly come to terms with this concept, and Audrey just went about business as usual, hanging laundry on the line next to everyone’s househelpers. That has actually helped her learn lots of Swahili! It is amazing to Kenyans that people in America do their own chores. Most Kenyans here who are able hire househelp as well.
Honestly, it sounded like a cop-out to me (Audrey); why hire help? How do you avoid the stereotype of the country club lady with the pinky up on her iced tea (or martini)? Then, there is the question of pay, do you pay someone relatively little because that is the going rate?
We talked to a bunch of people and were finally convinced by some friends who are well respected in the Kenyan community at large. The husband works in the slums, can speak fluent Swahili, and has many Kenyan friends. They also pay twice the “going rate” because they realize how much transportation costs to get here. Their houseworker needed more days and we are giving her a trial run of 2 months. Her name is Sarah and we are all adjusting to the new role(s). There has been lots of laughter and lots of frustration. But, she is good company, is teaching me Swahili, and loves being around the girls. I am teaching her how to cook and she wants me to work on her English, but it is already quite good. It is possible I am not cut out for this since I like to do things on my own and in my own way, but we will see. If you have an image of me propping up my feet on Mondays and Wednesdays, eating bon-bons on the couch, you would be mistaken. In fact, picture the Marx Brothers on a wild day and then throw in a dead gecko (sorry Spinach), and you would have a better idea.
11. Have you all been sick at all? From food or just colds? Do people get sick regularly from the food or is it just an underlying threat?
Funny you should ask! All three girls got whatever “beginning of school bug” was going around last week, and several teachers right now have laryngitis (one remarked that her 4th graders started
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| Gertrude's Children's Hospital |
known as “Rosslyn’s doctor.” Most of the staff kids see him and he even has a son who goes here! Our neighbor gave us his cell number (!) and he met us at his office on a Sunday morning! Turns out that she has a viral infection, has some medicine, and will be taking the next few days off of school to avoid spreading her germs.
Besides that, we have been pretty healthy. We’ve heard stories of people getting really sick from food, but if you follow some common sense rules (trust the establishment, wash your produce first, ask for filtered or bottled water), the chances of being sick from food are relatively low. There is a fast food establishment down the road, “Big Square,” that our neighbor warned us to take a few months for our stomachs to adjust before trying!
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