Kenya Update 11/9/09 - Quite Like Paradise

It has been a good week at ANU. The weather is starting to move towards the post-rain "spring" phase, and everything is beautiful. I will make an album of shots from around campus and post it on Picasa tonight. Several times this week (and especially this weekend) I had to pause, look around, and think (or comment) "you know, ANU is quite like paradise..." Things are green, there are flowers everywhere. I see now the intentionality of the groundskeepers starting to come to fruition, and I love it.
It was a great week working with the Immanuel and the choir, my logic circuit students (who are struggling with flip flops...poor guys) and hanging out with friends and neighbors. It's fun going into the market with Riao Yi and his wife. Folks in Ongata Rongai aren't used to seeing white folks walking through the market, much less a mzungu with a pair of Chinese! Very fun to see the wide eyed children scamper to their mothers and mischievous shop owners try to think of creative ways to get at our money. Speaking of children, on my walks to and from Dibo and Jeannette's place I often run into some kids - their reactions are consistently in one of two categories. They are either intrigued by this mzungu with a drum, or stricken with abject terror. I saw one boy who was perfectly happy walking with his Mom until he saw me coming, he immediately starts bawling and will not stand such that he can see me from behind his Mother. His Mom thought this was great and did her best to dodge out of the way much to my delight and his despair. Other kids smile, laugh and wave shouting the "mzungu salute" over and over "HOW ARE YOU? HOW ARE YOU?"
The novelties of being a racial minority can be enjoyable just as often as they are frustrating and sad. That's what I keep telling myself and I'm finding that if I'm "on purpose" about it - it's true. It's time for me to head out. I will post more tomorrow. Allison reminds me that while things are starting to approach "normalcy" for me, the little things I barely notice (like cows in the streets or homemade carts or even the trees) are still total novelties to most people who read this blog. That being said, I'll work harder to write about my every day life, and take some pictures to go along with it :) Blessings to all. God is good and He is with us everyday.