The Grinch is in the House

So I am having a rough week...I think that is why I have been avoiding writing.  I don't want it to seem like whining, just having a tough time right now.  It's funny, it usually makes me crazy that the decorations are out at Target before Halloween, but I have found myself turning corners at Nakumatt (our grocery store) and looking for gaudy bows and reams of wrapping paper and there are none.  I miss that.  I miss the shopping malls with the packed parking lots.  I miss the cookie exchanges that I moan and groan about having to bake for.  I miss the aisles of Christmas candy and junk you swear you will never buy but you do.  I miss snow.  I miss my friends.  I miss my family.  They say overseas moves have high peaks and low valleys.  I think I'm gonna need to start climbing that mountain again because I seem to be down at the bottom right now.  Never fear, my jolly-ness will return.

Seth  has been working with a Swedish man here at the Embassy and he and his wife invited our family over to their home last night for a dinner party.  It was the night the Swedes celebrate St. Lucia.  According to tradition, December 13th is the longest night of the year, the Swedish Winter's Solstice (contrary to what we believe is Dec. 21st).  We were told a fantastic story of women wearing candles on their heads, walking to neighbor's homes, to bring light in a time of darkness.  Some believed that this was to keep away the ghosts during the longest and darkest night of the year, other Swedes associate the holiday with WWII--bringing light during a time of darkness.  It was a beautiful, warm night last night and we were all sitting out on the veranda when up the path, in the darkness, came 10 young girls dressed in white gowns with red sashes, carrying candles.  They were students from the Swedish School in Nairobi.  They performed several songs for us.  It was beautiful. I was so glad and honored to be there for that special night.  It made me realize that even though Seth and I can't be home for Christmas this year, we can start our own traditions with Claire that will still make the holidays special for us. 

As I sit here thinking of all of you, I wish you more light than darkness this holiday season.  We are sending lots of hugs and love your way during the holiday.  Now go drive around for an hour to find a parking space at the mall, wait in line for what seems like forever to buy junk you didn't intend to buy, love on your family and laugh with your friends...and think of me!  Merry Christmas, everyone!

"Culture Shock" is Putting it Mildly...

Someone told Seth and I about a Masai market that was being held in Langata and we decided to venture out.   We left our armed-guard gated community, manicured lawns, swimming pool, tennis courts, and commissary (where a bag of Doritoes is $7 but still REAL Doritoes!) and headed into the unknown with nothing but high hopes and a map.  It's important that you know that the "roads" here often change names, end up somewhere other than where the map tells you, or are simply not on the map at all.  HUGE kudos to Seth for getting us there!


I always thought that our surrounding community, Runda, was nice but far from modern.  We have a small shopping mall called "Village Market" that has a grocery store/department store, shoe store, a few restaurants, and even a movie theater.  While it certainly isn't Tyson's Corner, you can get what you need for around the house and even grab a bite to eat...just pick a place with lots of Westerners so you know the food is safe!

Was I in for a surprise then when Seth and I passed the mall, the farthest out I have been thus far, and hit the dirt roads. There were people walking along the sides of the roads dressed in their Sunday best, holding their children's hands and heading from church to visit family on their day off.  There were women with baskets on their heads coming back from the market.  The landscape was BEAUTIFUL...rolling mountains, acacia trees, palms, lush forests, the occasional cow or donkey eating grass...there were areas that are straight out of a National Geographic magazine.  And then, I started to notice trash lining the sides of the roads. The roads soon became filled with people going to their "Village Market."  We were in the slums of Kenya--shacks that claimed to be hotels and restaurants, butcher shops with dead things hanging in them no person should eat (there were definitely no health department regs there!), bars that sold Guiness but were propped up on sticks to stay upright.  Barefoot children rummaging through trash piles that goats were eating from.  I couldn't help but look back at sleeping Claire safe in her overpriced but incredibly safe car seat while  babies were strapped to the back of their parents motorcycles.  I was overwhelmed.  It was the first time that I realized, excuse the language, Holy Shit..we are in AFRICA.  We drove through many more of these shanty towns before arriving at the market.  The market itself was beautiful with many wonderful things to look at.  But I could NOT get what I had seen out of my head.


My brother in law, Kyle, likes to tease me, and has asked Seth if I have stopped crying yet since we left the states.  Truth be told, I really haven't cried  much--and that's impressive for those of you who know me!  I am homesick, yes.  I miss my family and friends more than I can say.  But I have also decided to embrace this experience and get everything I can out of these two years here.  BUT I did cry later on after we got home--I went and took a bath in our huge oversized tub (another luxury I have here) and just cried.  I don't know if it is the teacher in me or if I am just getting softer now that I am a mom, but I just kept thinking about all those children rummaging through TRASH, looking for God knows what, and all the wasted potential that we left behind in those slums.  What will become of those kids?  Will they go to school?  Is one of them bright enough to be a doctor but will end up pulling a donkey up and down hills trying to sell firewood to people who don't need it? Such a waste of so much potential...breaks my heart.

Somebody Should Have Told Me...

Exciting news in the Sonnonstine household!  Our air shipment arrived in Africa last week, cleared customs on Thursday, and arrived on our doorstep on Monday morning.  It took 4 grown men to deliver our 5 boxes.  I am beginning to think that Kenyans operate much like Americans build roads.  There are always a bunch of men  standing around looking at the two guys actually doing the work.  They brought the boxes upstairs and then we all stood around while one man, painstakingly slowly, cut open each individual box.  I can't imagine  how long it will take them to do this when our surface shipment arrives with over 80 boxes!  Then they all came downstairs while I signed paperwork.  I offered them some snacks and they ate my two loaves of apple bread I had just baked as well as a Twix bar.  They were thrilled with what a generous mazunga I was.  :)

Of the 5 boxes of items, 99% of it was for Claire--toys, books, bath stuff, a ridiculous amount of onesies, pants,dresses, baby sunglasses, hair bows, her swing (which I AM excited about!), bouncy seat, etc.  I am amazed at what I THOUGHT a baby needed to be happy, versus what a baby REALLY needs--her mom and dad to love on her, a good soft blanket to snuggle in, and something to fill up her empty tummy...all of those things we had in Africa BEFORE the air shipment even came. I think when I begin my volunteering at the orphanage here, I will be bringing a box of items with me each time to donate.  Those babies don't have a mom or dad to snuggle them, a soft blanket, or much food in their bellies.  What a lucky, lucky baby Ms. Claire is. 

Now if we just had some damn diet coke in that shipment.

Let the Rainy Season Begin

Lunchtime here today finally brought some much desired sunshine.  Claire and I sat outside on the patio and had lunch, listening to the birds sing.  The rainy season is officially here and, according to the locals, will last throughout December.  Can't decide if a rainy season beats a Minnesota snow yet.  The rain is good, though.  Things were getting awfully dusty here.  As I said before, the soil here is a deep red and the bottoms of my feet are permanently stained that color.  Perhaps Crayola needs a new shade in their 

crayon box--Nairobi Red.  Hopefully the rains will help clear up some of that dust and we can breathe free again.

We had to go with another gardener instead of Moses.  Apparently, there was talk at the Embassy that Moses was quite "sneaky" (whatever that means) and Seth didn't feel comfortable hiring him.  We hired a soft-spoken man named Bonafis who will work Thursdays and Mondays.  Since he missed Monday of this week , he came bright and early this morning to get started.  I am not sure that our postage stamp of a yard necessitates having a gardener twice a week, but it is a good job for him and provides much needed income for his family. Plus, he will help me grow vegetables that I will feel comfortable eating and soon, making baby food for Claire from.

This weekend Seth and are going to go buy flowers and plants for our yard, as well as vegetable seeds. In order to reach the stands, it seems you must first find a spot on the shoulder to park your car, brave the crazy Kenyan traffic, and run like mad to cross the street to get to them.  There is no such thing as yielding to pedestrians here! I have added some pics of the roadside flower shops in this entry...they are from Seth's last 

visit to Nairobi.

On Friday I went to a class at the community center for washing and cleaning vegetables and fruits.  When I got there it was clear that I was the only "white" person showing up.  Everybody there was either a maid or a nanny sent to the class by their employer.  I felt ridiculously out of place but ended up learning a thing or two.  Later on I heard one of the maids saying that it was funny to see a "mazunga" at the class.  Today I asked one of the guards what "mazunga" meant and he told me it derives from when the Europeans first arrived in Kenya, the Africans noticed that the white people didn’t work very much.  They had a tendency to walk around and tell other people what to do. It is apparently not a derogatory term, but means that you are wealthy enough that you can be more relaxed and not work as hard as others.  It kind of makes me think of "whitey" or "honky" and I can't help but feel that there is perhaps some animosity behind it.  Although that could be my paranoia because I have not met an angry Kenyan yet. Seth is in the process of ordering me Rosetta Stone's Swahili so hopefully I will not be a total "mazunga" if I can speak to the Kenyan's in their native language.  A little effort goes a long ways...

Our air shipment has landed on African soil and is currently going through customs.  I am SO excited to start making things feel a little more like home.  Although I laughed when I saw our shipment list because it looked a little something like this:

Box 1: Baby items
Box 2: Baby items
Box 3: Baby items
Box 4: Baby items
Box 5: Baby items and bed pillows

Oh well.  At least Claire will have more than she needs and Seth and I will sleep more soundly at night.

Have a wonderful week, everyone...this Mazunga needs to go play with her daughter!

This picture collage customized with Smilebox

Kenyan Tetris and more

This morning Claire and I woke up to huge thunderstorms and no power. The power goes out several times a day--rain or no rain.  We just snuggled in bed and listened to the rain until it stopped.  When it finally finished raining, we got dressed and headed outside for our morning walk around the compound.  The compound in the morning is busy, busy, busy, with workers cleaning the yards of fallen leaves and flowers, sweeping the streets, and catching up on daily gossip with one another.  The workers are getting to know Claire and I and come over to say hi to us.  I have convinced several of them to call me Mrs. Sarah as Mrs. Sonnonstine was proving quite difficult for them to say!  Today was interesting to see because many of the women had plastic grocery bags on their heads to protect their hair-do's from the rain and many of the men were washing their feet in the puddles to get rid of the mud.  The soil here is a very thick dark red and gets all over everything when it is wet.  I love our walks around the compound--it is good to get out and not feel so isolated.
 

Seth is going SUV shopping today on his lunch break.  I think it will be great for our spirits to have our own transportation and not have to rely on taxi cabs or the generosity of others to get around. We are looking at either the Honda CRV or the Toyota Harrier (funny name!) which is the international version of the Lexus SUV.  A four wheel drive in Kenya is a must because of the potholes, dirt roads (which can become un-passable after a big rain), rough terrain and crazy traffic...as far as I can tell, there are no traffic rules.  Someone told Seth and I that driving here is comparable to playing Tetris...you just have to try and squeeze in wherever you can.  I think it is certain that you will get into an accident in Nairobi at least once.  Air conditioning is also a must as you are not supposed to drive with your windows down.  There have been an increase in car-jackings and keeping your windows up is one way to protect you.  According to our security briefing at the Embassy, however, there are some Kenyans who may rob you, but they are known for taking your sim card out of the phone they are stealing and returning it to you so you don't lose your phone numbers and other information. Too funny.   I will keep you posted on the car situation. Hopefully we will be out and exploring soon.

Today I am attempting to bake bread.  Yes, me.  The bread here is terrible--it crumbles in your hand it is so dry.  I haven't made a loaf of bread since home ec in 8th grade so this should be interesting...  The food thing has been an issue for me.  I am either afraid of eating it due to bacteria or freshness, or it is unappealing and not what I was looking for.  Supermodel  body and lots of vitamins here we come.  :)  A garden of my own will be a great place to grow foods I love and will feel safe eating.

Off to check on my bread.  More soon! 

The first week...only like 103 more to go...

We arrived in Nairobi late Tuesday night exhausted and happy to be done traveling.  Someone from Seth's work was there to pick  us up and bring us back to our new home.  The neighborhood and the compound are beautiful. Lots of flowers, trees, very well manicured. It is not hot at all--between 75 and 80 year round, sunny, and low to mid 60's at night. No humidity! I cannot complain about the weather at all. We are in a town home but it is HUGE. The houses on the compound are palatial--I am actually happy we are in a townhome because that would be a ton to clean!  The furniture is god awful--looks like something someone who did home decorating for Don Johnson picked it out. It has three bathrooms, three huge bedrooms, vaulted ceilings, a gigantic kitchen, and
servant's quarters.   I told Seth I will become a "Real Housewife of Kenya." :) 

We decided to hire a gardener two days a week to give someone a job (his name is Moses and he is adorable--came complete with "reference letters"!).  I am going to have him teach me some techniques and have him help me set up a vegetable and herb garden.  We also decided on a housekeeper who will just do floors, windows, and bathrooms once or twice a week.  A full time gardener is about $80 a month and he will also wash the cars and walk the dog everyday for that price. A full time housekeeper and nanny is about $150 to $200 a month...talk about cheap daycare!

Oh, ladies, there is a lady here who will come to your house and give you a foot massage and pedi for 3 bucks! Can't beat that.  And Seth and I are signing up to take tennis lessons--the courts are right next door to us.   We can play while Claire is sleeping and be about 30 steps away from her. 

So far, Kenyans are kind, generous, and ridiculously cheerful.  They want to help in any way they can. This may sound snotty, but I will DEFINITELY be shopping for my clothes as the outfits the Kenyans wear are not quite my style :)  They wear a lot of stripes with plaids and bad colors  :)

Yesterday I ventured out to the grocery store with Claire.  It is quite different from the states!  It was a bit overwhelming as none of the brands are the same and the US stuff is outrageously expensive.  I think that we will be ordering groceries online for the most part (the boxed stuff) and go to the store for the  dairy, meat, etc.  I came back from the store having spent about 75 American dollars on products I recognized, only to realize that I didn't really buy anything to make meals--just parts of them :)  Seth and I are going back today to see if we can get some more necessities.  :)  I will  be able to satisfy my diet coke cravings but we have to buy it at the American morale store.  It is about $8 for a 12 pack but you all know me and my soda habit...it' s worth it to prict the money and keep me happy.  Although I may have to restrict myself to just  two cans a day :)

Claire has done an amazing job adjusting.  She had a few rough days where she mixed up her nights and days (Slept on and off all day but  woke up happy and smiling every two hours at night--poor mom!) but she is back on track now--ate last at 11.30 last night and then slept until almost 6 this morning.  Beautiful.

No, there is NO McDonalds or Starbucks here.  Panera either.  My mouth is watering as I type!  I have been hesitant to
eat out yet because of the Kenyan tummy troubles.  They call it the "Welcome to Kenya" illness.  Guess we will get it at some point or another.  I plan on coming back to the states a size two because there is nowhere near the temptations we have back at home.  :)

I have been doing ok.  The only time I've really lost it since we got here was when I realized that our surface shipment  wouldn't get here til after Christmas and that I won't be able to decorate.  It kills me that Claire won't have a tree for her first Christmas.  It's going to be hard enough being away from family but now this...  Thinking about trying to online order a tree if I can, but it'll probably cost a fortune.  SOO Bummed!  BUT my in-laws and some wonderful friends said they would send us some stuff and I am ridiculously grateful for that.

We are off to the grocery store again... I will update you all soon!

We love and miss you!
Sarah, Claire, Seth, and Walter