Amefufuka!

Amefufuka kweli kweli!

(Translation: He has risen!  He has risen indeed! (well the exact translation is "Truly He has risen", but same difference).

I've had a wonderful Easter holiday (and I still have a few days off to look forward to!)  Good friends, time to rest, new life in Christ- so much to be thankful for!

Best Good Friday EVER!!!!!

Songs For Lent

I'm a big fan of Lent.  And Advent.  I like the seasons of the year where we contemplate and wait for what is coming.  Sure Christmas and Easter are great, but Lent and Advent are for thinking about WHY we have Easter and Christmas.  It puts it all into perspective. 

Anyways, I came across this great CD, Songs for Lent.  Its free to download (completely legally) on Noisetrade.com.  Its contemplative, unique and perfect for spending time focusing on the death of Christ.  But it doesn't leave you on Good Friday- it ends with great rejoicing.  Its sort of a combo of the stations of the cross, old hymns with new twists, and just interesting music. 

I'm a fan.  Check it out if you are so inclined!

Matatu Palm Sunday!

All the matatus on a particular street were decked out for Palm Sunday today!  At first I thought it was a funeral (all the buses/matatus in a funeral procession usually have palm branches or other branches) but then I realized! It's Palm Sunday!!!

???

A salesman came to the office today and tried to sell me an electric razor for shaving heads.  I looked right at him and said "Bwana, do I LOOK like I shave my head??"  I mean, come on- I have 3 feet of hair!

But I guess he shows commitment.  He was going to try to make a sale regardless of how ridiculous it was.  Last week he tried to sell us place mats.  This week it was razors.  What will next week bring?  We are kind of looking forward to see what else this guy comes up with!

When Did I Start Adding A “T” To My State’s Name??

I know my vocabulary and accent change with my location.  I change how I speak to be more easily understood and it changes, depending on who I’m talking to and where in the world I am located.   I’ve managed to lose most of my Indian accent.  Minnesota still floats around sometimes- usually when I say the word “out”.  But Kenya is the biggest influence right now (obviously).

My sister and brother in law laugh at me because when I visited them in Asia, I told everyone I was “kelly’s sistah”.    Our Midwestern “a”s and “er”s just sound so strange to me now. 

r’s become ah’s.  i’s become “ee”s.   Occasionally, l’s become r’s and r’s become l’s.   I say words like “sort”  when I mean "figure" and “just now” when I mean "in a minute" and “can’t be bothered” when I "don't want to".  

But when did I start living in “Mitchagan”???    

We don’t do a “ch” sound very well here- I guess that “ch” in Michigan changes to “Mitchagan” to be more readily pronounceable and understood- and that’s fine.  Everyone here says that.  Everyone here understands that.

But when did I start doing it???