6:: Ugh- luggage

I'm BACK!!!!

Well I made it back to Kenya last night. What a trip! No major issues (thank God!) but just a long trip. Its around 30 hours to come back this way(we have a better tail wind or something!).

But I made it. A friend of mine who owns a taxi company was going to pick me up from the airport but he forgot to get me. Thankfully, I called him when I was in line at immigration to remind him. I said "Paul where are you?" "I'm at home!" I said "Paul I'm at the airport, are you coming?" He said "I thought you were coming on Sunday!" But he had a friend in the area who was ready and waiting for me when I got through customs. I got to my house at 11pm on Friday, ate some supper that my roommate and some friends had made and went to sleep. I slept for 14 hours. I'm still tired but that's jet lag!

Its warm and gorgeous here! I'm in shorts and a tank and still hot. And my feet are SO happy to be back in my chacos (my feet had a really hard time with shoes while in the US)!

I have, however, found the major issue with my "pic of the day" plan: its electricity/internet access. I got home last night, we had power but no internet. I woke up this afternoon and found no power (and no internet by extension). Right now I'm at a restaurant that has internet access (and plugs so I can charge my battery) but I forgot to bring the SD card from my camera so there's no way to upload the pics. I'll keep taking pics and uploading them when possible.

I had such a blast back home in the US- I miss you all so much but its so great to be back.

Now off to clean up the insane amount of dust accumulated in my room and start unpacking.... or maybe just go back to bed! I'm gonna try to stay up till 7pm. We'll see how that goes!

5::Goodbye Snow!

4:: I'm Batman!

If you don't watch Big Bang Theory, I just sound ridiculous but if you are a fan of the show (as I am) this all makes perfect sense.

3:: An Army of Potstickers... Yummy!

2:: Snowflake(s) on a Hoodie

and a snowflake on the grill cover:

1:: Happy New Year... Time To Sleep

Ok, I've decided to try to upload a picture a day for the next year (internet and electricity providing that is- I do live in East Africa after all). I'm hoping to see my photos improve, learn more about all the stuff my camera is capable off and I'm interested to see what I think is important to share about my life in East Africa on a daily basis. The pics should get more interesting after I return to EA later this week but until then, I leave you with pics from my time in the States.

Here's how the whole family rang in the new year- napping on the couch and watching National Lampoons Christmas Vacation. Hilarious.

Test Week 4: Kel Bowls A Strike

Test Week 3: Sami

Ok you get 2 Pictures of the Day today. Today was our family Christmas.

The Official Pic of the Day: Sami in the Presents


The Unofficial Pic of the Day: Sami Wants Communion Too. My family all took Communion together before we dove into the Christmas festivities. Sami wanted in too. She didn't get any but that didn't stop her from begging as Pastor Dad blessed the sacraments.

Test Week 2: Under the Tree

Hmmmmm

I'm intrigued. My mom was telling me about a guy who decided to post a photo a day of his life, every day over the course of a year. That sounds like fun. And a challenge. I love challenges. I also love to take pictures. And some of mine turn out halfway decent. I think it would be interesting to daily examine my life in East Africa and try to explain it in one picture each day. The question is can I commit to taking a half way decent picture EVERY SINGLE DAY for a year? Because if I start- I'll hate it if I quit half way through (I HATE quitting- I'm such a goody-two-shoes). The other major challenge is I can't post pics I take a work (which are some of my best). But I do love a challenge. And I do love to take pics. And it would be pretty cool to have 365 days of life in East Africa. Will they all be quality? Probably not. But it could be cool.

So I'm thinking. Maybe I'll try a pic a day for the week and see if I can manage to find a post-worthy pic each day this week.

To start the trial off, here's today's pic (obviously not in East Africa yet):
My Dad's famous Special Recipe Chex Mix for the masses (yummy!!!). You know its Christmas when this stuff appears!! By the way, I know that TECHNICALLY Christmas was a few days ago but my fam is celebrating it together later this week so we are dragging the whole season out.

Christmas Off-Road Snow Shoeing

I love love love snow shoeing!


My dad and I went out Christmas day- down their property to the river, along the river to the railroad crossing, over into some unknown property, fording the Roaring Brook (in snow shoes) and back home.


I love this pic- its like winter and spring in the same picture- the left bank is snowy and wintery, the right bank is green and not very winter-like at all.


We came across this random kiddie chair in the woods under a tree. Maybe someone hunts from it. Or they just like to hide in a tree. Regardless, it wasn't as strange as the old school chair/desk combo that we found farther up that hill. THAT was just strange!

I HEART Snow Shoeing

The lunar eclipse on the night of the winter solstice wasn't as exciting as I anticipated. It was so cloudy that you could hardly see the moon at all. I went out a few times to check it out but it if I didn't KNOW there was an eclipse, I wouldn't have noticed a thing.


But today I went snow shoeing and I LOVED it!!! I didn't go far- just around my parent's property but it was a blast! I don't think that I've ever been snow shoeing before- I used to cross country ski but I never did snow shoeing.


I miss snow! And fun snow stuff!!

Eclipse Tonight!

We'll see if the clouds will hold off for some cool eclipse viewing but even if we miss the eclipse, the rising moon tonight was amazing!!

The Wedding!!!!

The Big Day was this weekend! And it was wonderful. It was full of fun, family, hilarity.

It was beautiful.

Here's some shots from the rehearsal dinner:




Pastor Dad conducted the ceremony- gotta love the sermon when you're dad is the pastor- you never know WHAT'S going to come back to haunt you!
I love it- they are so happy!

Ok this was one of my favorite parts of the wedding reception: DJ and his buddies have a tradition of serenading any military bride with "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" - just like Goose and Maverick in Top Gun. The video is hilarious but too long to upload :(

The newest Mr. and Mrs. Dan Clise:

DJ and Kel dancin'

And of us kids

There were so many great moments- when someone, who shall remain nameless, busted out some serious 90's Boy Band moves on the dance floor! Spending time with so much of our family and friends. And even though the storm of the century blew in late that night- we all had a blast.

A Weekend in Indiana

This weekend I got to go down and spend time with 2 of my greatest friends. We went to college together, lived together in India. These are the friends who literally know everything about you and still like you- so you know you will be friends for life.

It was a great time of talking, laughing, playing with 2 of the cutest kids in the world and just catching up on life now that we are scattered all over the globe.

We ended up driving through Amish country on one of the snowiest days I've seen in a while.


This sure looks like one cold ride!!


Now I'm off again for the wedding!! Lots to do but it will be a great day!!!

Home in MI

I'm back in MI. And back in the freezing cold. Complete with snow and everything!!!


Right now we are all a flurry of wedding prep, and I'm visiting friends, eating all my local favorite foods (Schubergs Caesar Chicken Salad Burger= amazing!!!! SOOOOO miss that!) and enjoying the fact that I'm on vacation.

Oh and making about 40 lbs of rock candy!


Tomorrow I'm off to spend the weekend with some friends from college!!! And meet the newest addition to my friends' family!!

Operation Covert Thanksgiving Surprise was a sucess!!!

A few of you might have known about a super secret plan to surprise my family this Thanksgiving. I had already planned to come home this holiday season because my brother is getting married and I was NOT going to miss that. My family was lead to believe that I wasn't going to arrive until AFTER Thanksgiving. What they weren't aware of was the fact that I had changed my ticket before I purchased it- arriving in Detroit the night BEFORE Thanksgiving. Kel and Gavin would pick me up, I'd get a few hours of sleep at their house, we'd drive to my grandfathers on Thanksgiving morning and surprise my parents who were still expecting me to arrive the day after Turkey Day.

Of course this entire plan depended on Kel keeping this whole plan a secret (which she did EXCEEDINGLY well!)

I had some ridiculous travel delays but after about 38 hours of travel, I got to Detroit, met up with Kel and Gavin, went back to their place for a few hours of sleep, we got up, drove up north to our grandfather's house.

I hid in the back seat while Kel and Gavin, DJ and Alicia tried to get my mom and dad to come out of the house and "help them bring in some stuff". Mom came over to the car, I popped out and surprised them all. It was the best Thanksgiving surprise ever!!

I had a wonderful time with my family, stayed up all night to brave the Black Friday shopping insanity, and now I'm ready for some serious sleep (I haven't slept more then an hour here and there for the past 60 some hours-I'm sure I'm a REAL joy to be around!)

Here we are, leaving at midnight to start our Black Friday shopping! Welcome to the insanity Alicia!!

Termites

My teammates and I love to get this great Kenyan Kitchen magazine- it has great recipes with locally available ingredients (a HUGE plus as there is nothing worse then seeing recipes online and realizing you can't find half of the necessary ingredients. I'm getting really good at substituting stuff but its wonderful to read a recipe and know you can find all the needed ingredients without too much trouble!)

We look forward to the new issues, and yesterday my roommate came home with the latest edition- the Christmas edition. We starting paging through it, anticipating some fun holiday recipes. But this is the first recipe we found:


And while it is true that termites ARE a locally available ingredient, and they ARE a traditional food from Western Province, this was the LAST recipe I expected to see in this cooking magazine. Its quite timely, as this is the season for flying termites. The guards at my gate collect the termites whenever they swarm out after a rain (these are the bugs that come out by the thousands after a good evening rain). Maybe I should pass the recipe on to them!

It's Possible I Take Matatus Too Often...

I take public transport (matatus and buses) everywhere- or I walk. I've become quite accustomed to Nairobi traffic (which is absolutely insane) and I'm used to the matatu driver's interesting interpretations of traffic law. (Let me put this in perspective, most people who come to visit end up just shutting their eyes in the matatu- especially if they end up in the front seat- where they can see all the passing on blind curves and wrong side of the road driving at insane speeds with oncoming traffic).

So today I was taking a matatu home, I was in the front seat and the driver was being extra creative in his driving. The Kenyan woman next to me was freaking out. I was sitting there thinking "eh- we had PLENTY of space" and she keeps gasping at the oncoming cars and our driver's aggressive progress through the uncontrolled intersections.

I think it may be possible that I am TOO used to traffic here and I will probably scare my family and everyone else when I drive in the States!

The Party

Here's some of our party hats! Too bad I can't upload the pics of all of us wearing them- they are hilarious- I guess you'll have to check my next newsletter for those. The drawings on the hats are the pictures I use each week to illustrate the stories (a friend from college draws them for me each week).

But our party went great. We all had a blast, had cake and soda, played games, wore our hats (which the little kids promptly stole after class) and it was great.

Happy Birthday Youth Group

They Youth Group I lead turns 1 tomorrow!

Wait till you see the party hats!

Pepsi Project

Here's a link to a project some friends of mine in Asia are involved in. The plan is to revamp old shipping containers to use as schools in Liberia (and possibly other parts of Africa). They have registered their project with Pepsi Refresh- its a competition where the 2 best ideas (voted on by the public) will receive funding from Pepsi Co.

All you have to do is vote for their project! Its free and just takes a second! Even you Diet Coke lovers can get behind a project that builds schools for kids! :P So here's the link- http://www.refresheverything.ca/containerschools just click on in, scroll to the bottom of the page, and vote

We use an old shipping container for an office/sewing room at our sewing program- hey you use what you've got!!

What Every Michigan Girl Needs!

A friend of mine brought this back for me! Who wouldn't love Michigan cookies??

Oh and Happy Reformation Day!!

Lite-Brite

Here's a great video by David Crowder Band (I love their music- especially their last CD Church Music) and this is just really really cool. Its all stop-motion photography with a Lite-Brite and origami.

A Day at the Hospital

Before anyone freaks (MOM) I was not the one admitted to the hospital. We got a call today that one of my teens collapsed today and was unresponsive. The medical system here is considerably more complicated then the one back home. Since my teen doesn't have the money to GO to the hospital, I ran over there to help out (we have a fund set aside to help with medical costs and they won't receive treatment unless you can pay upfront. Plus nothing will get done if you don't push it along). I gotta say, this experience makes my trips to the Post Office to pick up a package look like a walk in the park.

First, we get there and have to figure out where Emergency is. I met them at the hospital but I'd never been to this one before so I had no clue where anything was. The teen was now responsive but we were still very concerned about her sudden collapse (and other symptoms). We get her into Emergency, and then have to find Reception to pay for the consultation. That involved running to several rooms/windows but that was finally sorted. Then we go back and wait. A friend who came with the girl came out with the prescription for the IV meds they would give her and a list of labs. I was like "ok what do I do with this?" My friend tells me to take it to the cashier (and not the one I had to pay the initial fee to). I line up at the cashier (after I find it hidden around a corner and under a tree) but she tells me I have to go to both the Pharmacy and the Lab. So I go to the Pharmacy. They write the prescription costs on the form and say go back to the cashier. So I do that. I pay the cashier and try to get directions to the Lab. I get the cost of the labs, go to the cashier YET again and pay for the Labs. Then I take the receipts back to the nurse in the Emergency.

The nurse says I need to take the paid forms BACK to the Pharmacy and BACK to the Lab to get the meds and I guess the needed lab equipment?? Not so sure what I was supposed to get from the Lab because an orderly took it for me. I got the meds and they started the IV. (this has now been at least an hour and the girls is just now getting an IV??)

So we wait some more. This time we break into the Emergency and hang out with the girl. Another 2 hours go by as we wait for the Lab reports to come back but we passed it my laughing at my Swahili and rocking out to the Glee soundtrack on my headphones. I keep checking with the nurses, trying to figure out the plan. They said the Doc wouldn't see her until the Labs are back. I asked when that would be- the nurse says "You go check on the Labs".

So I go to the Lab to wait for the results. This involves sticking your head through the back curtain and asking the Lab Tech, who is currently taking blood from another patient, when your labs would be done. So I wait, and wait. Finally get the Lab results and I deliver them to the nurses in Emergency. And nothing happens

I finally ask if they have called the Doc, they do that, the doc finally comes, gives the diagnosis and a script for meds. The girl and my friend go back to the taxi. I go to the Pharmacy to get the med prices, go to the cashier to pay yet again, and then go back to the Pharmacy to get the script filled. Then I pick up the meds (which are really just little paper bags with pills inside with 1x2 and 2x1 and 3x1 on them (meaning take 1 pill 2times a day, take 2 pills 1 time a day and take 3 pills 1 time a day). No drug names. No side effects. NNAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!

Anyways, we have a diagnosis and meds. The teen is looking considerably better and I got her and her friend into a taxi to get home. What a day.

Passion Fruit Flower

Sometimes I look around and think "did Dr Seuss get his ideas from East African plants??"

Oh, and the fruit that comes off of this plant is just as strange- it looks normal enough on the outside but the inside is gooey and slimy and brain-like. But its yummy!!

Why I Speak Swahili

Today I was in a taxi (and I love it when I walk up to a taxi and bust out my Swahili- its hilarious to watch the driver's face as he tries to figure out how those swahili words are coming from my very white face). So I tell him in Swahili where I'm going, negotiate a price and we go. After a few minutes, he turns to me and asks me "Why do you speak Swahili?"

Its so sad that many of the expats living and working here don't speak Swahili. English is often used here (especially in Nairobi), schools are taught in English and there is an entire generation of young Nairobi Kenyans who don't speak Swahili as their first language. So a lot of expats living here don't take the time to learn. But if you get away from the tourist spots, you need to know some Swa. If nothing more then its respectful of the culture and the people here.

But back to my taxi driver, he asked "Why do you speak Swahili?" and I answered "because I work here." He just looked at me, probably thinking about all the other americans he's driven who haven't bothered to learn. I told him "I live here, I work here, of course I learned Swahili. If you went to America, you'd learn English. If you went to France, you'd learn French."

Now my Swahili leaves a lot to be desired. I'm conversant but far from fluent. But this taxi driver just said "Its good that you learned Swahili". And he's right. It is good that I learned Swa. Not just because I'm able to do my job more effectively, or because I can negotiate a decent taxi price but because I live here. How do you live somewhere and not try to understand what's going on around you?

CUTIE!!!!

Isn't he a cutie??? This weekend, after work on Saturday, some of my teammates and I decided to spend the weekend at another teammates house. We spend so much time together working, and we always have fun, but it was great to hang out with absolutely NO work to discuss or plan for. Just enjoy each others' company. One of my teammates is married and I haven't been able to hang out with his wife and son for AGES!!!

We cooked, ate a ton, watched movies, laughed at all the hilarious stories of how the couples got together, and did an impromptu photo shoot with 9 month old Mbola! Such a great and relaxing time with some of my favorite people.

I gave the blog a bit of a face lift- what do you think?

Work has been absolutely insane lately so no fun updates but the biggest prayer request I have right now is for wisdom. We need lots of it.

Who Knew?

Windex gets red nail polish out of a beige sofa.

Never knew that. But it works!!

Yup- I'm a klutz.