"Comments" Tutorial

ok my family has asked how to actually use the comments section- so if anyone else has questions about it, here's how.

At the bottom of every post, there is a 'comments' button- it will say how many other comments have been added (0 comments, 1 comment, etc). Click on that.

That will take you to a new page. Any previous comment added to the post will be listed on the left and there will be an empty box on the right- that's where you write your comment.

Below the box that you wrote your comment in, you have to choose your identity. If you are signed into any google program (gmail, blogger, etc) it will give you the option of signing in as "Your Name (Google Account)". Choose that one if you are signed in to Google. Otherwise, choose "anonymous"- just make sure to type your name at the end of the comment if you want me to know who wrote it.

Blogger, then saves and sends the submitted comments to me- they won't appear on the blog until I accept them (I get to choose whether or not they are posted).

And that's it!

Question of the Day

Ok, so if "a dream is a wish your heart makes when your fast asleep" as Disney and Cinderella have taught us, what is a nightmare? Its certainly not a wish your heart makes!!

My roommate has been waltzing through the house singing this song and it got me thinking.

Now anyone have a song to get this one out of my head?!?!?!?!?!? Please?!?!?!

Endesha

Here's a video a friend of mine took in January driving outside Nairobi. It was actually pretty funny, because he didn't say where he took the video but as I watched, I knew EXACTLY where he was! I used to drive through this town almost every day (my old house isn't too far from there). Enjoy!

PS- I have NEVER seen such a smooth drive through this town. You have no idea. My friend said something about using a video stabilization thing or something because I have never, in my life, seen a ride that smooth through Banana.

New Teammate!

Our team has a new teammate! One of my co-workers and his wife just had a baby. He's a cutie!

I think he's going to grow up to like Star Trek one day...

Has The Best Parents EVER

Just got a package from my parents and I hit the mother load! There are at least 6lbs of chocolate in this thing! M&M's, Peanut M&M's, Peanut Butter M&M's!!!!! All in time for Fat Tuesday! You guys are great! And CHOCOLATE CHIPS!!! I soooo miss chocolate chips! The other stuff in the box is great too! But I'm really loving all this chocolate! Good thing I'm not giving that up for Lent!

Thanks guys!

And the post office being what it is, changed the system AGAIN on me! I'm beginning to think there is no system- because each time there are different steps (if you've forgotten my other post office adventures check here and here). But today, these changes actually worked out in my favor! I still had to do the whole leave the post office and run halfway across downtown during rush hour to pay the customs duty, but they cut out a few of the people I had to stop at to determine the fees. Not a clue why. Maybe they were just gone for the day? But I'll take a simpler trip to the post office any day!

I even got to help guide someone through the insanity this time! There was a guy in front of me who was thoroughly confused. Some how I got ahead of him in line at one of these stops and helped show him the ropes. They really need a tutorial session or maybe a map of how and where you are supposed to go to get all this figured out!

My New, Modified, Theft-Deterrent Purse

So after my latest robbery, as with all my robberies, I went to go find a new purse. Something more theft-deterrent. I'm always on the lookout for a better purse then what I currently have. But this time I came up with the answer- a new purse might help, but a few modifications are the real answer.

First you need a sturdy, tough looking bag. A bag that says "Don't mess with the girl wearing me!" This one works out pretty well. Its sturdy, thick straps, top zip, big, messenger bag style so you can just pull it off my arm. So its a good start.

The Tools:
- needle
- thread
-scissors
- 1 "Army of One" caribbeaner that I may or may not have stolen from my brother
- the belt loop off an old pair of holey jeans.


The Modifications: I sewed the belt loop into the inside side of purse, put the carribeaner on it and hooked my phone and my wallet to the carribeaner. Now if you want my phone or wallet you have to mess with unclipping them. Plus I won't loose my phone in the bottom of my purse anymore! We'll see how this works out now!

Happy V Day

The cookies for Youth Group didn't turn out half bad! Still can't figure out how the icing was salty though- I think it was the food coloring I used (because the powdered sugar was fine and so was the milk- all that's left is the weird dry food dye). But they still tasted good!

Phones and Phone Numbers

It's a record! I went a whole 7 months without a robbery! Unfortunately that came to an end yesterday when my phone was snatched. grrrrr. But 7 months is a robbery free record for me! That's good! At least this one was just a snatch and grab- I'm fine- just annoyed.

Today's adventure, in the aftermath of said robbery, was tons of fun. Or maybe it was just tons of work. As is the procedure, after my phone is snatched, I have to call the company and put a stop on my SIM card. Done. Of course you have to actually know your own number and 2 other numbers you often call (which is funny b/c who actually dials the numbers anymore?) but that was out of the way. My remaining credit and my phone numbers that I saved to the SIM are safe. Step 2 is going to the Safaricom Care Center to get a new SIM card and recover my old number. Seems straight forward. I went to Safaricom House (the big building named for the company). That wasn't it. But some friendly escaris (guards) told me to go to the old Safaricom building near Sarit Center. So off I go. This one's even named "Safaricom Care Center" so being the direction follower that I am, I went in- through all the crazy security. Nope not it. The lady at the desk sends me TO Sarit Center. Lower Ground Floor. Ok. Went to Sarit, lower ground floor, Safricom store. STILL not the one. They said "Same floor, just across". FINALLY get to the right store, get a replacement SIM, recover my number, find out I can't actually recover my contacts (SAD). Ok. Now time to get back to work. I get in the matatu and tried to make a call and find out that even though my number has allegedly been recovered, its still blocked from service. Nice. I finish my work, talk to a few friends who tell me I just have to add more credit. Tried it. Didn't work. I finally get through to Customer Care and a machine gives me the directions "Simply dial *180*8*yournumber*youroldpin*somethingIcouldn'tunderstand#somethingelese. " Yeah, that's not going to happen. I finally got through to an actual person who tells me that I had to call them, verify all this info again, and then he can unlock my number. So why did I have to go all the way to the Care Center if they couldn't do that for me there? And why didn't they tell me I had to do all this to get my number to work??????

So here's the deal, if I usually call you or you happen to call me or if you just want me to have your number, give me a call or SMS me your number. Mine is still the same... I think.

The Net- part 2

There has been a request to see what the dreaded mosquito net looks like. Here you go, Lyss- just enough mosquito net-i-ness to strangle someone!

Invictus

I went to see Invictus last night- great movie! The movie follows Nelson Mandela and how he used the national rugby team to help unite the country after the end of apartheid. I was still kinda young when all this went down but I do remember some of it (not the rugby part). But it was defiantly worth seeing if you get a chance.

Mosquito Nets ... grrrrrr

Ok, in all my travel's I've never been able to master the art of the mosquito net. You'd think I would have. I've had a lot of practice in a lot of places: in New Guinea when the mosquitoes and centipedes were out, in India where the cockroaches climbing on you at night were worse then the mosquitoes, and other places. I always START OUT under the mosquito net- I just don't stay there. Inevitably, at least half of me will no longer be under the mosquito net when I wake up- and at that point what's the point? Half of my body has been exposed to malaria-carrying mosquitoes all night. Why even bother?

At my old place outside of town, we rarely had to worry about mosquitoes- so I was saved. That's not the case at my current house. We are in town (but still above the malaria line (malarial mosquitoes don't live higher then 8000ft- and Nairobi is malaria free! yay!)) and we have a ton of mosquitoes- especially this time of year. The rains of December and January created a ton of stagnant water- so tons of mosquitoes. After a few nights of being completely eaten alive, I finally caved and got a mosquito net. I actually left it hanging but tied up for a few weeks before it became imparative that I try to use it again.

I just don't like mosquito nets. For all those girls who always dreamed of having a princess bed with fluffy curtains/canopy things, this might be a dream come true. I was not one of those girls. I just feel claustrophobic and keep fighting with the net all night long. However, since my landlord got a new bed for my room, this is actually easier. Since the bed is huge, I don't end up in knock down drag out brawls with the net every night (although my roommate did a compete nose dive out of bed a few mornings ago when she got caught in her mosquito net!)

So I seem to have mastered the art of the mosquito net. But I keep finding mosquitoes INSIDE the net when I wake up (ok, I've only found 3 but that's beside the point- the point of the net is to keep all mosquitoes out!) How are they getting in? I'm careful to tuck the net in all around the mattress! Sneaky buggers!

Appropriate Response to Disaster

I’m sure by now everyone has heard about a group of American Christians who are being held in Haiti after attempting to take 33 children across the border without papers. Things like this just infuriate me. It’s incredibly possible that their hearts truly were in the right place, but their actions were completely inappropriate and in fact dangerous for the children they were trying to protect. This is only one of several stories I’ve heard over the past few weeks of good hearts doing the wrong thing.

This story is particularly troubling because this involved trafficking children. Even if their intent wasn’t to traffic children, they were attempting to transport children across international borders without any paperwork. That’s trafficking. Especially when the Haitian Government has made it very clear that no new adoptions will be processed until things are on more stable ground. It’s also troubling that none of these Americans appear to have any connection to Haiti or these children (some of whom claim to have living parents). They aren’t working there. They aren’t living there. They don’t actually know what’s going on or what is best for these children. After a massive crisis like what has happened in Haiti, families are separated. There is no way to know yet WHO is orphaned and who has living family elsewhere in the country. To just take children away is BREAKING UP families. Imagine if this were your family. You were separated, searching for one another, only to find months later that your niece or nephew or son or daughter was taken to another country? I am ALL for adoption- just not of children who already have families.

So after being given a pretty good example of what NOT to do, what is the appropriate response? Here's my 2 cents:

1. Prayer- always the first step. Pray for those who are suffering, pray for those who are serving in the disaster. Pray for wisdom and what your role is.

2. Consider giving- there are many reputable charities who are poised and ready to jump in after a disaster (Red Cross, Lutheran World Relief , etc) These groups are trained to actually assist in the rescue and clean up. When untrained people try to go and help, they get in the way and can easily get hurt. Trained volunteers are the ones who should go.

3. Bad Idea- trafficking children. Good Idea- finding ways to provide for them (food, shelter, clothing, water) while their country is rebuilt. Another Good Idea- reuniting families. Find and support charities or NGO’s that are doing that.

4. Bad Idea- mounting impromptu rescue efforts. Good Idea- assisting trained volunteers (financially, practically, etc). More people on the ground doesn’t mean more work is accomplished- often it just means more chaos.

If there is one thing I have learned while watching and being involved in international aid it’s this- just because your intentions are good doesn’t mean that the outcome is good. You may have a big heart but you need to listen to the people who are on the ground- THEY have a much better idea of what can and should be done to actually help.

It's important that we see that we all do have roles to play after a tragedy, we just have to be smart about it. Check out this article on Relevant- it talks about myths that surround disaster response.

So that's what I think.

Random Signs...

To round out the random food posts, here's a great sign in a grocery store. I have no idea what "Tastic" Tasty Kampala Bananas are. Maybe they are FAN"tastic"? But the end of the sign is big enough to see part of the broken off "FAN" if that were the case. Can't figure it out.

The wonder that is the Uchumi Sandwich!

How have I missed out on this for the YEARS I've lived here! No one thought to tell me about the closest thing to Subway (or real sandwiches period) in the city? Uchumi, you are a frustrating store but this just made up for it all!

Look at this: BREAD! not just wonder bread but BREAD! and meat! and cheese! and veggies! and mystery sauces! All for the low low price of 140Ksh ($2). This also just made paying my electric bill 80x's more fun (because this grocery store is also the place I pay my electric bills- at register 5.)

NYAMA!!!!

Ok, one of my favorite parts about Kenya (besides amazing people, great friends and beautiful landscapes) is nyama- aka MEAT! I am a carnivore. You all know this. Its not a meal if there isn't some form of meat involved (ok that's a stretch-I go days without eating meat here but you know what I mean!). I love meat. And in Kenya, you can get meat (unlike other areas of the world I have lived). And I've even found some great, clean places to get fresh meat! Even better!

Today, a co-worker took me to this great place just around the corner from our office for nyama. Its a butchery/restaurant and it is GOOD!! You can't get much fresher then eating INSIDE the butcher shop! Its hilarious- you walk in and first its the butcher- with raw sides of meat hanging next to him (no nifty styrofoam/plastic wrapped packages here!)- and he is sawing off a piece of meat for a customer. And just passed him, separated by an iron grate door, is the 8 seater restaurant. They cook the stew just outside the door and then you eat! YUM!!!

A Great Day

Great discussion, great questions, great Tag-Team answers.

Just a really good day! I like these kinds of days!

Home Remedies For Destroying Cockroaches

Its Home Science Adventure Time!!!

Ok- its not really that exciting but I am trying out some homemade cockroach killers. Because we may have the beginnings of a problem. I've only seen 2 and my roommie has only seen 1 but its better to nip this in the bud! Cockroaches are a normal part of life in Nairobi (pretty much everyone gets them, even in really clean houses, at one time or the other... or more often then that! My neighbors have TONS of them EVERYWHERE!)

But just because they are a normal part of life here doesn't mean we have to just sit back and let them take over! Once they get in your apartment, they are hard to get rid of but I have a plan.

Did you know if you mix baking soda and powdered sugar together and leave it out for our gross little nemesis', they will eat it and die. And cockroaches, being the cannibals that they are, will eat that dead one and pretty soon the problem is gone.

Or so I'm told. We'll see how well it works in a few days.

If this works, I will be ecstatic! Not only will the cockroaches be gone (reason enough to be excited!) but this is an easy, non-toxic (well non-toxic too HUMANS) way to get rid of these pests with stuff you just have in the house (or can get really easy) and you don't have to bug bomb the house.

If only I had known about this remedy when I lived in India!!!!!!
Thanks Jaime for the info/recipe!

Anybody else have any other Cockroach Destruction Methods? I'll try them out if this one doesn't work out!

The Rest of the Asia Pics

aka: how many random pics can I put in 1 post??

Sorry its taken so long to get the rest of them up- life is crazy right now!

You guys all know that when you get Kel, Gavin and I together- we can be a little weird. And with cameras around to document the insanity, you can feel like you were right there with us!
So here are the rest of the pics from Kel and Gavin's.

After I left Kel and Gavin's, I went back to stay with Jaime (a friend from college). We ended up getting TONS of snow the day I got back to her city- so fun!! Pretty much everyone else in the city was hating it but we LOVED it! Snow!!!

And there was this great mall with Christmas lights and displays all over- so fun!
So thanks Kel and Gavin and Jaime! I had a GREAT time visiting. Thanks for letting me crash with you, eat your food, hang out with your friends and get to experience your lives! Loved it!

Nakuru Pics

Here's some pics from our day safari to Nakuru with the team from the US that came to help us with the retreat. Great fun- the team is hilarious (because safari is only as fun as the people you have in the van with you!). But this was great. I'd never been to Nakuru before and its very different from my other safari. Nakuru park goes all the way around the lake and is so green! I love the drive to Nakuru- you go right through the Great Rift Valley. I love how you are in these massive Highland hills and all of a sudden it drops off into completely flat plains with 2 mountains in the middle of the flatness. So pretty!

Baboons in a tree

My favorite part of Kenya's terrain- the acacia tree!

Zebras

All the ladies (with flamingos in the background)

Cape Buffalo under the acacia trees

View of the park from Baboon Cliff (where said baboon broke into our safari van and stole our cookies. It then went through the open roof of another van WHILE the PEOPLE WERE IN IT!!! Too funny! I've never seen people jump out of vehicle so fast! And the screaming!!!!)

A rhino and her calf (and the Lion King like birds that eat the bugs on them and alert
them to danger)

Impala

Flamingos!!!

A colubus monkey

As we were leaving the park we saw a ton of flooding from all this abnormal rain. The lake in the park was WAY down (like hundreds of feet down) even after all this flooding and unusual rainfall. I can't imagine what it was like during the drought earlier this year.

a long long long week

I think this must have been one of the longest weeks of my life. I got back from my Christmas in Asia and hit the ground running (literally since there was a transportation strike when I got back- thanks a lot matatu drivers!). But I also hit the ground running figuratively because this was Retreat Week! I got back Tuesday afternoon, Wednesday I was in the office finalizing all the details for the retreat that started on Thursday and went to Sunday. Insanity. Retreat Week is always insane. There is a ton to do, all this stuff has to happen, there's a ridiculous amount of stress and I'm starting it off with a crazy case of jet lag. But I powered through. There were some amazing highs and some pretty deep lows throughout the weekend (refereeing fights is a regular part of my job and that gets pretty old when you have to do it 24/7 for 4 days) but overall it went well. I have practically no voice left and I haven't had a real nights sleep in more then a week so I'm sure I'm a REAL joy to be around! But God did some pretty amazing things.

But here is my battle scar! I was breaking up a brawl and one of the kids (who was totally old enough to know better) bit my arm! HARD! Here's the bruise after a few days!

Like I said it's been a VERY long week!

We had a short term team from the US visiting this week to help out with the retreat, so today we all went on a mini-safari to Nakuru. Super fun. I love just driving through the diversity that is Kenya. I'll post some pics tomorrow but I gotta get to bed while I can! Yay! My own bed!