sad stories, plans and kangas

ooh, what a lack of being busy week. Well I suppose I was busy really. Just not with terribly exciting things. I spent my days poring over newspapers from during the pre and post-election violence, and my evenings either writing my research proposal, huffing because someone said something that offended me, and writing my budget and itinerary for these next couple of weeks.

There were a few things that I am sure I was going to post on here that I found in the papers, but I don't remember them now. One thing I saw that I was very sad about was a follow up kind of story about a disabled lady who I had read about from an issue in November or October or something. She had no use of her legs, but had rigged up all this stuff in her fields so she could still till her crops and stuff, and it was a really heart-warming story about how she wowed all the neighbours with how she could still manage on her own despite being in a wheelchair. So lovely. And then in one of the January issues of the paper they reported that they had discovered that this lady had been in what was possibly the most devastating act of post-election violence. A church in Kiambaa in Eldoret was torched while it was full of people. (Daily Nation article on the burning) Many people died inside, one of which was Wambui, the disabled lady the Nation had reported on months before. I think that story made me more sad than a lot of the others, although I read a lot from January 2008 which made tears come to my eyes.

Onto more cheery subjects. Having done the research proposal I now have to do the research, which is the plan for this week and next, although apart from getting a couple of contacts that I needed today I haven't done anything towards it as I have been busy finishing up my notes for Sarah. That and getting excited about funding. So tomorrow I have to call a couple of people and put together some questions to ask the curators at the sites I am visiting. Then on Wednesday I am travelling up to Nakuru on a matatu (I hate travelling intercity on matatus) stopping just before to visit Kariandusi on the way. Then I'm staying in a dorm (ooh, first dorm experience) at this Nakuru backpackers place who say they will pick me up free of charge from town, and apparently the hostel has magnificent views over the National Park. Then the next day I'm being picked up in Nakuru to be taken to Hyrax Hill by the curator. Sarah also arrives in Nakuru on Thursday, so hopefully I'll be able to meet up with her for dinner. Then I might stay Friday night as well, depends if I still have anything to do there on the Friday. Then I'm going to head down to Naivasha to do a little tourism stuff there before heading back to Nairobi on Sunday. Or possibly Monday, see how I feel. Then depending on when I get back I will head out the next day to Olorgasailie for a night and then travel back the next day. Apparently it's very beautiful there, as well as being full of uninteresting rock stuff (according to James) so hopefully it should be nice to stay there for a little while. I shall take a book with me for these travels. Although annoyingly the one book I really wanted to read seems to have gone missing. I'm really annoyed. I have been offering my books to people to read, but I don't know who could have it! :(

So ya, then I should have at least a day to write up before Phil gets here!!! Woo, then we're flying to Lamu on the Saturday for our coastal adventures. Exciting.

Apart from planning that I haven't done much this last week. Saturday night I went to a Kanga/Kikoi party with Sarah, Hannah, James, Reynolds and his flatmate Carol. It was really good fun, although little did I know my hormones were kicking in and I shouldn't have been drinking (cos if I do it makes me sick) and I was on the rum, and then there were the jelly shots which may have been the beginning of the downwards spiral, as then when someone encouraged my to down a large shot of tequila I was more than willing. And the rest is history, or rather, I don't remember much of it (which is unusual for me in itself). So yesterday was spent in bed either sleeping or watching Joanna Lumley's the Nile which was very good. She even went to Juba in Southern Sudan, and I'm not entirely sure, but the place where they were showing the beauty contestants may have been the place we stayed while we were there. Very interesting program, and only slightly insulting in places.

But that is pretty much the only thing of interest which has happened to me in this last week. The party was great though, I was having a really good time until the hormones/drink ruined it all. I may give up on alcohol entirely seeing as I can't predict when it's going to turn on me.

Oh, of course. And I had an email from Bristol this morning telling me that they are giving me AHRC funding. Which is awesome although even though ahrc pays the fees, it only pays a certain amount, which is only a third of the actual fees I have to pay, so I still have to find £6000. Still, that's a hell of a lot better than having to find all the fees and living expenses. So yay! I'm going to Bristol this October!! Quite looking forward to it.

Right, bed time now I think. Although having spent the whole day feeling utterly exhausted still, now I feel quite awake! Grr. Must get some decent sleep so I can focus tomorrow though. Night folks!