Posts
Ah, I was just thinking as I walked up to the institute just now how much I miss England. All the time. I miss my people and their lovely hugs and conversation the most, but also just the way of things. I can never decide whether things are easier here or at home. I'm used to it here, so catching matatus and sitting in traffic scrunched into a seat no longer faze me. I also get hello more than the patronising 'Jambo' but that could be the places I'm frequenting at the moment. University and ministry filled areas tend to be less filled with the annoying people. I haven't heard a patronising high pitched 'how are you?' from an adult male for ages. It's acceptable from kids, but really, men? Wtf? So I am really looking forward to coming home. And I look forward to it every day. But that doesn't mean that I'm not enjoying being here, even despite recent trials. I enjoy the people, and the work, and just the general day-to-day living. I'm learning so much being here, a lot more I think than if I had just stayed for the 4 months. Like about what I want to do and where I see myself in the future. Although that is still largely up in the air at the moment. I still sway between wanting different things. I am also learning a lot about Kenya and Africa, currently more about the post-election violence than I thought I would ever learn. And I'm discovering that I really miss doing Egyptian arch!
So apart from my musings, last week we moved out of the guest house into Upper Hill. I found I wasn't sleeping enough, and thought it was just because of the environment, which certainly was a factor. Being woken up by a dog barking outside my tent at 5.30am is not likely to amuse. I moved into a cabin and that wasn't much better, and then by the weekend I was sleeping as much as I could. Like, all day. And feeling really ill and nauseous and generally not very happy. So sunday I spent the best part of the day at the hospital getting tests done so they would give me something to make me feel better. There seems to be nothing wrong apart from some bacterial infection, and I got anti-biotics and was sent home. I was feeling better yesterday, but today I started my new job (more on that later) which required a trek across town, so now I am absolutely shattered. I feel like crap again, which is a bit rubbish! Don't know what the problem is but it's rather annoying. Earlier night tonight I think. Oh and I'm staying at Matt & Laura's for a few nights. I was hoping just until tomorrow but Matt thinks probably another night til the guest house is ready.
So, onto the new job, briefly, as I am feeling stupidly tired now. I am working for Sarah, doing her archival research on the post election violence. Lots of going through newspapers looking for relevant articles.
*yawn* I wonder if I should have started work again already.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Guest house palaver
Morning all.
So, I don't know if I mentioned in my last post, but there are some building works going on at the guest house at the moment. They are rebuilding the roof. Yesterday morning was mine and Matt's first experience of the re-roofing, and we weren't best pleased. I came out in the morning and had to dodge tiles that were flying off the roof. Later on in the morning, after Matt had tried to impress upon the contractors that safety was a big issue, he decided that everyone should move out of the guest house. Guests and attachees included. Amongst us we decided on Upper Hill campsite and hostel, the backpackery type place up the road. It's quite nice, although I had a bit of a mission finding a hot shower this morning, and still didn't get one. I'll try and suss out the situation a bit better tomorrow. It would rather take my chances with the guest house but the power has been turned off as there was an issue with the roofers being electrocuted. Great. This does mean I am rapidly running out of clothes and may have to sneak in to the guest house to wash some trousers later as otherwise I will have nothing to wear very soon. Although Godfrey has promised he'll try and get the power on for this evening so I can do it then.
Last night, as I had food that needed eating, I offered to cook at the guest house before we all went out to the cinema. I ended up cooking for 8 people. By candlelight. Most of the time with all of them standing around in the kitchen watching me. It was nice I suppose, that instead of buggering off to the lounge like most men would do, they stayed behind to help and chat. And yes, I was the only girl there. It was quite nice actually, after a rather female dominated week the week before I went up to Kapenguria I much prefer the company of a big group of guys.
Anyway, so I cooked a thai green noodle soup, which was ok, but I had decided against putting the chillies into the soup, and then regretted it later when it really didn't have any kick at all. Not even a weak nudge. But James chopped them up to add later. Which I did and then realised I can't quite handle raw chillies yet and had a small coughing fit. Anyway, the meal was a success. I think everyone enjoyed it. And then we all packed off to the cinema, leaving the washing up to... well, no-one as yet. But having done all the cooking for 7 other people I flatly refuse to wash up.
So Matt had procured the keys to the landrover, so he drove us all the Westgate in that. I nabbed the front seat, obviously, and all the others got in the back, bumping around all over the place. heh heh. We went to see Clash of the Titans, and it was Mzuri Monday Madness so we all got out ticket, a small popcorn, a drink and either chocolate or a hot dog for 550ksh (118ksh to the pound at the mo). Bargain.
So, Clash of the Titans. Well, what can I say about it. Ummm, it was a bit rubbish really. I enjoyed it, as a fantasy fan, but those who weren't couldn't really appreciate it. But I think everyone had a good time, and Emmanuel enjoyed himself, so that was good (Emmanuel is Matt's friend from Pokot, who had never been to a cinema before). I was sat in between Matt and Laurence's friend from the African Studies course, whose name I can't remember, but we had quite a giggle referencing other stuff. The kid from About a Boy was in it, which gave us a laugh. Not quite sure what he was meant to be doing but he wasn't great. He seemed to just pout a lot and look pretty with his long hair. And we managed to get a couple of Lost references in although the only one I can remember now is the smoke monster.
So that was a laugh, then Matt dropped us off at the Institute so we could all swop cars, and James drove the rest of us back to the campsite. Did I mention I'm sleeping in a tent? It's a very nice one, has electricity and two beds. The only thing I am lacking is a mirror. But I'll grab mine from the guest house today. That and ear plugs. The morning chorus this morning was a little too much to handle!
Right, I suppose I should get some work done today. I'm sorting through photos of the event at the moment. Picking out what I want to get printed and what I want to make into a collage for Phoebe. And I also need to send some emails to figure out what the hell I'm going to do with my life when I get back, and if I can afford the time to go back to Buendia in September. It would mean I only get about 2 1/2 weeks back home before having to set off again. Which I don't mind, I'm quite happy that by August I will only have spent 6 weeks in England, but my issue is with getting a job to enable me to start my masters. So if anyone has any tips on funding, loans, etc, then please do let me know. Also accommodation as I will be have to find somewhere pronto. I'm thinking about halls again, but maybe finding ones more appropriate this time.
Right then. Hope everyone is well. Love to you all!
xxx
So, I don't know if I mentioned in my last post, but there are some building works going on at the guest house at the moment. They are rebuilding the roof. Yesterday morning was mine and Matt's first experience of the re-roofing, and we weren't best pleased. I came out in the morning and had to dodge tiles that were flying off the roof. Later on in the morning, after Matt had tried to impress upon the contractors that safety was a big issue, he decided that everyone should move out of the guest house. Guests and attachees included. Amongst us we decided on Upper Hill campsite and hostel, the backpackery type place up the road. It's quite nice, although I had a bit of a mission finding a hot shower this morning, and still didn't get one. I'll try and suss out the situation a bit better tomorrow. It would rather take my chances with the guest house but the power has been turned off as there was an issue with the roofers being electrocuted. Great. This does mean I am rapidly running out of clothes and may have to sneak in to the guest house to wash some trousers later as otherwise I will have nothing to wear very soon. Although Godfrey has promised he'll try and get the power on for this evening so I can do it then.
Last night, as I had food that needed eating, I offered to cook at the guest house before we all went out to the cinema. I ended up cooking for 8 people. By candlelight. Most of the time with all of them standing around in the kitchen watching me. It was nice I suppose, that instead of buggering off to the lounge like most men would do, they stayed behind to help and chat. And yes, I was the only girl there. It was quite nice actually, after a rather female dominated week the week before I went up to Kapenguria I much prefer the company of a big group of guys.
Anyway, so I cooked a thai green noodle soup, which was ok, but I had decided against putting the chillies into the soup, and then regretted it later when it really didn't have any kick at all. Not even a weak nudge. But James chopped them up to add later. Which I did and then realised I can't quite handle raw chillies yet and had a small coughing fit. Anyway, the meal was a success. I think everyone enjoyed it. And then we all packed off to the cinema, leaving the washing up to... well, no-one as yet. But having done all the cooking for 7 other people I flatly refuse to wash up.
So Matt had procured the keys to the landrover, so he drove us all the Westgate in that. I nabbed the front seat, obviously, and all the others got in the back, bumping around all over the place. heh heh. We went to see Clash of the Titans, and it was Mzuri Monday Madness so we all got out ticket, a small popcorn, a drink and either chocolate or a hot dog for 550ksh (118ksh to the pound at the mo). Bargain.
So, Clash of the Titans. Well, what can I say about it. Ummm, it was a bit rubbish really. I enjoyed it, as a fantasy fan, but those who weren't couldn't really appreciate it. But I think everyone had a good time, and Emmanuel enjoyed himself, so that was good (Emmanuel is Matt's friend from Pokot, who had never been to a cinema before). I was sat in between Matt and Laurence's friend from the African Studies course, whose name I can't remember, but we had quite a giggle referencing other stuff. The kid from About a Boy was in it, which gave us a laugh. Not quite sure what he was meant to be doing but he wasn't great. He seemed to just pout a lot and look pretty with his long hair. And we managed to get a couple of Lost references in although the only one I can remember now is the smoke monster.
So that was a laugh, then Matt dropped us off at the Institute so we could all swop cars, and James drove the rest of us back to the campsite. Did I mention I'm sleeping in a tent? It's a very nice one, has electricity and two beds. The only thing I am lacking is a mirror. But I'll grab mine from the guest house today. That and ear plugs. The morning chorus this morning was a little too much to handle!
Right, I suppose I should get some work done today. I'm sorting through photos of the event at the moment. Picking out what I want to get printed and what I want to make into a collage for Phoebe. And I also need to send some emails to figure out what the hell I'm going to do with my life when I get back, and if I can afford the time to go back to Buendia in September. It would mean I only get about 2 1/2 weeks back home before having to set off again. Which I don't mind, I'm quite happy that by August I will only have spent 6 weeks in England, but my issue is with getting a job to enable me to start my masters. So if anyone has any tips on funding, loans, etc, then please do let me know. Also accommodation as I will be have to find somewhere pronto. I'm thinking about halls again, but maybe finding ones more appropriate this time.
Right then. Hope everyone is well. Love to you all!
xxx
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Kapenguria Museum re-opening
So, I am now back in Nairobi, and I guess I should write up about the last week. I'm not really in the mood at the moment though, which probably has something to do with being in Java at a table full of people and about to order food. So I may not write very detailed.
Monday I wrote up already. That was the day I arrived in Kapenguria and settled in to the house. Tuesday is a bit of a blur. I woke up, had a black coffee because I had no milk, and walked up the hill to the museum. I wasn't feeling well, and then by the time I got in I wasn't fancying breakfast, so I didn't eat until lunchtime. I went to the Delicious Cafe where I had been taken the day before to get my 15ksh githeri, but I felt so ill I could only manage a few mouthfuls. I also couldn't eat dinner in the evening, so I generally had a rather crap day. I can't remember exactly what I did. More trying to prepare. I got Rebecca, the museum lady who was helping me, to go through the names of the items in Pokot with Emmanuel. I was trying to get the photos ready, mounting them on card and stuff. Which took fricking forever. That night I was shattered and went to bed at 8.30. I has also that day realised that I couldn't find my memory stick and was stressing about having to re-write all the labels which I had done ages ago and really didn't want to have to do again.
Wednesday was slightly better. I managed to force some breakfast down, which was probably a great help, and for the day I had made myself a little time-table which I managed to keep to until lunchtime and was only behind on things because I was waiting for the guy to arrive with the keys to the room I was working in until gone 8.30. So things were moving along nicely, then Phoebe (curator of the museum) and Onjala (assistant director for the NMK museum's West Pokot district) insisted on taking me out for lunch. We went to the Calabash in Makutano, which is where I always end up eating when we're there. And I felt that I had to order proper food so I did, and I managed to eat the majority of it as well, which I was very proud of. Then back to the museum and I started to put the pictures up on the walls. And then Matt and crew arrived at about 2.30. They bought the boards with them that I spent ages working on, and they looked really good. They didn't actually do anything until about 4 because they went for food and stuff, then Matt organised people to help me and I gave Kerry and John jobs to do. Then at 5 Matt wanted to leave and so convinced me to leave too, although I was planning on staying until 6.
Thursday was the day to get everything done though, and so I had people helping do things in the morning and got all the displays up and ready. Then there were just a few minor things left to do, as well as the main text for the photos. But then the power went, so we couldn't print or laminate anything which was the next thing we needed to do. So after we had all been for lunch Matt organised a generator at the house we were staying at, which Matua had to go and buy fuel for, so we only got there doing the work at about 3.30. And then 40 minutes later the power came back. Ah well. We stayed there working all afernoon and evening, and then Matt brought Jossey back and they cooked spag bol (kinda) for us while we were working. It was a really nice night actually, I made Matt and Jossey pose in the silly aprons I found in the larder and took some funny photos. And then we worked until 11.30, well, I was the last to finish, but only just, and because I was wrapping things up afterwards.
So Friday came, and we got all the stuff we'd laminated out. John was the last to finish as he was trying to do the Cherangany gallery (just re-written labels which I had gone through and corrected the night before, and a bit of a tidy up of the cases) so while I made sure everything at the Pokot gallery was perfect Matt and Kerry went to help him. Everything got finished, Matt went and changed into his suit (I was already dressed as nicely as I could) and we prepared for the opening. All morning the tents had been going up and the chairs laid out. Matua had been driving all over the place fetching things and people. Brightly dressed Pokot dancers had been arriving, and then at about 11 the guests started to arrive. The ceremony was supposed to start at 11 but people had only just started to turn up, and all of Matt's guests, the people he had worked with in Tamkal where he did his research, were on a vehicle he had hired for them but it had left late, and without half the people who were meant to be on it, and so it didn't arrive until halfway through the entertainment at about 12.45 ish. So it started at about 12.15 with an NMK guy welcoming everyone, and then the dancing started. I was sat in the kind of VIP area, on the nice chairs with Matt. :) So their were a few groups, and they got progressively better. They were really good, proper Pokot dancing and stuff. I took loads of photos. Then one of the groups was on and there was a particularly striking girl in it who turned around, so I was taking photos and thinking how great it was that I was getting such clear shots of her and another woman, when i realised they were coming closer. And suddenly it dawned on me... they were coming for me! AAAAAAH! Lol. Matt was away at this point as Emmanuel had just arrived with the Tamkal lot, and I learned later that he was dressing him in the office we were using when he was dragged out. So yes, I was dragged up into the middle to dance with these dancers, looking like a pratt no doubt. And then this girl pulled out a bouquet of flowers from the kanga she had on her back, and then the other one put her necklace on me. Then eventually I was led back to my seat. *phew* Shortly afterwards Matt was seen arriving with Phoebe and was dragged into the middle to dance. He got a huge round of applause as he's so well known among the tamkal lot. They gave him a cape thing, which they had made for him, which kind of signals him as the chief of the clan or something. Anyway, good times. Then later the speeches came, and I was thanked by Phoebe which was nice. Then Matt came up and for his speech he had a pokot translator because most of them don't speak english. And he thanked a few people, especially those who had helped in his research, then he thanked people for helping with the museum and I thought I was just included in 'the students' but no, he gave me a special thanks which was really really nice.
ooh, and I'm barely any way through the day. It was just such a great time. Then the food finally arrived at about 2.30 (only an hour late) and Kerry and I served the VIP tent drinks while the speeches were wrapping up. Then they finished so people came for food, then it started to rain properly, proper chucking it down, so kerry and I sheltered by the heroes gallery while for a bit. Then they galleries were opened properly and people started to have a look around. So we went back to the Pokot Gallery and I got my camera. Matt asked me to take photos of him talking to the people about his display, so I took the camera and was taking photos of the room, and it got really packed out, and people were wanting their photos taking, and especially the children, and I guess because I gave them special attention and showed them the photos I was taking the took a liking to me and from that point until the very end of the day they followed me around wherever I went, whatever I was doing. At one point I was waiting for Matt to finish talking to get the key off of him, and I felt one of them stroking my hair. I generally just ignored them, although while I was walking around outside I did let them hold my hands, even though that then made them fight over who got to hold my hand and who had to be content clinging on to my arms.
Anyway, I hid out in the Office at the back of the pokot gallery for a while and while I was there Matt and I were talking and he thanked me again and gave me a big hug, which was nice. I think that several great things have come out of this project, one is all the work and the successful finishing of it and it all being up there and that I can say that I did it, and the other is getting to know Matt a little better and not feeling quite so at odds with him any more.
Anyway, so that was the event! That evening we had a bit of hassle getting out to eat as the car battery died (the alternator probably isn't working properly! Argh) so we couldn't drive in the dark with no lights. So we had to get hold of taxis and it was all a bit of a palaver. But we finally got out and had a few drinks and nyama choma (roast meat) which was tasty, and didn't leave until about midnight. There was only one car though, so I went back in the first group and was meaning to wait up for Matt and the others to come back, but Kerry John & Matua all retired so I found myself passing out in bed instead.
Yesterday morning we had a late start, and drove back to Nairobi for about 6. Emmanuel is staying with Matt for a few days, although he was meant to be coming up with Esther and Giddy (wife and son, the cute little baby I had my photo taken with) and staying with Matt and Laura, but Esther missed the vehicle to get to Kapenguria, and Laura is stuck in Switzerland with 20 11yr olds on a skiing trip. they were supposed to be back by now but because of the ash they probably won't be back for a bit. Which was a shocker. Matt came in to the dining room on Friday evening and said he'd just had a message from Laura saying that she couldn't get back because of the volcano! Which being out of touch rather we hadn't heard about. So we had three computers all trying different dongles trying to connect to the internet to find out what was going on. Crazy world.
Anyway, so hopefully Matt & Emmanuel are coming to the cinema with us tomorrow evening, which will be Emmanuel's first cinema experience. So quit looking forward to that. Hopefully we'll go and see clash of the titans.
Anyway, I think that's going to have to be the lot. I need to head off, so must stop writing. Although I will say one thing. I have a new attachee staying with me room 1. I got a bit annoyed with her this morning, as while I was trying to get some more sleep after a long day she proceeded to pack her bags, which was fine as she was going away today, but she did it wearing really loud clompy shoes walking back and forth, and then after taking a shower she blow dried her hair. In the room. Where I was trying to sleep. When there is a perfectly good plug socket in the bathroom she could have used with the door closed. Or even downstairs! I would never have been that inconsiderate! That really pissed me off. I might have to have a few words when she gets back.
Ok, off now. Love to you all.
xxx
Monday I wrote up already. That was the day I arrived in Kapenguria and settled in to the house. Tuesday is a bit of a blur. I woke up, had a black coffee because I had no milk, and walked up the hill to the museum. I wasn't feeling well, and then by the time I got in I wasn't fancying breakfast, so I didn't eat until lunchtime. I went to the Delicious Cafe where I had been taken the day before to get my 15ksh githeri, but I felt so ill I could only manage a few mouthfuls. I also couldn't eat dinner in the evening, so I generally had a rather crap day. I can't remember exactly what I did. More trying to prepare. I got Rebecca, the museum lady who was helping me, to go through the names of the items in Pokot with Emmanuel. I was trying to get the photos ready, mounting them on card and stuff. Which took fricking forever. That night I was shattered and went to bed at 8.30. I has also that day realised that I couldn't find my memory stick and was stressing about having to re-write all the labels which I had done ages ago and really didn't want to have to do again.
Wednesday was slightly better. I managed to force some breakfast down, which was probably a great help, and for the day I had made myself a little time-table which I managed to keep to until lunchtime and was only behind on things because I was waiting for the guy to arrive with the keys to the room I was working in until gone 8.30. So things were moving along nicely, then Phoebe (curator of the museum) and Onjala (assistant director for the NMK museum's West Pokot district) insisted on taking me out for lunch. We went to the Calabash in Makutano, which is where I always end up eating when we're there. And I felt that I had to order proper food so I did, and I managed to eat the majority of it as well, which I was very proud of. Then back to the museum and I started to put the pictures up on the walls. And then Matt and crew arrived at about 2.30. They bought the boards with them that I spent ages working on, and they looked really good. They didn't actually do anything until about 4 because they went for food and stuff, then Matt organised people to help me and I gave Kerry and John jobs to do. Then at 5 Matt wanted to leave and so convinced me to leave too, although I was planning on staying until 6.
Thursday was the day to get everything done though, and so I had people helping do things in the morning and got all the displays up and ready. Then there were just a few minor things left to do, as well as the main text for the photos. But then the power went, so we couldn't print or laminate anything which was the next thing we needed to do. So after we had all been for lunch Matt organised a generator at the house we were staying at, which Matua had to go and buy fuel for, so we only got there doing the work at about 3.30. And then 40 minutes later the power came back. Ah well. We stayed there working all afernoon and evening, and then Matt brought Jossey back and they cooked spag bol (kinda) for us while we were working. It was a really nice night actually, I made Matt and Jossey pose in the silly aprons I found in the larder and took some funny photos. And then we worked until 11.30, well, I was the last to finish, but only just, and because I was wrapping things up afterwards.
So Friday came, and we got all the stuff we'd laminated out. John was the last to finish as he was trying to do the Cherangany gallery (just re-written labels which I had gone through and corrected the night before, and a bit of a tidy up of the cases) so while I made sure everything at the Pokot gallery was perfect Matt and Kerry went to help him. Everything got finished, Matt went and changed into his suit (I was already dressed as nicely as I could) and we prepared for the opening. All morning the tents had been going up and the chairs laid out. Matua had been driving all over the place fetching things and people. Brightly dressed Pokot dancers had been arriving, and then at about 11 the guests started to arrive. The ceremony was supposed to start at 11 but people had only just started to turn up, and all of Matt's guests, the people he had worked with in Tamkal where he did his research, were on a vehicle he had hired for them but it had left late, and without half the people who were meant to be on it, and so it didn't arrive until halfway through the entertainment at about 12.45 ish. So it started at about 12.15 with an NMK guy welcoming everyone, and then the dancing started. I was sat in the kind of VIP area, on the nice chairs with Matt. :) So their were a few groups, and they got progressively better. They were really good, proper Pokot dancing and stuff. I took loads of photos. Then one of the groups was on and there was a particularly striking girl in it who turned around, so I was taking photos and thinking how great it was that I was getting such clear shots of her and another woman, when i realised they were coming closer. And suddenly it dawned on me... they were coming for me! AAAAAAH! Lol. Matt was away at this point as Emmanuel had just arrived with the Tamkal lot, and I learned later that he was dressing him in the office we were using when he was dragged out. So yes, I was dragged up into the middle to dance with these dancers, looking like a pratt no doubt. And then this girl pulled out a bouquet of flowers from the kanga she had on her back, and then the other one put her necklace on me. Then eventually I was led back to my seat. *phew* Shortly afterwards Matt was seen arriving with Phoebe and was dragged into the middle to dance. He got a huge round of applause as he's so well known among the tamkal lot. They gave him a cape thing, which they had made for him, which kind of signals him as the chief of the clan or something. Anyway, good times. Then later the speeches came, and I was thanked by Phoebe which was nice. Then Matt came up and for his speech he had a pokot translator because most of them don't speak english. And he thanked a few people, especially those who had helped in his research, then he thanked people for helping with the museum and I thought I was just included in 'the students' but no, he gave me a special thanks which was really really nice.
ooh, and I'm barely any way through the day. It was just such a great time. Then the food finally arrived at about 2.30 (only an hour late) and Kerry and I served the VIP tent drinks while the speeches were wrapping up. Then they finished so people came for food, then it started to rain properly, proper chucking it down, so kerry and I sheltered by the heroes gallery while for a bit. Then they galleries were opened properly and people started to have a look around. So we went back to the Pokot Gallery and I got my camera. Matt asked me to take photos of him talking to the people about his display, so I took the camera and was taking photos of the room, and it got really packed out, and people were wanting their photos taking, and especially the children, and I guess because I gave them special attention and showed them the photos I was taking the took a liking to me and from that point until the very end of the day they followed me around wherever I went, whatever I was doing. At one point I was waiting for Matt to finish talking to get the key off of him, and I felt one of them stroking my hair. I generally just ignored them, although while I was walking around outside I did let them hold my hands, even though that then made them fight over who got to hold my hand and who had to be content clinging on to my arms.
Anyway, I hid out in the Office at the back of the pokot gallery for a while and while I was there Matt and I were talking and he thanked me again and gave me a big hug, which was nice. I think that several great things have come out of this project, one is all the work and the successful finishing of it and it all being up there and that I can say that I did it, and the other is getting to know Matt a little better and not feeling quite so at odds with him any more.
Anyway, so that was the event! That evening we had a bit of hassle getting out to eat as the car battery died (the alternator probably isn't working properly! Argh) so we couldn't drive in the dark with no lights. So we had to get hold of taxis and it was all a bit of a palaver. But we finally got out and had a few drinks and nyama choma (roast meat) which was tasty, and didn't leave until about midnight. There was only one car though, so I went back in the first group and was meaning to wait up for Matt and the others to come back, but Kerry John & Matua all retired so I found myself passing out in bed instead.
Yesterday morning we had a late start, and drove back to Nairobi for about 6. Emmanuel is staying with Matt for a few days, although he was meant to be coming up with Esther and Giddy (wife and son, the cute little baby I had my photo taken with) and staying with Matt and Laura, but Esther missed the vehicle to get to Kapenguria, and Laura is stuck in Switzerland with 20 11yr olds on a skiing trip. they were supposed to be back by now but because of the ash they probably won't be back for a bit. Which was a shocker. Matt came in to the dining room on Friday evening and said he'd just had a message from Laura saying that she couldn't get back because of the volcano! Which being out of touch rather we hadn't heard about. So we had three computers all trying different dongles trying to connect to the internet to find out what was going on. Crazy world.
Anyway, so hopefully Matt & Emmanuel are coming to the cinema with us tomorrow evening, which will be Emmanuel's first cinema experience. So quit looking forward to that. Hopefully we'll go and see clash of the titans.
Anyway, I think that's going to have to be the lot. I need to head off, so must stop writing. Although I will say one thing. I have a new attachee staying with me room 1. I got a bit annoyed with her this morning, as while I was trying to get some more sleep after a long day she proceeded to pack her bags, which was fine as she was going away today, but she did it wearing really loud clompy shoes walking back and forth, and then after taking a shower she blow dried her hair. In the room. Where I was trying to sleep. When there is a perfectly good plug socket in the bathroom she could have used with the door closed. Or even downstairs! I would never have been that inconsiderate! That really pissed me off. I might have to have a few words when she gets back.
Ok, off now. Love to you all.
xxx
Monday, April 12, 2010
Elephants, Heroes and more
Huh, Apparently it's 26 degrees inside. Toasty. I've had to come and sit outside where it's a chillier 18 until the open doors and windows cool the house down a bit. I've put on a jumper, don't want to catch a cold, brrr, 18. Hee hee.
So, I am sat on the veranda, supping my tea (black unfortunately, not bought any milk yet) and listening to the crickets (the insect, not the sport!) in Kapenguria. It is nice to stay here for a change rather than down the road in Makutano, although I may have to pay it a visit tomorrow to buy some supplies. This place is great, apart from that there is no alcohol allowed. It's a missionaries place, or something, for the Lutheran Bible Group Kapenguria (or something to that effect). It's a rather large compound and I think missionaries stay here sporadically, seemingly with their families, and while they are not here the houses are rented out to other people. Not quite sure how they found it, I think Leila and Mike stayed here first but I don't know if they discovered it or were sent here. But it's great. Until Wednesday when Matt, Kerry and John (a new attachee from Tanzania, archaeologist, very eager) will be joining me, I have the place to myself. It has 4 bedrooms, a couple of which have Donald duck comic books in them, and mine has what appears to be a trapdoor. Don't know where it leads, and I'm not looking tonight. Perhaps tomorrow in daylight. I've seen too much Supernatural lately, and Evil Dead swims in my head whenever I think of it. Not quite as old and rustic looking as the Evil Dead one though. And hopefully doesn't contain, well, the evil dead.
Hmm, there's a dragonfly buzzing around the shelter above my head. I wish he'd stop.
Anyway, back to the house, there is a nice bathroom with an electric shower. A huge kitchen which even has tea, coffee and sugar left in it. Sadly no milk though. Wish I'd brought my whitener sachets with me. Oh and a little larder area. There is a large dining area and a small sitting area with wicker, cushioned seats in it and a table in the middle, which I find odd. These religious types eh. Also a bookshelf, but all the books are in, erm, foreign. I've not actually looked close enough to tell which European language they are in yet. But ah, anyway, I shall stop rambling on about having a house now. I can't wait to get back to the UK and have a place of my own, even if it's a room with shared facilities. Although I will probably miss sharing a room.
So, since I've been back in Kenya I've been pretty busy. I've been rushing around all over the place trying to get photos and newspaper articles, and etc etc. Mostly successfully, but there are still some photos which I don't have, so I may have to do a trip to Kitale at some point. Anyway, I got all the info I needed for the boards and made them over the easter weekend. Well, ok, I had one day where I did nothing at all, apart from get up late, do a bit of washing and potter around. And watch Supernatural obviously. The Friday I had waited around for three hours for the guy with the photos, and then the ones he brought were rubbish. But hey, I used them for the boards instead. And the rest of the weekend I got up late and then worked on the boards. Monday and Tuesday nights I stayed up until 1.30am doing them, and then got up really early the next morning to carry on. And they were finally finished with all corrections made and Kiswahili translations of the biographies added at the lest minute, and taken to the printers on Wednesday lunchtime. *phew*
I was then meant to be coming up here on Thursday, but as I hadn't managed to get the photos yet I decided to stay around until the weekend (not to mention the fact that I was shattered and needed to stop being so manic for a couple of days, AND there was the promise of elephants on Saturday) so I booked my ticket to come on the bus on Sunday instead. Thursday and FRiday I chased around after things, and then Saturday we all went to the Elephant Orphanage on the outskirts of Nairobi. I have put some photos up on my jalbum, but I did it in a rush in Java and they ended up really bad quality (I was trying to minimise the amount of time they took to upload and the space they would take up when added) so I will do it again properly when I get back to Nairobi. I also tried to upload them to facebook, but after a successful Monkey album, the elephant one just wouldn't work. humph. So, who is all I hear you ask (well ok you didn't but I feel like telling you). The people staying at the guest house at the moment are Ida, Swedish, doing African Studies MA at Oxford; Zoe, British and also doing African Studies at Oxford; Laurence, British and yeah you guessed it, doing African Studies at Oxford (they get money for fieldwork, and as it is AFRICAN studies, they tend to come to Africa. I've met 5 of them in the last week including these three, as their friends keep popping by on their way in or out of the country); then there is Hanna, Dutch, doing her phd and Nairobi is her last of many African countries where she's been researching); and not to forget John, the Tanzanian attachee who just started last week (and who is very very eager). But John didn't come with us to the elephant orphanage. Which is good as the 5 of us only just squeezed into the taxi as it was.
So, Saturday, Elephants. We set out at the punishingly early (for a weekend) time of 9.30 and all squidged into the taxi. We needed to arrive at 11am as they only open to the public between 11 and 12 every day. This is so the elephants don't get too used to people. Not sure how well that's going as they seemed quite at ease with our presence. Anyway, to continue with the story, there was a traffic jam just coming up to the entrance of the park. So after sitting there for a while our driver turned us round and tried to get us in through the other gate. Which we weren't allowed to do, so we went back to the queue of traffic and then got out and walked. We were almost at the entrance to the park when the jam got sorted out and our taxi went past us. He picked us back up at the entrance and drove us the rest of the way into the park to the orphanage and we arrived in time. yay! The place was full of mzungus. Some of whom were rather annoying, but we ignored them as best we could and had a wonderful hour with two lots of baby elephants. I took about 300 photos (I had the shutter on continuous some of the time) and several videos, which I can't wait to put up. Might have to edit the good one though as it was about 8 minutes long! They were so cute, and they played and some of them were naughty, and they were just adorable! I seriously considered adopting one of them so that I could come one evening to see them put to bed, but then decided against it as I have no way of getting there by myself and the taxi there and back cost us 2700ksh (which when split between 5 isn't so bad).
So that was our elephant fun, and after than we just headed back to the guest house. I attempted to make Houmous without a recipe, which went badly as I couldn't really remember it very well and the blender wouldn't blend it properly as it was too thick. Once that fun was over I headed out to Java with Hanna, Laurence and Ida to use the internet (L & I were also meeting someone for interviews) as it was down all weekend. I stayed there until 6.30, when I hurriedly walked back before it got dark, just, and then packed up my stuff for this week.
Hanna made risotto for dinner, and we had a lovely group meal (without John, he said he had already eaten and he was working) and drinks before another Oxford girl arrived to stay with the others for a couple of nights before heading back to England. Then we got out the monopoly board. Woop woop. We sure know how to have fun. :) It was a good laugh actually, John joined us but wanted to just watch for a while before starting to play, but we explained that it takes a long time to play and that we would teach him as we went along, which Laurence and Zoe did admirably, with the rest of us chipping in now and then, and with a few discussions over what rules we were using and what rules other people have used in the past, etc etc. Anyway, good times. We had 7 players, which soon trickled down to me, laurence, John and zoe as Hannah and Ida decided they wanted to go out dancing, and Lena wanted to go to bed (having travelled from Tanzania). Zoe won in the end, I became bankrupt after landing on two of her properties with hotels in one go (I threw a double), and I went to bed at about 1am, again. Having to be up at 6.30 to catch my bus the next morning. Silly me.
Anyway, that is me up to date. This week I will be mostly racing around like a mad thing trying to get everything done. I was going to do some work tonight but now it's 9pm and by the time I've replied to emails it'll be late enough for me to snuggle up in bed with either my scary book (Sarah Waters' new one) or with Supernatural. In a large creaky house all on my own. Gonna have great dreams tonight! :)
Oh and I just saw the hugest mosquito ever, almost daring to land on me although l'm liberally repellented. Oooh! And I just came inside to plug in, and found that the stereo has a cable that I can plug into my iPod! Woo! Musack! It's the oldest stereo I've seen for a long time. No CD player even, but it has surround sound apparently.
Anyway, yes, goodnight peeps!
So, I am sat on the veranda, supping my tea (black unfortunately, not bought any milk yet) and listening to the crickets (the insect, not the sport!) in Kapenguria. It is nice to stay here for a change rather than down the road in Makutano, although I may have to pay it a visit tomorrow to buy some supplies. This place is great, apart from that there is no alcohol allowed. It's a missionaries place, or something, for the Lutheran Bible Group Kapenguria (or something to that effect). It's a rather large compound and I think missionaries stay here sporadically, seemingly with their families, and while they are not here the houses are rented out to other people. Not quite sure how they found it, I think Leila and Mike stayed here first but I don't know if they discovered it or were sent here. But it's great. Until Wednesday when Matt, Kerry and John (a new attachee from Tanzania, archaeologist, very eager) will be joining me, I have the place to myself. It has 4 bedrooms, a couple of which have Donald duck comic books in them, and mine has what appears to be a trapdoor. Don't know where it leads, and I'm not looking tonight. Perhaps tomorrow in daylight. I've seen too much Supernatural lately, and Evil Dead swims in my head whenever I think of it. Not quite as old and rustic looking as the Evil Dead one though. And hopefully doesn't contain, well, the evil dead.
Hmm, there's a dragonfly buzzing around the shelter above my head. I wish he'd stop.
Anyway, back to the house, there is a nice bathroom with an electric shower. A huge kitchen which even has tea, coffee and sugar left in it. Sadly no milk though. Wish I'd brought my whitener sachets with me. Oh and a little larder area. There is a large dining area and a small sitting area with wicker, cushioned seats in it and a table in the middle, which I find odd. These religious types eh. Also a bookshelf, but all the books are in, erm, foreign. I've not actually looked close enough to tell which European language they are in yet. But ah, anyway, I shall stop rambling on about having a house now. I can't wait to get back to the UK and have a place of my own, even if it's a room with shared facilities. Although I will probably miss sharing a room.
So, since I've been back in Kenya I've been pretty busy. I've been rushing around all over the place trying to get photos and newspaper articles, and etc etc. Mostly successfully, but there are still some photos which I don't have, so I may have to do a trip to Kitale at some point. Anyway, I got all the info I needed for the boards and made them over the easter weekend. Well, ok, I had one day where I did nothing at all, apart from get up late, do a bit of washing and potter around. And watch Supernatural obviously. The Friday I had waited around for three hours for the guy with the photos, and then the ones he brought were rubbish. But hey, I used them for the boards instead. And the rest of the weekend I got up late and then worked on the boards. Monday and Tuesday nights I stayed up until 1.30am doing them, and then got up really early the next morning to carry on. And they were finally finished with all corrections made and Kiswahili translations of the biographies added at the lest minute, and taken to the printers on Wednesday lunchtime. *phew*
I was then meant to be coming up here on Thursday, but as I hadn't managed to get the photos yet I decided to stay around until the weekend (not to mention the fact that I was shattered and needed to stop being so manic for a couple of days, AND there was the promise of elephants on Saturday) so I booked my ticket to come on the bus on Sunday instead. Thursday and FRiday I chased around after things, and then Saturday we all went to the Elephant Orphanage on the outskirts of Nairobi. I have put some photos up on my jalbum, but I did it in a rush in Java and they ended up really bad quality (I was trying to minimise the amount of time they took to upload and the space they would take up when added) so I will do it again properly when I get back to Nairobi. I also tried to upload them to facebook, but after a successful Monkey album, the elephant one just wouldn't work. humph. So, who is all I hear you ask (well ok you didn't but I feel like telling you). The people staying at the guest house at the moment are Ida, Swedish, doing African Studies MA at Oxford; Zoe, British and also doing African Studies at Oxford; Laurence, British and yeah you guessed it, doing African Studies at Oxford (they get money for fieldwork, and as it is AFRICAN studies, they tend to come to Africa. I've met 5 of them in the last week including these three, as their friends keep popping by on their way in or out of the country); then there is Hanna, Dutch, doing her phd and Nairobi is her last of many African countries where she's been researching); and not to forget John, the Tanzanian attachee who just started last week (and who is very very eager). But John didn't come with us to the elephant orphanage. Which is good as the 5 of us only just squeezed into the taxi as it was.
So, Saturday, Elephants. We set out at the punishingly early (for a weekend) time of 9.30 and all squidged into the taxi. We needed to arrive at 11am as they only open to the public between 11 and 12 every day. This is so the elephants don't get too used to people. Not sure how well that's going as they seemed quite at ease with our presence. Anyway, to continue with the story, there was a traffic jam just coming up to the entrance of the park. So after sitting there for a while our driver turned us round and tried to get us in through the other gate. Which we weren't allowed to do, so we went back to the queue of traffic and then got out and walked. We were almost at the entrance to the park when the jam got sorted out and our taxi went past us. He picked us back up at the entrance and drove us the rest of the way into the park to the orphanage and we arrived in time. yay! The place was full of mzungus. Some of whom were rather annoying, but we ignored them as best we could and had a wonderful hour with two lots of baby elephants. I took about 300 photos (I had the shutter on continuous some of the time) and several videos, which I can't wait to put up. Might have to edit the good one though as it was about 8 minutes long! They were so cute, and they played and some of them were naughty, and they were just adorable! I seriously considered adopting one of them so that I could come one evening to see them put to bed, but then decided against it as I have no way of getting there by myself and the taxi there and back cost us 2700ksh (which when split between 5 isn't so bad).
So that was our elephant fun, and after than we just headed back to the guest house. I attempted to make Houmous without a recipe, which went badly as I couldn't really remember it very well and the blender wouldn't blend it properly as it was too thick. Once that fun was over I headed out to Java with Hanna, Laurence and Ida to use the internet (L & I were also meeting someone for interviews) as it was down all weekend. I stayed there until 6.30, when I hurriedly walked back before it got dark, just, and then packed up my stuff for this week.
Hanna made risotto for dinner, and we had a lovely group meal (without John, he said he had already eaten and he was working) and drinks before another Oxford girl arrived to stay with the others for a couple of nights before heading back to England. Then we got out the monopoly board. Woop woop. We sure know how to have fun. :) It was a good laugh actually, John joined us but wanted to just watch for a while before starting to play, but we explained that it takes a long time to play and that we would teach him as we went along, which Laurence and Zoe did admirably, with the rest of us chipping in now and then, and with a few discussions over what rules we were using and what rules other people have used in the past, etc etc. Anyway, good times. We had 7 players, which soon trickled down to me, laurence, John and zoe as Hannah and Ida decided they wanted to go out dancing, and Lena wanted to go to bed (having travelled from Tanzania). Zoe won in the end, I became bankrupt after landing on two of her properties with hotels in one go (I threw a double), and I went to bed at about 1am, again. Having to be up at 6.30 to catch my bus the next morning. Silly me.
Anyway, that is me up to date. This week I will be mostly racing around like a mad thing trying to get everything done. I was going to do some work tonight but now it's 9pm and by the time I've replied to emails it'll be late enough for me to snuggle up in bed with either my scary book (Sarah Waters' new one) or with Supernatural. In a large creaky house all on my own. Gonna have great dreams tonight! :)
Oh and I just saw the hugest mosquito ever, almost daring to land on me although l'm liberally repellented. Oooh! And I just came inside to plug in, and found that the stereo has a cable that I can plug into my iPod! Woo! Musack! It's the oldest stereo I've seen for a long time. No CD player even, but it has surround sound apparently.
Anyway, yes, goodnight peeps!
Monday, March 29, 2010
On board to Kenya
Good morning readers.
I am currently sitting on my flight, using my new laptop to type my
blog while waiting for the on-board entertainment to start.
Let me start by saying how lovely it was to see everyone in my three
weeks back in England. Really really lovely, and to those who I didn't
manage to see I am very sad, but will see you when I get back next time.
:) I really enjoyed seeing people, I especially enjoyed all the hugs
which almost made up for several months with very few :) and it has made
me look forward to coming back and settling back into London on my
return because I know that I will still have lots of lovely people around.
I am currently sitting on my flight, using my new laptop to type my
blog while waiting for the on-board entertainment to start.
Let me start by saying how lovely it was to see everyone in my three
weeks back in England. Really really lovely, and to those who I didn't
manage to see I am very sad, but will see you when I get back next time.
:) I really enjoyed seeing people, I especially enjoyed all the hugs
which almost made up for several months with very few :) and it has made
me look forward to coming back and settling back into London on my
return because I know that I will still have lots of lovely people around.
So yes, I am now on my flight. Still waiting for the entertainment to
start. I'm going to watch the Michael Jackson, This Is It film,
providing it ever actually starts.
I've been up since 5.30 this morning, and apologies for Ceilidh & Clare
for bombarding them with hugs at such an early hour in the morning. I
set off particularly early so as to avoid the rush hour commuters with
my many bags, and also to get to Terminal 3 in order to go to lost
property before heading to Terminal 5 for my flight. I left my favourite
scarf on the flight on my way into England last time, y'know, the
purpley one I use for everything including covering up my hair. :( It
wasn't there, and to be honest I was a little annoyed. I know it was my
favourite scarf, but they could have told me on the phone that they
charge £5 for returning lost property. Hmph. I wouldn't have made the
extra journey had I known. I'll have to make a trip to adams arcade and
buy a new one in Nairobi.
When I arrived at terminal 5 finally, I sorted out my hand luggage,
which was in my main bag so I didn't have too many bags to carry on the
tube, and made sure I was carrying my photos around with me that I had
printed for the Pokot Gallery at the Kapenguria museum. I had a few
really big ones printed so they wouldn't fit in my bags without fear of
bending. So I carried this large folder all around the airport, bought
some stamps to send some stuff, rushed around up and down escalators,
all carrying this folder of photos. Then I took the train through to my
gate, went in Boots, got some coffee, and realised that my flight was
boarding. So I went and stood in the queue, which was very short by this
point. And then I realised that I didn't have the photos. !!!!! So I
raced off as fast as I could to the other end of the B departure area to
Boots, which is where I remembered putting it down, and it was there
behind the counter. Phew. Of course by the time I was on my way back to
my gate the signs were saying that the gate was closing, so I panicked
and had to run with my coffee and everything to the gate. I was the last
person on board.
So that was fun.
It's odd, as soon as the engines start and the plane starts to move I
get incredibly tired and have great trouble keeping my eyes open. It's
annoying as I like to watch the plane take off and see the ground
disappear, but to do so I have to have had my eyes shut leading up to it
so I feel more able to keep my eyes open. Very odd. Anyway, we took off
today and I shed a couple of tears as we ascended into the cloud cover
over Heathrow and the ground disappeared. I said goodbye to London with
a heavy heart this time. Lots has happened in the last few weeks. Hmm.
So....
I am now watching The Fantastic Mr Fox. Not quite what I was expecting.
Very well embellished I think, and updated. I don't like the cussing
though. Not necessary. Happily we did get fed, although it was a cold
chicken salad, which I didn't really eat very much of. Also happily it's
the flight with the decent entertainment system which means I can watch
what I want and when I want to. Woo. It's been too long since I last
listened to my Fantastic Mr Fox tape though, so I don't remember the
story accurately. But the film was ok. It had an AMAZING cast, which I
think made up for shortfalls in the actual film.
So, when I get to Kenya I'm not entirely sure of what I'm doing. I think
i'm gonna stick around Nairobi for a couple of days trying to sort stuff
out, before heading on up to Kapenguria for the end of the week. I'm
tempted to see if I would be allowed to drive up there, but I doubt that
would be possible. Also the thought of doing it makes me very nervous.
I'm very looking forward to getting this project finished. I've had
enough of it now, and I would like to do something different.
I suppose I had better put the laptop away now, disturb my neighbour to
have a leg stretch, and then settle in to another film. Oooh, exciting
times.
Back again. I'm bored, and I can't really be bothered to watch any more
films. There is lots of stuff I want to see on the entertainment
channel, but I don't really want to ruin a good film by watching it on a
tiny screen on the plane. Also I tried to watch the Michael Jackson film
but then decided I didn't want to watch it on a plane full of people. So
I watched couple's retreat instead. It was fun. Didn't realise it had
veronica mars in it.
So, apart from the fun of watching crappy 'funny' films I saw Malta out
of the window. Which was cool. I didn't see properly from the air when I
left there at Christmas. It looked pretty from the air anyway, and so
tiny! Talking about pretty, the sun is setting now, or rather we're
travelling away from the sun.
I think I might go get more chocolate. Mmmm.
pfft.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Sunday, after a week without internets, some exciting developments
Blog 28/02/10
Well, I haven’t updated for a while. Mainly because we have not had internet at the Guest house since about Tuesday I think, possibly Monday. Anyway, I’ve had to go to Java and places like that to check emails, and as I’m been uber busy with trying to do museum stuff I haven’t had the chance to update. Not that there has been much to update about really.
I’m staying longer, that I think we knew already. Well, technically coming back anyway. I have to pay for my flight as I’m coming home, because they can only pay for one return flight. So I’m thinking end of March or beginning of April I’ll be coming back over here. I’ll have a lot to do to get ready for the opening of the museum, so I’ll need a couple of weeks. As for going back to the UK afterwards, well, that’s anyone’s guess! :) I’m going to be an attachee until the end of May, after which I will go off and do my own research for a couple of weeks. Quite looking forward to planning that. Then I’m not sure really. I’m trying to see if I can stay to do fieldwork. Ignacio is going to Olduvai in July, and if he can get money to fund me then I’ll be going there. I think if that happens then I’ll go back to the UK when that finishes, be around for August, and then go off to Spain if I can afford it. Otherwise, I met Daryl Stump last week, and he’s digging in Engaruka (Tanzania) in July/Aug and might have money for supervisors, so I just have to send him my CV and hope that I come across as supervisor material. And then Ceri Ashley is excavating in August, so I might be able to go and work on that. It all depends really. Hopefully I should have a better idea of what I might be doing and be able to book a flight before I go back to the UK this time.
Right now I am in Makutano again. I caught the bus up to Kitale yesterday and was so glad I had decided to stay in Kitale for the night already. Otherwise I would have had to find somewhere to stay with no preparation as we arrived near enough to 7pm. For a start we were meant to leave Nairobi at 8.30 and we didn’t leave until nearly 9am. Then we seemed to be going really slow a lot of the time, and we ended up sat in traffic, I think because the road was closed, and as it had been raining there was a huuuge puddle on the dirt diversion road which meant only single file traffic, and I wouldn’t be surprised if someone had been stuck at some point as well, making it an even longer queue. Then we stopped in Nakuru and Eldoret along the way. We didn’t arrive at Eldoret until quite late so I figured it might still be a while, and then at about 4.30 we stopped on the side of the road. I didn’t know what was going on for a while, but in the end my legs needed stretching and we’d been sat there for a while so I got off the bus (quite a few people had already). It seems that we had somehow hit a car. Well, there was a car parked in front of the bus, with a large red paint smeared dent in the side at the back (the bus was red & white). It seemed that the car passengers were rather angry, and neither party wanted to admit it was their fault. Finally they exchanged details and we got on the road again sometime after 5.15pm! I was contemplating catching a matatu, and one had stopped and picked up one guy and still had space so was waiting around to see if anyone else was going to join him when it was all sorted and we were being ushered back onto the bus.
So that was a fun journey. When I arrived in Kitale I was offered a taxi, and I didn’t even haggle on the price. Probably should have done, it was about right by Nairobi standards but I believe it probably should have been cheaper up here. Anyway, it got me to the Karibuni Lodge, which is a charming backpackers place run by an English lady and a Kenyan guy. Oh arse, low battery and now the power has gone. Anyway, as I was saying, lovely place. I had a single room which was 1300ksh including breakfast. Fairly pricey, but it was beautiful. They do have dorms and I think camping too so next time if I’m on a tight budgie I might stay in the dorm or camp. My room was off down a little dirt track. It was like a banda, but made from a wooden frame with woven matting walls, and I think bamboo or something like that for the roof, but I can’t really remember. It was lovely, really nicely decorated with lots of calabashes and lanterns and stuff. The bed was a double and had lovely cushions and a really nice warm looking blanket over the duvet (it did get a bit nippy at night). It had lamps on either side, and a light switch for the overhead lights dangling above the bed so you didn’t have to go all the way to the door to turn it off. It had a decent mirror and a hanging space with hangers for clothes, and this was all cordoned off in the bedroom compartment through a door. The main door to the room led into a little area with tea & coffee making facilities (if I’d stayed longer and had milk I would have taken advantage) as well as drinking water, all on a little desk with a plug socket which already had an adapter there in case of different plugs! It had a chair, big open windows which you closed with blinds made from matting as well as curtains, and a nice wicker sofa which was small but could probably still have sat 2 people. Then outside was an adjoining bathroom with composting toilet, large bucket of sawdust, magazines (awesome) and shower area with electric shower and huge soft towels. There was also a shower block just across from my room, with 3 wood fired hot showers, more eco-friendly that electric I presume, which was where I showered this morning. Apologies if I am gushing, but you just don’t get this in Kenya. Not for that price anyway!!! Then I was shown into the main building. There was a kitchen where they would cook pretty much anything you liked, a dining room, a large living room with tv and huge bookshelves (containing all but New Moon of the Twilight books – I might bring my copy up and donate it when I come back – as well as the Dark Towers series by Stephen King which Leila, Dave, James and I had been talking about on Friday night, as well as loads of other interesting titles) and a gorgeous veranda with a large dining table as well as a comfy seating area which overlooked the garden and is where you take breakfast. They have an assortment of animals, dogs, cats, and three pet sheep which I think are in addition to some sheep they keep for eating, and countless creatures, and birds, that made scritching scratching noises all through the night.
Anyway, it was a lovely place to stay, and I will definitely be going back, even if I did have to tie up a hole in the mossie net, and even though there were spider webs in the composting toilet (sit down and hope that the spiders don’t feel like crawling up onto your bum!) and at the corner of the mattress (tuck mossie net between me and web). Theresa made me soup when I arrived, which was delicious, and apparently Ibrahim was a chef for the Sheraton in Nairobi or somewhere equally as impressive, and his food is delicious.
Sadly I had to leave the lodge this morning. Ibrahim called me a boda boda, although I was tempted to walk but it’s 2kms and my bag was feeling heavy and the boda boda was only 50bob. So I did that instead. He was very good actually, I was a little nervous as it had obviously rained during the night and the majority of the roads were dirt roads, but he drove so slowly and carefully so I tipped him an extra 10 when I got off. I was also wearing a skirt (I hadn’t planned for the boda boda) so trying to get on and keep as much of my legs covered as possible was interesting! So anyway, I went to a supermarket and bought some toothpaste – the tiniest tube I’ve ever seen. Then I wandered back down the road to the Kitale Museum. I was meant to be looking at the Pokot display, but there was actually only about 2 pokot items there, which was a little disappointing. Leila had seemed sure I should go and have a look! But the crocodile pit and the snakes outside were fun. And I took photos of the early man part of the museum for my future interest. The dinosaur part was funny as well, I’ll have to wait until I get back to the UK to put the photos up tho as I didn’t have the memory card with me so had to put them on the camera memory, and I don’t have the cables with me.
Then I walked back up to the matatu stand, thinking I’d seen all the market there was, and then as the matatu left I realised there was a whole other section the other side of the stand. Darn. I might see if I can check it out some other time. I caught the matatu to Kapenguria and got off at Makutano. I suppose I could have gone on to Kap and had a look at the museum, but I didn’t. I came to the hotel instead and got given 106 which has a nice hot shower, which would be great except there doesn’t seem to be water. Ha, inside at least. So I went for a wander around Makutano market and bought a couple of gifty things, and then walked along to the gift shop I had seen on the way into town on the matatu. It had started to rain rather a lot by this point, so I reached a gift shop, although it wasn’t the one I saw from the matatu, and went in and bought up a load of stuff to give as presents. I really liked the stuff I bought actually, but I don’t think I can carry much more with me so I might just wait and get more things for me when I come back. Look! How selfless, presents for other people first. :)
I came back to the hotel and have been meandering around the room ever since. The power went, and the laptop battery died, but the power is back now so now I can get some work done. The rain is quite constant though, and it’s a bit colder than I expected! When it’s not raining it’s quite warm, when it’s sunny it’s blimmin hot, but it just seems to be raining at the moment. And I didn’t bring my raincoat. And I’m getting peckish and really fancy some tea. Brr. Ah well, I shall eat my last little packet of biscuits and hope that Matt arrives back soon.
As for the rest of last week, well, not really much happened. I rushed around trying to get things done, getting frustrated! I made macaroni cheese weds evening when Sarah came round for dinner, which everyone (apart from Leila who thinks she has a wheat allergy) ate, including ‘Dave-Ugh no not macaroni cheese, can’t stand the stuff, tastes and looks like vomit –Conway’. Ha. [on a separate and rather off topic note, when I first realised Dave’s surname was Conway after knowing he went to uni in Oxford, I had a brief thought process whereby I thought that Leo also had a brother called David (I think) and wondered if they were related, until I realised that Dave actually from Oop North. Silly Jessica]
We also had a rather good night on Friday night. Dave, James & I went to Upper Hill campsite for dinner and a few beers, and had a rather good evening. Met some really nice people :) and a crazy American lady who was really just rather annoying. Heh. But yes, very good evening. :)
Now, I suppose I should get something work related done as there is power and I have nowt else to do. I won’t connect to the internet now though. Maybe later, but I’ll probably just post this in a couple of days time. I have a dongle, but to connect to the internet I have to put my phone sim card into it, and it’s such a palaver. Also I want to preserve my credit for the moment. Gosh, I don’t half ramble don’t I!
Update 28/2/10
In a fascinating development.... or possibly not, we moved hotels. I had a call from Matt at about 5.45 as the car had broken down just outside makutano, asking if the water was back yet. It wasn’t, so he asked me to check out the lodge down the road next to the place we have dinner. Very convenient. Turns out they had 6 free rooms, all with hot showers and running water, and some with interesting interior design (the woman who is taking core samples whose name I can’t remember, has a room with an animal print blanket and a fancy multi-coloured crystally lightshade. Mine just has a bare bulb!). So we moved all our stuff from one hotel to the other, and then I waited around while the others had showers and a plumber tried to fix my toilet, flooding my room in the process. Then we went for dinner (such a long way to walk, all of two paces between the doors) and then took a random short-cut and tried out a new pub which had very loud music.
Anyway, long boring story, cut slightly shorter. I spoke to Matt about Nacho’s question about funding applications. He said it isn’t too late, but that he wouldn’t be at the top of the list for funding a second time around for the same thing because he got it last year, but that the likelihood of the other applications not being very good and so his being picked anyway was quite good. And then when I said it was so I could go Matt said, well, first he said that he would block the application if it was for me. And then he said that actually he could probably push it through on the grounds that it is a good investment and a continuing investment in one of their attachees. So yay! I might be going to excavate at Olduvai Gorge this summer! Oooh, the possibilities.
Right, I should probably send an email now, and then get to bed. I am so so tired. Not too early a start in the morning though. I only need to get up at 7.30. Oh, and then after our meeting at the museum, or, well, my day at the museum. I’m going to get up mega early on Tuesday morning to catch a matatu to Kitale to get me there in time to get a ticket and get the bus to Nairobi. Although part of me thinks it might actually be quicker to catch matatus. Lets just hope I don’t have a crappy slow bus like last time, although I think the rain may have slowed things down a bit. Which, by the way, it is still doing. Raining that is, not slowing things down. Although it might be doing that too.
Well, I haven’t updated for a while. Mainly because we have not had internet at the Guest house since about Tuesday I think, possibly Monday. Anyway, I’ve had to go to Java and places like that to check emails, and as I’m been uber busy with trying to do museum stuff I haven’t had the chance to update. Not that there has been much to update about really.
I’m staying longer, that I think we knew already. Well, technically coming back anyway. I have to pay for my flight as I’m coming home, because they can only pay for one return flight. So I’m thinking end of March or beginning of April I’ll be coming back over here. I’ll have a lot to do to get ready for the opening of the museum, so I’ll need a couple of weeks. As for going back to the UK afterwards, well, that’s anyone’s guess! :) I’m going to be an attachee until the end of May, after which I will go off and do my own research for a couple of weeks. Quite looking forward to planning that. Then I’m not sure really. I’m trying to see if I can stay to do fieldwork. Ignacio is going to Olduvai in July, and if he can get money to fund me then I’ll be going there. I think if that happens then I’ll go back to the UK when that finishes, be around for August, and then go off to Spain if I can afford it. Otherwise, I met Daryl Stump last week, and he’s digging in Engaruka (Tanzania) in July/Aug and might have money for supervisors, so I just have to send him my CV and hope that I come across as supervisor material. And then Ceri Ashley is excavating in August, so I might be able to go and work on that. It all depends really. Hopefully I should have a better idea of what I might be doing and be able to book a flight before I go back to the UK this time.
Right now I am in Makutano again. I caught the bus up to Kitale yesterday and was so glad I had decided to stay in Kitale for the night already. Otherwise I would have had to find somewhere to stay with no preparation as we arrived near enough to 7pm. For a start we were meant to leave Nairobi at 8.30 and we didn’t leave until nearly 9am. Then we seemed to be going really slow a lot of the time, and we ended up sat in traffic, I think because the road was closed, and as it had been raining there was a huuuge puddle on the dirt diversion road which meant only single file traffic, and I wouldn’t be surprised if someone had been stuck at some point as well, making it an even longer queue. Then we stopped in Nakuru and Eldoret along the way. We didn’t arrive at Eldoret until quite late so I figured it might still be a while, and then at about 4.30 we stopped on the side of the road. I didn’t know what was going on for a while, but in the end my legs needed stretching and we’d been sat there for a while so I got off the bus (quite a few people had already). It seems that we had somehow hit a car. Well, there was a car parked in front of the bus, with a large red paint smeared dent in the side at the back (the bus was red & white). It seemed that the car passengers were rather angry, and neither party wanted to admit it was their fault. Finally they exchanged details and we got on the road again sometime after 5.15pm! I was contemplating catching a matatu, and one had stopped and picked up one guy and still had space so was waiting around to see if anyone else was going to join him when it was all sorted and we were being ushered back onto the bus.
So that was a fun journey. When I arrived in Kitale I was offered a taxi, and I didn’t even haggle on the price. Probably should have done, it was about right by Nairobi standards but I believe it probably should have been cheaper up here. Anyway, it got me to the Karibuni Lodge, which is a charming backpackers place run by an English lady and a Kenyan guy. Oh arse, low battery and now the power has gone. Anyway, as I was saying, lovely place. I had a single room which was 1300ksh including breakfast. Fairly pricey, but it was beautiful. They do have dorms and I think camping too so next time if I’m on a tight budgie I might stay in the dorm or camp. My room was off down a little dirt track. It was like a banda, but made from a wooden frame with woven matting walls, and I think bamboo or something like that for the roof, but I can’t really remember. It was lovely, really nicely decorated with lots of calabashes and lanterns and stuff. The bed was a double and had lovely cushions and a really nice warm looking blanket over the duvet (it did get a bit nippy at night). It had lamps on either side, and a light switch for the overhead lights dangling above the bed so you didn’t have to go all the way to the door to turn it off. It had a decent mirror and a hanging space with hangers for clothes, and this was all cordoned off in the bedroom compartment through a door. The main door to the room led into a little area with tea & coffee making facilities (if I’d stayed longer and had milk I would have taken advantage) as well as drinking water, all on a little desk with a plug socket which already had an adapter there in case of different plugs! It had a chair, big open windows which you closed with blinds made from matting as well as curtains, and a nice wicker sofa which was small but could probably still have sat 2 people. Then outside was an adjoining bathroom with composting toilet, large bucket of sawdust, magazines (awesome) and shower area with electric shower and huge soft towels. There was also a shower block just across from my room, with 3 wood fired hot showers, more eco-friendly that electric I presume, which was where I showered this morning. Apologies if I am gushing, but you just don’t get this in Kenya. Not for that price anyway!!! Then I was shown into the main building. There was a kitchen where they would cook pretty much anything you liked, a dining room, a large living room with tv and huge bookshelves (containing all but New Moon of the Twilight books – I might bring my copy up and donate it when I come back – as well as the Dark Towers series by Stephen King which Leila, Dave, James and I had been talking about on Friday night, as well as loads of other interesting titles) and a gorgeous veranda with a large dining table as well as a comfy seating area which overlooked the garden and is where you take breakfast. They have an assortment of animals, dogs, cats, and three pet sheep which I think are in addition to some sheep they keep for eating, and countless creatures, and birds, that made scritching scratching noises all through the night.
Anyway, it was a lovely place to stay, and I will definitely be going back, even if I did have to tie up a hole in the mossie net, and even though there were spider webs in the composting toilet (sit down and hope that the spiders don’t feel like crawling up onto your bum!) and at the corner of the mattress (tuck mossie net between me and web). Theresa made me soup when I arrived, which was delicious, and apparently Ibrahim was a chef for the Sheraton in Nairobi or somewhere equally as impressive, and his food is delicious.
Sadly I had to leave the lodge this morning. Ibrahim called me a boda boda, although I was tempted to walk but it’s 2kms and my bag was feeling heavy and the boda boda was only 50bob. So I did that instead. He was very good actually, I was a little nervous as it had obviously rained during the night and the majority of the roads were dirt roads, but he drove so slowly and carefully so I tipped him an extra 10 when I got off. I was also wearing a skirt (I hadn’t planned for the boda boda) so trying to get on and keep as much of my legs covered as possible was interesting! So anyway, I went to a supermarket and bought some toothpaste – the tiniest tube I’ve ever seen. Then I wandered back down the road to the Kitale Museum. I was meant to be looking at the Pokot display, but there was actually only about 2 pokot items there, which was a little disappointing. Leila had seemed sure I should go and have a look! But the crocodile pit and the snakes outside were fun. And I took photos of the early man part of the museum for my future interest. The dinosaur part was funny as well, I’ll have to wait until I get back to the UK to put the photos up tho as I didn’t have the memory card with me so had to put them on the camera memory, and I don’t have the cables with me.
Then I walked back up to the matatu stand, thinking I’d seen all the market there was, and then as the matatu left I realised there was a whole other section the other side of the stand. Darn. I might see if I can check it out some other time. I caught the matatu to Kapenguria and got off at Makutano. I suppose I could have gone on to Kap and had a look at the museum, but I didn’t. I came to the hotel instead and got given 106 which has a nice hot shower, which would be great except there doesn’t seem to be water. Ha, inside at least. So I went for a wander around Makutano market and bought a couple of gifty things, and then walked along to the gift shop I had seen on the way into town on the matatu. It had started to rain rather a lot by this point, so I reached a gift shop, although it wasn’t the one I saw from the matatu, and went in and bought up a load of stuff to give as presents. I really liked the stuff I bought actually, but I don’t think I can carry much more with me so I might just wait and get more things for me when I come back. Look! How selfless, presents for other people first. :)
I came back to the hotel and have been meandering around the room ever since. The power went, and the laptop battery died, but the power is back now so now I can get some work done. The rain is quite constant though, and it’s a bit colder than I expected! When it’s not raining it’s quite warm, when it’s sunny it’s blimmin hot, but it just seems to be raining at the moment. And I didn’t bring my raincoat. And I’m getting peckish and really fancy some tea. Brr. Ah well, I shall eat my last little packet of biscuits and hope that Matt arrives back soon.
As for the rest of last week, well, not really much happened. I rushed around trying to get things done, getting frustrated! I made macaroni cheese weds evening when Sarah came round for dinner, which everyone (apart from Leila who thinks she has a wheat allergy) ate, including ‘Dave-Ugh no not macaroni cheese, can’t stand the stuff, tastes and looks like vomit –Conway’. Ha. [on a separate and rather off topic note, when I first realised Dave’s surname was Conway after knowing he went to uni in Oxford, I had a brief thought process whereby I thought that Leo also had a brother called David (I think) and wondered if they were related, until I realised that Dave actually from Oop North. Silly Jessica]
We also had a rather good night on Friday night. Dave, James & I went to Upper Hill campsite for dinner and a few beers, and had a rather good evening. Met some really nice people :) and a crazy American lady who was really just rather annoying. Heh. But yes, very good evening. :)
Now, I suppose I should get something work related done as there is power and I have nowt else to do. I won’t connect to the internet now though. Maybe later, but I’ll probably just post this in a couple of days time. I have a dongle, but to connect to the internet I have to put my phone sim card into it, and it’s such a palaver. Also I want to preserve my credit for the moment. Gosh, I don’t half ramble don’t I!
Update 28/2/10
In a fascinating development.... or possibly not, we moved hotels. I had a call from Matt at about 5.45 as the car had broken down just outside makutano, asking if the water was back yet. It wasn’t, so he asked me to check out the lodge down the road next to the place we have dinner. Very convenient. Turns out they had 6 free rooms, all with hot showers and running water, and some with interesting interior design (the woman who is taking core samples whose name I can’t remember, has a room with an animal print blanket and a fancy multi-coloured crystally lightshade. Mine just has a bare bulb!). So we moved all our stuff from one hotel to the other, and then I waited around while the others had showers and a plumber tried to fix my toilet, flooding my room in the process. Then we went for dinner (such a long way to walk, all of two paces between the doors) and then took a random short-cut and tried out a new pub which had very loud music.
Anyway, long boring story, cut slightly shorter. I spoke to Matt about Nacho’s question about funding applications. He said it isn’t too late, but that he wouldn’t be at the top of the list for funding a second time around for the same thing because he got it last year, but that the likelihood of the other applications not being very good and so his being picked anyway was quite good. And then when I said it was so I could go Matt said, well, first he said that he would block the application if it was for me. And then he said that actually he could probably push it through on the grounds that it is a good investment and a continuing investment in one of their attachees. So yay! I might be going to excavate at Olduvai Gorge this summer! Oooh, the possibilities.
Right, I should probably send an email now, and then get to bed. I am so so tired. Not too early a start in the morning though. I only need to get up at 7.30. Oh, and then after our meeting at the museum, or, well, my day at the museum. I’m going to get up mega early on Tuesday morning to catch a matatu to Kitale to get me there in time to get a ticket and get the bus to Nairobi. Although part of me thinks it might actually be quicker to catch matatus. Lets just hope I don’t have a crappy slow bus like last time, although I think the rain may have slowed things down a bit. Which, by the way, it is still doing. Raining that is, not slowing things down. Although it might be doing that too.
Monday, February 22, 2010
times they are a changing
Well, looks like I may have time to travel around East Africa after all. I emailed DA (Dave Anderson) about whether it would be possible to come back to Kenya so that I can do more 'stuff' and do my own research. I was trying to meet up with Matt on Thursday but he disappeared off to Kakamega forest with Laura (his wife laura, not palaeolithic laura) which incidentally is one place I would love to go. And then today I wasn't around in the morning, and by the time I got into the office he was locked in Dave's office with James and Humphrey doing interviews for the new IT post. Been a hectic day for them I think. I remember having a full day of interviews, can be quite tiring, especially when the majority are, well, lets just say 'not right for the job'. So anyway, I saw DA before I had the chance to speak to Matt. And then DA ended up whisking Matt off before I had a chance and he mentioned it to him instead. Argh! So then Matt seemed a little hurt that I hadn't come to him first. Anyway, I still only managed to talk to him in passing. But he did say he would be have me stay all year if he could *blush*. I think we may get a chance to talk about it tomorrow morning. But then he's going off on a mega trip up to Turkana (wanna go there too) so I had better corner him first thing. So ANYWAY, I just have to come up with the flight back out here, which could be tricky, but then I do have credit cards. erk. Not ideal really, and they're way more expensive now than they were. But they're really only allowed to pay for one flight per attachee. So, dis da plan. I just have to come up with money and sort out dates. Anyone know of any temp jobs going for a few weeks in March I could do?
Other than that excitement, last night James, Leila and I went to meet Jacob at Nibs down the road, and then because there was football on (amazed at how transfixed I was by Man city vs Liverpool) James and I decided to stay for food instead of coming back here to cook macaroni cheese. Which I may do tomorrow night now. Anyway, we all had fish, but lei & james had it with Ugali, whereas I had it with rice. It may have been slightly reheated rice or something, because I had a mild case of food poisoning from something. I woke up at about 5am. Poor Leila, she'd only got to bed at 1.30 and then I woke her up again. She did not want to get up this morning. But then I wasn't getting up at all, still trying to lie motionless when my alarm went off. I soon felt better though, and got up at about 9am. I felt quite rough until after lunch, and then felt loads better again until I finally finished work and then I suddenly felt rather feak and weeble again. James bought me some ginger anyway, so I might go have some ginger tea.
Oh, and this morning I managed to get my ahrc application put into a word doc altogether and sent off to the right place. So that is all sorted.
Now, gonna go help James make dinner. And make sure he doesn't put too much chilli or curry powder in my portion!
Other than that excitement, last night James, Leila and I went to meet Jacob at Nibs down the road, and then because there was football on (amazed at how transfixed I was by Man city vs Liverpool) James and I decided to stay for food instead of coming back here to cook macaroni cheese. Which I may do tomorrow night now. Anyway, we all had fish, but lei & james had it with Ugali, whereas I had it with rice. It may have been slightly reheated rice or something, because I had a mild case of food poisoning from something. I woke up at about 5am. Poor Leila, she'd only got to bed at 1.30 and then I woke her up again. She did not want to get up this morning. But then I wasn't getting up at all, still trying to lie motionless when my alarm went off. I soon felt better though, and got up at about 9am. I felt quite rough until after lunch, and then felt loads better again until I finally finished work and then I suddenly felt rather feak and weeble again. James bought me some ginger anyway, so I might go have some ginger tea.
Oh, and this morning I managed to get my ahrc application put into a word doc altogether and sent off to the right place. So that is all sorted.
Now, gonna go help James make dinner. And make sure he doesn't put too much chilli or curry powder in my portion!
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