Primary school

Here are some photos I snapped during a visit to the primary school earlier this week.

I love these uniforms.

Hey there, chicken!

Dinner time

Thought I would put up some more photos before my nightshift data (10pm-10am bonus data that expires two weeks after activation) runs out at midnight today (well, technically tomorrow).

These are the cooking gas tanks we use at the office (my apartment doesn't have a kitchen). The kitchen has two. Along with a gazillion stainless steel, handle-less pots, and I think two handle-less pans (shown below). It's nice to be able to adjust the heat so easily.

Usually I make vegetables with rice or pasta, but today I decided to switch up the starch and bought some potatoes. I added some of the dried oregano I bought at the Nakumatt yesterday, which made my potato slices so much better.

Featuring ketchup!!! And the office's harsh, fluorescent lighting.

Also made some tomatoes, zucchini, and an egg for protein. Definitely a strange combination but I just make what's cheap and easy. There's no fridge, so I buy the vegetables I need just before dinner everyday. Today, I got three small tomatoes (5 shillings), one mini zucchini (5 shillings), two small/medium potatoes (10 shillings), and an egg (12 shillings), which added up to 32 shillings - about 40 cents.

Sometimes I worry that I am not getting enough protein here, since I generally don't eat meat when in town. In Nairobi, I almost bought protein powder! But it was expensive and heavy. Damn I miss tofu. I need to eat more beans.

Let's go to Nairobi!

I just returned a few hours ago from Nairobi! It was a short 24 hour trip to the city - we left yesterday afternoon. Our professor was returning to Montreal so we decided to take advantage of the free seats in his taxi to Nairobi.

It was so wonderful being back in a city. The downtown area was much busier than I expected it to be, considering Nairobi's population (3-4 million). So many people everywhere.  人山人海!

Here's a relevant ad I saw in the hostel. "Mzungu" means " white person and people frequently yell it on the street to non-black people. I get it a lot. Though sometimes I'll get "Chinese!", "China!", or the more strange, "Ching Chong!" At least they can identify I'm Chinese? 

After eating beans chapati for lunch and rice and vegetables for dinner everyday for the last two weeks, having a burger was so wonderful.

Quarter-pound burger with grilled cheese, bacon, and fried egg. Served with french fries and three onion rings. Delicious.

Last night we decided to "go out" to Tree House, a supposedly popular bar/club. Wore a not-very-going-out outfit featuring dirty sneakers. However, we went at 10PM on a Wednesday, so it was not very busy. By not very busy, I mean we were the only customers in the place. It was actually a really nice place, and probably would have been very fun if there were 300 more people.

Empty

Those tv screens were initially showing a nature documentary, and then moved on to a horror/thriller

 

This morning we went to the Nakumatt, which is a large grocery store that has everything. I'm so happy that even in Nairobi, you have your choice of soy sauce. At the Nakumatt, I bought some Heinz ketchup because the only ketchup I've found in Kianyaga is this weird watery tomato sauce. I didn't even know I loved ketchup so much.

All the soy sauce!!

On the trip home, a huge double rainbow!!

We took a matatu back. I think it took about 2 and a half hours? A trip is only 250 shillings (about $3). Less than a single YRT adult bus fare!

View from the back of the matatu

Being careful

Went out into the field yesterday! Didn't bring my camera so these are from one of the field worker's cellphone cameras.

Hello, Kianyaga!

Finally I got my hands (temporarily) on an internet stick that is not super crazy slow, allowing me to upload some photos. Here are some photos of the town I am staying in. It is called Kianyaga, located in Kirinyaga, Central Province, Kenya. I took them during a walk yesterday (Sunday), my day off! More pictures to come soon :)

This is the view from outside the Elimu office.

The road I take from my apartment to the office

Emma, the new office manager, and Nick, another intern, probably looking for the cat and kittens that hide outside the office.

The super cute cat that walks outside our office. Look at those eyes!

This girl was walking along the road alone and was kind enough to let me take her picture. I love her dress!

This boy accompanied me for much of the walk. He was very excited to take pictures on my camera!