Friday, June 27, 2014 part 2

We made it to Dubai without falling asleep.  It's a relatively short flight, and we're trying to get back on an EST sleep pattern.  Yeah, good luck with that.  We've still got 3 hours to kill before we board for the long flight home - 14 hours, but we got bumped up to business class.  Huge bonus!  To pass the time, I'll tell some stories and make some observations from the past 9 days.

1.  Kevin and I are tired, but Kevin's in worse shape.
Kevin - "What country is Dubai in?"
Dad - "The UAE"
Kevin - "I know that.  What does it stand for?
Dad - "United Arab Emirates."
Kevin - "Holy crap!  Emirates has their own country?!"
Dad - "No.  The UAE has their own airline."
(pause)
Kevin - "I think they put something in my coffee."

2.  Johnny Carson and Ed McMann...in Kenya
That's what you get when you have conversations with Job and our driver, John.  It dawned on me while we were flying.   It's no like Job makes a comment and John says, "Hey-oh!"  Rather, I'd ask Job a question, and the ensuing conversation is like this (I'm typing the words like they pronounce them - it gives it some added humor - don't forget to roll your r's):
Adam - "Job, the Kikuyu and the Kalenjin control the country, right?
Job - "Yes Meestah Ahdahms, theyah ah two tribes acting as one."
John - "Yes, they ah two."
Job - "It used to be just the Kikuyu alone, now they have pahtnahd with the Kalenjin."
John - "Yes, they ah two."
Adam - "What do the residents of Kibera do if the government makes them angry?"
Job - "They peek up the railroad and throw it in the fourest"
John - "They just throw."
Adam - "There are 42 tribe in Kenya, right?
Job - "Yes"
John - "Yes. Fohtee two tribes."
Adam - "That's a lot."
Job - "Shoowah"  (Sure)
John - "Yes. Very many."
The more I thought about John as Job's "fly girl," the more I laughed.

3.  Yet another one from Kevin after we landed
Dad - "He Kev, we're only 9 meters above sea level right now."
Kevin - "Wow, that's like from here to there (pointing to the bathroom that was across the aisle and one row up)"
Dad - "No, it's more like 30 feet"
Kevin - "Wait. There's 3 meters in a foot..."
Dad - "Dude, a meter is just over a yard."
(pause)
Kevin - "Seriously, I think they put something in my coffee."
Keep in mind that Kevin used to run track... where everything is measured in meters.  He's so tired, I think I'm starting to feel bad for him.

4.  Job should never be asked for directions
The poor guy.  He had all of us shaking our heads.  Much like someone else I know, he has difficulty distinguishing his left from his right.  Unlike this person I know, he still insists on providing directions.  From Maseno to Nairobi, John must have had to make 6 u-turns.  That doesn't include the times when he got to the middle of the intersection and Job corrected himself.

5.  Kenyans have no concept of personal space
Perhaps it's because they have to cram themselves into matatus, or live in close quarters, but they insist on being right up against you.  It's much like our dog sox - he likes to sit next to you, but he literally throws his body against you as he lays down.  I sat next to a Kenyan on the flight to Dubai, and his shoulder was in my seat most of the ride.  He was a nice guy, and wants to help with our projects the next time we're in Kenya.  I'm only going to drive with hime if he's got bucket seats.  I'm surprised (and grateful) they're not close talkers, too.

6. It's impossible to stay clean when driving through Kenya
Seriously.  Between the diesel exhaust and the dust that's kicked up, it's a mess.  It's not like you're always driving on dirt roads, but the pot holes are so bad you drive on the shoulder a lot of the time.  It's a little better when they put the marrum down because it makes the surface of the road very hard. When you give up the dust, you gain some of the bumpiest road imaginable.  When marrum gets driven over, it get's these really tight ridges, kind of like driving down the back of an alligator... that's 20 miles long.  Isaac often refers to it as a "Kenyan massage."

Doing volunteer work can be some of the most rewarding experiences you'll ever have - and you don't have to go to Kenya.  Whether it's in the states or the third world, do something!  Take the risk to touch someone else's heart, and they will surely touch yours.  Kenya's not for everyone, but neither is a soup kitchen.  Think outside the box.  Volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, find a church that travels to weather ravaged areas, or yes, work at a soup kitchen.  How about delivering meals to the elderly.  Each of these things includes some sort of risk, but that's the difference between living and existing.  I'd be happy to have any of you tag along on one of our trips.  I can guarantee that you will not be the same person when you return.  If you're intimidated by a soup kitchens, let me know -  I'm sure anyone in my family would accompany you.   But don't stop there.  Talk about your experience... get others to participate.  We love to talk about Kenya.  We have lifelong friends who are more like family now.  We bring people with us every year, and some of them have returned again the following year.  I've got 3 people that have sent me emails in the last few months asking to come along with us.  I think it's wonderful!  Touching people through a desire to serve can seem like a daunting idea.  Please listen to your heart.  We all have the ability to do great things, all we need to do is find the courage to do them... to say "yes" rather than remain silent..  to step forward instead of standing still.

Thank you for your curiosity in our work, and your attention to my ramblings.  I hope that you've enjoyed your time with Kevin and I; we certainly enjoyed having you.