By now, you are aware that I have a major rat problem in my house, so after much consideration I decided that I wanted to get a cat to solve my issue. There are many stray cats (and dogs) wandering around the hospital compound, so if I wasn’t choosy, I could easily get one. However, I was afraid that if I just chose any random cat, I would end up with a rabid animal infested with fleas storming my house (the way my luck has been going this year, I just can’t take the chance). I was explaining my issue with my friend, Kang’ethe, and he told me that he knew someone who would soon have a litter of kittens and he could get me one for free. Of course, I thought this was an excellent idea—free is always good. Well, I waited…and waited…and waited. Soon after, Kang’ethe went on a month leave and I was left cat-less. When he returned, I kindly said, “What up, Dude? Where’s my paka [cat]?” Well, he assured me that he would get one for me, so I decided that I needed to motivate him to follow through with his promise. Thus, it became my daily routine to find him and shout, “Where’s my paka?” I kind of gave up that he was ever going to get the cat for me, but I was determined to make him feel a little guilty by reminding him every day that I wanted my paka! A few days ago, I hear a knock at my door during the day, but since I have been doing night duty this week, I had been attempting to sleep and irritated that someone would dare knock on my door during day hours, while I was trying to get my beauty rest, so I ignored the knocks. Soon, they stopped, but not 2 mintues later, I hear Kang’ethe yelling my name at my window.
“UGH! What’s with these people,” I thought, “Take the stinking hint. I’m not welcoming visitors”. Of course, I didn’t actually say this. I grunted, “What?!”
He pleasantly said, “You’re sleeping at this hour? Really?”
I held back some profanity and retorted, “Uh, yEAh!! I’m on night duty.”
He said, “Let me in.”
“Um…I’m SLEEEEEEPING! What?! Do you have my paka for me?”
“ No. Just come on. Open your door; I miss you. Umepotea [you’re lost].”
My first thought was, “Okay that’s creepy.” However, I held back my retort and said, “fine, hurry up before I change my mind.”
I opened my door and waited for him, standing in my best ‘I’m not happy with you’ pose. All of a sudden Kang’ethe comes around the corner of my house carrying a burlap sack that was moving and making strange sounds!
“What is this?” I asked in shock.
“I told you I’d find you one.”
He opened the sack and dumped its contents onto my floor. To my surprise, out popped a little kitten, scared half to death by its new surroundings. I was so happy that I decided to forget that I was peeved for having been woken up.
The new kitten was scared at first, but after I gave it some milk, it decided that I was its mom. Now it never leaves me, which was very cute for the first 2 hours. Now, all it constantly bellows a forlorn meow, as though I haven’t just petted it five seconds ago. It also likes to walk where I walk. I mean , literally WALK where I’m walking, which causes me to stumble and nearly fall every 2 minutes. I wanted to call it an awesome Kiswahili name, but I couldn’t think of anything good. I referring to him as ‘mtoto’, which means ‘child’, and after a while that shortened to Tots (pronounced ‘totes’). I suppose the name will do for now. If anyone has any better suggestions, let me know and I’ll take your vote into consideration. Anyway, I hope this little guy calms down a little, otherwise, I think I may go a little nuts!!
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Easter in Kenya
This is the Day [this is the day]
That the Lord has Made [That the Lord has Made]
We will Rejoice [We will Rejoice]
And be Glad in It [And be Glad in It]
Whenever any holiday comes around, I always seem to reminisce about my childhood—maybe because those times were much simpler or maybe because they represent happy times in my life. Whatever the case, when I started to write this post I had a song, which I quoted above, stuck in my head. “This is the Day” was a song that we used to sing when I was in elementary school around Easter (shout out to my BKS peeps). It was always a crowd pleaser for us youngsters because it was an ‘echo’ song, whereby the left side of the church would sing the verse and then the right side would repeat it. I remember feeling so happy anytime we got to sing this song, almost bursting with joy. As I began to grow up, I started to become less and less enthralled about going to church on Easter and I started to treat church more like a burden. I (or my parents) would drag me to church, and I sit in that cold pew with my arms folded, nit-picking about the music and the length of the priest’s sermon. At the end of the Catholic Mass, the priest says “The Mass has ended; go in Peace” and the congregation says “Thanks be to God”. I have to admit that if I was particularly irritable on a given Sunday, I would snottily retort, “Thanks be to God”, as in, “It’s about time the mass is over, man”. Moreover, if the mass ran over 1 hour, be sure that it would not go unnoticed by me and my big mouth. Sounding familiar anyone? Can I get an ‘Amen’?
This year, celebrating Easter in Kenya has been an experience. Holy Week in Kenya is like a week-long church-athon. I have to admit that I found myself avoiding the services EVERY day. Well, since I’m the only Mzungu around here, people quickly notice that I’m not attending, and are not afraid to inquire as to why I wasn’t at mass. Boy, I had a bucket full of excuses to retort, too. I was tired. I had work. I had dishes (although I never actually did them). I forgot. But honestly, deep-down, I knew that I really just felt burdened by going to church. I mean, service here is 2+ hours AND when they say mass starts at 9:00, it really won’t start until 9:15. Of course, my guilty conscience got the best of my on Saturday, and I knew that I needed to save my reputation and my soul (which already singed a little from Hell’s licking flames), suck it up, and attend the 8:00 pm Easter Vigil Mass.
I am so glad that I went because it was such a cool experience. When the students and priest showed up (at 8:20, mind you), all of the lights in the compound were turned off and we all went outside and gathered around a small fire. The priest began reading in KiSwahili and he blessed the Easter Candle. Then, we all lit our candles from the Easter Candle, which in itself was really neat because the congregation is supposed to bring their own candles, so some of the students had to be a little creative. There were birthday candles, enormous palm sized candles, and candles so small they were sure to finish before they were even lit. Then, we all walked silently into the darkened school cafeteria, which doubles as our church. Then the priest started mass as when all stood with our candles. We kept silent out of respect for the death of Jesus. Then halfway through the service, they turned on the lights and we all sang and danced to the beat of a booming conga drum. The little children dressed in beautiful dresses and they danced up and down the aisle, along with a group of students who donned uniform lesos. Everyone was so happy all around me, praising our Lord and thanking Him for His sacrifice. Even the grumpiest person would not have been able to remain unaffected by the positive energy flowing through that small cafeteria. I know it doesn’t sound awesome, but being in that room with all of those students was an incredible experience. The thing is, people here sing and dance like no one is looking—like they aren’t afraid that the really cute guy next to them can hear them singing a little off-key. Because of this, their music is beautifully harmonized and accented with shouts of joy (called “Sigalagala”) They praise and worship God with child-like spirits.
What do I mean by “child-like”? No, I don’t mean that they are acting immature and childish. I’m talking about the innocents that children have. We have all witnessed that child during mass who meanders towards the front of the church and plops down on the altar or the child who sees the manger and screams to his mom: “LOOK, IT’S BABY JESUS!”. Children don’t let culture norms and societal pressure stop them from saying or doing what’s really in their heart and on their mind. If they are excited about something, they scream and dance. If they are sad, they cry. No matter what context, they innocently follow their heart. That’s what I mean when I say that the Kenyans praise and worship with a child-like spirit. It’s like there are no boundaries, no invisible wall built by a judging society stopping them from expressing what is in their hearts. I want to be like that. If something moves me in church, I want to express it. I want to Dance! I want to sing! I want to holler “Alleluia” and “Amen”!
I mean think about it: This man, Jesus, DIED for YOU. He was murdered most brutally, so that WE can LIVE. It’s a hard concept to grasp and I still struggle to realize the enormity of this sacrifice, but it is in fact an ENORMOUS sacrifice that many of us, myself included, take for granted. Think about this: if Oprah knocked on your door today and handed you the keys to your brand new, cherry red Mustang convertible with no strings attached, you would probably scream, hug everyone around you, and jump up and down in excitement. And that is just a car. We’re talking about someone giving up HIS life so that YOU can have eternal life. We should be extremely excited, but sometimes as Christians we become unmoved, unimpressed, and unaffected by this amazing sacrifice. It’s easy to become like this, because were so used to hearing that this Jesus dude died on the cross and saved us. It’s like when you’re watching a war movie and after a while you don’t gasp when you see a body bloodied and bruised. We just become indifferent.
So this year, I want to challenge you all. Don’t allow yourself to continue to be indifferent. Let yourself be excited about church. If a song or a wise phrase from the priest moves you, express it. Sing like no one is listening, dance like no one is watching, clap your hands, because it’s not about those people who may or may not be watching and listening. It’s about our Lord who has Risen Today! Alleluia. And who knows, maybe that person next to you, who you’re convinced is going to judge you, is dying inside to clap, sing, and dance too, but is too afraid. Don’t let fear hold you back from worshiping Our Lord to the fullest because that’s what he deserves.
Okay, I’m getting off my soapbox for today, but I just felt it in my heart that I needed to express how I feel to you all. :-) Happy Easter!
That the Lord has Made [That the Lord has Made]
We will Rejoice [We will Rejoice]
And be Glad in It [And be Glad in It]
Whenever any holiday comes around, I always seem to reminisce about my childhood—maybe because those times were much simpler or maybe because they represent happy times in my life. Whatever the case, when I started to write this post I had a song, which I quoted above, stuck in my head. “This is the Day” was a song that we used to sing when I was in elementary school around Easter (shout out to my BKS peeps). It was always a crowd pleaser for us youngsters because it was an ‘echo’ song, whereby the left side of the church would sing the verse and then the right side would repeat it. I remember feeling so happy anytime we got to sing this song, almost bursting with joy. As I began to grow up, I started to become less and less enthralled about going to church on Easter and I started to treat church more like a burden. I (or my parents) would drag me to church, and I sit in that cold pew with my arms folded, nit-picking about the music and the length of the priest’s sermon. At the end of the Catholic Mass, the priest says “The Mass has ended; go in Peace” and the congregation says “Thanks be to God”. I have to admit that if I was particularly irritable on a given Sunday, I would snottily retort, “Thanks be to God”, as in, “It’s about time the mass is over, man”. Moreover, if the mass ran over 1 hour, be sure that it would not go unnoticed by me and my big mouth. Sounding familiar anyone? Can I get an ‘Amen’?
This year, celebrating Easter in Kenya has been an experience. Holy Week in Kenya is like a week-long church-athon. I have to admit that I found myself avoiding the services EVERY day. Well, since I’m the only Mzungu around here, people quickly notice that I’m not attending, and are not afraid to inquire as to why I wasn’t at mass. Boy, I had a bucket full of excuses to retort, too. I was tired. I had work. I had dishes (although I never actually did them). I forgot. But honestly, deep-down, I knew that I really just felt burdened by going to church. I mean, service here is 2+ hours AND when they say mass starts at 9:00, it really won’t start until 9:15. Of course, my guilty conscience got the best of my on Saturday, and I knew that I needed to save my reputation and my soul (which already singed a little from Hell’s licking flames), suck it up, and attend the 8:00 pm Easter Vigil Mass.
I am so glad that I went because it was such a cool experience. When the students and priest showed up (at 8:20, mind you), all of the lights in the compound were turned off and we all went outside and gathered around a small fire. The priest began reading in KiSwahili and he blessed the Easter Candle. Then, we all lit our candles from the Easter Candle, which in itself was really neat because the congregation is supposed to bring their own candles, so some of the students had to be a little creative. There were birthday candles, enormous palm sized candles, and candles so small they were sure to finish before they were even lit. Then, we all walked silently into the darkened school cafeteria, which doubles as our church. Then the priest started mass as when all stood with our candles. We kept silent out of respect for the death of Jesus. Then halfway through the service, they turned on the lights and we all sang and danced to the beat of a booming conga drum. The little children dressed in beautiful dresses and they danced up and down the aisle, along with a group of students who donned uniform lesos. Everyone was so happy all around me, praising our Lord and thanking Him for His sacrifice. Even the grumpiest person would not have been able to remain unaffected by the positive energy flowing through that small cafeteria. I know it doesn’t sound awesome, but being in that room with all of those students was an incredible experience. The thing is, people here sing and dance like no one is looking—like they aren’t afraid that the really cute guy next to them can hear them singing a little off-key. Because of this, their music is beautifully harmonized and accented with shouts of joy (called “Sigalagala”) They praise and worship God with child-like spirits.
What do I mean by “child-like”? No, I don’t mean that they are acting immature and childish. I’m talking about the innocents that children have. We have all witnessed that child during mass who meanders towards the front of the church and plops down on the altar or the child who sees the manger and screams to his mom: “LOOK, IT’S BABY JESUS!”. Children don’t let culture norms and societal pressure stop them from saying or doing what’s really in their heart and on their mind. If they are excited about something, they scream and dance. If they are sad, they cry. No matter what context, they innocently follow their heart. That’s what I mean when I say that the Kenyans praise and worship with a child-like spirit. It’s like there are no boundaries, no invisible wall built by a judging society stopping them from expressing what is in their hearts. I want to be like that. If something moves me in church, I want to express it. I want to Dance! I want to sing! I want to holler “Alleluia” and “Amen”!
I mean think about it: This man, Jesus, DIED for YOU. He was murdered most brutally, so that WE can LIVE. It’s a hard concept to grasp and I still struggle to realize the enormity of this sacrifice, but it is in fact an ENORMOUS sacrifice that many of us, myself included, take for granted. Think about this: if Oprah knocked on your door today and handed you the keys to your brand new, cherry red Mustang convertible with no strings attached, you would probably scream, hug everyone around you, and jump up and down in excitement. And that is just a car. We’re talking about someone giving up HIS life so that YOU can have eternal life. We should be extremely excited, but sometimes as Christians we become unmoved, unimpressed, and unaffected by this amazing sacrifice. It’s easy to become like this, because were so used to hearing that this Jesus dude died on the cross and saved us. It’s like when you’re watching a war movie and after a while you don’t gasp when you see a body bloodied and bruised. We just become indifferent.
So this year, I want to challenge you all. Don’t allow yourself to continue to be indifferent. Let yourself be excited about church. If a song or a wise phrase from the priest moves you, express it. Sing like no one is listening, dance like no one is watching, clap your hands, because it’s not about those people who may or may not be watching and listening. It’s about our Lord who has Risen Today! Alleluia. And who knows, maybe that person next to you, who you’re convinced is going to judge you, is dying inside to clap, sing, and dance too, but is too afraid. Don’t let fear hold you back from worshiping Our Lord to the fullest because that’s what he deserves.
Okay, I’m getting off my soapbox for today, but I just felt it in my heart that I needed to express how I feel to you all. :-) Happy Easter!
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
25 Things I've learned in Kenya
1. The world seems a little brighter with a generous scoop of peanut butter (if it doesn’t taste like dirty socks).
2. Don’t piss off the village people and especially don’t steal from them!
3. You can only accomplish things if you have a willing and able team to assist. In fact, no matter how strenuously you work, if you don’t ask for help, you won’t get anywhere
4. Nursing is not a popularity contest; inevitably it isn’t about me, it’s about the patients I serve.
5. Nurses (and other medical professionals) treat, God heals.
6. Make friends with everyone: Young and old, rich and poor, educated and uneducated. You will gain a wealth of knowledge from each individual you meet, if you listen well.
7. Sleeping with a giant mwiko (ugali cooking stick) in your hand probably won’t save you if a robber comes knocking on your door (he probably has an enormous knife), but it sure makes you feel damn powerful.
8. It only takes one act of evil to demolish a building, but it takes many good acts to reconstruct what was lost.
9. “What we do in this world is only a drop in the ocean, but if we fail to do it, that drop will be missing forever.” ~Mother Theresa
10. If you make one person smile every day, you’ve done your job.
11. Children aren’t the only people who squirm with delight when they get a sticker.
12. A little kindness goes a long way.
13. Always check your shoes before donning them. For that matter, check your glasses, cups, bowls, and sugar container before using. (Definitely are learned this one the hard way—many times.)
14. If you think you saw a rat, you probably saw a rat. Those beasts frighteningly speedy.
15. “Stoney” is the best soda ever.
16. Matatus are surprisingly a rather sophisticated way to get around—in a primitive sort of way.
17. I don’t completely abhor running, only slightly.
18. Opposed to popular belief, not every area in Africa is springing with exotic wildlife. In fact, many Kenyans have never seen an elephant or lion.
19. Don’t swim in Lake Victoria, unless you want to be eaten by a hippo or to succumb to some sort of amoebic infection.
20. Failing to watch where you walk/run can be detrimental to your shoes, knees, and overall ego.
21. Rats eat soap…and candles. Also, I’m pretty sure rats intentionally aim their poop pellets at the most inconvenient places (honestly, they’re pretty talented, in that respect).
22. Prayer is an incredible weapon.
23. When you ask someone if they’d like some chocolate here, they think that you mean hot chocolate.
24. That stick that those children are chewing on, is actually sugar cane, not a stick.
25. We as citizens from a developed country have the ability to really help people from countries like this, but we need to be cautious about which organizations we support. We should be supporting organizations that focus on teaching locals about how to stand on their own two feet.
I’ve learned these and so much more, but I figure this is a nice list just to start off.
2. Don’t piss off the village people and especially don’t steal from them!
3. You can only accomplish things if you have a willing and able team to assist. In fact, no matter how strenuously you work, if you don’t ask for help, you won’t get anywhere
4. Nursing is not a popularity contest; inevitably it isn’t about me, it’s about the patients I serve.
5. Nurses (and other medical professionals) treat, God heals.
6. Make friends with everyone: Young and old, rich and poor, educated and uneducated. You will gain a wealth of knowledge from each individual you meet, if you listen well.
7. Sleeping with a giant mwiko (ugali cooking stick) in your hand probably won’t save you if a robber comes knocking on your door (he probably has an enormous knife), but it sure makes you feel damn powerful.
8. It only takes one act of evil to demolish a building, but it takes many good acts to reconstruct what was lost.
9. “What we do in this world is only a drop in the ocean, but if we fail to do it, that drop will be missing forever.” ~Mother Theresa
10. If you make one person smile every day, you’ve done your job.
11. Children aren’t the only people who squirm with delight when they get a sticker.
12. A little kindness goes a long way.
13. Always check your shoes before donning them. For that matter, check your glasses, cups, bowls, and sugar container before using. (Definitely are learned this one the hard way—many times.)
14. If you think you saw a rat, you probably saw a rat. Those beasts frighteningly speedy.
15. “Stoney” is the best soda ever.
16. Matatus are surprisingly a rather sophisticated way to get around—in a primitive sort of way.
17. I don’t completely abhor running, only slightly.
18. Opposed to popular belief, not every area in Africa is springing with exotic wildlife. In fact, many Kenyans have never seen an elephant or lion.
19. Don’t swim in Lake Victoria, unless you want to be eaten by a hippo or to succumb to some sort of amoebic infection.
20. Failing to watch where you walk/run can be detrimental to your shoes, knees, and overall ego.
21. Rats eat soap…and candles. Also, I’m pretty sure rats intentionally aim their poop pellets at the most inconvenient places (honestly, they’re pretty talented, in that respect).
22. Prayer is an incredible weapon.
23. When you ask someone if they’d like some chocolate here, they think that you mean hot chocolate.
24. That stick that those children are chewing on, is actually sugar cane, not a stick.
25. We as citizens from a developed country have the ability to really help people from countries like this, but we need to be cautious about which organizations we support. We should be supporting organizations that focus on teaching locals about how to stand on their own two feet.
I’ve learned these and so much more, but I figure this is a nice list just to start off.
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