Day 10

Today we woke up early and went to the Elephant orphanage in Nairobi.  Sounds cute, right?  Well it is every bit as cute as it sounds.  Baby elephants playing and drinking their milk, walking by and letting the visitors pet them.  They looked like snuffleuffagusses and are fantastically precious.  Way fun!

It did feel weird being a Westerner/tourist for the day. . .everything we spent money on felt so extravagant after being in Kijabe even for so short a while.  I’m growing accustomed to getting a good meal for $2 and spending american prices on kids meals is expensive!!  I’m sure this will happen frequently in the future as we step between the two worlds.

I did need to do a little shopping, but I bought only the bare minimum. . .it seems like it is better to spend money at the tiny shops in Kijabe than at the big chain store in Nairobi.  But then walking back from the Supa Duka, carrying my 2 litre coke, I felt amazingly self-counscious.  That drink is a half-day’s wages for many of the hospital workers, and while I don’t feel guilty about having it, I do feel weird about flaunting it (the bag broke after about 2 steps so I didn’t have any way to conceal it).  Kenyans spend money on good-looking clothing, shoes, watches, and hairstyles, but fancy drinks or food are definitely considered luxury items, and it’s rare that we see someone drinking something more expensive than chai (milk tea – it’s fantastic).

One of the highlights of my day was after we came home. . .I was walking back from the market and heard music coming from uphill, in the direction of the church.  So I hiked up and went in to find the church version of the wobble happening – maybe 40 or so Kenyans doing a group dance and having a blast – it made up a bit for the absence of music that we’ve experienced since being here.  But like tonight, I think when I learn where to find it, the music will be amazing!  (I made an iphone video, but I’ll have to wait to upload it until we get back to the states).

I was going over my Swahili homework tonight and told Arianna the name for doctor is daktari.  She had a light-bulb moment and realized that she had been introducing herself to all of her patients as Doctor Ari. . .which sounded to them like Daktari, and they had no idea what her name actually was!  I suppose now she will need to be Daktari Ari:)