Weekend Outings #1

September 6, 2009

Saturday morning I got up and went to Tegan’s with my host mom. Tegan and I walked around Nairobi all afternoon. I bought phone credits and a jumpdrive modem. It has been two days and already I am out of mb downloading credits. This is annoying. Our walk was very good, only we were followed by men trying to get us to go to the Maasai Market. We are white; therefore, we must only be looking for the market to buy souvenirs. We must also have money. I am to tell them that I am a student (mwanafunzi).

I left Tegan’s only to find out that I was being picked up there to go out. I rode with Monica’s trusted taxi driver back to Tegan’s place. We went to karaoke at the Kenyan National Theatre. Kenyans love American hits, especially 80’s and 90’s music and Shania Twain. A large group of us (host siblings and their friends) went to a club in Westlands. Amber, Tegan and I were in such great care. Everyone in our group protected us and made sure we weren’t being harassed. Tegan and I are more likely to get attention because we are white. The first time I went out on the dance floor I felt something on my pocket but couldn’t figure out where it was coming from. I realized it was this guy dancing next to me trying to pick pocket me. The joke was on him because there is no way I would carry anything in my pocket. The club played Hip Hop and R&B, like songs that I used to hear in the clubs I went to in high school. Coincidentally, at the club, I saw a group of white boys that I had seen the day before trying to catch a matatu. They had been wearing tiny straw hats and carrying large bags. They looked like they were in Thailand. I found out they were from England. We also saw another study abroad student that was on our plane and Emily Parsons knows. Kenyans stay out so late. We were out until 4 or 5am. We were traveling early and late in the night, the safest times. I spent the night at Tegan’s. We went to bed around 5am and I actually slept for 8 hours!!! Tegan had gone to church and back before I woke up… haha sorry Teg.

Chippa was so nice and came to get me at Tegan’s. Monica had a friend over, Dolly, who had one-year-old son. He was so cute. He laughed and laughed at me, not because I was doing anything, just because of my white skin. Dolly said that it had been a long time since he had seen a white person.

I went to dinner with my friends, Tim and Joe. We went to a pizza place, but Kenyan pizza is slightly different from American pizza. It is a lot less greasy, and a lot more variety of sauces and toppings, like chicken. I loved it, so good. I heard another Shania song of course.

I just saw a Michigan commercial on British CNN. OMG I miss Michigan. What a great state.