Today I remembered I still have a blog, that I should be updating more often than I do. I remember how easy it was to blog during the first year in Kenya - I was so excited when I could get online, and I seemed to always have photos to post a story with. Every year since then, I have vowed to blog more frequently or at least more consistently, and every year since I have posted fewer and fewer stories and blogs. Why is this? Well, sometimes I start writing about my day or a story, and halfway through I think, "does anyone really care about what I did on a typical day like this?" Often I end up deleting it because I decided it was too long or too boring! But while I was home the question I was asked most often is "what is your typical day?"
So today I will just tell you about my regular, boring day. =)
Today I woke up early, thinking I would try to leave the house before 7am to visit Michael in the hospital, anticipating that he would probably go to surgery this morning and I wanted to see him first. Mety insisted that he probably wouldn't be operated on until later in the day, so I stopped rushing and had chai and left the house when she did - about 7:45. We walked to the end of our road and I caught a matatu to town while she headed to the village. I was in town by 8am, and stopped by a phone shop to buy a SIM card for a temporary phone I wanted to give to Michael so he could use it while he is admitted. After standing in a line that did not move at all for 20 minutes, I walked to a different shop and bought a SIM card for 50 shillings (about 60 cents) and minutes (for $1.25). I sat for about 10 minutes while the phone guy registered the phone and loaded it with minutes, then I walked down the hill and got a motorbike ride to the hospital. Michael was still sleeping when I arrived at his bed, but he was excited to get the phone so he didn't mind me waking him! He told me his surgery would be in the evening. I gave him the phone, then told him I would come later and he should go back to sleep! I got another motorbike to a cafe in town where I know the staff, so that I could drop off medicines for a child in Kambi Teso, which would be picked later by a co-worker who is going to the slum today. I then walked to the matatu stage to go to the village. A man grabbed my arm as I was crossing the street to the stage, and tried to take a coffee cup out of my hand. I pushed his hand away with my other arm and told him very firmly in Swahili to leave me alone. The shopkeepers behind him laughed and rebuked him for harassing a mzungu who "knows Swahili."
After a 20 minute matatu ride, I reached the village road just as a motorbike with a passenger was starting down the road towards the village. I hesitated, thinking of calling another one, then decided to just walk to the village. But the motorbike guy and his passenger stopped and backed up to pick me, so I got a quick ride down the dirt road!
Two sick kids were waiting for me, one with an eye infection and another with asthma. I treated both of them, then did some cleaning in pharmacy, then met with one of our high-school girls who came home for half-term break. It's only 12:00pm, so most of the day is still ahead of me. I'll go to baby home next to follow-up with some development education and do paperwork. This evening I will visit Michael and hopefully see his mom who is traveling to see him today. Then I am meeting Peter at a clinic in town to change the bandage on his leg, and afterwards Mety and I are going to a friend's house to cook popcorn chicken for dinner.
That's a typical day. =)
So today I will just tell you about my regular, boring day. =)
Today I woke up early, thinking I would try to leave the house before 7am to visit Michael in the hospital, anticipating that he would probably go to surgery this morning and I wanted to see him first. Mety insisted that he probably wouldn't be operated on until later in the day, so I stopped rushing and had chai and left the house when she did - about 7:45. We walked to the end of our road and I caught a matatu to town while she headed to the village. I was in town by 8am, and stopped by a phone shop to buy a SIM card for a temporary phone I wanted to give to Michael so he could use it while he is admitted. After standing in a line that did not move at all for 20 minutes, I walked to a different shop and bought a SIM card for 50 shillings (about 60 cents) and minutes (for $1.25). I sat for about 10 minutes while the phone guy registered the phone and loaded it with minutes, then I walked down the hill and got a motorbike ride to the hospital. Michael was still sleeping when I arrived at his bed, but he was excited to get the phone so he didn't mind me waking him! He told me his surgery would be in the evening. I gave him the phone, then told him I would come later and he should go back to sleep! I got another motorbike to a cafe in town where I know the staff, so that I could drop off medicines for a child in Kambi Teso, which would be picked later by a co-worker who is going to the slum today. I then walked to the matatu stage to go to the village. A man grabbed my arm as I was crossing the street to the stage, and tried to take a coffee cup out of my hand. I pushed his hand away with my other arm and told him very firmly in Swahili to leave me alone. The shopkeepers behind him laughed and rebuked him for harassing a mzungu who "knows Swahili."
After a 20 minute matatu ride, I reached the village road just as a motorbike with a passenger was starting down the road towards the village. I hesitated, thinking of calling another one, then decided to just walk to the village. But the motorbike guy and his passenger stopped and backed up to pick me, so I got a quick ride down the dirt road!
Two sick kids were waiting for me, one with an eye infection and another with asthma. I treated both of them, then did some cleaning in pharmacy, then met with one of our high-school girls who came home for half-term break. It's only 12:00pm, so most of the day is still ahead of me. I'll go to baby home next to follow-up with some development education and do paperwork. This evening I will visit Michael and hopefully see his mom who is traveling to see him today. Then I am meeting Peter at a clinic in town to change the bandage on his leg, and afterwards Mety and I are going to a friend's house to cook popcorn chicken for dinner.
That's a typical day. =)
