Food and Fun!

Hello everyone! I hope this message finds you well. I have to admit that my last week has been a bit more of a safari than "work" or volunteering. Last time I wrote, I mentioned that I was feeling a bit glum. I thought I was going to Nairobi for a few days to visit my friend and to be pampered a bit. I ended staying a week. I got a call from some of the Feb 1st volunteers to meet for a "girl's night out". HELLO?!? Of course I was all over this! We went to a nice Italian restaurant and it was so fun to hang out with women, Americans and Canadians! See pics of our dinner. Wanja and I got to hang out over the weekend, go dancing and I got to meet some of her family! (view all pics). I also got some time to play with the kitties. Here are some pictures of Wanja and Leah at work. I love visiting both of them at the office because cyber is much faster and it’s just fun to go to the office once and while (at least someone’s been working this past week!). When I went to visit Wanja at her work (the US Embassy), Wanja’s co-workers gave me a lot of compliments about how pretty I am (must be the new "do") and how young I looked. Wanja thought it was hilarious that when she asked the security man if it was OK for me to come up to her cube that he made sure I was "old enough" (I guess that means an "adult" past the age of 18yrs). She laughed and laughed! I feel like the luckiest person in the world to have such a good friend in Nairobi...AND it's a bonus that she works at a cool place! I’ve included some pictures of the food that I eat (and a few which I don’t eat). Apparently many people are staying away from pork and beef because of something called the Rift Valley Fever (some sort of disease in cattle and pigs that are causing many deaths in the east Africa area). Lucky for me I don’t eat meat and even if I did, I surely wouldn’t eat it here. It’s been really cool that I’ve been a vegetarian that eats nothing but vegetables or rice (and chipati of course). They are very respectful although they think I’m crazy for not eating meat or eggs! These pics are the foods that I eat every day other than breakfast. I usually have coffee and cereal for breakfast (and I put peanut butter on my cereal for a little protein). I’ve included a picture of the butcher’s cow and the butcher (He works below Wanja’s apartment. Wanja and I joke about him being my “boyfriend.” Oh the irony…a butcher. And people thought “I” had a lot of boyfriends…Wanja has me beat by a thousand miles! It’s funny!). Also, here are some pictures of the orphanage that I visited earlier this week. The orphanage that these volunteers (the women I went out with) work in is called Nairobi’s Children’s Home. There are 120 orphans and 60 staff members (staff members work in shifts about 10 at a time! Can you imagine 10 workers for 120 kids? Many under the age of 7!) This is quite a difference from my orphanage. I felt very lucky to be at the one I’m at. I also felt lucky that my orphanage is out of the city and is very different "culturally" (so to speak) than in Nairobi. (one of the volunteers in the pic) is coming to Machakos with me at the end of April. She’s from Canada and she’s really a neat person. DebI’m excited for her to come and I can tell we’ll do some crazy stuff together to raise money…she’s crazy like me! Lastly, (I’m sure to Patricia’s dislike), I’ve included a pic of her and I and of our Valentine’s Day gift to the kids. I bought cake and told them "ninawapenda" (I love all of you!) and we shared a nice Valentine’s Day together! Much love to all! Renee