Some administrative business:
1)
Expectancy of blogs – Here’s my plan as of the
moment. I think I’m going to give summary updates of my stay on weekends. Posts
during the week will be at random and on specifics topics I feel inclined to
write about.
2)
Public to the world – This blog is for anyone
and everyone who wants look at it, so feel free to tell people about it. Some
asked if that was Ok. It’s definitely Ok.
3)
Follow the blog using the tool on the right that
keeps track of followers. It lets me know who’s following, and it makes me feel
good. Haha
4) I have and address now!
Benedictine Fathers
Amani Conference CentreP.O. Box 32101-00600
Nairobi - Kenya
Anyways!
This week was pretty…. African. Let’s start at the
beginning!
Monday
We went to Street Children for this first time. My new
friend Augustine went through the system there growing up in the slum. He then
went to high school and provincial college. He’s 23, a ton of fun, and he’s
really giving back to his town. He’s basically volunteering at the center because
they don’t have any money. They give him a small monthly stipend, and he keeps
an apt in the slum to save money. He’s pretty awesome. He walked us from the
Amani Centre, down the highway, into the slum of Mathare all the way into
Mathare 3(there are four sections going deeper in). For the first couple of
times in, we have to walk with someone who works there so that we have a
connection. We got to the centre, and the slum name for it is “Mododo”. There
were kids everywhere, and they all personally gave us tours of the whole place.
It is four stories tall with a patio and a garden. The whole plot is about the
size of both volleyball courts next to each other in the Belmont Abbey Quad. We
got to know the kids, and we ate lunch with them. Then Augustine walked us back
to the edge of the slum, and we went the rest of the way thinking our day was
done. Wrong. Wrong wrong wrong wrong. I had gone to take a nap, and around 4:30
there’s a banging at my door. I open it to see Augustine dressed for soccer and
insistent that we all go play.
I haven’t played soccer for more than about 10 minutes in
roughly 13 years when I was ten playing in a U12 league because I hadn’t signed
up on time and I broke my foot and never really looked back.
I attempted to explain this, but I was dragged outside
regardless. There’s a big field about 3 minutes away and everyone uses it for
everything. That night though we were playing soccer on it. I felt pretty out
of place, but in the end it worked out. Tim and I were strikers and we were up
1-0. I fought for the ball at one point and made a pass to Tim in front of the
goal and he scored! We looked like idiots jumping up and down so excited about
the goal. Everyone else just kind of looked at us and laughed, but it turned
into a really fun evening.
Tuesday
We went to meet the Street Children kids at the same field
at 9:30, but they never showed! So then we went back to Amani, and sat around
all day. Africa time. Ugh.
Wednesday
We met someone that morning named Br. Augustine who is a
monk here. The monks here are surprisingly secretive and we don’t see them very
often. There is one other monk here that has still evaded my view. Regardless,
Br. Augustine was talking about all the different ministries going on with
Amani that we had no idea about! Then Augustine(yes there are two Augustines
and also three Vincents) came and picked us up. We went to Street Children and
told them about the other ministries and they were very confused. So then we were
confused. Anyways, I took my confusion and put it aside while I worked on the
garden. It’s actually a very nice and well-built garden, but no one tills or
tends it! We had to go through and open up the trenches so that there was no
more standing water. Then what comes next is really crazy.
We walked back through Mathare on our own and nobody died.
Whoa. Augustine says we are already Kenyans haha
We came back and chilled for a bit. I finally got to Skype
with Fr. Chris and hear his wonderful words of wisdom. Then we went to dinner
and met with Br. Augustine and Dan from Street Children and worked everything
out! So in celebration and jubilee, Brother Felix took Tim, Henry, and me to a
local pub and we had beers. I like beer, and I had missed it. Also it is crazy
cheap over here. I bought a 16oz Guinness for 140 Kenyan Shillings. 81
shillings to the dollar. You do that math.
Thursday
So we left there and went back a different way to stop by a
mall. This mall was a little piece of America. Minus the security guards that
scan you before you walk in Haha I got a big fat juicy American burger. It was
the best. Then we drove by the embassies so that we had an idea as to where
they were. Then I came back and found that Amani was putting us in a little
flat behind the monastery, out of the individual dorm rooms we had been staying
in. I’ll give you all a tour later.
Friday
We went to Street Children. Spent all morning tilling the
garden, and then we spent all afternoon playing games with the kids. On our way
back, Vincent took us by a store where liquor was very cheap. So we got some
and went back to flat with Vincent and Augustine and celebrated “Member’s Day”.
Basically, you just have a chill hang out sesh at the end of the week drinking
and playing cards. They have no concept of Poker here by the way. They asked if
we wanted to play poker and we all said heck yea! Then they started explaining
the game and we all realized it was UNO with playing cards hahaha It was a nice
night.
Saturday(Today)
I woke up with a stopped up nose, but it’s all good. I’m gonna
go to downtown Nairobi and then find a matatu to the girls and hang with them
for the afternoon. It’s going to be an adventure!
Conclusion
-Harris
1.66 beers and Poker that is really the best game ever--UNO?!?! I would love Africa
ReplyDeletethe math is that I get a 16 oz. beer here for $1.73!
ReplyDelete