So I haven't blogged for so long, not really having anything matching the excitement of an eye to eye with a leopard but then today I thought, well Kenya is still an interesting place to live and I should write about that!
Today I went for the first time to a side of the street stall for my veggies. I usually get them from the grocery store where the veggies all look as though they have been there a while and aren't enjoying the visit.
Today's stall is on the same street as Em's school, it is a wood hut with a couple of corrugated iron roofs that make a little porch. On the porch are the veggies. I wondered under the porch and the two ladies shelling peas looked at me suspiciously. Thankfully a man came out of the hut to help me. We had a little tussle over the largest passion fruit I have ever seen as he tried to choose them for me, but I like to choose my own fruit and with a shrug that clearly said "ok Mzungu" he made space.
The best part of the stall are the 8 or so baskets of dried beans. Beans I have never seen before and when I asked, never even heard of. I couldn't resist the pitch black beans that have a white stripe. No idea what I will do with them. Put them in a chili I suppose. The man weighed all my veggies on a scale with actual weights and I paid him what seemed a paltry amount for some really lovely veg. I also feel quite proud of myself for finally feeling comfortable enough here to get out of the car!
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Monday, October 24, 2011
Living in Nanyuki
Living in Nanyuki is still an adventure, even if there are no ravening beasts. (The little barkers in the landlord's garden don't count until they actually draw blood.)
When it rains, which has been often recently, the power goes out. When it threatens to rain, which it does on the days it doesn't actually rain, the power goes out. The other day, from 9 til 5 the power went out on the hour for half an hour and then came back on for the second half of the hour. This led to me almost showering, losing power, getting distracted, getting naked for the shower, then losing power and getting distracted... it took me about three hours before I actually figured out there was a pattern. And then there are Thursdays. As a load shedding exercise we are supposed to lose power from 6 til 9 each Thursday night. This translates to the power going out anywhere between 4 and 6 and not coming back til, well anytime really, and sometimes not coming back at all. This makes dinner, bath and tea an entertaining dance. Whenever someone switches on a light Emma exclaims; "Yay! Power's back!"
When it rains, which has been often recently, the power goes out. When it threatens to rain, which it does on the days it doesn't actually rain, the power goes out. The other day, from 9 til 5 the power went out on the hour for half an hour and then came back on for the second half of the hour. This led to me almost showering, losing power, getting distracted, getting naked for the shower, then losing power and getting distracted... it took me about three hours before I actually figured out there was a pattern. And then there are Thursdays. As a load shedding exercise we are supposed to lose power from 6 til 9 each Thursday night. This translates to the power going out anywhere between 4 and 6 and not coming back til, well anytime really, and sometimes not coming back at all. This makes dinner, bath and tea an entertaining dance. Whenever someone switches on a light Emma exclaims; "Yay! Power's back!"
Emma Update
Oh the fun we have had this month!
I asked her if she was my sweet girl and she said; "No! Spicy girl!"
She is continuing her potty training and her bear, froggy, bee and assorted other animals must take their turns on the potty too.
K is trying to teach her to use an f at the beginning of words as well as at the end. She can say "off" just fine but food comes out "dude". The other day she came inside from just such a lesson and said: "Mommy, fffff ffff ffff, DUDE!"
Each toothbrushing session is a game where her toothbrush is "naughty" and apparently leaps out of her mouth. (This happens when she jerks her head) The poor toothbrush gets told sternly how he is not doing the job and put back in the cupboard. This game does lead to some yellow teeth until Mommy comes in and has a "talk" with the toothbrush.
Some of the habits she has brought home from school and as a nearly two year old has latched onto as something to be experimented with are a little challenging. We now must deal with eternal "NO!" as well as "Go away Mommy!" The former I enjoy playing around with and when she says "No" I say "Up!" then she can't figure out whether she should say yes or down? Quite often she just goes for No again. Sigh. When she tells me to go away, I do. It's quite funny how quickly that changes her mind.
Just as much fun as the conversations and games we have with Emma are the conversations that happen between the two parents. How many of you know of Dr. Suess' Yink who drinks ink? Well I was reading the nursery rhyme to Em that goes:
If all the world were apple pie, and all the sea were ink
and all the trees were bread and cheese, what would we have to drink?
K said from the front seat; "We'd all have to be Yinks"
My response; "But it would have to be pink ink wouldn't it... can Yinks drink anything other than pink ink?" and the conversation went from there for quite a long time. This is not the first time we have had such a conversation.
I asked her if she was my sweet girl and she said; "No! Spicy girl!"
She is continuing her potty training and her bear, froggy, bee and assorted other animals must take their turns on the potty too.
K is trying to teach her to use an f at the beginning of words as well as at the end. She can say "off" just fine but food comes out "dude". The other day she came inside from just such a lesson and said: "Mommy, fffff ffff ffff, DUDE!"
Each toothbrushing session is a game where her toothbrush is "naughty" and apparently leaps out of her mouth. (This happens when she jerks her head) The poor toothbrush gets told sternly how he is not doing the job and put back in the cupboard. This game does lead to some yellow teeth until Mommy comes in and has a "talk" with the toothbrush.
Some of the habits she has brought home from school and as a nearly two year old has latched onto as something to be experimented with are a little challenging. We now must deal with eternal "NO!" as well as "Go away Mommy!" The former I enjoy playing around with and when she says "No" I say "Up!" then she can't figure out whether she should say yes or down? Quite often she just goes for No again. Sigh. When she tells me to go away, I do. It's quite funny how quickly that changes her mind.
Just as much fun as the conversations and games we have with Emma are the conversations that happen between the two parents. How many of you know of Dr. Suess' Yink who drinks ink? Well I was reading the nursery rhyme to Em that goes:
If all the world were apple pie, and all the sea were ink
and all the trees were bread and cheese, what would we have to drink?
K said from the front seat; "We'd all have to be Yinks"
My response; "But it would have to be pink ink wouldn't it... can Yinks drink anything other than pink ink?" and the conversation went from there for quite a long time. This is not the first time we have had such a conversation.
Natural Blue Light Shows
At the beach this year I went swimming at night. It was about 9 O'clock and the water was so black except for the edge of foam where the waves lapped against the shore. We went swimming because the phosphorescence was in the water. These are tiny algae that glow when you move in the water.
I floated there in the black with one of the cousins, looking up at the far lights of the stars, and the nearer lights of the welcoming houses on the beach. It was an experience that brought me into an acute awareness of my body as well as a wish to use every part of it. With each swish under the water my skin was alight with a ghostly blue shimmer. My legs kicked and the colour flowed down my leg and off my toes. My fingers twinkled like I was making magic.
Just a few weeks later Emma and I were in Windhoek. The air there was very dry. Each night at about 3am the air chilled. When I moved a blanket over Emma her crib lit up with eerie blue sparks jumping off the blanket and rebounding around her.
I floated there in the black with one of the cousins, looking up at the far lights of the stars, and the nearer lights of the welcoming houses on the beach. It was an experience that brought me into an acute awareness of my body as well as a wish to use every part of it. With each swish under the water my skin was alight with a ghostly blue shimmer. My legs kicked and the colour flowed down my leg and off my toes. My fingers twinkled like I was making magic.
Just a few weeks later Emma and I were in Windhoek. The air there was very dry. Each night at about 3am the air chilled. When I moved a blanket over Emma her crib lit up with eerie blue sparks jumping off the blanket and rebounding around her.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Emma update, long over-due!
So much has happened and so much has grown in our lives. We are now settled into Nanyuki after plenty of travel, lots of wonderful time with family and friends, and for Keir, a trip around France and Spain.
Emma is occupied with watching, as she calls it, a movie. It's about a Bear in a big blue house who teaches his wee companions to use the potty. I love it because she is inevitably thrilled about using the potty during or after a viewing.
It is just impossible to explain how grown she is, how she is a personality and smart and thoughtful and working everything out but then also so small and so tiny and you remember that she has only been in the world for two years.
She has started school! She goes three days a week for two and half hours each morning. It's really not long but just long enough as we come home and she heads straight to bed! We started off with me staying with her and then leaving for longer and longer periods at a time. Now she is so confident and knows the routines of her classroom. Her favourite of all is painting where she is quick to cover her hands and feet in paint and use her whole body as a paintbrush. Each Thursday they wear their swimsuits and have water play, which is so much fun with all the kids in and out of the tubs and in and out of the sand pit.
She has 5 other children who are in class with her, some days there are only two of them and some days all the children come in. You can tell how many by how ragged the teachers look. Hehe.
She is also slowly working on the potty training. We are still in the stages of familiarising her with the idea and she luuurves to sit and read on the potty. She also (like any good quinn girl) likes to run around with no diaper, which makes her Daddy very anxious and we had to get rid of the lounge carpet in case of accidents.
She is still incredibly cuddly and lovely and every moment with her is fun and special and active. But we really do have to keep her brain working or she gets bored and then the frustrated two year old comes out and it is NOT pretty!
Emma is occupied with watching, as she calls it, a movie. It's about a Bear in a big blue house who teaches his wee companions to use the potty. I love it because she is inevitably thrilled about using the potty during or after a viewing.
It is just impossible to explain how grown she is, how she is a personality and smart and thoughtful and working everything out but then also so small and so tiny and you remember that she has only been in the world for two years.
She has started school! She goes three days a week for two and half hours each morning. It's really not long but just long enough as we come home and she heads straight to bed! We started off with me staying with her and then leaving for longer and longer periods at a time. Now she is so confident and knows the routines of her classroom. Her favourite of all is painting where she is quick to cover her hands and feet in paint and use her whole body as a paintbrush. Each Thursday they wear their swimsuits and have water play, which is so much fun with all the kids in and out of the tubs and in and out of the sand pit.
She has 5 other children who are in class with her, some days there are only two of them and some days all the children come in. You can tell how many by how ragged the teachers look. Hehe.
She is also slowly working on the potty training. We are still in the stages of familiarising her with the idea and she luuurves to sit and read on the potty. She also (like any good quinn girl) likes to run around with no diaper, which makes her Daddy very anxious and we had to get rid of the lounge carpet in case of accidents.
She is still incredibly cuddly and lovely and every moment with her is fun and special and active. But we really do have to keep her brain working or she gets bored and then the frustrated two year old comes out and it is NOT pretty!
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
poop of all kinds
Emma has started to talk about things that have happened weeks ago and her memory is quite exacting. We must talk about the entire incident once she has remembered it, repeating the most salient points multiple times.
One example of this is from a visit we made to a farm with Grandma and Dad. At the farm we watched a sheep having his tummy sheared to keep him clean until his whole body was ready to be sheared. Now every time we see a sheep or sing Baa Baa Black Sheep we must go over how the "Teep's" "tummy" was "cup" (cut) and keeps him "keen" (clean).
THEN last week Daddy took her to the zoo. There they saw a panda. The panda ambled over to where Em and Daddy had their noses pressed to the glass and took a spectacular poop. Apparently panda's poop is bright pink, and somewhere between the consistency of cow pats and dog poop, as K named it: panda pate! Upon observing the panda vent his bowels Emma cried heartily. Since then, we discussed at length how "pana's poop" on the "gound" and how "I cried" when that happened.
The panda pooping on the ground has also sparked discussion of where everyone else poops. Mommy and Daddy poop in the "toilo" and Emma poops in the toilo and the diaper. This conversation happens almost always in public places and very loudly. On one particular incident where K was taking her into the bathroom with him, she said at the top of her voice: "Daddo poop toilo?"
One example of this is from a visit we made to a farm with Grandma and Dad. At the farm we watched a sheep having his tummy sheared to keep him clean until his whole body was ready to be sheared. Now every time we see a sheep or sing Baa Baa Black Sheep we must go over how the "Teep's" "tummy" was "cup" (cut) and keeps him "keen" (clean).
THEN last week Daddy took her to the zoo. There they saw a panda. The panda ambled over to where Em and Daddy had their noses pressed to the glass and took a spectacular poop. Apparently panda's poop is bright pink, and somewhere between the consistency of cow pats and dog poop, as K named it: panda pate! Upon observing the panda vent his bowels Emma cried heartily. Since then, we discussed at length how "pana's poop" on the "gound" and how "I cried" when that happened.
The panda pooping on the ground has also sparked discussion of where everyone else poops. Mommy and Daddy poop in the "toilo" and Emma poops in the toilo and the diaper. This conversation happens almost always in public places and very loudly. On one particular incident where K was taking her into the bathroom with him, she said at the top of her voice: "Daddo poop toilo?"
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Upon your return
I have paused in my umpacking from our epic trip to the states. Paused partly to have a cup of tea and partly to take stock of life.
This morning we have had multiple power cuts and there are extremely suspicious spiders all over the house that have met the wrong end of my slipper. We had a terrible sleeping night last night as Emma adjusts to another house and another bed. Also my internet is soooooo slooooow.
BUT! The sun is shining into the house, I boiled the kettle for tea between power outs and Em and I have already had a romp in the garden. Last year was tough in some ways but looking at pictures now I remember the really amazing ways it was good.
I find myself anticipating with some excitement what is to come this year. But as with all things in Kenya I am also glad that it is only for a year and this too will end.
I'll leave you with some of the pics from the year:
This morning we have had multiple power cuts and there are extremely suspicious spiders all over the house that have met the wrong end of my slipper. We had a terrible sleeping night last night as Emma adjusts to another house and another bed. Also my internet is soooooo slooooow.
BUT! The sun is shining into the house, I boiled the kettle for tea between power outs and Em and I have already had a romp in the garden. Last year was tough in some ways but looking at pictures now I remember the really amazing ways it was good.
I find myself anticipating with some excitement what is to come this year. But as with all things in Kenya I am also glad that it is only for a year and this too will end.
I'll leave you with some of the pics from the year:
Friday, August 12, 2011
Emma update
Man is she cute! Below are things that are cute that she did in a cute way:
On the metro today she pointed at a little boy and said loudly: "What is dat?" When I told her it was a boy she said: "Hiiii boi". UHOH!
When we arrived at the Grandparents' house and she was introduced to the cats she got right down on the floor in Utter Kharma's face and said: "Hiii Kiddy" about a hundred times 'til Atta got bored and left.
A few nights ago she found the clean cat bowls and took them to the bottom of the stairs. There she stood at the baby gate and called up to the cats who were hiding out on the second floor: "Ca-aaats, bllablllbib your Du-ude*".
*translation: Cats, come get your food.
She is insistent that she know where everyone in the house is at all times, so there is the endless question: "Ooh is Gampa, Gam'ma, Daddie, Cats?"
While we visited with a friend now known to us as 'Bina, Em found her Crocs and wore them around and around the house all week. A few days ago she woke up from her nap demanding 'Bina's Doos, So now we are sure that she does dream.
Months ago we decided to start instituting time out. Emma thought this was an excellent and hilarious game. She would engage in the naughty activity and then put herself in time out, telling herself sternly; "No! No!" K and I were laughing hysterically into the couch cushions. It's hard to be stern yourself in these moments.
There are hundreds more but now I can't remember them. Oh well... another post, another day.
On the metro today she pointed at a little boy and said loudly: "What is dat?" When I told her it was a boy she said: "Hiiii boi". UHOH!
When we arrived at the Grandparents' house and she was introduced to the cats she got right down on the floor in Utter Kharma's face and said: "Hiii Kiddy" about a hundred times 'til Atta got bored and left.
A few nights ago she found the clean cat bowls and took them to the bottom of the stairs. There she stood at the baby gate and called up to the cats who were hiding out on the second floor: "Ca-aaats, bllablllbib your Du-ude*".
*translation: Cats, come get your food.
She is insistent that she know where everyone in the house is at all times, so there is the endless question: "Ooh is Gampa, Gam'ma, Daddie, Cats?"
While we visited with a friend now known to us as 'Bina, Em found her Crocs and wore them around and around the house all week. A few days ago she woke up from her nap demanding 'Bina's Doos, So now we are sure that she does dream.
Months ago we decided to start instituting time out. Emma thought this was an excellent and hilarious game. She would engage in the naughty activity and then put herself in time out, telling herself sternly; "No! No!" K and I were laughing hysterically into the couch cushions. It's hard to be stern yourself in these moments.
There are hundreds more but now I can't remember them. Oh well... another post, another day.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Emma Update
Couldn't wait to share this. We have spent the week at the beach in North Carolina and Emma has loved every second. From all the attention from grandparents to digging in the sand with her cousin who is only two weeks older to playing in the waves with Mommy and Daddy.
Today was the last day at the beach and we had a slow start this morning as Emma woke at 3am and never really went back to sleep. So K and I were having breakfast while checking out mail and as we were almost done I casually said to K across the room: "Shall we head down to the beach?" Emma flung down her toy and barreled across the room shouting: "go, go, go, go BEACH!" It was adorable.
Today was the last day at the beach and we had a slow start this morning as Emma woke at 3am and never really went back to sleep. So K and I were having breakfast while checking out mail and as we were almost done I casually said to K across the room: "Shall we head down to the beach?" Emma flung down her toy and barreled across the room shouting: "go, go, go, go BEACH!" It was adorable.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
States side
Well we have successfully negotiated the very long trip across the pond. Amsterdam airport got massive thumbs up from us as a stopover. Not only do they have a play area with slides and "tree-houses" where Emma could stand and watch screaming, running, playing children with what can only be described as horror but they also have a quiet baby room. In this room there are curtained booths with cribs and cushioned couches for babies to take naps and parents to nap or check their email. This room also comes equipped with a microwave and actual baby baths with actual clean, hot, first world water. It was heaven.
K's Mom picked us up from the airport and we drove on the most fabulous roads. TARRED roads, roads with LINES and SIDEWALKS. Where people did not try to KILL YOU with their cars, motorbikes, bicycles or COWS.
Then this afternoon we went to pick up a few essentials at the grocery store and I made K walk up and down each aisle so that I could bask in the Americanness of things like individual size (as in for one meal) spices and 12 different kinds of M&M's.
Other wonderful things about the first world include not having to use drinking water to boil potatoes. But the BEST thing is being around my kitties again. Henry is giving me love right now and attempting to hijack the keyboard and Oleo is squeaking at everyone in the hope that someone will take pity on a poor starving cat. I have to leave ya'll now and go give them a group hug.
K's Mom picked us up from the airport and we drove on the most fabulous roads. TARRED roads, roads with LINES and SIDEWALKS. Where people did not try to KILL YOU with their cars, motorbikes, bicycles or COWS.
Then this afternoon we went to pick up a few essentials at the grocery store and I made K walk up and down each aisle so that I could bask in the Americanness of things like individual size (as in for one meal) spices and 12 different kinds of M&M's.
Other wonderful things about the first world include not having to use drinking water to boil potatoes. But the BEST thing is being around my kitties again. Henry is giving me love right now and attempting to hijack the keyboard and Oleo is squeaking at everyone in the hope that someone will take pity on a poor starving cat. I have to leave ya'll now and go give them a group hug.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
0;0'7"
We are still living in the southern hemisphere in our new little Nanyuki house. Which is a small fact that makes me as happy as all the other small facts about this house do.
Emma can run out of the house, out of the little gate and into a lovely lush garden. We spend a few hours each day playing outside with her balls or looking at crickets and grass and puddles and all kinds of good things.
The house has three bedrooms, one of which functions as K's office, a little dining room, excellent for playing Carcasonne and a large sunken lounge which opens onto the porch. The whole house has very quickly started to feel like home and I was surprised at how much less stressed I am here. I can leave my doors open and there is no Vervet to threaten Emma. She can run outside and no rabid hyena or curious leopard will steal her off the porch.
Also - and it seems like a small thing until you are without it for months - the shower is heavenly. Hot water, clean water and as much of it as you want. Emma's Grandma asked us if Emma liked bubble baths and we don't know as we have never had enough water to do a bubble bath!
So really, it turns out that I am a town mouse and not a country mouse as I have always thought myself to be.
Emma can run out of the house, out of the little gate and into a lovely lush garden. We spend a few hours each day playing outside with her balls or looking at crickets and grass and puddles and all kinds of good things.
The house has three bedrooms, one of which functions as K's office, a little dining room, excellent for playing Carcasonne and a large sunken lounge which opens onto the porch. The whole house has very quickly started to feel like home and I was surprised at how much less stressed I am here. I can leave my doors open and there is no Vervet to threaten Emma. She can run outside and no rabid hyena or curious leopard will steal her off the porch.
Also - and it seems like a small thing until you are without it for months - the shower is heavenly. Hot water, clean water and as much of it as you want. Emma's Grandma asked us if Emma liked bubble baths and we don't know as we have never had enough water to do a bubble bath!
So really, it turns out that I am a town mouse and not a country mouse as I have always thought myself to be.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Taking a shower is an amusing endeavor these days. The borehole pump is broken and we have river water in our taps. Initially this was fine, the water was the colour of weak tea and you still felt like you were clean when you got done. In the past couple of weeks it has bucketed down and the river has swelled.
Now the water is more like builders tea, with leaves in it. Apparently the trick is not to use conditioner. A lesson I did not learn. The conditioner binds the mud to your hair and you are instantly blessed with dreads.
Emma is a bathwater drinker so you can imagine our reticence to bathing her in the tea. So we have come up with an overly complex plan. We take rain water and boil it in a pot, then use a UV light on it and then filter it. Then we re-boil it to be warm enough for her to bath in. We use just two liters for each bath and put her in the pool donated by a friendly visiting Mom.
This lovely clean water is too good to resist so often I take a bath in it too. Initially I would try and sit in her pool with my legs hanging over the end and pretty much just my butt in the water. When that proved ineffectual except for having a clean bottom I decided to stand in the water and use an empty yoghurt tub to "shower". In this way I get relatively clean.
Sunday, June 05, 2011
Miscellany
There have been some large grey Heron's hanging around the Center recently and we have been speculating as to what they could be doing here. It has not been that wet that there could be an over abundance of frogs. Well Emma and I saw the answer in technicolour and up close a few days ago.
The heron was stalking the large pile of stones that protects the cistern up from up our house and suddenly it speared into the long grass with its beak. It held a mouse dangling from by the tail and let it wriggle there for a while.
Emma and I watched in fascinated horror, and on my part a little queasiness as the heron swung the mouse around and got him head first inside his beak. At this point the mouse started squeaking in pain or fright and I wondered at the wisdom of letting Emma witness this. I was so transfixed though that I couldn't move. A few beak snaps later and the mouse was in the Heron's gizzard where we could watch it wiggling and turning trying to get out.
Then the final horror as the Heron swallowed and we watched the still wriggling mouse get pushed down the gullet swallow by swallow. Even now, remembering and writing this down I feel a little like throwing up. Poor mouse, lucky Heron.
The heron was stalking the large pile of stones that protects the cistern up from up our house and suddenly it speared into the long grass with its beak. It held a mouse dangling from by the tail and let it wriggle there for a while.
Emma and I watched in fascinated horror, and on my part a little queasiness as the heron swung the mouse around and got him head first inside his beak. At this point the mouse started squeaking in pain or fright and I wondered at the wisdom of letting Emma witness this. I was so transfixed though that I couldn't move. A few beak snaps later and the mouse was in the Heron's gizzard where we could watch it wiggling and turning trying to get out.
Then the final horror as the Heron swallowed and we watched the still wriggling mouse get pushed down the gullet swallow by swallow. Even now, remembering and writing this down I feel a little like throwing up. Poor mouse, lucky Heron.
Emma update
Emma is now at 106 words and adding new ones every day! Her favourite of the week is Pawpaw. She has a little board book of fruits and we think she just loves the word rather than the fruit. She is also using "another one" and loves to point out things where there is another one; another one car, another one shoe, another one pigeon.
We are most excited that she is starting to string words together. Her first "sentence" being; "Emma come Dadad" when she wanted to go to K's arms. She can also count to three and when there are many of a particular thing she says; " wa, doo, tee, hamammam" as she can't seem to remember four.
We are most excited that she is starting to string words together. Her first "sentence" being; "Emma come Dadad" when she wanted to go to K's arms. She can also count to three and when there are many of a particular thing she says; " wa, doo, tee, hamammam" as she can't seem to remember four.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
How to drive yourself crazy
You could either do it a-la Jane in Coupling and open the fridge again and again to make sure the light has gone off or you can take the route I took last night as laid out below.
Settle your daughter back to sleep in the middle of the night. Then lie awake in your bed staring at the mosquito net and listening to the roof. Imagine that each conk, thud and nnk is the sound of a large and hungry predatory leopard crossing the roof to eat your baby. Then imagine you hear a noise outside that sounds like a leopard jumping off the roof. Leap out of bed, fight the mosquito net and dash to the window to peer out into the dark fearfully. Stand there for a while slapping at the mozzies munching your adrenaline fueled flesh and try and make cat shapes out of the bushes. Then convince yourself they were just the usual roof noises and there are no shapes in the bushes. Go back to bed. Rinse, repeat.
If you like, you can add the following:
Lie awake in your bed composing this blog and diligently ignoring the noises on the roof which really do sound ominous this time.
Settle your daughter back to sleep in the middle of the night. Then lie awake in your bed staring at the mosquito net and listening to the roof. Imagine that each conk, thud and nnk is the sound of a large and hungry predatory leopard crossing the roof to eat your baby. Then imagine you hear a noise outside that sounds like a leopard jumping off the roof. Leap out of bed, fight the mosquito net and dash to the window to peer out into the dark fearfully. Stand there for a while slapping at the mozzies munching your adrenaline fueled flesh and try and make cat shapes out of the bushes. Then convince yourself they were just the usual roof noises and there are no shapes in the bushes. Go back to bed. Rinse, repeat.
If you like, you can add the following:
Lie awake in your bed composing this blog and diligently ignoring the noises on the roof which really do sound ominous this time.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
It's just not cricket.
Yesterday we went into Nanyuki to sign our lease and then stayed in town for a fundraising day of cricket. The cricket was to happen at the Braeburn school and of course we turned up on time but everyone else was on Kenyan time. So we took ourselves off to a coffee shop to waste a little time.
When we went back it was so a lovely scene. I have always loved cricket watched live. The hushed conversations of the fans on the sides, the quiet consultations in the middle of the pitch by the players and the muted thwack and occasional thud of the ball and bat connecting always makes me feel calm inside. In this scene the grass was a brilliant green and the players slow moving white against it. Behind them, and ignored was the statuesque mountain, wreathed in clouds and looking down ominously on the field.
We had a lovely morning of meeting new people and catching up with old friends but I also realised that this year is going to be hard work. It is always hard work to make new friends and meet new people. The first task of which is to remember their names, which neither K nor I are any good at. Ironically though, we are really good at remembering people's dogs names!
When we went back it was so a lovely scene. I have always loved cricket watched live. The hushed conversations of the fans on the sides, the quiet consultations in the middle of the pitch by the players and the muted thwack and occasional thud of the ball and bat connecting always makes me feel calm inside. In this scene the grass was a brilliant green and the players slow moving white against it. Behind them, and ignored was the statuesque mountain, wreathed in clouds and looking down ominously on the field.
We had a lovely morning of meeting new people and catching up with old friends but I also realised that this year is going to be hard work. It is always hard work to make new friends and meet new people. The first task of which is to remember their names, which neither K nor I are any good at. Ironically though, we are really good at remembering people's dogs names!
What's Next?
This is a question our little family has been asking every year since we got married. Four countries and ten houses in ten years. Last year this question led us to Kenya and this year it has led to us staying in Kenya for another year.
We will be moving to Nanyuki which is the nearest town and K will commute into Mpala three days a week. The little house we have found is on the same street as the Police Commissioner, which I am told means that when we lose power, have potholes etc, it is not for long. The house is much smaller and darker than our incredible house at Mpala but has the bonus of constant electricity and (Hallelujah!!!) hot water in the taps. No more splishing and splashing in Emma's used two inches of slightly chilled bathwater. The house has a lovely garden and porch so we will still have an outdoors to enjoy and we always have the option of going into Mpala with Keir for a day to visit our dikdiks and hornbills.
Most excitingly we have found a little school for Emma to attend, it is the Braeburn Nanyuki. The school has a lovely campus, in the shadow of Mt. Kenya with ranch style individual classrooms organised around gardens of different kinds and plenty of outdoor space for the kids to play in. There is also a petting zoo complete with turkeys! She will go for four hours, three days a week and initially I will go with her. It is really more like a play group than formal schooling and they focus on helping the children with language and social skills.
Walking around the school and watching Emma watch the other children and realising that we will be separated from one another gave me a heart stopping feeling of sadness and excitement. She is going to have so much fun being around the other children and having stimulation other than that which I give her. It also signifies a change in our lives, one where K and I are no longer the most important people in her life. I now understand this feeling of time fleeting by you that I noticed all adults have but did not feel as a child. It is knowing how precious and notable every single second of your child's life is, and knowing you will not remember each one but that they will come and go so quickly and never again be found.
We will be moving to Nanyuki which is the nearest town and K will commute into Mpala three days a week. The little house we have found is on the same street as the Police Commissioner, which I am told means that when we lose power, have potholes etc, it is not for long. The house is much smaller and darker than our incredible house at Mpala but has the bonus of constant electricity and (Hallelujah!!!) hot water in the taps. No more splishing and splashing in Emma's used two inches of slightly chilled bathwater. The house has a lovely garden and porch so we will still have an outdoors to enjoy and we always have the option of going into Mpala with Keir for a day to visit our dikdiks and hornbills.
Most excitingly we have found a little school for Emma to attend, it is the Braeburn Nanyuki. The school has a lovely campus, in the shadow of Mt. Kenya with ranch style individual classrooms organised around gardens of different kinds and plenty of outdoor space for the kids to play in. There is also a petting zoo complete with turkeys! She will go for four hours, three days a week and initially I will go with her. It is really more like a play group than formal schooling and they focus on helping the children with language and social skills.
Walking around the school and watching Emma watch the other children and realising that we will be separated from one another gave me a heart stopping feeling of sadness and excitement. She is going to have so much fun being around the other children and having stimulation other than that which I give her. It also signifies a change in our lives, one where K and I are no longer the most important people in her life. I now understand this feeling of time fleeting by you that I noticed all adults have but did not feel as a child. It is knowing how precious and notable every single second of your child's life is, and knowing you will not remember each one but that they will come and go so quickly and never again be found.
Emma update
She is so excited about using words. Her current favourite is cow, which means cow, car and cloud. You know which one she means by the sounds she makes to accompany it. She has also become a big fan of pretending to drive the car, so we spend happy hours sitting in the car (when it isn't too hot) with her driving and me reading my book and making sure she doesn't break anything permanent. When she wants to tell me we should go in the car she points to her foot, which means go and then says cow until I break down and take her.
My current favourite is "whoops" that she says as "aaps". She says it for all kinds of occasions. When she drops something accidentally, when you drop something or even when she purposely drops something.
She has also discovered "no". She says it in such a cute way. You ask if you can have kisses and she tilts her head, shakes her curls and says; "Nooooooooooo".
My current favourite is "whoops" that she says as "aaps". She says it for all kinds of occasions. When she drops something accidentally, when you drop something or even when she purposely drops something.
She has also discovered "no". She says it in such a cute way. You ask if you can have kisses and she tilts her head, shakes her curls and says; "Nooooooooooo".
Friday, May 20, 2011
Have you decided?
So the day after the leopard peered into E's bedroom window the head of security told us a scary story. A few years ago, the neighbouring house had a dog. There was a leopard who broke the glass in a window to get to the dog. Naturally we then moved E's crib back into our bedroom so that now she is just a foot away from me.
We have been taking the screens out of the windows, locking the doors and cringing at every ping or pong the roof makes. It is not a healthy way to live! Other news that I cannot decide if it makes me feel worse or better; leopards hang out around the center a lot and have probably been around before when we didn't know it.
We have been taking the screens out of the windows, locking the doors and cringing at every ping or pong the roof makes. It is not a healthy way to live! Other news that I cannot decide if it makes me feel worse or better; leopards hang out around the center a lot and have probably been around before when we didn't know it.
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