Kinango "housekeeping" (africa #4)

From Mombasa we went to Kinango. A few stops on the way to see some African dances (for though who hadn't been on safari this was new) and to pick up some supplies. (side note- the sign we're standing in front of is the entrance to their school. It says "Kinango Secondary School school motto (translated) Education is wealth" 

We arrived at the Kinango Secondary School to a warm greeting of men singing and dancing.

The students lined the driveway up to the school and were more shy at the beginning of greeting us (by the end they had a really hard time letting some of us go and I know we did too) . It was very nice welcoming!

We soon set up our home for the next few days and quickly realize we weren't going to be "roughin' it" quite as much as we thought (not that I wasn't prepared to, but I'm glad I didn't have to).
  

They had set up toilets (squatty potty's- aka holes with no seats except for one blessed one that I was grateful for when needing....more time..haha) and showers for us to take a hot bucket shower daily. They basically put up tarp like/thicker than garbage bag material in a formation that whines around kinda like a cinnamon roll. There's a big, flat stone in the middle that you stand on, then with a small pitcher, you get hot water from the bucket and pour it over your head (explanation for those who've never done it). While talking to Jeni, we both thought there'd be no way we could shower everyday when these people are in a drought, but they were so generous and excited to take care of us (and let's get real- it's hot and humid and most of the time I felt sweaty and stinky though I'm not complaining I'm simply commenting because honestly I know it could've been worse!), and it felt nice to be clean so we accepted. This may sound funny, but one of the most fun things about being there was showering! (side note: we played family feud where all 40 of us had answered a survey- the #1 answer to "What's your favorite thing to do here?" was SHOWERING! Yes- I'm not alone in this crazy love hahah) I've never showered beneath the stars before (at girls camp they were always in latrine like stalls with roofs) ...and certainly not the stars in the southern hemisphere =p which are very cool and Orion is still very prominent. I enjoyed that I couldn't see any man made structures in the distance...no lights of a city tainting the scene or the distant sound of traffic somewhere... I just relaxed and would breathe it all in!

oh the showers... =)

Another fun part of showering (yes...I'm talking a lot about showering...on my blog...I swear I'm not that weird it's just good memories)- there were 6 showers in a row, so we would shower while others were showering, and we all talked and sang together. I don't sing in the shower at home so this was fun for me. I started (yes purposely but I'm not a stalker!) showering when Dave would shower (no we never saw anything people). He is so so so funny! I made the mistake of telling him that I enjoyed listening to him sing and his funny commentary because then he got all quiet for awhile...I gave him some of my extra water for a hair problem he had, and he snapped out of it. Our last day in the village everyone was asking each other what we would miss most. I, not fully thinking my wording through, said, "I will miss sleeping with everyone and showering with everyone." I meant it, but not in that way people! But honestly, the whole experience of nightly showers was really fun and relaxing. (side note- when I got back home, I had some plumbing issues with my showers. A friend I had met in Africa, Heidi, was coming to visit, and I had joking told everyone if they came to visit me and wanted me to, I would set up for bucket showers in my back yard, and they could enjoy night showers once again. I told her I was having some problems and that we seriously might need to revert to that. Honestly, both of us said, "Hey! That would totally be OK!" And we meant it. I will no longer stress about showering- any bathing is nice- having water to bathe is nice- and night bathing is fun to me now too). 

It was also nice to share a room with 40 other people and stay up late chatting with the girls around me. Yes, boys and girls slept in the same room (honestly if we'd wanted to do anything we wouldn't have with that crowd OK?- my mom freaked out about that so that's why I comment, but I tell her "Hello?! I live alone! I could have a different guy over every night and you'd never know...I don't but I could sheesh). I'm a heavy sleeper so I don't care about other's snoring, heavy breathing and/ or talking. I reportedly never talked in my sleep except for our last night in the hotel phew! They provided us all personal mosquito nets and the boys were very creative in figuring out how to get the clothesline across the room so we could hook them up (they also were inventive in finding ways to get a bat out of the room...they never caught it but our dancing-different post- finally scared it away). ish like pads...I realized after seeing the girls rooms that these really are their mattresses. I had brought a self-inflating mat, but gave it to another girl so she could double up. I thought my foamish pad was sufficient and pretty much slept like a rock. I would occasionally wake up to the Muslim morning prayer call, but I never had to wake up to Pete's song. (Side note- Pete was in charge of "waking up those who need help". He asked several of us how we prefer to be woken up so he didn't get slapped or punched. I told him that I can't handle waking up to beeping! It's so annoying, and I always wake up to music. He took this (and other's comments) to heart and played this Jason Mraz song song every morning. "Wake up everyone..." hahah. I never had to be woken up by it, but I appreciated that he did it that way- thanks Pete love ya =p).

yep- those are their brooms

We also had our own kitchen areas and Andrew, Staci and Emily were our designated cooks, but as groups we would rotate through and help them. Some of the CHOICE staff helped cook as well and honestly I felt the food was pretty good (I still want that tomato soup recipe because I don't even like tomato soup, but I loved theirs!) and also much better than anticipated. I have to give a shout out to them for it because they worked very hard to make a variety of things even. I really appreciated them!

Emily, a great cook, and
"THE" Jiff

Yes, we did eat goat, but nothing else I would consider "weird". At this point (and very early on while on Safari actually) I had stopped eating the meat and a few other things (longer story not for blogging purposes, but I felt the decision was inspired so I avoided sickness), but I did try the goat. It tastes like mutton...I'm neither here nor there on it.  Rinda got an unidentifiable organ, but we kinda concluded it was most likely a kidney, with her goat stew. I'm not a fan of ugali, which is this rice patty like consistency only it's made of maize. It's very...chewy...and not bland but not good at the same time...? I kinda wished it was more bland? I know it's a staple and big deal to then, so I'm not meaning to offend, but I'm not a huge fan. Anyway, we had a lot of watermelon and passion fruit as well. Their peanut butter is very different and someone snuck in some Jiff that was quickly coveted and gone. Seth, bless his heart, also provided an entire bag of goodies for everyone to share, and I used that to get a chocolate fix (my three bags of M&M's were gone on safari lets be honest) and a couple protein bars (thank you Seth!). I have to say that everyone was so nice and good about sharing everything on this trip. I did bring some treats along and almonds etc., but I was very grateful for other's willingness to give me more variety. Everyone was seriously...they just rocked! All of them =)

The following I'm definitely writing for myself and journal/ memory purposes- it's random listed things in no particular order.

~My hair was braid pretty much daily by Susan or Angela. I love them both for doing that for me!

~Angela also shared "O2 cool", which is a little hand held fan that took the edge off on desperate occasions.

~Rinda, in my opinion, had the best bed. Sheila's looked enticing, but I never personally used it to comment. Ben said he'd lie on each bed and make a top 5 but he started with Rinda's and then never got farther haha. She let us nap on it if she wasn't using it.

~I had Rinda on my left, Angela on my right and Danielle from Alaska/ Elizabeth (they were slightly unaligned) at my feet. Susan, Meghann and Danielle from California were also close in the area so I chatted with them regularly too. One night Megahhan came over with Cami and we shared our "Top 3 guy picks" and had some deep, then totally not deep but very girly, boy crazy chat. It was very fun right at the beginning to get to know her, Angela and Cami since they hadn't been on safari!

~Rinda, Susan, Amman, Angela and Andy all have amazing voices...most nights one of them would be singing and playing the guitar or ukelele, and I loved falling asleep to that!

~Rinda also commented that every night I sleep like Sleeping Beauty. I don't the entire time, because I move around so much, but I start off looking like it, with my hands folding etc., and then fall asleep. I wasn't aware of this till she pointed it out after I stayed up talking late to Andy one night and she commented about missing my "pose".=)

~I also tucked in Angela almost every night. By tuck in, I mean position the mosquito netting completely around her without letting it touch her.

~The village girls and CHOICE Kenya women taught us how to tie our skirts and how to do different style headpieces. I wore my skirt inside out one morning (no American can tell I assure you) and the girls at school totally pointed it out- oops!

Almost daily someone would say, "Um hey guys-we're in Africa!"...and I ALMOST caught Stephanie on video saying it (she had just finished saying it) , but...she didn't want to repeat it so here's Heidi haha