My Daily Life Part 2

   So where did I leave off?  Oh yes, the animals.  Sometimes I forget I live in Africa, but the random appearance of animals I would normally only see in a zoo helps me remember.  I mean it’s not like people ride elephants in the streets or that I have to stop for a giraffe crossing (I live in a city much larger than anywhere I’ve lived in the States), but I’m always caught off guard by the types of animals that just show up.  I have now come across a group of monkeys on my run three times, and apparently there was a monkey in our backyard the other day.  (Seen by Lexi and the dogs.)  But when I go to Lukenya (location of our challenge course) and get away from the city the animals just appear.  Baboons have joined me rock climbing, herds of cattle have blocked my path, zebras have trotted by, and there was even a group of camels that stared me down as they feasted on the grass just opposite the feeble gate enclosing our property.  One time, while running a group on the Squirrel (a high rope’s element where the participant flies up into the air like a flying squirrel) an antelope bounded through the bushes, in-between the high element, and straight towards our group before deciding to veer back onto the path of his newly appeared friends.  There was nothing in my southern United States’ rearing that taught me the appropriate response to a charging antelope.  We all just shrugged and continued.  TIA.  Yes, this statement is actually used.  I wasn’t sure if it was some Hollywood fabrication, but TIA (this is Africa) is an African original.  I’m not sure how frequently it is used (probably more by the expats than the actual Africans), but I was glad to have my use of the phrase legitimized.  I’ve also heard TIK here (this is Kenya), but I think that might be a term only used by George, our course manager.

    If you haven’t noticed by my recent lack of blog postings, things have been very busy this past month.  It’s camp season, and though I don’t work for BlueSky Camp directly, there is a lot going on with my roommates and coworkers.  Some new full time staff arrived in the middle of May, followed soon after by the summer camp staff.  There is a lot of energy surrounding my job and BlueSky Adventures right now as well.  I have been spending time focusing on leadership development with two of our lead facilitators.  On May 1st, Njoki stepped up to a full-time position as Programming Manager and Sandhia came on part-time as Training Coordinator.  The three of us ran a low training for 12 applicants and picked 6 people to hire as new facilitators.  These facilitators went through high training with us and have been attending weekly Staff Mentor and Development meetings (SMDs) with Sandhia and I.  Njoki (who has really become a dear friend) is an answer to something I wanted to see happen even before I moved to Kenya.  I wanted to see a Kenyan in my position and wondered why that wasn’t the case.  Though another American will be taking over as ‘Managing Director’ (and will do a great job), Njoki will be running everything from the actual Challenge Course Programming/Facilitator side.  She is going to do wonderfully.  And I’m really excited about the stability this is going to give the Kenyan facilitators.  I’m sure it has been hard to change bosses so often, and this will fix that!  It’s been great having Njoki and Sandhia (as well as George) around in the office more.  Also, during the month of May, Kim (director of Brackenhurst Ministries), Dave (new staff, Director of Operations), Tom (director of BlueSky Adventures), Greg (new staff, incoming Managing Director after I leave), Stephen, Njoki, and I went on a BlueSky Adventures Vision Retreat.  We nailed down four broad goals for the end of the year, how to accomplish them, and assigned a committee to each goal.  And I am trying to wrap up things here so that the transition after I leave is a smooth as possible.  (I’m working on things like writing a Training Manuel, better customer follow-up, better defined and structured programs, etc.)  Oh yeah, and we’ve been holding interviews to hire a Client Relations Manager, who is due to start July 1st.  Wow, sorry for all the information, but that’s what happens when I try to summarize such a busy month.

    I was home for a week at the end of May for my brother’s wedding.  It was a crazy, jet-lagged week, but incredible to see my family and share in that special day.  I’m really happy for my brother and new sister-in-law.  I brought a little of Africa with me in the form of a specially made dress (compliments of my friend Anna’s sewing ministry in one of the Nairobi slums).  Pictures below of the process and final product! 

 Don’t worry, the whole bottle of Champaign wasn’t for me...I helped serve at the rehearsal dinner :)

    It’s good to be back in Kenya.  I missed everyone here, and I seemed to have been missed (even by the parking attendant and guard at my work who asked where I had been). 
    Since my return from the States, I have started thinking about my transition back in July.  Though I am excited about the next stage in my life (I’ll be starting graduate school at Vanderbilt in the fall), I am very sad to be leaving Kenya.  I will probably reflect on what I’ll miss the most later, but I don’t want to get ahead of myself.  I am still present here, and I am going to be very busy during the next 6 weeks.  However, I thought I might start to reflect on the things that I’ve learned so far, and things that could only happen in Africa.  Here’s my personal TIA Tips:

A pineapple tastes better when you cut it yourself.
The only right away in traffic is your own.  But matatus trump all.  They’re annoying, but I rarely challenge them in traffic.
Don’t ask for a napkin at the dinner table or you’ll get a diaper.  Serviette is the correct term. (It’s a British thing apparently.)
Tea time is amazing!  Why don’t we do this in America?

I’ll save the rest for another time.  Kwaheri (Goodbye)