Sick of Kenya...

... in my stomach. So, I knew at some point I would get sick over here. Never turning down an opportunity to eat new things will do that to you eventually. But, I found that here, once it happens, your mind starts running away with itself over the possibilities. Looking back, it was simply food that did not agree with me, my political views or thoughts on life. But, as I laid there in bed at 5PM on Sunday and I started to feel hot and feverish, I started going over all of the scenarios: malaria, TB, some yet-to-be-discovered and completely incurable disease, or possibly the first Kenyan case of Ebola brought in from the outbreak in Uganda. I didn't notice blood coming from any orifices, so I was fairly sure that I would live another day. I think only Leslie and Nicole have seen me sicker off of food, but this time, no IV was required thankfully. I just medicated myself to the max and all things seemed to settle and since this is Tuesday, I think I am out of the woods.


I recovered enough to go see Lydia, the other volunteer, off back to Nairobi for her flight. There was many a blessing and prayer said by the locals for safe travels. They use the word Jehovah about a hundred times, but I haven't seen anybody knocking on doors, so I will continue to look into this...

Cathy's leg is still on schedule for a pre-Christmas delivery. This despite the standard Kenyan delays and problems, including the person in charge of prosthetics trying to rip off all of us who have contributed and, most importantly, Cathy. As far as I can figure, he just tried to switch cheaper, worse components for the really good ones I ordered, and had agreed on, hoping that I would not notice, and, then he would pocket the difference. No one should worry, as I handled it like the cool-headed, serene, calm and amicable person you all know me as. Oh, sorry, that might have been from some book I've read... While not the most ingratiating or tactful comments followed, I did manage to get my point across. When I feel cheated, thats one thing. When, because of me, my friends and family are about to be cheated, thats another thing. And then, when someone is trying to essentially steal from an 18 year old girl, with no leg, thats a completely different level of another thing. Thankfully, I have Vitalis to back me up, and he is fully, and is also, now, the main cog in getting things done. Plus, I am now very glad that I squashed my thoughts about being "rude" by demanding to only give a deposit for the components, with the remainder only after completion.

I hope that you guys don't read too much into this. Its pretty much par for the course over here. On one side are the vast majority of Kenyans, happy with life and whatever they have. The minority, though, sees white skin and is determined to see what they can extort from the situation. This percentage is highly concentrated in those who have the most here: the employed, ones with homes and cars, politicians, etc. I even had one guy from work ask me, with Cathy in direct view, if I could help sponsor his Masters degree.

Its those who have the least who expect nothing and are so thankful and amazed at what you do for them. This is Cathy and her family.