Hello!

Well, I have nothing too interesting to report, so I thought I'd write about some random stuff. Since I've spent a few full days in Nairobi I'll tell you my routine while here (everyday is different, but I'll simplify it).
When I'm in Nairobi at Asgar's house I wake up around 8ish at shower. Showering is actually rather interesting because I have to hold the shower head and there is no shower curtain... so, that takes a while. By the time I'm showered, dressed, and ready, Lisa is here. I go downstairs and have coffee and some sort of fruit for breakfast (mangos are my new favorite!). Then Lisa and I go to the office and talk while she works... we share stories about Kenya and the US, it's quite fascinating. Throughout the morning we probably have two more cups of coffee (tea in her case). Lunch time, Asgar cooks for us (he loves to cook). It's different each time... I've had veggies, potatoes, chapati (bread), samosas (triangle things filled with, well, veggies in my case, but also meat), and lots of rice… and almost everything is cooked in curry. After lunch we normally get another cup of coffee... of course. Then, we do random things. We've run out on trips to pick up things, people are in and out of the house (so I've had many conversations with new people, which is always fun), and time flies by pretty quickly. The few nights that I've been here I've hung out with Lisa. We've gone out to different places just so I could see more of Nairobi. Asgar drove us once; the other nights we went out we took matatus. I've met a few of her cousins and friends- it's always fun seeing people’s reactions when they hear I'm from the States. When I say I'm from Wisconsin people generally say "oh don't you have a lot of cheese there?" or ask "Why is WI always mentioned in movies". Most people comment on my blonde hair (as I've mentioned before) and when they find out I have blue eyes they tell me I'm just like a doll. Here, when people guess my age, they think I am 21 or 22 years old! In the States I would never be taken for that age.
Most people speak English (they have brittish-like accents) but they also speak Swahili and generally their native tongue (example- Lisa speaks kikuyu). They will speak other languages with each other, or a mixture, so I often have no idea what is going on. Swahili words are thrown in when they are speaking to me; one word I've picked up on is mzungu- which means white. Also, they have different words for things than we do. Most of the time it's easy to pick up on, but there are some which have caused some confusion. The easy ones are: torch = flashlight, zed = z (the letter), serviettes = napkins (napkins = diapers), and there have been so many more that I can't remember. The word that caused the most confusion was used on the way home from Tsavo. I felt the car kind of jolt and Asgar pulled over to the side of the road. I asked him what happened and he says "puncher". I thought I misheard so I asked again and he repeats "puncher". He gets out of the car and starts doing stuff and I'm sitting there completely confused thinking that I really must be dense when it comes to cars to have no idea what a puncher is. Actually, puncher just means a flat tire. When me and Asgar were out fixing the tire (okay, he was fixing it, I was holding stuff) two boys came along. I thought they were coming to help us, but they just kind of stood there. Asgar quickly finished, told me to get in the car, and we sped away. Asgar told me that you need to be very careful of those people (the people along the side of the road) because they will often beat you up and steal from you. Another small difference in speaking I noticed when Lisa talked to her friends about me. She says "She is called Devri" she never says "her name is Devri". Having taken French and Italian this didn't shock me because that is more along the lines of how they say people’s names, but hearing it in English sounds quite funny.

A few other random things I've learned/noticed:
Every school here, whether private or public, has school uniforms.
When people come over you immediately offer coffee or tea (never water or soda);
There are hundreds of kiosks along the side of the road and almost all are selling bananas.
Most people here walk around so there are thousands of people, right next to the car, which I think is quite dangerous with the driving here!
The matatus can charge you whatever they want; if I were by myself instead of with Lisa I would probably be charged way more.
Along every street side where there is parking and in every parking lot there are people who help you park and get out of the spot and watch your car while you are away. Then you tip them afterwards.
The funniest sight yet was when I saw marabou storks sitting in the tree. Marabou storks are HUGE and since I’m obviously used to seeing robins and finches in trees this was strange and hilarious.
Most people here do not have cell phone plans. Instead they buy these little scratch cards that have a number on them which they punch into their phone and then they have a certain amount of money in their phone to use.
White children who were born and raised in Kenya are called KCs (Kenyan Cowboys).

Well, that’s all I’ve got for today! I’ll be writing again next Monday. Mungu abariki!