Literally, a blowout.
So, we went on safari this past weekend (I will post my thoughts on these adventures after I come back. Reflection on these take time) and I wanted to look good for all of the pictures we would be taking while on safari (can one still be vain in Kenya? Yes, just ask Dan and Hugo). Of course we wouldn't be taking pictures of all the amazing animals we would be seeing on safari (including lions eating zebras, cheetahs, elephants, giraffes, the wildebeest migration), we would be taking pictures of the group, so I needed to look my best for this massive photo shoot.
So, I went to the local salon- ha ha ha, yes, the local salon in Bungoma- and got a blowout. This was by far one of my favorite times in Kenya. I walked in and told the woman I would like her to wash and blowdry my hair. She nearly fell to her knees thanking the Heavens for such an "opportunity." I blowdry my hair often in the States and don't feel quite the same way about this "opportunity." Chore/hassle might be a better choice of words for my blowdrying.
She immediately brought me to the backroom, took out my ponytail holder and petted- I am not kidding with this verb; it is the PERFECT description- my hair. Then, she told me she would disinfect the sink for a myzungo. As I was waiting for her to do this, 3 other women came in to see and touch my hair. Here is the converstaion:
Woman: "Why is your hair different colors?"
Me: "Oh, I dye it back at home."
Woman: "All myzungos don't have blonde hair?"
Me: "Hahaha! Well, not naturally."
Woman: "How do you get it blonde?"
Me: "I use peroxide."
All Women: "Hahhahahaaa! On your hair??! Oh my! Oh my!!"
Woman: "Why do you have hair in the front of your head?"
Me: "You mean my bangs?"
Woman: "Yes, why do you have bangs? Those are...hmmm."
Me: "They are in style in the States."
All Women: "Oh! Oh! In style! Okay! Bangs then!"
Woman: "Why do you have a bob haircut and then long hair? Why is there short hair in the middle of your head and long hair underneath that?"
Me: "My layers? That is so I have body in my hair."
Then, everyone touched my layers. They also wanted me to get braids (called plaits out here) and they wanted to be the ones to braid it. I lifted my bangs and informed them of my large forehead (and, by the way, this means I have a large brain...).
So, I went to the sink and it was DISINFECTED! There was so much Pine-Sol used I was worried it would damage my hair. After three shampoos and one deep conditioner treatment (and quite the intense scalp scrubbing!), I went to the back for the blowout. I brought my own bristle round brush for the stylist to use. She took the brush to "comb out" my hair after she washed it. More-or-less, she raked through my hair and then took out a blowdryer with a comb device attached. She disinfected that with a liquid and then used it (rather than the brush...) to blowdry my hair. When she was done, my hair was parted on the wrong side and I had no bangs- they had been brushed back in a combover-like fashion behind my ears. Otherwise, the look was perfect! :)
I showed her how I normally fixed my hair and she sat me back down when I was done. She asked if she could use oil on my hair. I said no. She asked if she could use spray oil on my hair. I said no. She asked if she could use olive oil on my hair (apparenlty different from regular oil). I said no. She asked if she could use spray olive oil on my hair (apparently different from regular oil, regular spray oil, and olive oil). I said no. She asked if she could set my hair then spray it. I said no. She really wanted to coat my hair. I said no. She gave up.
So, for 4.00 USD, I experienced my first Kenyan blowout. I hope the lions liked my mane.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Things You Didn't Know About Kenya
Okay, so I promised my next blog would be funny, and mixed in with this dose of Kenyan reality is some humor.
Nearly every kid has holes in their clothing, but they still wear it without embarrassment anyways.
Girls and boys typically have shaved heads so they don't get lice.
It costs 200.00 USD to send a kid to a private school. This includes lunch daily.
A school uniform (must have black shoes) costs 1000 Ksh and a student typically gets one per year.
Kids sharpen their pencil with a razor.
Kids don't wash their hands after they got to the bathroom- there isn't even a sink for that at the school.
Students get whipped for not having proper hair, clean nails, or the proper uniform at school.
In school, you are seated according to your grades. Smart students sit on the left.
Students do EVERYTHING for the teachers- EVERYTHING.
There really is no new clothing in town. It's mainly used clothing from other countries that is re-sold here.
Rice, beans, cabbage and tea everyday...EVERYDAY.
Church is five hours long, yes, FIVE.
Kids cry out of happiness when we give them a pencil for free.
When given the choice between hospital bills or death, a lot of people choose death- even for children. Luckily, Hugo pays for the hospital.
Speaking of Hugo, Swedish people think "moistry" is an English word.
When we have chipati night on the farm, everyone smiles.
When we have beef stew or spaghetti, we feel like we've won the lotto! Really, anything besides rice, beans, cabbage, and tea is a treat!
Getting a COLD Coke is a big, big, big deal in a small town.
A small town looks like a strip mall- about 5-6 stores long. And yes, it is considered a town.
Butchers cut their meat out in the open. Then, they leave the entire stripped carcass out for all to see.
People will drive you anywhere on a bicycle.
A matatu has 13 seat belts but typically seats 20.
There is no high fructose corn syrup here, only real sugar.
8th graders go to school Monday-Sunday.
Kids make soccer balls by balling up plastic grocery bags and holding them together with string.
No one wear deodorant, despite the fact that it is visibly sold in stores and very hot in Kenya!
There are half pennies here- yes, only worth half of a cent.
Men share their wives when a good friend stays the night.
It is acceptable to pick your nose (and anything else).
People see us and yell, "Look! A white person!"
Men can pee in public as long as their back is to the street.
One boy rings an old-fashioned hand bell to signal the changing of classes at school.
No prices are set- everything is negotiable.
Everyone knows who Michael Jackson is.
Beyonce isn't known here yet, only Destiny's Child.
No one knows what an iPod is.
People don't know how to use a zoom on a camera- instead they just kneel on the floor to fit in the picture.
Nearly everyone has a cell phone.
The doctors at our clinic have prescribed sunglasses for the complaint of, "It hurts when I look into the sun" and shoes for, "It hurts when I walk on grass."
No electricity!
School lasts from 6:30 AM to 5:30 PM.
People paint their nails here and you can get a manicure for 4.50 USD.
The public bathrooms are locked so you don't steal the glass bottles that beverages come in.
The glass bottles that beverages come in are recycled- I drank out of a Coke bottle from 1995 the other day.
Polio is common!
There is often no change and you must wait for the cashier to run to the next shop to get some.
People use plastic bags for gas.
More later! Cheers to life in Kenya. Hope you enjoyed your little taste!
Nearly every kid has holes in their clothing, but they still wear it without embarrassment anyways.
Girls and boys typically have shaved heads so they don't get lice.
It costs 200.00 USD to send a kid to a private school. This includes lunch daily.
A school uniform (must have black shoes) costs 1000 Ksh and a student typically gets one per year.
Kids sharpen their pencil with a razor.
Kids don't wash their hands after they got to the bathroom- there isn't even a sink for that at the school.
Students get whipped for not having proper hair, clean nails, or the proper uniform at school.
In school, you are seated according to your grades. Smart students sit on the left.
Students do EVERYTHING for the teachers- EVERYTHING.
There really is no new clothing in town. It's mainly used clothing from other countries that is re-sold here.
Rice, beans, cabbage and tea everyday...EVERYDAY.
Church is five hours long, yes, FIVE.
Kids cry out of happiness when we give them a pencil for free.
When given the choice between hospital bills or death, a lot of people choose death- even for children. Luckily, Hugo pays for the hospital.
Speaking of Hugo, Swedish people think "moistry" is an English word.
When we have chipati night on the farm, everyone smiles.
When we have beef stew or spaghetti, we feel like we've won the lotto! Really, anything besides rice, beans, cabbage, and tea is a treat!
Getting a COLD Coke is a big, big, big deal in a small town.
A small town looks like a strip mall- about 5-6 stores long. And yes, it is considered a town.
Butchers cut their meat out in the open. Then, they leave the entire stripped carcass out for all to see.
People will drive you anywhere on a bicycle.
A matatu has 13 seat belts but typically seats 20.
There is no high fructose corn syrup here, only real sugar.
8th graders go to school Monday-Sunday.
Kids make soccer balls by balling up plastic grocery bags and holding them together with string.
No one wear deodorant, despite the fact that it is visibly sold in stores and very hot in Kenya!
There are half pennies here- yes, only worth half of a cent.
Men share their wives when a good friend stays the night.
It is acceptable to pick your nose (and anything else).
People see us and yell, "Look! A white person!"
Men can pee in public as long as their back is to the street.
One boy rings an old-fashioned hand bell to signal the changing of classes at school.
No prices are set- everything is negotiable.
Everyone knows who Michael Jackson is.
Beyonce isn't known here yet, only Destiny's Child.
No one knows what an iPod is.
People don't know how to use a zoom on a camera- instead they just kneel on the floor to fit in the picture.
Nearly everyone has a cell phone.
The doctors at our clinic have prescribed sunglasses for the complaint of, "It hurts when I look into the sun" and shoes for, "It hurts when I walk on grass."
No electricity!
School lasts from 6:30 AM to 5:30 PM.
People paint their nails here and you can get a manicure for 4.50 USD.
The public bathrooms are locked so you don't steal the glass bottles that beverages come in.
The glass bottles that beverages come in are recycled- I drank out of a Coke bottle from 1995 the other day.
Polio is common!
There is often no change and you must wait for the cashier to run to the next shop to get some.
People use plastic bags for gas.
More later! Cheers to life in Kenya. Hope you enjoyed your little taste!
Sunday, July 11, 2010
"How are you?"
The most common phrase spoken to us Myzungos (white people) in Kenya is, "How are you?" Well, after being here for over a week, I can answer that question honestly. I am uneasy.
One U.S. dollar is equivalent to about 80 Kenyan shillings. The average Kenyan earns 100 Ksh a day. The average breakfast from a restaurant is about 200 Ksh- so a little over 3.00 for eggs, toast, and sausage. Last weekend, we went to Kisumu to see another part of Kenya and experience more Kenyan culture. We treated ourselves to a 400 Ksh breakfast (a buffet of all you can eat eggs, toast, sausage, and tea) and after walking out of the restaurant, I've decided to change my attitude towards money.
With our tummies full (and many of our wallets looking similar- at least to Kenyan standards), we left the restaurant to walk around and see some culture. I may have bitten off more than I could chew. It is hard to spend a Kenyan's weekly salary on one breakfast and walk out to see children in used U.S. clothing from the 90s with broken sandals and dirty feet. The immediate gut reaction is guilt. I'm guilty of gluttony; I am guilty of greed; I am guilty of gorging. It is hard to have the comfort of money and look forwards, backwards, left and right and see people with so little.
So, there is this part of me that feels ashamed. I walked out of the restaurant thinking, "Wow! All of that for only four dollars?!? What a steal!" Then you see these children with so little and you don't feel so lucky...you just feel ashamed for being so unaware.
It's a harsh reality, a slap in the face, but at the same time, it is a welcome wake-up call. One of the reasons I brought myself to Kenya was to help those less fortunate (although, we might be the only ones that feel Kenyans are less fortunate because they are honestly so happy and welcoming here that is it is salt in my fresh "I-need-to-watch-my-money-spending" open wound).
Because I come from a place with "so much more," I can't help but thinking that they don't know what they are missing and I am not sure if it would be good if they did know what they were missing.
In many ways, they are unaware of our position and we are unaware of theirs...I'm not sure which viewpoint is better.
My next blog will be funny, I promise! There have been so many laughs here, I've had trouble catching my breath sometimes!
So, there is this part of me that feels ashamed. I walked out of the restaurant thinking, "Wow! All of that for only four dollars?!? What a steal!" Then you see these children with so little and you don't feel so lucky...you just feel ashamed for being so unaware.
It's a harsh reality, a slap in the face, but at the same time, it is a welcome wake-up call. One of the reasons I brought myself to Kenya was to help those less fortunate (although, we might be the only ones that feel Kenyans are less fortunate because they are honestly so happy and welcoming here that is it is salt in my fresh "I-need-to-watch-my-money-spending" open wound).
Because I come from a place with "so much more," I can't help but thinking that they don't know what they are missing and I am not sure if it would be good if they did know what they were missing.
In many ways, they are unaware of our position and we are unaware of theirs...I'm not sure which viewpoint is better.
My next blog will be funny, I promise! There have been so many laughs here, I've had trouble catching my breath sometimes!
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
The Frightened Rabbit
It is funny what fear drags out of us. For some, it keeps us stagnant; it's paralyzing. For others, it is a motivator; fear of failure can actually push us to try harder. For some, it is a catalyst for changes; fear leads us to take leaps we would normally avoid.
In Kenya, I am unsure how fear exists. It might be overpowered by desperation and this is an emotion that can drive many of us to carry out actions that we normally wouldn't do when we are surrounded by comfort and security. There is desperation here and it surrounded by hope and happiness. Students are desperate for paper, but happy with what little they have or need to re-use. People are desperate for money, but happy to earn what little they do. There seems to be so little, yet there is so much.For place where education seems far below par compared to the U.S., and where technology is behind the times, they are educated and advanced in life. They know that family, happiness, and love matters. They understand that it is not what you've got that matters, but that you've want what you've got. I have learned some priorities here already. I may have extra money for my Uggs, extra add-ons for my cell phone (I really do need that App...) and extra time on my hands because I can order those Uggs from my phone while waiting in line, but at the end of the day, you need to have yourself, extras or not. And, here in Kenya, people do have themselves, their beliefs, their endless hope and optimistic outlook, and a sense of appreciation. And, quite frankly, my Uggs and cell phone- no matter what App. I download- can't deliver that. Thanks, Kenya, for putting my priorities in order. Cheers.
In Kenya, I am unsure how fear exists. It might be overpowered by desperation and this is an emotion that can drive many of us to carry out actions that we normally wouldn't do when we are surrounded by comfort and security. There is desperation here and it surrounded by hope and happiness. Students are desperate for paper, but happy with what little they have or need to re-use. People are desperate for money, but happy to earn what little they do. There seems to be so little, yet there is so much.For place where education seems far below par compared to the U.S., and where technology is behind the times, they are educated and advanced in life. They know that family, happiness, and love matters. They understand that it is not what you've got that matters, but that you've want what you've got. I have learned some priorities here already. I may have extra money for my Uggs, extra add-ons for my cell phone (I really do need that App...) and extra time on my hands because I can order those Uggs from my phone while waiting in line, but at the end of the day, you need to have yourself, extras or not. And, here in Kenya, people do have themselves, their beliefs, their endless hope and optimistic outlook, and a sense of appreciation. And, quite frankly, my Uggs and cell phone- no matter what App. I download- can't deliver that. Thanks, Kenya, for putting my priorities in order. Cheers.
Friday, July 2, 2010
So, I have arrived! The journey to get here has been laughs and giggles the whole way, which of course means I have been having a "Classic Melissa Bachler" experience.
I flew out to London and during my 13 hour layover, I toured. It was wonderful, but lonely. I didn't have conversation with anyone for so long that I actually considered talking to myself! I then flew to Nairobi and went to a hostel. I was lucky, the day I arrived at the airport, another volunteer arrived as well, so I was not alone. He is from Sweden and he is studying to be a doctor. I asked him approximately 2 million questions, and I am 2 million percent sure he got annoyed with my American Ignorance. But, I learned plenty in the process, so I am happy with it!
I have since toured the school and gotten to meet the children. We gave high-fives and they were all very friendly. On Monday I will officially be in the classroom, so as more happens there, I will blog about it.
Transportation here is interesting. I took my first piku-piku ride. Basically, you hop on the back of a motorcycle and pay 50 cents to get to town. (Mom, it really is one of the few forms of transportation, so I am sorry I am living dangerously!) On my first ride, my driver's piku-piku ran out of gas. No need to worry, however, they just put me on the back of another motorcycle with another person! Also, the piku-piku drivers carry their extra gas in a plastic baggie. NO JOKE! One driver pulled out a plastic baggie, got it filled, and then was trying to find a pocket to put the baggie in. It was a little funny.
Another aspect that has been interesting is how people stare at you because you are white. We get lots of looks, but we get lots of smiles too. Today, on the way back from Kisumu, I tried to smile and wave at anybody who looked me in the eye. The children always have the best response- a HUGE smile with an over zealous wave. It's comforting to know (and now fully understand) that a smile and a wave are universal. And, as I have also come to find out, so it Coke- it is everywhere!
So, for now I am safe and learning a lot! There's been quite a bit of reflection, so next time I will bring my journal with me to the internet cafe and write about some changes I've noticed in myself and with my thinking! I hope all is well in America, and HAPPY 4th of JULY!!
P.S. Sorry for the misspellings, I am typing fast!
I have since toured the school and gotten to meet the children. We gave high-fives and they were all very friendly. On Monday I will officially be in the classroom, so as more happens there, I will blog about it.
Transportation here is interesting. I took my first piku-piku ride. Basically, you hop on the back of a motorcycle and pay 50 cents to get to town. (Mom, it really is one of the few forms of transportation, so I am sorry I am living dangerously!) On my first ride, my driver's piku-piku ran out of gas. No need to worry, however, they just put me on the back of another motorcycle with another person! Also, the piku-piku drivers carry their extra gas in a plastic baggie. NO JOKE! One driver pulled out a plastic baggie, got it filled, and then was trying to find a pocket to put the baggie in. It was a little funny.
Another aspect that has been interesting is how people stare at you because you are white. We get lots of looks, but we get lots of smiles too. Today, on the way back from Kisumu, I tried to smile and wave at anybody who looked me in the eye. The children always have the best response- a HUGE smile with an over zealous wave. It's comforting to know (and now fully understand) that a smile and a wave are universal. And, as I have also come to find out, so it Coke- it is everywhere!
So, for now I am safe and learning a lot! There's been quite a bit of reflection, so next time I will bring my journal with me to the internet cafe and write about some changes I've noticed in myself and with my thinking! I hope all is well in America, and HAPPY 4th of JULY!!
P.S. Sorry for the misspellings, I am typing fast!
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