SUN-day!

Napenda the sun! Thank the Lord; the clouds are finally departing…and what an appropriate day to do so. I suppose the sun must have missed its flight from Seattle. That’s the only excuse I can think of for its absence since I have arrived here. I am just sitting out here in the front yard, soaking up the sun. It’s hot, but I have to make up for the fact that I have been continually cold for the past few days.

On Friday, on the way back from Kenyatta National Hospital (where Tom and Rose work) there were hundreds of people on Mbagathi Way and on the overpasses at one of the entrances to Kibera slum. There were several military officers, but we couldn’t see what was going on. We recently learned that 5 thieves had been shot by police.


(a few of the watu observing the events of Kibera. Turns out these 5 men are notorious thieves and the police had been looking for them for quite some time.)

What else have I learned today (we’ve just been lounging and chatting at the house since church). I was reading the paper:
• lots of news about the bad extent of the economy and the lack of water (since this is a very agricultural society, lack of water → poor crops & dead livestock → bad economy).
*People in slums having to eat food meant for pigs.
*People having to feed their livestock cactus because of the lack of grass.
*Photos of the most emaciated cows I have ever seen – needless to say, already passed on to cow heaven.
• Read the obituaries. I wasn’t in any of them (thanks Dad for teaching me that checking for your own name in the obits. will determine if it will be a good day, or if you have to attend a funeral). Too many young people dying. Some in there 20’s. some in their 30’s and 40’s. A very few were 60 or above. One woman was 90.
• Kenyans winning cross-country events. Not surprising.

Speaking of weddings (see Saturday’s post), there was a segment on the news (habari) tonight about wedding preparations. They interviewed a groom-to-be and his groomsmen who were trying to get their tuxes. The main wedding color was a burgundy (chosen by the bride) and seemed to want shape of purple (look like a “UW Husky purple”) for his tie. He was having trouble finding a tie to compliment the burgundy, and did not really understand what was wrong with the purple one. The shopkeeper was trying to help him understand…when interviewed, the groom said something along the lines of: “We should really leave this up to the women. I am just continually calling her to ask her opinion, or what I should be doing.” The newscaster also mentioned that while men may generally feel that they are the decision makers, they have no say in terms of wedding planning and must follow the instructions given by the bride. So, as you can see…it seems that many people no longer hold traditional weddings where the groom is in charge (I can’t remember if that’s a Kenyan or Ugandan thing) and Africa is not so different from the U.S. after all.


(overwhelmed groom)