Chai Time=the Best Time!

And so day three brings great food, great company, Swahili classes and chai. Because this week is 'orientation week' our days have been packed and there is rarely a dull moment except for Chai Time! Of all the great things that Kenya has to offer  (for which there are MANY) Chai Time is one of the best--for sure. Kenyans strongly believe in the power of rest and recovery by the rejuvenation of chai tea (a very spicy flavorful hot beverage). During swahili class (from 9 am till 12 pm) we take a short break at 10:30 to have chai time which is filled with funky conversations, funny jokes and lots of laughs. We look forward to another chai time at 4:30 pm back at the compound which is typically accompanied by a savory snack--which so far have included mandazi (Kenyan doughnuts), biscuits (Kenyan cookies) and the most interesting one yet...cooked sweet potatoes (which were eaten like apples). They were yummy? but just a very new concept for me. 

We are taking intensive Swahili classes--which I would argue is a very accurate term. We are in classes from 9am-12pm and are split up by level (those who have taken 1 or 2 classes and those who are just beginning). The professors are native speaking and are some of the most cheerful, charismatic and helpful people I have met. They are very sensitive to the fact that we are not all natural Swahili speakers but care a lot about us getting a good grasp on the language. So far we have learned almost half of what I learned all last semester..and its only day 3. I am slightly scared but mostly excited to see what Jacken (my processor) has to offer for us!

Today, we went to the Nairobi hospital where we received a talk by two native doctors whose goal was to have us feel confident that we will be okay, when, in turn, we all walked out convinced we are going to contract any and all illnesses that are in Kenya. We were rest assured that the hospital will deliver above adequate care (don't worry Dad, I am safe here) and then were given the phone numbers of the two doctors and were encouraged to call with any questions. (I suppose this was their way of finally convincing us that everything will be okay--and I guess it worked). 

The misquotes here are the size of a quarter and are some of the scariest looking insects I have ever seen. We sleep with mosquito nets to avoid contact with the little guys...but it doesn't seem to stop them from making their way into the compound and buzzing around ever so annoyingly. 

Each morning I find myself waking up naturally at 6:00 am as the sun rises (as my head is right against a window) and so to make the best use of my time I have been running between 3-4 miles. (I can't tell exactly how much because it is all in the metric system...I'll learn eventually). I wasn't sure how much the elevation would effect me, but it really presented a problem for the first few days. There are a few members of the SLU cross-country team here and they are struggling with the change as well--this has made me feel a bit better about myself. I'm hoping soon enough it won't be such a huge factor; we shall see. 

Here are some pictures of the compound this far:

My roommates are Chloe and Ally--this is my bunk with Ally

Outside view of the compound (where we sleep)

Finding and signing a skull is a SLU tradition

Tomorrow night we are heading to a famous restaurant called "Carnivore" where there is only meat...HA should be an interesting meal!