Karibu Kenya!

I arrived in Nairobi on Saturday, October 2 and was greeted at the airport by two fabulous friends I've made while at NDI-Washington, Emily and Rose. They promptly picked me up and took me out to dinner, drinks, and dancing with a Kenyan colleague, Dickson. We fist-pumped our way through traditional African drum beats, hip hop, and ended the night to the Bloodhound Gang's The Roof is on Fire. The very next day, we headed to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust where we watched the orphan baby elephants have breakfast. I almost took one home with me--- they were so cute! 

I have had so many unbelievably amazing meals this week! Two scrumptcious Italian meals, Ethiopian, Somali, American (grilled cheese panini & tomato soup), and Indian! I definitely need to find and join a gym, asap! 

Everyone at work is super sweet and thoughtful. I'm really looking forward to getting my hands dirty on the project. There is definitely a learning curve but hopefully I'll wrap my mind around everything sooner than later!

I think I have a found an apartment as well. It has two bedrooms and two bathrooms--- so more than enough room for visitors! Nairobi's "summer" (warmest months) are November and December.... so just as it's getting dark, cold, and rainy (possibly snowy) on the east coast....

A few observations from this week:

• Although there is a lot of dust in the city, the cars are typically spotless. From what I've seen, many people wash their cars everyday.
• You can find anything you need in Nairobi.  Nakumatt has everything and anything you would ever need.... it's pretty much the Walmart or Target of Nairobi. 
• Traffic is painful in Nairobi and many times you end up playing chicken with the car coming towards you. The potholes can be deadly especially when it's raining.  There are matatus: a mode of public transport in Kenya that scare the crap out of me, the majority of them have drivers who think they are the only ones on the road. Matatus have fixed routes, but "unfixed" stops and time schedules. They stop anywhere to pick or drop passengers. However, no tuk tuks, rickshaws, cows, no motorcylces carrying families, no wagons with heaps of wheat with very skinny men dragging them uphill with their bicycles, no buses with people sitting on the top or jumping off the moving bus. So I must admit, so far it doesn't seem as terrifying. 

It's been a pretty amazing first week in Nairobi. I feel like a little kid in a candystore, hopefully the honeymoon period will last a long, long time.