Transitioning...

My time in Kenya has been one full of transitions; it's hard to believe I've only been here a little over ONE WEEK! On the homefront, transitioning away from my newfound family and back into a group setting has been an adjustment to be redundant... and back to class! We received our books today for Swahili and I will also be studying Kikuyu, the local language of my family and the largest tribe in Kenya. Most likely I will confuse the two, but the people here seem to mix all of the languages together so I think I'll be OK, if not fit right in!

In the news, it's been quite tumultuous. Domestic news has been dominated by the current debate over a proposed new constitution with a yes-no referendum vote set for November 21st. Internationally, we have been hearing much about tropical storms and the devestation wrought by Katrina. Our hearts go out to those who have been affected, and the people of Kenya are well aware of the situation and are praying for those victimized in this tragedy. The images, stories, commentary... it's so hard to grasp the reality of it all.

We drove by my future apartment today. It's conveniently located within a block from our site coordinator (is she trying to keep a close eye on me?!) and a 10-minute walk from my office complex. I didn't get to go inside to check it out, but I'm already getting excited about our Sept. 30th move-in date (approx.).

We also had an uneventful trip to the US Embassy, and they have our contact information in case it's necessary to contact us. Phyllis, our site coordinator who I've dubbed "the Byrd" 'cause of her maiden name, forbade us from using the restrooms there. Three toilet seats and counting... (see last paragraph of Sept. 3rd posting)