the life update...

Ok so I know it's been forever and a day since I've last posted anything.  I wanted to continue with my Africa stories but I just haven't had the time.

Here's the update on my life.  I am almost done with my second semester in the MBA program.  This semester has been extremely intense and very hard.  We are doing an integration project with WellPoint in which we are consultant for the company and assigned to specific projects within the company.  I was elected President of the Graduate Business Association (GBA) for the 2007-2008 school year in February.  I'm currently on the hunt for a summer internship.  I've had a couple second round interviews, one with Aetna and the other with MassMutual.  I'm also working my contacts at Cigna.  I'm pretty sure I will end up working at MassMutual though.  I'm just waiting on the official offer.

In January I met this wonderful guy and in February we started dating.  He's awesome..the best thing in the world. 

Apart from all of that life is going well and I'm staying busy as ever.  It's baseball season now so I'm trying to keep up with the Red Sox as much as I can.  Though I don't have time to watch TV so I don't get to watch NESN (the Red Sox channel) much.

December 26, 2006

Let the adventures begin!  This morning we packed up and headed to Tanzania.  It was an 8 hour drive if you can imagine and 8 hour drive on extremely bumpy roads with 2 kids in the car with three adults.  We stopped for lunch in Arusha at this tiny cafe that one would only know where to find if they were locals.  It was so hidden...I can't believe the Charles' even knew where it was. 

We arrived at Bougainvilla Safari Lodge in Karatu just outside of the game park around 5 pm. The resort is absolutely amazing.  Beautiful area and absolutely wonderful staff.  The food is scrumptious!  Julianna and I are sharing a cabin.  She feels like a big girl now that she can stay with her Aunt and her parents are a few buildings over.  Julianna wanted to pose like a model for pictures in front of our cabin.

December 27, 2006

Strolling through the mountain side observing creation is the most breathtaking sight.  We started our morning with breakfast at the resort and then headed to Ngorongoro Conservation area.  As we stopped at the gate to register the vehicles and pay the fees a group of baboons just sauntered by.  WHOA! What's that?  BABOONS!  No way...they are right...THERE!  I could have touched them if I was stupid enough.  I love monkeys and anything in the monkey family...I was thrilled to start the day off with baboons. 

I thought the roads were bad in Nairobi, ha, boy was I in for a surprise when we experiences the roads in the conservation area.  Along the road we saw a few Masai villiages and this is where I started being inquisitive about the Masai people.  They are a herding group and the story has it that they must kill a lion with their bare hands to earn their right of passage.  I'm not really into the whole killing an animal just for the sake of killing an animal.  But one wonders how the Masai people survive in the safari area with lions, leopards, cheetahs and other various dangerous animals.  The Masai people also do not like their pictures being taken and if they catch you taking a picture of them from your car they will take their club and smash your windshield.  They try to sell you jewelry every time you turn around or stop your car or even slow down.  They are masters of annoyance when it comes to selling things.  I'm sure there is a lot more information on the Masai people but in short, this is what I know.  We did sneak a few pictures of them during the trip.

This morning we decided to go to Serengeti National Park where we could see the wildebeest migration.  It was a pretty amazing site to see and I'm glad I was able to experience such a thing.  However, that wasn't the most interesting part of the trip.  I found it exhilarating to have my first siting of zebras, giraffes, gazelles and even a hyena out in the wild. 

The big adventure was getting the car through the river.  The roads got progressively worse as we went along and the Nissan X-trail was doing ok, but it was certainly not made for off roading.  We let Ed go through the water with his Land Rover before we attempted the same route.  The water was up to Ed's doors when he crossed and the X-trail was considerably lower to the ground.  We made it through but not without a lot of splashing water.  The scary thing is that in a few hours we would have to go through it again.  We made it to Serengeti National Park and there wasn't much to see at the gate.  We ate lunch and made our way back towards the resort.  We came to the same river and went through one more time hoping not to harm the car.  Shortly after that experience the "water-in-fuel-pump light" comes on.  Randy asks me to get out the manual and see what it says "if this light comes on pull over immediately and empty water from the fuel pump, this could damage your car".  We pull the car over and take a look...um who has the smallest hands here?  Not even 5 minutes and it starts raining.  Fixing a car, in the safari area, in the rain...just what we all wanted to do.

On the way out of the conservation area we saw a group of baboons.  This is where Alex comes up with the saying "I will shut my window so the bamboolas don't come in my window and kiss me".  How cute is that?  The word is no longer baboon...but now it is bamboola.

December 24, 2006

Ah Christmas Eve in Nairobi.  No snow and 75 degrees.  I couldn't be happier.  Some of the guys from the Embassy got together this morning to play football at Rossalyn Ridge.  Liz and I took the kids to watch Randy and the guys and of course to give our support.  There were some other women and kids there as well.  Leslie and her twin girls, Cameron and Jaydan, were there to cheer on Frank.

Liz and I ran around and did all kinds of errands today.  Since my clothes still haven't arrived I needed to find some things that I liked to wear.  Liz took me to Adam's Arcade.  This is a market that is absolutely insane and dirty.  I couldn't wait to wash my hands when we were done there.  On the way home we stopped at the Sarit Center and this is where I found the gold.  I finally found clothes that I liked.  I needed to get a party outfit for the New Year's Eve party.

Rose Mary and Ed Charles (Liz's parents) and Rod, Sue and Rachel (Canadian friends of the Charles') all came in today from Tanzania.  Rose Mary and Ed will be staying for 2 weeks and Rod, Sue and Rachel will all go back to Canada after we all go on safari in Tanzania.

December 25, 2006

Christmas!  This of course was an unusual year for me.  I haven't spent Christmas with Randy since I was probably 17.  It was fun watching the kids open their gifts and riding their new bicycles.  We had a big dinner and had Jenny and Brendon (and their two kids) over.  Leslie and Frank and their family came over for a bit as well.  It was a busy day but it was good.

December 21, 2006

Still recovering from jet lag but it's getting better.  I wondered how long it will take?  It's never taken me this long to get over jet lag.  I spend the majority of my day comparing Nairobi with my experience in Fiji.  I guess you could say it's similar to the fact of the horrible roads and they drive on the left side of the roads.  I always felt the need to carry sanitizer with me everywhere I went and wash my hands as soon as I got home.  If it had been a very busy day out touching a lot of things then I wanted to shower when I got home.  The biggest similarity between Fiji and Nairobi is that they are underdeveloped countries with a lot of poverty, you also barter for a good portion of your purchases unless you go to a set priced store.  Below are things you see when you are driving in the downtown area.  People selling animals at the cars, vultures in the trees and insane drivers.

Since Randy and Liz have three children we had a lot of children events to go to during my first week there.  All of the Christmas parties and so forth.  Today we went to Anne's house to do cookie decorating and boy was that a chore.  At first I was put in charge of the decorating crew...um, not fun.  I eventually found myself in the kitchen working alone and letting others deal with the children.  Emma seemed to enjoy playing with flour and she had her friend Lucia to help.

I called Dr. Laney today.  It was good to hear his voice and be able to make plans to see him and his family in Africa.  Who would have ever guessed that 5 years ago when I was sitting in his Mass Media class at Lee University that I would visit him and his family in Nairobi?  Not me.  We made the decision to meet tomorrow at Naukumatt Village Market for lunch and a time of catching up.

We got the call today that one of my bags had been found!  They delivered it this evening.  It was the small bag with two pairs of pants, shoes, binoculars, and hair stuff.  This is better than nothing.

December 22, 2006

Today is the big day where I get to see my favorite Lee University professor and his family!!  I'm excited.  I saw them last year as I briefly stopped by Cleveland, TN for a visit but it's not the same.  This is a lot more exciting.  We met right outside of Naukumatt and I introduced Liz and the kids to Dr. Laney and Leonora then we parted ways.  I went with the Laneys to the food court and we enjoyed good conversation and good food.  The kids, James-Michael and Mikkaela came by with their friend Kylie after they finished a movie.  We were there a bit longer before deciding it was time to visit the Masai Market which was upstairs.  Wow...that is one crazy experience.  At the Masai Market there are venders with all of there "Africrap", as Randy calls it, lined up to sell.  Everyone wants your money and the very second they see you give the slightest glance they are on you like vultures.  I was glad that I was with Dr. Laney, because if I saw anything I liked he did the negotiating for me.  That was some kind of an experience.  One of the experiences I definitely suggest while in Africa because it's just part of the stuff you do.  There are these markets all over Nairobi on different days.

Randy picked me up from my time at the market with the Laneys.  We then went to Tim and Anne's for sushi night.  I'm not a big seafood anything fan but I was going to be as open minded as I could without making myself sick.  Word to the wise...never sit by your older brother at the dinner table when having a food you are not so sure of.  The spread was amazing.  It looked very interesting.  I decide that I will try the sushi that I'm sure of...spring rolls, I even tried the seaweed salad.  Then next thing I know I have eel on my plate and then some other raw fish! What? RANDY!!!!!  Of course I can't made a big deal about it because we are at someone's house as their guests and I must behave myself.  And thus I must eat what is on my plate.  I choke it all down as slowly as I can to try to avoid second helpings as they went around.  That didn't work.  Randy saw what I was up to and piled more on my plate a long with wasabi...YIKES.  That stuff is hot!

December 23, 2006

This morning Liz and I took the kids to Java House.  This is the closest thing to Starbucks in Nairobi.  This group has done a pretty good marketing job.  They have 5 locations throughout the city.  You can get free wireless there as well.  They serve Kenyan coffee and good food.  I even brought some of their coffee home.  I didn't see any TV advertisements nor hear any radio spots.  I did however see tire covers on vehicles, t-shirts, hats, etc. with their logos on them.  Word of mouth and location is their form of advertisement and they are doing a great job at it.

Randy, Julianna and I went back to the airport today to check on the other luggage.  We were there for about an hour trying to get some information.  Finally they gave me 5800 KSH which is about $80 for "first needs".  That ended up buying me a pair of pants and a shirt.  We filed the insurance claim and will wait to hear more information on that.

Tonight we went to Nick and Karen's for the white elephant party.  We all took gifts that were worthless and junk and wrapped them up to exchange.  It's quite humorous to watch people try to convince others they want the crap that they just picked.  I also met Lisa Shade a Marine Attache who also knows Dr. Laney.  It's such a small world.

It seems that my blog has gotten a lot of attention this week with the pictures and stories of Africa.  So I thought I would give a little more detail of my trip for those of you who are interested.  We'll start from the beginning and I'll post a little bit each day until I've covered it all.

I posted "Day 1" on December 18th.  This talked a bit about missing my connecting flight in Heathrow.  I'll pick up from there...

I arrived in Nairobi Tuesday December 19th, a day later than scheduled.  I was completely exhausted since I hadn't slept in well over 24 hours and here it was 8:30 am by the time I got through customs and to baggage claim.  I stood in baggage claim for a good 45 minutes waiting for all of the luggage to be unloaded - only to find out that my luggage never made it on the flight.  I went to the Kenya Airline baggage claim counter and filed the proper papers.  I met my brother in the lobby and we headed to his house in Kitisuru area of Nairobi.  All I had with me was what I carried onto the plane...my laptop, a pair of binoculars for a present, one pair of pants and two shirts and a few miscellaneous things.  I could survive for a day or two without my luggage as long as I didn't have to leave the house. 

My sister-in-law, Liz, and the twins, Alex and Emma, were all waiting anxiously at the door when I arrived.  Their dog Nala ran to greet me and the first thing Alex says is "Nancy".  He is confusing me with Liz's brother's wife Nancy who came to visit them a few months back.  See the kids don't call me Aunt Melynda...it's Aunty Mindi and since that's similar (somewhat I guess) to Nancy, Alex is getting the names confused.  Emma is the shy one (much like myself when I was her age).  Of course Liz and I greet each other with major hugs since we haven't seen each other since July.  I go into the house and meet Mary, the cook/housekeeper, and the very first thing she says is "you look like Emma!"  This turns out to be a very reoccurring phrase throughout my trip by various people.  Julianna is in school by the time I arrive but she has a Christmas celebration happening at school that day in which we attend.  Yes, I had to leave the house without the proper hair supplies on my head and well not so glamorous clothing.  Ok so I felt that I was back with Teen Missions International and roughing it with little excess vanity accessories.

Julianna's event was fun.  I got to play with all three of the kids on the playground at the International School of Kenya (ISK).  It was nice to see where my niece is going to school and see her in action.

Liz tried very hard to keep me busy all day to stay awake.  By the time 5pm rolled around I thought I was going to die I was so tired.  That night we put the kids to bed, had our dinner and I think I went to bed around 8 or so.

December 20th

I found out that we were going to an event at the Ambassador's house!!! Whoa! Are you serious?  Yes, indeed.  Hopefully my luggage has arrived.  Liz and I run to the airport to see if the luggage has arrived, because well...they don't answer their phones so we get more information if we just drive 30 minutes one way to get to the airport.  I get there and the news is...NO! It has not arrived.  Ok so what am I to do now?  I have to go to an event at the Ambassador's house and well I have nothing appropriate to wear.  Liz was able to find an outfit for me to wear from her closet, but the hair still needs help.  We go to Naukumatt (the closest thing to Walmart) and I buy some mousse and hair spray, but I still don't have a hairdryer or curling iron.  My sister-in-law has amazing hair and doesn't need any of this stuff (I wish mine was like that).  Oh well...so we get home from a day of running around and I find myself crashed on my bed at 5:30 when we need to leave at 6 for the party....oops.  I get up and get ready and we are off.  It was fun.  I even met the British Ambassador and many other people.  There was a concert and lots of food and beverages.