Not a Drop to Drink

It has been raining a lot this week. And I mean A LOT! Kapenguria is drenched and has not had an opportunity to recover between showers. Day and night, there might be a reprieve of two or three hours. On the plus side, the rain against my tin roof has not disturbed my sleep, I have grown quite accustomed to it. It's sort of comforting now.

But it has also been unnaturally cold (for Kenya) and humid, due to the rain. My jacket got soaked one afternoon, so I hung it in my room to dry. It was still damp the next afternoon.

Nelly cutting vegetables this afternoon beneath a
double rainbow.

I have been wanting to do some laundry and take a shower since Tuesday, but I don't have enough places to hang wet clothes in my room, and I can't bear to even think about taking a cold shower in this cold weather. ...Think about that for a second: no shower or clean underwear since Tuesday... I never thought I'd stoop so low.

On top of it all, I made a big misjudgment last night at dinner. I've become a little too comfortable with Nelly cooking meals. And Michael wasn't around last evening to confirm my suspicions or advise otherwise, so I ate what I was given.

Yesterday afternoon, Nelly made some beans and rice for lunch. When Angelina got home from visiting Daylight, she suggested having chai and buttered bread instead, and saving the beans and rice for dinner. I know I saw Nelly reheat the beans, but as soon as I bit into the rice, I started to feel conflicted. It wasn't hot. Or warm for that matter. Do I say something and ask to have it reheated? Or would that be an over-precaution? Well, I didn't say anything, and it would NOT have been an over-precaution.

I am almost out of Pepto Bismol. I am sure the humid conditions lately only contributed to and sped up the process for the contamination of the rice.

It's amazing to me that the only times I have felt unwell are in Kapenguria. I was expecting to become ill in the rural areas, if at all. This just proves I need to maintain the over-precaution I practice in the rural areas at all times, including in Kapenguria.

The head master translating for the kids. He actually can't
understand my accent very well.

On a lighter note... Yesterday, I visited Daylight Center and School. The head master asked me teach two Math classes, and then an English class where I could talk about anything I wanted. I handed out pennies from the United States and told the kids about Abraham Lincoln and Obama, and then quizzed the kids on their own Kenyan Presidential history. Then I answered questions about the weather in Minnesota and what travel back to the United States entails.

I've noticed these pants have gotten a little baggy on me.

At recess, I attempted to play soccer with the kids, but they thought it way more fun to run after me than the soccer ball. I tried to get an honest game of tag going, but it turned out everyone was it, except for me, of course.

People have been surprised when they see that I run...as well as carry as much as any Kenyan woman. I have no idea where they get their perception of Americans, but it certainly doesn't include the possibility that at least some of us are physically fit. I suppose it doesn't help when they witness one of us keeling over with stomach pain after eating something as simple as rice.


Afternoon Update:
Not long after writing a draft of this blog this morning, I began to feel much better...at least, enough where I could stand up straight...without needing to pace. And then the sun came out!

Nelly and Lucy (Michael's sister) were doing laundry, so I brought out mine to wash it myself and ended up getting some quality instruction on how to hand scrub my clothes. Nelly was able to get out a stain on my white shirt that I was convinced wouldn't be spotless until I returned to the States and soaked it in bleach. Amazing!

After making chai for lunch, Nelly used the remaining heat from the coals on the stove to warm some water for me to shower. I feel sooo much better!