My last post (until my next adventure!)

Hi guys

So it's been just over a week since I came back into Australia, and it's taken a while to adjust back into the daily grind. I find myself saying Asante (thank you, in swahili) to check-out chicks and petrol station guys who don't know what the hell i'm saying. I still hold my bag close to me in case someone tries to take it, and it's taking a while to shrink my big kenyan stomach back to it's original size!
Family and friends ask me 'how was it?', 'is living in Kenya tough?' and it's hard to give them an honest answer. I think everybody needs to go to a place like Kenya to understand what tough living is like. Unless you see with your own eyes people living on $2.50 a day, old women trying to sell food (or anything) on the side of the street just to get some food for their children, that's tough living. Or even just not having running water and needing to fetch it from the well. On the other hand it's a great holiday destination too! So many beautiful resorts, seeing wild animals and collecting funky african bits n pieces to take home, it's pretty fun.

Personally, I'm really glad I got the opportunity to teach kids a very important skill that they will keep for the rest of their lives. I'm happy I got to explore a different country, meet amazing people who live happy lives there, and experience a different lifestyle for 10 weeks. But i'm very happy to be back home. Now it's time to knuckle down and save for my next adventure, wherever that will be..

Thank you for reading my blog, I hope you enjoyed it, and that you go out there and have your own adventures.

Kwaheri,
Beth

Donkeys need love too

So since I have last posted, I had my last full day in Mombasa teaching kids (and adults) how to swim. And surprisingly, it was a bit of an anti-climax! No schools turned up for swimming due to school exams and Ramadan (kids fasting, need to save that energy!). I'm just happy I finished the program that I started and did everything on my list:

1. Teach as many children as I can how to be confident in the water, how to swim to safety if they need to, and proper pool etiquette/safety (all the kids now walk around the pool, listen to the teacher and bomb-diving, what bomb diving?)
2. The other teachers and coaches, if they follow my advice, will keep improving the children with a handy step-by-step guide I made (warm-up exercises, drills and games). Now that I've gone, it's all up to them to carry on the good work!
3. Give them equipment to help with the lessons, and also make swimming fun. All equipment and swimwear that wasn't being used, I took to my friend Ashleigh's orphanage where all the kids now use it every day!
4. Made an underwater swimming platform! They say goals that are the hardest are the most rewarding. It was so great to see the little scared ones standing up on the platform and then swimming to me. They looked so proud they could do it! I also taught the lifeguards and teachers how to use it, and I know it will be a hit in the summer :)

As another saying goes, once one door closes, another one opens. I'm finally in Lamu for the first stage of my post-volunteer holiday and my gosh, it is insane. I'm not giving anyone any ideas or anything, but when I get married, I'm coming back to this place for my honeymoon..
Said goodbye to my host family, had brekky and took a 7 hour bus trip from Mombasa to Mokowe. Once there, I got a boat to Lamu Island, then another boat to Shela Beach. I met Moses, a friend of a friend, who has kindly let me stay at his home (for a very reasonable price!). Nice man, but went to shake his hand and turned into an awkward hug, then asked me who he looked like, I said um, the president of Kenya, more awkwardness and silence (I should have said his son Timo who I know well. President, really Beth?). Got to his house by a maze of alleyways, very cool white wash cement houses. Rama, the houseboy, said "You know what that symbol drawn in the concrete pathway is?" Yes, it's the Peugeot logo. Someone must like them cars. "Well the CEO of Peugeot lives in that house". Wow. Doesn't own a Peugeot, owns the whole company! For some reason this impresses me.Moses house is so airy and cool. First level is bedrooms, kitchen (basic but lots of bench space), second level up through windy concrete steps is the outdoor area and dining table, a loungy bed area and cushiony seating in the sun. You can see the beach and the town below.And he has a LIBRARY. My gosh was I in heaven. My main reason for coming to Lamu was to unwind, relax, take swims in the ocean and read. SO yeah, ticked all said boxes. Was a bit parched and hungry after bus trip, but due to Ramadan (and this place is 99% Muslim) all cafes and restaurants are closed in the day. I think it's to ward off temptation. So Rama sorted out a delicious lunch on the rooftop and I was stuffed. He then took me for a trip down to the beach which is so baron and goes on forever, you feel like you're in a weird arab desert land, except that there's a big-ass ocean. Also took me to the neighbouring village in the sand dunes with huts made out of sticks and sheet metal. Saw people collecting water from the well, looks like hard work. There are no roads in Lamu, just little sandy alleyways that you walk or ride a donkey along. I like these donkeys. One came up to me on the beach when I was chatting to a local and started nuzzling me. So I scratched his ear and he leaned on me for a bit. Donkeys are the forgotten pack animal I say! Hooray for the donkey!!
 I like how here people don't expect you to know Swahili but when you do, it makes them happy. And I like practising. By the time I leave Kenya, I want to be able to hold a decent conversation in full Swahili, that's my goal. And sleep in. And tan my pasty stomach (damn that one-piece). And eat as many sea dwelling creatures as I can!
Security around here is very deceptive though. I went to the beach this morning, but made sure I was around other people and close to the shops. When I got back to the house Moses freaked out and said "don't ever go to the beach on your own, a girl got raped there in pure daylight not too long ago", and that in turn freaked me out. Even walking the 20 minute track from Shela to Lamu is considered 'potential rape alley' so against the little naggy scrooge in my head, I will fork out the 400shillings needed to take a speedboat back to the house just to be on the safe side. Besides, mum and dad would kill me if I tried walking.
 I'm always careful about where I walk around (always thinking I may need witnesses if anyone did try to attack me) but just to know that this supposedly friendly town can have a dark side surprised me. I guess every town in the entire world has a good and bad side.

OK back to the bright side, absolutely love Lamu and is well worth the 7 hour trip. Gonna try some fishing and ride a donkey tomorrow, let you know how that goes!

Cheers,
Beth

Coming to an end.. LAST WEEK!

HI guys

Well it's finally come.. my last week of volunteering, then off travelling the land until 13th, then off to Bangkok then back home to Australia. I would say it has gone fast, but surprisingly it hasn't. Everything's been at a cruisy kenyan pace, and gotten in to a bit of a routine here, working in the mornings/early arvos and exploring Mombasa the rest of the day. Honestly (I can't believe i'm saying this) but i'm looking forward to going back to a paying job, lots of veges and salads, and most of all my friends and family. I will miss the people i've formed bonds with here, and i'm sure i'll see them again one day. It's funny how many people ask me when i'm coming back, like what month.. or early next year? I have to tell them it cost thousands of dollars to come here, and as much as i'm a whitie, I just don't have that kind of money lying around. I know it is a compliment though, they want me to come back :)

Things I did on the weekend:

• Met up with a lady who runs an orphanage near Nyali Beach. Basically, Ashleigh came over to do a volunteering placement in an ophanage. She met these kids who were suposed to be looked after in a home but were been treated horribly (little food, dirty drinking water and were basically being prostituted out to men by their carer). She got a kenyan lawyer and tried to get the kids moved. The only way they could move them is if Ashleigh organised a new place for them to live in, so she did just that. She looks after other kids too and babies, and a child with cerebal palsy, about 25 kids in total. To say Ashleigh is amazing is an understatement. She does pretty much everything herself, and has a house lady to help cook and clean. She does all the fundraising herself too, as she gets little help from the government. Anyway moving on, I met her and we took all the kids down to the beach for a couple of hours. Even just getting the kids there is crazy! Walking for about 40 minutes carring crying babies (and the cerebal palsy child) and yelling at kids to stay off the road, we finally got there. Most of the kids ran straight in the water  but I stayed with the others to build sandcastles.  Then a man with a camel came past and Ashleigh arranged for all the kids to have a ride. They LOVED it! Got lots of photos and videos from the day. Just in that time is enough for you to fall in love with those kids. Each one has gone through heartache and trauma but they still manage to laugh and smile. It got dark quickly so I arranged for all the kids to get a taxi-ride back to the house. I will try to ee them again before I go, give them togs and goggles and teach them a bit of swimming.
• Went to awesome gospel church again Sunday morning (7 in the morning, after a late night out, the church is that awesome) then got my hair braided african-style! Took about 5 hours, see pic below.. It's kinda cool but feels weird like you have rope on your head. Once I got all finish I had a bad thought..how the heck am I gonna swim every day with this?? The chlorine is going to destroy it. So I've decided to peeve off the fashion gods and wear a awful looking shower cap. Yes, the frilly kind is all I could find. But I intend on keeping my hair when I get back to Oz, so I shall sacrifice looking cool for one week. 

PLAN THIS WEEK: Do as much swim teaching as I possibly can for as many people as I can reach. Get last minute gifts from the disabled peoples workshops in Bombololu (they make cool stuff) and keep taking photos of the locals. Sometimes I just wonder around the villages and take photos of people deep-frying fish on the streets or men who sell blocks of sugarcane that you chew on (it's really good for you, not like crystalised sugar). I always ask them before I take the photo, to show respect. I have come across some kenyans who refuse to let me photograph them unless I give them money. Firstly I was offended (friggin everyone want my money!) but then I realise that they are just trying to get through the day and provide for their families.

OK have to go, man is kicking me out of cyber cafe (it's nearly dinner time).

Keep safe all, and remember to wash your hands first! (National handwashing campaign this week)

Ciao,
Bethy

Idiots Guide to Kenyan Food

Hi all! I have to apologise for my last post. I just read it and man, was I being negative...I promise it won't happen again. I've come to realise that every experience I have here is teaching me a lesson, so I should just accept it, move on and be happy! On that note, I did have an attempted mugging the other day. Well, second attempt (a few weeks ago a man grabbed my bag strap walking past but I was all tangled in it so he let go and ran off). So this time I was sitting in a hot smelly matatu and I opened the window a little to let the air in, only about a handspands width. I'm always cautious of people walking towards the window (even if they're just crossing the road) and if I see them in the corner of my eye i'll turn away from the window just in case. In this instance I was texting on my phone, foolishly now come to think of it, when I saw a man walking towards the window. I automatically turned inward and he went past the back of the bus. Suddenly I felt fingers scratching my neck and a hand from outside trying to grab my necklace (my 'lucky' seven-ring necklace!) It got caught in my hair, he pulled for a bit and I banged my head on the window, heard a snap, then the man ran off. I screamed like a crazy person and everyone turned around and looked at me. I was grabbing my throat and someone must've thought I was choking and rushed over to help the poor crazy white lady. I explained what happened and a man helped me find parts of my necklace still stuck in my hair. I found 6 of the lucky 7 rings. That's gonna be a hell of a pub story next time someone says 'oh, thats a nice necklace'. I have to see the bright side of this, and realise that it could've been a lot worse, I guess those lucky rings really did work. 
I've been hanging out with my friend Caroline some days after work. She is the headmaster of one of the schools I teach. Caroline and I were preparing for this awesome Swimming Gala for her school and I made up certificates and prizes and we did a few race rehearsals and the kids were all pumped, but on the day half the parents said they didn't want their kids in it because it was Ramadan (muslim holy month) and the kids were fasting and swimming would make them tired. So unfortunately they will be doing it next term after I'm gone. Oh well, i've been working a lot with the frightened swimmers, trying to get them confident enough to swim across the poolfor the Gala in a months time. That makes me happy.
My new favourite place on a hot day in 'Basa is a small ice-cream shop in town called Ooh! and omg their icecreams just ooze goodness. I sit in their airconditioning and close my eyes and savour the ancient flavours of cappuchino, cookies and cream, and mango sorbet. Then I open my eyes and get a fright due to the floor-to-ceiling mirrors and for a second I think I have found my twin in Mombasa but it's just me.

I thought I'd put a few pics of the main types of swahili food I eat here. Please note that I have procured a bit of african lady-lumps due to this food, so if you do try it, eat in moderation! 

Ugali and Sukuma Wiki
Ugali is a kind of sticky maize cake that you eat with most meals (lots of labourers eat it in the morning as it fills you up till lunchtime!) The sukuma is a shreaded boiled spinach combined with garlic, onions, oil and tomato. You grab a bit of ugali, push a bit of sukuma onto it and eat. We eat this most nights in the house along with a beef, chicken or beans dish.

Coconut Beans and Chappati
I love coconut beans! the milk from shreaded coconut is stirred into the beans and eaten with chappati, a baked (slightly oiled) flat bread, sometimes with rice. Delish!

Wild Rice Pilau
Quick and easy and fills you up (what am I saying, all kenyan food fills you up!), most people put different spices, oils, tomatos, onions and chopped up beef into it.

Beef Stew and Ugali
The lady of the house cooks a mean beef stew here! Takes an hour or two, but so much flavour and the meat keeps it juices. Eat with Ugali or rice.

Now not many people eat dessert over here, but they drink. After dinner you drink a soda, or local Tusker beer, or I tend to like like Redds cider on a night out! For breakfast most people like to eat mandazi with a cup of tea (mandazi is a hollow fried bread which you can eat plain or stuff sweet beans into it). I usually go into town early in the morning before swimming starts, grab one and sit down with some highland tea and read a book/newspaper. Great way to start the day.

I think i've become a bit of a new age hippy here. Read a book called The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari and i'm not a great fan of the actual book, but a few things in there have really grabbed my attention. Simple stuff, like our mind has the potential to just cut feelings off quickly. For example, the necklace incident. I was shocked and scared and angry at first, but then I thought of my family and how my sister makes me laugh and all those bad things just stop. I have the option to keep feeling those bad things, or I can choose to learn from mistakes and think good things. I know, new age hippy stuff eah!

Anyway, this blog is getting off track. After weeks of buying tables that keep floating in the pool instead of sinking, I have finally created a table platform that works! It's taken a while, researching tables and finding one in Mombasa where everything is word of mouth, drilling holes and packing stones into the plastic table legs, we're there. It's to help the little kids learn to swim small distances in the pool. I will put photos of the table 'in action' this week.

Ok i'm heading off to go to a cultural village today and check out some authentic african drums, also help my friend Ashleigh take her orphanage children to the beach. Hope you have a great day!

From B-dizzle

Please feed my fish while i'm gone :)

Just found out if you click your mouse cursor over the koi fish above, you can feed them. Thanks for the tip dad, don't want them dying on me!

Don't know why but I haven't had the best week. And i've promised to be honest in this blog, so I will tell you the following things:

• I know it's a stupid thing to think (seeing I am living in another country) but I can't stand it when kenyan people start talking english to me (everyone speaks english here) and then turn to everyone else at the table and start having a 20 minute conversation in fast swahili. It just makes me feel silly because I don't understand what they're saying  (I can understand words but not a whole conversation) and you feel a bit left out. I can't help but think they're saying things about me. I don't think they mean to do it, so I should just harden up a bit and learn more swahili words..
• I know not all kenyans are like this, but a lot of people expect me to pay for things, just because i'm white. Buy this lunch, bus ticket, drinks, taxi. People see mzungu lady and just think I have a money tree growing in my aussie backyard! I try to explain to people i'm volunteering, that i'm currently unemployed and using my very minimal savings just to treat myself every now and then, but they just think i'm a rich woman. Take the other night for example. A friend that studies at the local college has been saying we should go out for dinner one night. We finally set a date and meet in town. She decides to bring along a few friends, which is all cool with me, and we set out to a funky swahili restaurant in the heart of the city. After drinks and big meals of biriyani piled on plates, they all say "Thank you Beth, that was really nice". And my heart sinks. They want me to pay for the bill. I don't want to be rude to them and say "Hold on a minute, you pay for YOUR meals!", I don't know what kind of customs they have here. So I pull out all my notes and don't have enough to pay for the whole meal (I didn't think I would be paying for 4 people!). The girls take out a few coins from their pockets and I realise they never intended on paying for anything all night. I felt really crappy and used and had to go get some more money out. I don't think I will be friends with people anymore who just expect me to pay for everything. I'm not a sugar-mummy!

• Ok, so enough wingeing from me. In the wise words of another friend, for every bad person who exploits your good nature, there is a kind person willing to let you into their home and give everything they have to you. And that is so true.

• I went to church this morning with my kenyan friend Tonny. Wow what a place! A giant church with big windows filled with coloured lead light, so when the sun shines through the windows it feels like you're inside a rainbow. They had a full african band with drums and shakers and guitars, and even though the whole service was in swahili, I really liked it. Everyone gets involved and claps, sways and waves their hands in the air. At the same time, I felt really guilty as I haven't been to church in a long time. I think it's a good place to clear your head. I'm going again next Sunday (i'll be on time next week;  my dear friend made us 30 mins late for today's service, but it still went on for 1 1/2 hrs!)
• There's rumors of another bomb threat over the month of Ramadan, so security has been beefed up another notch. Got to admit I was a bit weary about going to church with 250-300 other people but they have two security check-points to get into the actual church and a great big paddock around it, so there's no way someones sneaking in. Going to lay off going out to pubs for now, just to be safe. I may go a bit wild on my last night though!

My time here is coming to an end soon, well 3 weeks, so I thought i'd mention a few things i'm going to miss about this place:
* The funky summer music that plays from giant speakers at the swimming pool (western and african songs)
* Muslim kids that kiss you on the cheek or hand
* Calls for prayer from the local mosque (reminds me of my sisters crazy made-up singing when we were kids)
* Watching the sun rise every morning on the bus trip to the pool
* My little 8yr old friend Joy who loves dancing and singing to pop songs and ads on the tv
* The smell of buttery corn cobs being grilled in street stalls (for some reason smells like peanut butter)
* Big-eyed babies wrapped in their mum's kangas
* The cruisy kenyan way of life (people never mind if you're 15-20 mins late!)
* The vanilla pastries from the local bakery, and most of all people-watching. Looking out the bus windows, there's always something being sold, being cooked, or being carried on the dirt streets. The way the ladies gracefully sweep the ground with long reeds bound together, with one arm resting on their lower back, sometimes with a baby attached to them. Men don't use lawn mowers here! They 'mow' by making long sweeping cuts into the grass with a hooked knife on the end of a long pole, and in the boiling heat.

Ok, enough for today. I will finish with a few photos i've taken. I've put a bunch of fresh ones on HERE, feel free to have a squiz!

Mum eat yer heart out! I know you love shell collecting but I think you would've had a heart attack seeing this beach..shells for miles I tell ya!

Traditional swahili family dinner with Peter, Tonny and his family (you can tell who is the lady of the house!)

The little monkeys at school, just about to get their togs on. They are hilarious!

Peace and love to all, and special love going out to Rob and his family (very sorry to hear about your mum..thinking about you over here)

Bethy xo

I'm worth 1 camel, 5 goats and a few crates of chickens

Keeping things brief today, what a weekend!

• Friday:
  Went to Wasini Island for a day trip. The island is just off Shimoni, about 2 hrs from Mombasa. I heard the snorkelling was out of this world so my volunteer coordinator hooked me up with this company that does boat trips where you go swimming with the dolphins, have a sweet seafood lunch on the dhow boat and go snorkelling. Well I got the food and the snorkelling but not a dolphin in sight. Not even a glimpse of a fin or dolphin blow-off bubbles. The boat boys said they were dolphin researchers and knew where they all hung out, maybe they were chilling down in Zanzibar? I know I would. They also said we could go walk on the actual island, but being Kenya with no real sense of how long an actual day lasts, we ran out of time and had to get back to the bus. Anyway, bought a $15 underwater camera, once I develop the pics they'll be straight on here. I met some young German girls who were in 'Basa for a week, one of them took photos of me trying to be an underwater mermaid, I'm sure its gonna look hideous.
• Saturday
  Don't usually work on Saturday, but promised one of the coaches that I would help with his classes. One of the mothers asked me how long I have been teaching swimming, and I told her 10 months, she was a bit shocked. She said most coaches here have been teaching for at least 5-10 years and they don't improve the kids as much as I do. I thought that was nice. I just try my hardest, remember all the things i've learnt from my mentor Tracey (in Brissy) and make the kids feel good about swimming. Even the kids who struggle, it's important to praise them for just trying.
  

  

  Modeling my new african dress at Caroline's place before going out to the club..fun fun!

  
  Met Lisa and Leonie, the German girls, at lunch as I had promised them we'd go out to the markets and find some funky african fabric to make into scarves and wraps. My gosh, I didn't realise how much fuss us 3 white ladies would cause. I got a little protective of my new friends, and had a few arguments with bus drivers and shop owners who demanded 3-4 times the price than usual. I bought some cool dresses and some kikoys, big cotton pieces that you use for a towel or beach wrap, or a scarf when it's a bit chilly. It was a fun day but very tired by the end of it. But no rest for Bethy! My friend Caroline (one of the school principals) met me in town to go to a club for some dancing. But when we went through and the security guard frisked me, I asked Caroline if all the clubs are like that. "Oh, this club got bombed earlier in the year so they like to be safe". Wow. From then on, any time I heard a car alarm or saw someone looking suspicious I got anxious. But just like lightening, its very rare for the same place to be struck twice, and therefore had a great time. African ladies really know how to shake their moneymakers! The Bella Vista Club was pretty cool, good music, lots of 90's classics. Don't Go Chasing Waterfalls people.

• Sunday
  I learned a lot of new rules today. First, if someone asks to come with you to the supermarket and you say yes, sure you can come with me, you are obliged to pay for their bus ticket and offer to buy them something to eat. That took a little getting used to, but it is their custom and I have to respect that. It is a little awkard though when you don't know about this custom and two people are waiting for you to pay their bus ticket and buy them a snack. Also, I learned that when you are doing washing, you do not, I repeat DO NOT let your undies hang out to dry where people can see. Mrs Carey was quite embarassed about my undergarments and I had to take them down and put them on a special line behind the toilet block. I wasn't very embarassed though, they are nice lookin undies.
  Lesson Two: White women are in demand as wives. I was invited to my new kenyan friend's place for dinner (refer to previous post, Peter is the little boy I met when jogging in a village). Very nice people. A bit too nice. They had future plans for me, and proceeded to explain how a marriage dowry works. Aparently I am worth 1 camel, 5 goats and a few crates of chickens and ducks. I'm still not sure if they were joking, but Tony's mother kept saying I would make a very nice daughter-in-law. These Kenyans don't wait around! The family is so lovely though. We had a traditional family dinner accompanied by watching dramatic spanish soap operas on their fuzzy little tv. It was a great night.

Ok, done for today. I'm now off to teach some swimming for the rest of the day and keep practising my swahili conversation skills with the kids. As long as they don't teach me any more naughty words (when I don't realise they are naughty words and proceed to try them out on the coaches who laugh at me)

Keep safe you good people,
Beth

It's raining mainly on these Kenyan plains..

Before I start, if you want to get updates when I write a new post, become a follower on the tab to your right!

I had one of those days yesterday where it felt like I didn't solidly achieve anything but I did a hell of a lot.

• Went to Milele Beach to help Burhani Playgroup/Kindy with their beach day. The only reason i'm helping is because only 1 of the 10 teachers knows how to swim and i'm worried there will be a mass of little toddlers with floaties floating all the way to Australia. Horribly raining but they still want to go ahead. You know that kids who find their fun beach day is being postponed, they spontaneously combust. I arrive at the beach, school decides that they'll go another day now. When it's nice and sunny.
• I take a matatu to the school instead. No schools expected in today due to the rain. I don't want to sit around and wait all day, so I go to the mall and get $15 mani/pedi combo. I nearly kicked the nice man who scrubbed my feet... it was nice though.
• Bought a few things in town...A sturdy plastic table to put in the pool so the little ones can learn a bit better. It's not heavy enough so one of the workshop boys at the school has offered to screw weights to the legs. I'm also going to purchase a very large rubber tube and attach rope around the outside so children can hold on and take a breather in the middle of the pool. I try to remember what it was like learning how to swim and I remember the pool being very big in my little eyes, so hopefully this will help. Also bought a ring binder, lots of paper and dividers and i've started a Swimming Bible. All bits of info on how to teach swimming, what not to do, how to save someone if they are in trouble, little  things that can help fellow/future coaches. Gotta leave my legacy right!
• Very tired when I got home so had a nap. Woke up feeling guilty about eating fish and chips earlier in the day, so went for my daily/sporadic jog. A little boy started trying to race me so we raced for a while and I got too tired. I then tripped on a rock and old men sitting on the street-side laughed at me. I stopped to see the beautiful glowing red orb of a sunset that I saw between the fields. And then that little boy, now called Peter, jumped out of the bushes and scared the crap out of me (it didn't help that I had a mugging-dream the other night). He took me to his house to show me his chickens. His dad bought me a fanta and when I asked him why he freely let me into his home even though I was a stranger, he said 'doesnt matter where you're from we're all brothers and sisters'. Its nearly made me cry, how honest the words were that came from a 6 year olds mouth. I want to take that home with me. It makes me want to meet my neighbours and pool customers and start opening up to people. I've tried and it's not easy, but every time you open up and just say hi (or Jambo!) it does make you feel good.

Random memory from the other day: Listening to Heartlines by Florence + The Machine (awesome african drum beats) while running and jumping waves along the high-tide beach and getting seaweed stuck between my toes and feeling free to sing and make a fool of myself. What a great feeling.

Speak soon,
Love to all
-B

Half-way line crossed..

Hi guys

Just a quick update today. I've got some more photos developed, feel free to check them out at HERE. I've put a few of my favourites below:

This is all the eqipment the people of Brisbane/Gold Coast gave to me before I left. I can safely say that all of it is going to good use..and i've had to break up a few fights for the goggles and boards! Special thanks to the Bluefit swimming pools who donated most of it :)

Me in the middle of teaching a class of kids how to kick. Its like conducting an orchestra I tell ya! Some days those kids come bounding in and its only you there to teach them, and you know you're in for a big ride, but it makes it all worthwhile when they leave with big smiles on their faces.

Took a walk into a nearby village and these kids were trying out their english on me. Very cute.

So, nearly over the bout of malaria. I miss swimming, even though it's only been 3 days. It's been 30 days since I arrived in Mombasa now, sometimes feels like i've been here for months. I'm a bit homesick. Usually i'm tougher than this but it is a bit hard travelling on your own out here. There are certain places you visit and wish your family/boyfriend/best friend was with you to experience it. But those times will come one day. For now I have my photos to share and my new Kenyan friends to keep me company!

Because I felt a bit better yesterday and I hate wasting precious weekend holiday time,I took a day-trip to Diani Beach (the beach resort mecca) to have some reading time and relax a bit. Got up and had breakfast, packed my day bag and caught a matatu to the Ferry. That place is interesting, pretty much full of matatus and people carrying sacks, or babies, or both. Getting to Likoni via the ferry only took 15 minutes, then took a matatu to Ukunda/Diani and then another matatu to the actual beach. It kinda feels like an adventure just getting there and i'm proud to be a solo woman who doesn't need a tour package to get where she wants to go. Stopped at the supermarket and got supplies (blackcurrant juice, chocolate croissant, gingernut biscuits and banana) then headed to the beach.  Quite a creepy narrow access path to the actual beach, felt like someone was gonna jump out of the bushes and mug me of my croissant! Had a wander, got harassed by beach boys. You have to be firm but polite "Thank you but I just want to be alone. I don't need your company. Now scram". They don't like hearing no though.
When I decided to gatecrash a resort and buy some lunch I got completely lost and ended up wandering down a dusty street in the boiling heat. Then someone pointed me towards a place called Swahili's with giant iron gates out the front. My gosh that place is insane. It has these massive white arabian archways and sparkling blue pools that are level with the floor. Everything is white-washed and minimal furniture. Next to the sprawling hotel pool is the beach which is covered in drying purple seaweed and small reef rock pools. I got a spot with a sweet view and ordered a seafood pizza, a few sprites and chocolate icecream. Cost me all-up about $12. Total bargain I tell you. Some of the waiters at these 'up-market' joints are cheeky though. Once you give them the money for the bill and wait around for the change, they sometimes take up to an hour to give it back to you, hoping you have just forgotten. The bus drivers do that too. You just can't take any crap from them.
The actual beach is exquisite. The sand is so smooth it's like velvet touching your toes, and the rock pools hold little tide fish and ghost-like crabs, and funky-shelled hermit crabs that crawl along the seaweed.


Take care everyone, and I hope the weather is getting warmer wherever you are and you're getting ready for the Olympic Games..can't wait!

Kwaheri,
Beth

I've got WHAT??!

So, for the last week or two i've been getting headaches, stomach pains and feeling run-down, which I thought was just due to the hours in the pool and the carb-loaded kenyan food. Alas, yesterday I couldn't get in the water without feeling like spewing over the little kiddies, so went back to the house to rest. As i'm living with a doctor and his family now (Njery's new house was a little crowded), he told me to come to his clinic and get checked out. One minute I was getting blood tests, next he was telling me I had malaria and needed to get treatment asap. I don't know about you guys but I thought malaria was when you were on deaths doorstep with a fever, chills and various liquids coming out of various orifices. So when he told me I had it, I was very surprised and a little scared. I had been taking my weekly anti-malaria tablets so not sure how I got it. Apparently there are different strains of the parasite and the one I got (from those damn mozzies at night) isn't the severe brain-infected one. So lucky for that. So with a butt-full of needle jabs and enough pills to start up a pharmecutical business, I'm at home today resting and hopefully i'll be back to normal on Monday.

My new homestay
I miss living with Njery and the kids a lot, but I like the Carey's house. I have a room (and ensuite) to myself and there is running water and electricity. First night I got eaten alive by mozzies, even through the mosquito bed net. I think they had been previously trapped in the net from the last guest, now the hungry suckers were eager to feast on me. All night long. Mary the housekeeper is delightful and the three children are great to hang with. They have a tv, and we watch Eva Luna (a spanish soap opera with english dubbing) which is hilarious, as well as Tusker Fame 5, a reality show which is a cross between Big Brother and Australian Idol.

Swimming-project recap:
The time is going by so fast. I'm working on a Teaching Folder for the coaches and future volunteers to use, with information on the schools, coaches, tips on how to teach the large groups, and how to teach the various strokes. I am also looking around for a sturdy fibre-glass/plastic table, which combined with lead or concrete weights would make a decent platform for the little kids to stand on in the water. I think it would make teaching without arm-floaties more effective too. I also grabbed an un-used plastic pipe from around the pool and used it to teach kicking to 4-5 children at a time in the water (they hold on and I support them while they kick accross the pool). It works pretty well.

Valuable Lessons I've Learned From This Project So Far:

• How to take a group of 40 screaming kids and not stress. If you take away the impossible task of teaching every child individually and do lots of group exercises makes it easier. Make swimming fun, not a chore.
  
• How to get past language barriers. Simplifying lessons into actions they can see, and rewarding their good efforts and behaviour (I use the 'thumbs-up" a lot!).
  
• Communicating with the people around you, like the teachers and coaches and lifeguards. Sometimes you need to be the organiser if no-one else is going to do it. If everyone knows what is happening and there is a plan, things go so much smoother.
  
• Realising that people have different styles of teaching. Just because it isn't 'your way' doesn't mean it is bad. Except for throwing little children into the pool and telling them to kick kick. That's just never good. Will explain that interesting story later.
  
• Even if I get through to just one child and i've helped them to love swimming, i've done something. I can't keep thinking I have to turn every kenyan child into an olympic swimmer! Just give them the skills to be safe!
  

Ok, going to lie down now and read a book (I do that A LOT over here..)

Cheers,
Beth

Safari Part Deux

Hello fellow cyber dwellers,

I know I only posted the other day, but there's so much good stuff to say about Kenya, and it is raining outside so just hanging at a cyber cafe until it dries up. Done a little play-by-play of the safari I took on the weekend, hope you enjoy it :)

5.00am Got picked up by taxi driver who dropped me in town. Bit too early for matatu. Met the other safari-ers and headed out to Tsavo West, a two hour drive from Mombasa. Met an old german couple and some UK newlyweds who were pretty awesome. Just kind of eloped with their parents in tow, had masai warriors, african drums, chants, the lot. Then went snorkelling straight after the ceremony! I like their style, none of their friends are going to have wedding photos on deserted islands off the african coast..
8.30 Had a cuppa at designated souvinier shop (hate those places, everythings overpriced and feel like you have to buy something just to be polite because you're in the wop-wops).
10.00 Went for first game drive at Tsavo West National Park. These are the following myths I would like to clear up:


WHAT I EXPECTED:                                     
 Was concerned about the appropriate footwear I had to bring..comfy sandals or trekking boots? 

WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS:
I could be wearing 6 inch stilletto heels and it wouldn't have made a difference..in the van the whole time. Then I realised that at no point on the safari were we allowed to exit the vehicle to take photos on the ground. We would be eaten.


WHAT I EXPECTED:                                     
 I would see animals up-close and in plain view. I would be able to see the gleaming of lions teeth

WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS:
Only in the movies. It takes a team effort to spot anything and even then it's usually 500m away and camouflaged in grass/trees/dense foliage. David Attenborough, you must have no life.


WHAT I EXPECTED:                                     
I could impress my friends with photos of  the Big Five (Elephant, Rhino, Buffalo, Leopard and Lion)

WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS:
Its all 'right place at the right time' kind of luck. And the more game drives you do the more chances you have. All the van drivers carry radios so they can tell eachother where a cute leopard family of four may     be eating.


WHAT I EXPECTED:                                     
Actual elephant ear holes are behind those big flappy things.

WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS:
Not correct. In front of the big flaps! Makes sense though, our ear holes aren't behind our flaps.


WHAT I EXPECTED:                                     
All animals go to sleep at night have happy little tiger snoozes.

WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS:
And you're wrong again. They constantly eat, drink, mate, chat to their friends. Elephants & zebras were coming to the watering hole near the hotel restaurant at all hours and making lots of damn noise. Some people went on the night game-drive to spot lions who do most of their dining-out at night.

Carrying on..


1pm  Had lunch at a funky restaurant what was situated right in front of a massive watering hole where groups of male buffalos would drink and poop and lie in their own mixture.
2.30pm   Did another game drive. Very exciting, saw a whole herd of elephants chilling in the swamp, and there were quite a few babies in the mix too. Saw some cheetahs which hadn't been spotted by any groups in a few weeks. Pretty cool.
5.30pm   Finally got to the Sarova Salt Lick Game Lodge where I stayed overnight and for some reason got all emotional and nearly started blubbering at the room boy. I think it was a combination of seeing amazing animals out in the wild, headache from all the squinting, seeing my room that was on stilts and had zebras and elephants roaming past my window, and realising I had my own shower. First proper shower in 3 weeks that wasn't freezing cold and from a bucket. That would make anyone start crying happy tears.

The Lodge:
Never seen anything like this before, about 50 cylinder-shaped units sitting high on stilts in the middle of the sprawling plains of Tsavo East. About a kilometer away are the hills of Tsavo which show off a brilliant purple sunset. They've constructed a water hole about 2 metres away from the lounging deck where you can sit and have a cuppa. It's what comes to the watering hole that makes it famous. Herds and herds of big beautiful grey African elephants. All different sizes, they come right up to the deck. Each one sticks their trunk in the water and makes a slurping noise that sounds like bathroom pipes, lifts their head and throws their trunk to their mouths to drink. I like the way they sway into eachother with their dusty wrinkly bodies and the noises they make every now and then that give you a hell of a fright!A deep yelp that sounds like someones groaning through a megaphone. Each herd of elephants takes a turn at the hole for about 20 minutes, then makes way for the next herd. I could watch them all day.

Woke up early and did a game drive before breakfast. Seeing the sun rise over the savannah watching grazing zebras and gazelles is pretty damn cool. And I ate like a ravenous heyena at breakfast. Stuffed some danish pastries into my bag which came in handy later when feeding the Sterling birds. Then the baboons came along and threatened to jump the van window for said pastry so we had to leave. Did another game drive before heading home again. If you do happen to go to Africa and don't have a lot of time, a 2-day 1-night package should give you a decent injection of safari that will leave you high for days. Can't praise it enough.

Ok, enough for today, racking up a bill at the cafe (i'm now their favourite customer!)

Take care all, and remember monkeys are not as friendly as the ones in the movies.

-Beth
                                                                              

'Bout time for an update!

Hi guys

LOTS of things to catch you up on. First thing i'll let you know is Mombasa is a safe place to be once again. There was a grenade attack in a local bar near the bridge last Sunday, and it scared a few people. I was at a small local bar with a friend when it happened (we were about 2-3km's from the attack). I didn't realised what had happened until I got back at the house at 10.30pm and Njery was freaking out a bit (mainly because I caught a matatu and NIGHT when I was TIPSY, naughty Bethy.). I felt a bit stupid, I really shouldn't have been out drinking with the current situation, but just wanted to have a good time. Ok, learnt my lesson. I have decided from now on (until I leave) not to go to busy places after dark even if it is a small pub, it's just not worth the risk. As it has now been a week since the attack, things have settled down a lot, but the security around busy Mombasa remains top priority.

As my body clock has decided it would be great for Beth to wake a 5am every day now, even on the weekends, I decided to go for a jog the other morning and it was pretty fun. I was expecting the locals to look at me funny (Is she running from something? A lion? Trying to catch a matatu?) but as I plodded along, dodging puddles and big rocks, passing small goat farms, everything fell on the wayside and I began to enjoy myself. The next morning however, I was a sore siezed-up mess! Where is Emma Lagan the miracle masseuse when you need her??

Had to drag a child from the pool the other day. After a short lesson with her, she was confident enough to swim without her arm floaties. A bit too confident though, and got stuck in the middle of the pool while I was teaching some other children. She looked panicked and I quickly swam across the pool and heaved her out by her tog straps. Poor thing was shocked and spluttering. After she calmed down, I took her hand and led her in to the water again. It is so important to get a child back in the water as soon as they have a fright, or else fear sets in the brain and it will be the first thing they think of the next time they go to the pool. The little tike was a happy little swimmer again in no time.

I've noticed that i'm starting to get more time on my hands when not volunteering. I've visited all the touristy landmarks now and hanging out at the mall has lost its appeal.  I don't want to stop learning and exploring. My worst fear is that i'll end up hanging at the mall every day drinking lates and glancing around at the other white tourists, who to me look like they're higher and mightier than anyone outside of the tiny Cafesserie Cafe fences. No more days lounging around at the beach. I want to learn something new! I thought about getting kitesurfing lessons (its about $300 for a beginner course) but I keep remembering all the horror storied Chris Vale used to tell me about people being lifted up and thrown into concrete walls, and I change my mind. Maybe cooking classes, or write a novel? I'm leaning towards scuba diving. It's been something i've wanted to do for a while but have been too scared. The idea that you're trapped 10 metres underwater if your equipment malfunctions gives me the jeebies. But I shall face my fears..I SHALL SCUBA-DIVE! I'll let you know how that adventure goes..

I met some real friendly girls that are currently studying Food and Beverage at the school i'm volunteering at (just a recap, i'm working at the Mombasa Technical Institute, where several different schools come to use the 25 metre pool on campus, and i'm there to teach swimming to the school children and also any adults around the area who want to learn. Also teaching the swimming coaches how to coach better). Anyway, these girls invited me to the try some of their food at the mock-restaurant they have set up - 3 courses for 160ksh ($1.50 in AUS!). It was quite an experience, and I was stuffed by the end of it. One thing Kenyans know how to do real well is cooking and eating. Funny enough, i've felt really guilty about my diet here. I'm torn between trying to experience real Kenyan food and trying not to get a spare tyre! I've been swimming twice a day 5 times a week and also doing push-ups and jogging. I know I can always go back to eating healthy again when I get back to Australia, I just want to minimise the hard work.

Safari time!!
I went on a quick 2-day safari to Tsavo East and West on Friday. Was one of the most amazing experiences i've had here so far. It needs a blog in itself! Did 2 game drives each day, and stayed overnight at Sarova Salt Lick Game Lodge. Seriously if you ever come to Kenya you HAVE to put this place on your list. I've got more photos to come, but here are some of my favourites:

That's enough photos of wild animals for one day. Still have to develop the old vintage camera, which has photos of random Mombasa and safari snaps on it. Missing my friends and family more every day, 6 weeks to go before I get back to my normal life!


Important tip of the today: TUK-TUKS. When taking a tuk-tuk for transport, whether it be in asia or africa, it really helps to be floppy. Don't fight the bumps and pot-holes, it just gives you a headache and a bad back!



Over and out,
Beth

Swim, drink and be merry (warning though, don't swim and drink)

Jambo, fellow mzungus :)

Right now: Sitting in a little cyber cafe in Old Town with an old-school bottle of coke and lots of muslim teens watching rap videos on Youtube. Don't know if it's because i'm in holiday mode, or in a foreign country but there is so much shocking things happen to my senses every minute of the day that I end up crashing into bed early with all energy completely drained. I guess i've had a lot of time to think about how things are different to home (i.e. talking to strangers on the street is encouraged here), how people live on such little money (around $3 a day) and what you want to change when you eventually get home. I think coming to a place like Kenya makes you look deep inside and realise what you should really be doing with your life. I think its finally hit home.

Anyway, enough deep and meaningful stuff for now! Here's some things that i've been doing:

• Sometimes I buy some mangos from one of the street carts, cut them open and eat them on the beach or the college oval where men practise soccer. Its messy but sooo good.
• Only had a couple of classes on Friday, and they were from the cerebal palsy and deaf schools. To be honest I was scared of teaching disabled children how to swim, as they have different rules and physical restrictions, and being in the water is all physical. I had nothing to be scared about, the kids were so beautiful and only wanted to relax in the water. I forget how good it is to feel weightless in the water. Even just giving them goggles and holding things underwater was fun for them. My favourite group were the deaf children. Being half-deaf myself I found I could connect with them real quickly. I didn't need to shout or yell at them, and found I could use my vast 'charaze' skills to teach them ("Don't jump" was shown by hand movements, deep water good, shallow water hurt head!). Was one of the best experiences i've had as a teacher.
• Njeri, Jenny (ex-volunteer), her boyfriend and I had drinks after work at this little rooftop bar above a busy mall. Cheap drinks ($4 cocktails!), laughing and bad dancing.
• Was going to Tsavo East and West for a safari this weekend but the other volunteers changed their minds (it'll be too expensive just on my own, so joining a group next weekend).
• Went with Jenny to visit an orphanage she used to volunteer with. About 45 kids - babys to teens - in the one house, its like a giant family. The older kids loved listening to my discman (The Black Keys and Kings of Leon were the favourites) and the little ones stroked my hair and played with necklaces. Very cute kids and well behaved. The people who run the place are legends, it can't be easy.

Security situation is interesting.. So the news is that two men were detained in Nairobi with information on terrorist attacks planned for Mombasa this week. The police then found 15kg of bomb stuff in Mombasa and its been a bit unsettled here. The popular westerner hangouts, like City Mall Bamburi and Nyali Cineplex have already got good security so thats ok. Its the places at night like nightclubs/pubs that people are worried about. In May the Bella Vista Club was bombed and thats a pretty popular bar for young people. So for now, not drinking out on the town or staying out later than 7 on my own, for now at least. Was really looking forward to going up north to Lamu but its just too risky at the moment. I'd rather have my life than see a funky little beach town. I'm going to go down to Tiwi Beach or Malindi instead.

So thats about it for now. Photos coming in on Wednesday..can't wait!

Kwaheri,
Beth

Officially settled.

Its been over a week now and Kenya is definitely growing on me every day. Photos coming very shortly! As you all know I only take photos with the old 'vintage' film camera, so one more shot and I can get it developed (some will show various kids blurred faces, as they couldn't figure out how to work this strange camera with no screen)
Anyway, here's some of the interesting activities I've done thus far:

• About 10 minutes walk and a matatu-ride away from the flat is Bamburi Beach. Absolutely beautiful beach with golden sand similar to the Gold Coast, but with coral reefs that surround the beach and look like they go on for miles. Some parts of the shore is seaweed-dense, so the swimmable parts are filled with teenagers and families wanting to cool off from the heat. I got there with a good book and my discman, but only to be approached by many potential kenyan suitors who wish to hold my hand and take long walks on the beach with me. After (sometimes harshly) telling them I do not wish to be married to them and have their babies and oh, go on their fishing boat for a reasonable price, I found a good spot and chilled out. I did end up chatting to a decent kenyan bloke who played an acoustic guitar and thought he was Jack Johnson. He told me all about the area and was eager to teach me swahili words. I may have found myself a swahili teacher every time I step on that beach now!
• Went to Haller Wildlife Park yesterday. It was pretty much a kenyan version of a zoo. Lots of wild animals roaming around and just a stone wall between you and them. It used to be a limestone mining site but then this dude Haller came along and thought 'If I put some bushes there and a large lake there, animals could soo live here'. And it worked out pretty well.
• Old Town. You may have seen parts of this interesting place in the movie Inception with the dreamy Leo. There's lots of old buildings and car/people chases (in the movie). Ngeri and her brother took me to one of the oldest swahili restaurants in Mombasa and we had fried fish with rice and this nice curry. I forgot to mention it's incredibly rude if you don't wash your hands before eating over here so every restaurant/cafe/fast food joint have one near the tables. And all soft drinks come in retro 'curvy' glass bottles (once you're finished with the bottle, the restaurant/cafe/fast food joint bags them all up, sends them back to the factory where they sterilise them and re-fill for more soft-drink useage. Talk about funky recycling!)

Anyway, I have been up to lots more - including buying longer shorts because aparently my mid-thigh running shorts make some people uncomfortable (they obviously haven't been accustomed to butt-cheek shorts here yet) - but I am tired after 5 hours of lessons today and need to chill out and read the Harry Potter book that one of the little boys said I must read.

Hope all is well over in Australasia (including Melbourne, heard about that shake!!) and i'm glad Karise won The Voice because she reminds me of Janis.

P.s. thanks for the cd's Wills, have kept me sane on the 1 hour matatu rides to the pool every day.

Over and Out,
Beth

If you hear someone say mzungu in swahilli, it means white person and they're talking about you.

Started my first full classes. I had about 25 4 year olds for my first class and freaked out a bit. Some had floaties on their arms, some not. Before i was there, the teachers would put these floaties on all the kids, pop them in the water then watch from the poolside. A bit different to Aussie eah? My first instinct on seeing this was to divide the class into two groups, take the floaties off half of the kids, sit them on the wall and teach them swimming like I do back home. Easier said than done. The group was too large so a lot of time was spent on taking kids swimming individually. Some of the kids cried (probably thinking 'whats this crazy lady doing to me? give me back my floaties!!'). I felt very exhaused after doing this for 3 hours, so as soon as I got back to the house I sent an email to my guardian angel/swimming mentor Tracey England to give me some help. Then I passed out for 8 hours.
She replied with heaps of tips on handling big groups of little kids and some ideas for swimming lesson plans. Next day, the lesson plans are working a treat. Trick is to keep the floaties on for now and do lots of group activities. And have some fun! I'll eventually take floaties off them in a few weeks.
Some days its beautiful and sunny here (up to 35degrees) but others its cloudy and rains a bit and the schoolsdecide not to come in because they think its cold??!
I also taught some 13-15 year olds in the afternoon. I worked with their current coach, who said he learned a lot from me which was cool. Two other coaches have approached me and want me to help them with their swimming squads. One squad was a bit too advanced for me (the kids had just come back from winning some Sub-Sahara Championships representing Kenya!) but it was great to learn from their coach and see what drills he does with them.

In non-swimming related news:

• Getting my way around the place with these mini-buses called matatus. Basically they stop at random points on the road and yell out the destination like "Bamburi!" or "Ferry Docks!" and you jump on and bang on the roof if you want to get off. Its pretty cheap, around 50 cents a trip. The drivers compete with other drivers to have the dopest-looking van, painting random english quotes on the back like "I got my mind on the money and the money on my mind" and installing deep bass speakers into the back seats. Yesterday I spent 1 hr getting into town with BOOM, BA-BA BOOM rattling in my ears.
• Don't really like travelling around in the dark anywhere. I'm not being racist or anything but the other day I was standing by myself waiting for the matatu and suddenly a man smiles with his white shiny teeth and scares the crap out of me. Didn't even know he was there.
• A lady fell out of a moving taxi the other day. She rolled up into a little ball and people started crowding around her and the taxi driver was yelling at her. In any other circumstance in my home country I would run right up to her and check she was ok, see if she needed medical attention. But as this is a foreign country to me I thought I may get myself in trouble so kept walking. Felt a bit guilty, but gotta use my common sense a bit here.
• Some families over here use a regular taxi driver who they call when they need to do lots of erruns. Ours is Davis. Its about $20 for the day. He took me to Bamburi Beach the other day I hadn't eaten so he took me to an outdoor restaurant on the beach. So many white tourists there!Part of me felt comfortable being around people who looked like me (hadnt seen another white person for about 5 days), but the other half of me felt like I shouldn't be there. It wasnt the real Kenya I was used to at all! Very unfriendly and everythings three times as expensive. I like the streets of Mombasa now, the smell of meat being smoked, noisy matatus and people yelling out Jambo (Hi) everywhere! Kind of glad I'm staying here.

Updates, bucket showers and big bags of tea.

Habari from Kenya!

It's been four days since i've arrived in Mombasa, and so much has happened its hard to keep track of everything. From hard-core culture shocks to moving house to a change in my volunteering plan..way too much! So I will start off with DAY 1 (in bullet points of course!)

• Just got off the plane after 27 hours of travelling (and nearly 40 hours of being awake!). To be honest, one of the most tiring and difficult flying trips i've made so far. If I didn't have Chris to keep me company (random dude from Zimbabwe that happened to be sitting next to me on every flight), I might have gone mad and started throwing my grilled fish dinner at asian flight attendant. 
• While on our journey, Chris and I part-took in activities like "Find the worst asian-to-english sign" - I found a cafe at Bangkok Airport called Firm Meals - also "Climb Over Rude African Man in the Isle Seat Who Refuses to Move Just to Check Out Your Behind (me AND Chris)", and my favourite, "Find the Most Comfortable Recliners at the Airport to Take a Quick Nap (You must be drugged-up or comatose if you can sleep on those damn planes)"
• Wasn't a great start to arriving in Kenya. Nairobi airport, while filling in the numerous forms for a temporary visa, random man comes up and asks me to tell him my name and flight number I was on. My sensible reply to men that may be con-artisits? "No thanks. Go and see the lady at immigration if you need any of my information." This man starts to steam out his ears and dutifuly tells me he is the HEAD of Immigration. Bugger. Didn't even have a scary uniform on did you. Hope this doesn't affect my visa. And it doesn't thank god. 
• Waiting at the tiny domestic departure lounge for Mombasa flight. The suns starting to rise a deep orange colour and all these birds are flying around the still planes and sqarking all over the place. My first african sunrise looks pretty cool.

 FIRST IMPRESSIONS

• Njeri (pronounced Geri) my new host-mum/swimming coordinator, her brother and her two lovely boys pick me up from the airport. What am I expecting in my head? Palm trees, old vintage buildings, some kind of highway, beach on the side of the road. 
• What I actually see? Lots, and I mean lots, of dirt. Dirt on cars, dirt on buildings, dirt on babies. Highways? Oh Beth. You finally have the chance to go 4 Wheel Driving after all these years. DIdn't think it would be on a main road in Mombasa now did you? 
• And its sweltering! Wasn't sure what I thought ladies wear in a partly muslim-based country, so wore a tanktop under a dress, with tights, thick socks and trainers. Bad idea. 
• The air smells like Vietnamese streets, kind of a hot sticky, slightly sewagery body-smell. But not really thinking about that. People keep looking at me. Like i'm some kind of D-List celebrity. A short, white, weird-lookin D-Lister with too many clothes. 
• Lots of american hip-hop music playing on boom-boxes mixed with beats of kenyan drums in the background. Every now and then a random 80's song, like "When the Going Gets Tough" comes on the radio. Love it. People are talking fast swahili and I don't understand any of it.

Welcome to Kenya.

• Got to the house by driving over a paddock. Big concrete fences with broken glass cemented around the tops. I had a mum-moment and asked if it was a cute 'beachy' decoration everyone did around here. No says Njeri its to stop people climbing over and attacking your family and taking your possesions.
• No shower here folks, so got to use a bucket and scoop to get clean. Sounds weird but thats the funnest water-saving shower I've ever had. I feel like i'm doing what my cave-dwelling ancestors did several hundred years ago!
• To make me feel not so shocked about the kenyan culture, Njeri took the kids and I out to pizza for dinner. What a lovely woman.

Day 2

• First full day in Kenya! Slept most of the day yesterday, so woke up nice and early to get myself orientated. Had cup of tea and sweet potato for breakfast. Thats a first! Everything goes a bit slower in Kenya, so chilled til 11am when everyone was up and ready. Started reading from Njeri's sweet book collection (something from Candace Bushnell, can't remember the title except it was slutty). 
• All ready for a day of exploring with Ngeri when her son Kalhim doesn't feel too well. That bout of malaria has come back bad, so spent most of the day at the hospital with him while he had treatment. The mombasan people love their soft drinks, and they come in those old-school glass bottles! Had me a fanta. You give the bottle back to the shop owner who returns it to the supplier, they wash and sterilise and re-use. Pretty cool recycling. Once we got home, had chapati adn coconut kidney beans for dinner. They have a sweet-as housemaid called Remi who does friggin everything. I helped her shell a massive sack of beans, was kinda fun. I can't help but wash my plate after dinner though, Remi tells me to leave it but my mum would have a fit if I didn't.
• Njeri is moving house on 1 July, which means I will be moving with her! It's only up the road but its a little smaller. She is renovating the place before she moves in and every time I go with her to check the place out, the builders keep cracking onto me (with their bumcracks showing. Yes, it is universal.)

Day 3

• Day started out a little frustrating. I was taken to the primary school where I would be teaching most of the swimming to. I then found out that they only wanted me for 1 hour a week swimming and do english teaching/physical education teaching the rest of the time. They said it was the 'cold season' between now and August and the parents of the children didn't want them swimming in cold water. I spoke to Njeri and we sorted out a Plan B. I would be volunteering at Mombasa Technical Institute. They have their own 25 metre pool and have several schools using the pool all throughout the week. It will be the perfect opportunity to teach different levels of swimming, as well as adults who wish to learn, and work the hours that I want (and also fit in my own exercise!). Very happy. As I bought my togs along, I did my first lesson, all children swim for an hour, and the language barrier wasn't as hard as I thought. One kids was screaming in my ear and clutching onto me for dear life, by the end of the lesson I had her kicking with her eyes in the water. 
• Met Hilder who looks after the swimming program at MTI. She took me for lunch (I ended up paying..funny that) but she then took me for a walk around the town near the pool. Its pretty full-on. Constantly thinking i'm going to get mugged, drugged, then given malaria. Hundreds of small shops (not even 1X1 metre big) and lots of people trying to sell you stuff or take you for a ride (money-wise, and on a bike!). She took me to a random shop which I found out was a tea shop. Large bags of tea. And its damn good tea. I may even be part of a exporting venture to Australia soon its that good. Well maybe not.

Ok, I think i'm done now. Thanks for reading my ramblings from a kiwi in Kenya. To summarise..scary place at first, beginning to like it, got my volunteering program off to a running start, sweet potato for breakfast is kinda nice you should try it.

Kwaheri!
-Bethy

Cue The Lion King song!

Habari everyone! If you're new to my blog i'm glad you're here! So much has been going on lately and I haven't had a good chance (until now) to sit down and update everyone on what's been happening..

• Flights booked..going to Mombasa takes 27 hours!
• Disease shots done. Found out you're not allowed into Kenya unless you're Yellow-Fever-Free
• I will be staying with a local family while i'm volunteering in Kenya. Ngeri, who is also my coordinator for the volunteer program, lives in the Mombasan 'burbs in a flat with her two children. Very excited to meet them!
• As I currently work for Bluefit, the Bluefit Foundation have been very supportive with this volunteering project. They have helped me to pay some of my expenses, which has been a great relief (it aint cheap to volunteer, let me tell you!). This help has enabled me to get swimming equipment like togs, goggles, kick boards and toys to take over to the children. Also bought stopwatches so i can squad-train the older kids.
• In order to raise some money to fund the volunteering trip, I held a Movie Night at Spring Hill Baths on Saturday 2 June 2012. It's the first time we've done a movie 'date-night' there, and was worth all the planning that went into it. I took a few photos with my vintage camera..

View from the top with the pool below. The massive screen is to the left of me.
We played Swimming Upstream, which was filmed at Spring Hill Baths!

After the staff and I had served everyone their movie snacks, we all snuggled into our blankets and watched the movie from the pool deck. Was pretty fun!

 All in all we raised $1150 from selling tickets and $200 from the raffle. Everyone really enjoyed themselves, and we hope to do the movie night again soon. If you want to visit Spring Hill Baths for a swim, or just to have a look at this historical building, please visit their website for more info.

For the movie night, I really have to thank the following people who bent over backwards to help me:

• Lisa Jackson from Core Pilates. Lisa runs a pilates studio at Spring Hill Baths and kindly donated some classes to the raffle. She is such a wonderful instructor, if you would like more info on her pilates classes please visit her website or call  0412 830 090.
• Jo Byron and Stewie from  Brumby's Bakery in Clayfield (Corner of Sandgate & Junction Roads, Brisbane). They also helped me with bread for the sausage sizzle. Seriously, eating their baked goods is like eating light fluffy clouds.
•  Bluefit Foundation. Besides helping me with my overall trip, they gave me all the movie equipment for the night and helped set things up.
• Nicolette Cordell (one of the swimming mums). She made 3 TO-DIE-FOR cheesecakes which we sold on the night. What a legend.
  
• Tracey England - Manager of Spring Hill Baths. Couldn't have done it without her.

This has been an amazing experience so far, and I haven't even left Aussie yet! Just finished packing my last bag, I leave tomorrow afternoon to Mombasa. Here are some thoughts running around my head right now:

1.  What is it going to be like living with a Kenyan family? Will they like the vegemite and tim tams i'm bringing over?
2. What will it be like teaching a large group of children that don't speak english very well? I speak a lot to the kids in my aussie classes, I will have to get used to using actions and my newly-learned swahili words with these little ones..
3. How can I keep the children swimming and improving once I have gone back home? I'm hoping to train up some adults who may be able to teach the children when I am gone, and start some training squads for the older children who want to swim competitively.
4. What will I do in my time off? I work with the children about 6 hours a day, 5 days a week. I'm hoping to learn lots about african drums (maybe add a few djembes into my drum kit at home!), maybe spend some time snorkelling in the reefs around the island and take some day trips to villages on the weekends..

All the kids are going to love the swimming equipment, togs and goggles people have donated! I can't wait to start teaching these eager little kids and experience this amazing culture.

I'll keep you posted on what it's like when I get there!

Over and out,
Beth

Raised $125 at the Sausage Sizzle at Spring Hill Baths today (for the volunteer trip to Kenya), and that was in cloudy weather! Very special thanks to Megan Crocombe , Tiffany Benjafield and Dad for their expert sausage turning assistance and of course Jo Byron for the yummy bread :) We've got a lot left over, so i'll be having another sausage-fest in the near future..

I've set up a Paypal portal if you would like to donate..every dollar counts!
All money raised will help to pay for volunteer organisation fees, accommodation, visas and inoculations. The main thing is there is little or no equipment for the children to use. I have been told there are a couple of old kick boards that 80+ children use. I would like to bring over with me equipment like goggles, kick boards and swimming aids that the children can keep using when I go back to Australia in August.
Give


And thanks for all the people who are liking my facebook page and spreading the word about a good cause. Every kid should have the right to learn how to swim, it could save a life!

Its officially on..

Hi guys! Paid for some of my volunteer fees today (yes, you have to PAY to be a volunteer!), so its full steam ahead. Still got lots of other expenses to pay for, so i'm having a Sausage Sizzle near Spring Hill Baths (Brisbane) on Saturday 17 March at 12pm...bring some mates, have a hot dog then go for a swim! Gotta wait 20 minutes till your food digests though.. ;)

A friend took some pics of me at work..just another day at the office (I love teaching these little mites!)

What am I doing?

Hello All


My name is Beth and some people think i'm crazy for doing this. 

I've been teaching kids and adults to swim for just over 6 months now, and I feel like I should be doing something a bit different, something that's going to make a difference. So I did my research and found an organisation called Travellers Worldwide, which helps place people in volunteering projects all over the world. Thats where I found out about the kids in Mombasa. 

Mombassa is situated on the coast of Kenya (in Africa), so it is essential for children to learn how to swim because many children suffer fatal accidents each year when trying to swim in the sea. When I volunteer on this project, it will hopefully be doing something to reduce these terrible accidents. I will be teaching them an important life skill as well as having fun and learning water safety.
 When you think of Kenya and sports, you most probably think of those long distance Kenyan athletes who win the Gold at every Olympic games and win marathons all over the world. You don't think of Kenya and swimming. The sad fact is that there are hardly any swimming pools in schools (or in Kenya) for children to learn how to swim, let alone swimming coaches or teachers. In fact, I have been told I will be teaching them in a hotel swimming pool that the owners have generously let us borrow.



Now that I have decided to do it, I have found out two important (and slightly scary) things:

• I will be the ONLY one doing this volunteering project. As you need to be a qualified swimming teacher to do this project, there hasn't been many applicants. So I will be coordinating the project, arranging the classes, and possibly working with more than one school of children. Lots of work ahead!
• It costs A LOT to volunteer in Africa. As well as the cost of the program, there are flights, insurance, visas, vaccinations and buying equipment for the children to swim with. Now i'm not a rich person, so I intend on helping this project along with lots of fundraising and as more people hear about this project I hope some people might be able to give small donations!

Gotta head off to swim teaching now, but I will tell you about the progress soon.

Kwaheri! (thats goodbye in Swahili!)


-Beth