terrific tuesday

hipsters need to abandon williamsburg and get to kenya. they would have a field day. the ironic clothing is everywhere. today i saw a pair walking: one in a hoodless sweatshirt with a siberian tiger on it that said "love your mother" accompanied by an elderly woman in a neon colored sweater with the nike swoosh on it from 1983. a majority of people ride old, rusting, vintage bicycles, with baskets and without helmets. i bought a ($4!?!?!) jansport backpack for school, and naturally, the only color they had was neon green. my clothes may be cooler than your clothes by the time i get back.

we started classes and they're great. it's wonderful because we are taking our courses in 4 intensive blocks as opposed to spread out over the semester, so we can spend three weeks with our kenyan counterparts in the field. it's super because we only have one or two classes at a time and we just bust 'em out in a few weeks and move on. and this place is a big deal. the IU-Kenya partnership is impressive and you should definitely take a minute to cruise their website. and we live on the compound with joe mamlin, no big deal to take your breakfast with a nobel peace prize nominee. we have our tour of the hospital tomorrow. and there is a center for abandoned babies where you can go drop in whenever and just hold them and play with the children. perfect stress reliever.

today, however, we didn't have class. so we laid by the pool (sorry?) then wandered through town, sat and drank coffee and read my new danielle steel (err, i mean, ernest hemingway) "novel" AND i got a bike! it's perfect. so in kenya you go to the grocery store and you buy a bike (new for $90) then you immediately take it to the fundi (fix-it man) to get it fixed. i brought my kenyan friend, which was smart considering the pedal fell off as i was pushing it out of the store--found out later it was missing a bolt. then for about $4 the fundi fixes it like new and you pick it up 2...or maybe 3...or maybe 5 hours later. it's a bit dodgy being a white girl with a new bicycle so i will have to roll it around in the mud for a bit. but it makes me happy and on weekends i can go on ride around on the dirt roads, it's a speed demon! here they also have bike taxis, boda bodas, where someone puts a cushion on the back of their bike and hauls people around. if i get strapped for cash i think it would be a good job prospect. just a thought.

oh! and i got a new phone. an even nicer one with a flashlight and SNAKE. bring it on! my highest score is already 1250 (that's a snakemaster for those of you unfamilar with the game)

the number is: +254 716715464 (it may be temporary, but i'll keep you posted)

me with my new bicycle!
(sorry aaron for straight-up stealing your handkerchief during summer 2k9--forgive me?)

ladies by the pool we have access to