Kenya from me to you

I arrived in Kenya from USA on December 26th 2007.

I spent one year on the shores of Lake Victoria. I took the bus from Nairobi to Kisumu. Anyone making that trip has great feeling for the phrase "road to hell." Never sit in the back of a bus unless you wear a steel helmet. I was hanging on for dear life and the passengers were smiling at the muzungo until the luggage from above began to fall on their heads.

Anyway Nairobi was beautiful and the food terrific.

I arrived in Kisumu on the 28th. The pot was beginning to boil. And two days latter people were streaming past where i was staying with Tv's in there arms and then the burning began.
Nobody could prove it but only certain stores were burned in other words the riot had direction and purpose.

And after many months I realized I was in Paradise.

After one year I can't tell the difference between a Kikuyu and a Luo or any other tribe. The people I met and lived with were all nice people I miss them loved them. And I will never again ask for a fork to eat my tilapia. I am a muzungo and I was treated like a King. Children would come with their parents to shake my hand and ask for a coin or two. I would love to open a conversation and stun my fellows with the statement

"you live in the greatest place on Earth"

In my first abode there were mangoes, papaya and avocados falling to the ground. In 5 minutes i could gather hundreds of dollars of fruit. I come from New York State where the growing season is from April to September. Anyway Paradise in my eyes is where I was. My new family enfolded me and smothered me with love. It took time of course for them to know me but eventually we formed a bond so strong that my heart is still in Kenya.

Now I can understand the problem Kenyans have.

How can you have thieves teaching your children and expect great things from them. I can't tell you how incredulous I was when I learned you had to bribe your teachers. So where is the model a child can look to. They whip your children if you the parent don't pay on time. I ask everyone who reads this to tell me how your children can be different than those who teach us.

And the other thing that shocked me is visiting a hospital and seeing two patients per bed

. And they laughed at me and said sometimes three. How Kenyans suffer is beyond words. And how women are treated corrupts the mind. I was told by my brother in law your wife is your property.

I was never so afraid in Kenya as when I was in a police station face to face with evil.

Knowing the man I was talking to could pull out a gun and shoot me dead and nothing would be done about it. Meanwhile the police are hitting on my wife in front of me. Of course I had to bribe the police or as they refer to as giving the policeman his tea. Anyway I hope I have not offended anyone this is Kenyan through my eyes.

I love Kenyans.

They are obsessed with education.

But until the rights of all humans are guaranteed men, women and children talk of political this or that is meaningless. It is a room full of school children when the teacher is not there.

Anyway I love you all. Jambo Sana