eating our hearts out...

I'm not much of the buffet-eating guy...especially if it's an all meat buffet. Don't get me wrong I don't hate meat, I actually like it--just as long as there are other foods such as vegetables. I rather like to eat a more balanced diet. However, when I was in graduate school, I mostly ate chicken because first of all it was really cheap (especially when you buy it from chinatown) and, second of all, its rather easy to cook. After a long day at lab, all I want to do usually was to lay down and just veg while the chicken baked or steamed. And speaking of vegetables, as much as I like them, I usually didn't cook it unless I had time and energy. The reason being I still had to wash the sand off them (again, when you buy it from chinatown) which means soaking them for a while and then cutting them. I was rather lazy...and if you were to ask why I couldn't do it the night before, well refer back to the first part of this sentence.
Anyways, we had a one day break from our classes during ABO and Daniel decided that we should all (or at least the people who were interested) go back to Nairobi and eat at this Brazilian barbecue restaurant. Although, I usually wouldn't be interested in going to an all meat buffet back in the states, I thought it would be a good time to hang out and eat some good meat (which I hadn't had for a while). And so off we went down the bumpy road from Machakos to Nairobi with 10 people crammed inside a Landcruiser, singing some hymns (which Daniel would usually start) while Loren drove.


The meal didn't cost all that much...we payed Ksh 1200 if I remembered correctly which translated to about $17. But that was with some discount since Loren knew one of the owners and Daniel spoke Portuguese. So besides the usual beef, chicken, pork we also had crocodile and camel. I was actually expecting more "exotic" meat, but I guess they didn't have too much. Uhm, the crocodile was not bad and the meat I would say is a cross between chicken and fish. Not bad at all, andPampas was a really nice restaurant...something that might as well been a place found back in the states, probably nicer, actually. The quality of meat....was superb, I might add, and I usually try not to exaggerate. It is a lot better than the one in Castor street back in Philly? I wouldn't mind going back and I think it cost us around Ksh 1200 which I think would translate wouldn't mind trying it again. However, the camel meat was another story. Gag...I already knew from the smell before the waiter even sliced it that it was not going to be a pleasant experience. The meat is quite soft and crumbly and so, in fact, that it kinda crumbles once you started chewing it...ergh...it tasted like rotten meat. Anyways, at least I tried it, haha. But I don't think I'll be craving it for a while.

So on the bottom row from left to write is Courtney, Matthew, Donna, Loren (who were the ABO coordinators), and on the top row are (L to R) Louise, Monica, Jeremy, Alissa, Dan and me.

...friends along the way

One thing that can be quite daunting and intimidating is to arrive in a completely foreign land without knowing anyone. Fortunately, AIM told me before hand that there would be another person heading to Kenya on the same flight. So it has been a tremendous blessing for me to have gotten to know Matthew en route to our destination. Matthew was really helpful in guiding me in and out of the city since he had been in western Kenya previously teaching for two years. So, I actually had a personal tour guide. What made it even better was that we're the same age. He's actually coming back to Africa to serve full term somewhere in the continent. Anyways, he's from Lincoln, Nebraska and is a huge Nebraska football fan, but from what I gather they're not quite all that good this year. So he's been pretty miserable about that. So we were at Africa Based Orientation (ABO) at Scotts Theological College at Machakos (southeast of Nairobi) with other missionaries for three weeks. Thankfully there were other guys on this ABO, which made it really fun to just play some sports with them after classes.

Jeremy (middle) and Daniel (right) are part of the Training in Ministry Outreach (TIMO) team t. They usually put together a team composed of a couple of families and several singles and send them off to an unreached area. Some of their goals, I think, are to learn the language and culture well enough by the first year that by the second they may be able to develop an indigenous church in the region.
We sometimes called Jeremy, who is from British Columbia, Canada, "rabbit killer" because he used to have a business back when he was in high school selling rabbit meat to Chinese restaurants. He was supposedly offered $15 for his pet rabbit by a Chinese restaurant owner...and he consented. He killed his pet rabbit and sold its meat for $15 and started "Jeremy's Rabbits." He even showed us his business card. Haha, he's a really funny character and a good guy. Daniel is also Canadian (from Toronto), but he had lived in Brazil (I wonder if he knows Lincoln) as a child and so speaks Portuguese. I think I have to say that he's the most intellectual out of us guys, at least in my opinion. He loves John Piper...come to think of it, I heard John Piper a lot during ABO. And, oh, one thing that amazes me is his ability to remember all the words of hymns. Seems like he knows them all, so he usually starts the singing when we're out driving to and fro.

Flight to Nairobi

October 7
The flight to Nairobi was actually not too bad. I met a fellow missionary from African Inland Mission (AIM) at Newark Airport named Matthew Lovelace. He's around my age, a teacher and is originally from Lincoln, Nebraska. It was actually good that I got to meet him, because he has been to Africa before for two years teaching grade school in western Kenya. So he knows it quite well, I guess. Anyways, I didn't get much sleep on the plane which is unusual, because I usually doze off even before the plane takes off. I ended up watching several shows on board. Saw the last Die Hard movie....interesting and entertaining, I guess. Evan Almighty was fun to watch, that I liked. Oh, and one thing I enjoyed was Ugly Betty. It kind of reminded me of Devils Wears Prada. Haha, that's a funny show.

My first two days here has been surprisingly pleasant. Although I do feel homesick at times, I think staying in this missionary guest house allows you to meet so many different people that you kinda forget about your emotions for a while. So that was good. Just imagine eating with a bunch of people all doing missionary work. It really allows you to put everything in perspective on how these people really want to serve God whether they are a doctor, teacher, security, etc. I think it really reminds you of why you are here. I think I'm still in denial. Honestly, I don't see myself as a missionary...far from it. I don't know, haha. I just see myself as someone going to Africa doing some work. I'm not sure if you understand what I'm feeling. Maybe I generally see missionaries in a different light...haha, whatever.

One thing this experience has reminded me of is when I go on these science conferences during grad school--where you just meet a bunch of people from around the world. Although most of the M's here are from the states, there a couple of Brits and Canadians. But I'm pretty sure I'll see others from other countries in due time. I think it's fun just conversing with people from different countries and see how they think and what their point of views are. Funny thing is that most of the Americans here are from the Midwestern states, so it's still a bit different. yeah, they're different.

October 9
Anyways, I had my first Kenyan meal last night with a local Kenyan pastor named Stanley and his wife Sylvia. They are actually Matthew's host family when he was here a couple years ago. They were quite nice and welcoming..so nice that they make you feel like you are old friends. I think people are generally so friendly and sincere, at least that's my first impression and from what I got from Pastor Stanley. He's quite a funny guy as well. Anyways, so I had ugali for the first time...it's wasn't terribly good or bad. It's just is...quite, no, very very bland. Had cabbages, some meat stew and chicken. Quite tasty.

Funny thing is that as we were about to begin our dinner we had a black out, so everyone scrambled for candles and flashlights. And, in my head, i said, wow, this is just like the philippines. haha, you'll have to excuse me if I keep on referring a lot of stuff to the philippines. I think third world countries have a lot of things in common, in some way or form. And so, Sylvia, the pastor's wife wore a headlight on top of her, same ones you use for camping? She's quite a funny lady. Actually both of them are. So, I really thank God for this opportunity, meeting Matthew and his host family.

Traveling around is a bit hazardous. They have these little buses they call 'matatus' that reminded me of the jeepneys in the philippines. I was told that 'matatus' mean 'problem' in swahili, not sure about that so i'll have to ask them again. So I've noticed that these matatus are everywhere and seems to be the major mode of transportation around here. But it's fun riding on one of these, quite a ride.

And, oh, I went running this morning, cuz I'm so out of shape..and guess what I saw? Haha, I saw three Korean restaurants on this road, I'll have to take a picture of it when I get a chance. I can never run away from Koreans somehow, sigh....jk.