week 2 of classes: completed

well, week two of classes are finished, which means i have already completed about 30% of the classroom phase. it's easy to see how this semester is just going to fly by.

last saturday (september 10) around 10 of us went to the giraffe center in KAREN, on the outskirts of nairobi. we left around 8:30, as we wanted to beat the big tourist rush that happens around lunchtime. we took a bus there, and once we got dropped off, we had to walk about another mile to get to the center. since we're technically  "residents" for the semester, we got in for 100Ksh (1 dollar). the center has a balcony so the giraffe's heads are right at you're level-- we were able to feed them, pet them, and kiss them (put the food in between our teeth and then let the giraffes lick your face). it was a cool experience to be that close to the giraffes.

 after lunch, half of the group went back while the other half wanted to stay and explore the area some more. i stayed. we thought we would be able to make a loop walking around the park. we weren't able to, got slightly lost, and ended up walking almost 2 hours before we made our way back to the bus stop.

later that day, a few of us went downtown for a performance put on by the kibera girls soccer academy, an organization that one of the guys in the program is volunteering/interning at. they put on a play about women's empowerment, and there was also music, poetry, and singing involved. it was really great. afterwards, we headed over to an ethiopian restaurant, as one of the girls in my program was celebrating her birthday. i didn't order any food, but i did get free cake. ;)

sunday was a day of laziness. i didn't want to go to church so i slept in. i'm glad i didn't go-- my family left at 8:45 and didn't get back until almost 2:00. the church services over here, although usually much more energetic and lively, are much longer than back in the united states.

classes throughout the week were pretty uneventful. every class i'm in, besides swahili, requires a term paper, so at the end of the semester, i will have written more than 50 pages worth. i'm not quite used to this-- i think i'd almost rather take an organic chemistry exam? writing just isn't my forte....

thursday after school, a few of us walked to uchumi (grocery store) to pick up some food items to donate to the burn victims of the sinai pipeline explosion. we then walked to kenyatta national hospital, where the victims are hospitalized. they were greatly appreciative of our donations, and even allowed us to see some of the patients. the whole experience was very surreal-- most had a lot of there skin burned off their face, and some were in full body casts. afterwards, we went to donate blood. i had never donated blood before, and was somewhat skeptical of having my first time being in kenya, but after seeing the burn victims, i would have felt quilty not donating. i really felt great about myself afterwards, but keep the victims in your thoughts and prayers-- some of them could be in the hospital for 3 months yet.

this weekend i'm going camping in ngong, outside of nairobi. it should be a good adventure!