Kenya!

So... I'm in Kenya now!  Also, it seems that hotel we're at has wireless.  But only on one side of the building.  Fortunately, I'm on that side.  So, hello from Nairobi  It's been quite the whirlwind last couple (?) of days.  I don't actually know how long it's been.  Three maybe?  Anyway, it was a long flight from JFK-->Amsterdam-->Nairobi, but we're here now! 

We got into Nairobi about 9 PM last night, and got to our hotel about 10:30.  There was simply a mountain of luggage!  Getting all that sorted and loaded proved to be quite the challenge.  It was pretty much zip in, grab dinner, run my luggage up to my room, and then go to sleep. And sleep I did.

Today was very busy and very tedious.  There's a lot of stuff to go over, and a lot of paperwork to sign.  Also, inoculations!  Got two shots today, plus my first dose of malaria medication.  (Mephadoxin I think.) I don't recall if this is the one that gives you sunburn or nightmares.  I guess I'll take A?  But for the most part, it was a long day talking about the next couple of days, how not to get robbed, and how to take care of yourself.  For the most part, common sense stuff.  On the plus side, though, tea time!  The were several breaks for tea during the day, and for some reason tea time is great fun.  Maybe it's the tea or the excuse to step outside for a change, but it's pretty baller.  I think I'm going to enjoy this part of Kenya.  After the day was over we headed down to a store area to buy a few useful items, like toilet paper.  Also, ginger-lemon tea.  Delicious. 

Tomorrow we head down to Loitokitok (Low-ee-Toke-Toke) where we will meet our host families and start our Pre-service training!  It's a bit of a drive, but we're headed down towards Kilimanjaro.  Needless to say, much excite!
'

Greetings (and Farewell) from Philly

Howdy!

I arrived in Philedelphia this morning for Peace Corps staging.  After a brief (yet strangely comical) series of events where I took an airport shuttle to the next town over and the completely wrong hotel I made it safe and sound to the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Philly. 

There I had the pleasure of meeting a simply fantastic group of people.  To give you an idea of how awesome, nearly everyone believes that Lion King sing-a-longs are the proper way to get pumped for Peace Corps service in Kenya.  I'm just sayin'.  The group is about 70-30 Science/Math Teachers and Deaf Educators.  Lots of different backgrounds and origins.  People from all over the country!  (And a few from Big Ten country.  There may be some smack talk.  Just sayin')

There's not a lot to say about staging.  It's mostly examining why we joined the PeaceCorps, what our goals are, and a brief discussion of the challenges we expect to face.  Most of the detail work goes on in country, so here's a picture of Travel Gnome Steve!  

 

 Unfortunately, I haven't the foggiest when I'll have the time or internets to update this thing properly for the next couple months, so here's what's going down:

1.  Depart from JFK, fly through Amsterdam and arrive in Nairobi.  

2.  Spend a couple days in Nairobi doing more in-depth preparations and final vaccinations.  

3.  Travel to Loitokitok (It turns out I've been mispronouncing it all this time!  I still don't know how to say it right) and move in with our host families.

4.  Language and technical training.  Will be learning Swahili, possibly KSL.  Much excite.

5.  December 15 - Get sworn in.  Get assignment.  Woo!

It's a long day tomorrow, so that's all I got.  Go Blue! 

Habari! (And Business)

Hey Everyone. 

So, by now you've probably heard that I'm going to Kenya with the Peace Corps.  I'll be doing secondary science education. For the first couple of months I'll be in Pre-Service training in Loitokitok, on the north face of Kilimanjaro.  (PST is where I learn Swahili, how to be a teacher, and cultural norms.)  That will last until December 15th, when I'll be sworn in as a volunteer and given my teaching assignment. 

I don't have a lot of information right now, so instead I'm going to copy and paste all the relevant contact information for the next couple months. 

E-mail:  bcrispin@gmail.com 
From what I understand, there is internet access in Loitokitok.  However, it can be... spotty.  I'll try and do my best to check it semi-regularly, but no promises.

Telephone: TBA
I anticipate picking up a cell-phone in country.  I'll post a number once I have it, for those interested. 

PST Mailing Address:  I'm just going to copy and paste the package/mail recommendations. 

Brennan Crispin, PCV
U.S. Peace Corps
P.O. Box 698-00621
Village Market
Nairobi, Kenya 
 

We recommend that packages be sent in padded envelopes if possible, as boxes tend to be taxed more frequently.  Custom fees can be quite expensive.  For lightweight but important items (e.g. airline tickets), several services, such as DHL, FedEx, TNT, and UPS operate in Kenya.  These services however, are very expensive, and can cost as much as $70 for a letter.  If you do choose to send items through them, you must address the package to the Country Director, c/o Peace Corps, Nairobi, Kenya. (The street address of the Peace Corps office in Nairobi is:  Grevellia Groove, Westlands, Nairobi, Kenya).  If you send the item to the Country Director, no liability can be assumed.

  

Note: If you're a letter writing type, letters can generally take 1-2 months to arrive in Kenya, if at all.  It's recommended that letters be numbered so I can tell if I missed any.  Also, postcards should be sent in envelopes.  Apparently they'll end up on the Post Office wall otherwise. 

Ok.  That's all the information for now.  I'm sure the next update will be far more entertaining and about you know, Kenya and the Peace Corps.