Almost a week has gone by since the start of my internship at Lift Urban Portland and I can already tell that this summer is going to be a huge learning opportunity for me.
Last summer, I had the chance to learn about a completely different culture and lifestyle. My work primarily focused on working directly in the communities; well, there was more learning on my behalf than working in many cases. Regardless, I spent most of my time with working with the communities.
This summer, I will still be spending time with a marginalized community (low income and/or homeless). The way in which my internship is going to be playing out in the next several weeks, I will be spending a good amount of time in the food pantry that Lift Urban Portland runs. During this time, I will either be helping to organize donated food or when the pantry is open to those who need it, I'll be helping to run that as well.
However, another part of my internship will also be working on development work around the office, which is how this summer is going to be different. So far, this has ranged from attending meetings, helping out at a donor thank you party, meeting some of the Board of Directors, and helping to organize Lift Urban's biggest fundraiser that is happening later this summer. This part of my internship is relatively new to me and has been extremely interesting as well!
Oh! And another part of my internship will also include a bit of outreach, as I will be tabling at several concerts set in parks around Portland. Free music and volunteering? Psh! My dream come true! (And later on, when the concerts are closer, I'll be posting some details!)
Concerts aside, if the past week or so has taught me anything about what my summer might contain, the next several months are going to be extremely educational.
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Culture shock goes both ways!
Throughout my experience in Kenya, I had plenty of warnings about culture shock. Going into the experience, I knew that there would be cultural differences when I was in Kenya. What I never really expected however, despite the multiple warnings I got, was that when I returned, I would experience culture shock again.
I arrived back in the US last August on a Sunday afternoon and was fairly rested from sleeping a good portion of the flight. So, my family and I went to a restaurant that was right next to Green Lake in Seattle and because it was sunny, we sat in the patio, looking out at the lake. A mere hour after landing, this was my first culture shock appeared: I could not understand where everyone's clothes went.
I should put this into a bit of perspective: in Kenya, people dress very conservatively. Many women wear long skirts, although some will wear pants. Shirts were modest and sleeves typically were around the elbow.
So with that in mind, coming back stateside to see people dressed for a normal day of sun in Seattle (shorts, bathing suits, etc), I was really taken aback and slightly overwhelmed.
There are so many other ways in which I experienced culture shock but this experience is one that really sticks out to me the most and one of the stories I probably tell the most.
I arrived back in the US last August on a Sunday afternoon and was fairly rested from sleeping a good portion of the flight. So, my family and I went to a restaurant that was right next to Green Lake in Seattle and because it was sunny, we sat in the patio, looking out at the lake. A mere hour after landing, this was my first culture shock appeared: I could not understand where everyone's clothes went.
I should put this into a bit of perspective: in Kenya, people dress very conservatively. Many women wear long skirts, although some will wear pants. Shirts were modest and sleeves typically were around the elbow.
So with that in mind, coming back stateside to see people dressed for a normal day of sun in Seattle (shorts, bathing suits, etc), I was really taken aback and slightly overwhelmed.
There are so many other ways in which I experienced culture shock but this experience is one that really sticks out to me the most and one of the stories I probably tell the most.
Interns for Justice: Lift Urban Portland
A year has passed since my life changing experience in Kenya. I still miss it tremendously and would love more than anything to go back. The experiences I had last summer most definitely changed my life and the way in which I now see the world. But that is a post for another time.
This summer I will interning part time at Lift Urban Portland as part of the Moreau Center's Interns for Justice program. Interns for Justice is a 300 hour program in which participants can select a marginalized group to do direct service with over the course of the summer months.
So, over the next several months, I will working with the homeless population of Portland. Lift Urban Portland is an interfaith organization in northwest that primarily focuses on helping those in need with food. Just recently, the organization did a food bank drive and later this summer, their largest annual fundraiser (a garden party auction) will be happening. The organization also has two gardens at some of the supporting congregations, where fresh food is grown and can be distributed. (Over 12 congregations of different Judo-Christian denominations are part and supportive of Lift Urban actually and most of which reside in northwest Portland.)
Working with Lift Urban will be a different switch for me, as I have had more of a focus on gender, sexuality, and health over the past several years. I won't lie, a part of me is nervous for this switch in focus. But at the same time, I am also really excited. This experience will be new and challenging. I know for sure that I will be learning so much not only about how homelessness is addressed by faith communities but also how nonprofits are managed to some extent. I am also really excited to see how food donations are handled and to look into some sustainable ways of serving homeless populations.
As far as what exactly I will be doing during the summer, I can't tell you for sure right now. I know I will be working in part on the development side of the organization and helping to organize the summer garden party in late August. But at the same time, I will also be doing work in the food pantry and there is also the possibility that I will also be interviewing some of the people that Lift Urban serves.
Over the next few months, I have a lot to learn and even more to experience! I'll be updating about my experiences with Lift Urban periodically and also writing more about Kenya!
Until next time,
Andrea
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Masai Mara (Safari part 2!)
The safari trip to Masai Mara was probably one of the most interesting and fascinating trips that I have ever been on.
Our first day started at about 5:30am for me, as we had planned to leave Kakamega around 6am to meet the safari tour guides in Kisumu around 7am. Running on African time, we finally left Kisumu around 8am on a 8 hour drive to the Masai Mara game park. Peter, our driver, would occasionally tell us random facts throughout our journey, like what tribe lived in what areas.
During one of our breaks, we had stopped at a gas station to stretch. There were some women walking around with baskets of pineapple wedges wrapped in plastic. I'm pretty sure during the two stops we made there (to Masai Mara and back), I bought close to an equivalent to an entire pineapple.
So after driving for 8 hours (and part of that was spent driving on a typical Kenyan road - dirt roads with rocks, potholes, etc everywhere), we made it to the Masai Mara game park. Before heading to our campsite, we actually went straight into the reserve. There was a bit of a hold up initially at the gate, which actually lead us to have some interaction with some Masai women during the wait.
This interaction was really interesting. The women were wearing traditional Masai clothes but were wearing very Western styled shoes, like Mary Janes and flip-flops. The women were very persistent about the jewellery and crafts that they were selling but as the game park is very touristy (and often very expensive for some tours), everything was very expensive. That trend remained the same during the safari.
Now, we've reached the point of entering the game park. To completely describe in words how incredible the trip inside is beyond me. It's so beautiful there and there is just so much to see.
Anyone in my intern group can tell you how much I love animals and going on this trip to Masai Mara was unbelievable for me. The photos below are just some of the photos of all of the animals we saw.
Did you know that vultures are actually really weird looking?
Because really.
Look at the babies!
These are some of the elephants in a herd we saw the first day.
But the babies, really.
Some of the elephants got really close to our van. All of the animals seemed very accustomed to the numerous safari vans and people.
This is a wildebeest.
Aka the grandfather of all animals.
Why?
Because they look like grandfathers.
The most animals we saw on this trip were giraffes and elephants honestly.
This is one of the few lions we saw that trip.
So there's a story behind how we found them. All of the safari vans have radios that the driver use. Anywoo, we're in the middle of just leisurely driving around when a bunch of talking comes on the radio and BAM we just take off. Next thing is we see two groups of safari vans, one in a circle and the other in a line not too far off.
It turns out that the groups had found two lions, this one included.
There are a couple things you should know about ostriches.
One, they run ridiculously fast and that is because they have massive thighs.
Two, their feet are creepy.
This is a mother and child elephant we came across.
The amount of giraffes we saw was overwhelming. In both of my trips while in Kenya, I saw dozens of giraffes.
And here is what you need to know about these wonderful creatures: they are very graceful while walking but very awkward while running.
I tried to pet the monkeys we came across while walking around.
Luckily someone pulled me away before I got too close, as monkeys can be mean if need be.
Anyway, we spent Friday afternoon and early evening in the game reserve and returned to a very nice campsite just outside of it that evening. As exhausted as I was, there was one thing that kept me up for a bit - the stars. Living in Portland for the most part of the past couple of years has given me very few stars with all of the lights and urbanization.
But at our campsite, there was very little electricity and urbanization. Thus, there were so many stars. It was breathtaking, really. The first time I walked outside when it was dark, I honestly thought I was dreaming and started freaking out. Our first night there, I must of stared at the stars for what seemed like an hour. It was so peaceful and humbling.
The next day we ventured through the game park, saw tons more animals, and went to the Tanzania/Kenya border! We also went to a river right along the border and saw TONS of hippos.
For your listening pleasure, here is a video of some of the hippos. The sound of a hippo starts around 5-6 seconds in.
Sunday comes along and we get up early to catch the sunrise in the park. I know I have said this a lot in this post but holy labradoodles Batman, that was amazing.
And alas, that was pretty much the end of our trip. I have to say, I almost did not go but looking back, I am so incredibly thankful that I did. The trip was amazing and it was unbelievable to see all of the sights and animals. This safari is a constant reminder for me to jump first, fear later.
Until next time,
Andrea
Our first day started at about 5:30am for me, as we had planned to leave Kakamega around 6am to meet the safari tour guides in Kisumu around 7am. Running on African time, we finally left Kisumu around 8am on a 8 hour drive to the Masai Mara game park. Peter, our driver, would occasionally tell us random facts throughout our journey, like what tribe lived in what areas.
During one of our breaks, we had stopped at a gas station to stretch. There were some women walking around with baskets of pineapple wedges wrapped in plastic. I'm pretty sure during the two stops we made there (to Masai Mara and back), I bought close to an equivalent to an entire pineapple.
So after driving for 8 hours (and part of that was spent driving on a typical Kenyan road - dirt roads with rocks, potholes, etc everywhere), we made it to the Masai Mara game park. Before heading to our campsite, we actually went straight into the reserve. There was a bit of a hold up initially at the gate, which actually lead us to have some interaction with some Masai women during the wait.
This interaction was really interesting. The women were wearing traditional Masai clothes but were wearing very Western styled shoes, like Mary Janes and flip-flops. The women were very persistent about the jewellery and crafts that they were selling but as the game park is very touristy (and often very expensive for some tours), everything was very expensive. That trend remained the same during the safari.
Now, we've reached the point of entering the game park. To completely describe in words how incredible the trip inside is beyond me. It's so beautiful there and there is just so much to see.
Anyone in my intern group can tell you how much I love animals and going on this trip to Masai Mara was unbelievable for me. The photos below are just some of the photos of all of the animals we saw.
Because really.
Look at the babies!
These are some of the elephants in a herd we saw the first day.
But the babies, really.
Aka the grandfather of all animals.
Why?
Because they look like grandfathers.
This is one of the few lions we saw that trip.
So there's a story behind how we found them. All of the safari vans have radios that the driver use. Anywoo, we're in the middle of just leisurely driving around when a bunch of talking comes on the radio and BAM we just take off. Next thing is we see two groups of safari vans, one in a circle and the other in a line not too far off.
It turns out that the groups had found two lions, this one included.
One, they run ridiculously fast and that is because they have massive thighs.
Two, their feet are creepy.
And here is what you need to know about these wonderful creatures: they are very graceful while walking but very awkward while running.
I tried to pet the monkeys we came across while walking around.
Luckily someone pulled me away before I got too close, as monkeys can be mean if need be.
Anyway, we spent Friday afternoon and early evening in the game reserve and returned to a very nice campsite just outside of it that evening. As exhausted as I was, there was one thing that kept me up for a bit - the stars. Living in Portland for the most part of the past couple of years has given me very few stars with all of the lights and urbanization.
But at our campsite, there was very little electricity and urbanization. Thus, there were so many stars. It was breathtaking, really. The first time I walked outside when it was dark, I honestly thought I was dreaming and started freaking out. Our first night there, I must of stared at the stars for what seemed like an hour. It was so peaceful and humbling.
The next day we ventured through the game park, saw tons more animals, and went to the Tanzania/Kenya border! We also went to a river right along the border and saw TONS of hippos.
Sunday comes along and we get up early to catch the sunrise in the park. I know I have said this a lot in this post but holy labradoodles Batman, that was amazing.
And alas, that was pretty much the end of our trip. I have to say, I almost did not go but looking back, I am so incredibly thankful that I did. The trip was amazing and it was unbelievable to see all of the sights and animals. This safari is a constant reminder for me to jump first, fear later.
Until next time,
Andrea
Friday, July 27, 2012
Safari Adventures (Part 1)
With the combination of being super busy, sick for a period of time (yet again), and of course, the ultimate procrastinator, this blog post comes a later date than I had originally hoped. And now that I have roughly two weeks left in my internship, work at ACCES has gotten quite busy.
But, alas! My adventures in Lake Naivasha. (Maasai Mara is up next). I should mention now, I am the biggest fan of animals. The other C2 interns (and an FSD staff member) can attest to my absurdly large love for creatures. (Except snakes. I hate snakes. Random fact: in Kenya, someone with a pet snake is considered to be a witch. Seems perfectly logical to me personally.)
Several weeks ago, I went to Lake Naivasha in the Great Rift Valley with all the other FSD interns and staff. After a seven hour drive in a full bus on Kenyan roads, most of us were exhausted so we spent Thursday night resting and exploring our camp site. However, despite being exhausted, that first night was not the most pleasant.
The FSD staff had warned us a couple days before that it would be cold at the camp site and that we would be sleeping in tents so we should bring some warm clothes. However, when I read that, I was thinking cold meant a relatively okay spring day in Bellingham. Boy, was I wrong. That night was one of the coldest I've slept in (being in a tent probably did not help that much) and most of the night was spent shivering to keep warm. I think that was also the night that some of the other interns decided it was a good idea to shake tents at 1 am to scare people.
After a night of little sleep, getting up Friday morning was a difficult process. The concept of changing while it was still fairly cold was not extremely appealing and being up at 7am was even less so. But none the less, there we all were, eating breakfast right next to the lake.
Friday was spent going to Crater Lake. Let me tell you right now, that day is one of my favourite experiences not only in Kenya but in life.
Part of Crater Lake is a game park. And because there are no dangerous animals, we had the chance to walk around the park. I cannot explain how unbelievable that experience was. Not only was it an amazingly gorgeous environment, but we got ridiculously close to several animals.
We walked through and next to herds of zebras. I saw the largest number of giraffes all together that I have ever seen in my life. We were also really close to giraffes (probably around 10 meters away). We saw warthogs, several types of antelopes, and a water buffalo in the distance.
Seeing the giraffes was a breath taking experience. Both the giraffes and the zebras were completely chill with us walking fairly close.
It was such a wonderful experience to be so close to the giraffes. They are very graceful in the way they walk.
After going through the park, we made our way to several look out points at the top of part of the crater. That was unbelievable. We could see so much and Crater Lake below us was amazing. At the top point, we could also see several giraffes in the area below, which was indescribably amazing.
The views from the look out points were incredible.
The rest of the day was spent relaxing and discussing the rest of the trip. The C2 interns (the group of interns that I am a part of) decided to spend the rest of the day and the next just relaxing in the campsite. After a couple weeks that were completely busy, it was very nice to have the time to relax. There was also a small open market in the site that we went to several times.
However, because the campsite we were at was a big tourist place (Lake Naivasha in general was a big tourist place), the people at the market tried to sell us things for a very high price. The best example I personally have is that one guy tried to sell me two paintings for 6,500 Kenyan Shillings. At the time, the exchange rate was about 80ksh to 1USD, meaning that he was trying to charge me about $80 for the two paintings. After much discussion, I finally talked him down to 2,000ksh (~$25) for the two, which I still consider to be a ridiculous price. (But I think that the paintings are really cool so it was worth it. Plus, those paintings would probably go for $25 each in the States, if not more.)
Overall though, Lake Naivasha was an unforgettable, unbelievable, and wonderful experience. It's hard to put into words the trip and I know I haven't come close to doing it the justice it deserves.
Several weeks ago, I went to Lake Naivasha in the Great Rift Valley with all the other FSD interns and staff. After a seven hour drive in a full bus on Kenyan roads, most of us were exhausted so we spent Thursday night resting and exploring our camp site. However, despite being exhausted, that first night was not the most pleasant.
The FSD staff had warned us a couple days before that it would be cold at the camp site and that we would be sleeping in tents so we should bring some warm clothes. However, when I read that, I was thinking cold meant a relatively okay spring day in Bellingham. Boy, was I wrong. That night was one of the coldest I've slept in (being in a tent probably did not help that much) and most of the night was spent shivering to keep warm. I think that was also the night that some of the other interns decided it was a good idea to shake tents at 1 am to scare people.
After a night of little sleep, getting up Friday morning was a difficult process. The concept of changing while it was still fairly cold was not extremely appealing and being up at 7am was even less so. But none the less, there we all were, eating breakfast right next to the lake.
Friday was spent going to Crater Lake. Let me tell you right now, that day is one of my favourite experiences not only in Kenya but in life.
The view from a look out point of Crater Lake.
Part of Crater Lake is a game park. And because there are no dangerous animals, we had the chance to walk around the park. I cannot explain how unbelievable that experience was. Not only was it an amazingly gorgeous environment, but we got ridiculously close to several animals.
We walked through and next to herds of zebras. I saw the largest number of giraffes all together that I have ever seen in my life. We were also really close to giraffes (probably around 10 meters away). We saw warthogs, several types of antelopes, and a water buffalo in the distance.
It was such a wonderful experience to be so close to the giraffes. They are very graceful in the way they walk. After going through the park, we made our way to several look out points at the top of part of the crater. That was unbelievable. We could see so much and Crater Lake below us was amazing. At the top point, we could also see several giraffes in the area below, which was indescribably amazing.
The views from the look out points were incredible.
The rest of the day was spent relaxing and discussing the rest of the trip. The C2 interns (the group of interns that I am a part of) decided to spend the rest of the day and the next just relaxing in the campsite. After a couple weeks that were completely busy, it was very nice to have the time to relax. There was also a small open market in the site that we went to several times.
However, because the campsite we were at was a big tourist place (Lake Naivasha in general was a big tourist place), the people at the market tried to sell us things for a very high price. The best example I personally have is that one guy tried to sell me two paintings for 6,500 Kenyan Shillings. At the time, the exchange rate was about 80ksh to 1USD, meaning that he was trying to charge me about $80 for the two paintings. After much discussion, I finally talked him down to 2,000ksh (~$25) for the two, which I still consider to be a ridiculous price. (But I think that the paintings are really cool so it was worth it. Plus, those paintings would probably go for $25 each in the States, if not more.)
Overall though, Lake Naivasha was an unforgettable, unbelievable, and wonderful experience. It's hard to put into words the trip and I know I haven't come close to doing it the justice it deserves.
Monday, July 16, 2012
Hilarious times in Kenya
Over the past couple weeks, I have had a couple experiences that have made me crack up laughing or stop everything and question what just happened. I thought I'd share some of those experiences before heading to bed!
In reference to the baboons in Nairobi: "they're cosmopolitan monkeys!"
Kathya and I had to explain the concept of low fat milk, which she finally described as tasting like watered down milk. One of the Holy Cross brothers was mildly offended by this, as milk and water should never be mixed.
The doctor was explaining some medication to me earlier today as I'm again sick with a cold:
Doctor: "Have you ever had alcohol?"
Me: (not understanding) "Wait, what?"
Doctor: "Alcohol"
Me: "What?"
Doctor: "Whiskey, beer"
Me: "Ohhhhh. Yeah."
Doctor: "Well this medication has some alcohol in it so it'll make you a bit dizzy. There's not enough to make you drunk. Do you like being high?"
Me: "Hold on. What?"
Doctor: "This medication will make you feel a little high."
Me: ........
I was talking with another American, who has been in Kenya off and on for five years now.
Me: Yeah, I go to the University of Portland, in Oregon
Her: So in Texas?
Me: No. Oregon.
Her: Minnesota?
Me: No, Oregon.
Her: Wait.
Me: Oregon is a state.
"The Fourth of July is on Wednesday! Who's going to wear the turkey costume?" Peter
Did you know? You can repay a loan here in milk.
I made grilled cheese sandwiches for my host family a while back. There may have been some confusion as to why I made them on the stove and not a grill.
My host niece had to get a shot one day and my host sister (her mom) was explaining that my niece had to be held down by two people during the experience.
Sister: And she was screaming and squirming around! She was quite strong!
Niece: What. I have powers.
Niece (upon meeting me for the first time): You look like a boy.
In reference to the baboons in Nairobi: "they're cosmopolitan monkeys!"
Kathya and I had to explain the concept of low fat milk, which she finally described as tasting like watered down milk. One of the Holy Cross brothers was mildly offended by this, as milk and water should never be mixed.
The doctor was explaining some medication to me earlier today as I'm again sick with a cold:
Doctor: "Have you ever had alcohol?"
Me: (not understanding) "Wait, what?"
Doctor: "Alcohol"
Me: "What?"
Doctor: "Whiskey, beer"
Me: "Ohhhhh. Yeah."
Doctor: "Well this medication has some alcohol in it so it'll make you a bit dizzy. There's not enough to make you drunk. Do you like being high?"
Me: "Hold on. What?"
Doctor: "This medication will make you feel a little high."
Me: ........
I was talking with another American, who has been in Kenya off and on for five years now.
Me: Yeah, I go to the University of Portland, in Oregon
Her: So in Texas?
Me: No. Oregon.
Her: Minnesota?
Me: No, Oregon.
Her: Wait.
Me: Oregon is a state.
"The Fourth of July is on Wednesday! Who's going to wear the turkey costume?" Peter
Did you know? You can repay a loan here in milk.
I made grilled cheese sandwiches for my host family a while back. There may have been some confusion as to why I made them on the stove and not a grill.
My host niece had to get a shot one day and my host sister (her mom) was explaining that my niece had to be held down by two people during the experience.
Sister: And she was screaming and squirming around! She was quite strong!
Niece: What. I have powers.
Niece (upon meeting me for the first time): You look like a boy.
Later that night, I let her play with my hair,
Niece: Now you look like a chick boy.
There have been plenty of other experiences but these are the most memorable.
A post about my trips and other things are coming soon! But with my workload and the fact that I'm sick with a cold (again), life got busy today.
Much love,
Andrea
Thursday, July 12, 2012
A quick update!
Hello my tens of readers!
I apologize for not updating for a while and I apologize even more that this is going to be a short post! With about 6 weeks of my time here and about 4 weeks left, I'm finally getting a handle on Kenyan life!
Just a couple days ago, I was walking with two of my coworkers when they told me that I am now a Kenyan and an African. At heart, I think I always will be, as this place is unbelievable.
Things have been going great! I have been incredibly busy with everything (my supervisor keeps me going from one thing to another! I still don't know how she does it all!). This week and part of next is a dejiggering campaign in a community here in Kakamega. (For those unfamiliar with jiggers, don't google. My supervisor told me all about them and showed me photos my first day. I'm still a bit terrified to wear sandles.) I have also spent some time working on a data base for the Health and Gender program of ACCES, so that we can use graphs and charts in reports and see if there is a trend in health cases throughout the year. I should also be starting my basic first aid training very soon!
Two weeks ago, I had the chance to go to Lake Naivasha in the Great Rift Valley and visited the Crater Lake Game Park! And tomorrow I am heading to Maissa Mara! I have so many stories and I am so excited for what's ahead!
But for now, that is all. It is about 10PM here and I have to be up at 5 tomorrow morning to catch a bus to Maissa Mara. So for now, my dear readers, I bid you farewell with a promise to write more in the near future.
Andrea
I apologize for not updating for a while and I apologize even more that this is going to be a short post! With about 6 weeks of my time here and about 4 weeks left, I'm finally getting a handle on Kenyan life!
Just a couple days ago, I was walking with two of my coworkers when they told me that I am now a Kenyan and an African. At heart, I think I always will be, as this place is unbelievable.
Things have been going great! I have been incredibly busy with everything (my supervisor keeps me going from one thing to another! I still don't know how she does it all!). This week and part of next is a dejiggering campaign in a community here in Kakamega. (For those unfamiliar with jiggers, don't google. My supervisor told me all about them and showed me photos my first day. I'm still a bit terrified to wear sandles.) I have also spent some time working on a data base for the Health and Gender program of ACCES, so that we can use graphs and charts in reports and see if there is a trend in health cases throughout the year. I should also be starting my basic first aid training very soon!
Two weeks ago, I had the chance to go to Lake Naivasha in the Great Rift Valley and visited the Crater Lake Game Park! And tomorrow I am heading to Maissa Mara! I have so many stories and I am so excited for what's ahead!
But for now, that is all. It is about 10PM here and I have to be up at 5 tomorrow morning to catch a bus to Maissa Mara. So for now, my dear readers, I bid you farewell with a promise to write more in the near future.
Andrea
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