Saturday, August 05, 2006
More Interviews and More Frustration
Kirsten interviewing the H.C.C. orphans one by one with teacher Margaret. Some of the H.C.C. orphans I interviewed--Riziki, Samuel and Edison.
Today we focused on more interviews
and each of us did about 20. The stories are often similar and sometimes it is hard to know if the teacher is just telling us the same thing each time so that she or he can move through the line of kids faster. It was a long day, but the kids waited very, very patiently for their turn. One boy, Samuel, shyly and sweetly smiled at me all day and was so excited for his turn. I remembered him from last year and told him so, and that seemed to please him a lot. And the teenaged girls giggled at me when I sang and danced with them this afternoon just before leaving. The kids really seem to love having us around. 
Tomorrow there will be no interviews because it is a full day at church and Jim will have to give a sermon, which I'm sure will be great. We have to be there early for breakfast and then a full day of celebration. Monday we will resume the interviews and Jim plans to talk further to Zablon about the building project, operational issues and priorities. More work was done on the toilets today, but I guess yesterday the workers saw white people and decided to up their price for doing the job, so they had to be fired. The complications are never ending in this place.
Our luggage is still not here and it has been a very frustrating day trying to track it down. After many, many calls on a cell phone to the 10 phone numbers for Emirates Air we had been given (using up all of the minutes of a phone that is not mine and most of the calls with no answer), we were told at 5:55 this evening that three of the pieces will come tomorrow. But I'm not sure I believe it. Things in Kenya are so very inefficient and non-customer oriented (like giving us the wrong numbers, not answering the phone in the middle of the day, etc.) that it is just completely maddening to my American psyche. Added to that is the fact that the water at our hotel has been out in the shower since we got there and now is out all together so that we can't rinse off this sticky sweat and dust from the day. We kept being told water was coming but then this evening they are trying to fix the pumping system. The electricity went out for a while at the hotel and the breakfast is late, but eventually it comes. We all are tired, hot and dirty, but actually in pretty good humor, all considered. I am really lucky to be with such great teammates...I think they must see me as the resident worry wart. Mostly I am worried about the beautiful cards...Please say some prayers for their safe arrival tomorrow so that we can share them with the children by Monday!
Top: Kirsten and the teenaged girls have some fun with singing! Bottom: Mama Kirsten's morning ritual of tending a few "owies".
Today we focused on more interviews
and each of us did about 20. The stories are often similar and sometimes it is hard to know if the teacher is just telling us the same thing each time so that she or he can move through the line of kids faster. It was a long day, but the kids waited very, very patiently for their turn. One boy, Samuel, shyly and sweetly smiled at me all day and was so excited for his turn. I remembered him from last year and told him so, and that seemed to please him a lot. And the teenaged girls giggled at me when I sang and danced with them this afternoon just before leaving. The kids really seem to love having us around. 
Tomorrow there will be no interviews because it is a full day at church and Jim will have to give a sermon, which I'm sure will be great. We have to be there early for breakfast and then a full day of celebration. Monday we will resume the interviews and Jim plans to talk further to Zablon about the building project, operational issues and priorities. More work was done on the toilets today, but I guess yesterday the workers saw white people and decided to up their price for doing the job, so they had to be fired. The complications are never ending in this place.
Our luggage is still not here and it has been a very frustrating day trying to track it down. After many, many calls on a cell phone to the 10 phone numbers for Emirates Air we had been given (using up all of the minutes of a phone that is not mine and most of the calls with no answer), we were told at 5:55 this evening that three of the pieces will come tomorrow. But I'm not sure I believe it. Things in Kenya are so very inefficient and non-customer oriented (like giving us the wrong numbers, not answering the phone in the middle of the day, etc.) that it is just completely maddening to my American psyche. Added to that is the fact that the water at our hotel has been out in the shower since we got there and now is out all together so that we can't rinse off this sticky sweat and dust from the day. We kept being told water was coming but then this evening they are trying to fix the pumping system. The electricity went out for a while at the hotel and the breakfast is late, but eventually it comes. We all are tired, hot and dirty, but actually in pretty good humor, all considered. I am really lucky to be with such great teammates...I think they must see me as the resident worry wart. Mostly I am worried about the beautiful cards...Please say some prayers for their safe arrival tomorrow so that we can share them with the children by Monday!
Top: Kirsten and the teenaged girls have some fun with singing! Bottom: Mama Kirsten's morning ritual of tending a few "owies".
# posted by Kirsten's Updates about the H.C.C. in Kenya @ 8:23 AM 
