Transitions

I spent most of this past week awake. The jet lag has never been worse. Normally I can adjust to time zones within two nights, but for some reason it took me a whole five days to recover. While I was not sleeping, I did the following:

1. Read Eat Pray Love. I am now on the part where the author is in India (“praying”). I really enjoyed the “eating” part. “Praying,” not so much, but maybe after I am done, I will be inspired to try to find some inner peace myself. Nah...I'd rather just eat.

2. Watched Season Six of Entourage. I know what you’re thinking--Entourage Season Six is not on DVD until June 24. In Nairobi, however, it has been on DVD for months. Most likely since the day after the season finale aired on HBO. Piracy is neither covert nor penalized in any way. In fact, Kenyan “pirates” display their contact information on the DVDs proudly.

3. Started learning Kiswahili
• Jambo = Hello
• Karibu = Welcome
• Sawa Sawa = OK
• Asanti Sana = Thank you very much

4. Watched the World Cup. It’s World Cup fever here, especially because it’s taking place in Africa for the first time. Let’s just say school kids had a half day on Friday which seems to be too coincidental considering it was also the opening ceremonies of the World Cup. I went to a bar called K-1 to watch the USA vs. England game where a tent with bleachers and three big screen projection TVs had been set up. There were people blowing super loud horns (which frankly should be outlawed), plenty of USA cheering, and people dancing to Shakira over and over and over…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRpeEdMmmQ0

5. Listened to the sounds out of my window. Because I have been warned by people about mid-day shootings, bombings in church groups, and what is referred to as “Nairobbery,” I have been confined to my apartment after sunset unless accompanied by a chaperone. Due to this fact, I have spent my sleepless nights listening to an annoying woman washing dishes on her balcony at 5:30AM, more annoying C-Grade Himesh Reshammiya music playing from one of my neighbors’ houses, and dog howling competitions.