Oh, Kenya

After being in Kenya for over a month, there are many things we have noted as differences that catch our eye and do a double-take, give us chuckle, or just make us down-right confused. Here are are few:

• How you can actually see so many stars and even the milky way at night.
• Kenyans don’t eat desserts – this one is really hard for us (especially Megan) to understand - and soft drinks (99% Coke products - Coke is everywhere here!) are typically given as the "treat."

Tim having to chug the welcome
soda we received on a field work visit to the
village of Sondu so we could leave.

• Cellphones are everywhere – even people in the farthest reaching villages living in mud huts have them and the main provider is Safaricom.
• Most Kenyas drink whole milk (3.5% fat). If you’re feeling health conscious you can always opt for the skim milk of 3.0% fat!
• The police stop vehicles about every 20 miles for "checks" to make sure drivers have insurance, but mostly to collect a little bribe.
• The “ice-cream man” consists of a guy that strapped on a cooler to the back of his bike and is selling homemade popsicles frozen in plastic sandwich bags.
• Dubbed Mexican soap operas are the most popular shows on TV for all ages (we were sucked into watching "Triunfo del Amor" while staying with Pr. Chuchu).
• Seeing motorcycles carrying 5 people at a time – typically the smallest child is basically riding on the handlebars with no helmet of course.

"Caring husbands discuss family
planning methods with their wives" poster

• Polygamy is not outlawed and is actually still fairly common in many rural areas.
• British Premiere League soccer, we mean football, is the sport everybody watches and has a favorite team from either Man U, Chelsea, or Arsenal.
• Having tea time (tea with whole milk and usually about 3 heaping teaspoons of sugar) everyday at work around 10:30am.
• Seeing children around the age of 5 carrying babies on their back, no parent in sight.



Typical trash seen along the side of the road

• Trash isn't commonly collected therefore it's simply thrown on the ground.
• Women really do carry any and everything on their heads, often with no hands.
• There is tough competition in the hand soap market on TV and hand washing with a basin of water and pitcher is always done before meals.