Unlucky 13

Friday the 13th. Never a day with much swing for me before, but today really rocks. Wanna hear all about it?? Of course you do!

I wake up at 5:30am today, intending to catch the Pastor's matatu and get a ride to Kisumu. That's fine, no worries. I wake, I pack, I get out the door at about 10 to 6. Cannot shut my door. Well, it does, sort of, but not enough, like it should, to allow me to latch it. wtf. I try and try and try. Nothing. Go down to the Pastor's, planning to ask him and his fellas for help, only to find his garage open and empty. He left!!!

I round up a farmboy to help me, and he can't get it either. Even with a friend helping him. They pop the latch off with a panga and say it was only on with a bit of sand and cement. Great, thanks. So, I figure I'll be getting robbed this weekend. I'm trying not to focus too much on that.

I begin my walk to Kilingili, catching a boda boda about halfway. Alright, not too bad. Even the kids on their way to school weren't too obnoxious or rude. We're getting there.

I checked the Posta in Kilingili and it is completely empty. Not even a Newsweek from PC. Damn! I grab my boda boda man, a fella who's driven me before, and start the trip to Stendkisa. He's inquiring if I am a Christrian and how I worship. About 2/3rds the way there, we ride waaayyyy too close to another bike and *BAM* my ass is turtled, clutching my beyond-throbbing knee. I don't know what it hit, exactly, but it was a hard hit. God, that (does still) hurt! It's somewhat swollen now, and I don't know what to do in a country without ice. Scraped my hand and elbow, too. Got to cry a little in the middle of a street, right out front of a Primary school, with kids hollering about the mzungu.

It's been okay since then - mandazis and chai at my fav place, new books to read, seeing my PCV pals... My knee is big and stiff and not cool. I'm gonna see how it is tomorrow before I bug PC about it. I would have taken ibuprofen for it, but there wasn't any at the office, so it's just tylenol for me. sweet.

In other news:

You are all the coolest, most supportive people a PCV could ask for! My email to LunaPads was successful - they are intersted in helping and will be figuring out how. It might take a little while, but that is very likely to happen.

I am SO happy that Cheryl has been pursuing this, also, at OU. The more sources the better, I say. Lighten the load a bit for everyone. A.Jean brings a good point on shipping, which is a wasteful place to spend donated dollars. I'll have to give that one some thought and see what might be done. Just now I am thinking, I wonder if X, the husband of my fellow mzungu would be willing to carry them over in Dec. when he comes to visit. You can bring 2 50lb bags on international flights, so maybe if one was just pads..? I'll have to ask.

Please keep asking around and being creative. I have visited 2 Secondary and 3 Primary schools so far, all with this need. It's about 200 gals at each 2nd and 100 in the 1st schools. There are a few more in the area, so we're looking at 1,000 to be a one-per-woman kind of thing. I've got a sewing pattern, so that's what I'm really hoping for, beyond an initial donation to pique interest. That then becomes business and income for women. Sustainable!!

And on that note, I'd like to encourage you all to read this article, given to my by Hugo. Very interesting.

Oh, p.s. I think Cathy (the bat) has died. He's stuck to the wall and hasn't moved in a few days. I took pics, dad, so don't worry! And it seems I'm going to have to remove him and dispose, so I might take a few more. Mixed feelings on the issue...