DECEMBER 21^st (CHRISTMAS PREPARATION IN KIJABE)

I have to admit, it is difficult for me to get into the Christmas spirit in Africa when I am used to the Canadian Christmas. The flowers and trees are in bloom. The temperatures are mainly in the 20's. ‘Tis not the time to ride on the one horse open sleigh! The commercial Christmas seems to be lacking as well. A few malls in Nairobi are decorated for the season. The only Santa Clauses you see around here are on the open signs for all the Coca-Cola kiosks located in every little town. (They are almost as common as our Tim Horton’s.) Oh yes, I did see one very thin cotton-bearded Santa at a mall. I think I have heard one Christmas song since I have come to Africa. I have watched an American Christmas special on Kenya Television. On the other hand, Poinsettas were growing in the garden, and mistletoe was visible in some local trees.

Eighty percent of the population of Kenya claims to be Christian. I am told they celebrate Christmas here but there isn’t a lot of hype with the season. I am being deprived of a commercial Christmas! Doesn't anybody care? SMILE! Perhaps it will help us to concentrate on the real meaning of Christmas!

Against my natural inclination, I have put decorations on the Christmas tree today. Against my will, I have made over 100 sugar cookies with my two children. My grinch attitude has turned into a better attitude by just participating in a few Christmas traditions. Hey, we even had fun!

DECEMBER 22^nd (A TASTE OF KIKUYU CULTURE IN KIJABE)

On Tuesdays and Saturdays, local vendors go door-to-door at Kijabe Mission to sell their goods.

The Kikuyu women selling fruit and vegetables are always fully loaded with many bags. Their backs must take a beating after so many years of carrying heavy loads. Some of the younger Kikuyu women are easier on themselves. They carry a lighter load of homemade tortillas and English muffins. Thelma did say Kikuyu women often have difficulty giving birth due to their damaged backs.

A couple of local male artists came by today. We bought two animal prints for the children and a few souvenirs. One of the men had photos of some original paintings. An elephant painting caught my eye. In the background, it had a recognizable rock face located in Samburu. There were also date trees in the painting which are common trees found there. Since I have great memories of our safari in Samburu, the painting meant something to me. Mike liked a giraffe painting with Mount Kenya in the background. The artist is expected to come back within a week with his paintings. My understanding is that he has to paint them first. We also bought animal carvings.

We were invited to Edith's home for tea. All six of us squeezed into Don's 1976 Toyota and headed up the hill. Getting to Edith's house only took 10 minutes. It seemed to take longer due to all the bumpy and narrow roads. Edith met us at the gate and immediately invited us into her living room. We presented her with cookies, cakes, breads, and foodstuffs. She encouraged us to sit on her comfortable couch and chairs that were covered with an attractive flower pattern. I quickly made note of the mud floor and the walls covered with cardboard and brown craft paper. Several wooden tables and stools were in the room. When these tables were accidently bumped, they had the tendecy to rock on the uneven mud floor. There was a solid wooden window off the living room. When the door closed, the open wooden window became our only source of light. Edith's homey touch consisted of several of her handmade afghans which were laying on a few tables. I felt welcomed. A few of Edith's grandchildren and some neighbourhood children quickly appeared from nowhere. There must have been a dozen children in all. They seemed a bit timid at first, similar to our two children. Edith systematically went around the room with a picture of lukewarm water and poured it over each person's hands. She then proceeded to serve us chai from a thermos. She laid out large portions of chapatis and mandazis. Two cakes were served next. Most of the children went for seconds on the chocolate cake. Due to some hyperactivity with Evan, we took our children out to the front yard for some air. The other children quickly followed and warmed up to us immediately. We had a quick tour of the yard. Edith showed us her well that she so highly talked about. One of the older boys showed us the two goats. Several potato plants were growing in the yard. A heap of garbage was burning behind the house. Within minutes, we had seen it all. Mike pulled out his digital camera and took photos of the children. They were tickled pink when Mike showed them their photos seconds after their pictures were taken. They couldn't get enough of the excitement. They willingly took turns getting their photos taken and laughed whole-heartedly at the results. We ended the visit with a short walk to see the Rift Valley from Kikuyu country. All 20 of us went on this big venture! It was a similar view I was used to from Kijabe Mission with a slightly different angle. I have certainly had my share of different angles on many things since I have come to Kenya. Before departing, Edith gave us a large bag of plums, a pot with the remaining chapatis and mandazis, and a bottle of fruit drink for the children. She also gave Thelma a crocheted item. Edith has been generous once again.

DECEMBER 23^rd (NEEDING REST IN KIJABE)

It started as an off day in Kijabe. Julianne who was doing so well on her Kenya vacation has been acting-out the last three days. It is difficult to know exactly what is going on with her. I haven't been my best either. Not feeling physically well does nothing for my psyche.

This evening marks the first time I have been alone for three solid weeks. Everyone else has gone to a Christmas potluck supper for the missionaries of Kijabe. You can only imagine how good it feels to be alone regardless of the physical ailments I am experiencing. Within a few minutes, everyone will be barging through the door. I did get to birdwatch, write e-mails and most importantly, breathe. Hopefully, I can become more sociable this evening.

DECEMBER 24^th (CHRISTMAS EVE IN KIJABE)

Mike and I have discussed our interest of coming back to Kenya. At this point, we know we want another vacation here. We thought about how neat it would be to experience living in Kenya for a year. We aren't sure what we would have to offer job-wise. There are no openings for Nuclear Engineers in Kenya. A Canadian nurse is not welcomed too easily in this country since they would rather hire their own nurses. Regardless of what common sense is telling us, it is nice to dream. It is also mind-opening to think about what our real possibilities maybe to work here doing something a bit different than our usual occupations. Between Mike and I, we must have gained some skills that would be useful in several different working environments. Only God knows!

Josephine came by for a visit today. I had met her 10 years ago when she worked here as a housekeeper. She is all of thirty-eight years old and joked a lot about getting old. She made me promise to come back soon so we could take care of each other in our golden years. I reassured her I would certainly be back to push her around in African style---in a wheelbarrow. Perhaps we could take turns pushing one another. We had a good laugh, anyway. In all seriousness, Josephine expressed her gratitude of being healthy and well enough to get around on her own two feet. She stated that many of the people she has known have died in the last few years. I know that Aids is spreading quickly in Kenya and many of the younger generation are affected by this deadly disease. Were these the people to which she was referring? It was nice to see a familiar face.

DECEMBER 25^th (CHRISTMAS DAY IN KIJABE)

Christmas in Africa, what a concept! We light the Christmas tree lights, grabbed some coffee, and proceeded to open some presents. Don had already gathered some firewood and had the fire going in the living room fireplace. It is not surprizing Don and Thelma received several Canadian Christmas items such as Tim Hortons' coffee, maple syrup, a needlework of the Bluenose, and chicken bone candy. We received African items like a decorative Kenyan wrap, African children's books, RVA mugs and cups, and a set of jungle animals. My absolute favorite was an original painting of a Masai herdsman with his cows. It certainly was a Christmas to embrace both cultures.

We walked down to the church. The service was already in procession. A few of the church groups sang songs in Kikuyu. The service was partly in Kikuyu and partly in English. Between the echo in the church and the thick accents used when they spoke English, I had a very difficult time following what was being said. We also had to deal with our two squirming children. We had to leave early...again.

One of the day's highlights was wrapping many small gifts for Edith to give to her grandchildren and some of the neighbourhood children. Julianne and Evan had fun making some necklaces for them from bead kits they received for Christmas. Evan willingly gave up a toy airplane and some cars. Without much hesitation, Julianne gave up some of her craft supplies. We must be doing something right with our children.