The Irish Have Arrived

The last couple of weeks have been a real turning point during my trip. I had gotten these fleeting feelings of thinking I understood the country I am in and then feeling like that understanding was slipping through my fingers a couple of days later. You can call it culture shock, but more than anything it felt like trying to remember a good dream and finding yourself just shy of recalling the details to know why it was good. But, like I said, the last couple of weeks have been a real turning point. My feet are firmly planted in my own interpretation of Kenya. And, while it may be subjective in parts, it strives to be objective and I can now clearly see this country for what it is.

This understanding couldn't have come fast enough, since in the last week 32 Irishmen from a group called TARA Projects have arrived to help with the construction for the orphanage I've been working on and they are madmen. The first day we had a truck full of cinder bricks that got stuck on the path just outside the construction site about 70 yards from the foundation they needed to be laid on, largely on account of the fact that most Kenyans feel like they have to operate their vehicles like total assholes to be effective drivers, so me and a couple of other guys hopped on top of the load and pitched out 50 or 60 pound bricks into the yard. I nearly fell off at one point since the only decent way of going about throwing them was like a shotput and my footing was a little shaky, but we managed just as well. After the first day I was beat to hell and back, but got invited out to go have a night with the guys from TARA; twist my arm. We stayed up drinking, laughing, and playing cards and after I was through I was offered a spare bed in a room with a guy who had a bit of a snoring problem (yeah, even worse than mine) and I mustn't have gotten more than about 2 hours of sleep.

So, the next day was a little rough going at first, but then I reminded myself of all the all nighters I had pulled going through school and got over it quick. The next couple of days had gone the same, with drivers bringing more bricks in and apparently determined to get their dumb asses stuck at the gate at least once. More than anything, though, I have loved working with these guys. Being at the same work site for a month and digging out a road and some foundations with a pick and a shovel with two other Kenyan workers, we didn't see much progress, needless to say. But since these fellas got here we've nearly completed laying the bricks for the main building of the orphanage and can see huge amounts of progress everyday. I even got some compliments from a couple of guys for being a hard worker, and some fun to have a night out with. I'm pretty content with where I'm at and what I'm doing.

Having really found my bearings last week helped me to take stock of a couple of things: where I am, who I am, and what I miss, and I am very much looking forward to coming home. I miss you guys, but in a good way. I'm determined and happy about soaking up every bit of this experience while I'm here and doing the most and best work I can, but coming home is going to be a real trip. So without getting too corny, I do miss you guys a lot, some days more than others, and it'll be good to get home when it happens. Take care and write something soon. You schmucks are really slackin' on the posts lately.

Zachary