1. I love flush toilets.
2. I also love ice cream, cold milk, and my family and friends here.
3. We don’t play the National Anthem before movies at the theater (in Nairobi theaters, everyone stands and sings before the main feature; an aside: in Mozambique, the movie has an intermission).
4. I don’t ask anymore if the chicken is fresh (in Kenya, it’s best to know when it was slaughtered, as refrigeration can be a problem).
5. I don’t mind getting bitten by mosquitoes in America – the bites just itch here, no airborne diseases and no mosquito nets (yay!).
6. The only goat-related product I’ve seen or consumed since my return has been goat cheese, which is quite tasty.
7. Flirtations in America do not involve any livestock offerings (my best offer in Zambia for marriage was 60 cows, but I never told him I couldn’t cook or clean).
8. I miss my Kenyan family terribly, and being a mzungu (white person) in America doesn’t attract much attention. J

HI TGHP FRIENDS!! I’m sorry for the delay in updates. I’m still indulging on all things that I love about this country and, at the same time, I’m missing my Kenyan routine and all the amazing people I left in that beautiful country.

Currently, I’m writing from Daytona, Florida. I’m hibernating here for the month of June to start transcribing my sessions with The General (generous family friends have allowed me to use their condo). I returned with nearly 100 hours of material, and it takes about 5 hours to transcribe every 1 hour of conversation (I’m refusing to do that math). I miss The General, and it’s been wonderful to revisit our time together by listening to the recordings.

I just wanted to make my blog re-debut before I let more than a month pass. With fast internet and consistent electricity, I really have no excuse. I’ll write more soon, with some excerpts of the material. Until then, I’m sending good thoughts your way…

Hugs – Laura Lee/Nkirote :-) 

The South Imenti Tea SACCO Board of Directors (with the Chairman - standing, 3rd from left and Laura Lee). The General joked that I was training to take over as Chairman after he retired.

The General shows The Captain (me) around the tea farm this morning. It was plucking awesome. :-)

Me on a motorcycle with Mutwiri, the driver for the farmers' cooperative. Behind me is a chicken shoved in a box that I was careful not to lean on while Mutwiri asked me at 4-minute intervals, "Is the hen still alive?" We both survived (at least for today). :-)

This cock was not so lucky in making it through the afternoon. We ate it for lunch - nearly 4kgs! The family asked me, "This bird we call a chicken - you have it in your country?"

The two on the left are my Kenyan sisters, whom I share a room with, and their two friends.

This man runs the only shop in town where you can buy Coca-Cola products in town. Stoney is a local favorite, which I don't remember trying at the Coke factory in Atlanta. It's a good one though and leaves a little tingle in your mouth.

These are baskets full of plucked tea from The General's farm, ready to go to the weighing station and the factory.

These are the facilities at The General's tea farm - the maize is now taller than the outhouse.

This was hanging in the home of one of the former Mau Mau askaris (soldiers) that I met with and interviewed. He was detained for 12 years.