Kenya!

So much to say, and so little internets! This is the first time I've had unlimited internet since I arrived in Kenya so forgive my silence. Kenya is wonderful, and I've moved to Kilifi for my new job. I've started a blog, so you can read in detail what I'm going to summarize below. It's still rough - first drafts, and I haven't decided the privacy level yet, since some things are kind of sensitive but I just wanted to tell you guys about three things:
http://kilifiadventures.blogspot.com/


1. Kilifi is one of the poorest districts in Kenya. Hence Komaza, the non-profit. But there are ridiculously ostentatious resorts juxtaposed with mud huts!! And coz the 10 or so Komaza staff are expats, they tend to hang out in the touristy mzungu (white ppl) places. So I feel so guilty. Especially because I am Kenyan, and they're all American (and Canadian and English) and...

2. Yikes, its like society all over again! What have I gotten myself into? These 10 or so guys all graduated from HYP, Stanford, brown etc so they all seem to have that smarmy entitled feeling I hated in society. They're in Africa so they have some level of selflessness/adventurousness... But right now its all feeling very calculated, like this is their year off after working for Bain and before applying to Harvard Business School. (Which is literally what one girl here is doing). So yesterday we hired a van and went to Mombasa (2nd largest Kenyan city, a coastal tourist destination) to party. We had gin and tonics and vodka-redbulls, and were obnoxiously loud as we played drinking games in an almost all-white bar. So this is deja vu. I hope as I get to know them better, at least a couple turn out to be sincere about non-profit work.

3. One of the guys here is gay, and yesterday we may have been at a gay bar, which is extremely unusual for Kenya. Investigating this! There are also these weird sexual currents within the group, mostly surrounding the founder guy, a Brown '04. He's sleeping with one of the girls and was being bicuriously touchy-feely with the third guy in the group, and I think that came out only coz he was really drunk. So it was a really awkward first night (maybe just for me coz I wasn't as drunk as the others - clearly senior year raised my tolerance to ridiculous levels) and I'm curious as to what the dynamics are when ppl are sober. I'm the only one awake at this point, its about 10am.

Ok sweeties, love to hear more from you guys.

finally!

HHHIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

So-- I overcame my fear of unknown technological realms.
Yes, even a blog fits into that category for me. Well, at least it used to- but now I'm writing in one! (for one? on one?)
It took much courage and clicking on wrong links, and typing in incorrect passwords and usernames, (and I think I opened up the third google account in two years) and becoming a "follower" of the blog (whatever that means) but I did it!

I know its lame to be proud of such a silly thing, but I am!

And now for some news:
Daniel, David and I signed a lease for an apartment in Park Slope, Brooklyn.
Its really nice, in a perfect area with lots of restaurants, bars, cafes, a few blocks from Prospect Park, and with beautiful architecture all over the place.
AND we have an extra room for anyone of you who comes to stay over!!!!!!!! (Its the studio in the meantime though...)
The rent is pretty reasonable compared to the prices of places we saw in Manhattan, and the bedrooms are big and full of light.

All that is great, but as soon as we signed I found a sublet to stay there for the month of September since I am, after all, broke. I am in NJ for now and am starting to really search for some source of income so that I may go back and live in my house on the 1st of October.
This is assuming that I don't commit a sad, suburban suicide before that time comes.

Other than that, the play went well. Had a couple nice revelations, and ended my summer in Boston nicely with Alisa (from New Blue) who came to watch and helped me move the last things out of my apt there and over to Brooklyn.

So- now the question is: and what about work?
I re-edited my resume (again), and am formulating a new cover letter (again).
I also started looking at the job postings on the websites of universities in NYC. I think thats the smartest way to go for now since if I get a job with an educational inst. it also comes with health benefits and access to all sorts of other nice treats (libraries, gyms, etc...).
I know its not a dreamjob, but if I can do that during the day and still have time to audition and take acting class, it might be worth it.... no?

One last thing- about the twelve tribes---
GOOD JOB MAGGIE!
but now, even after reading your list, I still can't remember them in order to make a comment on who we forgot... oh well.

So, how's Maryland?
And Maria-- HOW'S HOME?!

yay first blog post ever!!!!!
(don't worry, my next ones will be shorter...)