Would you like rice with that?

Well I have been here about 4 days now, and I think every meal but one has had rice as a main ingredient.  It is a good thing I like rice!  When we went to the grocery store in Nairobi before coming to Tenwek, they had a full aisle devoted to different types of rice.  I have either chicken or beef with almost every meal, though I dont think that is common.  It seems like several of the missionaries have hired house help for cooking, cleaning, and buying supplies.  I believe it is fairly inexpensive to have the help.  The hired workers generally have prepared the meals that I have been served at the missionaries homes. 

Today I have been working on some server issues as well as general pc networking issues.  One pc was in a room they called the casualty room.  This room basically looks like a room that treats some pretty tough things.  As I was getting the pc with one of the other IT guys, I saw CPR being performed on a guy for the very first time in my life.  I was baically standing so close to them that if they asked me to help, I probably could have.  I have always understood that CPR is basically a last ditch effort to save a life.  I stood there for a minute while we were getting the pc and watched a little of what was happening and just prayed for the guy.  As it turns out, I had lunch with the doctor that was performing the CPR.  She said he did make it through the CPR, but that he was headed to the OR.  It didnt sound like his chances were real good of making it.     

I have started to make a friend with one of the IT guys.  He is here for a summer internship and then going back to college.  He is a Kenyan and does not have a huge knowledge of IT.  He asks a lot of questions and I try and show him some IT things.  He is also very interested in hearing about the United States and what my life is like.  He taught me some Swahili today.  Swahili is the local language that most Kenyans know.  Most of the Kenyans that I have run into also know English, but I am told only the educated learn English.  So next time some says Habari (Ha - Bar - E) to you, you can respond Mzuri (Mis -ur -e).  They are asking, How are you?  You are responding, I'm fine. 

A couple other things that are different here is greeting people and chai breaks.  Whenever someone walks into the IT room, they greet everyone with a handshake.  This is fairly common.  The Kenyans want to shake your hand.  The other thing is every morning abound 10:30 everyone hospital wide gets chai.  I dont think I have had chai like this in the US, but I am also not a big chai drinker except for here.  The hospital delivers a container of chai to each department.  It is basically hot tea, milk, and I am not sure what else. 

Kwaheri (qua - harry) - Goodbye