The middle of the night on the other side of the world

I just spent two hours sifting through emails and school studywiz posts and a feeling of Christmas Joy came over me! This year, I actually get to focus on celebrating Christmas; a previously unpublished reason for taking this Safari. It is simply amazing what we all put ourselves through this time of year. I hope I don't sound too grinchy; I really do like the parties, the presents, the decorations and visiting with extended family. But honestly I am often too tired to enjoy it all.

We got back today from a visit to the less sanitized version of Nairobi. "City Park" is a village produce market with stand after stand of every kind of fruit and vegetable piled high. There are hundreds of stall owners haggling over the price of maize, mangoes, avocados, plums, apples, squash, bananas, okra, etc.; all of it the freshest and most beautiful I have ever seen. Dolma is already a pro at getting the best price and the best selection of everything; I guess her years in Delhi have paid off. I decided to bring the kids to show them some of the reality of this place. They were a little overwhelmed but some day I hope they appreciate what they saw. They loved the fruit but the ground was too dirty, the sun too hot, and the activity boring (I on the other hand was fascinated). They saw their first third world beggars, which are surprisingly scarce in this country. Only the handicapped people beg, by law I think. After seeing this bounty, it is hard to understand why people are still starving in this country when the soil seems so fertile and the climate so mild.

The day further defined the dramatic chasm between the wealthy and poor here. It is this chasm that has lead to the high crime rate here. We are located in a Nairobi suburb called Runda. This area is a part of a larger wealthy area which includes the American Embassy, the Canadian Embassy and the U.N. We are not actually in the U.N. Compound, where Bunny works but not far in a secured neighborhood. The Bindras are basically the first residents in a new section of the neighborhood with huge houses going up all around us. There is a security team that patrols the entire neighborhood and questions anyone that they don't know. On top of that the property is surrounded by a tall wall with an electric fence. There is a gate house with a twenty-four hour security guard. Right now the two night guards and the evening guard dogs and I are the only people awake. It will be my job to turn on the house security before I go to bed. All the windows are bolted and alarmed. (I can say I feel safer here than at home!)

In addition to the main house and the guard house there is the servants quarters. The cook Susan, and the housekeeper/nanny, Elizabeth, live here from Monday morning until Saturday evening when they go home to their families for their day off on Sunday. Dolma has hired a second housekeeper/nanny, Nora, to take care of me and the children while we are here. They work about a 12-13 hour shift with some time off in the afternoon. This is expected of us and an important part of the economy. These women are among the best paid workers in their village. In addition Dolma and Bunny share a driver Ferris, a very cautious man, who lives in town but also works long hours, from about 8:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. (I think he has already had his limit of Thomas!)

Now, I really must go and try to sleep; I hear Thomas fussing in the room we are sharing. My thoughts are turning to Roger somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean - Safe journey, we miss you. (Thank you Mary for picking him up.)

Love and Blessings to all of you!