Day 28

Day 28
June 1st

On Monday I began my last week in mbita. Returning after my crazy trip
to kisumu was refreshing. I'm growing a little tired of the island,
but kisumu was a bit much. As early as breakfast I was getting hassled
by kenyans wanting to 'welcome' me. This is occasionally done as a
genuine gesture of hospitality, but typically it's nothing more than a
precursor to some sort of request. This could entail anything from a
request for me to visit an organisation so I can share it with people
state side or a simple begging for my pocket change. Everyone wants
something. Especially the ants.

I totally understand that just a little bit of American money can go a
long, long way in Kenya. But that doesn't mean that I should be
entertaining the daily requests for sodas, phone credit, money for a
ride, and other petty stuff like that. After all, I'm not taking a
salary here. The money isn't mine to give away.

It doesn't have a thing to do with money. It's hard to believe that
anyones friendship is at all genuine when there's a request for petty
cash on the tip of one's tounge. But I'm white and fresh from the
first world. Therfore, I've got money falling out my ass for everyones
little problems.

If I sound like I have a chip on my shoulder, I appologize. If I were
on the other side, I can't say that I wouldn't do just the same.
Life's hard here. No joke. I'm in one of the 'finest rooms in town',
the royal suit, and I would rather be at a super 8 on the highway.
Then again, the super 8 would probably cost three times as much.

The ants amaze and enrage me all at once. They could find 2pac if he
had a granola bar. Last week I opened one of my bags for the first
time on the trip. It had been in the in-wall closet, zipped up. I
needed to grab a new book, but I couldn't find it. You see, I packed
some trail mix packs and and the entire inside of the bag was red and
moving. Oh yeah, they're fire ants. Thousands of them even found there
way deep into my pack to investigate a roll of tums. I think they're
in my brain, I'm always itchy in the room.

But there's one thing the I like about the ants. I bought a bunch of
Obama gum ( yes, Obama gum ) at the bus station. 1 ks a piece. Quite a
deal. How could I say no? When I got back from kisumu I threw it on my
coffee table and grabbed dinner. The ants haven't touched it! That's a
sure sign that I should not chew that gum. So when I bring you back
Obama gum, remember, it's the thought that counts.

-cheers