68 Eldoret to Karatina
From: Bein, Frederick L <rbein@iupui.edu>
To: Maryellen <mbein0201@aol.com>
Sent: Mon, Aug 22, 2011, 9:05 am
Subject: RE: moving Friday to Karatina, Kenya
Hi Honey,
I am in an internet cafe, finally got settled in in Karatina (spelling corrected). My modem is not working, and they say I need to travel to the larger town of Nyeri about twenty-five miles northwest of here. Tomorrow. As for now Karatina is east, south, east, of Eldoret. From Eldoret, I do not have my map, but I am guessing about 300 miles ESE. It is less than half a degree south of the Equator while Eldoret is about one degree North of the Equator. Karatina is about twenty-five miles south of the top of Mt Kenya if you can find that on a map.
Karatina is very much a new cultural experience for me. Everyone is Kikuyu here and many do not speak Swahili let alone English. Gilbert describes them as being much more dishonest and mischievous than the Nandi people who dominate the Eldoret area. He says to be careful about making friends here, and not to give out information about myself.
The apartment is a bedroom suite that is part of the Msafari Resort. It has an entry room visiting sitting area with an archway leading to the bedroom. A kitchen, toilet room, shower room are off of the bedroom. Some work needs to be done with the electrical switch over the bed. the kitchen has only a sink and a lot of electrical outlets but no stove nor refrigerator. I am exploring what more the University will provide as I want to add a chest of drawers and a desk and a table and four chairs. I bought an electric teapot to heat water with which I made my first cup of coffee in the place today. I will see what is practical about getting something to cook with; a small gas burner with which I can fry eggs, boil milk etc. I am trying to decide about the archway between the bedroom and the sitting room, some kind of divider, curtain, or screen.
John the History Professor is really taking care of me, He was at the Eldoret Campus and remembers when I taught there 3 years ago. but has moved here because it is closer to his homeland. I feel really welcomed here as the Principal of Karatina University college has already had me in a major meeting about organizing a conference in November with some money that Ian Mcintosh from IUPUI international programs if providing. Principal Mutchiri is providing the $50.00 a month for my room.
I have to pay for all my food which is available but expensive at a small cafeteria that accompanies the hotel complex. There are only six apartments in the compound, so they think they need to charge a lot. That is why I want to cook as much as possible. The nearest other restaurants are a mile away, as the Msafari House is on the eastern outskirts of town.
I have tried to describe as accurately as possible my living situation. It is certainly not a gateway hotel, but the group of workers here are very conscientious and try to cater to my whims and make things available if they can. They are hunting up a larger mosquito net and are installing curtains in the shower and toilet rooms. On the other hand, it is lot cleaner and newer than what you observed in Mozambique. I would say the arrangements are better than on the main campus except there is no bathtub. Here they clean the room, change the linens, and towels any time I ask.
I am getting a lot of walking in. Gilbert says he can see a difference in my body size. I am guessing that I have dropped about eight pounds so far. I would like to get down to 220 pounds. I left with 253. So far, my health is good, and my head is about healed (small scab remaining).
I had better get this sent off as the network is tightening up for the late afternoon. Ask me some questions.
I miss you and love you.
Rick