Notes from Stephen, Wan, Kweilin, and Li

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Nairobi, Nazareth

Toured house with Edward. He's one of 14 children. 20 years old. Came from countryside. Works with father as car mechanic, gardener. Doesn't get paid. Father, Simon, gets $50 a month. More than half of Kenya lives on less that $1 a day.

Mom bargained with vendor for mangos. They all speak english.

Drove up to Nazareth hospital. Passed billboard of Kenyan Nobel Peace Prize 2004 winner who says AIDS is fabricated by whites to kill and exploit Africans.

Had lunch with Nuns at Nazareth. They're from India. Many from Madras.

Saw 30-year-old female AIDS patient in coma. Emaciated, tube up nose, teeth coated with something. Should have been on ARVs since August when she got sick. Probably could be walking around today but now has only a few weeks. Her husband died of AIDS in March.

Daddy used to make rounds in Nazareth hospital for 3 months. Got close to 17-year-old Rwandan who escaped genocide. Parents escaped to Uganda, evacuated to Belgium, France. Egide ("iggidy") escaped overland to Kenya. Got sent to Nazareth because of AIDS. Very sick. Daddy put him on ARVs and he walked out. Daddy saw him working in Nairobi and said, "I can't believe you're still alive!" He said he felt great. Two months later he died.

Mommy has built so much at the hospital! Colorful benches, shelters, swings, slide. It was visiting day today and people were sitting under the shelters.

Daddy took me on a motorbike to see countryside. Everywhere is tea. Beautiful green hills. Everyone waves and says hello.

Visited Edith. 92 years old from England. Spent whole life in Kenya. Speaks Queen's English. "It's horrible what they've done with the language in England today!"

Edith was here when the British colonized Kenya. She *was* the British!

She almost got carjacked 10 days ago on her way to Nairobi. An oncoming car stopped her and pulled out a gun. She went into reverse, they pursued. She thought she was going into a ditch so she stopped. They stopped too, but they left just enough space for her to get by. She thinks she might have hit their open door as she passed. "Good thing they didn't get off a shot," I said. "I don't think the gun was loaded," she said.

Not only can the 92-year-old woman drive--she escaped a carjacking!

Mommy cooked oyster-sauce chicken and curry for dinner.

posted by Li at 10:47 PM