How Do You Measure Your Immune System? And a Bit About Our Living Status

When I woke up the other day it sounded like it was raining on only one side of the house. The water tank was overflowing. So I went to get Deina, the VLOP employee that has been helping us so much. She unscrewed a spigot and popped a tube into the spigot so we could fill
up the reserve tank on the ground. She told me that when the bucket filled I could screw back in the cap and just let the main bucket overflow.

When I went to put back on the cap, the pressure was so great that water spurted out sideways and got all over me, including in my eyes. This is the water we just found to have about 400 bacteria and 300 E. coli per 0.1 mL. It's been a couple days, and I have been feeling fine. Although it's not a number or anything, I'm using the experience to measure my immune system. Most things that I have used to judge my immunity are similar, something I wouldn't do on purpose, but is a good indicator. We also ate at a school teacher's house on Sunday. We had Ugali and WHOLE fish. We didn't drink any water, but I would also consider that an immune system-measuring experience.

The bathroom, kitchen, and just about every other aspect of daily living also provide interesting stories.

We are staying in a hostel equipped with room enough for 12 people, a sink and fridge in the kitchen, and three bathrooms.

I have been sitting on the porch for about a half an hour. It may not bring the same excitement as sitting on a porch in Clifton (Cincinnati) but it has not been dull by any means. The power just went out, so the water has stopped pouring from the tank. It was overflowing again today, and the pump at the top of the hill must have stopped. I watched two cows head wrestle each other, and the lake flies are over populating. Every two to three feet there is a swarm of thousands in the air. They did a better job of staying out of my way while walking than I expected.

Finally, a kid just rode up on a bike and stopped right in front of me and stared. I asked him his name and a few other questions and it was clear he was just here to watch the "muzungu." I'll save the muzungu stories for another time. The boy finally asked for a pen and rode off when I explained I only had a few and they had to last a long time. That's just outside the house!

Bathroom:
I have found that one bathroom is best for showering, because the shower works. The second bathroom is best for hand washing because the first one is wet from showering and the third bathroom's sink leaks. Finally, the third bathroom is best for using the toilet because the first bathroom is wet and the second bathroom's toilet flushes for 15 minutes straight. So basically I use all three bathrooms to make one whole bathroom.

Food:
We have hired a cook. She makes us one meal a day plus bread each week. Yesterday we were so lucky, she baked us cinnamon rolls. She goes over to the Kawira's to use their oven when she bakes. The fridge has cockroaches, so everything stays in hot pots after it's cooked. Depending on our schedule we either eat the meal she cooked for the day around lunch, or we have it for dinner and have sandwiches or leftovers for lunch. Sunday is fend for ourselves day, and we either cook or finish off leftovers from the week. We only have three plates, so we can't let the dishes pile up too much.

Overall, we are neighbors with the people we work with, and those are also the people that have been so welcoming and friendly. They have helped us understand cultural nuances, and have spent time making sure we feel comfortable.

Health Update:
My feet have been bitten a lot these last couple of days. As I see more and more bugs around, I am more and more cautious with my feet. A bump on my arm (which I got after riding the really bumpy bus and knocking my arm into the armrest in my sleep) is finally almost gone. It never turned a bruised color, so I was sort of worried, but after two weeks I notice it shrinking. Overall, not much to complain about.