Sorry for the lack of updating. Though I guess it's only been a couple of weeks so maybe there is not really a lack. But the only thing I really have to write about is a rant about dependency syndrome, people telling me to buy them sodas, kids (including the one who lives on my compound) calling me mzungu, and the lack of privacy at home (the man who owns my house seems to have decided to move back for half the week, every week, which really disrupts my happy routine).

I am trying to refrain from this because I've complained about these things before and once, or 10 times maybe, should be enough. I think I just really need to take a vacation so that these same old things that keep bothering me will stop bothering me again. I'll get to working on those plans. But in the mean time, I am here. Not doing a whole lot and trying to avoid all the proposals people want me to help them write. I hate writing proposals. So boring and tedious and not at all what I came here to do.

I do have one story about my cat friend. Every day I am at the office (which is most days lately, meaning I am not doing much though the organic farming project is up and running nicely) I eat lunch at this hoteli (restaurant) called the Sky Way Hotel. Communication is limited between me and the people who work there, but I think I can call them friends, as far as my loose definition of friends goes in the village. It's really hard to make friends here, with the cultural and language barriers and especially the fact that I am perceived to be rich.

I have another friend there who is a cat. Everyday the cat follows me in because he knows he will get some of my food (especially if Mama Jennifer has thrown in some matumbo (cow intestines) as a special treat for me). Here animals and humans have very different relationships and I am pretty sure everybody thinks I am crazy for scratching this cats ears and giving him my hard earned food. I also talk to the cat and hope nobody will notice but I am pretty sure people do. However, I am short enough on friends in the village as it is, so I must keep this one even if people think I am crazy for befriending a cat.

Today there was another man dining in the restaurant who really did not appreciate my treatment of the cat. He stood up and yelled at the cat in Luhya, I am perceiving he told him to leave but instead the cat went and hid behind my legs. An obvious give away that I am friends with this unwanted visitor. And the cat stayed there for the rest of lunch time, eating the food I "dropped" and enjoying a nice scratch on the head. The man causing the disruptions got ready to leave but before he did he threw one more fit to the whole restaurant including the mamas who work there who I consider my friends. The fit took place in Luhya but I assume I was being insulted for being nice to a cat.

And this is my only (non-complaining) story of the last 2 weeks. Which is why I have not been updating.

Hopefully I get out of this "not doing anything" phase again soon. It seems like I come up with a lot of plans and work and things we can do and we're really busy for a couple of weeks and then one day we realize we have nothing to do and are not doing anything. It's a cycle I don't quite understand. Or particularly like. But as a plus I did manage to get my iTunes playlists all re-arranged and up to date while at work, and this always takes a really long time.