Yesterday I successfully made banana nut bread using Mark's (a VSO volunteer living on campus) gas oven. This amazes me because I had to use baking powder instead of baking soda and peanuts instead of walnuts. But everyone liked it!

I had periods of up-and-down yesterday, but felt much better yesterday evening when I got 8 text messages and 1 phone call in a period of 45 minutes. Wow! I don't know why, but it lifted my spirits.

Today I'm supposed to go collect the 3 sets of clothes (3 shirts, 3 skirts) I had ordered from a tailor 2 weeks ago. They were supposed to be ready last Saturday but like most things in Kenya - and is apparently the habit of this particular tailor - they weren't ready. But he called a few minutes ago and said they'd all be ready at 4:00 p.m. today. About time! I'm down to wearing jeans to work at the College. I also want to take a denim skirt in to be taken in and hemmed - I've been losing weight in the 10 weeks I've been here in Kenya. I'm sure it has something to do with the fact that I don't cook very well. :)

This is my first entry. I'm a Peace Corps Volunteer serving in Kenya and need a way to vent my stress. Since I already keep two journals and write a biweekly newsletter to friends and family back home, I decided to try a blog also. This will be where I vent my frustrations and where I will be honest with my feelings, instead of trying to cover them up to keep my family and friends from worrying. Disclaimer: Nothing I say in these blog entries is in any way the view of the Peace Corps; they are my own feelings. I have been feeling a lot of stress lately and my usual mechanisms for relaxing aren't working here. (Walking isn't a stress-reliever here with hundreds of kids yelling, "Mzungo! Mwindi! British! Howa you!.") I just need a place to vent, I think. I don't have time to write more now, so this will be it for my first entry. Tutaonana kesho!