Worrying about my knee

In addition to lions, typhoid, and pirates, one of my recurring "omg, Kenya" worries is my knee.

I tore my ACL and had surgery last fall. I've been doing my physiotherapy and only rarely does my knee bother me these days. I'm still restricted in that I can't squat all the way down and I promised my physiotherapist I wouldn't play even recreational soccer while in Kenya. (bummer) I have recently started running again and I've enjoyed a pretty rigorous weight lifting routine for most of this winter.

I've packed a knee tensor for in case I feel like I want a bit of knee support while there. The terrain is pretty hilly and rocky, but I'll be wearing sturdy shoes. I don't think I'll have any knee problems, but I'm still a little worried that something might happen.

Most people who re-tear their ACL after surgery do so within the first year. I'm not really in the clear, yet. I'll have to be really careful. If I do re-injure myself, I won't know what to do... I guess I'd come home early.

Today I found out that I'll be teaching in an all girls secondary school!

I also found a google book on the Kamba language. I think I might try to learn a bit before I head over.

Also also, I found this photo album of pictures of Mbooni, the region where the school is! It's sort of fun to look through, and imagine being there. In 20 days!

What is the climate like in Kikima, Kenya?

Here is the average temperature and rain fall for Kikima:(image via BBC Weather Centre)

From May to July I can expect daily max/min temperatures to be 22/11 degrees Celsius with 58-89 relative humidity. This means I will definitely be packing lots of layers!

To prepare specifically for rainy season, I will be bringing a rain jacket with a hood, that is warm enough for colder days, but versatile enough to be worn for rain protection on hot days (I'm looking for something with pit zippers) as well as waterproof sandals, because soggy running shoes are no fun at all.

Pre-depature Timeline

(Most important dates bolded)

March 30th- (at least one month before departure) received needles

April 3rd- medical check up

April 7th- departure meeting with my school's co-op education department

April 20th- (two weeks before departure)First dose of Dukoral

April 22- dental check up

April 27- (one week before departure) Second dose of Dukoral

May 2- start taking malaria pills (Malarone. Other brands have different rules!)

May 4- depart!

Conservative Clothes

I've been doing lots of reading and talking on what clothes are and are not culturally appropriate.

This post (Put Some Damn Clothes On!) starting my thinking. One friend told me that when she went to Ghana, she was wearing pants but felt like she stood out so much that she went and bought a whole bunch of dresses her very first day there.

I don't care at all about standing out but I do care about being respectful. I emailed a girl who used to live in Kikima (but now lives in Canada for university) and she said this:

Its good to dress in a conservative manner (skirts/dresses not above the knee), unfortunately no shorts, and no low-neck clothing. Especially since you are a foreigner you will be under more scrutiny so its good to keep a low profile in terms of clothing so the culture is not offended. If there is a gathering or church service or you're teaching, you need to be dressed appropriately (formal - nice dress/skirt). No jeans. You can get away with wearing trousers in the town (Machakos - its a bigger town) but not in Kikima. Even when you're travelling there, you can wear pants. Its just during the day, in the marketplace and in the school thats a bit hard to do.

Okay. So what kind of skirt fits the bill? I own 3 business-y skirts, that need ironing and I wear when I work in an office. I also own a few jean skirts and mini skirts that I wear when I've recently shaved my legs and want to show case that fact. I own a few semi formal dresses, and one halter top sun dress.

Suffice it to say I'll need to go shopping.

I guess I can wear shorts under the skirt so I don't feel uncomfortable. I have plenty of little bike shorts that will do nicely. But where does one go to buy low maintenance, conservative dresses and skirts? I don't even know what I'm looking for!

Where is Kikima, Kenya?

It's near here:Kikima itself isn't on google maps! I had to search a nearby village. (Image via google maps)

As you can see, it's at a pretty high elevation. It's around 1600m above sea level. To compare, Toronto is about 133m above sea level (source). The highest mountain in Canada, Mount Logan, is 850 feet above sea level (source) and Mount Everest is 8848m above sea level (source).

That's good for me because it means the weather isn't as hot, and it means there will be less mosquitoes. That's bad for me, because I'll have to acclimatize to the lower air density. That's good for me, because I'll come back and be an amazing runner.

Don't know where Kenya is? Explore googlemaps here.

Toilet Paper

Good news. I just found out that YES, they do have toilet paper where I'll be in Kenya.

Oh hooray!