on doing nothing, politics and chocolate chip cookies

It started raining last night and continued until about 11am this morning. As a result, after breakfast at 8:30am it was suggested to me that I not go to work because the roads would be very muddy and not many people would be at the clinic. I had Peter (the father of the family) call the head nurse. She was at home and not planning to go in until it let up or until she was urgently needed. So I read and wrote until it stopped and then was planning to head to the clinic at about 12pm when it was suggested to me that it was almost lunch time so I ought to stay and have lunch and then go to the clinic. I readily agreed to this since the food at home is so good.. and set about to do my laundry (with the "help" of the resident two-year-old, Meshack). Somehow it got to about 3pm when we finally had our lunch. So, I decided to write the blog and pick up some groceries for the house and go to work tomorrow. I had a wonderful day in part because I didn't allow myself to set Western standards about getting things done. I was doing important things by much of the world's standards. I could tell Mary and Peter have been around enough Americans that they kept explaining to me why we couldn't have been more productive today. In the Philippines I had a hard time with it sometimes but it's not as if I dislike reading or talking politics with people...

Speaking of politics: I watched 3 hours of Kenyan parliament last night. Probably more. The MP's (ministers of parliament) were electing a speaker (it took 3 votes) and a deputy speaker. They both ended up being of the ODM party (Kibaki the president is of the PNU party) which I thought would make things more peaceful here because the ODM got some of their people in important places but not so. Others I was watching with felt this was bad because now nothing would get done because the opposition would just oppose anything (it's their job I guess). The voting had already begun when I was at the clinic and since the nurses all seemed to be rooting for PNU I asked what distinguished the 2 parties. I got the following answer: "PNU wants to develop the country while ODM wants to destroy it." Hmmmm. Luckily, Mary and Peter have a college-aged son, John, who is happy to explain things and really likes to discuss things in an enlightened manner. From observing it does seem ODM is being ridiculous in the ways they are protesting the presidential election but John has explained to me that the court isn't independent enough from the president for ODM to be able to trust a ruling so they're protesting in all sorts of ways.

Chocolate chip cookies? Another student (the students left last night) and I made chocolate chip cookies for the family (with no measuring cups and with an over without a temp. gauge). Big hit (we made about 70 to ensure that everyone could have at least 2-3. That's how many people are drifting through the house at any moment).