More Kenyan Antics

So on Monday, I decided after not being able to run or exercise outside of house aerobics (squats down the hallway are a blast) that I needed to get a good workout. I pulled a random circuit/muscle-building workout off the internet and went to the nearest, cheapest gym, which happens to be 5 minutes from my house, outside of Kenyatta Market. It's only 250 shillings a day for students, and 3000 a month (the exchange rate is about 102 shillings per dollar right now).

It was a great workout, but the people in the gym seemed puzzled at my confusion as they were trying to introduce themselves to me...as I was on the treadmill with my mp3 player on. I think the gym is more of a social scene here, as everyone was having a conversation in the weight/treadmill/water room. But it's a great value, and because of the unsafe running areas around the house, and the hot showers at the gym, I'll be going back there frequently.

I was actually going to return to the gym today, but research got in the way of that. I've been sitting at my computer for about 8 hours now trying to find 'scholarly' sources for all these term papers, and the concept paper for our research proposal. For some topics, finding free sources (mostly studies), is very easy. Apparently American foreign policy in Africa during the Cold War is not one of those topics...JSTOR has failed me again (honestly, who the ^%@* wants to pay 25 dollars for an article), so I'm going to the University of Nairobi's Library tomorrow to attempt to find some of the sources I found online. But I'm sure there are other topics with more available resources, so I'll just have to play it by ear.

On a lighter note, I've been having hair issues lately (I took the braids out, and my hair is longer than it's been in 3 years), so I bit the bullet and got a straightener. I wasn't expecting much (it was 30$, only heats up to 290 degrees, and is tiny), but I was definitely in for a surprise. When I plugged it in, it heated up within 5 seconds, and made my hair the straightest I've ever seen it haha...I think it's one of the nicest ones I've ever used. Kak harasho!

Well, blog break's over, now I have to get back to writing my literature review for the concept paper. The group settled on researching refugees in northern Kenya, and I'm focusing on where and how the children are getting educated. Fun stuff, I'll probably put something about it on here next time.

Have a good day :)