Transition

Reverse culture shock is definitely a documented phenomenon. For some, it is so severe that they are unable to even live in their home country after a relief work experience overseas. In my case, it has always generally been mild. The consumption orientation of societies especially the States, the waste, the chosen ignorance of my home population, they are all hard to stomach after 8 months in Africa. However, after having returned to the States so many times following trips to so many other countries, the gravity of the reverse culture shock even after a trip as long as this past one has definitely been mitigated and much easier to weather. Of course, it is also much easier to glide back into one's culture when you have someone as supportive as Amy and as joyful as the dogs to help you along in the activities of daily life.

Overcoming jet lag turned out to be a quick process. Despite my insistence on youth both emotionally and physically, the effects of transoceanic travel have become harder to simply brush off. Yet, on this return, a visit to a party that forced me to stay awake and the novelty of physically playing video games on the new Nintendo Wii console for hours on end allowed me to transition to this new time zone within 2 days. Consequently, I could not use jet lag to justify my perpetual need to sleep and nap; Amy would have to simply deal with the fact that the normal Jeevan has returned in all of his somnolent splendor.

Initially, the starkest contrast was the infrastructure. The fact that there were paved roads, so many cars traveling at seemingly insane speeds, no chickens, goats, and cows running around in the middle of I-70, a lack of significant potholes threatening to tear off axles, the ubiquitousness of street signs - these were all such a shock to see. Granted, Kisumu is a fairly well developed city but it cannot even compare to the infrastructure of our basic suburbs, especially after it got looted and razed in the aftermath of the elections (the city has recovered significantly from those events, fortunately).

Overall, I got mostly used to the abundance, the drive to consume everything in sight like a bunch of parasites, the speed of life, the necessity of getting so many things done regarding the start of my fellowship. Yet, even as I write this the one thing that I still have trouble fathoming is the amount of day light that we have. In the first few days, I was amazed that we would be in bed by 9 pm or so reading and it would still be light out. Even last night when we were out to dinner with friends, I was judging the time that we should leave the restaurant by the amount of daylight that was outside. When I suggested that it was time to go based on my observation of a deep twilight, all 4 of us were surprised to note that it was 10 pm. Jeez. The regularity of the diurnal cycle in Matoso was so consistent - sunrise at 6:30 am, sunset at 6:30 pm - this enormity of sunlight is not only disconcerting but it also foreshadows the paucity of natural illumination that I will experience in the winter. I'll probably need a light box in St. Louis just to accommodate this reliance on a steady sun cycle that I've developed on the so-called "Dark Continent." I definitely won't be calling it dark when winter comes around this year.

I am glad that I left some time after my tenure in Kenya to allow for a transition to this life state-side. Realizing now how much preparation both mentally and logistically that needed to be done for my move to St. Louis, I would have liked even another month to spend at home with Amy and the dogs, my nuclear family. Probably, I could have picked up some moonlighting to replenish the savings that were drained to facilitate this contribution of blood, sweat, and tears to this worthy cause. I am so glad to say that Lalmba Kenya and I worked so well to accomplish worthy goals, and that Paul and Darcie are such excellent people with whom to leave a legacy that will be nurtured to even greater heights.