Escorts

So lately I've been doing a lot of walking. With gas prices at 6 dollars to the gallon, it costs way less to use public transportation then to start up the car for just me to drive to the church. Another advantage of public transportation is the journey is broken up into three lengths. So it is pretty motivating to think that if I just leave the house 10 minutes earlier I can walk the first length (to town) then board a mat to kibuye. I have even walked all the way when I am not particularly pressed for time (it takes about an hour).

We had a Brit over for dinner Tuesday night who asked if it was annoying having everyone talk to me along the way. Not really. I mean, proportionately, there is about the same percentage of people who are friendly and curious here as there are in the States. In Monroe if I walk to church there might be two strangers who give me a friendly hello, but I only pass ten the entire time. Here the ratio is about the same - two for every ten. The difference is that every ten feet of sidewalk has ten people on it.

Oh, but there are the occasional escorts... guys who figure since they are walking the same direction as you they would make a good walking companion. I don't mind it too much. I keep a friendly distance and make light conversation. Once I walked with a maasai (in his full regalia) for quite a ways. He didn't understand a word of English, so that was good language practice. Usually after I politely decline to give them my number they will part ways.

Actually, three times this week one or more of the youth from the church walked with me part of the way. It makes for good relational building.