Monthly Archives: July 2008

Hello again! I’m still here in Kisumu. It’s the last day of training, and we have only a few hours left in the work day. Tonight is the end-of-training celebration for us (20 trainers) and the 65 trainees. Throughout the training, I’ve been leading all the icebreakers, energizer activities and games (including quite a lively go of the limbo rock!) – in addition to my training sessions - so I have been invited to start off the celebration tonight.

All of us trainers are completely exhausted. Tomorrow we check out of the hotel and fly back to Nairobi. Most are then continuing on back to the U.S., but four of us will go on safari at Masai Mara first. To get to our lodge at Masai Mara, we have a three to four hour drive from Nairobi, which includes incredible scenery and the dramatic descent into the Great Rift Valley. I can’t wait to see it!! I’m also really looking forward to relaxing.

Hope you are all well. Love, Crystal

Dear friends and family,

Hello from western Kenya. I am in a small town called Kisumu at the “Imperial Hotel”. We have now had three and a half days (!!) of study training here in the conference rooms of this hotel. Only four more days left to train before we head back to Nairobi.

Today is Sunday so we only had to work a half day. I’ve just eaten lunch (cheeseburger and Coke) in the hotel restaurant. Thomas, Josh, Elan and I are going out on a fishing boat on Lake Victoria for the afternoon. I’ll be sure to take lots of pictures!

This evening I will prepare myself (mentally and materials-wise) for my Product Management session I’m leading tomorrow. (It’s a big one!)

The weather is very nice – it’s sunny and warm but breezy and not very humid. We’ve tried a number of local restaurants, which has been fun. We are in good hands, and the area is very safe.

Hope you are all well! Bye for now.

Friends and family,

All is well here in Kenya. I arrived the day before yesterday and have had a great experience so far. We are staying in a lovely hotel in downtown Nairobi during our monitoring training. If you are not familiar with what I mean by monitoring training, I mean training for clinical trial monitors, which is what I am.

Tomorrow evening we leave by plane to Kisumu. Kisumu is a very small town located in the northwestern part of the country. It sits right on Lake Victoria. Apparently Barack Obama’s grandma lives here, and we are going to try to find her if we have time. (Photo op!!)

We will stay in Kisumu for seven days while we conduct a major clinical training for the local staff of one of our study sites. This is a huge training – 10 or more of us trainers from FHI (North Carolina and Kenya offices) and 65+ trainees!!

We are very safe and well taken care of by our FHI/Kenya office staff.

I’m looking forward to Ethiopian food tonight. Hope you are all well.

Love, Crystal

Contents of the backseat of my car from my crazy, full weekend:

• 1 shovel
• 2 hedge trimmers
• 1 hand rake
• 4 board games
• 3 silly hats
• 1 box of melted iced cream sandwiches (don’t ask)

Two things:

OMG, I have recently discovered the incredible world of prescription sunglasses. Not only do my new pair make me look like a MOVIE STAR, but the lens polarization renders the outside world a vastly happier place. The trees seem greener, and the sky somehow bluer…

Second point: I love Elmo’s Turkey and Cornbread Dressing special – the luscious gravy, the chunky mashed potatoes with potato skin all mixed up in there, the savory cornbread dressing, the sweet, sweet cranberry sauce. It is the only thing I ever order when I am at Elmo’s. Yes, it is a bit expensive (a whopping $9.50 per plate!) but the portion gives me enough food for two meals, so I think I get my money’s worth. But alas, it has been on the “specials” menu now for about one year, and my greatest fear is they’ll get rid of it any day now…

Happy long weekend, everyone.