OK so where to begin…. Last month I was in Nairobi for two weeks of training. It was the last time all the volunteers from my group will all be together again. In all honesty training was minimal while fun was in no short supply. Highlights included frequenting the casinos, visiting an animal orphanage and even a Peace Corps “prom” ( that’s what those ridiculous pictures of me dressed up and posing behind a cardboard limo are from). The animal orphanage was awesome. It was pretty much a zoo but with orphaned and rehabilitated animals. Unlike American zoo’s however the zookeepers are more than willing to let you into the cages of dangerous animals for a kitu kidogo (small bribe). I did just that and was able to pet and get licked by a full grown cheetah. Nairobi was a lot of fun and I was actually quite lonely for the first time when I arrived back at site. An emotion very common among Peace Corps volunteers I am quite lucky to just now be feeling it 5 months into my stay. After I arrived back I was very eager to begin work only to find that there had been major setbacks to my bottled water project during my absence. There have been financial as well as technical issues and I strongly suspect some “misallocation of finances” something unfortunately very common in Kenya. For now this project is on hold. As of late I have trying to find some new projects to work on and have begun designing a website for my school and in the process have been teaching my self how to build a website. I have also been in contact with several wildlife organizations and have a meeting set up with a whale shark conservation group for next week. I really hope that works out as it would be an absolutely perfect passion project for me. Socially my site is amazing I have literally met people from ALL over the world. Diani is full of tourists, backpackers, expats, locals and volunteers from just about everywhere. On the weekend I stay at a little backpackers retreat on the beach and consistently meet new people to party with. I have also made good friends with a pretty wild group of locals. Most of which are Europeans born and raised in Kenya or tourists that never left. They honestly remind me of the St Auggie crew back in the day. At times I get frustrated and wish I could hit the bars with them every night but its cool to have people to chill with when I have the time and money to do so. Last weekend was Diani Beach Music Festival and I totally forgot how much I missed live music. They had a big ass stage set up right on the beach overlooking the Indian Ocean with a couple 1000 people. Music was sick too mostly more traditional african music with some western influence, a lot of heavy drums and percussion. I cant wait to go again next year. Something definitely worth planning a trip around (hint hint). That’s really it for now. I can honestly say I feel pretty settled here. Kenya is my home for now and its pretty freaking sweet! If anyone has any specific questions about my day to day life or anything else let me know. Oh yea I recently discovered everything I miss from America begins with the letter “F” friends, family, football and food. Love you guys!!

Dino

I know, I know I have been slacking on this thing but between being a peace corps volunteer during the week and tourist on the weekends I don’t have much free time. The week after I arrived here I was evacuated to another beach town on the north coast called Kilifi because Kenya was having a major election on a new constitution. Kenya does not have a very good track record with elections as the last one ended up with near anarchy and the withdraw of all PCV’s. I am happy to report though, that this one went very smoothly. A great sign for the Future of Kenya and its people.
Work wise, I have pretty much just been getting settled and familiar with my community. I am compiling a community needs assessment right now so pretty much that is the bulk of my job. Our bottled water production facility is about to become operational and that will be my main assignment while I am here. They refer to me as the “marketing manager” which is well and good for now but not in terms of sustainability, I will have to work on training a predecessor. Socially I am not exaggerating when I say I am pretty much a tourist on the weekends. I go snorkeling, hit up the casino and drink frozen cocktails on the beach…. (hate away other PCVs). Also I have been mingling with the plethora of British tourists who come here for their “gap year” or “gaap yaah”(think British accent). Gap year is when rich Brits come to Kenya for 1-3 months to help save the world before they start college. They do a couple hours of volunteer work during their stay to help justify this necessary excursion to their parents but mostly they just hang out on the beach and get wasted ( i.e. Cancun). Honestly though, its awesome to have other westerners to hangout with, something no one else in the peace corps has at their disposal. Hopefully this is enough to motivate you guys to come visit, oh yea and I see monkeys everyday on the walk to the beach. One last thing I have a knew address and do love to receive packages lol.
Michael Paladino
Ukunda Youth Polytechnic
P.O. Box 62
Ukunda 80400
Kenya
AFRICA

Miss everyone!!

Dino

Where to begin….. So I am officially a Peace Corps Volunteer. We were all in Nairobi last week for swearing in. It was a lot of fun. I frequented the casino they have in the Westgate Mall (yes there is a casino in the mall and its awesome!) I got pretty hot on the black jack table and my luck must of carried over because some how I found a Ronnie Brown jersey at some random store to blow my winnings on. Growing up I could not even find a Dolphins jersey in New York, but somehow I find one in Kenya? Swearing in was at the Ambassadors house and I officially want to be a Ambassador now. His house was ridiculous even for American standards. The highlight of the ceremony was when a monkey jumped on his roof during his speech. He did not appreciate the distraction but I got some sweet pics. That night we hit up the clubs in Nairobi with some current volunteers making my 10 hour journey the next day even more miserable.
OK now the important stuff. I love it here, Diani Beach is the shit!!!! The best way to describe it, is that its like being in the Bahamas, only I live in the sketchy place right outside the resorts they tell tourists not to go to. The best of both worlds for sure, after all I am in the Peace Corps. My job assignment seems pretty cool too. I will be marketing furniture and bottled water produced by the school. The furniture is made from palm wood and is really nice. The water is from our brand new water treatment facility given to us by my man Ambassador Ranneberger. Now back to the beach, amazing beautiful turquoise water and full of European tourists. It seriously looks like Cancun or something. My favorite bar / place on earth is called 40 Thieves . Its right on the beach first of all, and I don’t mean on the beach like Hatties. I mean I could lifeguard from my bar stool. They have great food, plasma TV’s, pool, fosse ball, darts, and the most amazing view of the Indian Ocean…oh and they have Tanqueray and real ice cubes ( the first place I have found Tanqueray in Kenya and ice is a real treat for us PVC’s). That’s it for now folks start making travel arrangements everyone seriously needs to check this out. Love you guys!
Dino

Last week in Loitokitok. I would use the term bittersweet but the truth is I am craving independence and cant wait to be on the coast. Everyone I talk to has nothing but good things to say about my site. I have done some research and found some potentially good breaks using Google Earth. Also, I have found out that there is a golf course and a casino within 40 minutes of my house. I know, I know it keeps getting better. This week I met my closest volunteer. He is about 40 min south of me and cool as shit. I’m excited to check out Mombassa with him, it’s a bummer though he leaves in December. It is cold and incredibly dusty here (it has rained once in the two months I am here and this is the “wet season”) making me more and more anxious to get to my hot sandy home. I have been busy lately as you can tell from my infrequent posts. Last weekend we had a party at a camp site on the base of Kilimanjaro for the 4th of July. We got a couple kegs delivered and roasted a goat over a fire. An interesting mix of cultures. We played beer pong and I ran the table most the night; nice to know I still have it. In other eventful news I slaughtered my first chicken or any animal for that matter this week. I was excited to do it as a kind of right of passage type of thing but did not intend on doing it again. However today I was asked by my family to slaughter another chicken. As it is a great honor, I could not decline but am happy to say it went smoother the second time around. I am mildly concerned about the chicken haunting me in my sleep though. The anti-malarial drugs we are on give us disturbingly vivid dreams so unfortunately this is not out of the realm of possibilities. Wednesday is my big language examination. If I pass I will swear in as a Peace Corps Volunteer on Saturday. We are having our ceremony and after party at the Ambassadors’ House it should be pretty interesting. My Kiswahili is coming along pretty well and am fairly confident I will pass. That’s it for now I am in need of an afternoon cocktail. Oh yea, Wardo and Alex that sketchy phone number you keep ignoring is me trying to call you so answer your damn phone one of these days. PEACE
Dino

GO USA!!!! What a game, just got home from the bar. I hope we keep winning as it gives us a reason to party. They even extended curfew today so we could watch the game at the bar. Thanks everyone for the B-Day wishes. Pam, Ted and the Connecticut McDonalds thank you for my cards, I received them today. My birthday day was very nice. The other volunteers and I played beer pong at the bar while watching the World Cup during the day. At night, my family slaughtered a chicken for me (a great honor as chicken is a very expensive meat) and even had cake. An interesting combination of American and Kenyan culture. It is getting quite cold here as it is now the beginning of winter and I am getting more and more anxious to get to the coast! The more people tell me about my site the more I want to get there. Me and the people in my area have been given the nickname of “The Beach Corps”. Works for me!! My language training is moving along slowly but I am told I am right on track. I am going to a city in the Eastern Province next week for HIV training. This is actually exciting news because we get to leave Loitokitok for the first time in a month. It will give me the opportunity to see different parts of Kenya and hopefully some wildlife. I have a cell phone now. My # is 011 254 700 858 918. I would suggest buying a calling card as it is expensive to call Kenya but I would love to here from people. Keep in mind the time difference is ahead 7 hours from the east coast. My address (now that I know the mail indeed does work) is
Michael Paladino
Peace Corps
P.O. Box 698 00621
Village Market
Nairobi, Kenya
AFRICA
I would be happy to give anyone suggestions on things to send but I am aware it is quite expensive to send things. Also, it is recommended that you write “for educational purposes” on any packages as they will slide through customs smoother. All in all I am doing great! Time is flying by, I will be at my site in no time. I miss everyone and think about you daily.
Dino

I am taking a break from the World Cup to answer a few questions people seem to have, first being about my assignment. Beginning in July I will be living in a town called Ukunda ON THE COAST! It is about 3 km from Diani Beach which happens to be the nicest most upscale beach in all of East Africa. While this might prohibit me from having the typical Peace Corps experience I am sure I can make the best of it. I will be a bike ride away from 4star resorts, beachfront bars, amazing snorkeling over coral reef, whale shark watching tours and gnarly reef breaks. Within a 10 km radius of my home there are 2 known surf breaks both being shallow hollow reef breaks and countless undiscovered ones (apparently I am going to have to step up my surfing quickly). This being so, priority number one is now finding a surfboard. As cool as my locale will be my job will also be pretty sweet. I have a number of assignments including marketing for a furniture company that makes stuff out off palm wood and coconuts, running activities at a boys vocational school and marine environmental conservation. Right up my ally? I think so! As you can imagined I am super stoked and can't get wait to get out there! The other question I am receiving is what animals have you seen and or been bitten by? Other than the ones I saw on my drive out here, nothing to crazy. I saw a family of Colobus Monkeys my first week (top left). Also some cool birds and strokes, an Agama Lizards, a dead Chameleon and a Bearded Dragon. The Bearded Dragon is the only thing I have been bit by so far. There is a serious cricket problem in my bed room and am planning on letting a few lizards lose in my room to eat them. I will keep you posted on how that turns out. Other than World Cup festivities nothing too eventful is happening I have seemed to settle into a normal routine. I miss everyone, have a good weekend!
Dino

Where to begin.... so much had happened since my last post. After an amazingly scenic drive from Nairobi I am currently living in a town called Loitokitok located on the Tanzanian border at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro. The drive was an adventure of its own. We started in Nairobi (possibly the dirtiest city on earth), after driving through what I could only describe as several "Trenchtowns" we were in Lion King like savannas complete with the famous Flat-Topped Acacia Trees, Giraffes and Ostriches. After only a few hours we were in beautiful mountains passing by tribes of Masai when I finally got my first view of the great Kilimanjaro. Over a week into my stay here, seeing that mountain everyday does not get old. It is truly beautiful, especially for someone who spent his whole life on the East Coast. My town is on the base of the mountain and still almost 7,000 ft. in elevation (I am reminded of this everyday when I walk to and from class). I am staying with a host family and will be till I leave here in July. My family is great, I have 2 kakas(brothers), 2 dadas(sisters) a mama and a baba (father). I have taught my brothers and the other boys in the neighborhood American Football and regularly have games, by the way someone needs to tell Urban there is some serious talent down here. Life here as you can imagine is considerably different. The food is pretty bad, lots of starch and fat, except for the fruit which is amazing and cheap. I LOVE PASSION FRUIT. My bathroom experience consists of bucket baths and what is literally a whole in the ground you squat over. This confuses me, people here have TV's and cell phones but somehow are content with a hole in the ground for a toilet? It is way colder than I prepared for here, 40's at night maybe a high of 80 during the day. A typical day for me consists of language class from 8-12. Classes are held in peoples backyards which is strange but kind of cool. We have off for lunch till 2 which we eat at local hoteli's (hotel/restaurants). After lunch I have SED (Small Enterprise Development) training till 5. We have a 6:30 curfew because the town gets sketchy at night but I always find time for a few beers at our favorite bar before dark. The beer situation is awesome!! Tusker is the most popular and a tasty brew but we also have Guinness Foreign Extra which is a little more robust than regular Guinness and a hefty 6.5% alcohol. Allsops however might be my favorite, it taste very similar to Tusker but is a full 1% stronger and 20 schillings cheaper (after all I am a volunteer on a tight budget). All the beers come in big 500ml bottles and cost between $1-1.50 US, yea its pretty sweet!! Well that's is for tonight big day tomorrow, WORLD CUP TIME!! Miss you all!
Dino

Day 1

Today was my first day in Africa. Just saying that sounds crazy! I was so excited I woke up at 5am (Nairobi time) and took pictures of my first African sunrise. Currently I am staying in a surprisingly nice hostel in Nairobi called Afralti, complete with my own room and bath with hot water (which is broken), a TV (also broken), and WIFI (currently working). Its amazing being here I walk around everywhere with a huge smile, as does everyone else. We have breakfast at 7 and class begins at 8 and ends at 5. Its not as bad as is sounds we have two twenty minute "tea breaks" and an hour for lunch. After class we played ultimate Frisbee for an hour. I hope this becomes a regular thing, I miss playing sports. The weather here is colder than you would imagine high around 80* and 55* at night. Its technically "winter" here but at 1* south latitude there really are no seasons. I had a face to face interview with the guy in charge of where I spend my two years and pled my case to be sent to the coast, lets keep our fingers crossed. Tomorrow night we get to go out in Nairobi with some current volunteers, I'm super stoked about that. That's it for now I will try to post again before I head to Loitokitok (the peace corps training facility on the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro)
Kwaherini! (Goodbye)