Edtiors, start your keyboards ...

I see several of you have accepted the invitation to join this blog — salama sana. And thank you, Koco, for the positive feedback (nice mugshot, BTW).

A couple of quick notes:

— You may be curious as to why this blog is called "Mambo Kiboko" instead of the tradtional "Mambo Vipi." Well, that name, while unspeakably groovy, was already taken, by somebody in Kenya, of all places. Here's the link to the blog, if you'd like to brush up on your Kiswahili. Anyway, "Mambo Kiboko" was available, so I grabbed it. Hope it works for everybody.

— I have sent out invitations to 22 or our fellow RPCVs because those were all the e-mail addresses I had at my disposal. Please feel free to forward contact information for anyone else you think might be interested in participating and I will then launch invitations their way. Or maybe you can even do it yourselves, I don't actually know. Give it try.

Now, if you're wondering where we go from here, join the club. I have this notion that we could share our stories, both PC-flavored and otherwise (a favorite pastime of mine, much to my co-workers' chargin) or it could just be a central information hub for reconnecting with each other and/or planning possible reunions in the future. Whatever you folks think we should do. You all have the ability to post to this blog, in any fashion you see fit. So in the immortal words of Obi Wan Kenobi, "Use the Force, Luke ... use the Force ..."

I have started a subsidiary blog, the link to which you will see at your left, where I will most likely babble on about nothing of significance because, well that's how I roll. Like I said, I don't know how these blog thingees work, but I figure I'll just jump in feet first and see how buoyant I am.

In this regard, I will now post "The Five Things that I Miss Most about Kenya":

5. Walking down the streets of Lamu wearing a dress while holding hands with another man.

4. Chewing miraa and drinking pombe until the sun comes up then amazing all my friends by going right to sleep.

3. Playing basketball with my students as the sun is setting and the sweet smell of ugali and maharagwe wafts past the court.

2. Sitting on my porch in the warm evening watching the bats circle my house.

And the No. 1 thing I miss about Kenya:

1. Rekoda (You know what I'm talking about.)