i-bee-talks

Thirsty?

2009-04-24T14:17:00.002-04:00

Got water? This picture makes me thirsty, very thirsty. Squirrels at Craig Park in Tarpon Springs, Fla. know how to get up to the last drop of water ...

Picture courtesy of Damaske, Jim / St. Petersburg Times via Zuma Press via MSNBC.com

Rotterdam(n) marathon -April 05 2009

2009-04-04T16:25:00.003-04:00

Duncan Kibet ... technologically savvy Kenyan runner.

Why do you need two iPhones brother?

Duncan Kibet, a cool Kenyan from Dennis Kaspori on Vimeo.

Want to see why Kenyan's don't just race to race? Looks like all Kenyan's train with the same attitude? Training, all the time, sick or not ...

Duncan Kibet, persconferentie Rotterdam Marathon from Dennis Kaspori on Vimeo.

This is how we do business back in motherland

2009-03-11T13:27:00.003-04:00

"If someone asks you 'Are you selling your blouse? Sell it!'"

I would totally buy straberries from this businesslady ...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7934763.stm

Ciudad Juarez gets Police Surge!

2009-03-03T15:29:00.005-05:00

Things to know about Ciudad Juarez

- Labeled Mexico's most violent city
- 250 people killed in February alone in drug related cases

Read the story here

The Policia Federal arrived by air and road

- 2,500 federal police sent there a while back haven't been able to curtail drug-related crimes
- 2,000 (of ~5000) troops sent to help bring back peace (was there any before?)
- I was stuck here a year ago after my visa got canceled ...

Policia Federal seen here checking their guns.

Wow!

2009-02-16T02:20:00.002-05:00

I dont know how much you care about cycling and doping ... but who went far out of the line in this press conference?

Ali G vs Kobe

2009-02-05T04:56:00.001-05:00

Do you know know how the tools you use work?

Imekuwa Kitambo

2008-11-30T11:46:00.003-05:00

Sikumbuki mara ya mwisho nikiandika chochote kwa hii lugha. Nafikiri ilikuwa katika mtihani wa fasihi ya KCSE. Lahaula! Nimesahau vitu kama minyambuliko wa vitenzi, mithali na kadhalika. Ninashuku kama ninaweza kufunza mtu yoyote kuhusu kiswahili. Nifanyeje? Labda nitaanza kuandika hapa saa zingine kwa lugha halafu tuone itaendeleaje? Labda hata siku nyingine hivi karibuni, nitaandika hapa kuhusu "Jifunze kiswahili". Au sio?

It's Our Turn to Eat

2008-11-17T16:51:00.002-05:00

Kenyan elephants are 'smart'

2008-10-12T11:17:00.003-04:00

Kimani the elepahant. Can you see his collar? It carries a SIM card.

I a country that largely depends on subsistence farming, it is devastating when your crops are destroyed, especially if the very crops take a year to mature. In regions bordering the game parks, elephants are known to wait till harvest time before they come and 'eat' the entire harvest in 'one seating'. Kenya is currently trying a new piece of technology where they insert a 'warning card' in elephant's collars such that it alerts the rangers when the elephants have gone near a geofence monitored by GPS. Read the story for yourself.

Apparently, you can track the elephants by GoogleEarth. I am going to try and do that sometime.

Anti Obama book launch in Kenya? How about NO!

2008-10-07T08:37:00.002-04:00

Next time you think about launching an anti-obama book, think twice about it. Dont try to do it in a country where every single living thing, including plants and microscopic organisms love him. Yea, let me just tell you that if Obama really wants to be president and lets assume he doesnt win in the US, the Kenyan president might be willing to step aside and let him lead Kenya and all Kenyans will be receptive of that. Dont quote me on anything.

Who does this guy think he is? Trying to donate $1000 to Obama's brother? Does he have any idea how the justice system is in Kenya? Hopefuly his balls dont get squeezed at the famous Nyayo house like they did to detainees in the early '80's. I have a feeling that wasnt a good experience.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7656546.stm

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article4897758.ece

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,433701,00.html

Goat Condoms - Only in Kenya

2008-10-06T22:41:00.004-04:00

Yup, only if we could control the people population like the Maasai control their bucks from impregnating the female goats, we wouldnt have an overpopulation problem. You see, there is a contraceptive that is made from cow skin and then slid down to the shoulder area of a male goat. This device is called an olor.

You hadnt heard of the olor before, had you? Now you have. The thing is, you have to kill a cow, then cut off a small piece of hide so you can tie it around a buck to prevent it from ummm ... humping female goats. Yea, it only makes sense to those who need to do it. But seriously, think about the desert ... dry, no vegetation, no water. Ok? Got the picture. Now think of a cow and a goat. Which is better suited to survive such harsh conditions? Wouldnt it make sense to sacrifice one cow to save many female goats from unwanted pregnancies? Man! Those maasai people are smart.

Its only a matter of time, though, before the bucks figure out a way around this. You feel me?

The other option is to separate the males from females. But that requires fencing and more boys to heard the separated goats. You would also need money to buy fencing requirements. Well, if you are a maasai, money is probably not the most important thing to you. Your wealth is judged by how many cows and goats you have. So, why would you need money when you can make the best of what you own?

I am Kenyan and I approve this technology. It has worked for the maasai goats, it should work for everyone else!

Michael Phelps' Parade of Gold.

2008-10-05T21:15:00.004-04:00

There was a parade yesterday in Towson, MD to honor the olympians from the area. It was hyped more as a parade to honor Michael Phelps than all the olympians. Of course we all know that if the medal tally was ranked by gold, Phelps would have been right there on 9th place with Italy. I say, he should buy his own country, be the president, the people, the athletes, the bank (he's got the $$$), the husband, the father, the thief, the good samaritan ... his mom will be the mother of the country and the country will need a first lady.

Here are some pictures for you.

Congressman John Sarbanes' office helped get me out of Mexico. So I got to yell out "Congressman Sarbanes, You are Awesome! Thank you!" I was wondering when that was going to happen, but at least I got it out of the way and in public!

I asked Jessica Long why she wasnt wearing her medals. I didnt hear her response, but she responded.

Katie Hoff. She was just chillin' ...

I dont remember what I yelled out here, but I definitely yelled out something nice.

Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley and Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon were also in attendance.

Debbie and Hilary Phelps were signing autographs ...

but Michael Phelps wasnt.

Michael Phelps had more security and more throngs of people following than the gorvenor and the mayor.

"Michael Phillips" again.

He was wearing the same outfit that he wore in this commercial ...

... and this one

So, a bear walks into a sandwitch shop ...

2008-10-05T06:59:00.004-04:00

Conflict of Interests - Doctors, Patients and Money

2008-10-04T10:54:00.006-04:00

A while back, NYTimes carried a story of a widely controversial practice involving some physicians at the Harvard Medical School. Dr. Joseph Biederman, Dr. Timothy E. Wilens and Dr. Thomas Spencer had been caught red handed after receiving more than $1 million in consulting fees from drug makers without disclosing them to their employer.

Today, the same congressman leading the inquiry into such behaviors, senator Charles E. Grassley, just uncovered another shady deal. One of the nations’ top psychiatrist Dr. Charles B. Nemeroff of Emory University failed to report that he earned more than $2.8 million from drug companies despite having signed papers and repeatedly vowing to the University authorities that he wouldn’t take anything more that $10, 000. From reading the article, it appears that Dr. Nemeroff had an electronic altercation with one of the deans at the school and it seems to me that he didn’t care much about what the dean had to say.

These articles appear in big time news agencies because they involve the big fish in the water. I wonder how many other such controversies are going on and not being caught by the mainstream networks because they involve the small fish in the ocean.

Researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants, are required to reveal any outside sources of incomes. The NIH strictly prohibits such dealings that could bring about conflicts of interest and usually relies on respective schools for oversight. Most schools (like mine) usually have their researchers sign paperwork promising that they will refrain from conflict of interest acts.

I am sure these same doctors signed paperwork promising that they wouldn’t write favorable reviews about devices made by the same drug companies giving them hundreds of thousands of dollars in consultation fees. They must have also promised (on several occasions during their career development) that they wouldn’t vouch for unapproved drugs to be used to treat the patients they should be standing up for.

In reality, no one is really keeping an eye on any of these researchers. The schools usually expect their employees to follow a certain code of conduct and schools seldom check to verify voluntary disclosures when it comes to outside earnings. With current tight budgets and almost no grants being awarded by the government these days, drug companies are capitalizing on such with their bottomless resources.

In the wake of these findings of the Grassley-led inquiry, some drug companies including Eli Lily & Company and Merck & Company have announced that they will be publicly disclosing fees paid to physicians. Some states already have such requirements and it also seems that in the near future, it may be a federal requirement.

Swimming Lessons

2008-09-17T18:01:00.007-04:00

I have a HUGE goal that I have set for myself. To attain this goal, I have set myself a "list of things to do". The list inludes a) run a marathon next in 2009 b) learn how to swim c) do a triathlon in 2009.

Running a marathon has been in my plans for a long time now. But as I always say, I want to run one when I know I am ready. I was so close this year before I ended up with a back injury that I cant pin point the cause. I had reached a point where I was doing some 90-100 miles per week with my long runs exceeding 2hrs 15mins (I ran a 2hrs 45min long run once and felt like a horse doing it) and really good strength workouts.

I also had so much school work which had me loggin in a string of 100hr weeks! I have since settled to a normal 60hr week (haah!). My synthesis (or should I say my drugs?) had me running crazy. All that time and all that research but nothing has really changed much albeit I foresee some great things sometime in the near future.

Anyway, back to that GOAL. I started swimming lessons today. When I called the swim instructor last week, our conversation started like this:

Me: "Hi, my name is Kip and I am calling to find out about swimming lessons."

Instructor: "Bla bla bla bla ... What's your child's name?"

How dare she say I have a child?

I had been taught a little, by my friend Alyssa, about swimming. I basically dont know how to breath right while swimming. And yes, I taught myself how to float! But what will floating do for me without breathing? Alyssa steered me towards the right direction on how to breath while in water but I was still having trouble and my pool closed. So, I thought it would be a good idea to pay someone with a pool and who does instruct for a living. My instructor's name is Annie. She is one of the trainers at the Michael Phelps Swimming Pool a.k.a Meadowbrook Aquatic Center. (Yes, Michael Phelps train(s/ed) here and (I believe) owns the place).

Ms. Annie is phenomenal. After introducing herself to me, she said "We are going to do Bob ..."I didnt know how to respond to that although I later learnt that its a jargon she uses while instructing. She had me learning all those breathing techniques within 45 mins (totally worth the $50/hr I am paying) and even had me doing back strokes. I have never floated on my back. Yea, I am putting my back into it (all pun intended).

Triathloning also involves biking, just in case you dont know. My friend Elf a.k.a Ryan McGrath lend me one of his bikes so I can use it for training (are my friends AWESOME or what?). I have been bking to school (45mins out, 45mins back) and have gone out several times on weekends for longer rides (1.5hrs +). I grew up biking a lot, so that was easy to pick up on. I know I need some instructions on this but I am not worried. I'll worry later when my tail gets smashed by big boys.

One other exciting recent development came last Monday. I was out jogging (no, I wastn running) when Joe, of Joe's Bike Shop here in Baltimore, MD came up to me. He was biking from somewhere. After saying hello and all that, he said "So when are you going to come in so I can hook you up with a bike?" My response came in between my breaths as I mumbled "Saturday!" I cannot wait for this day. He helped me get Elf's bike into good road shape (Elf's bike is a $3000 bike!) a while back. After I asked him if I could be a good cyclist, he basically said that if I had a better bike, I would perform better. Who knows what's in store for me?

If you read this far, I am sure you are a fan of mine. I am a fan of you too!

If You Were a Boss ...

2008-09-17T18:01:00.004-04:00

I got an email from a friend today that I thought was interesting. The email seems to have originated from some Bill Collins (State President, NJ NAREB). I copied and pasted the email. Here it is.

If You were The Boss... which team would you hire?

With America facing historic debt, multiple war fronts, stumbling health care, a weakened dollar, all-time high prison population, skyrocketing Federal spending, mortgage crises, bank foreclosures, etc. etc., this is an unusually critical election year.

Let's look at the educational background of the candidates and see what they bring to the job:

Obama:
Occidental College - Two years.
Columbia University - B.A. political science with a specialization in international relations.
Harvard - Juris Doctor (J.D.) Magna Cum Laude

& Biden:
University of Delaware - B.A. in history and B.A. in political science.
Syracuse University College of Law - Juris Doctor (J.D.)

vs.

McCain:
United States Naval Academy - Class rank 894 out of 899 (meaning that, like George Bush, McCain was at the bottom of his class)

Palin:
Hawaii Pacific University - 1 semester
North Idaho College - 2 semesters - general study
University of Idaho - 2 semesters - journalism
Matanuska-Susitna College - 1 semester
University of Idaho - 3 semesters - B.A. in journalism

Now, which team are you going to hire to lead the most influential nation in the world?

Pamela Jelimo (I read: Marry Me, do you?)

2008-09-07T22:48:00.004-04:00

Pamela Jelimo, the new 800m sensation from Kenya and the first to win the Golden League Jackpot from Kenya has also run the fastest time any woman has run since 1989 (see the youtube clip below). This girl is FAST!

I think Kham (my favorite cartoonist) read my mind well this time round.

Ideas

2008-07-18T09:09:00.002-04:00

I have many things that I want to write about on this blog but I always dont have time to. Surprisingly, I often finish my days feeling like a waste of space. I never seem to accomplish anything albeit I am always doing something ...

Here are some things that I will post something about, some day:

- Tribes and Tribalism
- Witchcraft
- Science and Graduate School Life
- African-ism
- Places I would like to visit
- Chemistry and Drugs
- e.t.c

It sucks to be a foreign national in America!

2008-05-19T22:28:00.002-04:00

Like you didnt know that already!!!

Reports are emerging that foreigners who are in detention are roofied before being deported to their home countries! Despicable acts!!! How on earth do you call yourself a nation that respects human rights, preaching it to everyone and yet have such inhumane acts going on in your own back yard? Shame on you America.

The article below is an investigation by The Washinton Post. Enlighten yourself ...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/nation/specials/immigration/cwc_d4p1.html

Is it Summer Yet?!?!??

2008-05-19T21:37:00.003-04:00

I have a very low tolerance for cold weather and chilly environments. I dislike being cold for many many reasons. I dislike having to wear hooded sweatshirts and sweatpants in my apartment, I dislike having to wear too much clothing on my runs, I dislike having a runny nose, I dislike the way my heat goes only up to 72 degrees ... I can go on and on and on. Sometimes, I wish I could take my school or my lab somewhere warm. But then again, I am not a fan of all warm places.

Take Miami, Florida, for instance. I can only visit such a place for short periods of time. I spent my college years' spring breaks in Coral Cables by University of Miami ... the only interesting thing I remember from that place is all the palm trees. Nothing pleased me as such and I have no desire too go there. I did not even like the famous South Beach ... it was the first place a woman over 50, that wasnt from the Maasai tribe or Turkana tribe topless.

I hear good things about California, though. Plenty of opportunities for people like me, warm weather, all the surfing etc etc. I would love to go to Mammoth Lakes ... or somewhere quiet. I am not a fan of all the action scenes. I just want a quiet place, a place that would feel like home. A place like the Adirondacks up in New York. A place with some authentic unadulterated, serene natural environment. I know there are better places than those, but those are the only places I have heard of or been to that I did like and wanted to camp out for a while.

I hope it gets warm soon, I cant take this 60-degree and below weathers anymore!

A seal rapes a penguin

2008-05-03T07:45:00.002-04:00

No, not a Navy Seal but a 100kg (~220lbs) fur seal tried to have sex with a 15kg (~33lbs) king penguin. Absolutely bizarre. For 45 minutes, the seal "alternated between resting on the penguin, and thrusting its pelvis, trying to insert itself, unsuccessfully." Apparently, it seems the seal was young and inexperienced. There is a possibility it had been rejected elsewhere ... so the only option it had was ... a penguin!

Lesbians are fighting to keep their name!

2008-05-01T21:20:00.003-04:00

People from the third largest Greek island, Lesbos, are suing to stop the homosexual community from using the word "lesbian" to describe their women. I agree with them. Imagine if Kenya metamorphosed and acquired a new definition, such that I wouldnt be able to go anywhere and say "Hey, I am Kenyan" without someone saying "Are you kenyan? or Are you Kenyan." How on earth would I respond to that? But why did it take the Lesbians more than 2, 000 years to respond? They cant say they didnt see it coming.

Memristors

2008-05-01T15:03:00.003-04:00

Say your goodbyes to DRAMs (dynamic random access memory) as HP has reported on unveiling a new piece of technology that may soon replace it. The ability of memristors to hold much more information in a tinier space than DRAMs is good news to those trying to make even smaller computers. The memristor idea was invented in 1971 by Leon Chua, I hope he gets his dues from this.

$17, 000 a month job ... in Kenya!

2008-04-30T13:52:00.002-04:00

Winning a seat in Kenyan parliament usually guarantees a rags-to-riches type of story. In a country where the general population survives on less than $1 a day, politicians are hiking up their salaries and approving everything without a say from the common mwananchi. They earn some $17, 000 per month!!! To make matters worse, they are tapping the money allocated for resettling the displaced people (after recent turmoil) to pay themselves! My goodness.

My new Hero

2008-04-30T03:45:00.002-04:00

This girl falls in a race, gets spiked in the head (and is all bloody) ... gets up and runs a gutsy race. Very few can do this. Much props to her.

http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/wp/?page_id=256

Japan to Build 1, 000 schools in Africa

2008-04-30T03:34:00.003-04:00

Here is the link to the story. http://allafrica.com/stories/200804291203.html.

Interesting statistics:

- 1 in 3 kids will never see the inside of a classroom.
- UNESCO plans to have free primary education and gender equality by 2015! I wonder how many other African countries provide free primary education besides Kenya.

Thanks Japan. You rock.

Doping Loophole

2008-04-30T03:27:00.003-04:00

Read this interesting article in NYTimes entitled "Some Athletes' Genes Help Outwit Doping Test". The title is self-explanatory, but I should point out that the research reported has shown that some people have the ability to pass the doping test despite having high levels of exogenous testosterone (implicated in 43% of doping cases).

Whats up with Africa and its leaders?

2008-04-30T02:43:00.003-04:00

The world should know, by now, that there are different definitions of democracy in different continents. Sure, some countries may share the same definitions even though they might be seas and oceans apart. I also vividly remember in 1992 Kenyan elections when democracy meant "picking someone from your own tribe". I am sure you heard what went on with Kenyan elections which eventually spiraled to war between tribes? The same exact thing is happening in Zimbabwe, who knows what that is going to bring. The point is, African old men were given a different dictionary that allows them to rig elections and NEVER want to give up power, despite what the constitutions of their own countries dictate!

Are there some exceptions? Have there ever been peaceful elections in Africa? Yea, of course, but why would the media chose to write "peace" and "Africa" in the same sentence if it is not preceded by "lack of"?

Should anyone care about such stubborn leaders? What is the whole point of having an international elections observers anyway? The international observers reported that Kenyan elections were flawed (duh, 4 year old kids knew that). They have also reported that Zimbabwean elections were flawed (Isnt that obvious? Everyone knew it before the elections even started. And, since when does it take 2+ weeks to release presidential results when parliamentary results were finished within 2 days?). Despite all these "reportings" and "observations" ... NO ONE LISTENS!! Or is it that no one does anything about it?

Its 3am, thats all I got. Thanks to all the adrenaline I am getting from running too much.

Imbaya Festival - Striking Images

2008-04-16T15:25:00.003-04:00

One of my favorite sections in the BBC News Website - Day in Pictures (Striking images from around the world) - carried an image from a celebration in a Filipino town or Banaue. An Igorot tribesman, Robert Duyugan (above), was photographed riding his wooden scooter in a race. Awesome!

"Running 26.2 miles from their problems" - The Onion

2008-03-31T22:01:00.003-04:00

Anyone read The Onion? I used to, then I got busy. Today, I learnt (thanks Mike) that they had an article about Kenya entintled "Running 26.2 miles from their problems." I guess Kenya is the country of the week and they have "factoids" about the country. All is about running and is untrue but really funny. The stuff they have on the clickable onions on the map of Kenya is hilarious. I was in tears ... you click on the title above or here http://www.theonion.com/content/atlas/ and see it for yourself.

Quick note

2008-03-22T10:51:00.002-04:00

Yea Ya, its been a while. I bet you missed me. I have been busy.

I thought I would share something with you. A story about an evolutionary biologist being kicked out of a creationist film ... one of the guys with him was Richard Dawkins. I thought that was interesting. I also added this guy's blog, Pharyngular to my bookmarks. I'll let you find out who those two are.

Columbia 10 mile race

2008-02-24T21:23:00.002-05:00

Last week, I wrote about trying to take the "express lane" to getting in a good racing shape. So, I feel like I should tell you that I did what I usually dont do again today. I raced ... no, not a 3.1 mile/5K race or 10K, but ... a 10 mile race! I raced without any base milage, without any workouts under my belt, without warming up, without pants or long tights and it was some 30 degrees Fahrenheit! I did the Columbia 10 mile club challenge.

Honestly, I did not think I was going to race until about 5 minutes before the start of the race although I was prepared to race. I had a million reasons NOT to race but since it was a team event, I really did not want to be that guy.

I was really unprepared for the race. I did not even know where it was (had a general idea). I usually look up where my races are and do some homework on how the races had fared the previous years. I didnt do that for this race.

My friend, Ryan a.k.a Elf (the one guy who has really made a positive impact in holding Baltimore running in one piece) warned me that the course was tough. But I was not prepared to climb all the mountains they had there. You know how they say that for every uphill there a downhill?I dont remember seeing any downhills. I am sure they were there but I was probably busy recovering from all the torturous climbs that came prior to them. I was able to hold myself in one piece and ended up running about 6 minutes faster than I thought I was going to run. I did it in 54:34. I promised myself to be in a better shape in four weeks. Ryan wrote a race recap.

Traveling the Americas with an ass?

2008-02-23T00:09:00.006-05:00

(Picture courtesy of NYTimes).

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/23/world/americas/23tinaco.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

I just finished reading a story in NYTimes about this guy, Jon, who is traveling the Americas with nothing but an ass. The ass is named Judas and no one seems to know how that name came about. I have seen and read crazy things, but this one is new. I would love to meet this guy.

Apparently, he started from Portland, OR, walked south. Ended up somewhere in Tamaulipas state in nothern Mexico. Here, he learned how to milk and was given a donkey. He and the Judas the donkey have been travelling for the past two years heading South and are now somewhere in Venezuela. He is a biochemist (a crazy one nonetheless, I think this makes me look saner?) and has been mistaken for an athlete, a missionary and ... a spy! I am surprised no one has robbed his ass, all pun intended! But one thing I noticed is, Mexican people are nice. I agree.

I'll never run that long again

2008-02-18T23:45:00.006-05:00

Have you ever pushed your body to the limits? That point where you are almost surpassing your tensile strength? Depending on how you look at it, there are tons of ways you can answer this question. Maybe you have been pushed to some emotional limits or physical limits or intellectual limits or xyz limits.

Many a times, such events are a consequence of our quest for superiority over something. For example, maybe you just want to prove to yourself that you can get that which you want, regardless of what it takes.

Why am I saying this? Let me tell you about an experience I had recently.

At this time of the year, I usually run moderate milage in preparation for the upcoming season. Since graduating from the NCAA type of seasons (cross country in the fall followed by indoor track in the winter and then outdoor track in the spring), I have adopted the single season mentality. I just get myself ready for road races and anything that has $$ and fun. Road racing "starts" (there are always road races all over the US) around March for me.

The Mexico saga threw my schedule off. As such, I did not really train much for about two months which means I am out of shape. At the time when I was dealing with my visa issues, I never really thought of staying in running shape. Well, except that one time when I took my running clothes to Ciudad Juarez, only to be stuck there without a visa. That "strangled" my attempt to maintain my running shape.

You might be wondering what I meant by moderate milage. Let me clarify that a bit. Last year at about this time, I was averaging about 50 miles per week. My longest run was 19 miles. This year, my average milage is 5 miles per week and my longest run had been 8 miles. I call what I did last year moderate milage.

Well, I need to get in shape quick. There are so many upcoming races that I want to do but for those of you who know me, I dont just go to races to run. I go to compete. It is fun that way. This means I have to be in shape or I cant compete.

This past Saturday, I decided to take the express lane to getting in shape. It also happens to be an express lane to getting injured, depending on what you do during and after your run. I decided that I would increase my long run from 8 miles to ... take a guess ... 2 hours. Two-hour runs usually range from 17-20 miles depending on what shape I am in and what I am trying to accomplish from the run.

I was a little skeptical of my run and I was afraid I wasnt going to finish it. But I did convince myself that I would not run any faster than 7-minute pace and that I would slow down if need be. I hit the first mile in 7:20 and was at mile four at 28 minutes. I wasnt feeling great, but I knew it usually takes me about that long to warm up especially when it is cold. For the next 50 minutes, I felt like a champ! I was cruising and feeling great. At this point, I had an option of heading home which would have taken me 15 minutes. This would have put me a little over 1.5 hours total. Since I was feeling good, I decided to add a 25 minute loop. Finishing this loop and heading home would have given me exactly two hours of running, just as I had planned.

I finished the loop feeling like I owned it. I almost did some sprints in between my run just to celebrate how I was feeling.

Turns out, my body could only handle 10 extra minutes. I didnt know this then but I could tell going slightly uphill that things were going to be rough at some point. For those of you who know where I live, you have seen that there is a 1-mile climb to my house. It is not that big of an elevation but it is one that will deliver the final punch when it needs to.

I only made it two minutes into the hill. It usually takes me about 5-7 minutes to complete it. I couldnt move my legs, my head started spinning, I started swaying to the sides ... I had never really hit the wall in my life.

(For those of you who dont know what hitting the wall means, watch the video below. Even elite athletes, like marathoner Kayoko Fukushi of Japan hit the wall).

Finally, I stopped. I walk home. For the first time in my life, I walked home from a run. No, I did not jog, I WALKED. I a little over a half a mile to go. I couldnt imagine myself face planting and possibly inflicting more harm than those I had already caused. My total milage was 17.26 miles for the 1 hour 55 minutes that I was out running. I swore never to run that long again but as I write this, I know that in two weeks I will be doing the same thing. Only this time, I will actually go for two hours non stop.

Here is a Google Earth capture of my long run route. Can you see the disconnect from the start point and the finish point? Click on the image to see the route I followed.

Long time no see

2008-02-11T16:37:00.000-05:00

Hey. Its been a while. I am still alive!

The artwork above is by my favorite Kenyan cartoonist Kham. It doesnt have anything to do with the ongoing crisis, but it speaks loudly about it. It reads ["Welcome to Kenya, No worries ... (but we might choke you? or we choke chicken? Well, the government does choke everything)]

I have been meaning to write something here. I am thinking of doing a weekly type of thing. My friend Kevin said I should have a weekly write-up where I present life through my eyes. He called it kipservations. I doubt it is going to be anything exciting on a weekly basis but there are some things that happen in my presence that I usually dont tell. But now that you (the blog) are my best friend, I will tell you some of these things.

Anyway, life after Mexico has been good. The entire Mexico trip turned out to be almost pointless since I am cancelling my homecoming a.k.a surprise family visit to Kenya. I cannot afford to be a victim of police brutality and all the hatred going on there. My younger brother has already been victimized. We still havent recovered from that and I think that is enough for now.

Yea, so all's been well, except soon after I got back from Mexico, I got a cold that was followed by an ear infection. I am finishing my atibiotics dose in two days time. It wasnt that bad, but I should tell you that if you yell out really loud (do it now) I cannot hear you. But its getting better, except I got every single side effect mentioned in the package. I never take drugs, so my buddy must be pissed off about it.

I have also converted to Linux operating system and soon getting rid of Windows XP. Linux is entirely free/open source. The learning curve is steep, but no one ever said learning was easy. Its like learning a new language, except there is no one to talk to but yourself. Yea, I am nuts. I like soliloquy ... but this involves a keyboard and a terminal. What type of soliloquy is this?

I also wanted to post a link to Thao Nguyen's podcast of my last trip to Mexico. She takes great pictures. She converted some of the pictures into a video type of thing with me narrating a few things here and there. Check it out here http://thaophotography.com/portfolio.html. I had never heard myself speak ... what an accent!

Kenya is ... Hell

2008-01-31T10:25:00.000-05:00

Kenya needs help. I just talked to my family not too long ago to find out how things are going. I had been refraining from doing that for fear of hearing the worst, but sometimes you just have to do what you have to do.

Two Members of Parliament from the Opposition Party were killed within days of each other. One of them was caused by the police and the other, the police are calling it "murder," but the opposition is calling it an attempt by the government to reduce their number in the parliament.

The situation is so tense there. I remember when there was some tension in 1992 and 1997. Houses were burnt then and people were shot with arrows. There was not so much hacking and stoning since every tribe was against the other. Now, all the tribes are against the kikuyu, the president's tribe. The kikuyus are now retaliating against the kalenjin, the luo and the luhya who are the large supporters of the opposition.

A patient, with an arrow lodged in his head, awaits treatment at a hospital in Kenya. (Picture Courtesy of Reuters)

The one place that hasnt seen such chaos is Kitale. Thats where my parents live. I dont know how long this will last. It seems as though the calm there is due to the fact that there is a mixture of almost all the tribes. There is not a place with one-tribe concentration ... that is a stretch though because concentration is a relative term.

Eldoret is a different case. That is where one MP got killed today. My grandmother and my extended family live around there. I wasnt too far from the 1997 chaos. But I hear that was nothing compared to what is going on now.

More Photos

2008-01-31T00:16:00.001-05:00

Boundary of the United States of America and Limite de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos. Ever noticed how other countries have signs that say "Please come again" or "Thank you for visiting" or "Country X welcomes you?" Yea, I didnt see that when I left America, when I came back, then left again, then came back ... they dont care whether you leave or not, but they will try to keep you out! (Picture Courtesy of Thao Nguyen)

I had never seen Mexican Homer. I was so excited that I really wanted to watch The Simpsons in Spanish. When I got a chance, they had regular Homer who was talking in Spanish. I understood nothing even though they had English captions. That wasnt as exciting as I expected. The Mexican Homer does not sound anything like the Homer I know. He didnt even say "doh!" unless there is a Spanish version of that?

Flying over Dallas Fort Worth at night. I tried to take a picture and got this ...

So I took a video.

Visa Photos

2008-01-30T23:48:00.000-05:00

Here are some photos of my visas. I promised I was going to post them.

This is my old F-1 student visa. It expired in 2005, but since I maintained my student status, the expiry date did not matter. You have to renew your visa when you leave the country and need to re-enter. You also need to go out of the country to renew your visa. Some people have been asking me why I couldnt just go to Washington DC and renew it. That is not the case.

In this blog ((Barely) Coming to America ...), I did mention that my visa was "CANCELLED WITHOUT PREJUDICE" as you can see in the picture above. I also mentioned that they had the wrong cancellation date of Jan 08, 2007 instead of Jan 08, 2008! That indicated that I had been in the country illegally for one year! It is probably going to give me some problems in the future too.

Here is my new F-1 student visa that the US consulate at Ciudad Juarez issued me. Notice how it says I am from "Baltimote, MD." It sounds like a cool city, but I think I'd rather just be in Baltimore. I hope this doesnt give me problems in the future. Also, notice that it is only valid for two years as opposed to my old visa above which was valid for five years.

Am I back?

2008-01-28T19:10:00.000-05:00

Alvaro was 15 minutes late! I wasnt in a hurry, but the wait seemed a little too long. The trip to Zaragoza Bridge wasnt unique except the meter in Alvaro's taxi read $32.xx. That is the most I have ever paid for a taxi and the knowledge that I had to pay that same amount on my way back was ... well, lets just leave it at that.

I have stopped expecting people at the DHS to be nice or even anywhere near that. The first officer that called me to the window was really nice, but then he had to leave for a shift elsewhere. The guy that came in after him was from another world. I forgot to get a copy of my parole/deferred inspection Form I-546 and had gotten an OK to get a copy from the first officer. The guy that came after he left for his shift did not even want to listen to why I needed a copy, but atleast he gave me my passport back. He then said, "You know you cant come back without a visa, right?"

Thao was with me, so we called Alvaro from the other side of the Zaragosa Port of Entry. He showed up some 10 minutes later and drove us to the US Consulate in Juarez. It was quite far judging by $$$ displayed on the meter. Well, I was also anxious to get there and get things over with.

Since I had done this before, it was easy finding my way to the non-immigrant visa section. I was in there for less than 15 minutes. They gave me a green piece of paper that told me to come back at 2:00pm. It was about 10:45am. By the time I came out, Thao was gone for a walk or something and was going to show up some 45 minutes later as we had agreed.

I decided to take a walk ... there was not much to see around the Consulate. I had seen everything three weeks ago. So I came back to wait for Thao. Soon, she showed up and we decided to look for a place to eat. Some guy pointed a general direction to "The Mall." It turned out to be some strip mall and it wasnt what I expected.

Soon afterwards, we were sitting in some place eating a burrito. I have eaten burritos for five days straight now ... I am maxed out.

At 1:45pm, I was standing at the Consulate's gate. The security guard turned me away and told me to come at 2:00pm. So I crossed the street and waited from the opposite side. At 1:57pm, I was standing at the gate again. He had closed the gate as there was no one waiting there anymore. So he signaled me in, but I waited until he came a slid the gate to the side. I didnt want to do that.

Some 3 minutes later, I had my passport back with a two-year visa and my Form I-20 attached to it. The wait is over. I have my "student status" documents back!

I am currently editing photos of these documents and will post them soon.

Headed to Mexico, Again!

2008-01-28T09:21:00.000-05:00

Last week, I was told that my visa is ready for printing. I made my way here last night from Baltimore. My trip here was uneventful. I decided to stay close to the El Paso International airport because the hotels here are significantly cheaper than those that showed up in my search in Juarez. Who knew?

It is about 7:25am local time and I am getting ready to eat breakfast. I also called up a taxi cab driver that gave me a"tour" of El Paso the last time I was here. His name is Alvaro, and I thought he was really nice. When I called him last night to ask him for a ride to the Zaragoza Bridge, where my passport is (hopefully), he hinted that we could also strike a deal and have him drive me to the US Consulate at Juarez.

My friend Thao Nguyen, a photojournalist, wanted to document my trip there and she is tagging along.

More updates later.

Kenya Headed to Peace?

2008-01-24T13:33:00.000-05:00

Violence-Stopping Hand Shake? President Mwai Kibaki (C) and Opposition Leader Raila Odinga (R) shake hands as former U.N boss Koffi Annan (L) looks on. (Photo Courtesy of NYTimes)

The two opposing parties met for the first time since the start of violence in Kenya. Albeit it seems the details of their meeting that was spearheaded by former U.N. secretaty general Koffi Annan were not fully released, rumor has it that there is a potential power sharing deal being brokered. This is promising. Hopefully this spells an end to the political tumult and senseless killing of civilians.

NYTimes Story: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/25/world/africa/25kenya.html?hp

It is all GOOOOOOOOOOOD!

2008-01-24T12:20:00.000-05:00

It is 12:21pm Eastern Standard Time. I just got off the phone with the Chief of the non-immigrant visa section at Ciudad Juarez general consulate. He said, "Hi [Kip], just wanted to let you know your visa is ready to print. Just come in whenever and we will process it for you the same day." He preferred that I go there on Monday January 28, 2008. It is all done! I will celebrate.

Oh, I just got an email too. It reads

"[Kip] --

Your visa is ready for printing. Please let us know when you will come back to Ciudad Juarez.

Regards
xxxxxxx"

You all have been awesome! Thanks.

Here is what you need for your F-1(student) visa renewal

2008-01-23T18:23:00.001-05:00

If you are an international student planning on renewing your visa, I suggest you do it at your home country unless you really have to go to Canada or Mexico. I have come to understand why there are so many illegal immigrants in the US. If someone who is here legally goes through such process as the one I am going through, imagine what someone who is here illegally goes through? I don’t even want to imagine. It is impossible.

In any case, when you show up at a US consulate for a student, F-1, visa renewal, make sure that you have the following documents. Present what they asked you to bring along, but keep the rest handy, just in case …

(Consult with your school’s office of international students if you have any questions, I am not a professional in this field and that means you cant hold me responsible for any mishaps)

- All original Form I-20's that you've ever held including an endorsed current Form I-20
- Original Travel and Departure Record Form I-94
- Passport(s) old and new with all visas you've ever held
- Proof of solvency including a letter from the department that is funding you indicating you ability to pay tuition
- Letter from the head of your program indicating your status as a student
- Official transcripts and diplomas from all schools you have attended
- Letter from the registrar of your current school indicating your student status
- A copy of your resume
- Form I-688 (Employment Authorization Document -EAD) - even if it expired
- A list of references (about 4) from the US and your home country
- A short description of your research, if you are doing any. You could alternatively take a letter from your research adviser stating, in technical terms and Leyman's terms
- A copy of tax returns
- Visa application forms
- Your appointment letter (they wont let you in without this)
- Passport size photographs (check out the DHS website for specs.)

I found these webpages, among others, useful:
www.google.com
http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/intlsvcs/
http://travel.state.gov/passport/guide/guide_2081.html
https://www.nvars.com/Production/userhome.aspx
http://www.immigrationportal.com/
http://www.immigrationportal.com/showthread.php?t=209461

Deferred Inspection Extension

2008-01-23T17:08:00.000-05:00

You probably know by now that my deferred inspection/parole expires on Friday. My goal today was to find out in person whether I could extend this since "the administrative processing" at Washington DC is taking for ever and it would be stupid to go back to Juarez now. I had been told by someone at the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) help center that it wasnt renewable in which case I would be Mexico-bound on Friday. I have even booked a flight. My Southwest flight leaves BWI airport at 8:45am Friday and I anticipate to be at the Zaragosa Port of Entry at 2:30pm on the same day.

As soon as I got to Baltimore last week, I scheduled an appointment with the DHS's immigration office to have my extension done. This was before I was told that the form could not be extended. I went there anyway, when I got there at 10:00am this morning, I was surprised to have to go through security check and such. I felt like I was in an airport or something. I didnt think they would have such a thing there, but I was wrong. I had my computer, camera, papers, pens, computer cables etc. Right in from of me, there was a sign that said "NO CAMERAS ALLOWED." I didnt think they would let me in while I was waiting in the line. As soon as I got to the front, the security officer asks "Do you have any guns or weapons?"
I said, "Excuse me?"
"Any guns or weapons sir?" She retorted
I answered "No."

She then asked me to put my bag through the x-ray, and go through the security check. I was hoping that they were not going to confiscate my camera. They didnt. Phew.

A few minutes later, I was standing in front to a DHS official. I have come to associate DHS with meanness. They are all mean people and I wasnt expecting any otherwise this time round. Our meeting lasted less than 45 seconds and she wouldnt even let me talk or ask anything. She said "We cant renew that. We dont deal with it. Go to the Customs and Border Patrol" When I tried to ask something, she cut in with "Sir, I told you." So, I left.

Last night, while trying to locate my passport, I happened to call the customs office at BWI Airport and had the number saved. So I redialed the number and talked to a customs agent on that end. He told me to head out there so he could look at my case. I was on my way within minutes and some 20 minutes later, I was walking towards the International Concourse E. It was empty. I learnt later that they dont get many international flights here which is a little odd.

In one of the walk ways, there was a green sign that said "US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP)." The arrow on the sign pointed to the wall. It took me 5 minutes before I asked someone at Forex counter where the entrance was. Well, I made my move, entered the "camouflaged-door" only to find no one on the other side. So I waited until two officers showed up. One of them recognized me as we had gone back and forth on the phone for two days now. So he told me he would take my case. His name was Charganauf (or something like that). Definitely one of the nicest people I have ever interacted with in my life. He didnt understand why they gave me 14 days on my parole and why they never told me that I had an option of paying $500 and waive the entire process.

I wish everyone was like Officer Chargnauf but my brother used to tell me "If wishes were horses, beggars would ride." I never understood what that meant then.

Officer Charganauf gave me a 30-day extension! I am here legally until February 24, 2008 or until I go get my visa.

On my way home, I called the Chief of the non-immigrant visa (NIV) section at the Juazes consulate as I had promised him that I would give him an update. He was happy that they did this without having to call him. He had told me that if there was any problem, that the CPB should call him for an explanation. He also said he would call me as soon as he hears from Wshington, DC and he hopes that would be sometime tomorrow.

I could be headed to Juarez next week.

Update - Janurary 22, 2008

2008-01-22T14:51:00.000-05:00

Tuesday January 22, 2008

You wont believe it. I am still trying to understand it myself ...

What started out as an awesome day (I even said I was elated) spiraled down to a really intricately complicated day. I dont want to call it awful yet, I still have six hours before it ends and I am having dinner with some friends later today.

I got up late because I went to bed later than usual. I decided to go for a quick five mile run just to get things started on the right note. That ended well in spite of not having run for about two weeks. As soon as I got to school, I knew I had to make some calls to the US consulate and senator John Sarbanes office. I was advised that it was a good idea to involve my senator in this case as they have expertise and experience regarding such cases. I have to say it was a great idea as Meg Stephenson who is involved in my case is on top of things in addition to being really nice and personable. Senator Sarbane's staff's got my back.

The call to the consulate was interesting. First of all, they have a US number and a Mexican number. The first several rounds, I called the US number and the response I got was "The person you are trying to reach is not available ...." I am not kidding, I tripple checked the number and I got the same response. Then I tried the Mexican number. It wouldn't give me the secondary dial tone after I entered the numbers. Well, I figured that since yesterday was Martin Luther King day, they must have messed up when they tried to switch their "The Consulate is Closed" message that they had running. I waited some 30-45 minutes and tried again. It went through! The first thing it asks you is to select #1 for English and something for Spanish. So I selected #1 and waited while the call was transfered. Then came this "Bueno!" I said "Hello?, I thought I pressed #1 for English?" So she switched to English and everything went well after that. I asked to speak to the Chief of the NIV (Non-Immigrant Visa) section because he is the one that wrote me the letter which got me into the US on parole. It turns out he was at a meeting. So I had to explain my case to the person at the other end. I had been put on hold several times and had to explain my case anew every time someone else picked up the phone. Eventually, they looked at my file and the reponse was "Your case is still pending."

I ended up leaving a message for the NIV section chief and asked him to call me. Within some 45 minutes, my phone rang and there was some weird number -52-656-XXXXXXX. I picked it up.
"Hello?"
He said "Hi John ..." and continued to tell me how my case was still pending and how they had not heard from Washington DC (whoever this person is?). He said they might not hear from them till next week or something.

I then explained to him why I called. I told him how my permit expires in two days and have to go back to El Paso, Texas, else I risk breaking the law. I also told him how they had retained my passport with the canceled visa and my Form I-94 departure record and how I couldnt really go anywhere without those documents. After hearing me out, he told me he would make a few calls and call me later today to let me know about the situation.

That sounded promising to me. I went ahead and called Meg Stephenson at the Senator's office to update her on the situation. I had promised that I was going to do this just so we can be on the same page. I also went to update the chairman of The Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences here at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. I had told him about my situation, so it was a matter of just filling him in on what I had been told.

The one very important thing I picked up was, Johns Hopkins would expel me if I broke any federal law or something to that effect! Hmmm ... that ruled out staying here illegally, not that I was planning to. This threw everyone into a frenzy. My options were to extend my parole/defered inspection and worry about other things later or go to Mexico and not worry about the parole expiring and thus breaking a law.

Everything seemed to have stalled after that. There wasnt anything I could really do until I got a call from the NIV Section Chief in Juarez! This would give me a chance to make a good decision based on his advise.

"Hi John ..." he said "... I just wanted to give you an update." He proceeded to tell me he had talked to Meg Stephenson from Senator Sarbanes office. He had also called Washington DC and the Customs and Border Patrol at the Zaragosa Bridge (the people holding my passport). I learnt that the processing at Washington DC was not done but they told him that my clearance was expected to happen this Thursday.

Then came the part that made the day worse. He said that the Border Patrol was sending my passport to the Airport. I was furious! Why were they sending my passport to the airport? What airport? To whom? When did they send it? Its one thing to have your passport retained at the Port of entry but it is another totally different thing to have it send to some airport. If this happened, it would mean that I would have to stay in Baltimore regardless of whether my Form I-546 was expiring, renewable or not. Staying in the US illegally for me means I would get expelled from school and would probably have trouble when applying for permanent residency in the future. Going to the border or the consulate without a passport is like going hunting without spears or a bow and arrows or hunting clubs (my tribe never uses guns for hunting). You cant go there empty handed, where would they stamp your visa then?

I decided that I was officially screwed. I didnt think this was one of the worst that could happen. But there it was. On my way home, I thought about calling the Border Patrol in Zaragoza Bridge to ask why, where, when and how this was happening. It was 6:00pm Eastern time, they Patrol Office closes at 5:00pm Pacific time. That meant I still had an hour to spare. I pulled up to the side of the road and called. I got in touch with the supervisor on duty who happened to be handling my case down there. I was relieved when he told me that he had not send the passport out but had scheduled it to be picked up by FEdex later. After finding out why they were sending it to Baltimore/Washington International Airport, I explained to him why they needed to retain my passport there until I went to pick it up. He agreed to retain it, but told me they didnt have jurisdiction over me as my address was in Baltimore.

I safely drove home and made it to dinner at Mt Washington Tavern at 7:30pm where some 20 or so of my friends showed up. Where were you?

My permit expires Friday. Am I going to Mexico then? I will post an update later today/tomorrow.

Updates Coming Your Way Soon

2008-01-22T11:50:00.001-05:00

Hold on tight!

Seeking ways to Help the World's Poorest

2008-01-19T09:56:00.000-05:00

I came along this article "Seeking Ways to Help the Worlds Poorest" in NYTimes today. Dr. Amy Smith, a professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is putting together this summit geared at inventing and innovating new and cheaper ways to solve problems faced by the poor. One of last year's summit's invention was a drinking straw that filters water as you drink from it as shown in the picture below (courtesy of NYTimes).

This summit, The International Development Design Summit (IDDS), is calling for professionals from all fields; chemists, biologists, farmers, engineers, doctors, lawyers, etc to bring their ideas. Do you have any suggestions? Do you want to participate? It is a week-long event in the summer.

Kenyan Police Shoots Unarmed Civilians

2008-01-18T22:44:00.000-05:00

I dont even know what to say about this. Crimes against humanity for sure. Why does our leader have a shoot-to-kill policy going on when people are just expressing their dissatisfaction?

F-1 Visa Renewal: Here is a list of what you need.

2008-01-16T22:33:00.001-05:00

Hopefully, I will complete this list soon. Check back.

The End is Near.

2008-01-16T21:30:00.000-05:00

This is not for the faintest of hearts. Read no further if you want nothing graphic. You have been warned. It is the reality though.

I have less than eight days before the date on my Form I-546 passes. Although I am thinking positive, I think it is a human thing to think of the worst that could happen. I have given myself a 20% chance that my visa will be renewed. Come on, I am male, I fit the definition of a "potential disaster" (refer to this blog if you doubt this or this DHS advisory if you think I am kidding), I am poor, I have an accent .... The odds are against me. This country wants no more of me!

Sometimes, I feel like I am documenting by own demise here. Think about it for a second. I am sure most of you know that the situation in my beloved motherland, Kenya, is despicable. People are fighting people. They have all forgotten that they breath the same oxygen and that they all bleed red. They are right, and I support them, about fighting for justice, but there are a million ways of solving such problems. The common man is suffering, while the culprits are being whisked in their six-figure cars (Kenya Shillings) to safety every time there is a fracas. But they have let themselves be convinced that they are defined by their tribal lineages. Sad.

Assuming they dont renew my visa, there is a 95% chance I will be Kenya bound. My family is split between the outskirts of Eldoret and Kitale. In Eldoret, every other house has been burnt and every kikuyu tribe member evicted. My brother told me of how this kikuyu man that I know from my childhood was shot with some nine arrows on his back and his house burnt. This man was mentally challenged and I suppose couldn't escape fast enough. Killing someone is unacceptable in my world, regardless of what tribe, race, gender, sexual orientation, age ... you name it, they belong.

I have come to a realization that this is where I might be headed. It is going to be an early trip since I have one planned not too long from now (I wont say when as it is going to be a surprise to my family). Heck, if I go next week, it is going to be a surprise to me and to them. I am excited in that sense, but I can see myself being slightly friendly to every Kenyan and have my tail shot or stoned or whacked or ... speared. My family did not instill tribalism in me, I guess that is why their village is safe and people are saner.

I am prepared though. Maybe I should say I am preparing. I have made the necessary changes. I am packing up my stuff, not that I am going to take them, but I am just trying to make it easier for my friends when they come to pick it up. I am yet to talk to my land lord, but I dont need to do that as I have talked to my room mate. I talked to my adviser, but she brushed this off and so did my lab mates. Maybe its because I never keep a straight face when telling reality? I am no actor ... but I know I am always smiling and happy. Except when I had iron deficiency. I remember, one time I got in trouble for smiling at some guy. I was about 10. This guy almost beat me up and I had no idea why. I learnt later that he was furious because he thought I was laughing at him after falling off his bike. I had no idea he had fallen off his bike.

Why would anyone (who kills children, as young and innocent as these above, who dont even speak any dialect and care less about politics) care about some random Kenyan in his 20's with education from America? Why, in the first place, are we watching while this is happening?

There is also a chance I will be back.

Say you were in my shoes ....

2008-01-14T15:00:00.000-05:00

Say you were in my shoes and you know you have these options:

1) Your visa renewal is pending and they expect (not a guarantee) to renew it in which case, you will be able to enter the US without any problems (assuming they dont turn you back at the Port of Entry). In addition to that, you know you have to spend some US $500 (if your visa is renewed) to go to Mexico or more like US $3000 (if your visa is not renewed and you have to go home from there).

2) You are in the US on parole for 14 days. You know that you must go back to Mexico to have your case reviewed as stated in #1 above. Now, you know that if you dont make a show after 14 days, those immigration people will be hunting you down so they can deport your tail back to where it came from. The cost to you is $0 in this case.

The question is would you spend the $3000 or risk it and go for $0? Look on the right side of this page, Vote! Thanks

By the way, for those who are not sure of my location, I am in Baltimore, MD ... temporarily.

On why I went to Mexico and not Canada

2008-01-12T11:59:00.000-05:00

Many people have asked why I went to Mexico to renew my F-1 visa when I could have gone to Canada or Kenya or Austria (I have a friend there) or anywhere else.

Well, here are my reasons for going to Mexico:

- If you know me, you know that I consider anything below 60 degrees Fahrenheit cold. Why would I go to Canada or anywhere North when I can head South and accomplish the same in a much warmer weather? Mexico wins.

- You need a visa to enter Canada or Mexico, especially if you anticipate that your US visa will be canceled. US Visa cancellation will render you illegal in either Mexico or Canada, but if you have a visa to either country, you are good (I think). Canadian visas go for C$75 while Mexican visas go for ~US $20 or $0 if you dont get one! Mexico wins!

- I had a free flight to anywhere in the US. To go to Toronto or Montreal, I would have needed to fly to Buffalo, NY then rent a car and drive across the border for at least three hours to get to where I wanted to go ... To go to Tijuana or Ciudad Juarez, All I needed to do was, fly to the adjacent US city (El Paso) then WALK ACROSS THE BORDER. 20 minutes, $0 ... no rental car. Mexico wins!

- To get a visa, you need to set up an appointment, electronically or by Phone. I couldn't get one in Canada but I had many options in Mexico. Mexico wins!

- Why did I need to renew my visa in the first place? Thats another long story. You will understand why sometime soon. But the point is, I had to ... and there is no way I could have avoided this situation as it was bound to happen sooner or later.

To My Friends,

2008-01-12T10:20:00.000-05:00

Thank you for your support. Thank you for your emails, your phone calls, your encouraging words and your blog comments. Thank you for sharing this experience with me.

[Barely] Coming to America …

2008-01-12T01:02:00.000-05:00

I got up bright and early anticipating that the process at the Cordova Bridge Port of Entry was going to be a long one. But I was thinking 2hrs to 2.5 hrs tops.

It is/has been a pleasant morning, in spite of the 35 degree cold.

I am currently at the Cordova Bridge Port of Entry. It has been exactly 4hrs and I don’t think the end is near. Although, from what they have done so far, it seems to me that things are in their final stages, but I have been wrong so many times and this could just be one of those.

Let’s step back a bit to that bright-and-early-waking-up thing. It was 6:30am, so I gave myself about 1.5hrs to pack up everything I had (that was quick!), eat breakfast, check my email (for the last time this week in Mexico, hopefully) and check out of Hoteles Colonial. By 8:05am, my cab was outside (yea, I didn’t want to walk to the bridge this time round).

I walk out of the hotel and the first thing I ask is “How much to the Bridge?”
The cab driver says “Ocho”
So I repeat what I THOUGHT he said, “Five?” making sure to lift my palm so he could see what I meant.
He blurts back “Si!”

So I hop in and he drives me to the border bridge. It took about 8 minutes or so. I didn’t have any change and only had USD 23.11. I hand him the $20 bill and he says “No change?” After answering no, he goes outside and comes back with change and hands me $12.

“I thought you said $5?”

He answers “No, ocho.” Right then, I realized my mistake and I said “F**K!” He obviously thought I was nuts … I don’t blame him. I wasn’t trying to haggle or anything. Had I realized earlier, I would have, but I’ll never forget what ocho means. I am not promising anything though. My memory is on strike, I think.

Anyway, I then headed to cross the bridge to an awaiting line at the Port of Entry. Some 10 minutes later, I was at the front of line, all my paper work at hand. This included, a letter from the Chief of the NIV section at the Juarez consulate, a sealed envelop from the consulate, my Passport (with my expired, cancelled visa), all my I-20s, I-94, letter from my program director, letter from The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine’s Registrar, my resume and a brief hand written description of my research that they made me do at the consulate. The officer at the gate calls me. As soon as I got there, I handed her all my paperwork.

She looks at them and says “This is going to be complicated” and takes me to Window 10 of the Permits/Permisos Section. Behind the window was this officer Williams, whom, as I learnt later, had only been at the Port for a week. In my mind I was thinking, “It sure is going to be complicated.” I think she read my mind … she smiled at me.

Let me digress a bit and bring to your attention a few things that you, the reader, need to know to understand what is coming next.

- If you read my very first blog, you will realize that somewhere, I mentioned that my visa was stamped “CANCELLED WITHOUT PREJUDICE” and the date on the stamp was “Jan 08, 2007.” Please, will you curse with me or for me at this point if you can?

- Foreign students in the US can travel to and from Canada and/or Mexico on expired visas as long as they have maintained their “student status” and that their Forms I-20 and I-94 are not expired. Ideally, I could have come to Juarez to visit and gone back to the US without any problem. As soon as your visa is cancelled though, your I-94 is invalid and useless!

- Cordova Bridge Port of Entry seldom receives cases like mine. Normally, people get caught in such situations at their home countries and usually, they wait for everything to take its own course. They are so rare, and since Officer Williams was one week old here … you get the point.

Back to the story: Officer Williams then signals one of the other officers behind the counter. I later learnt his name was Vasquez. At this point, I can overhear them saying “Why did they send him here …” Why did they cancel the visa before doing the administrative processing” “bla bla bla.” I zoned out. A moment later, Officer Vasquez comes to the window and says. “John (I hate that!), where were you before coming here?” I told him. The he proceeds “How comes your visa was cancelled in Jan. 08, 2007?” I didn’t swear at this point. I mean, how many more things can go wrong before you have to expect them? Well, I explained why, painstakingly. Officer Vasquez was very understanding and agreed that I had not been in the US illegally. This actually helped me out a little bit. It showed a little bit in incompetence at the consulate and helped explained some of the questions they had.

Things went smoothly after that. They called me in did some fingerprinting and some picture taking. Then, Vasquez tells Williams “Why don’t you check his bags to make sure he doesn’t have any bombs.” Ok, let me tell you something. Officer Williams is HOT, very beautiful and about my age. I was hoping that they would just x-ray screen my bags. Come on, I had worn my clothes more than the doctor-recommended times and it did not smell good in there. I also had my running shoes. Those smell AWFUL by default. Officer Williams, I could tell, realized this and didn’t really go through my luggage as she was supposed to. Oh well ….

They took me to a private “INTER” room with immobile chairs equipped with cuffs about an hour after the start of the whole process. Yea, I wasn’t scared … they had exhausted my “scared resources.” For the next 2.5hrs, they did paperwork. It turns out, Officer Williams was still undergoing training and this was one of the special cases. I was taking notes at this point, but that only lasted for the initial 30 minutes. They left the room, they came back, they talked, they asked, they yawned, they talked, they laughed … I was just sitting there. I learnt a lot and even asked them if they could hire me. Then I thought, oh crap! My flight is at 11:20am! I said that loud. It was 10:55am and the airport is some 20 minutes away. I asked to use their phone, they let me … I changed my flight, the 8^th time and then the 9^th time followed soon after.

All this time Officers are walking in, asking questions and amazed at how unique my situation was. I was wearing my Boston Marathon jacket. Since my passport said Republic of Kenya, I made some friends. At one point, one officer came in and asked “Do you run?” I said “Yea.” He then followed that with “Me too!” And I continued “Yea?” He said “Yea, to the buffet and back!” He was funny. I was really comfortable after all this that I was actually asking questions, some which even seemed personal, now that I think about it. I learnt that Vasquez had been in the military and thought the entire system, immigration, sucked. Williams had been a teacher prior to her current job etc etc. I also learnt that they were letting me under section I-546. That I had an A-file opened. And all these fell on Section 212i (7)/border patrol section 274 law. I have no idea what these mean, but I have them scribbled down … so I have to write them here.

Three and a half hours later, they take me out so they can do more paperwork and verifications. This included more fingerprinting and pictures, as though the ones they had already taken were insufficient. They then ask me to wait while they complete the process.

Oh, they just called my name. I forgot to tell you I was typing this while waiting.

I am at the El Paso international airport for the section below … there is nothing international about El Paso airport, except me!

Soon after they handed me a paper to sign, verifying my fingerprints, they hand me another form. This form is called I-546, hence the name of the entire process. This form is a replacement for my passport and visa that they are going to keep. It is my permit for entry to the US. But it’s valid for only 14 days. It is a piece of paper … and on it, is a stapled new I-94 form. Its headline reads “Order to Appear Deferred Inspection.” Under it, as it is “ … YOU ARE ORDERED TO APPEAR IN PERSON AT THE BELOW INDICATED ADDRESS ON THE DATE AND TIME INDICATED … FAILURE [TO DO SO] MAY RESULT IN YOUR BEING TAKEN INTO CUSTODY … your pass port has been retained …”

I am ordered to appear at a totally different Port of Entry here in Texas, El Paso area, regardless of whether the consular calls me or not. They said there is a possibility that they will allow me extend it at a near immigrations office if the consular doesn’t call me.

I am tired of writing. My flight is supposed to be departing at 4:10pm local time. It is 3:50pm and I don’t see anything happening soon. Maybe there is another story cooking, that I can tell later.

In the meanwhile, tune in for beginning of part II of Kipitos Mexican adventure. Something is bound to happen within the next 14 days.

F-1 Application Status

2008-01-10T17:19:00.000-05:00

"[Kip] I have good news and bad news ..." The Chief of the Non-Immigrant Visa Unit said. My heart was literally somewhere in my throat at the end of that sentence. He handed me my passport, I looked and there was no Visa renewed. He then handed me all my other documents, I-20, Letters from my school and my program director, transcripts and a diploma from Syracuse and another form explaining why I did not get the F-1 visa renewed. Of course he was talking to me while all this was going on. Whether I was listening or not is the question.

"The bad news is ... we are unable to renew your visa today." He continued. "We are still conducting some additional administrative processing ... and this may take up to two weeks. The good news is, we expect to renew your F-1 visa ..." I didnt hear what he said after that as I was busy taking a deep breath to reset my heartbeat and push that four-valved organ back to its place.

Then he said, "Here are your options. You can stay here in Juarez and wait or (I was waiting for 'You can go back to Kenya') you can go back to Baltimore on parole." I didnt care what all that meant, so I immediately said "I want to go back." So he told me to wait while he wrote a letter to the officials at the port of entry.

See this US Center for Immigration Services (USCIS) section that explains Emergency Travel. Scroll down to Advance Parole or Re-entry Permit or Humanitarian Parole.

The letter reads "This [is] to inform you that Kenyan nation [my full names and DOB] has applied at the US Consulate in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico to renew his F-1 student visa." It then continues " ... we are conducting additional processing that will take up to two weeks. ... we expect to issue an F-1 ..."

The rest is not relevant. Basically, I can "come back to the US" but they will call me after this routine is done so I can come get my visa. Coming back there is another story since I still have to be scrutinized at the port of entry. The USCIS states clearly that "Admission into the U.S. is not guaranteed. In all cases, the alien is still subject to immigration inspection at a port of entry to determine whether the alien is admissible into the country."

Maybe I will see you, maybe I wont. But now that I have all my documents, I think I should check out Juarez.

Before I venture though, I need to change my flight back to Charm City. This will be the 7th time I am changing my flight. Please fly Southwest next time for me? Awesome.

Kip >>>> Kipito

2008-01-10T13:37:00.000-05:00

Ahora, si usted cree que yo no podía pasar por un mexicano, que está equivocado. Estoy aprendiendo el idioma mucho más rápido de lo que esperaba, y como resulta, ya estoy delante del juego con respecto a los códigos de vestimenta. Así que, mi amigo, sentarse y ver cómo transformar a mí mismo Juan Kipito. Tenga un buen día.

For those of you who barely understood that, here is a translation for you ...

Now, if you didnt think I could pass for a Mexican, you are mistaken. I am learning the language much faster than I expected and as it turns out, I am already ahead of the game regarding dress-codes. So, my friend, sit back and watch how I transform myself to Kipito. Have a good day.

oh google!

Federal Government Definitions

2008-01-10T11:03:00.000-05:00

In light of everything that is going on, I thought I should probably post a Fedectionary. What do they really mean by that?

Wait times (Refers only to F-1 Visa Renewal Application - Thanks to "Joe" for these definitions)

Regular Time - 4-6 weeks
Sort of Expedited - 1-2 weeks
Expedited - Up to a week
Really Expedited - 0-2 days

Refer to Department of Homeland Security (http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/releases/press_release_0238.shtm) for the following definitions

Biochemistry, Biology, Synthesis, chemistry, anti-microbials, anti-biotics, therapeautics, drugs, cell biology, molecular biology, among many others fall in the category they define as Chemical, Biological, radiological, or Nuclear (CBRN) materials (see the link above). What do they really mean? Potential Terrotist!

My graduate program at The Johns Hopkins University SOM is Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology (BCMB). My thesis work, in brief terms, involves the SYNTHESIS of a new class of ANTI-BIOTICS (or ANTI-MICROBIALS/THERAPEAUTICS). How many more buzz words do they need?

You cannot really blame anyone for trying to proactively defend their country, can you? If anything, this should give everyone a sense of safety ...

Since we are on definitions, let me define myself because I can!

I am a pessimistic optimist. What do I mean? Here is an example. I am going to the US consulate in about 4hrs from now. I am expecting the best (that I get my visa renewed and go back to Baltimore, MD), but I am also prepared for the worst (that I dont get my visa renewed and have to go back to Kenya). Where is the catch? Why would anyone define going home as "the worst?" Well, when you have some tribal conflict that has killed more than 600 people in a span of two weeks (with more that 250,000 displaced) and you belong to one of the tribes involved, then you really are left with one word to use: worst.

Is Juarez that bad?

2008-01-09T20:06:00.000-05:00

Wednesday, Jan 9, 2008 ...

I did not have much planned today besides writing my thesis proposal and maybe going for a run here in Juarez. I really wanted to tour "Centro de Juarez" and see what the fuzz is all about. Well, on my way there, I see this sign that says "Hoteles [something]" and then below it in small font "Sencilla/Doble $ 320 M.N." I dont speak Spanish, but I can read numbers especially those beginning with $xxx! So I decide to stop by and see what they had to offer. No one spoke English there, but with miming and a piece of paper to write on, I figured they had rooms there that went for some $30/night! The downside? No internet, no breakfast, no security and the area did not look good. So I told them I would call them as soon as I made my decision ...

On my way out, this guy at the entrance says "Whaz up!", I was like "Yo!" and pretty soon we were conversing. I was excited to be talking to someone in English. Rafael has been here since Monday for some immigration related issues and he didnt know where downtown Juarez was. Since he was staying at the hotel, he asked me if I wanted to check out his room before I made my decision, although I already had. The room was nice actually with a double bed, kitchen, refrigerator, gas stove, living room ... but I dont think I wanted to compromise my safety over $$$.

I never made it to Centro de Juarez. Here is why ... While talking to Rafael, a cop car pulls up and two more police men show up in bikes with their radios loud as hell and they seemed to mean business. They exchange a few words with Rafael and after that they head across the street from where we were standing. So, out of curiosity, I ask Rafael what all that was about. He says "Oh, they are asking why we are standing here and whether we have any business here," so I asked what did you say? He answers "I said we are staying in this hotel ...." So I was like, why do they care? Rafael says he overheard in one of the radios that someone had called them that there was a "suspect" on that street ... Yea, that sealed my decision and ended my day right there.

I havent done much since I arrived to the hotel, which is only about half a mile from where Rafael and I were standing. Most importantly, I dont think I would have emailed my friend Joe today, had I not come back ... See the post below.

From 4-6 weeks to ...

2008-01-09T18:00:00.000-05:00

... less than one day! All it took was a phone call from a friend to the US Consulate.

Back in the year 2000, I basically scored a running scholarship to Syracuse University. The details of how that happened and how everything fell into place then are not necessary here, albeit I have to admit, it is pretty damn interesting. Just ask someone who knows it. Lets leave that for some other time. Anyway, when I got to Syracuse, I did not compete for the XC and track team as much my freshman year, but when the time rolled around, I did so but performed decently given the training that I had then. By the time the second year came, I was starting to kick some tail.

Then, one spring night after the end of Outdoor track season in 2001-02 season, I received a call on my 315-442-xxxx apartment number. The caller said "Hi, may I speak to John Bitok please" (back then everyone called me John, be warned though, dont call me by that name) and after I told him I was the one on the phone, he proceeded to say "This is Joe Smith [names changed] from the US Department of Justice ...." I did not know how to swear much in English then, but I think such occasions are the only ones anyone is allowed to use the F-word really loud. I was terrified to say the least. Why would anyone from any institution or company or anything that started with US call me at my apartment number?

Turns out, Joe was an avid biker and wanted to put together a strong triathlon team to compete in some race that was coming up then. He wanted to know whether I was interested in being in his team. The idea was, I would do the last leg of the relay, that is, run a 5K. That happened to fit perfectly with my summer training and I agreed to be part of the team. Well, we won that race and then some more afterwards and became really good friends. Then one time, soon after I graduated from Syracuse University, I was looking for a permit to work as part of my Optional Practical Training (OPT). The permit application process goes through the Department of Homeland Security - the same agency that is holding me up in Mexico - and takes upto four months to process. I was late in applying for this since I had not planned on doing an OPT, but my friend told me that he could make some calls to expedite my process. I should probably clarify at this juncture that you have exactly one year of OPT and the countdown begins as soon as you graduate. Since I started authorization application processes late, I was bound to lose valuable work-time waiting for my permit.

Well, it took four days and I had my permit. Joe, bailed me out! He is a good man. Awesome guy, and that doesn't even do justice in describing what type of person he is. I am greatly indebted to him.

Anyway, when this F-1 visa renewal saga came up, I thought I had nowhere to go and nothing to do. And I didnt, until I thought of my friend Joe. So, I send him an email explaining my situation and asked him to call me here in Mexico. Yes, there are not many people that I can be that open and frank to, then ask them to spend $1.50/min to call me so I can tell them whats going on with me ... Interesting huh? Well, he responded within an hour and called me not too long after that. After explaining to him what the deal was, allowing him to ask questions and finally giving him a telephone number I had, he promised to call the US Consulate here at Ciudad Juarez and see what was up. Shortly afterwards, he sent me a short email stating what had transpired and told me that he couldn't call as he had some work related thing. The email indicated a promising turn of events ...

An hour later, the US Consulate called me and asked that I show up tomorrow, Thursday Jan, 10, 2008 at 2:00pm. Then the following email followed:

"Please come to the consulate at 3:00 PM tomorrow [Thursday, Jan. 10, 2008]. I will have an update on your case. I have been in touch with [Mr. Smith] regarding your situation, too. Please call me or email me if you have questions. My local phone number is ..."

Notice the discrepancy between the two times? In short, a process that would have taken 4-6 weeks has only taken about a day. Even though it is not guaranteed that my visa will be renewed (as F-1 is largely a discretionary visa), I know that I can ask for my documents back and think of my next move. I dont really have many options if my visa is not renewed, but you know what they say, east or west, home is best!

Lesson of the day: Why poke a beehive when you can have someone else do it?

It Could be Worse ... Really

2008-01-09T11:26:00.000-05:00

Before you read this blog, you may want to click on this BBC News link, Cancer patient loses visa battle, and at least scan the story they have running there. I think the abstract of that story summarizes it all "A Ghanaian woman [Ama Sumani] who came to the UK five years ago and became a student is being flown back to the African country, despite being terminally ill." If worse were defined by a spectrum, my situation is definitely in the opposite end to hers. Ama's case is a matter of life and death whereas mine is about self fulfillment, that is, go back to school and finish what I started (or something along those lines). I could not imagine being in a situation like hers.

Not too long ago, I talked to a few friends via Google Chat and mentioned to them how I am running out of clothing to wear (I only brought enough to take me through 3 days + some running clothes), how I am getting a cold and there is no drugstore around and how my teeth hurt (dentists are bad people!). Soon afterwards, another friend sent me the link to Ama's story. My response, after reading the story was "I guess I should stop whining ...." Although I dont think I am whining, this story just put everything into a different perspective. It also helps shed light into how grave the situation can be anywhere else, not just in the US. I wonder how many more similar cases out there go unheard of ...

F-1 Visa Renewal Process

2008-01-09T00:03:00.000-05:00

Let me give you a quick description of what F-1 Visa is and why it is a pain in my rear end right now. F-1 visa is basically a student's permit for entry into the United States. People visiting the US get different types of visas depending on what brings them/takes them to the USA. Depending on what nationality you are from, F1 visas are granted for different durations but they need not be renewed as long as the student does not leave the US and maintains his/her student status. Maintaining a student status involves full time enrollment at a US educational institution, ensuring that the form I-20 and the passport is valid and current. If any of these (among many others that I am sure I am not listing) expire, a student may find herself/himself "out of status." Being out of status may compromise a student's re-entry into the United States at a later time.

For more information regarding US Student Visas, visit:

http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/types/types_1268.html
http://www.worldstudent.com/uk/studyabroad/usa/3d.shtml

(I assume these links expire after sometime, if you really need more information, just google it!)

Now that we got that out of the way. Let me take you through my tumultuous visa renewal application process which brought me from Baltimore, MD (USA) to Ciudad Juarez, CHH (Mexico). I hope that this will educate you international students in science departments so you will be better prepared when your time comes. I dont think there is any way I could have avoided what I went through as it was bound to come sometime.

I am really tired. It is 10:30pm local time, which means it is 12:30am US Eastern Standard time. I usually go to be at 9:00pm. So, I am going to post an email I send out earlier today with some edits. Here it is:

Alright, I dont know how to begin this but I know how to end it. WTF?!!?? I am stuck in Mexico for what they say could take 4-6 weeks!

I am sitting here in Ciudad Juarez's Hoteles Colonial in Mexico knowing well that I am not a legal citizen of any country right now. Or am I? I dont think my Maryland state drivers license will do me any good in this part of North America. On my way here, I happened to be in the same row with a guy who frequents Juarez and he told me horror stories ranging from how they got robbed by Mexicans to how they got robbed by Mexican police. In my mind, I was thinking, damn, Kenya is not that bad, but I know you wont believe me given whats going on there currently.

Anyway, my flight to El Paso was nothing unusual but I did notice that the "country of Texas" is as desolate as Sahara desert and only filled with a few shrubs here and there which looked funny from some 30,000 feet up. I arrived to dusty and windy El Paso at 1:20pm local time. I didnt want to pay US $50-60 to have a taxi take me across the border as I think that is ridiculous. So, I boarded a taxi from the airport to Cordova international bridge after I found out that you dont have to pay anything to cross by foot there and that my hotel was only some 2-3 miles away. I had the map of the area memorized well (and a hard copy in my pocket, just in case) and given the fact that I never got lost navigating on foot, I thought this was going to be easy. Well, that was until turned left on some road instead of turning right. I realized some 5 minutes later that I was headed nowhere and had to wait for some guys who was following me on foot too. I said "Holla!" and he replied in something I couldnt understand. I quickly realized that there was a myriad of words and sentences I didnt know between saying "Holla" and "mucho gracious." So I resolved to English, although I think Swahili would have been fine too as this guy spoke no English. I was only ~2miles away from the border! Well, I managed to say "hoteles colonial?" that didnt work "avenue de las americas?" and he said "Si!." Long story short, this guy, Alejandro, walked me to the hotel vicinity through some park/woods and wouldnt take a $200 pesos tip from me ... I figured I would have spent at least US $50 on a cab. So I said, "mucho gracious" and by that time, I had used up all my Spanish vocabulary. Hey, dont laugh at me, I speak six other languages!

Got to the hotel, got checked in, then went to Banamex bank to pay for my visa application fee (US consulate in Mexico accepts payments from Banamex bank, ONLY!). No one spoke English there, no surprise and I didnt really think I needed anyone who spoke English till they told me "only ATM" which I understood to be no credit cards. Yea, well, he meant cash only! $1,450 pesos! So I go to the ATM machine which was outside, every single button was in spanish ... after about 5 minutes trying to figure out what the heck was going on, I went back inside and said loudly (hopefully it wasnt annoying to anyone) "Anyone speak English here?" Well, there was a Jeremiah from Boise, ID, thank goodness. Some five minutes later, we find out that the ATM had no cash in it and neither was the one across the street!! I was running out of time at this point and had to act quick ... this is where running came in. With my limited vision, I saw HSBC from a distance (this was my former bank while at Syracuse). I ran there, got some $1500 pesos and everything after that was smooth!

I had not eaten for the whole day and wasnt thinking about this because I had other things occupying my mind. How and where I ended up eating is not pertinent here. But I have to say the burrito was good and salsa here it HOT! Also, Mexicans are awesome people. I guess kindness is a universal language.

That was Monday Jan. 7, 2008

Tuesday morning, I get up at 5:00am as I had been told that there was a shuttle from the hotel to the consulate at 6:00am and Jeremiah had warned me that the lines were long. Long is a relative term, but when you have over 1,000 people lining up, then long just means looooooooong! We got there a little after 6:00am (the consulate is a little over mile away) and alas! there were people who camped there and the line was already loooooong (realize I only used 6 o's this time?). I then proceed to the security guard who sends me to the back of the line since my appointment was at 8:00am and not 7:30am. Well, I didnt think it was a big deal. Six hours later, I was at the gate. The guy looks at my application and says "F1?" (thats a student visa) and I followed that with a "Yes." He then says "Wrong line" with his limited English. I felt like punching someone/something so hard, but they dont advice that here and he wasnt the one who had told me earlier to go to that line which was meant for immigrant visas (as opposed to non-immigrant visas of which my student visa, F1 falls in).

The process at building D was not that bad, only a few dozens of us were there and they were understanding of my showing up 2hrs late. My process was quick since it is a renewal and I got to my interview within 45mins. One thing that I realized was, they held on to my passport and application papers, but everyone still had theirs ... I have no idea what that meant and I dont want to speculate. But I'll say one of the things that they gave me said "Come back on Jan 9, at 2:00pm. This was a good sign and in my mind I was thinking "got it!." When they asked me what my thesis work in Biochemistry pertained, I said "we are designing a new class of anti-microbials." Well, "biochemistry", "chemistry", "molecular biology", "anti-microbials", "anti-biotics" and many others are apparently on the terror list! The odds were against me since I had all those in many letters that I got from my school and such ... So they gave me an additional form to fill which included, most importantly, a brief technical description of what I do. So I wrote and then drew some small molecules. I was as succinct as I could get. After this, they said they needed a copy of my resume, some references and a list of publications. I got those, thanks to quick actions of my advisor, Dr. Caren Meyers (YOU ARE AWESOME!) and got handed a paper that said (in brief) "This office is unable to conclude processing of your non-immigrant visa application ..." and continued " ... your case has been suspended under Section 221(g) of the US Immigration and Nationality Act, pending ...[an] administrative process ... this will take approximately 4-6 weeks .... Please do not call the consulate, [we will call you]!"

Well, the guy said he is expediting my precessing and it should take 1-2 weeks, but also said it could be ready by Friday. Even then, my visa renewal is not guaranteed! He was really nice and gave me a phone number to call and see the status of my application.

Tuesday is not over yet ... and my old visa was stamped "CANCELLED WITHOUT PREJUDICE, JAN 08 2007," Morons! Or maybe Mexico is still in 2007?

In short, I cant come back to the US, I cant go to Kenya (I have no docs as they have been "send" to Washington DC) and I am illegally in Mexico.

Thank you for reading this far! Peace out, I gotta continue writing my thesis proposal (my meeting is on Feb 5, 2008 ... who amongst you is an expert in teleconferencing?)