TWO WEEKS AT THE BALTIMORE SUN, APRIL 15, 2008

My mentor and I just finished re-looking at my first story- The war that the world forgot in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
I am folding my fingers. I cannot wait to see my byline in The Baltimore Sun, otherwise as Mr Samuel Siringi (Kansas City Star) and I say tongue-in-cheek, Ms Susan Albrecht, the executive director of the Aflred Friendly Press Fellowships, will put me on the next plane to Nairobi.
Mr Harry Merrit, my mentor and I walked into the offices of The Sun two Tuesdays ago today. Him in front, I following. It reminded me of my first day at high school, 16 years ago. There was nothing in my mind. It was empty. I was just anxious waiting on what the experience could offer to me. Yet despite that, I missed home just I did then on January 28, 1992.
Those we met on the hallway smiled at me and I smiled back vaguely. Harry then ushered me into my desk. It had a telephone and a computer. I was desperate to get into my mail and see who has written to me. The last time I checked mail was before I left the Club Quarters in Washington DC.
I was trained on the Harris Newsmaker computer system by a helpful man I will refer to him by his first name, Steve. I cannot figure the other name. It was the start of my five-month training experience at an American newsroom. I got to know about using the telephone, took pictures for my security badge, was shown around the large newsroom. (I think it is the size of five Olympic size swimming pools). I was introduced to the writers and the editors. I met my mentor's boss, the lovely and kind Ms Marcia Myers. She is wonderful, to say the least.
Some names I can remember, most of them, I cannot. I sit next to Mr Robert Little, The Sun's National Correspondent. A very kind man with a profound sense of humour (all Americans have humour). There are lots of things to do and to learn from him. He has been to Iraq on assignment and awaits another tour soon. He has told me how the First Ammendment do his job that I find too risky.
On the first week, he let me have a glimpse of a life-jacket that he usually takes with him on assignment to Iraq. It weighed almost my weight. As he drove me home that evening, I kept asking myself why on earth would someone want to carry around half his weight in the sweltering heat in Iraq. To keep fit may be. But I think it is the calling of the profession. It is for the society that we do some of these things. I guess in the same vein, he asks himself what a man is doing in an American newsroom half-way round the earth. For the same thing. Bob, as he likes to be called, took me for lunch at the Inner Harbour on Tuesday last week. We went to a lovely restaurant called Phillips. We took the local speciality, crab filled into a giant mushroom, as a starter. It was sweet to taste. I chickened out and instead took grilled chicken and French fries for the main meal. Bob meanwhile was chomping away at a meal of crab cake. He persuaded me to taste it and I did. I liked it though, but ...
It reminded me of the gala dinner at the Newseaum on our first week in America. Could you believe it? I realised that what I had taken then was crab cake when I asked the waitress what the other piece on my plate was.
"That is chicken," she said. "So what was the other one?" I asked sheepishly.
Her answer sent me reeling in laughter.
"That was crab cake," she said.
"Let it be," I said silently as I swigged in my last sip of white wine and waited for the worst. Nothing happened to me since.

A day before that, youngsters (my agemates) at The Sun led by Sports copy editor, Mr Steve Aime took me out for lunch at Little Italy. With him were Faith (from Kenya), Maryanne and another Steve. I was thrilled by the stories that we shared with them. They are a beautiful bunch of people. We plan to do that again, soon.
When I arrived on Sunday, March 30, Harry and his lovely wife together with Marcia Myers (his boss) and her husband Mr Larry Williams took me out for dinner at the nearby Museaum of Art. Yet despite some "teething problems" at my apartment, I got down to a delicious meal and drowned it with a glass of white wine. It was chilly and a cup of tea came in handy thereafter.

My appartment is near the world famous Johns Hopkins University. By the way during my second year in high school, I wished I could be a doctor. Well, that changed and I know most certainly that I would have loved to be at Johns Hopkins.

On Monday March 31, Harry and I went out shopping. I love shopping. We bought extra mats, pots and pans, blankets and bedsheets and some grocery. It was a wet, chilly morning.
In the office, everyone seems busy. Just like at The Standard offices in the heart of Nairobi. I have been busy too and as the cold, boring spring gives way a summer of sunshine and warmth I look forward to what the fellowship can give me.

Last Saturday April 12, The Sun's White House Correspondent, Mr David Nitkin and I went to Pennsylvania for an assignment. The Democratic primary is scheduled for April 22 and it is all systems go for the candidates. A group of volunteers were going from door to door canvassing for the man who could become America's first black President, Illinois Senator, Mr Barack Obama. I was a fly on the wall - I saw it all and heard it all.

It was an exciting experience. It was the hottest day in the US since my arrival a month ago.
To cut a long story short, I have been assigned three wrecks (code word for the 2008 Fellows meaning stories).
Harry made sure that my hands are full all the time, literally.
The Democratic Republic of Congo the former Zaire. was my first story. Harry thinks it is a good piece and after he made corrections, which we went through together and I was in agreement, the story was "good to go" as the Americans would like to say.
A former Belgian colony, the people of Congo have been through a long-drawn-out war to control the rich resources. For fear of letting the cat out of the bag, I will not dwell so much on the story, but I will quickly post it when it is run.
I have two other stories to follow up. Otherwise so far, so good. I am learning the ropes. I have known my way round the place and I look forward to the future with focus.

I leave for Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, on April 29 for a Faculty Talk the following day at 12pm at the School of Journalism. I met Mr William Freivogel, a professor at the school in July last year in Kenya. He was a trainer at a seminar for journalists, Government officials, educators and NGOs. He wrote a blog about a lunch date that I took him. He asked me to give the talk to his students on the goings on in Kenya and perharps the rest of Africa. In my next blog, I will find the links to that. I look forward to an experience of the Mid-West. I hope to meet Ivan and Samuel before my return on May 4 ready with my next blog. I have never blogged in my lifetime, I hope I did my best here today. Good luck everyone.