Thanksgiving in Nairobi (Oct 10/02)

Hi all!

I wanted to send an update for your reading pleasure before the long
weekend... well, long weekend for you (Canadian) guys! Actually, I had a
holiday yesterday - Moi Day - to celebrate Kenya's supremely corrupt
president. Speaking of which, elections are coming up - there's been
rioting and violence already, but luckily not near me (our office and my
apartment are in a lovely little suburb called Lavington - close enough
to the big bad city, but not a place that would inspire rioting).
Kenya's only had two presidents - Jomo Kenyatta, who brought in
independence in 1960-something - a national hero, widely respected - and
Moi, the badass that's been in power since the early 80s. He's pushing
Uhuru Kenyatta (Jomo's son, and Uhuru means freedom/independence) as his
successor - but as he's quite young, inexperienced, and a drunk, it's
probably just to be a puppet for the legions of corrupt ministers.
Luckily, apparently this is also subject to popular vote - yay
democracy! Elections are in Dec - I'll keep you posted.

As for me, I've been busy working, and they are now farming me out to
other NGOs as a consultant. VSF-Belgium is pleased as punch to have me
around, and I'm having a grand ole time repairing windows and printers
:) Well, I'm also going to put in an integrated mail server, HR
software, and various other fun stuff. Suggestions (and links to free
software) welcome!

So, what's been going on here, you ask?

Last weekend, I got out of town to Lake Naivasha, a gigantic lake in the
middle of the Rift Valley... wow, what an amazing landscape... no wonder
we humans originated here! However, the lake is being quickly and surely
drained by zillions of flower farms - the workers are paid indecently
low wages (though, granted, at least they have a job) and the
land/water/resources are being extracted for the benefit of European
flower conglomerates - all of the benefit goes to the corporations, none
to the local economy or environment. Do your part and don't buy cut
flowers - no matter where they come from (and they all come from
overseas), the workers are exploited, exposed to harsh chemicals, and
local ecologies are ravaged.

However, the trip was great. We stayed at Crater Lake, which is a soda
lake formed in the basin of a (hopefully) extinct volcano. The lodges
consisted of huge tents - constructed on concrete foundations with a
thatched roof - overlooking the jade-coloured lake populated with
thousands of flamingos... king size beds and jacuzzis... oh yah!! It's
eco-friendly as well - everything is grown or raised on the land, local
staff is employed and treated well - it's all sustainable and they even
have a PeaceCorps volunteer providing environmental training to the
local community (I made sure to discuss such things with the owner).
It's also a private game park - our tent roof was home to at least 8
colobus monkeys, I saw antelopes and camels, and, along with the laugh
of the hyena, I even heard a lion!! Climbed to the highest rim of the
crater and absorbed the prehistoric view... incredible... So, this was
my introduction to the bush :)

I've also been back to Carnivore (I've not eaten there yet - apparently
I'm in for roasted zebra and crocodile though!) and Pavement, but my
favourite club has turned out to be Florida 1000 (aka Madhouse). It's
this round elevated building sitting on top of a gas station - weird!
But the music is funky, the place is packed, and I feel like a Nairobian
in there :)

I've been riding a motocross bike courtesy of my friend Adil, who has
been fantastic at showing me around, introducing me to various places
and people, and giving me the Kenyan perspective (ok, so I'm kinda
seeing him! But it's the best kind of dating - he left for Egypt/Europe
for a month this morning!). I also spend quite a bit of time with
Mohamed, the Eqyptian, arguing about social justice, gender, politics,
religion, you name it.. I'll also be helping him decorate his new place
and drive his new car soon - he's posted at the embassy for 4 years and
it just starting to get things together. Besides being a very
entertaining soap-opera (ebt) situation, these two are also introducing
me to Islam and the Qur'an - at my request - so I can try and figure out
what's going on in the arab world. Speaking of which, there's obviously
growing discontent with the American policy on this side of the world -
not extremists, but everyone - I hope Bush watches his step.

I've also been hanging out with Jeniffer, the one I'm training at work -
she has a 7-year-old daughter Terri and lives in the slums up the road
from my place. However, I feel that 'slums' has too much of a negative
connotation - essentially what makes them slums are the lack of surfaced
roads and the proliferation of shanty-town shops. However, they do have
sanitation and clean flats, and it seems fairly comfortable. The matatus
(those crazed minivans packed with people) drive anywhere (fast) so
transportation is also widely available. This weekend I'm taking
Jeniffer, Terri, and another single mom to the airshow - yes, a
full-fledged airshow (complete with skydiving demonstrations) at
Nairobi's Wilson Airport! Good thing, since I missed the Shearwater
airshow. She also took me out for my first taste of nyama choma - roast
meat - which was goat. I was worried I wouldn't like it so ordered
coo-coo as well (that's chicken) but once I got 'goat' out of my head I
found it pretty tasty. Good thing I sampled it, because Saturday's the
monthly goat party, which I will be going to this time..

Work is almost done, so I wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! (sidenote
- I did manage to have a substitute Thanksgiving dinner last Sunday at
Crater Lake - pork, chicken, roasted potatoes, sweet potatoes, sugar
peas, broccoli, pickles... and...... wait for it.....PUMPKIN!! I was so
impressed... It was one of the best meals I've had here (though there
are many :) mostly because it reminded me of home (though not a mtach
for Mum's Thanksgiving dinner :) Enjoy!

Miss you all,
johanna
xox

 

Copyright Johanna Voerman Khisa, 2002-03. Reprinting or reposting without permission is prohibited.