Nini - If you are trying to describe something (or even someone) that you can't think of a name for - the direct translation would be "thing" but it would be used more like "can you pass me that nini??" or even "did you talk to, uh, nini?"
Hmmm - It is more of a grunt that is used VERY often if you are on the receiving end of a conversation - acknowledging that you are listening to the other person speak. Sometimes it sounds more like a growl. I don't use this one much - YET.
Moja!!! - when the matatu tauts are trying to recruit you to hop into their matatu they shout this - it means "One" - meaning there is one more person needed before the matatu is full and can thus leave. However, they often lie - so it is always good to peek into the matatu and make sure it is in fact only room for "Moja" otherwise you could be waiting a while until they fill the van.
Bob - Not a name of a man - it is the slang for the Kenyan shilling (the currency here) - so when you are asking about prices - particularly matatus or things of small value (under 100 shillings) then you will ask - "how much is the matatu?" they will reply "20 bob" or "10 bob". Or you say - "I will only pay 10 bob for the matatu" and that is where the bartering begins.
First off I just have to say that this weekend completely proved my last post wrong - we had beautiful, warm - even hot at times - weather. So I was wrong.
It was another great weekend. I had an amazing time with some great people. On Saturday morning I met up with about a dozen people from the Mountain Club of Kenya (MCK) and we head out of town to Hell s Gate National Park for some climbing and camping. After a bumpy 2-hour drive we arrived, set up camp on a site overlooking the valley, and head out to do some climbing in the gorgeous weather. We were working on Fischer s Tower - a big piece of rock sticking out of the ground reaching up about 75 feet. And if you look at this photo thinking I look a lot like Angelina Jolie in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider 2 - it is because it was filmed here and I personally believe that I m a dead ringer for Angelina - no?
The first climb was a bit difficult to get into it all again, but by the second and third climbs I was shooting up the rock like Spiderman. It was so hard but so fun. It is also interesting to see how much braver I can get when there are cute boys around!
Almost more difficult was belaying - being the person who prevents the climber from not falling by holding the rope - you have a belay device to assist you in holding them up and not letting the rope slip. But the actual watching out for the person and pulling and holding the ropes gives you major blisters and a crink in the neck. Luckily that night after a dinner around the campfire, Ritu - a fellow Canadian living here for the past 2 years (and an experienced masseuse) - got out the massage oil and gave people massages and gave us tutorials on the art of massage.
I like these people - they are all so nice and fun. They are people who like walking around with their little headlamps on and excitedly compare camping gear. I even got paid a compliment after someone was admiring my camping ability saying, “You re so Canadian. That s great!”
Today it was another hot day and did a little more climbing (noticing some improvements hopefully) and then head home - exhausted, happy, and a burnt on the nose. I am sore already. I have managed to wash off most of the dirt that has managed to cover my whole body and am tending to my wounds and my photos.
I am not sure what I liked more - the people or the climbing. I can t wait to go again.
I had some lovely Ethiopian food tonight with some of the new interns. Great place - amazing food - so cheap. I really like the SAJ(?). Ethiopian Honey Wine. A bit sweet but it tastes more like juice than wine. And it really has punch to it!!
I'm off to bed early for my day of adventure tomorrow! I'm sure there will be some more interesting pictures to publish on Sunday/Monday. Have a good weekend!!
Tonight Tim left! So now of the original 4, there is just Lauren and I. We have other friends now too but it is strange that both Tim and Darryl are gone... at least I inherited some of their stuff (shampoo, toilet paper etc) before they left! Something to remember them by.
Otherwise things are great. I'm looking forward to my weekend of more climbing and hiking and camping. The weather seems to be improving (finally) but I'm not putting my fleece away just yet!
And the postcards will be mailed sometime early next week!! Last call for requests!!
Also frustrating is that I am hoping to update the Kat in Kenya site (as there have been some problems with it) and my internet access likes to disconnect when I am actually working on something important. When I have no one to email or nothing to do - it is on constantly.
On a brighter note, I went to the Mountain Club of Kenya meeting tonight. The people there are so varied and interesting. I met a Japanese diplomat, more people who work at the UN (UN people OWN this town) and a local who is a personal trainer. It looks like I might be going climbing again!! YEAH! This weekend there is a trip out to Hell s Gate National Park for climbing and hiking and biking and one night of camping. If I can manage to find a tent to sleep in (and a ride) then I am definitely going.
I don t know if I have stressed this enough before- but I have realized that getting out of Nairobi at least once a month is necessary for your sanity. Great city - but the craziness and hassles get to you after a while.
Well, all week I had been eating mostly vegetarian dishes that I had prepared for myself (mostly because the butcher closes at 6:30 and between French classes and my gym classes or other things I often missed the window to buy meat this week). So I think I was due for some heavy protein. Friday night was a quasi-going away party for Tim who is in Lamu until Wednesday and then flies out of Nairobi on Thrusday. I got... Ostrich Fajitas! They were amazing! Really good! The meat is really tender and they actually did a great job with the fajitas. I mean, it's no Sneaky Dees, but close enough. Then this afternoon Lauren, her friend, and myself head back to "Homeland" for some nyama choma - roasted goat. 2 kilos to be exact. You are supposed to get one kilo per person but I dont think we would have been able to handle it. I don't think I need any more meat until next weekend. It's just too much.
Other wise things are good. As great as Nairobi can be, I am hoping to get out of town again by early October. I'm not sure where... but I am sure I will figure something out!
Last call for postcards! Remember - just email me your address!
Did I mention that my doorbell plays a song (quite loudly) every time it is rung? Each time it is a different song. Baa Baa Blacksheep. Row, Row, Row Your Boat. Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. All the hits! It is possibly the most annoying thing I have ever experienced.
My class is a group of 8 Kenyans and me. It is fun and we even had to do a presentation today! Soon I'll be writing my posts in French. Or not.
On the way home in the matatu I once again realized how relaxing I find them to be. It's this weird atmosphere where no one speaks but everything is extremely efficient. When the matatu taut (the guy who recruits people to come and take that specific matatu & also collects the money) collects the money, it is done wordlessly, just a tap on the shoulder and the process is done. If he can't reach the shoulder's of the people in the front seat, he'll tap the nearest person's shoulder and then they tap & collect the money from the people in the front. If you want to get out at the next stop - you either nod at or tap the taut and he uses a coin to tap the side of the door to alert the driver to the upcoming stop. This all occurs either with blasting music (everything ranging from Bob Marley to Snoop Dogg to Celine Dion) or complete silence.
It's nice. I hope nothing changes my zen-like perception of the matatu experience.
One last thing - it's postcard season! If anyone wants to request a postcard - click on the side tab that says "Email Me!" and email me your address. I'll try my best.
What's in your he----ad, in your he---ee---yyeee--ad, zommmmm--beeee, zommmmm--beeee, zommmmm--beeee, zommmmm-beeeebeeeeebeeeeeee!!!!!!Imagine this in a really strong Italian accent. Strange, strange guy. I always forget that he does this until it is Sunday evening again and there he goes. I guess we all have our rituals.
This morning, Lauren & I co-hosted the first of (hopefully) many brunches. There were 10 of us. We prepared and served french toast, fruit salad, a cheese plate, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, cheese & onions, ham, and bagels (difficult to find in Kenya). I think it was a success despite the slight miscalculation with plates, forks and cups (when you rent a furnished apartment it usually only comes with 4 of each). It was fun and one of the guests was an Argentinian pilot who hopefully will be able to get us a cheap ride to Mombasa in a few weeks (she has a friend who is driving down - we won't be flying). These social gatherings are proving to be a great way to make great contacts (and friends).
Wow - what a great day! I went climbing for the first time thanks to the Mountain Club of Kenya (MCK) who took a bunch of us out to Lukenya (about 45 min outside of Nairobi) and lent us equipment and showed us how to climb! I think I am addicted. I was really really hard - physically and mentally but that is the fun of it. My hands are raw and I banged up my knees pretty good. Also - the worst but also funniest part was that on my third climb (up a really flat and steep and REALLY high face) I split my pants (right near the back pocket) and had a big hole in my pants but I didnt notice until I was back on the ground and someone came to tell me. I was wondering why everyone was cheering me on so much!!!
The people were really great and I am hoping to go again (or several times).
What an amazing day. I feel so lucky all the great opportunities and experiences that I'm being able to have.
I got my visa extended - and I have now achieved alien status!! I can't wait to get my card. So I'm good to stay here until January, after that, I'll have to extend again - or just leave East Africa for a while.
Tonight - I went to the Mountain Club of Kenya - it's a hiking/climbing club. Every Tuesday they meet up for drinks and a little meeting (but mostly drinks) and let people know about upcoming events. This weekend I think I am going to go for the beginner's climb - it's mountain climbing for beginners. The people are really nice - actually mostly expats but there are a few locals. It seems pretty fun. At the end of the month they are trying to plan a Mount Kenya hike! Hopefully it works out - that would be an interesting adventure!
1) Went to dinner at a place called "Tacos" which has a logo that is eerily similar to the Taco Bell logo. It wasn't bad. Not fast food but far from gourmet.
2) Met up with friends at Klubhouse 1 or "K1" for short. Pool tables, big patio, looks like a big hunting lodge from the outside. The best part was watching a bunch of people dancing in a circle to cheesy music - it looked fake - they were all smiling big smiles and dancing all joyfully and almost exaggerated - like Carlton Banks dancing from Fresh Prince - you know? It was hilarious but it made me really happy. They were so sincere.
3) Attended a house warming of a person who I didnt know - it was all francophones attending (except me) - from Canada, Senegal, France, Morocco - but I actually understood most of everything they were saying. This has prompted me to scrap the plan for Swahili lessons and I will take French instead. It is really cheap to take these lessons here and it hopefully wont take me too long to catch on. French is marginally more useful to know than Swahili.
4) Went to a great bar called "Casablanca" that really made you feel like you were in Morocco - sand on the ground and huge firepits at each table outside. It was great. The music was far from North African, but I'm sure they listen to Kylie Minogue in Morocco too.
5) Bought some shoes at a used clothing market. I know this will gross some of you people who have foot issues out there - but they are practically brand new! And SO cheap! Great little suede pumas for only $8CAN.
Now, I rest. Tomorrow, in honour of Labour Day (and the fact that my visa expires on Thursday), I will skip work and wait all day in line at the immigration office to renew my visa for 3 more months. Not that I have been here for 3 months yet, but my visa expires this week because little miss smarty pants (me) got her visa a month in advance. Oy vey.
Sanity thy name is Tangawizi.
After a hard day of work I want nothing more than to go home and pop open a bottle of Stoney Tangawizi - a delicious, refreshing ginger beer brewed here in Kenya. Im getting addicted to the stuff. Its not as harsh as other ginger beers Ive had, but has a lot more kick than a ginger ale. I think its just the name that really attracts me to it - TANG-A-WHEEZY. It means ginger in Swahili.
Lately it seems like there are so many more kids on the streets asking me for money. I mean, it went from my encountering maybe one or two a day to sometimes up to a dozen. And they are so young! One girl couldnt have been more than 3! They are taught simple English and sent out to get money from foreigners. Its hard to keep reminding myself that giving them money - or even food - only encourages them to keep up with that means of getting food/money and only leads to more problems down the road. Glue sniffing is a big thing here too. There are some half-crazy people who walk around with their little bottle of bright yellow glue in their mouth as to allow them constant sniffing. They stumble around and harass people for money. I wonder how many of the kids who are begging for money will end up like that or are already into glue sniffing. It starts out as a way to curb hunger and then just turns the brain to mush. Ugh. Ive heard about lawsuits against glue companies in Central America because it is such a problem there too. Somehow I think the problems are not necessarily rooted in the glue companies selling the glue - but that s just me.
Home of the hotdog! I mentioned this strange sign after my first safari and now I have photographic proof that it exists!!
Tonight is the monthly gathering at the Canadian Consulate (a huge fancy place with tennis courts and a pool) for a wine tasting and social event. Sounds good to me! Hopefully I can also meet some new friends to fill in the gap most recently caused by Darryl leaving yesterday. Tim is pretty much on the road for the next few weeks and then is gone too - I think some replacement friends are in order!