So I changed my flight - just in time before the 24 hour deadline on Monday morning. I felt relaxed on the way back from the airport I think probably because I finally knew for sure when I was going home. The uncertainty of the previous few days had worn me out.
I've been very unsure about the whole informal nature of the arrangement of volunteering for Peter. I'm aware that's how they do things here - you turn up, you talk to someone and make plans. I know it would be hard for him to understand my 'English' reservations.
Peter is involved in 3 charities - mainly - two of which he set up himself, Maiden Africa and Africa Interactive Media both of which are about empowering young people through communications. This is something I've always had questions about, can making films really create a difference, is it worth teaching young people these skills when they have other pressing issues like finding enough money to finish high school? I thought being here for a short time would help me investigate this a little.
Peter's also on the board of Orphelins Sans Frontiers (East Africa) a sister charity to Medicine Sans Frontiers and their work is a little more accessible. They run a library, a computer room and a small textiles factory in a place called Kangeme, not traditionally a slum area but becoming one due to the huge influx of people who don't want to live in places like Kibera (ironic). They're in the process of building new premises and next week, if they're ready I may get to help some children with their reading which I'm excited about.
I didn't have to do any vounteer work on Monday so spent a couple of hours catching up with Rachel which helped me to relax about everything a bit more. She's not quite sure about when she's going to go home either so we were able to swap stories and laugh about it. The schedule for today involves youth film club in Eastleigh this afternoon, tomorrow is the girl guides group in Kibera and helping with a computer lesson hopefully and then back to film club on Saturday. From next week I should have more to do in Kangeme. If you want to know more about the project there you can go to www.osfea.com
I'm not busy full time though and I'm finding myself with a lot of hours to fill in Nairobi which can be frustrating. I'm trying to fill in the time in different ways. I bought a Swahili phrasebook and I think my language is getting afadhali kidogo. The cinema being so affordable is a big temptation in the middle of the day so it's probably a good thing they don't change their films very often. Rachel and I watched 'Seven Pounds' on Tuesday night. I'm constantly impressed by how much I like Will Smith regardless of the role or genre of the film. I would advise not watching this film alone though or if you have to go home by yourself afterwards. It takes 'intense' to new levels to the point where anyone with a beating heart either has to cry or laugh - depending on who you are - there's no other options. Thankfully I was staying with Rachel while her housemate was away.
I'm feeling a little more lighthearted about Nairobi now, it's not getting to me as much. When I was enjoying my free tour around the museum I came across a striking photo exhibition of pictures of Nairobi throughout a 24 hour period. It was an honest display and not all of the photos were pretty but it represented all levels of society and it made very good viewing. I'm not sure if what they've got online is quite the same but if you want to check it out go to www.24nairobi.com.
Having free time has given me a chance to think about coming home and what I'm going to do, make some plans :) It also means I have more time to miss home. I was in a cafe just now which was playing a very 'westernised' radio station called 'Capital' (probably owned by the same people who own Capital in London). They were talking about the Brit Awards and who's won what. Then I had to leave the cafe and walk past the gospel music shops playing the latest version of 'Abide With Me', sit in Jevanshee Gardens with the sun burning the back of my neck while the preacher shouted in the corner and the men sitting opposite stared at me like I was unusual wildlife. (Lispa was surprised when I told her it's rude to stare at people in the UK). I feel a very long way from home right now. I have occasional moments of panic when I think I'm never going to make it back. I have to remind myself that in 15 days that's exactly what I will be doing, going home, just 15 days...
Thursday, 19 February 2009
Friday, 13 February 2009
City Life
I've been adapting to the city again after 3 months by the sea - and what a city! My first few days here were hard, I was very tired and paranoid about being mugged all the time but I'm starting to settle now.
So far it's only been the buses I've had to worry about for safety. The matatus seem better although their physical safety record might not be so high (they're small so the drivers seem to think they can change lanes constantly - and yes Simon they still hang off the sides and play music loudly :) There seems to be some sort of scam at work on the bus routes where someone tells you that you need to fasten your seatbelt and then offers to help you scratch around trying to find it - they're normally buried in the back of the seat because nobody uses them - meanwhile they're trying to relieve you of anything that's in your pockets or even your bag. Nearly got caught twice but so far lost nothing except a plastic rain hat that I was using to keep the sun off my head. I don't think it will suit the thief very well as it was small even for me (sorry Mum I know that was yours but I'll get you a new one).
I like Nairobi, at least the way it looks, the roads are wide and there's plenty of trees it's much greener than I thought it would be. It's a place that obviously had some planning put into it once - but the traffic is nearly as horrendous as I'd heard it was and I've never been in a place with so many people! (next stop New York) Just walking the pavements is a struggle sometimes.
Living by yourself in a cheap hotel is another thing which can drive you over the edge if you're not careful. Thanks to Rachel and Mercy's help I managed to find a place that delicately balanced my small budget with facilities just clean enough and safe enough for my liking. I think the mainly female staff reckon I'm a bit crazy for having stayed there nearly a week and so far I seem to be the only Mzungu in the place but they give me breakfast and I found someone who will wash my clothes for a good price and my door has a strong lock, what more could I need?
It definitely wouldn't be worth staying here if it wasn't for the people I've been able to connect with. After Lamu Rachel got offered a dream job working as a dive instructor in Zanzibar. She took it for 2 weeks and then quit when her contact at the National Museum here offered her the chance to assist him with studying bats. So she's been here a week or 2 already staying with an Australian friend of hers although this week she's been out in the field. Mercy also works at the museum - she was at Mwamba at Christmas although we didn't get much chance to talk but she's really gone out of her way for me since I arrived and she even got me complimentary ticket to the museum gallery. Everyone I know here seems to be struggling to get by in some way and having to rely on friends and relatives whether its for accomodation, cash or employment. Lispa is also in town staying with her cousins and looking for a new job.
I'm enjoying being a tourist in some ways - task for the day is to see stuff and spend money. In other ways I hate the cultural barriers that exist between the tourist and the local, I've felt like even more of a cash-cow than usual. In the last few days I've got lost several times and given in to using my Rough Guide maps while standing on the street corner. As well as the museum I went to the cinema for the first time in months which was great. I made the most of 'Super Tuesdays' and bought a Fox Combo (unfortunately Fox have taken over here - the local 'fleapits' mentioned in my out-of-date book have all closed) which included the cinema ticket two pieces of food and a drink all for 350KSH!! (Unfortunately still too much for most struggling Nairobians - Mercy declined to join me on account of the cost and the cinema was noticeably quiet - I wonder how long Fox will remain?) I've also visited the David Shreldnick Wildlife Orphanage and finally got to see elephants close up (more about that another time) and come face to face with a Black Rhino - by the time I get back to Africa one day there may be no Black Rhinos left. I've been on endless matatus and sat in endless traffic and breathed in far too many fumes.
Finally I've also been spending some time with Peter Johnson who I also met at Christmas and he's been as good as his word and has taken me to some places most tourists don't see. We've visited an amazing little 'informal' school in Kageme - an area which is fast becoming a slum - where the children are reading and writing better at 5 years old than they do in the UK in English! I've also been on the outskirts of Kibera (Nairobi's biggest and most infamous slum) to a Girl Guides project for girls who've dropped out of school.
And right now I'm at a crossroads, do I come home on Tuesday or not? At this point I'm honestly not sure what to do. I'm tired, I miss my home, I've been here for over 3 months but I still don't seem to have adapted culturally in some ways, I feel a little at war with the world every day. And yet I feel I have to grab every chance to stay as long as I can. I don't know when I'll ever be able to come back.
For Those Who Pray
Please pray I make the right decision about when to come home as it's really concerning me right now.
Pray that if I stay I can be useful and make the time worthwhile.
Please continue to pray for my safety and a good place to live if I do stay on - it's all still up in the air as I write this...
So far it's only been the buses I've had to worry about for safety. The matatus seem better although their physical safety record might not be so high (they're small so the drivers seem to think they can change lanes constantly - and yes Simon they still hang off the sides and play music loudly :) There seems to be some sort of scam at work on the bus routes where someone tells you that you need to fasten your seatbelt and then offers to help you scratch around trying to find it - they're normally buried in the back of the seat because nobody uses them - meanwhile they're trying to relieve you of anything that's in your pockets or even your bag. Nearly got caught twice but so far lost nothing except a plastic rain hat that I was using to keep the sun off my head. I don't think it will suit the thief very well as it was small even for me (sorry Mum I know that was yours but I'll get you a new one).
I like Nairobi, at least the way it looks, the roads are wide and there's plenty of trees it's much greener than I thought it would be. It's a place that obviously had some planning put into it once - but the traffic is nearly as horrendous as I'd heard it was and I've never been in a place with so many people! (next stop New York) Just walking the pavements is a struggle sometimes.
Living by yourself in a cheap hotel is another thing which can drive you over the edge if you're not careful. Thanks to Rachel and Mercy's help I managed to find a place that delicately balanced my small budget with facilities just clean enough and safe enough for my liking. I think the mainly female staff reckon I'm a bit crazy for having stayed there nearly a week and so far I seem to be the only Mzungu in the place but they give me breakfast and I found someone who will wash my clothes for a good price and my door has a strong lock, what more could I need?
It definitely wouldn't be worth staying here if it wasn't for the people I've been able to connect with. After Lamu Rachel got offered a dream job working as a dive instructor in Zanzibar. She took it for 2 weeks and then quit when her contact at the National Museum here offered her the chance to assist him with studying bats. So she's been here a week or 2 already staying with an Australian friend of hers although this week she's been out in the field. Mercy also works at the museum - she was at Mwamba at Christmas although we didn't get much chance to talk but she's really gone out of her way for me since I arrived and she even got me complimentary ticket to the museum gallery. Everyone I know here seems to be struggling to get by in some way and having to rely on friends and relatives whether its for accomodation, cash or employment. Lispa is also in town staying with her cousins and looking for a new job.
I'm enjoying being a tourist in some ways - task for the day is to see stuff and spend money. In other ways I hate the cultural barriers that exist between the tourist and the local, I've felt like even more of a cash-cow than usual. In the last few days I've got lost several times and given in to using my Rough Guide maps while standing on the street corner. As well as the museum I went to the cinema for the first time in months which was great. I made the most of 'Super Tuesdays' and bought a Fox Combo (unfortunately Fox have taken over here - the local 'fleapits' mentioned in my out-of-date book have all closed) which included the cinema ticket two pieces of food and a drink all for 350KSH!! (Unfortunately still too much for most struggling Nairobians - Mercy declined to join me on account of the cost and the cinema was noticeably quiet - I wonder how long Fox will remain?) I've also visited the David Shreldnick Wildlife Orphanage and finally got to see elephants close up (more about that another time) and come face to face with a Black Rhino - by the time I get back to Africa one day there may be no Black Rhinos left. I've been on endless matatus and sat in endless traffic and breathed in far too many fumes.
Finally I've also been spending some time with Peter Johnson who I also met at Christmas and he's been as good as his word and has taken me to some places most tourists don't see. We've visited an amazing little 'informal' school in Kageme - an area which is fast becoming a slum - where the children are reading and writing better at 5 years old than they do in the UK in English! I've also been on the outskirts of Kibera (Nairobi's biggest and most infamous slum) to a Girl Guides project for girls who've dropped out of school.
And right now I'm at a crossroads, do I come home on Tuesday or not? At this point I'm honestly not sure what to do. I'm tired, I miss my home, I've been here for over 3 months but I still don't seem to have adapted culturally in some ways, I feel a little at war with the world every day. And yet I feel I have to grab every chance to stay as long as I can. I don't know when I'll ever be able to come back.
For Those Who Pray
Please pray I make the right decision about when to come home as it's really concerning me right now.
Pray that if I stay I can be useful and make the time worthwhile.
Please continue to pray for my safety and a good place to live if I do stay on - it's all still up in the air as I write this...
Sunday, 8 February 2009
Running the Gauntlet
I'm in Nairobi in the cheapest internet cafe I've ever found - I've been here for 20 minutes and only owe 10 shillings! Some good news after a few hard days which have included the following:
Staying in an absolute dive as well as the beautiful AIM guest house which unfortunately I couldn't afford to stay at for more than one night.
I've had a personal tour around Fort Jesus in Mombasa.
I've spent a night on the train and met some other British Girls in my compartment.
I've been in some very cheap not very clean cafes and eaten some very good food.
I've been hassled continually by men who think they know better.
I've nearly been pickpocketed twice, very nearly given blood to a swiss girl in a coma (more about that another time) found out I had no money left in my bank (and found you can extend your overdraft at the click of a button thankfully). I've been out for dinner with some of the staff of the Nairobi National Museum and maybe got myself a free tour this week.
I've been stressed and sun burnt, dehydrated and my feet ache but I'm beginning to cope in Nairobi I think, definitely one of the scarier places I've been to.
I don't have any computer access now except internet cafes so writing proper blogs could be a problem but I'll see what I can do.
Now I'm going to fill my afternoon by trying and locate the school my dad went to about 60 years ago and maybe have coffee with Rachel at 'Westgate' (on the ex-pat side of town of course with a name like that).
More soon hopefully...
For Those Who Pray
Please pray for basic things like my safety over the next week, that I don't get mugged or attacked. I'm doing all the right things like wearing a money belt and trying to avoid going out an night but there's no guarantees.
I'm very tired right now - please pray that I don't get ill.
Thank God for the kindness of people at the AIM guest house and for Rachel and Mercy (also at Mwamba at Christmas) who helped me find somewhere to stay yesterday and carried my bags with me. I couldn't have coped without them.
Staying in an absolute dive as well as the beautiful AIM guest house which unfortunately I couldn't afford to stay at for more than one night.
I've had a personal tour around Fort Jesus in Mombasa.
I've spent a night on the train and met some other British Girls in my compartment.
I've been in some very cheap not very clean cafes and eaten some very good food.
I've been hassled continually by men who think they know better.
I've nearly been pickpocketed twice, very nearly given blood to a swiss girl in a coma (more about that another time) found out I had no money left in my bank (and found you can extend your overdraft at the click of a button thankfully). I've been out for dinner with some of the staff of the Nairobi National Museum and maybe got myself a free tour this week.
I've been stressed and sun burnt, dehydrated and my feet ache but I'm beginning to cope in Nairobi I think, definitely one of the scarier places I've been to.
I don't have any computer access now except internet cafes so writing proper blogs could be a problem but I'll see what I can do.
Now I'm going to fill my afternoon by trying and locate the school my dad went to about 60 years ago and maybe have coffee with Rachel at 'Westgate' (on the ex-pat side of town of course with a name like that).
More soon hopefully...
For Those Who Pray
Please pray for basic things like my safety over the next week, that I don't get mugged or attacked. I'm doing all the right things like wearing a money belt and trying to avoid going out an night but there's no guarantees.
I'm very tired right now - please pray that I don't get ill.
Thank God for the kindness of people at the AIM guest house and for Rachel and Mercy (also at Mwamba at Christmas) who helped me find somewhere to stay yesterday and carried my bags with me. I couldn't have coped without them.
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