Nairobi in Context

I realize that I have been doing a terrible job describing what things look like, mostly because I've seen them before and they are no longer as astonishing to me. But, I will make a more ardent attempt from here on out. If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask me. Sometimes I forget that not everyone reading this followed me through my travels last time I was here. So, here it goes:

Nairobi is a big city. Four million people big. There are different neighborhoods and suburbs and each area has distinct features. Most of the city is very developed, with skyscrapers, running water, electricity, etc. The running water and electricity are not always consistent, but most places are wired/piped and have generators. In the past five years, there has been a ton of construction. I know I mentioned this before, but it is really phenomenal. I hope the increased capacity of the city means the economy is doing better, but again, it is difficult to tell.

Most of the roads are paved (thanks to the Chinese!) and they are building superhighways to Central Province (the Kikuyu homeland) and Mombasa. The tribe is important to note as President Kibaki is a Kikuyu, Jomo Kenyatta was a Kikuyu, and there is a history of patronage toward the Kikuyu people by the government. There are still TONS of plants and flowers that line all the roads as well as the rows of stick kiosks selling fruit and the piles of burning trash. The dirt is burnt-sienna colored (reddish-orangeish-brown) and most of the buildings are either painted cement, dirt/white stone, or brand new western-style material. Despite all of the new developments, a lot of green space remains. I remember being shocked the first time I came to Kenya at how much greenery there was in the capital. That amazement carries on. I don't think the openness will last for much longer because you can tell that the construction is quickly seeping every direction from the city, but for now it is nice :)

Nairobi is pretty much like any other large city except the street signs are few and far between, the sidewalks are a combination of cement, rock, dirt, and steel remnants from old sign-poles, the air is thick with diesel and burning garbage fumes, and the matatus (mini-bus pseudo-public transportation) fly by each other down the roads. The informal markets are filled with everything that goes through the salvation army and goodwill, from shoes and jeans to toys and baby onesies. I am still on the hunt for a purse and one of the men bargaining with me tried to explain that he had to pay taxes on the bags and that is why they cost so much more than in the United States. Meanwhile one of the local women walked away after he wouldn't bargain at 300Ksh (equivalent of roughly $4.50). I almost laughed in his face because there is no way an illegal street vendor in the informal open air market pays tax on his used salvation army purses that are missing straps and have people's names written on the inside. So, I just keep duct taping my purse and am waiting for the person who is willing to bargain down from 1800Ksh (over $20) a bag.

The other night we went to Westgate Mall, which is brand new and did not exist in 2007. You seriously forget you are in Africa and believe you were dropped in the center of a mall in the equivalent of Chelsea (London)/Kennilworth (Chicago)/Pittsford (Rochester). I told Kyla I felt like I was cheating on Kenya because there is no way I should be in a place like that. But, research is what research is and alas, we go where the Chinese go. And that means the rich expat areas. They have a Nike and Adidas store,  a high-end sushi restaurant (owned by an Israeli with a Chinese chef), a children's ball-pit area, a casino, and tons of other stores. It is definitely first-world fancy. The YaYa Center and Sarit Center have nothing on Westgate.

While we were at Westgate we met with a Wellesley alum who works at the U.S. Embassy. She was very interesting and is covering the upcoming Kenyan Presidential election, so that is cool. Her husband was in the Marines and works security for the embassy now as well, so he told us to let him know when we travel outside Nairobi and he'd make sure the hostels and whatnot were safe. So no worrying about Mombasa, mom! After talking with her for a while, I decided that I might want to take the foreign service exam and keep my options open. It seems like an interesting job where you can travel, still get paid a western salary, and work on something that you are passionate about. I never really thought about working in an embassy, as I did not want to be tied down to a particular frame of thinking. But I've come to learn that everything job comes with its own set of perspectives and you have to keep an open mind and make them your own  regardless of the organization's set position. So, I might do that next year and see what comes of it.

Alright, that's enough for today. Sorry to bore you with descriptions of things, but I felt like it was good to put what I am saying in context. I'll post more stories later today! Enjoy.