Nairobi, a much needed break.

A much needed break, oh and visa renewal of course! A good way to mark having reached the halfway point through my stay here in Kenya. I went on a matatu with Clemencia (the oldest Venter aged 20) which was great as she has lived in Nairobi so knows her way around. Much more relaxing than going all alone, and much more fun too!

Was nicely surpriosed by the length of the journey- only three hours once in Nakuru coz they have improved the road since September (what a blessing). I positively enjoyed the journey, rather a surprise seeing my usual travel hate, but what with the improved road, my ipod to listen to, company and a great view the time passed very nicely.

Once there we set upon the task of passport renewal, luckily we had Eve to help, a frined of one of the teachers at YASHA, that is onew of the great things about Kenya (I cant speak for Africa as a whole as iv not visited anywhere else) you can just meet people, tell them about things that you are trying to arrange and they 9 out of ten times say ‘oh I have a friend who works there’, or ‘oh just stay with my relative’ or something of the sort! People are so helpful and here a nice warm smile and connections are what helps. So when at the teachers celebration last Saturday, a great time btw, I mentioned the need to go to Nairobi/ my fear of how to go about such passport/visa issues, teacher Helen immediately said ‘oh I have this great friend, she is staying in Nairobi at the moment and she has loads of American friends who she has helped do just that. I think you two would get on great, il give her a call.’ So there we go!

So first it is one desk, then another, then off to get photos, then fingerprints… but by 4.30 the whole thing’s done, sigh of relief as I envisaged it might take three days like it did in the UK!

Wow how it felt to be in a city… no dirt roads, proper pavement, real shops, coffee bard, sky scrapers… it was like stepping back into a world I had not seen for some time. We went out for a chicken salad, spending 3.50 on lunch seemed a great extravagance after nakuru! We only did it once as my comrades budgets, and mine if I were to be sensible not just step easily into the life I am so used to and comfortable in, are tight. It was both so nice and so hard to be in that situation- in Nakuru I had not been faced with the luxury I had back home so could think, wowa I spent and wasted so much! That moey could have kept pople alive! But walking the streets where everything is back to, not extravagant but actually fairly cheap for the UK I saw just how hard it is to be so disciplined.

I learnt another important lesson that I am trying to get as a habit- its not what life throws at you but how you react: to get a matatu to the place where Eve stays we had to wait at 7pm in a line for 45plus minutes, then get onto a noisy matatu for another 45 minutes after having yet another greasy meal in the one cheap crappy place in town. The first night this got to me, I so wanted to just have a nice meal, go to a hotel or clubbing (!) or something, then on the other hand was so tired so could do with a sleep, either way not to be in the Q! but the next night, same situation, I though hey, what can I do? Make light of it! So Eve and I had a great conversation about life, our families, our upbringing… and I bought some fresh pinapple from a street seller to make up for the greasy food. So the evening was almost exactly the same in activity but we both had a much better time!

‘give me the strength to change the things I can, the grace to accept the things I cannot and the wisdom to know the difference’

That is my mantra these days!

The second day, once important paper work out of the way I could get down to some relaxing activities: I went to a THE library, yes I think it may be the only one, and read a book about Switzerland, for some reason the African ones, just the African books, you have to pay to read, somewhat ridiculous I thought but hey!

Then to a bookshop/music shop and listened to some CDs on the headphones

Then just sat and read a book on the grass in the university garden while Eve did her own paperwork for Fridays graduation. I was not disturbed once by some lad calling ‘jane!’, ‘wanjiku!’ ‘pretty lady!’ or a street kid asking for a sweet or saying’ give me money!’

It was Heavenly, those are all activities that seem normal but ones that I have not done in the whole time that I have been here.

So I was able to come back to Nakuru recharged with some energy (and excited for when Lucy comes in January so I can go back!