Overdue: Pics from Nairobi

Life isn't always glamorous as an expat, but it's not all being stuck in the field wishing for home either.  Here's some pics from June - early October (the longest amount of time I've been in the country since I took my current job) when I was working in the office or seconded to UNHCR Nairobi.  I traveled with friends, I blogged a few times, I cooked some, but mostly I watched trashy reality shows on E! while writing refugees' persecution histories, explaining why they should be recommended for resettlement.  The fact I only have so few to share also tells me I need to be taking more photographic evidence of my life in Nairobi.  Here's some I did manage to snap along the way:

"There's a little too much hate going on in my feed right now"

And this is why I don't live in Texas anymore:

Facebook feed 1: representing the hillbilly section of the population.  Keep in mind this man is a police detective.  He is college educated and technically not an idiot.

Former FB Friend's status update henceforth dubbed "Jethro": "Simple way to end these rock throwing sheep herders from attacking our Embassy's. You breach the walls? You die! You throw a rock? You get a bullet! You kill 4 US citizens? We kill 1,000 of you!"

Things I Am Grateful For: Freedom

While I don't actually live in the US of A at the moment, I am still grateful for what the passport I carry means for me.  Today I am grateful for freedom and the American servicemen and women who have fought and died for our country so we can live free of oppression and tyranny.  I am grateful that I have the freedom of speech and the right to speak out against unconstitutional policies or unfair laws without fear of reprisal from the government.  I am grateful for the freedom of movement and the ability to legally move with in and with out of the country.  I am grateful for taxation with representation.  I may not always agree with the stances of our elected officials but I am grateful that I have the right to vote for or against them without fear of retribution.  I am grateful for taxes that build our country and boost our social and political systems.

Today also reminds me that not everyone in the world is so lucky.  I believe my colleague said it best in her facebook status today; "Freeeeeeeeeeedooooooooom! Freedom from persecution...that is the foundation of my great nation. Happy Independence Day to all my fellow Americans and especially to all the recently resettled refugees who have a chance to start a new life like our forefathers did...."  I am grateful that my country recognizes that not everyone is as lucky as those born in the US and remembers that the country's foundation was built on refugees and immigrants and that the government continues to accept the huddled masses en masse. 

What does Independence Day mean to you?  What are you grateful for today?

"Ditch the degree, pick up the diapers..."

...reads the title of a feature in Kenya's Daily Nation newspaper.  The article interviews three women who have university degrees, a rarity amongst many Kenyans, who have happily decided to quit their jobs and stay home to care for their children.  Their reasoning includes tension of wondering if the baby was ok with the babysitter, a baby drugged by the nanny in order to force him to sleep, higher rates of medical problems when leaving the baby with the househelp, and the discomfort of leaving the child until he is old enough to attend school.

Kenya's War: Over the Line or Good to Go?

So for those of you who don't know, Kenya is at war; they broke the news over Twitter just a few weeks ago.  Locals have been inundated with newspaper stories of the developments made each day in the military's campaign to take down Al Shabaab's stronghold on various Somali towns.  I have been keeping up with the local news here but to gain a more international and less potentially biased perspective, I also monitor Al Jazeera's news updates as I have found they provide the most reliable coverage on issues in Africa over other news stations.

Corruption: Feed the Beast or Fight Back?

It's been awhile since I've updated regularly, I know.  I had family in town visiting and no computer access at home, but I swear I'll be better this month!  Here's another post based on suggestions left by you, my loyal readers.  If anyone else out there on the interwebs want to know more about Kenya, Captain Awesome, or my random musings on different topics leave a comment and I'll do what I can to appease the masses. 

When I saw the suggestion to write about something negative that has happened, how I handled it, and how it's affected my perspective of Nairobi, Kenya, or East Africa on my Request Line post I wasn't sure what I would write about since I had already kind of put myself out there more than I'm used to on my post about the armed robbery that occurred at a house where I was staying. But, alas, Kenyan police handed me the perfect thing to write about this past week.

The day the rose colored glasses came off

As this blog is intended to be about my life abroad, the good and the bad, I have decided to post about something that happened to me recently.  As everyone who decides to move abroad knows, security is often a issue and of heightened concern.  Nairobi, among many other cities around the world, has a very high crime rate.  Most of this is petty crime (pickpocketing and cell phone theft) but there is also a level of violent crime as well (armed robberies and carjackings).  I was fully aware of this when I decided to live here and am very conscious of day to day security concerns and I take my personal safety very seriously.  (As some of you know, I left a position that required me to move to Juba, Southern Sudan because of a lack of security measures implemented by the organization I was working for, so I am not one to jump into a high risk situations without precautions in place.)

Camping: Part 2

This weekend I went camping as part of a relay event with the Original Nairobi Hash House Harriers in Kedong, in the Rift Valley, south of Nairobi about an hour along Magadi road.  I maintain this is some of the most beautiful countryside in the entire world.  I've said it before and I'll say it again: I love living here and being able to hop in the car and be in the middle of this beautiful country, away from the stress and distractions of Nairobi.

Hello, Monday, You Fickle Beast

This weekend was my first back in good old Nairobi.  After a day with my ever friendly Skillshare guide, Evans, going over induction material I had some delish Malaysian food at a friend's house before heading out to catch up with peeps at the always memorable Gipsys.  Proving once again that I have returned to an alternate universe where my charm knows no bounds, I was chatted up by a couple of guys.  On second thought, it might be the ratio of single men to women.  I think the odds are definitely working in my favor.  My foray into dating life may begin sooner than expected.  Thinking I had to move early the next morning I called it an early night (for Nbi anyway) and headed home.

Induction? You mean, orientation?

After arriving late in the evening in Nairobi on 1/11/11 (I just wanted a reason to mention the fun date) I spent the next day recovering from jet lag and lounging about the guest house and trying not to scare others with my lingering manly voice.  Eugene from the Nairobi Skillshare office came by on Thursday morning with Evans, my guide to the "induction" process.  This must be a Britishism* (look it up, I swear it's a word; if it's not it should be) because I laughed out loud (also a possible side effect from jetlag and being heavily medicated for a sinus infection) when he told me that I would spend the next few days getting inducted and he just looked at me strangely.  I refrained from asking what I was getting inducted into, the Hall of Fame for Awesomeness perhaps?  A cult?  Childbirth?  (*My theory was confirmed when I got a follow up email from the UK office wishing me a nice induction.)

The Eagle Has Landed

I have arrived (in one piece!) and am so happy to be back in Kenya.  East Africa is my home away from home. 

Life and the Pursuit of Who Knows What

So as I was reminded recently it's been awhile since I posted on here; not to worry, I am still alive and well and haven't run off into the bush...yet.  However, for those of you who have been living under a rock and have not been following along on Facebook, I will give you the full update of what's been going on with me for the last four months.

Around the end of May/beginning of June I decided to quit my job at ALARM.  It was a decision not easily made as 1) I enjoyed my position and the opportunity to work with my colleagues to provide opportunities and resources for ALARM's programs in Sudan and 2) I have never left a position without another job lined up and with the current economic climate it was a struggle to listen to my gut.  A long story short as to why I left: there were security concerns that were not being addressed to my satisfaction in regards to a permanent move to Juba, South Sudan.

Fortunately I have some great friends that I've met while in Kenya who were very supportive of my decision.  I have been staying at a friend's flat while job searching and doing some consulting work for a local NGO and an IT solutions company.  I was scheduled to come home in early September but prolonged my stay another month to continue networking and job searching here.  Happily I have a couple of tentative offers that excite me but they will not become firm opportunities until funding becomes available.  OR If anybody reading this post has an awesome job in East Africa/D.C. they'd like to offer me please feel free  :)

That said, I'm not sure what the future has in store for me, but I've stopped attempting to plan everything and am trying to go with the flow and make the most of the situation.  How often in life are we given the opportunity to stop and really enjoy ourselves and not be stressed out about the daily grind?  Taking a breather from all of that has been really great.  In the last few months I have been able to visit a dear friend in Cairo, watch the Great Migration at the Masai Mara, climb Mt. Longonot, visit the hot springs at Lake Magadi, hike the gorge at Hell's Gate, be a beach bum in Mombasa and Diani, and have fun with giraffes and baby ellies.  (Disclaimer: Of course I've also been job searching, volunteering, and working on my papers to finish up my masters degree as well.  It's not all fun and games, Mom and Dad). 

So a big thank you to everyone in Kenya who has made my time here memorable and have helped me keep my sanity throughout some of the crazy times the last few months.  I'll miss you all but will remember you always.  And thank you to all of my friends and family at home who were supportive of my decision to move here and subsequently stick around while looking for a new job.  I'm happy I will be home to see you all soon and can't wait to catch up on your lives as well (over copious amounts of Tex Mex and margaritas of course)!

xx
Captain Awesome

Mount Longonot or bust

That's right.  I, Captain Awesome, hiked up a mountain.  However if it had not been for my awesome experienced hiker friend, Cecile, I would be sitting forlornly about a third of the way up.  I blame my ineptitude on the high elevation and my inability to breath.

At this point, I was just happy to have made it thus far.

We began the adventure with an unpleasant encounter with the ticket seller at the park entrance that consisted of her not giving us a student rate so, in my opinion, she and her superiors could pocket the additional $10 per person.  Living in Kenya has opened my eyes to a the world of corruption and how far it reaches.  After listening to many excuses, changes in argument, and newly made up rules, we unhappily conceded to further corruption and pay the full fee.

The merry band

Despite the unfortunate beginning to our day our merry band of five proceeded up the mountain.  She doesn't look like much but she packs a punch in the first leg of the journey.  It's less tiring than difficult as the initial ascent is quite steep and slippery with loose ash.  I also underestimated the effects of altitude on my hiking ability.  The base of the volcano is 2150 meters above sea level with the peak reaching 2780 meters asl.  All of my daily walks around Nairobi were no preparation for my lungs.

Once we finally made it to the rim I hung out with my ipod while the rest of the group hiked around the ledge.  My unfortunate fear of heights and tendency to be clumsy and fall made me think twice about walking around a narrow and, in some parts, steep ledge that might lead to my untimely demise in a volcanic crater.  I almost forgot to tell you all about the birds and how they too were trying to kill me!  It could have been a Hitchcock film.  These two birds the size of penguins with HUGE beaks started dive bombing me for my leftover lunch goodies.  Just sitting on the trail with nothing to keep me from falling down the side of the mountain was freaking me out enough as it was, so when the birds started coming for me I was afraid I might be tempted to get up and run which would inevitably lead to the discovery of my crumpled remains in the crater below.  Thinking only of my friends and how traumatized they would be by this scenario, I slowly scooched away from the baggie the killer birds desired and made my way a safe distance away.  It was a narrow escape; just moments passed before the birds attacked the defenseless baggie and devoured the crumbs inside. 

View from the top of Mt. Longonot of Rift Valley and the crater.

Stay tuned for tales and travails of my previous trip to Lake Magadi....

Life After the World Cup

Life in Kenya and the mania surrounding the World Cup brought out the very hidden, unknown soccer fanatic in me.  I am certain that I have watched more sports in general and soccer specifically than ever before in my life.  However, now that the World Cup has concluded and Team Orange sadly lost to the Spanish hotties, I'm not sure what to do with all of my free time.  Life before the World Cup is hard to remember so I've come up with this list of suitable replacement activities for how to spend your new found leisure time.

1. Stock up your google reader with an excessive amount of blogs.  My current favorite is Hyperbole and a Half; Allie Brosh is hilarious.  And she likes David Sedaris and Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.  It will suck you in and you then you will look up and realize that you've been reading blogs rather than being productive for hours on end.  Don't say I didn't warn you.

2. Check facebook frequently.  Upload pictures to facebook from the fun times you had watching the World Cup.  Read through your newsfeed to catch up on all the posts your friends made while you were sleeping.  Look to see if any of your friends are online to chat with even though it's 3 am their time and 11 am where you live.  Cyberstalk Alan Tudyk.  

3. Research the next two 25 page papers you have due in a month.  Do this instead of reading blogs and checking facebook.

4. Catch up on correspondence.  Respond to old emails.  Write new ones.  Look to see if any of your friends are on gchat even though it's 3 am their time and 11 am where you live.

5. Work on consulting/volunteer work.  Meet with volunteer agency.  Write proposals.  Be productive in general.  

6. Go to the mall and wander aimlessly, like you're a 15 year old.  Go to another mall and watch Twilight, like you're a 15 year old. 

7. Be touristy.  Visit the giraffes and feed them.  Visit the elephants and adopt one.  Visit the park and play safari. 

8. Write a blog post.  Brainstorm new blog posts.  Look through pictures to see if there is anything entertaining/random you can include in your blog post.  

 You're welcome.

9. Walk a mile to Java.  Sit, read/research, eat, listen to your ipod, stare aimlessly into space, people-watch, walk back.

10. Recruit friends to entertain you. 
      a. Watch numerous bootleg movies.  Brainstorm new movies/tv shows to buy for only 100 KSH. 
      b. Go to dinner/drinks/late night-early morning dance parties at various shady establishments.
      c. Convince them to cook dinner for you in trade for wine and beer.

Goodbye Dallas, Habari Nairobi!

After a stressful journey that included an hour debacle with the woman at the American Airlines counter which resulted in a $200 changed return flight (so immigration wouldn’t reject me from entering Kenya) followed by me narrowly making my plane out of Dallas, a canceled flight from JFK to Heathrow, a new earlier flight out of JFK, baggage claim plus a transfer from La Guardia to JFK, a 2 hour delay due to snow, a late arrival and rush through Heathrow, a late departure courtesy of a strike by French air traffic control, ankles that swelled so quickly I could feel them expanding, and a late arrival in Nairobi coupled with the refusal of my 1996 series $100 to purchase my three month visa.  Fortunately one bureau de change, of the three I visited, accepted bills older than 2004 for exchange.  However, it was downstairs with no escalator in sight and a rolling carryon bag.  Regardless, success was mine.  I procured the extra $5 for my visa and $95 worth of Kenyan Shillings.  Back up the stairs I went dragging my rolling bag behind me.  I collected my passport and breath only to turn around and pull my rolling bag down the stairs once again.  

However, both of my bags arrived seemingly unscathed, I was allowed in the country, and there was a sign with my name on it as I walked out of the baggage claim area, so all’s well that ends well in my book.  It is here, hot, sweaty, and a bit frazzled, that I met my new boss, Director of the Africa office, Emily Chengo and her husband, Joseph.  They took me to their home and set me up in a guest room behind the main house.  I have my own bathroom, hot shower, and mosquito net.  I’m not sure the length of my stay in their home; I don’t want to impose on my gracious hosts and most importantly the new boss.  Eventually I will move to the guest house in the office while waiting the determination of whether I will move to Juba, Sudan. 

Saturday I slept.  A lot.  I woke up, showered, and had breakfast with Emily and Purity, another girl staying with them.  Then Jack, ALARM’s logistician and driver, picked me up around 11:30 and we were off.  They had already purchased me a SIM card with a phone number that would work in both Kenya and Sudan so now I was left to find a phone.  Their cell phone system is very different than in the States.  Instead of signing a contract with a provider for two years and buying or receiving a free phone through them, they purchase a SIM card from said provider, a phone from the store, and then minutes separately.  Phones are more expensive this way but you only pay for the minutes you actually use.  After several stops and lunch our quest was complete.  And once I figure out how to connect my email to my phone properly I will once again be connected to the outside world.  (Side note: I have already found a restaurant that claims to offer “Mexican” food and once my desperation gets the better of me I will report on the quality of African quesadillas and enchiladas). 

Jetlag is a beast.  Despite my attempts to sleep during the flights to allay its effects I could not avoid the narcolepsy that sneaks up and overwhelms you mid-adventure.  So after a quick tour of the city centre we returned home and I was asleep by 6 pm.  And with that another exciting day in the life of Captain Awesome came to a close. 

(Above: Views of Nairobi's downtown; Below: View from Mombasa Highway in Nairobi)

 
 









Swahili word of the day:
Habari- hello

Greetings fellow earth dwellers!

So, why blog?

Well, as of Monday, January 11, 2010 I decided to join the exciting world of expats and venture away from the safe cocoon of my hometown, Dallas, TX, to seek adventure in Nairobi, Kenya and I figured this was the best way to keep all of my stateside buddies up to date on my African escapades.

What on earth possessed you to move to Africa of all places?

I have been to Africa twice in as many years. For the past two summers I have spent a week volunteering at Camp LIFE, a camp for AIDS orphans in Lusaka, Zambia, and this past summer I also toured Rwandan genocide sites as part of a human rights course. In addition to my coursework and volunteering, I did take some time out to go on a photo safari in Botswana, discover the beauty of Victoria Falls, and do something every little girl dreams of: riding elephants in Zimbabwe. Ok, well maybe that wasn't the exact dream, but point being, I wanted to see the natural beauty of the continent as well as help those less fortunate than myself and learn about one of the worst genocides from my lifetime. After experiencing Africa from this perspective, I truly feel like there is still so much more that can be done to help the people of this struggling continent.

What's the plan?

While in Rwanda I learned more about ALARM, African Leadership and Reconciliation Ministries, an organization that is doing amazing things for the African people. ALARM operates in eight countries including Kenya, Sudan, Rwanda, Zambia, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, and Uganda to bring hope and transformation to the communities of African pastors and other leaders. ALARM offers a wide array of ministries including Women's Leadership Training Institute and a Youth Advocacy Program. You can learn more at alarm-inc.org/about/ministries. I will join ALARM staff sometime around the end of February in Kenya in a communications/resource mobilization role.

I hope you will join me in my journey as I move almost 9,000 miles from home to a new country, a new continent, and a new life.