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.

A week in the life of Captain Awesome

Habari, my old friend, Weekend!  So happy to finally see you.  It's been a long but good week.  Last weekend extended into Monday as I watched (sleepily and only 2 quarters or so) the Superbowl live at a friends house.  I quickly discovered the commercials were cut and it was all infomercials specific to the Armed Forces station.  I mean that's half the fun, why deprive our service men and women (and their friends) the joy of a mini-Darth Vader or Joan Rivers?  As the game ended around 6 am Kenyan time and there were already traffic jams I ended up going straight to work sleep deprived.  That's the ultimate walk of shame, turning up at work from a long night in the same clothes as the night before, isn't it?  Or is it just called being a trooper?

Settling In

So a month into my move and resettlement in Nairobi and things are goin' well for the most part.  I've gotten a quasi-schedule going in the mornings (those with no power outages) that now includes fresh ground coffee to wake me up for my 45+ minute walk to work.  The bonus of which is a less pasty tint to my skin, learning the back roads of Nairobi, and lots of exercise.  And on those days I'm running late I've discovered that the number 46 bus camps out in Jamhuri picking up the likes of me so that's a relief.

Top Ten Things I Miss About Dallas

Plus a special extra just because of the snow I'm missing this week: 
11.  Random Texas weather

 10. my car

9. drinking water from the tap

Photo credit: seanmunoz.wordpress.com

 8. being able to walk outside after dark

7. the lack of blood sucking mosquitoes

6. no rolling power outages

5. sidewalks

Photo credit: debateitout.com

4. my condo

3. Mexican food

Photo credit: cndoscotland.com

2. my cats

Wylie and Fleur

1. my friends and family

Pants vs. Trousers

Colleague: You wore a dress today?

Me: No, I'm wearing pants.

Colleague: (smirk)

Me: (oblivious)

Photo credit: ck-blog.com

Water is Life

One of my favorite things about working in Kenya is the opportunity to go into the field and see how the projects work firsthand.  Fortunately for me, this past week was chock-full of opportunities to travel and see completed projects and get a handle on what it is exactly that I am fund raising for.  I visited four sites over two days throughout Laikipia West and was treated to great receptions at all of the locations, with program chairs happy to show off the completion of their projects.

Dating Dos and Don'ts: Take One

As mentioned in a previous post I have decided to venture into the dating world during Nairobi 2.0.  As my friends know, I tend to go for a specific "type" of guy, looks and personality wise, which I'm trying to steer clear of this time around.  I meet a ton of guys every time I go out (mostly due to the magical ratio of 8 million guys to 1 girl- I'm not complaining) which is not the best way to meet a potential date, but will lead to fun stories for you, my loyal readers.

No one got eaten by a hyena...

...though there was some thoughtful positioning during the ill-advised night time safari walk as to not be in the hyena bait position. 

To clarify, I went on my first "real" camping trip this weekend.  I qualify this because I'm fairly certain, though eventful, that my other forays into camping do not qualify me as experienced or even allowed beginner* status.  1) sleeping in my sister's new Care Bear pup tent in her upstairs bedroom at age 4, b) Girl Scout camp, iii) the 5th grade class camping trip to Camp Classen, D) church camp, 5) sleeping in my grandparents' camper in their backyard.  I rest my case.  So needless to say this was a whole new experience for me.

There's no place like somewhere to call home....

So after a long day of waiting my move did not occur once again.  This is becoming the never end saga of my failure to move into my flat.  As recounted in my previous post, I spent the entire weekend waiting and most of Monday until the hotel staff informed me they had someone checking into my room that evening and no other rooms to move me to.  The frantic search to get a hold of someone, anyone in my organization before I get kicked out the hotel ensues.

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.