What can you do in a month? Part 2

Back to work for me while Peter got acclimatized to Nairobi and started to get his bearings around the neighbourhood. Once he found the grocery store he made some excellent dinners!


Delicious chicken cordon bleu

Pablo (my other flatmate) came back from America and it was Guillaume's birthday that Friday so naturally we all went out for dinner and a "few" drinks. I'm glad Peter got to experience a typical night out in Westlands...with all the drama that entails!



When the night starts out with alcohol from little Dutch houses mayhem will definitely follow!



The following week was a long one for me with a couple of early morning meetings but by the time Wednesday night rolled around it was time to go be social. I took Peter to an Internations event at Caramel restaurant in Westlands where we mixed and mingled. I highly recommend this online/offline group if you're new to a city and looking to make friends or business contacts. I actually met a number of people working in the International Development space which was great. Not to mention the food at this restaurant was pretty tasty (although expensive).



Taking a break from mingling


New friends Charles and Fatima

 

Lobster mango tacos & mini chicken shwarma

And then it was time for another weekend away, this time driving! And boy did we drive (or get driven as the case may be). Although Kenya is much smaller than Canada it is actually quite big when you start to trek across it! We left Friday afternoon and it took us 6 1/2 hours to reached the home of my colleague and friend Jonah in Eldoret. No road trip would be complete without a stop en route for "choma" or bbq'd meat at Kikopey. We literally stopped at a butchers and got some very tasty goat leg re-fired and chopped up right in front us. Peter and I exchanged worried glances about the variety of bacteria we were about to ingest but "when in Rome"!

Until the sun set it was a very scenic drive through the Rift Valley and up the other side. We arrived around 9:30pm slightly exhausted but Jonah's family had dinner ready for us so we sat down and had a lovely meal with Dorothy and the kids. It's refreshing to see that 3 year olds around the world are all the same and so easy to entertain, even when you don't speak the same language!

Rift Valley

Map with altitude

Sunset on the way to Eldoret

Saturday was a relatively "late" start at 9am so Peter and I could catch up on some sleep. After breakfast (cereal and samosas for breakfast? Yes please!) Jonah, his daughter Nehema, Peter, and I piled into the car off to Eldoret town, Elgeyo escarpment, and Kerio Valley. The drive down the mountain (and back up again) was so breathtakingly beautiful, the pictures just cannot do it justice. And the trip was made all the better for hearing Jonah's stories about growing up in the region. His wealth of historical knowledge and personal anecdotes made the day go by quite quickly.

Farming on the Elgeyo Escarpment

Jonah and I enjoying the view

Once we arrived at the bottom of the mountain we were excited to find the "Kerio Divers" - a group of young boys who specialize in diving into the crocodile-infested Kerio river at the bottom of Chebloch Gorge (although they say the crocodiles are much further down stream in the shallow water). For only a few shillings (usually going to pay their school fees) the boys entertained us by jumping off the rocks and the old bridge, of which only steel beams remain, in all sorts of daring ways. Possibly equally exciting, to me, was the sale of fresh mangoes that we were able to cut and eat right there. Mango time is all the time! (I don't think there is any doubt of my Kenyan/Mauritian heritage!).

Much higher than it looks in this picture

Getting ready to jump from the "old bridge"

Mango time!

We stopped for a late lunch at Kerio View Hotel and Restaurant, owned by a former head teacher of one of the schools where Jonah worked. A bit off the beaten path but well worth it. While the food was being prepared we walked around the well manicured grounds, ate wild berries that Jonah swears have medicinal properties, and took pictures of the beautiful view from "danger point". By that time Nehema and I had become good friends - a welcome antidote to my Seraphina withdrawal symptoms.

Nehema - see no evil

Peter and I at Kerio View Hotel

Kerio View Hotel Restaurant

Crocodile sculpture

View from danger point

Leaving the marathon training camp area

Sunday was an early start for a jam packed day! Left Eldoret at 7:45am after breakfast and drove straight through to Nakuru stopping only at the equator to take a few pictures (as good tourists do!). Unfortunately, at $30 USD each for Peter and I to enter the Lake Nakuru National Park we didn't think it worth it for just a few minutes. I'm still determined to make it back and see the flamingos! Fun fact of the day, I just learned that they migrate ....like our Canadian geese!

The line actually crosses diagonally...we're probably standing in two different hemispheres!



One of the reasons I chose Kenya is because of the connection I feel with my ancestors. Since I've started exploring my heritage my Mom has been filling me in on growing up in Kenya and places where my Grandfather, Uncles, and Aunts used to live and work. One of those places is a town called Gilgil where my Grandfather was postmaster in the 1950's! It's interesting to picture Kenya back in the day when people posted letters, worked at telephone exchanges, and walked miles just to get to a town that had a train station so they could travel to Nairobi or Mombasa. I actually got goosebumps when I learned that we would be passing by Gilgil and I could go see the place my Mom's family lived for a time. It was a very special moment for me and one of the highlights of the trip. It is only too bad the post office is closed on Sundays.

Me outside the post office in Gilgil

Gilgil

From Gilgil we made a beeline to Naivasha and had lunch at the brand new Buffalo mall. A little surreal to see this "American style" shopping mall in Kenya! Then it was Peter's turn to drive...yikes! Lol. But he did an excellent job navigating the transport trucks, potholes, and speed bumps and soon we arrived at Hell's Gate National Park for a little hot spring action and game drive.

There is nothing like floating on your back in a natural hot spring watching a storm roll in! Between the clouds and the steam you really feel like you're in another world. And I was assured that even though there was thunder there would be no lightening (is this possible??). It was really relaxing and the only downside was all my silver jewelry being tarnished - damn sulphur!

Peter and I enjoying the hot spring

Here comes the rain again...

Once finished at the hot springs we drove the rest of the park looking for animals. Although the rain had cleared up we were afraid they would all be seeking shelter under the trees. But low and behold we started seeing zebra and gazelles and suddenly came across a giraffe in the middle of the road! I admit, it was a little frightening to see one so close up in the wild. Even though I love them and think they're one of the most majestic animals, their legs are really strong and it wouldn't take much of a kick to cause some real damage. Fortunately, it didn't seem too bothered with us and once the car started moving it ran away which made for a great video! We continued on and saw more zebras, "brown things", warthogs, guineafowls, and some buffalo off in the distance. No baboons today. We're going on safari soon so this was a lovely warm up for us!

Giraffe in the road

Zebra

Guineafowl

Wildlife at Hell's Gate National Park

And finally around 5:30pm we decided to call it a day and make the short drive back to Nairobi. All I can say is "Wow, what a weekend!". I feel so blessed to be in Kenya and experiencing so many amazing adventures with wonderful people.

What can you do in a month? Part 1

A heck of a lot apparently! Bear with me as I recap.

Looks like I've been a bit delinquent with my blog but I'm happy to say I've been too busy living life to the fullest to write about! ;-)

With regards to work the biggest thing I've been a part of this past month is the World Day Against Child Labour (June 12th). UNICEF co-hosted a key stakeholders workshop with the International Labour Organization (ILO) in the Nairobi CBD on June 8th ahead of the national rally in Meru county on the Friday.

While preparing the presentation for the event I did quite a bit of research into child labour and it is a disgusting situation for many developing countries and arguably developed countries as well. I don't know what the solution is but I do know all NGOs, not for profits, private sector, and Governments need to come together to tackle this problem. "No to Child Labour, Yes to Quality Education" is right!

Nairobi Central Business District - View from Sarova Stanley Hotel

My beautiful ppt

Esteemed panelists

My boss doing his thing

Results of brainstorming session

The rest of my time has been super busy with Peter who came all the way from Toronto to visit me! :-) It was a bit of an ordeal to get him on a flight over here but roughly 55 hours later he arrived...without his luggage! Which was actually mostly my clothes and things sent by my parents/brother. I have the best family and boyfriend and I'm happy to say we did get the bag 4 days later :-).

No time for jet lag (or clean clothes), the very next day we were back at the airport. First stop....Lamu!

Together again

After a couple of minor hiccups, i.e. boat "taxi" was a bit scary and first hotel was not quite as advertised, we were properly on vacation at our new hotel, Lamu House. My flatmate Guillaume and his girlfriend Naomi were there as well and although we did not spend too much time together (couples being couples) it was nice to see some familiar faces as we wandered around the city.

 

One of the pools at Lamu House - beautiful!

Peter enjoying the view from our first room

View of the channel from our balcony

Lovely secret hide away at our second room

 

Walking around town



Naomi taking a tour of Lamu town by donkey

Many people have asked me how my trip to Lamu was and the only word that I think aptly describes it is "interesting". Even after being in Nairobi for 2 months it was still a culture shock. In fact you cannot even begin to compare the two places. Lamu is a UNESCO world heritage site, an excellent example of Swahili architecture and culture, and predominantly Muslim. There are virtually no cars on the island so it's best to be prepared for tiny alleys with exposed gutters that get very muddy and many people squeezing by as well as the occasional cart and/or donkey. It is also on the Canadian Government and UNICEF Security's travel advisory but came highly recommended by friends. Tourism is really struggling there after a few recent attacks by terrorist groups, not to mention rainy season, but I'll say that I felt reasonably safe (aside from the usual threat of general scamming) and had a lovely time.

By the end of the 3 days I had had enough of the constant vying for attention from local merchants but for the most part it was good natured, friendly, and not too bothersome. In fact, it was pretty helpful to basically have someone waiting for us to step outside of our hotel since we were at a complete loss as to where to buy/find things and appreciated the local "tour guides"...most of the time.

The highlight of the trip I think was on Day 2 - sailing on a traditional dhow. How we came to be there was a bit of a scam but at half the first cost told to us it was still a bargain. The day was super sunny (to the demise of Peter's skin) with just a few episodes of rain and our captain and first mate were the epitome of Lamu charm. Lunch on Manda island was delicious and the only thing I didn't like was the "coconut wine" which I think is pretty much fermented coconut water! The day came to an abrupt up end when I sliced open my knee but I got some excellent first aid and anti-bacterial cream at the chemist so I'm OK. Our initial fears of being kidnapped and/or left at sea (or sinking in the leaky boat) were eventually placated and we were able to relax and enjoy ourselves. Well worth the shillings!

Sailing on the dhow

Chillin'...pre sunburn

For those of you wondering....we had quite an interesting "shopping" experience to get Peter some "new" clothes. I got to really practice my negotiation skills and Peter got to let go of some of his North American hygiene standards, lol.

Mangroves at Manda Island

Yep, the only one to catch a fish!

Steering the boat...stressful!

Go Leafs Go! (not)

 

Mmmmm mangoes

 

Lunch! Fresh fish and salad

Last stop of the day - floating bar



Can't come all this way and not go swimming!

My swimming...or rather getting back up...didn't go so well

Day 3 was a drizzly day, perfect for catching up on sleep and recovering from the previous day's sun. We did eventually make it out to Shela beach to dip our toes in the water. Sadly we missed out on going to see turtle hatching as there was no room on the tour. Back in the old town one of our new found "friends" convinced me to get henna done by his wife. I quite like it although apparently I should have gotten both arms done, among other things, according to my male co-workers.

Walking on Shela beach

Lamu Fortress at Shela beach

Beautiful henna! The heart was lost in translation though :-s

And on the holiday Monday, Madaraka Day, Naomi and I did a bit of silver shopping (in the rain!) before we all headed back to Nairobi. Not bad for Peter's first weekend in Kenya!

All work and some play...

As most of you know (or remember), there are always bad things about "working"... mundane tasks, politics, long days, and tight deadlines. But it really makes a difference where you're working, who you're working for/with, and why you're doing what you're doing.

So, no complaints about being part of the UNICEF Education team here in Nairobi! :) These past few weeks have been extremely busy and I still can't believe that I get to be involved in so many cool (potentially life-changing) projects! 

The Acting Representative (Head of UNICEF Kenya Office) and Deputy Representative know who I am, as do a number of people at the Ministry of Education and Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD). You cannot buy this kind of exposure (or get paid apparently, lol).

Name dropping aside, the projects themselves are fascinating and inspiring. I've been up to my eyeballs in national Curriculum Reform, helping to organize the World Day Against Child Labour, supporting my team at the launch of the National Council for Nomadic Education in Kenya (NACONEK), and the previously mentioned Education for All (EFA) Global Action Week (GAW). I also got to attend a meeting with the Kenya Primary School Headteachers Association (KEPSHA) about a very cool SMS technology that's being used to reach every teacher in Kenya and gather data about initiatives like the Child Friendly Schools program.

Now I get to look at all of our data to see how my team is meeting our targets and contributing to Education for All and the UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF)....a dream come true for a self-professed data geek!

KICD - my office away from the office this week

Block E - my actual office

Well, is it??

Block C - beautiful UN campus

KEPSHA

NACONEK launch

But it's not been all work (that would make me a dull girl!). I've been out with my flatmates having a few beverages and checking out the Nairobi nightlife, there's been brunches with the girls, shopping trips to the malls, and I even fit in a haircut! I've started driving here so as I get more comfortable I'll have more freedom to venture around the city (however, I'm not sure when I'll be ready to tackle the Nairobi traffic, stay tuned!). 

How I typically unwind - slightly addicted to arrowroot chips

New hangover cure...mango milkshake from Java

Shopping! Two for the price of one (?) probably not, have to get better at haggling

The haircut and blow dry!

And I've just booked my first vacation to the coast, SO excited!! Safari to follow in the not too distant future.

What can I say? I'm having an absolute blast over here and these past 7 weeks have been everything I had hoped for and more.

And now for the acronym quiz...lol.

Are Kenyans the friendliest people on the planet?

It would certainly seem so to me.

I thought Canadians were super friendly (in addition to being "nice" and "polite") but the Kenyans put our passing "hey, how's it going? Good, you? Good." to shame.

Everyday, each person that walks into the office greets everyone else with a "Habari!" and a special kind of handshake/high five. It's a gesture that's so full of genuine emotion and happiness. And when they look you in the eye and ask how your evening or weekend was, they really want to know. Imagine that!

Even people you are first introduced to hold your hand for a REALLY long time while they ask you many questions about yourself. And they remember your name when they see you again!

I really lucked out with my office and my flat. In the office, there is so much laughter with everyone teasing each other (including me!) - regardless of where in the country (or out of the country) you come from, religion, gender, title or level. The other day my flatmates amused themselves for a quite a while talking about Celine Dion.

I really appreciated the welcome I've received and the camaraderie that's developed at work and at home.

On the flip side, I've also seen many people, especially in the service industry, with a look on their faces like they couldn't care less to be there and "here comes another "muzungu", complete with *eye rolling*. This got me thinking about how we foreigners treat the local people we come into contact with every day. You know, the people working in the cafeteria, supermarket, petrol station, restaurants, our housekeepers and numerous security guards. Sad to say I've seen quite a few people, mostly Americans and Brits, being "polite" in a "I'm paying you so you'd better do it exactly how I want it, when I want it" kind of way. In a word, rude.

I don't know if this is more apparent to me because I'm Canadian or because of how my parents raised me. How I saw them interact with EVERYONE in Mauritius seemed quite normal for me but now I realize that it's quite special. That is to say, they treated all people, foreign and local, like...people. This is accomplished by being genuinely nice and polite, joking around with them, when they scratch your back you scratch theirs, paying/tipping fairly and not trying to nickel and dime them to save, literally, a dollar. For those that you see regularly, taking an interest in their lives - knowing their names and maybe even the names of their family members.

I know there is a lot of talk about crime here and people ripping you off, and I'm sure that does happen in some places (actually I paid way too much for a jacket already but I love it so I don't mind) but for the most part I think the old adage "treat people how you would like to be treated" still holds true.

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A few pics from the past two weeks for those not on Facebook or Instagram.

All day meeting at the Tribe Hotel...very swish!

Memorial service for our fallen colleagues :(

Topiary at the UN Complex

Sunday hike up to the top of Longonot crater

Zebras!

Harder than it looks

Worth every step!

Now you want to walk AROUND the crater?! No thanks

Selfie!

Spot the giraffes

Education for All meeting with my boss and colleagues

With the President and Speaker of the Children's Government