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It has been so long I couldn't even remember my password to this site. So does that mean I am back into the routine of life that no longer is exciting enough to blog about?
Well there is definitely is some routine as ever when you are working and begin to get settled in but I am not sure that living in Kenya would ever be the rooutine that I had back in the UK.
So what I have been up to? Well I had a ten day trip back to Europe for a Fairtrade board meeting in Germany and a few meetings in the UK that allowed me a flying visit to see friends and family. Lovely to see them, but I wasn't desperate to come back at all. However I travelled back to the UK with an empty suitcase and managed to fill it up (and another) with warm and smarter clothes and a few other handy items from my flat to make my life here more comfortable. In fact I was at risk of being over weight so last minute a few bits were flung out of my case! So I now have a non leaking hot water bottle, a clock radio, make up, jewellry and boots and heals among other things!! When I arrived back at the airport in Nairobi, my taxi driver Joseph was waiting for me patiently (yet again it took me an hour and 10 mins to get through immigration and I have a visa already!). Joseph had a big smile and said welcome home and despite all the chaos it did feel like I was coming home.
So the other news is that I want to see if I can stay out here for a bit longer - who knows, maybe a year or two. So I will not be going back to Sainsbury's - not that they had anything for me anyway so it was not really an option. I really would like to try and be a bit more settled and really get to live in Africa for an extended period of time to properly do the expat thing. The issue of course will be to get a job out here which may sound easy but I am not sure that it will be. I don't have the right skills for full on development work (or qualifications - they are very anal about having a Masters). I would like to work in the private sector over here that links in with the development side but my networks are not really coming up with anything. There are a couple of other jobs I have been contacted about that are more international but are not based here that are interesting so I am keeping all my options open - after all after a year I really need to earn some money! For sure if I work out here, lets just say it won't be for the money but anything will be more than I am on now and you really don't need to surround yourselves with lots of material things here when there is so much poverty around it does feel quite uncomfortable at times. Well thats what I try and convince myself as I yet again do my hand washing wishing I had a washing machine!
My latest flatmate Ute, from Germany has been really lovely and great company, not to mention a good cook of healthy food and also joins me doing my exercise DVDs - sadly she leaves in a weeks time. The guesthouse we are staying in is now better furnished, curtains rather than dirty blinds that don't shut, a rug, lamps and wifi - not to mention a TV but niether of us watch it so much more comfotable and definitely feels like home!
The weather has changed, no longer raining really but very cold in the evenings and mornings - jumpers needed that's for sure. There were a couple of weeks when the sun didn't come out all day which was a bit depressing but we now get sun most days which really warms the place up - and the last two weekends we have sat out on our new garden chairs which has been really lovely - a perfect temperature. The place however is still very dusty and full of fumes - you do get to feel pretty grubby walking around but again thats part of the charm that I am sure may wear off it time.
Catharine and I have started 2 hours of weekly swahili lessons - we have done 6 hours so far with a private tutor Ellie who is very good and patient with us. I must admit after the two hours I am definitely brain dead. Languages as many of you know is not my strength so I do struggle but it is good fun and even if I just get to say some greetings confidently then that makes me feel good. But everyone speaks amazing English so day to day it is not really needed, and in Nairobi they all speak Sheng which is slang and doesn't really resemble Swahilli anyway!
We decided we needed to be sociable with our work colleagues so arranged a guesthouse warming party earlier this month. We were told that things don't get started here until late (which we had experienced) so we arranged the party to start at 9 and prepared homemade delicious salsa and guacomole to go with crisps and fresh baguette and bought a crate of beer and bottles of wine. We invited everyone from work - but unbelievably no one showed up! All valid excuses but a bit disappointing. However we also invited some other friends we had met along the way and so we had a few people there and had a good time anyway. One friend of mine came (Karen) who I worked with when I was here 5 years ago - so it was lovely to catch up with her and her friend Trevor. But I am not sure I will be repeating hosting a party for a while.
Karen and Trevor then took Ute and me out with her friends on a Friday to go dancing - and that's what we did. We went to a club called Galilleos which had comfy seating but the place soon became packed. Mainly Kenyans who can dance amazingly - why can't I do the bum dancing thing that they all can - apparently we dance with our knees which is so true!! But a great time and generously Karen paid for everything and would not let us contribute to the bill at the end of the night - so we are planning on returning the favour next week with home cooked dinner and maybe a few drinks out (as it will be a school night).
I also joined a bookclub - I couldn't make the first meeting but made this one where we ate Lebonese food - so much of it and discussed The Picture of Dorian Grey. Nice to meet some other people and do something different but a shame I can't make the next one as I will be at the coast with my sister.
We made the effort to go and see the Wimbledon final. We got a matatu down Ngong Road to Karen stopping off enroute to look at beds for Catharine. Ngong Road is where I live, but it is a very long road and as you get towards Karen (the posh part of town) there is all sorts of furniture for sale on the side of the road - that's where most of the furniture in the guesthouse came from. After checking out prices we got another Matatu to Karen to watch the final at Talisman who had a special Wimbledon menu - essentially scones and cream (which when we ordered had run out!). So we nail bitingly watched the first three sets - but then took a break to have dinner when it all started to go down hill! But a good excuse to go out and have some lovely food and a few beers. We have just been discussing how the Olympics will not be quite the same - as less of a sport that you go to a bar to watch....so we will have to see.
Last week we had a three day residential team meeting - with everyone from Fairtrade Africa there including those based in the regions. It was a great three days and I ran a session on ways of working - I don't think they had had a sesson like that before where we tackled some difficult topics but hopefully it all went well. We did a few fun activiites some of which were copied with pride from training courses I had done at Sainsburys - with Cadburys chocolate as always the prize as that is the only Fairtrade product on the Kenyan market for now.
Last Saturday night, Catharine, Ute and with my friend Ali from the coast who was in town, got dressed up and went to Sierra Lounge where they were hosting a jazz evening. We walked in quite early and it was already busy - and there were rows of seats in front of stage - not quite what I was expecting. I was expecting round tables, lounge like (as in the name..). But the ticket included drinks and food - which over the course of the evening was very nice. They did run out of white wine quite quickly but the red was better anyway. We soon made our way outside onto a big terrace which was surpisingly warm and enjoyed the music from there - much better atmoshphere and the place was full of cool Nairobians and the music was pretty stunning too. A great night - so we will have to do more of those things.
So I think I am up to date with a few highlights of the last couple of months....
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