Hujambo! | Page 30 | Living and Working in Nairobi, Kenya

Kenya

I Hate Shoes

It was only recently that I realized I hate shoes. It’s probably something I’ve realized before, but I definitely just realized it again. Ever since I got back to Kenya I can count the number of times I’ve worn shoes: one. I have been wearing sandals every single day since I got back from my July visit home.

Maybe it was the California summer that made me remember? You know that dry, hot weather that makes you want to throw on a pair of board shorts, go down to the boardwalk and eat a taco with a cold horchata? Or maybe it was the fact that there are no good pairs of shoes here. Too stylish (can’t pull it off), too ugly (can’t wear ’em), too expensive (refuse to spend that kinda cash on ’em), etc.

Kenya

Wanapiga Matatu!

Citizen journalism in action! I was in a matatu (minibus used for public transportation) after work tonight and I found a hell of a commotion at Church Road and Wayaki Way. It’s not every day you see cars driving on the wrong side of the road—and the Westlands traffic jam never backs up all the way to Safaricom headquarters. Since I was near my stop anyways, I asked the conductor, “Naeza shuka?” (can I get out), then hopped out in the middle of traffic. Our side of the highway was bumper to bumper, but the other side was clear.

It was just about dusk, so I really couldn’t see very far, but I could hear a lot people making noise. As I got closer to Church Road I saw a big group of people. Kenyans like watching car accidents for some reason, and I saw lots of tree branches in the road—a tell-tale sign of a car accident—so I figured it was something like that. I approached the commotion and saw lots of dudes carrying big branches, and hitting matatus which had piled up in the traffic.

Food, Kenya

Kenyan Coke

Kenyans drink a lot of Coca Cola. You can get Pepsi in the fancier stores if you really want it, but I don’t think many Kenyans have ever tried it, haha. I was never a really big soda drinker, but there’s something about having a cold Coke with Mama Oliech’s fried tilapia and ugali (a thick porridge made from maize)! What I didn’t realize until recently was that Kenyan Coke is much like Mexican Coke.