Proof that Randi has arrived in Nairobi safely! Also spotted were Sammy, Laurain, and Tash. Watch this space for more!
Amefika Salama
Yelling at Poor People
Tactics for dealing with beggars range the ethical gamut. Certain kinds of people just fork over the cash at the first sight of a quivering lower lip. A handful of others like the silent treatment (easy but not immediately effective). In Bombay I noticed that Indians would actually hit street kids with rolled up newspapers — a bit hardcore, but immediately effective. Luckily, I’m white and I live in Kenya, so I have plenty of opportunities to try various methods almost daily! For example, I felt terrible after this exchange with an eight-year-old girl last week:
Beggar girl: “
Uncle please, I’m hungry…”
Me: “Go to school”
Beggar girl: “Please buy for me some food”
Me: “Kwenda huko, uliza huyu. Hata mwafrika anapesa!” (Get out of here, go ask him. Even African people have money)
Beggar girl: “(mumbling)… enda nchi yenu” (go back to your country)
Me: “Mimi ni mkenya” (I’m Kenyan)
New Tunes
These are some new tunes. They’re new to me at least. I bet you’ve never heard ’em until now but I wouldn’t be surprised if some of you heard about these when they dropped a few years ago. These two songs aren’t from Kenya but they sure get a lot of airtime in Kenya in matatus, clubs, ring tones, etc. I hope you enjoy these tracks as much as I do and sambaza (share/spread) them with everyone you know. Zimenibamba (they’ve “jazzed” me)!
Magic System — Premier Gaou
These dudes are from Côte d’Ivoire and this song is apparently from 2006 but I only recently realized how sweet it is. Now that I am in the loop I am pretty sure I’ve heard it in a few clubs over the past couple of years. Every time this song starts playing all the chicks in the joint shriek and jump up to dance with their girlfriends. You know what I’m talking about!