tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68281394418294679522011-04-22T04:51:05.487+03:00Stories from KenyaKDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.comBlogger651100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-29333899010955525312009-02-26T13:44:00.002+03:002009-02-26T13:56:38.528+03:00

Tonight, George and I return to Dar es Salaam. We'll be sleeping there, then tomorrow head off for a final trip to the beach. In the evening, I'll be boarding a flight to Switzerland, and expect to arrive in Canada in the afternoon on the 28th. It's going to be tough to leave -- I've become very used to the East African pace of life, and the way that people relate to one another with warmth and

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-16763554640798473442009-02-26T13:20:00.002+03:002009-02-26T13:43:28.124+03:00

The return to Zanzibar, and to George, was wonderful. Though G and I had only been apart for about three weeks, it felt much longer -- which means it's really going to be tough not to see him for months or even years on end! But we both have our plans for the year, so I'm glad we'll both have the opportunity for personal development before we meet again.We met up in Dar for a night, and came

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-78902142209262178372009-02-26T13:00:00.002+03:002009-02-26T13:19:43.265+03:00

Coming back to Tanzania was a bit of a misadventure, but at least an entertaining one. After having traveled all around East Africa and down into the South by road, I was sick and tired of buses, and decided to give the train a try. Due to a combination of having to get a visa in the morning and having to wait until the bus to the town where you catch the train (Kapiri Mposhi) became full so that

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-1214889978637624422009-02-16T13:40:00.002+03:002009-02-16T14:17:36.190+03:00

Livingstone is the centre of Zambia's tourism industry because of a single and very major attraction: the famed Victoria Falls. However, I didn't get around to seeing the falls themselves until the second night I was there -- I wanted to wait until Miles arrived, or until I found out where she was. Instead, I spent the first two days exploring the town of Livingstone, so named after the explorer,

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-39887783767219592412009-02-11T14:11:00.003+03:002009-02-11T14:36:19.499+03:00

Unfortunately, Livingstone began on a low note for me. I was supposed to be meeting a friend there, Miles, who I had met at the conference in Cape Town and had been communicating with ever since. She was coming up from Zimbabwe and I wasn't sure how long it would have taken her to get to Livingstone from Harare, so when she wasn't there when I arrived, I didn't panic. When I hadn't heard from her

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-33332364171271228302009-02-08T15:22:00.000+03:002009-02-08T15:26:08.939+03:00

I wanted to go to Lusaka primarily to finally see someone that I'd known since childhood, but never met. In the early 80s, a young Zambian man named Emmanuel flew to Saskatchewan to work in a northern, predominantly First Nations town, through Canadian Crossroads International. His presence caused a sensation, and the local newspaper would run such ludicrous pieces as "Emmanuel in the Snow" and "

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-32138291473577411082009-02-07T21:32:00.002+03:002009-02-07T21:48:08.854+03:00

After Rwanda, my next step was Zambia. Unfortunately, there's the inconvenience of a vast country in between the two: my old friend Tanzania. Crossing Tanzania by land is no easy feat, particularly when coming in through Rwanda. Unlike the well-worn route from Kenya, few people pass this way, except long-distance truckers, so there's not much choice when it comes to transportation. After failing

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-14699136601006591622009-01-31T14:28:00.005+03:002009-01-31T17:12:06.954+03:00

After Kigali, I was on my own. George had to go back to Nairobi to move into a new place. I took the opportunity to indulge in my nerdy side and do more of what I love to do -- visit museums. I set out to the town of Butare, a tiny place which is home to the University of Rwanda. It also boasts the National Museum of Rwanda, which I had come to see. It's an anthropological museum, which explores

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-80833042655816411362009-01-31T13:43:00.002+03:002009-01-31T14:27:40.114+03:00

Driving from the Ugandan-Rwandan border into Kigali, the landscape is absolutely stunning. Once you cross into Rwanda, it becomes immediately obvious why this is called "Le Pays des Milles Collines" -- the land of a thousand hills. Rwanda is all lush green hills and valleys, stretching in every direction as far as the eye can see. It's one of the most beautiful countries I've ever visited, and

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-26566600459932158482009-01-25T17:39:00.004+03:002009-01-25T18:12:55.147+03:00

Coming from the heat of Kampala, our arrival at Lake Bunyonyi was wonderful -- it was a cold that reminded me of a Canadian autumn, a drop of probably about twenty degrees from one place to the other. It was so good to be in the country again, to breathe in the cold, fresh air. The camp we were staying at was right on the lakeshore, looking out over the rolling hills dotted with farms and huts.

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-15322789642624428232009-01-17T18:17:00.000+03:002009-01-17T18:55:08.555+03:00

So I've left Nairobi. Not forever, of course, but until the next time I'm in Kenya, which could be anywhere from two to ten years away. It was hard to leave, to say goodbye to the people and places I've poured my heart into for the past year. I'll miss the colour and grit and attitude of the city. I'll miss the matatus, the music, the ghetto, my favourite haunts, my own little servant's quarters.

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-89244535816152030052009-01-04T13:20:00.001+03:002009-01-04T13:24:16.661+03:00

As we sat in a little juice bar on the waterfront in Lamu, sipping on our freshly-made drinks (passion, lime and mango juice and a chocolate milkshake, respectively) we heard the sound of hand-drums approaching. We finished our drinks and poked our heads out, curious, to be greeted by an onslaught of men and boys in white robes and kofias, drumming and dancing. Some held signs with anti-drug

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-41754429447362561112008-12-31T13:39:00.007+03:002008-12-31T14:47:46.429+03:00

Christmas was a low-key affair for me this year. On the 23rd, we took the bus to Mombasa, the second-largest city in Kenya. As with all the coastal towns in East Africa, the original Bantu people had traded and intermarried with mostly Omani traders, and also with early Portuguese colonialists, forming the unique Swahili culture which still remains strong today. Though not as business-oriented as

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-66599111080783654352008-12-22T16:48:00.002+03:002008-12-22T17:15:27.652+03:00

So I've been hearing stories from my friends and family back home about the huge amount of snow you've been getting. I guess it's really starting to look like Christmas over there! Here it's looking a lot like... well, like a very hot summer with Christmas lights. There haven't been too many of the traditions that normally signal "Christmas" to me. No house parties, none of the holiday food I'm

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-6750076378987242362008-12-02T12:12:00.002+03:002008-12-02T12:26:21.963+03:00

The rest of my whirlwind stay in Cape Town passed much too quickly. After the conference, I was there for four days, and it wasn’t nearly enough neither to visit all of my family there, nor to see much of the city itself. Ah, Cape Town. What can I tell you about this place? It’s the city of my father’s childhood, and one of the most beautiful cities in the world! It has everything – mountains,

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-36933662300872888282008-11-24T17:40:00.001+03:002008-11-24T17:50:38.788+03:00

This was the 11th women’s forum hosted by the Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID). It’s the first time that the event has been hosted in Africa, and had record attendance – over 2,200 participants came from all over the world! About 30% of these came from African countries and 11% from South Africa alone (partly because, as a means of encouraging participation, a certain number

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-72806824491161505082008-11-16T15:36:00.001+03:002008-11-16T15:49:18.454+03:00

After a frustrating flight, during which our plane was delayed, we missed our connection and our luggage was misplaced, Sophia and I arrived at the Cape Town airport on Thursday afternoon to meet the rest of our delegation. Though it was a flight full of misadventures, it was an amazing one because it was Sophia's first time in an airplane. Her first time to peer down at the world below as if at

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-59172768344467323882008-11-10T16:34:00.001+03:002008-11-10T16:38:44.071+03:00

Morogoro is a beautiful town. About three hours’ drive West of Dar es Salaam, it lies at the base of the Uluguru mountain. The mountain itself is rich and green, and most of the produce in Morogoro comes from the many farms which are wrapped improbably around the mountain’s contours. I’ve been here for a week now, and I can say that the town is much bigger and livelier than I expected it to be.

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-26113890625747830382008-11-01T17:30:00.002+03:002008-11-01T17:42:41.270+03:00

On Tuesday, George and I took the bus to Dar es Salaam, or Bongo as it's commonly known around these parts. Bongo means "brains" in Swahili; they call it this because you need brains to survive in this city. Or so they say. It can't be much worse than Nairobbery, right?The bus ride was quite long -- about nine hours and we arrived in the city just as the sun was setting. Though I'm not crazy

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-74143748258165515722008-11-01T17:01:00.002+03:002008-11-01T17:28:09.205+03:00

To me, the most remarkable thing about Arusha (aside from the gorgeous mountain views) was the number of wedding parties roaming the town on weekends. And it's not just about the people in cars decorated with ribbons and flowers, and the huge groups of women dressed in loud, beautiful patterns -- the amazing thing is that every single wedding party has their own personal brass band which follows

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-72635883479080452942008-10-20T12:10:00.002+03:002008-10-20T12:39:01.741+03:00

Like every beach town I have visited in East Africa, Zanzibar's Stone Town is full of beach boys. Here they are more properly called papasi, which is Swahili for "tick" -- an apt name, as their method is to latch and hold on to any tourist they can. The papasi are essentially touts, both of good and services. Along the main roads, you'll find innumerable young men standing around, waiting for a

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-12364181083404119032008-10-18T12:51:00.002+03:002008-10-18T13:13:08.268+03:00

After the safari ended, my parents and I flew to Zanzibar, an island off the coast of Tanzania. Zanzibar was actually an independent country from Tanganyika (which the mainland used to be called) until the two states merged to become Tanzania in 1964. Zanzibar was colonized by the Portuguese, then the Omani, before becoming a British protectorate and finally gaining independence in 1963. Like the

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-16296953913862998312008-10-18T12:18:00.002+03:002008-10-18T12:47:38.262+03:00

Our safari with Hoopoe tours was absolutely amazing. At first I thought that I would get a bit tired of visiting parks day after day; I didn't really think about how diverse Tanzania's environment really is. The safari was 12 days long, and we went along with another couple around my parents' age. She was Canadian and he was American, but they live in the States. We were very lucky because we all

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-49739798260278964472008-10-05T10:47:00.004+03:002008-10-05T11:15:45.115+03:00

I had a great week in Nairobi with mom and dad, dining out, showing them around and going on adventures. It was so nice to finally show them what I'd been telling them about for so long, and wonderful for them to have a chance to talk with Lucy again, and meet George and a couple of other friends. I think they had a good time (I hope so, anyway!). There were a couple of "Nairobi incidents", but

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-41382416687670382772008-09-27T18:55:00.002+03:002008-09-27T18:59:32.596+03:00

My parents will be arriving tonight! I’m really looking forward to seeing them again, and to taking a couple of weeks off work. First they’re going to spend a week in Nairobi, where they’ll be introduced to the beautiful madness of this city. Then we’ll be heading to Tanzania at the beginning of October and embarking on an 11-day safari, before traveling to Zanzibar, where we’ll remain for about

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-47506806113328796162008-09-14T15:16:00.002+03:002008-09-14T15:36:32.957+03:00

A grad school update for you: I've decided to drop the idea of social work for now, and concentrate on gender and development studies. That's what I'm really most passionate about, and I figure I can always go back to do social work later if development doesn't work out! After all, there's no reason to be locked into one field forever.So far, I've narrowed my choices to the following:-gender

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-8086875394481012562008-09-07T16:21:00.005+03:002008-09-07T16:34:32.096+03:00

Lately I've been re-reading The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver. I was lucky; I spotted it randomly one day on a street corner, nestled amongst the usual fare of thrillers and romances, their covers dramatic black and gold, or garish pink. I always peer at the hawkers' dusty piles of books when I pass by, but this was the first time I'd found anything of interest.It's the story of a

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-13852199731303066472008-09-02T18:00:00.003+03:002008-09-02T18:12:53.918+03:00

This weekend, I rode on a motorcycle for the first time ever. Isaiah had invited me to a Maasai wedding in Oloshoibor, which I was very much looking forward to. I left Nairobi quite early in the morning, but when I reached Ngong Hills, I was stymied. There were no matatus, and no taxi pick-up trucks with their uncomfortable wooden benches. There weren’t even any cars which I could convince to

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-35428980834101151342008-09-01T11:07:00.001+03:002008-09-01T11:16:50.997+03:00

So I’ve decided not to change my plans after all. I’m staying the course. What does this entail, exactly? Well, I plan to stay at work until December. In October, my parents are coming for a visit and I will be taking two weeks off to travel with them in Tanzania, which will be wonderful. In November, I may or may not be traveling to Southern Africa to take part in a few women’s rights workshops,

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-3164662791495199162008-08-24T19:07:00.002+03:002008-08-24T19:12:49.551+03:00

This was a rough week for me. Early in the week, George and I broke up. I had been thinking about it for awhile, and I guess he had too; we're very different in so many ways, plus there was the question of moving to Canada. I couldn't picture him being happy so far from the community he loves, and he wasn't sure about it either. So we decided that it would be for the best to part ways. I know

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-69087536992257939452008-08-16T17:38:00.002+03:002008-09-14T15:41:57.601+03:00

I was supposed to return to Nairobi on Thursday morning, but it was evident once I was in Torosei that there was not way I was leaving on Thursday, and nor did I want to. The main event was on Thursday, so nobody was leaving. I was stuck, and felt very lucky to be stuck there, though I was a bit anxious about not being able to call work or George to let them know that I was stuck in shaggz (sheng

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-24673037422028442062008-08-16T17:02:00.003+03:002008-09-14T15:44:18.886+03:00

This week was really bizarre and fascinating. My friend Isaa from Elangata Wuas had invited me to a ceremony, but he didn’t really specify which one it was, except to say that it was related to a rite of passage (which is pretty much all of them). So on Tuesday I headed to Kajiado, then waited for Isaa’s call. I waited and waited, had chai, waited some more – after an hour and a half, I went back

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-9185464709936034682008-08-06T10:37:00.000+03:002008-08-06T10:39:12.292+03:00

With September fast approaching, I’ve been thinking more and more about where I hope to be in September 2009 – grad school. I would like to do my Masters, but I’m not yet decided on the subject. I would like to continue to be involved in gender equity work, perhaps focused on an area like sexual and reproductive rights, and gender-based violence. I enjoy development work, but there is a

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-27915656357556412832008-08-05T09:01:00.000+03:002008-08-05T09:03:40.395+03:00

(continued from previous entry)That evening, most of us went to do a homestay with the mother of Konzo, one of the camp staff. We went with Isaa, another staff member, who was to act as our interpreter. Since it was very uncommon for older Maasai to have attended school, particularly the women, a younger guide is necessary when doing visits. Isaa is my age and is a great guide, telling stories

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-1709801401478741142008-08-03T11:18:00.001+03:002008-08-03T11:19:45.977+03:00

(continued from previous entry) Mirey and I also managed to make a trip out of town while she was here – we actually went back to the first place we had visited outside of Nairobi, and met another one of our old classmates, so it was a bit of a nostalgic trip. On Friday, we took a matatu for about an hour and a half out to Kajiado town, a little place on the edge of Maasailand that has one main

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-17758411612449650162008-08-03T11:10:00.000+03:002008-08-03T11:12:27.910+03:00

It has been quite some time since my last update, hasn’t it? I have all sorts of excuses, of course – minor illnesses, a guest, lack of time – but I really will try to keep you guys in the loop more. Time is passing so quickly. My time in Kenya is almost half over already!I’d forgotten how chilly Nairobi gets in July. This is relative, of course. I don’t think it ever dips below 5°C, even at

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-64570593951286109302008-06-30T17:36:00.001+03:002008-06-30T17:42:44.267+03:00

On Thursday, two of my co-workers and I went to Oloshoibor for the twelfth annual Maasai cultural fair. It was almost unbearably dusty that day, the rainy season long since over, and I understood why people in this area have so many eye problems. I kept wanting to rub my own eyes to free them of the accursed red dust. But it was a great day. One of my co-workers is new and had never been to this

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-14024115017278177462008-06-29T18:59:00.002+03:002008-06-29T19:12:57.389+03:00

On Saturday morning, George has gone to take an exam and I am left to lounge in bed and admire the effect of soft sunlight filtering through the mosquito net. It always reminds me of the great folds of clothing that used to be draped around the beds of nobility – though much less substantial. It protects us not only from buzzing, blood-sucking pests, but from the worries of the outside world.

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-40576369287856923422008-06-18T14:37:00.006+03:002008-06-27T16:53:48.069+03:00

One of the things I like about going to Ngong is the means of transportation to and from. My friend Isaiah, the son of Agnes who I visited last time I went, had invited me to a sports day that was to be held at a local primary school. To get to Ngong, I first took a matatu out to town, and then a bus to the little town of Ngong Hills. That particular bus passes through mostly rural areas, but

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-24180061168073246282008-06-04T11:00:00.006+03:002008-06-04T11:34:16.049+03:00

Life has been a bit quiet here lately, which is why I haven't been updating quite so much. That's not to say that it's been boring, but just feels more routine somehow. Of course there have been a few events. This past weekend was Madaraka day, a celebration of Kenyan self-rule which was marked in part by a huge free reggae concert headlined by Black Uhuru. I was warned of the rowdy crowds,

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-43884922608101137982008-05-29T17:01:00.003+03:002008-05-29T17:17:05.468+03:00

Hello readers,I have to apologize for being silent for so long. Things have been busy, both at work and at home, and it's been tough to find time to sit and write. The fact that our internet at work was knocked out last week during a nation-wide power failure and has yet to return doesn't help much either! I'm on deadline right now so I won't say much at the moment, but expect a general update

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-29798489981034162462008-05-09T14:37:00.001+03:002008-05-09T14:48:39.783+03:00

Hello all, sorry about the long silence – things have been very busy around here (as usual!) and I simply hadn’t found much time to write. Aside from the excessive running around, life here has been good to me. The fact that I’ve been feeling very settled and comfortable in Nairobi has even been cushioning me against homesickness as birthdays, births and other major events have been transpiring

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-65218991347951831102008-04-23T18:04:00.003+03:002008-04-24T18:11:14.632+03:00

So despite my pledge to stay in last week, I ended up going to town and work anyway -- there was just too much that had to be done. But things were relatively calm, and on Friday, Maina Njenga called off the protests after hearing Raila say that the Mungiki members had the potential to be productive citizens (or something to that effect) and that he was willing to hold talks with them. Apparently

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-38493953189817104432008-04-15T18:26:00.002+03:002008-04-15T18:35:27.367+03:00

After weeks of waffling and infighting from the government and anxiety on the part of the public, a cabinet was finally named on Sunday. It’s a gigantic cabinet of 40 people, the largest in Africa by a good 16 ministers. This means that some ministries, such as the Ministry of Roads and Public Works, were split in two. Other new ministries had to be created. But still, for some reason the

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-52788819278944234612008-04-08T14:11:00.001+03:002008-04-08T14:24:47.484+03:00

We’re finally settled into our new place. The move was quite the stressful experience, although I didn’t participate in the physical moving myself (lucky me!). The problem was really being bounced around by different landlords about the dates we were supposed to move out and in. It’s kind of a drawn-out story, but the short version is that due to landlords being inflexible and communicating very

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-3206891092897679622008-03-29T15:07:00.009+03:002008-03-29T15:59:30.516+03:00

The rainy season is upon us now. Every day, the sky grows dark and menacing and we all clutch our umbrellas anxiously to our chests, wondering whether we will be caught out in the downpour. When it rains here, it rains hard, transforming streets and sidewalks into lakes in mere minutes. The rains can last from an hour, to all afternoon and evening. It wouldn't be that bad if most of the city were

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-33325246966906582962008-03-26T12:35:00.002+03:002008-03-26T13:12:47.969+03:00

This holiday weekend was busy! Although technically we had four days off, the only sign for me that Easter was here was that hawkers were selling palm leaves on the street. I spent most of the long weekend at the computer, banging away furiously and attempting to get the reports for both the Nairobi and Bujumbura workshops done in time for Tuesday night. I made it, but only after being in the

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-17604530778441757732008-03-19T19:02:00.004+03:002008-03-19T20:07:31.894+03:00

Bujumbura was absolutely beautiful. The capital of Burundi, it lies nestled betwen Lake Tanganyika to the West, and verdant rolling hills to the East. I hadn't expected it to be so hot -- when I first arrived, I felt like I was on the Kenyan coast, where the air is thick and heavy with moisture. Like Rwanda, Burundi is a former Belgian colony, and has also had its fair share of ethnic strife.

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-51250665884132232532008-03-15T21:00:00.002+03:002008-03-15T21:04:15.132+03:00

The workshop this week was fabulous. My organization, Indigenous Information Network, hosted a three-day preparatory workshop on the Convention on Biological Diversity, and environmental issues in general. We had about thirty-five participants, coming from various regions of Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Sudan. Communities represented were the Batwa, Maasai, El Molo, Ogiek and a couple of others

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-77850333597221821762008-03-10T21:06:00.004+03:002008-03-10T22:00:46.490+03:00

This weekend was pretty awful. I don't want to go into too much detail (if you really want to know, ask), but in short, George was drugged and his phone and my camera were stolen in the course of an evening. It was partially our fault for not being more careful, but dammit, that was a strange and scary night. George is fine after having a bit of a miserable Sunday. While I know that they're just

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-91480418745348909172008-03-07T19:56:00.003+03:002008-03-07T20:50:24.513+03:00

It may interest some of you to know that Foreign Affairs Canada has removed the travel warning for Kenya. Travel status has been downgraded from "avoid non-essential travel" (where it's been for the past couple of months) to "exercise high degree of caution" (which is standard for developing countries). There has been an incremental rise in tourism in the past few weeks, mostly on the coast, but

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-64248956032595216912008-03-05T19:51:00.007+03:002008-03-05T20:54:30.244+03:00

The big fuss in Nairobi lately (aside from poking fun at Raila for suddenly becoming a bigshot with his own convoy) is that city council has suddenly decided to cut down on congestion in the city centre by taking drastic action against the hawkers and the matatus. They're going about it in a hilariously heavy-handed way that is sure to backfire. Forget working with the hawkers and matatu owners

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-9186527818849618602008-02-29T11:33:00.003+03:002008-02-29T12:40:49.367+03:00

Quick update from work: cancel the hysterics. Yesterday, Odinga and Kibaki signed a power-sharing agreement allowing for the creation of three new positions, an executive prime minister (which will be Odinga), and two deputy prime ministers, one from each side of the coalition. It's not entirely clear to me what role the Prime Minister will play in parliament -- the newspaper tells me that the PM

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-24511919673811597202008-02-27T20:25:00.004+03:002008-02-28T11:08:35.371+03:00

Everything is uncertain again; the mediation talks were suspended today, giving Annan the opportunity to meet with Odinga and Kibaki directly. Already running two weeks longer than the initial 15-day period, the talks seemed to be making good progress until late last week. Now, with PNU's refusal to concede any power to the proposed PM position, the two parties have reached a stalemate.

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-77608867977034439942008-02-21T10:47:00.009+03:002008-02-21T14:27:15.233+03:00

Somehow our computers at work have been infected by a political virus. When you open an internet browser on any of the machines on the network, the first page that opens is brimming with Raila Odinga propaganda. How tiresome.Weeks later, ODM and PNU are still in discussions. The latest news is that Kibaki is dragging his feet about the proposed formation of an executive prime ministerial position

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-42660459383518198532008-02-15T14:25:00.004+03:002008-02-15T14:57:28.790+03:00

While attempting to fit in somewhat to Kenyan culture, one of the challenges for me has been learning to be flexible with my plans, both socially and at work. In Canada, I consider myself to be a fairly laid-back and flexible person. I like spontaneous adventures, I like wandering and seeing where the day takes me. If there are last-minute changes to plans, hey, no problem. I'm sure that I've

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-6686437050760801202008-02-14T16:40:00.005+03:002008-02-14T17:20:22.683+03:00

The Roots office is small, but manages to house a couch and a number of plastic chairs as well as a computer. This past Sunday we all crammed into the office for the meeting -- there had been a soccer tournament earlier in the day and it was simply easier to meet in the office after the match. It was a bit tight for the thirty-odd people in attendance; some shared seats, some stood or leaned

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-56938320464618611562008-02-12T11:10:00.000+03:002008-02-12T11:32:28.331+03:00

Just a quick update before I return to work. The Kenyan press has been going nuts lately with the news of an impending political solution. The news late last week was that ODM would no longer demand Kibaki's resignation and would cede to a power-sharing agreement. Details were to come early this week, and now we've learned that the negotiation team is heading off to some undisclosed location

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-62472161504426080952008-02-06T15:52:00.000+03:002008-02-06T17:17:57.856+03:00

On Saturday, we visited the displaced peoples' camp. The one that we visited was right on the border of Mathare, in a police station. We arrived at the Roots office in the early afternoon and waited for a few hours as members slowly trickled in. They brought clothing and blankets that they had collected from their own homes and from friends and family. With the donations received by well-wishers,

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-84239917593736656992008-02-01T19:56:00.000+03:002008-02-01T20:31:03.410+03:00

Another ODM MP, David Kimutai Too, was killed yesterday in Eldoret. Some claim that he was killed in a "crime of passion" as the result of a "love triangle gone wrong". Others, including Odinga, insist that this was a political assassination with the goal of tipping the power balance in parliament. Whatever the motivation, the result was fresh violence in Eldoret. Meanwhile, unrest continued in

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-19182344512344975312008-02-01T19:27:00.001+03:002008-02-04T12:18:44.710+03:00

On a lighter note, I just have to tell you how completely ridiculous the matatus have gotten since I was last in Nairobi. The music and lights on these mini-buses used for public trasportation were always a bit much, but now some matatu owners have taken it a step further by installing video as well. This can take the form of a large screen at the front of the matatu, or of a large screen plus

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-6687421608274558702008-01-30T14:58:00.000+03:002008-01-30T17:45:24.285+03:00

As you may have heard, an opposition MP, Mugabe Were was shot and killed yesterday in Embakasi, Nairobi. The neighbourhood was understandably thrown into chaos -- the first indication for me that something was wrong was that one of my colleagues who lives there was unable to come into work. Both ODM and PNU issued messages of condolences and called for peace, so at least there was no immediate

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-42716031168248474092008-01-28T13:01:00.000+03:002008-01-28T14:24:41.696+03:00

There have been a lot of mixed emotions in the past few days. While I have been finally getting out an about in Nairobi, seeing old friends, meeting new people and feeling rejuvinated, the news of increasing violence in Rift Valley has been absolutely sickening. This weekend, Nakuru and Naivasha were both sites of widespread gang violence, of house burning, murder and rape. It's hard to believe

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-16116994068823798302008-01-25T12:28:00.000+03:002008-01-25T12:51:42.342+03:00

So I've arrived at last, safe and sound. I was very lucky: the protests which were scheduled for Thursday were called off, and when we drove to the apartment things seemed to be more or less normal.It was a rough couple of days coming over. I couldn't sleep at all on the first flight. The second flight marked the first time I have ever been sick on a plane, which I can tell you was not an

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6828139441829467952.post-31873477159650788522008-01-23T05:20:00.000+03:002008-01-23T07:47:05.997+03:00

The last night before a big trip is always a fitful one. I'm so wrapped up in excitement and anxiety that I'm sure I'll hardly sleep at all. My last day in Canada was filled with things I won't be able to appreciate again for awhile: beautiful snow, a tofu sandwich, sushi and a long, hot shower. And of course seeing friends who I will miss dearly. But although I will miss all of these things,

KDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15438845752484229733noreply@blogger.com2