As we wait for our bus to fill, we are thoroughly entertained - by street performers doing tricks on the footpath, and two little girls sneaking smiles at us from the seat in front.
Friday, August 31, 2012
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
big city livin'
The same day we stumbled across the market, we also visited the Kenyatta International Conference Centre to get a birds eye view of our new home. There's a viewing platform at the top of the building and we spent a good twenty minutes snapping photos and wondering where the strange twilight-zone haze came from. Nairobi can get pretty overcast / smoggy, but it really was a crazy hazy day.
We then discovered an opened door and narrow hallway around the back of the building, climbed up a few flights of stairs and found ourselves standing in the middle of a helipad and on top of the world!
Much like Brisbane, most of our day-to-day life is out in the 'burbs, where the highrises aren't so high, but the traffic is just as bad. But I wonder, does this large African city look like what you imagine Nairobi to be?
We then discovered an opened door and narrow hallway around the back of the building, climbed up a few flights of stairs and found ourselves standing in the middle of a helipad and on top of the world!
Much like Brisbane, most of our day-to-day life is out in the 'burbs, where the highrises aren't so high, but the traffic is just as bad. But I wonder, does this large African city look like what you imagine Nairobi to be?
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Thursday, August 23, 2012
language learning
There’s nothing like learning another language to realize how bad you are at English. We're learning just how little grammar we were taught at school. What’s an infinitive? Can someone explain the past perfect tense?
Both English and Swahili are national languages in Kenya. We started Swahili lessons as part of our orientation and have been practicing small phrases on our guards, the bus drivers and colleagues. We’re having trouble figuring out how to say ‘This is my wife’ or ‘This is my husband’ and a few times I’ve proudly introduced Will as my wife. Oops.
We’re hoping to find a tutor and start weekly classes with some Aussie friends soon. Sure, we can get by on other people’s English (and they speak it well!), but making the effort speaks volumes about our interest in this culture and its people.
And to be honest, you feel kinda dumb being the only mono-lingual kid in the room.
Both English and Swahili are national languages in Kenya. We started Swahili lessons as part of our orientation and have been practicing small phrases on our guards, the bus drivers and colleagues. We’re having trouble figuring out how to say ‘This is my wife’ or ‘This is my husband’ and a few times I’ve proudly introduced Will as my wife. Oops.
We’re hoping to find a tutor and start weekly classes with some Aussie friends soon. Sure, we can get by on other people’s English (and they speak it well!), but making the effort speaks volumes about our interest in this culture and its people.
And to be honest, you feel kinda dumb being the only mono-lingual kid in the room.
swahili words for the day
Mme – 'husband'
Mke - 'wife'
Monday, August 20, 2012
the markets and the dreams
Quite unplanned, we stumbled into a large tourist craft market in Nairobi on the weekend. The large square plot was full of colour, with each shopkeeper displaying their various goods laid out on the ground before them. We weren’t interested in buying anything, but are always up for snapping some photos.
Before we’d even walked through the front gate, a local guy struck up conversation with us, stuck to us, and started guiding us through the market. We did our best to convince him that we weren’t tourists and didn’t require or particularly want a guide, but he was like glue and eventually led us to his small plot, covered with paintings and woodwork.
When a bunch of his friends crowded in around us, keen to drag us to their own handicrafts, we slipped our camera back into our bag, elbowed our way out of the crowd and went on our merry way.
Our favourite moment was when one shopkeeper delightedly announced ‘Oh I knew you’d come back Sir, I’ve seen you here before!!’ It was our first time to the market, and we obviously hadn’t seen him before, which I kindly informed him. Quick on his feet, his reply came ‘I saw you this morning… in my dreams!’
---
Speaking of dreams, we’ve been having some weird ones. Maybe it’s part of settling into a new routine and a new bed, maybe it’s the effect of mchuzi mix, an MSG product found in a lot of Kenyan food. Either way, the sleep talker has returned.
I woke up one night to find Will half sitting up, with his hand in the air like he was hailing a cab. I asked what he was doing. He said, somewhat unreassuringly, ‘Don’t worry, there’s just a snake in between us.’ I responded quizzically with ‘I don’t see how hailing a cab is going to get rid of the snake’ and we both promptly fell back to sleep.
Thankfully, there was no snake.
swahili word of the day
nyoka - 'snake'
Thursday, July 19, 2012
one week to go
We are flying out in one week.
One week?!
This is crazy.
Life has been SO full the past few months, and this next week is busy. Crazy, hectic, chaotically busy. But good busy.
The past month we both celebrated our birthdays. I'm sad to say I failed at documenting our 13 Days of Birthday as well as we did last year, but we enjoyed lots of yummy meals, quality time with friends and family and the buzz of turning one year older. Buying a gift for someone who is whittling down their possessions to a mere 30 kgs is tough, but we both rocked it.
We made Smurf Haus look all pretty for his future humans, and we're waiting to hear back if the agent has got new tenants. I suggested that we hold interviews with everyone who came to the inspection but apparently that's not how things work. There's something special about your first home together, and Smurf Haus has been such a charming little fellow.
We've been emptying him of furniture at an impressive rate. Today we packed up most of our kitchen gear. I'm drinking LL&B out of an old coffee cup and we'll be using our camping utensils for dinner tonight. How the two of us have accumulated so much stuff is beyond me.
Apart from packing, we've been doing all the other 'getting-ready-to-move-overseas' kind of things. I challenged Will to a neck-pillow-blowing-up race, only to discover I get really light headed, really quickly. Will has been practicing his impressive Kenyan accent and stealing packing boxes from behind a large shopping complex. We've also done the grown up things like getting a joint bank account and our visas and vaccines.
We still need to properly pack our bags, and clean the house, and another 30 odd things on our To Do list. But it's happening, slowly, quickly, crazily.
I may not be on the blog again before we go, but we will keep this little journal for our new adventure, so keep an eye out for some jetlagged rambles and cheesy photos with African wildlife.
One week?!
This is crazy.
Life has been SO full the past few months, and this next week is busy. Crazy, hectic, chaotically busy. But good busy.
The past month we both celebrated our birthdays. I'm sad to say I failed at documenting our 13 Days of Birthday as well as we did last year, but we enjoyed lots of yummy meals, quality time with friends and family and the buzz of turning one year older. Buying a gift for someone who is whittling down their possessions to a mere 30 kgs is tough, but we both rocked it.
We made Smurf Haus look all pretty for his future humans, and we're waiting to hear back if the agent has got new tenants. I suggested that we hold interviews with everyone who came to the inspection but apparently that's not how things work. There's something special about your first home together, and Smurf Haus has been such a charming little fellow.
We've been emptying him of furniture at an impressive rate. Today we packed up most of our kitchen gear. I'm drinking LL&B out of an old coffee cup and we'll be using our camping utensils for dinner tonight. How the two of us have accumulated so much stuff is beyond me.
Apart from packing, we've been doing all the other 'getting-ready-to-move-overseas' kind of things. I challenged Will to a neck-pillow-blowing-up race, only to discover I get really light headed, really quickly. Will has been practicing his impressive Kenyan accent and stealing packing boxes from behind a large shopping complex. We've also done the grown up things like getting a joint bank account and our visas and vaccines.
We still need to properly pack our bags, and clean the house, and another 30 odd things on our To Do list. But it's happening, slowly, quickly, crazily.
I may not be on the blog again before we go, but we will keep this little journal for our new adventure, so keep an eye out for some jetlagged rambles and cheesy photos with African wildlife.
the last hurrah
My mum, my sister and I headed south to Sydney for our last girls weekend before Will and I move. We spent our days playing tourists, and our evenings ordering room service and watching Downton Abbey. It really rocked!
We stayed in Circular Quay and walked everywhere. The Museum of Contemporary Art. The Opera House. The Sunday markets. The Guylian Chocolate Cafe. The Aquarium. We also jumped on a ferry and spent a beautiful sunshiney day at Manley. Our lunch at The Pantry was delicious!
It was so nice to have no schedule and no rush, just to follow our noses wherever we pleased. One afternoon we headed across to the Dendy to see 'Where do we go now'. I think it would have to be the best foreign film I've ever seen and have been raving about it to anyone who will listen.
Girl time is so good. I don't think I can yet imagine how much I will miss these two in the coming months. This trip was just what we needed - some good old fashioned quality time together and some wonderful memories to hold tight. I love my mum and sister.
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