In Kenya : Post 1
Posted on 26 May 2007 under Journal/Life Updates
Well, it’s been about 3 days now since I landed here, and here are a few general observations of Nairobi :
- As I said earlier, it’s much cooler. We really found it pretty darned cold the first couple of days, but I think I’m getting used to the weather now. It’s cool, and it does warrant the use of warmer clothing occassionally, though. However, my mum seems to find it rather cold, for some reason. (Also note that this is apparently the “winter” season. However, since Kenya is pretty much divided into 2 by the equator, I don’t really think this is “winter”. I reckon it’s colder because it’s around this time when it starts to rain, and rain brings the temperatures down further)
- The traffic here seems to be faster in general, but much much more organized than the traffic in India (obviously
). I’m sometimes quite amused at how slow and cautious my dad becomes at crossroads, and when joining main roads, etc. - The traffic volume and density have gone absurdly high since the last time I was here (which was roughly 10 years ago, of course).
- There appear to be a very very diverse collection of cars on the road. I find that quite strange, because being a small country with a small population, and a smaller vehicle-requiring populace, I would have thought that there’d be very few car manufacturers here… will find out more about this. One possible explanation is that most cars are imported from other countries instead of being built here, and since cars are being imported anyway, car owners can go for any car they want.
- The greenery and city beauty is still there. You see plenty of trees and bushes dotting the roads on both sides, and on our drive to the outskirts today, we noticed what would pass off as a small jungle on the side of the road.
- The water here is hard water (compared to India, of course). Hard water is characterized by being difficult to form a lather with soap, and consequently leaving a soap-fimly layer on the skin when you wash your hands. The strange thing, though, is that it doesn’t bother you so much when you’re trying to get the soap to lather, but it takes a frustratingly long time to wash it all off!
- My initial impression is that the cost of living here is pretty high. However, that’s my perception based on prices in Kenyan Shillings (KHS). I will make some conversions to USD (U.S. Dollars) or INR (Indian Rupees) and then let you know some comparisons.
Photos will be delayed for a while, because I need to work out how to upload them to the PC (miniscule problem) and also need to figure out a way to classify them in 2 albums, one for general public viewing, and another for friends or known people (which may contain pictures of me and my family, etc) (this may require some time and some browsing to figure out).
(6 votes, average: 4 out of 5)
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Sounds nice
Have you had the opportunity to go on any trips yet?
Oh, and where are you staying? A hotel or do you have an apartment there?
Waiting for the pics
Dad works in Kenya.
He has a nice apartment that we’re living in
The traffic here is a lot too, but its well organized which keeps it going.
Hate the traffic in india, ppl need to learn how to drive.
People in India know how to drive… they just don’t know how to follow the driving guidelines/rules.
Normally, when people see a green light changing to red, they slow down. In India, when you see a green light changing to red at a junction you’re coming to, you SPEED UP and try to pass the junction before the light is “fully red”.
That’s just one example, of course.
Sounds like here oO.
That’s nothing. In Israel, people just ignore the red light
Anyway, it is quite sad. People are getting killed by accidents every day here!
Well for the Cars there, most of them are imported, or maybe at the most Made in Africa. I specifically don’t no if any automobile firm has a plant in Kenya.
Gurdit, have you ever tried following the rules in India, bcos if you did you will be the last guy, and the one who’s always supressed by others and I know that because I have tried it. Indian Roads follow only one rule, The Jungle Law i.e. Survival of the Fittest.
Helios, a number of people are killed or injured in traffic accidents in India daily too, but the number of people who just scrape another car or just touch another vehicle, and then get out and shout at each other and create a traffic jam for all the others is much higher
Mohd, yes, it’s true… I confirmed with dad. All cars in Kenya are imported, and the import duty is also quite low to enable people to posses cars.
And well, to be honest, I do follow (most of) the rules of the traffic. I admit I switch lanes quite frequently (that being a luxury of a fast-moving 2-wheeler), but I almost always slow down for a red light, and have a Pollution Under Control certificate and everything.
Well Gurdit what you say, isn’t any thing great. By rules, I mean all of them, like stopping before the Stop line before the Zebra Crossing at the signal, or the right of way on a Round about to the person who is already at it and blah blah. If you were to follow those you did be dead.
I don’t think I’d be dead… I’d just never reach my destination
Lol :)!
Here, the cars follow the traffic laws like there’s no tomorrow. The pedestrians don’t - because the cars do.
This may seem like a strange question, but have you met any college students there (or at least kids in their late teens/early 20’s) If you have, what are they like? It may be very interesting to note the differences between a typical Kenyan student and a typical American student. Just a thought : )
-AThought355
Alex, that’s a very interesting question.
To be perfectly honest, I haven’t met many local people here yet. I will try to meet some and make a post about it.
Next week (or later), I will be meeting with some of my old friends who have been here all their lives and are currently in college (I used to live in Kenya earlier for about 4 years from ‘93 to ‘97).
Will keep you updated.