A personal Kenyan note regarding Obama

This was sent to me from my friend Beryl. She is a 20-something young Kenyan woman. Just a different perspective…
For a couple of months now America was taken to a test and while the rest of world knew the answer they wanted, they still put America to test anyway.
I am amazed, at how highly America [...]

Back in Nairobi…

It’s raining in Nairobi, though I’ve decided I really like it here more than anywhere else. Currently in Java cup using their free wifi. (http://nairobijavahouse.com/)

Kenyan Kindness and Ethiopian ridiculousness

Steven, who might be the nicest person I’ve ever met in the entire world, met me at my hotel at 2am. He had offered to hold onto my extra bag for me so that I didn’t have to shlep it with me from Nairobi to Ethiopia. Steven went to spend the day with his family [...]

Think!

This is from an election poster in Kisumu, Kenya for the party that is currently not in power. Democracy can work in the developing world (or really any part of the world). This isn’t demonstrating that there aren’t problems of corruption and graft here, but that there is a future unlike many other places in [...]

CLT in the Kisumu Airport

Notice the striped awning above me. That’s the pre-boarding waiting area. I like it.

Flying with the storm

So East African Airways has recently acqired “zan air”, but because they needed the plane they have not had time to paint it yet, so though your ticket says east african airways, you are going to be flying on a zan air flight. But I wouldn’t be too worried, as the paint it peeling off [...]

Government seeking input

What are you doing here?

About 5k outside of Kisumu I ran into a group of about 10 Americans.
Carrie: “What are you doing here?”
10 Americans: “We are Christians”.
Right, not the answer to the question I asked, but apparently that was code for missionaries. They asked if I was also here preaching the good word. I guess it is all how [...]

Suggestion Box

Kisumu and Kisii, Western Kenya
HIV/AIDS care and treatment is free for all Kenyans who need such care. However, apparently it is a popular belief by the medical staff that manage the patients that the staff should be paid better–so they collect an “unofficial fee” from the patients that they then pocket. So officially there is [...]

Waiting in The Nyanza “Russian” Hospital

Kisumu, Kenya
Kisumu is the third largest city in Kenya, but feels more like a sleepy town in the middle of no where. (I keep needing to redefine where “the middle of no where” is located, because once you’ve been to The Middle Of Nowhere, it is no longer a Nowhere but a Somewhere. Like since [...]