Wednesday 20 June 2007

More Kenyan memories

Hi,

Landing in Nairobi airport in September 2004 on my first visit I was dead beat tired. I was however immediately struck by the politeness of the passport control staff,"Can I help you sir?"
Whaaat?
So different to their surly UK, US and Russian colleagues!

This politeness, at times almost inscrutable - what are they thinking? -seems to me an African or at least a Kenyan trait. Linked to this is a real feel of immense pride shared by both the women and men, including a keenness for me to go on safari and see their beautiful countryside.

But I was so conscious of being white and how all my interactions with black Kenyans were 'coloured' by my and their skin tones. This was different to being around black people in England and at a conference with 300 black Africans and only about 6 white people I felt edgy.

The only time I have felt anything similar to this was when I was in Japan and being at least 6 inches taller than almost all Japanese people and feeling dead clumsy and not speaking Japanese I stuck out like a very sore thumb and could not escape like I can do in Europe.

I reached Nairobi at sunset - brief but beautiful. The roads and the traffic were terrible. he hotel was a shock, it was gated and the gatekeepers checked the boot and looked under the car for bombs.

Later wandering in the grounds looking for my favourite stars I met a (polite!) hotel guard armed with a machine gun. Oh boy!

Middle class Kenyans live in gated communities within live-in servants and they like to drive 2nd hand Mercedes - well you see the roads!

I saw slums in Kenyan the 'official' ones with some basic amenities like waters pipes and perhaps electricity and then the more basic 'dirt poor' (a good word for it) unofficial slums.

But I want to sing a song of the beauty of Kenya; the beauty, grace and energy of the people I meet specially the younger ones - their bright clothes their exotic countryside. This is a country still with hope, still struggling with HIV but not defeated...yet!

Best to all from Madison jet lagged at 5am local time,

Bill on bike

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