Nuisances and politics

So far my blog has been mostly about the joys of living in Kenya, so for the sake of balance I must write something about the nuisances as well. Even if I've just spent a really nice weekend, which was a convenient mix of partying, rest, exotic fruit and handicraft markets, pictoresque outdoor cafes, sunshine and interesting conversations.

The worst thing about Nairobi is of course security. Everything's been OK so far, but you get reminded of the risks all the time. I'm told almost every day that I'm a very brave woman, and that surely doesn't make me feel more confident. There are more violent days when offices close a bit earlier so employees can get home safely and when no one goes to the centre because it might be dangerous.

After dark you practically cannot walk on the streets at all, and taxis drive as close to the gates as possible so people could slip quickly from the car door and into their houses. Everyone here uses familiar taxi drivers to eliminate risks. And taxis aren't too cheap, this weekend I spent about 24 euros in taxis, even if I got rides from friends and used matatus. On the street you can't forget to look after your bag for a single moment. The traffic is awful, and I got seriously worried when I was told that even I could get a local driver's license in two weeks.

Today for instance I got scared on several occasions. First when taking the matatu: my collegue told me it's better not to sit in the back nor in the front because those are the worst seats if you get into a car accident. In the centre and at the market place everyone's a potential pickpocket. Then we had beer with an ODM activist who knows the opposition leader Raila from childhood, so of course it crossed my mind that he and his friends might not be too popular among the Kikuyus (the tribe that mostly supports Kibaki) right now. I hate being worried all the time! Luckily at home, at the embassy and at the UN I get to leave the security problems to the guards.

Other nuisances are minor, and I'm getting more used to them. The tap water is not drinkable, of course, so plates have to be dried carefully after washing the dishes. Vegetables have to be washed and desinfected with vinegar. To avoid cockroaches I've had to abandon some of my more bohemian kitchen habits, and in the sun I wear sun protection factor 50 and still get burned in an hour. At night mosquitoes have to be killed with a spray before going to bed, although luckily there's no malaria or dengue fever in the better parts of Nairobi. Blackouts are common, so this week we've been out of electricity twice.

So much for the complaints. Anyway life here is much easier than I expected. When leaving for Africa I thought maybe I won't get to wash my hair for a month or something like that. Actually in many respects my life was much more uncomfortable in Spain and New York. And one more reason for satisfaction is that I get to live in a community of people who have absolutely fascinating jobs and be one of them! On Saturday I chatted with journalists from al-Jazeera and a Sudanese newspaper, a malaria expert and a bunch of UN environmentalists. I've also got to interview the supporters of both Kibaki and Odinga. It's all getting very interesting here.