Been a while

Sorry folks, it's been a while - been incredibly busy mostly with work but also with meeting people, went away for a lovely sunny weekend in Mombasa with friends and danced on the beach with heady abandon and swam in the sea...glorious.

I went to the supermarket the other day. A man approached me. "Can I talk to you a minute.." No. I walk away. "Please" he says. "Madame is open." What? Let me just buy a shower curtain. He points at my crotch. The zip was wide open. Hmmmmn, ok...thanks...I carry on looking very interested again in shower curtains and ended up buying some kiddie with with bright yellow ducks...

OK - so I am driving from work late. Get stopped by a corrupt policeman. I now know you're supposed to carry on driving. Blah blah - he wants money. He gets none. But I get a lecture about insurance and not displaying it in the window...whatever....

I go the gym in my block. Manager is staring intently. Pissing me off. I come out. "Ms is very good at body shaping..." Hmmmmmn ....body shaping...I laugh out loud.

Then last night - I break down. Not fun in Nairobi. Smoke billowing out - hosepipe broke. Long tedious story but I get rescued - then asked if I want to go to dinner -people here sure have iniative...

But I've just returned from a fab dinner at a gorgeous friend's house - all ladies - all African except me - I laughed and laughed. These women are Phds, judges, non Kenyan, all of us are foreigners here and struggling with the same stuff. We are all cool strong women in a fab women's network looking it out for each other. Good stuff - I feel like a citizen of the world where race and colour has no distinction but we talk about life, love, men, jobs, friendships and the meaning of life.

XXXX

It's all relative

So the car I bought had no oil and no water in it.

Apart from being really irritated by this I thought I would call the garage to complain.

"Hi, it's Jo...do you have my log book yet and ..also..."

Before I managed to complain I was knocked back into silence.

"Yes - hi Jo - no sorry - no log book yet. My brother got hijacked on Friday. They held him up with a gun and stole the keys to the showroom. We're sorting things out now.."

What could I say?

Sorry about the hijacking. Must've been an unpleasant business.

Me, I'll just go and sort the car elsewhere I guess.

Nairobi. Things are different here.

x

Guns and shoes

I decided to talk to the Mall today - mistake - it's a hell of longer than I thought, I was sick and there are no roads to speak of. On the way I pass two security guards with very big menacing guns slung over their shoulder. They would've been scary as fk except they were avidly looking at shoes from a street vendor and it was somewhat incongruous.

Last night I drove home from work at a normal hour ie 1730 instead of when it's dark.

Wow what a difference. Snarly traffic, people lining up at the window to sell ANYTHING.

The window was open as it was hot and steamy and one excited young man with bad teeth thrust a baby rabbit at me. Easy tiger! I explained I didn't have a garden. No problem - into the box he goes again and brings out a little ratty creature which nearly jumps on my lap in through the window. I laughed but decided to hot foot outta there before I ended up with a puppy - of which there are many.

Am really sick today. Horrible icky food poisoning. So it rains outside and I try and sleep off the bug I have.

X