Mombasa

Tomorrow Christina, her family and I leave for Mombasa to celebrate New Years. I'm looking forward to some nice beaches, and I can't wait to see, hear and smell the sea again. I've missed it.

The only thing I am unsure of how to handle is my restlessness. I'm not a beach vacation type of person. Just laying by the pool, or on the beach for hours after hours is just plain boring to me. But I'm bringing five books along. That's almost a book a day. And there is a plan to go swim with wild dolphins (if we can find them) on one of the days. That will be a dream come true:) But besides from that one day, I will have to come up with something not to get bored. Or maybe just rely on it to be too warm to do anything. But, ideas are welcomed! Send me a text if you come up with a good idea or two:)

Anyway, beaches - here I come!

I will probably not be able to send e-mails, chat on msn or post anything here for the time we are down at the coast, but I will be back, with an update, on January the 3rd. Until then; Happy New Year!

A Nice Day

Yesterday was a very, very nice day. Me and Christina decided to really do all the tourist things I should do while I’m in Nairobi. So first we went to the Giraffe Center. This is a place is just outside Nairobi, so we drove up there yesterday around noon. There is one thing to do there, and only one thing. See the giraffes. But, the thing is, they've build this little platform-hut. It’s a small round house, where on the first floor (not the same as the ground floor) there is a little room where you can walk around and learn about the giraffes. Outside however, it is like a veranda. And over the little banister the giraffes stick their heads, tongue out, hoping to be fed. So, we actually fed the giraffes:) The were big, magnificent and a bit scary. Apparently they headbutt you if you don’t feed them. So we just kept on putting food on there enormous tongue. Quite funny.

Next stop were Kazuri, a factory that produces lovely handcrafted bead works and ceramics. All the employers are single mothers from the area. Both me and Christina bought some nice stuff, what I bought are presents that will go home with me. So, someone will be surprised. We then headed over to Karen Blixen house. We didn't go in, but it was nice to see the building, and the surrounding area, and try to imagine what it was like in her days. After there very touristy start of the day, we did what we always do... Went shopping. We found this great place called House of Treasures. And it really was that. Lots of treasures:) This place calls for another visit. We ended our little trip with a late lunch at Java House, the cafes with the best coffee in Nairobi (and that says a lot!).

All in all – a perfect day!

Bad day

Yesterday I heard on the radio that the song ”Bad Day” was the most downloaded song of 2006 in Kenya. It couldn't have fitted better. It really was a bad day. Actually there have been several bad days, not only yesterday. For a number of reasons.

But at the same time, it has been a couple of nice days as well. I've realized that I have a lot of people that care about me. That can make me laugh, and that will make my day just a little bit brighter. And I got a new “old” friend. That’s not bad.

And with everything that happened, I did feel that the yes-girl I want to be started to disappear. But I’m working on bringing her back. So I just sent a text message to a man I met on Wednesday to tell him if he wants to to something this week I up for it. I met him, and his friend while I was having lunch next to the UN offices. I wasn't really hungry, but I couldn't get in to the area because all my contacts were out to lunch, and the security was heighten because of all the Heads of States that were coming for the Great Lakes Conference. So, I had one hour to kill. I went to a nearby restaurant to wait. Just as I sat down these two men asked if they could join me. And, since all the tables were taken, it would have been very rude to say no. There were both from Somalia and worked with UNICEF, and one of them also works with MDGs (which is what my thesis is about). So it became a very interesting lunch, and we exchanged contact information. He has tried to call me both yesterday and early today, and I haven’t answer. But now I've decided that the yes-girl is back so I sent him a text. Which reminds me, I also met a man at the Treasury when I went there to do a interview, that I haven’t answered... I’ll do that as well. Done! I just asked him if he wanted to have lunch with me on Monday. This fellow also work on the MDGs so I might learn something that could benefit my thesis.

I feel good about myself now. And I’m gonna use that feeling to get some work done!

Much love, me.

I'm here.

Finally I'm here, here in Kenya. With Christina, whose Birthdays it is today - so Happy Birthday, Christina!

I arrived a few days ago, and have spent most of my days trying to get organized, hanging out with Christina and trying to get to know the city. Which isn't easy... It's a big city. Yesterday I tok a taxi home, alone for the first time. And I have to admit, I was not quite sure neither me or the driver knew where we were going. But me and Patrick (the driver) made a good team and mangage to get home.

Anyways, I'm trying to organize interview and meeting this week, but everybody seem to be busy and things have a habit of taking some time... African time??? But yesterday I met some interesting people, both from the UN system and from NGOs. And so far it looks like they can help me out quite a bit. But it almost a weekend allready, and I feel I'm getting a bit stressed about everything I need to do before I go home. Which is still far away, but at the same time close.

Okay, this was just a short update. I'll write more later. Much love!