Back in Shinyalu

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It's been great to be back in Kenya. It's a bit difficult to cope with the slow pace of things after spending a busy few weeks in Chennai. The change of pace is good for me, but I think Africans are too laid back for my style of things. I really loved seeing the kids again. I really missed them when I was in India.

Last Saturday, I met some of the kids. I sat by the side of the road and have a little "chat" with them in little Swahili that I have learnt so far. I wish I had learnt more, sometimes they ask questions, but I don't understand them at all. When they see my hairy legs, they always ask questions about that. Some kids are very cheeky and they pull them to make sure that they are real. I generally chase them, but it actually encourages them to do it again. I guess kids are kids wherever we go.

I think I must be very confusing for the Africans. The other day when I was in Kisumu, I went to have lunch at a place. I really like to having lunch in these small tin sheds with a few tables and chairs. The people there usually really nice people. After entering in, I looked for a place to sit down, but there were only two seats that were empty, one was next to a man and the other was where there were three gals eating. The man from the counter came over to me and said, "Please sit over there with the girls and you would feel more comfortable there". Man, when are they going to realise that even guys can grow their hair long and also their voice could be as high as mine (as high as a GAL). Any way, this is not really the first time where they mistook me for a girl. 😞

I have not been impressed by my friends here since I have been back. One of the first thing that they say when I meet them, "You are so fat and brown!". Even some of the computer class studnets commented that I was fat. That really annoys me as I have really lost weight about 4 kgs since been back in India where I could actually eat healthy food like brown bread and a lot of veggies.

Since been back, I am starting to understand more and more of what the teenagers go through here in Kenya. They get free education from class 1 to 8. After 8, it's not very cheap to study. The cheapest so far in our area is about Ksh.13,000 a year. That's a lot for the locals here. Then add the fact that some of these kids are orphans. There are so many kids who have finished primary education and sit at home and do nothing. Some are really angry and sad that they aren't able to continue their education. You can see some of them are really depressed about it.

I am hoping to get some of these kids who aren't going to school and organise a group. I have put the word out to the people in the local church and we are planning on meeting next saturday to see how many kids are interested.

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Photos

teanagers
These guys finished class 8 this year, no money to continue schooling, they earn their living by making bricks for a local man. That's very sad.

drying bricks
This guy dropped out of school last year.

Lucy
This is the first time she actually smiled at me. She used to cry as soon as she saw me.

cute kid
She wanted to me to take the picture this way. She was very funny.

nairobi bird
I don't know the name of this bird. I shot this picture on the morning I arrived in Nairobi from Mumbai.

Christine
Christine sells samosas on Saturdays. She is a nice kid. Her mother cooks the samosa and I guess they get some money from that.

lmakhokho
Just means black-white bird. I like these birds and they looks so nice.

summer road
That road gets pretty dusty. It looks quite nice in the picture, but when it rains, you can't walk that easily.

Comments

[senthilnathan]

kisumu
or u still in kisumu im coming on 25th march . hope to meet u. i didnt check mail for long and i didnt see ur message. regards, any way on feb16th u have send a mail to seek some tamils in nairobi...just to rmind