Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Notes from Nairobi

I've been in Nairobi about a week now and I'm quite pleasantly surprised by the city so far. It is more developed and more comfortable than I expected. Of course, I didn’t really know what to expect given this is my first venture to the continent, but had a frame of reference based on the following:

  1. Common Perception of Africa: as a woefully poor and exceedingly undeveloped land
  2. India: another very poor developing country which I've spent quite a bit of time in
While the first point is certainly based on fact – Africa is the poorest continent and contains all of the 25 least developed countries in the world – it surely does not tell the whole story. Actually, the large cities, as I was recently told by an NGO-employee who had just been reassigned to Nairobi from Sudan, “allow you to live quite comfortably” - and probably enjoy yourself at that.

This is certainly true in Nairobi. To illustrate, take my experience with the following three critical items:

1. Food
- The grocery section of the Nakumat (think Kenyan Wal-Mart, but without the rural stigma) in the year-old Westgate shopping center puts some of Chicago’s Jewel-Osco’s to shame.
- My Chicken Tikka Masala was delivered within 30 minutes, pretty good and spicy.
- Local food is not bad - for 200 Ksh ($3), I get my lunch of rice, beans or lentils, chicken (either bbq or in an Indian-like curry sauce), vegetables (kale is common), and chapati.

2. Coffee
- While instant “coffee” is the norm for many Kenyans, you can find a good cup at coffee houses: At Nairobi Java House, I enjoyed a great cup of locally grown coffee – in a real mug, no less – while people watching: everyone from a local Sikh father and son eating breakfast-in-the-afternoon, to the biracial (Chinese/white) couple sitting on the same side of the booth, to the Kenyan woman with her globally-ubiquitous white headphones peering out from under her head scarf.

3. Entertainment
- Only over the air TV in my apartment. Only watch Al Jazeera - surprisingly good news coverage.
- Cinemas play American and Bollywood movies
- Nightlife seems pretty decent, but TBD. Good music - from latin to hip hop and dancehall.

However, despite these comforts, Nairobi is also the place where I’ve been advised it’s not safe to walk anywhere at night (even in the upmarket neighborhood where I stay). And where I don’t feel 100% secure since my apartment building has barbed wire and an electric fence in the back but not in the front – only a gate, wall, and two guards.

Now on to my second point of reference: India. As most anyone who has been to India will tell you, you cannot escape the poverty; there are simply too many people. You could step out from the one of the nicest hotels or apartment buildings in Mumbai and instantly be confronted by several beggars, often malnourished and ill-clothed children. Even in the smaller towns, you will likely pass slums and shanty towns a child relieving himself by the side of the road.

In Nairobi, you can escape. As I’ve told everyone who unfailingly asks what I think of Nairobi, it is cleaner (though not clean) and much less crowded than I expected based on my experience in India. In retrospect, I suppose I should have anticipated this given the sheer difference in population (3m in Nairobi vs. 20m in Mumbai; 40M in Kenya vs. India’s 1.2B).

Even walking through the city center I felt safe, was not harassed and did not feel congested until we ventured into the central matatu boarding area. (Matatus are Kenya’s answer to mass transit - thousands of independently-operated VW mini buses that run continuously at a price of ~30 cents). I wanted to take a picture of this, but was told by my local guide not to take my camera out because someone could “snatch it” here.

Furthermore, I’ve yet to see a slum or even what appears to be a very poor area. Of course, they exist, I've just managed to avoid them. However, the ever-present barbed wires and electric fences remind me they exist.*

Now, on to the people: They smile a lot and everyone I’ve met so far has been very friendly. Especially when I tell them I’m from Chicago – “Obama’s place”. They LOVE him here in his father's homeland (more on this in a later post). In fact, one of the first things I saw in the office was an “Obama-Biden” flag hanging above my desk.

Another thing: Kenyans can drink. Lot of beer, and lots of rounds. (Tip: Don’t get caught going out with just enough cash for a few drinks for yourself, as I did recently.) Also, people dress quite “smartly” – jackets, ties etc. I’ve noticed this in India too – why is it that Americans have largely shed formal attire, recent Mad Men-inspired resurgence notwithstanding, while the developing world hangs on?

That’s it for now. Subsequent posts will likely be shorter. Let me know what you think...

*Note: This was true when I started writing this post a few days ago. Since then, I’ve past some seedier areas on the way out of town (see last pic below).

Pictures: (will post more on facebook when I get to a better internet connection..)
My apartment:
















The office

















On the way out of Nairobi




5 comments:

  1. Love the blog Neel. How long did it take you to get the title picture just right?

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  2. Sounds like Nairobi is a great experience in comparison to those we have had in India...please keep updating!

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  3. Did you find Frieda Pinto there????

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  4. that was take 57 i think. we started when it was still sunny.

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