Really hasn’t been much to write about lately. We have fallen into quite the routine after being in Nairobi for six weeks. But soon, they say, the ‘Authorized Departure’ will be lifted by the embassy and we can all go back to Kisumu. Could be as soon as the end of this week. And that will begin yet another list of big changes for us.
First, though, I want to reflect a bit about our stay in Nairobi. When we arrived I fought hard to not like living here. Everyone raved about the weather, especially this time of year, its perpetual spring here right now. I told everyone I hated it, “not warm enough” I would tell people. And having ‘access’ to things here. High end shopping malls that would rival anything in the US, high quality art, even decent jazz musicians play here. I turned my nose up at all of it “why bother living in Africa if you’re going to live here?” I would tell people. But I can’t deny my feelings any longer. Yes, the schools ARE better here and yes the lamb chops are amazing here. That’s not to say I want to stay. The down side is that things are more expensive and it’s a bit isolating like any big urban city and traffic IS unreasonable and it really ISN’T like living in Africa! I mean, part of why we came to Africa in the first place was to have an ‘African’ experience. I suppose you could argue that living in Nairobi IS an African experience, it’s just not the kind we wanted. The main thing now is I know a lot about Nairobi now; where to eat, where to buy art, where to by foods, how many hours it take to get from one part of town to the other. I think I will spend more time here then I have in the past. It’s a nice chance for some variation, a quick vacation.
Even though the kids have had access to a lot more here (they take horseback riding lessons every Sunday, for instance) which they enjoy, I don’t think they are going to miss Nairobi or the school they are in that much. They are ready to go back.They are missing their dogs and cat and nanny. But we haven’t fully express to them that Gladys will stay in Nairobi. We have found her a new job with an expat family that seems very nice. She will be happier too living closer to her family. So I don’t know exactly how they will react to that, they are pretty close to her. And they don’t realize it yet but many of their friends are not there any more either. Kisumu might be a very different place for them than when we left.
And then, when we do return to Kisumu we’ll be moving out of our house!Yes, it’s finally happening. The embassy HAS to move us now. They still don’t have a house thast is ‘appropriate’ for the director, they say, but will have to move us temporarily, which means we’ll have to move yet again some time in the near future. We’re going to a house down the street. Much much smaller, but the location is great, still a block from the school. They are going to have to put much of our stuff in a container on the compound while we wait for a house to open up. We’d like the kids to participate in the move too. Hoping it will easy the stress of moving out of their house. We are debating whether to stay in Nairobi until the end of their school term which is March 20th, but the movers are starting on the 17th.
So things are on the move again here. Stay tuned…..
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