Saturday
Mar242007
Africa Trip Recap: Singular Moments (part 1)
Saturday, March 24, 2007 at 02:34PM
Life is made up of a series of events, it seems to me. As we experience "life", we really just move from one event to another. Some events are quick and brief (you wreck your car, you get in a fight, you buy a camera.) Others are long and drawn out (you have a career, you find a best friend, you pursue a hobby.)
Furthermore, some events are small, mundane and relatively unimportant, while others are bigger, maybe much bigger. Some events leave lasting impressions, they remain long after they've run their course: you visit the Grand Canyon, your first love, you graduate college. Finally, at the far end of the spectrum, are those events which aren't just big, they fall into the category of "life changing." These events don't simply leave impressions, they change your very being, your rock-bottom paradigm of life: The birth of your first child. Marriage. The death of a parent.
To break it down even further, I've come to think that events, both big and small, are themselves comprised of smaller, more distinct granularities. These I call "singular moments", for lack of a better vocabulary. With small events these singular moments are the most insignificant. I get into my car, drive down the street, turn on my blinker, park, get out of my car, go inside...this is my trip to the Dairy Queen. With bigger events, the singular moments may take on more weight. Some singular moments, in fact, may come to define the event to a large degree. A man may remember his wedding, may realize that over the course of his entire life this event ranks at or near the top in terms of defining all that comes afterwards...but what he really remembers is the site of his bride walking down the aisle, and not much else. This image, this singular moment, may be so powerful that other moments fade away somewhat, leaving this one moment to define, in many ways, the entire event.
My trips to Africa have become "big events" in my life. Undoubtedly, I will have other big events, some of which will overshadow even my trips to Africa. But for the time being, these trips loom pretty large. As I reflect, I see that these trips, these events, like all others, are made up of singular moments, points in time in which the specific serves to create the enormity of the overall. Since the trips are too big and complex (and probably too boring to others) to put down in toto, allow me to concentrate on some of the singular, defining moments of my most recent trip. Perhaps by doing so I can provide an easier way for others to get a sense for my experiences there.
Driving Through Nairobi
Perhaps no other experience has so powerfully created in my mind the sense of "Africa" than my traverses through the city of Nairobi. Admittedly, the safari trips leave no doubt as to "where" I am, but in terms of being slapped in the face with the all-out African-ness of it all, nothing beats driving through Nairobi. It is truly an incredible place, a place unlike any to be found in the US, and unlike any I've ever experienced before. I have no doubt that other, maybe many other, third-world cities are similar to Nairobi, and I suppose those who have traveled the globe might possibly find Nairobi to be somewhat unremarkable, but to them I can't relate and for them I don't write. I may be a textbook example of traveling naivete', but I personally find the city to be amazing! Nairobi is a city which literally teems with motion, with sights, with sounds, with smells. Everywhere I looked my eyes found something of interest to rest upon. As we moved through the city in our vans, windows slightly ajar, a constant, never-ending parade of fascination rolled by.
The first thing I notice (as do most others) is the traffic. Most adapt quite easily to the sensation of driving on "the wrong side of the road", British style, but hardly anyone accustomed to driving in the US gets used to the sheer chaos of it all, especially in the short span of a week or two. To begin, there is a lot of traffic. It was difficult to tell the difference between the "busy" times and any other time. There were always vehicles, everywhere. Secondly, there seems to be no hard and fast rules to speak of. Sure, most drivers keep to the left, but beyond that it seems that anything goes. Passing against oncoming traffic? No big deal, they'll move over. Cutting people off? Who cares?!? As long as your front bumper is past the other person's front bumper, you can do what ever you want. Stop signs? Uh, no. And for the coup de grace, there are the traffic circles. The circles I've been in (London, Scotland) require a sort of politeness, a recognition of right-of-way, decorum. Not so in Nairobi. Drivers plunge into the circles with hardly a glance, taking advantage of the smallest, most minuscule opening between bumpers. They hug the inside of the circle, darting to and fro, only to shoot across all lanes at the last moment to head off in a new direction. And, of course, so is everyone else. It really is something to be a part of, if you can stand to look. The final thing to notice regarding traffic is how close people drive to one another. In the US, getting close to someone else with your vehicle is an insult, a "disrespect", and can lead to anger and confrontation and road rage. In Nairobi, as long as you don't impact the other vehicle (well, impact hard), you're OK. There were times when we were literally traveling along with no more than 6 inches between our van and the vehicles on either side. And front. And back. The Nairobi drivers just don't seem to care, and they certainly don't take it personally when someone behind them is following, say, 3 inches off their bumper. (NOTE: It should be noted that even amongst the hurried masses of Nairobi drivers there is a particularly virulent species: the Matatu. These taxi-like vans dart and zoom around in a most reckless manner, incurring the wrath of all others. The drivers of these Matatus depend on picking up and dropping off large volumes of customers in as short a time as possible, and to this end they show absolutely no concern for any other vehicle or person. They are actually quite dangerous.)
The next thing I notice about Nairobi as I ride along is the number of people walking. I've been to NYC and seen vast numbers of people walking about, but those numbers shrink to literal irrelevance when compared to the number of folks walking about in Nairobi. Everywhere you look, people, large numbers of people, are walking. Take your busiest section of New York City, find the highest concentration of pedestrians, and then multiply that number across every street in Manhattan. That's what I'm talking about. Men, women, boys, girls, cows, goats...it's all there. Every road has a well-worn walking trail alongside, and every walking trail is busy. As I go, I think, "Who are all of these people? Where are they going? Where have they been? What are they doing?" Some of the people are on obvious business: pulling a cart full of scrap metal, toting a bag of cloth on her head, hauling a bundle of sticks, going to school. Others just seem to be...walking. They have no load, carry no object. Perhaps they have an appointment. Going to see a friend. Looking for a job. Who knows? It's a mystery to me, and I love it.
The third thing I notice is the smell. It's, well, hard to ignore. There are so many odors demanding time of my nose that it's difficult to sort it all out. The exhaust from the traffic alone makes most people nauseous...the Kenyans don't seem too interested in air quality controls. Most vehicles just seem to belch raw, unfiltered, unprocessed exhaust. On top (or underneath, or alongside) of the exhaust smells are the smells of trash burning. Nairobi is a city full of trash. Everywhere, EVERYWHERE, is trash. And often, you'll drive past a small pile of trash as it burns. Usually these small piles of burning trash contains something organic, something which really puts a punch in the air. The most common comment I've heard is, "That smells a lot like marijuana!", which it does, only a lot stronger. There is also the smell of the rivers and creeks. Undoubtedly these contain some of the most polluted water on earth (excepting industrial waste). The smell of human waste and trash and who knows what else seeps from these dead waters like a kind of backdrop to everything else. They can literally bring tears to your eyes. And finally, there are the usual industrial smells that any big city seems adept at creating. When combined, this orchestra of odor gives Nairobi a very distinctive aura, an unmistakable air (pardon the pun) which further lends the city its character. The strange part of this is, as much as I find the smell of the city disgusting, I also find myself welcoming it, warming to it as simply another part of the city of which I'm becoming quite fond (in a weird sort of way.)
The final thing I'll mention is, to me, the most important. It's the people of Nairobi. You have to understand that Nairobi is a city of around 3-4 million people, many whom live in one of the city's slums. The Kibera slum, the largest slum in Africa, is home to an estimated 1 million people (this is the slum shown in the movie The Constant Gardener). In addition to Kibera there are several other large slums (including the Korogocho slum, the slum we visited during our stay) and numerous smaller ones. Although Nairobi is a cosmopolitan city with a relatively large amount of wealth, Kenya is a third-world country and a large percentage (close to 50%) of the population lives at or below poverty. In the slums many people live on what amounts to be around $1/day. Through it all, though, the Kenyans I've seen in Nairobi strike me as kind, polite, decent and honorable people. They take pride in their appearance. They seem to value family, hard work and discipline. They are proud of their country and their city. They are a people of faith. I can't claim to really know all that much about your average Nairobian...as I said earlier, they are a mystery to me as I observe them walking about...but my impression is that they are, by and large, fine people. Very different from me and you, to be sure, but very fine people. I wish I knew them better.
OK, I know I've gone on way too long about Nairobi. Please know that I love being there, I love the sights and sounds and smells and people. It really is a place which amazes me. Below I've provided some photos, although they don't really do the city, or the experience, justice. The only means of taking photos available was either through the windshield or out the side windows (somewhat dangerous due to the risk of someone swiping the camera.) I'll continue the "Singular Moments" theme soon.
Here is a view of downtown Nairobi from an overlook. I have no idea if the people in the photo were waiting for something or if they were just hanging out. (The buildings appear to tilt due to the wide-angle lens I used.)
View out of the van window. Notice the schoolboy walking in the ditch.
A couple of Matatus and a busy street.
A view out the window. Some apartments in the background.
Out the window, again. The purple building on the left is titled "Best Lady Salon."
Furthermore, some events are small, mundane and relatively unimportant, while others are bigger, maybe much bigger. Some events leave lasting impressions, they remain long after they've run their course: you visit the Grand Canyon, your first love, you graduate college. Finally, at the far end of the spectrum, are those events which aren't just big, they fall into the category of "life changing." These events don't simply leave impressions, they change your very being, your rock-bottom paradigm of life: The birth of your first child. Marriage. The death of a parent.
To break it down even further, I've come to think that events, both big and small, are themselves comprised of smaller, more distinct granularities. These I call "singular moments", for lack of a better vocabulary. With small events these singular moments are the most insignificant. I get into my car, drive down the street, turn on my blinker, park, get out of my car, go inside...this is my trip to the Dairy Queen. With bigger events, the singular moments may take on more weight. Some singular moments, in fact, may come to define the event to a large degree. A man may remember his wedding, may realize that over the course of his entire life this event ranks at or near the top in terms of defining all that comes afterwards...but what he really remembers is the site of his bride walking down the aisle, and not much else. This image, this singular moment, may be so powerful that other moments fade away somewhat, leaving this one moment to define, in many ways, the entire event.
My trips to Africa have become "big events" in my life. Undoubtedly, I will have other big events, some of which will overshadow even my trips to Africa. But for the time being, these trips loom pretty large. As I reflect, I see that these trips, these events, like all others, are made up of singular moments, points in time in which the specific serves to create the enormity of the overall. Since the trips are too big and complex (and probably too boring to others) to put down in toto, allow me to concentrate on some of the singular, defining moments of my most recent trip. Perhaps by doing so I can provide an easier way for others to get a sense for my experiences there.
Driving Through Nairobi
Perhaps no other experience has so powerfully created in my mind the sense of "Africa" than my traverses through the city of Nairobi. Admittedly, the safari trips leave no doubt as to "where" I am, but in terms of being slapped in the face with the all-out African-ness of it all, nothing beats driving through Nairobi. It is truly an incredible place, a place unlike any to be found in the US, and unlike any I've ever experienced before. I have no doubt that other, maybe many other, third-world cities are similar to Nairobi, and I suppose those who have traveled the globe might possibly find Nairobi to be somewhat unremarkable, but to them I can't relate and for them I don't write. I may be a textbook example of traveling naivete', but I personally find the city to be amazing! Nairobi is a city which literally teems with motion, with sights, with sounds, with smells. Everywhere I looked my eyes found something of interest to rest upon. As we moved through the city in our vans, windows slightly ajar, a constant, never-ending parade of fascination rolled by.
The first thing I notice (as do most others) is the traffic. Most adapt quite easily to the sensation of driving on "the wrong side of the road", British style, but hardly anyone accustomed to driving in the US gets used to the sheer chaos of it all, especially in the short span of a week or two. To begin, there is a lot of traffic. It was difficult to tell the difference between the "busy" times and any other time. There were always vehicles, everywhere. Secondly, there seems to be no hard and fast rules to speak of. Sure, most drivers keep to the left, but beyond that it seems that anything goes. Passing against oncoming traffic? No big deal, they'll move over. Cutting people off? Who cares?!? As long as your front bumper is past the other person's front bumper, you can do what ever you want. Stop signs? Uh, no. And for the coup de grace, there are the traffic circles. The circles I've been in (London, Scotland) require a sort of politeness, a recognition of right-of-way, decorum. Not so in Nairobi. Drivers plunge into the circles with hardly a glance, taking advantage of the smallest, most minuscule opening between bumpers. They hug the inside of the circle, darting to and fro, only to shoot across all lanes at the last moment to head off in a new direction. And, of course, so is everyone else. It really is something to be a part of, if you can stand to look. The final thing to notice regarding traffic is how close people drive to one another. In the US, getting close to someone else with your vehicle is an insult, a "disrespect", and can lead to anger and confrontation and road rage. In Nairobi, as long as you don't impact the other vehicle (well, impact hard), you're OK. There were times when we were literally traveling along with no more than 6 inches between our van and the vehicles on either side. And front. And back. The Nairobi drivers just don't seem to care, and they certainly don't take it personally when someone behind them is following, say, 3 inches off their bumper. (NOTE: It should be noted that even amongst the hurried masses of Nairobi drivers there is a particularly virulent species: the Matatu. These taxi-like vans dart and zoom around in a most reckless manner, incurring the wrath of all others. The drivers of these Matatus depend on picking up and dropping off large volumes of customers in as short a time as possible, and to this end they show absolutely no concern for any other vehicle or person. They are actually quite dangerous.)
The next thing I notice about Nairobi as I ride along is the number of people walking. I've been to NYC and seen vast numbers of people walking about, but those numbers shrink to literal irrelevance when compared to the number of folks walking about in Nairobi. Everywhere you look, people, large numbers of people, are walking. Take your busiest section of New York City, find the highest concentration of pedestrians, and then multiply that number across every street in Manhattan. That's what I'm talking about. Men, women, boys, girls, cows, goats...it's all there. Every road has a well-worn walking trail alongside, and every walking trail is busy. As I go, I think, "Who are all of these people? Where are they going? Where have they been? What are they doing?" Some of the people are on obvious business: pulling a cart full of scrap metal, toting a bag of cloth on her head, hauling a bundle of sticks, going to school. Others just seem to be...walking. They have no load, carry no object. Perhaps they have an appointment. Going to see a friend. Looking for a job. Who knows? It's a mystery to me, and I love it.
The third thing I notice is the smell. It's, well, hard to ignore. There are so many odors demanding time of my nose that it's difficult to sort it all out. The exhaust from the traffic alone makes most people nauseous...the Kenyans don't seem too interested in air quality controls. Most vehicles just seem to belch raw, unfiltered, unprocessed exhaust. On top (or underneath, or alongside) of the exhaust smells are the smells of trash burning. Nairobi is a city full of trash. Everywhere, EVERYWHERE, is trash. And often, you'll drive past a small pile of trash as it burns. Usually these small piles of burning trash contains something organic, something which really puts a punch in the air. The most common comment I've heard is, "That smells a lot like marijuana!", which it does, only a lot stronger. There is also the smell of the rivers and creeks. Undoubtedly these contain some of the most polluted water on earth (excepting industrial waste). The smell of human waste and trash and who knows what else seeps from these dead waters like a kind of backdrop to everything else. They can literally bring tears to your eyes. And finally, there are the usual industrial smells that any big city seems adept at creating. When combined, this orchestra of odor gives Nairobi a very distinctive aura, an unmistakable air (pardon the pun) which further lends the city its character. The strange part of this is, as much as I find the smell of the city disgusting, I also find myself welcoming it, warming to it as simply another part of the city of which I'm becoming quite fond (in a weird sort of way.)
The final thing I'll mention is, to me, the most important. It's the people of Nairobi. You have to understand that Nairobi is a city of around 3-4 million people, many whom live in one of the city's slums. The Kibera slum, the largest slum in Africa, is home to an estimated 1 million people (this is the slum shown in the movie The Constant Gardener). In addition to Kibera there are several other large slums (including the Korogocho slum, the slum we visited during our stay) and numerous smaller ones. Although Nairobi is a cosmopolitan city with a relatively large amount of wealth, Kenya is a third-world country and a large percentage (close to 50%) of the population lives at or below poverty. In the slums many people live on what amounts to be around $1/day. Through it all, though, the Kenyans I've seen in Nairobi strike me as kind, polite, decent and honorable people. They take pride in their appearance. They seem to value family, hard work and discipline. They are proud of their country and their city. They are a people of faith. I can't claim to really know all that much about your average Nairobian...as I said earlier, they are a mystery to me as I observe them walking about...but my impression is that they are, by and large, fine people. Very different from me and you, to be sure, but very fine people. I wish I knew them better.
OK, I know I've gone on way too long about Nairobi. Please know that I love being there, I love the sights and sounds and smells and people. It really is a place which amazes me. Below I've provided some photos, although they don't really do the city, or the experience, justice. The only means of taking photos available was either through the windshield or out the side windows (somewhat dangerous due to the risk of someone swiping the camera.) I'll continue the "Singular Moments" theme soon.
Here is a view of downtown Nairobi from an overlook. I have no idea if the people in the photo were waiting for something or if they were just hanging out. (The buildings appear to tilt due to the wide-angle lens I used.)
View out of the van window. Notice the schoolboy walking in the ditch.
A couple of Matatus and a busy street.
A view out the window. Some apartments in the background.
Out the window, again. The purple building on the left is titled "Best Lady Salon."
in Africa
Africa
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