Homelife

For the second Friday in a row, heavy rains have arrived just in time for the evening commute. This means trouble, as traffic in Nairobi is comparable to Los Angeles - an ever present reality that people are constantly managing. And, similar to Los Angeles, the normally very skilled, speed-loving drivers grind to a halt at the slightest dampening of the pavement!

I’ve been told several times that this kind of heavy rain is unusual for the time of year. And that it doesn’t rain often. But, today I am grateful for the rain, as I was last Friday, because it gives me a perfect excuse to curl up on the couch and read, write, or be still.

It has been, after all, a full week. I probably took for granted that I could arrive in a new country with new food, a different time zone, different norms and start a new job without skipping a beat. Unfortunately, I skipped a beat yesterday, feeling slightly fluish, rather jet-lagged, and possibly with tummy trouble. On the mend today, (after a long nap and a full night’s sleep), I imagine it’s advisable for me to take it easy.

While I’m grateful for the rain, my shoes may not be. And I do wish that I had brought an umbrella to Kenya. But realistically, it would not have made a difference. When I left the house this morning the sky looked gorgeous, although some distractingly beautiful grey rain clouds against a bright blue sky outside my office window probably should have warned me of the rain to come.

Now the storm seems to be passing, without the power outages that lasted most of the evening last week. (Fortunately Catherine has bought lots of candles at the Maasai Market).

For those who have been asking for photos, this is probably not what you meant. But with any luck there may be some better photo ops this weekend.