What Jane is up to without Gary, Tusker or I around….

Here’s what Jane is up to this week.  She is getting her Christmas present from us.

The Soup & Salad Course starts on Monday, 27th to Friday, 31st January. 9am to 1pm. Monday to Friday. The cost of the course is 17,000Kshs.

Students will be encouraged to taste everything they have made. The classes are groups of 6, and each student gets the chance to make every dish, as opposed to watching a teacher make it and try to recreate at home. The recipes are handed out for each session, kept in a waterproof book.

If you wish to send your student with a plastic tupperware box, please do, there will be a small portion to bring home. Each student will be encouraged to taste every dish to broaden their understanding.

Lesson 1
Roasted Tomato Soup with fresh Basil Croutons / Leak, Potato and Bacon Soup with Grainy Mustard Toasts / Pumpkin & Ginger Soup with Roasted Pumpkin and Sunflower Seeds
Lesson 2
Identifying salads and herbs, learning to make a good mixed salad salad, 6 different types of dressings, garnishings and toppings (learning how to jazz up mixed salads using toasted seeds, feta cheese, learning how to make oven roasted tomatoes)
Lesson 3
Couscous salad with Roasted Vegetables topped with Feta Cheese with a Mild Harissa Sauce / Tomato Mozarella and Basil Salad / Classic Chicken Caesar Salad
Lesson 4
Watermelon, Feta and Mint Salad / Roasted Herby Chicken Salad with asparagus, baby peas and rocket / Warm Avocado Salad with crispy Chorizo and Caramelized Tomatoes on a bed of baby spinach
Lesson 5
Sesame Crusted Haloumi Salad with a mango chutney dressing / Seared Beef fillet with a Thai (Coriander & Mint) Sauce /
Tuna and white bean salad served with Pitta Bread.

Even though Gary is still in Toronto, Edward is driving Jane to and from the class. She should have a grand time.

I can hardly wait to discover the results.

divide….and conquer?

Just an FYI for friends and family.

I arrived in Johannesburg Sunday evening.  I will be conducting a 3 week business controls review on ITS and TSS South Africa with 4 other colleagues.  After that, I will be conducting 4 days of Business Controls education there in 5 sessions to line and management.

We received news early Sunday morning of the very sudden death of Gary’s sister’s husband Ken.  Gary and Ken had been friends since grade 9.  We scrambled and got a ticket for Gary to return home.  He left at 00:20 this morning and will fly through Zurich and Frankfurt and will arrive home Tues afternoon.  He will be in Toronto for 10 days, to attend the funeral and visit with friends and family.

Tusker boy had several invitations for sleep overs and is currently staying with his mother and Carmen and Dominik.

Things will be hectic for both of us for a while.  While I have several posts in the hopper, I suspect it will be a while before I may get to it

Wishing you all enough, til later.

Cynthia

Look what I found today – “Wishing you enough”

I often feel like I have ADD, easily distracted.  We often joke about it, shouting ‘squirrel’, referring to a dog’s reaction of dropping everything at that word, to search for a squirrel.  Here’s the latest example: I was finally able to print the last 3 visa bills (I was eventually able to determine it was an issue with Internet Explorer versus Firefox ) and found out that despite our cancellation, we are still being invoiced for our alarm system in Toronto.  I added ‘cancel ADT’ to the to do list.  This morning, as I was updating files, I tried to find an email address for ADT.  Failing that, I tried to find the file I would print with most frequently used numbers.  In was a circumlocutious way, I came upon this.

August 4, 2007

Dear Sarah and Rob,

We leave Edinburgh today, heading towards Moffat, via Stirling and Falkirk. We have been thinking of you and all the celebrations over the past few days. We can imagine the laughter as well as some stiff competition on the links. We are sorry to miss all the festivities.

I tried to find an appopriate British romantic poem, but Robbie Burns, Keating and Yeats failed me. However, I have a story in my notebook that ranf true and I felt it was an fitting story to share with you on this very special occasion. It goes like this….

“At an airport, I overheard a father and daughter in their last moments together. They had announced her plane’s departure and standing near the security gate, they hugged and he said, “I love you. I wish you enough.” She said, “Daddy, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough too, Daddy.” They kissed good-bye and she left. He walked over toward the window where I was seated. Standing there I could see he wanted and needed to cry. I tried not to intrude on his privacy, but he welcomed me in my asking, “Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?” “Yes, I have.” I replied. Saying that brought bake memories I had of expressing my love and appreciate for all that my Dad had done for me. Recognizing the his days were limited, I took the time to tell him face to face how much he meant to me. So I knew what this man was experiencing . “Forgive me for asking, but why is this a forever good-bye?” I asked. “I am old and she lives much too far away. I have challenges ahead the the reality is, her next trip back will be for my funeral,” he said.

“When you were saying good-bye I heard you say, “I wish you enough.” May I ask what that means?” He began to smile. “That’s a wish that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone.” He paused for a moment and looking up as if trying to remember it in detail. He smiled even more. “When we said ‘I wish you enough,’ we were wanting the other person to have a life filled with enough good things to sustain them,” he continued and then turning towards me he shared the following as if he were reciting it for memory:

I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.

I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.

I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.

I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.

I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.

I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.

I wish you enough “Hello’s” to get you through the final ‘Good-bye”

He began to sob and walk away.

As the two of you embark on your great new adventure together, we wish you enough.

Enough love and excitement, trials and quiet time, hard work and pleasure, friends and family, challenges and rewards. The pleasure doubled, the sorrow halved in your partnership together and love of each other

We can’t wait to see you together, soon. Much love, tGary, Cynthia, Spencer and Alistair. XOXO

So as I sit here, in my beautifully sun filled home office (working from the Gem for the first time), shedding a few tears, I am happy that I took this unexpected detour today.  Happy for the reminder and wanting to wish you all enough.

Have a wonderful day. Miss you all, love you lots.

Settled, more or less, now what?

We have our home, our driver, housekeeper and gardener.  I have completed a controls review and almost completed an audit. (God willing, it will end…)  Our shipment has arrived, we are unpacked, the paintings hung. I feel that I have been in a sort of limbo, in a holding pattern, until… until…. until….  All the ‘untils’ have happened.  Now its time to get on with it.  I am just not sure what “it” is.  It is odd to have a driver, to not have to fuss about parking, to be able to be on my laptop (for work or pleasure – like now), to have a housekeeper, who cooks and cleans and to have a gardener who tends the property.  Back at home (I feel divided when I say that), life was busy with all those activities.  Granted we spend a lot more time in traffic than ever before so I am hoping to work from home at least one day a week, probably Friday, to miss the worst traffic day.  But I feel its time to get a more outward, expanding routine.  Time for friends (still accepting applications), for hobbies, for habits.  We have spent this time getting settled, which feels quite insular and selfish. But we need a good foundation, to be our base upon which we can build.  And I know myself, ourselves, well enough to know that our home is our foundation.  So I think, while not complete, never complete, we have established our foundation.  Its time to step out and step up.

Its a bit of a blank slate and I haven’t even scratched the surface of finding out what to do.  Gary has had his first round of golf with one of my colleagues. William took him to The Atrium and Colin, who lives nearby, picked him up.  They played at the Royal Nairobi.  Gary said it was $8 for a mandatory caddy, $3 for a ‘trolley’ (the caddy asked if he could get a pull cart) and about $25 for 18 holes.  There were water hazards, sand traps and most of the course was in good shape.  Where one of the holes runs beside Kibera (the slum) there are armed guards.  Neither Gary nor Colin wanted to dally on that hole.  But other than that, I think it could have been a round of golf on a nice course anywhere.  (If Gary were to describe it, he would be unusually explicit and share the details of every hole! So I apologize to the golfers for not doing it justice.)  There are lots of expats around looking for a game of golf, so Gary will not lack for someone to play with.

I would love to join a bookclub.  I am considering riding lessons (Gary reminds  me of my tailbone and back issues).  I need to join a gym.  There is the American Women’s Club though it sounds too American for me.  There is a Wednesday morning birding tour, so there are probably also bird and photography clubs.   I think I have seen or heard of Habitat for Humanity projects here.  We should start scoping out churches. Maybe I could find an art or writing class, or African history.  So much to do, so little time.

Four wheels, 2 parties, one shipment and a new lease on life

“This too shall change.”  Nothing lasts forever, not the good or the bad (though I am not sure about the ugly.)  In a matter of days, our lives turned upside down and we lived in a nightmare we wanted to wake up from for ages.  While certainly more than a matter of days, our African adventure came about rather quickly.  Even from the slightest whiff of opportunity to coming for our look see visit was just over 5 months, and from our look see visit to landing here with our suitcases was only another 4 weeks!

I feel that we have been acclimatizing ever so slowly,  feeling like strangers in a strange land, intermittently feeling awed, amazed, shocked and startled, lonely, alone, exhilarated, stimulated, overstimulated, non-plussed, calmed, tired, blase, refreshed and re-energized.  And that might be just one day! 

But since Sept 21 several things have happened which have brought about such changes again.  The first was the tragic series of events at Westgate Mall. Stories of heroism, tragedy and abuse continue to emerge from the aftermath.  I have already shared both the nation’s and my personal reaction.

The second was discovering that we could drive our car any time we wanted.  No additional forms to sign (already done), no insurance to get (it comes with the car), no loss of the use of car and driver!  Yippee.  Now, I have no intention of giving up William.  Certainly not.  However, knowing that we can take the car on Sunday, to go to church, run errands  in Karen or visit Tusker,  (all when and where this is much less traffic) is such a sweet taste of liberation. 

The third was an invitation.  We were invited to a colleagues home on a Friday night. It was only the second time we had been invited to someone’s home, so what a treat.  Unfortunately, I was stuck in the office rather late, working on the audit and then, it was raining, which seems to snarl traffic for no other apparent.  Upon calling and explaining our situation, the host insisted we still come, that we were in Africa and not late at all.  Her home is very nearby in Karen, though well hidden, but what a charmer.  Its about 30 years old, which is a bit unusual, with lots of interesting curves and corners.  Her home felt like a small funky San Francisco art gallery with interesting guests from 13 years to 88 years old, from across Africa, Germany, Italy, Norway and the US.  There were artists and politicians, bankers, social workers and UN employees.We sat outside, under a corrugated roof, wiht an outdoor fire and BBQs.  A most delightful evening.  So as not to keep William too late, we let him go upon our arrival.  We left the party at 11pm and I drove home – on the left side of the road, in our big (and beautiful I must say) X-Trail, in the dark, late at night.  Thank goodness the roads were almost desserted as I put putted along, dodging puthots.  Eventually, I may get my PHD here, a degree in pot hole driving.  It was a little unnerving but a huge milestone for me.

Next was our shipment. Yes, it has finally come.  After spending two months crossing the Atlantic and one month sitting in Nairobi, being processed or, more correctly, waiting to be processed.  It was supposed to arrive on Sat Sept 20, between 10:30 and 12:30.  That came and went.  I went out with William to run a quick errand in Karen.  Traffic was a nightmare. But the sun was shining and it was a beautiful day.  At 4PM I got a call to say that they would not be coming (really?) and that  our container would be delivered the next day.  As long as it was still being delivered, I was okay.  At 5PM we got a call to say they were on the way.  At 6PM I got a call asking where we lived.  Yikes.  At 6:10 we got a call asking if we could come to Karen hospital to show them the way to our house.  It was two blocks away,so we declined and gave directions one more time.  At 6:20 our container finally arrived.  The guys were ready to start unloading then and there, but as we had been injvited to our compound neighbours Max and Cici’s for dinner, we said we would start on Sunday.  They confirmed that they would arrive at 9AM, muzungu time (meaning 9AM) .

At 8:30 AM, 7 men piled out of a little car, ready to go.  They all had Beacon’s shirts on, some long sleeved, some short sleeved and one in a t-shirt.  Only one had jeans on, the rest, dress pants and almost all of them had leather dress shoes on.  I have come to realize that most people here, our William included, wear second hand clothes and most might only have one, maybe two pairs of shoes.  Theystarted to work right away and never stopped.  Rooms were labeled and one of us checked off our packing list while the other directed and unpacked.  By 3pm all the boxes (except clothes) were unpacked.  All of the kitchen items were spread across all the counters.  They were more than willing to put everything away, but I would rather take my time figuring out where everything belongs, in my own time.   The same for my clothes.   The fellows spent another 2 hours flattening boxes and paper to pack in the garage until they could come to pick it up.  Carpets were down, furniture placed, dishes unpacked.  Ahhhh.  How wonderful.  But it was so wierd to see “Redwillow” at teh Gem.

And finally, an invitation to dinner with our neighbours.  Max and Cici live in the mirror house to ours.  Max is from London anbd in the oil industry (specializing in developing countries) and Cici is from Texas.  They also have an old ridgeback Leo and a great fat white and orange ‘Garfield’ (like Tracadie) named Catfish. They are away alot, so we hadn’t met them until Max popped by a couple of weeks ago.  Cici arrived on Sept 19.  We had the most wonderful evening.  Their house is wonderful, full of items collected in Max’s travels and their 5 years together in India.  Amongst other things, Cici is an accomplished painter, speciallizing in cows and horses.  I so hope I can snatch up a few.   It was so comfortable.  It was like catching up with old friends we had never met.  The evening flew away.

And so in a matter of days, things have changed dramatically.  I felt buoyed, lifted, my spirit soared.  Ready for what was next.  We had made it.  Three months.  Happy 25th anniversary.  We made it!  So far, so good.  Pole pole.

PS I will add pics later!

Gone but not forgotten, thank you.

As the recent tragic events at Westgate Mall continue to unfold, and as I sit here in the office looking out upon the billowing black smoke of the on going fire, I am reminded of so many things, good and bad.  As a result of a junior cook off event, being held in the mall on Saturday, there was an exceptionally large number of families present and as a result, a large number of children killed in the ensuing rampage.  The media have not released specific numbers other than to say there was a large number of women and children.  Four staff from a local radio station were killed.  The neice of a colleague lost 3 friends, 3 sisters in one family aged 9, 11 and 12.  This heartbreaking event brings back such wrenching memories for Gary and I of losing Alistair.  I feel shell shocked and brittle.  I am not sleeping.  I am not feeling unsafe (an intentional double negative), but rest assured I am not taking any chances.  I left the office before dark on Saturday and will do so again tonight and the rest of the week, if possible.  Its the overwhelming sense of loss.  Not just mine, but all those families and friends, communities, the city and even the country that have lost someone and something. We have all lost something. A sense of confidence, of security, that each day, despite the things that go wrong, that should not happen,  good still outweighs bad.  But an incident of this magniitude shakes us up and awakens us to the larger world around us.  I am not going to rant about who did what, or why.  I don’t think we know that yet.  And anyway,there will be many many people sharing their esteemed or otherwise opinions.  Besides, I am not sure I can do anything about what happened on Sat.  What is more important to me is the ‘So what?’  What does this mean to me? Will it change me and if so how?  Is that change something I will or should accept?

To digress for a moment, I hope and believe that over the course of the past two and a half years, I have become a gentler person (sometimes). My priorities have softened (a bit). Some things formerly so imporant to me, are no longer important, or at least as important. Other things are more important now.  Actually, not so much things, but people.  On good days, I try to be kinder and gentler.  I remember one day, coming out of Sick Kids Hospital on my way home for some errand or another.  My sister was picking me up.  She was taking care of me, trying to ease my stress and picking me up at the door.  There was some confusion with various cars and drivers, stopping and parking in awkward places. Suzanne was frustrated, wanting to getting me on my way, settled.  Normally, I would have been frustrated as well, muttering, or worse.  But it dawned on me, twe are at a hospital.  I don’t know what their circumstances are, they could have a sick child there.  Their lives may be turned up side down.  And then I realized, this doesn’t happen just at a hospital.  It happens everywhere.  We don’t know what is going on, what is really going on with the person next to us.  I know for sure  that I am not always my best, and I don’t usually get to say, ‘sorry, forgive me, I am not at my best today’. I might be afraid, nervous or tired and my coping techniques not effective.  People see me as I am, at that moment.  And I hope that they can cut me some slack, forgive me my impatience, my rudeness, my inappropriate comment, my arrogance, narrow mindedness or ignorance.  Losing Alistair, feeling lost, incomplete, scared and totally incapable taught me this lesson.  Still in the remedial class, I am learning and re-learning this lesson, over and over again.  So perhaps my ‘so what’ is to simply be gentle with others, as they cope and try to deal with this tragedy.  No, that sounds too self important, or proud.  Maybe this horrible event rsimply reminds me of my need to walk softly, to be gentle.

Its interesting to observe the reactions of ourselves and others at times like these. I think something this shocking settles like dust, its impact being gradual. A woman on the local radio station (that does a lot of call in segments), that lost 4 employees in the attack, said that yesterday, Kenyans were quiet and didn’t have much to say. For some reason, I found that reassuring. It seems appropriate to me that an incident like this should have a profound affect on people and that thoughtful silence is an appropriate response. But the dust settles slowly and the reactions will change over time. I am in the process of blogging about my reaction, before I forget. I don’t feel less safe or more unsafe. I feel fragile and brittle. There were so many families there, so many women and children killed (though specific numbers have not been announced). And now, I have a better idea of how their families, parents, siblings etc feel. I suspect they may feel shell shocked and their lives will never, ever, be the same. Not because of a terrorist attack, but because of the loss of the life of a loved one. I have been reliving our loss, again and again. The media messages of grief, condolence, love and support are messages for me as well. I cry in the car listening to the radio. I have no idea what William makes of it, though he quietly mumbles ‘sorry, sorry, sorry’. Despite my best attempts, I cry at work and I am not sure if my colleagues know what to make of it or me. I suspect I was already somewhat of a conundrum energy (my energy, humour, curiousity and sometimes unbridled enthusiasm). This vulnerable side may be as discomfiting. So the dust continues to settle.

Despite being so far away and so alone, it is a comfort to know that while we may be gone, we are not forgotten. The tragic act of terrorism has been shocking and unsettling, but Kenyans, like Americans, Britons, or any other nationals, is to support those in need, to remain calm and thankfully, not to react with more violence. Like other nations facing such acts, they have responded with donations of blood and money to cover the needs of those affected, mostly medical costs, as there is no national coverage here. The response has been overwhelming. I don’t feel less safe, but I do feel more alone. At times like this, we draw our family and friends more tightly into our circle. But we don’t have any family and only a few acquaintances, however, with the notes and emails, we do feel the love and support of friends and family around the world and are immensely grateful for that. So while we are ‘gone’, we do not feel forgotten.  Thank you.  Last night, I suggested to Gary that we eat out. Our housekeeper Jane would no doubt have made a lovely meal, but our big empty house felt too lonely and I needed the company of others, even if they were strangers, even if they were foreigners (to me) and even if we would not even come in contact with them. While I sometimes envy Gary not working and being able to enjoy a more leisurely pace, getting out and about with William, running (frustrating) errands and seeing the city, it might be even harder for Gary, not having colleagues with whom to connect and have a relationship. He’s not one to talk a lot about his feelings, but I think he’s okay. This adventure has brought about such an improvement to his outlook and mood, it has been worth all the inconveniences and struggles.

The recurring phrase on the radio is “We are one”.  It started with a hashtag of “weareone” on Saturday. I don’t sense an pervasive desire for revenge.  The current atmosphere is one of first, ending the situation at Westgate and second, taking care of the victims.  Kenyans are being urged to donate money to help with victims’ hospital bills.  They are also turning up in droves to donate blood. They are broadcasting the number of units collected by area and the numbers are in the 300s, 400s and even 500s.  Daily. Amazing.  Commentators were pointing out that there was nothing tribal or racial or political in donating blood.  One pointed out that she was not donating Meru blood or Catholic blood.  She was simply donating life.  People are being encouraged to go back to school or work, to put one foot in front of the other (how I vividly recall that feeling) or simply, to go to sleep.  There is an acknowledgement that despite their exhaustion, people have not been sleeping.  There is a need for peope to take care of themselves, gently.  Therefore, if you don’ t need to be anywhere, doing things, take care and sleep.  What reasonable advice.   But we should also acknowledge that while we go back to our routines, we must all be profoundly changed.  At least I believe we should be.  How can we not be? I hope the stories of people, sometimes children themselves, grabbing children, any children and carrying them, running away from the danger inspire people.  There have been all kinds of stories of being ‘your brother’s keeper’. Harambee.  Its the kiswahili motto meeting ‘all together’.

Onward, ever onward.

Jam:a noun, meaning Nairobi traffic

Oh Boy!  I thought we had experienced Nairobi traffic, but NOTHING was like yesterday.  Here are some things I have come to accept.  There are no stop signs or traffic lights (well there are a couple of large round abouts with traffic lights, which, if followed would keep traffic flowing, but the police usually man those round abouts). Matatu drivers are manic and never let anyone in. Traffic is heavy all day long.  Traffic is better when school is out.  Traffic is worse at the end of the month (which is about 5-7 days before and after the actual month end).  This is due to the fact that people have been paid and can afford to use their cars.

Most mornings, William and I leave between 7:30 and 7:45.  I usually get to work between 8 and 8:10.  The best run we have made was 25 minutes, at night. Yesterday, we left at 7:20 and William dropped me off at 8:10.  I left  work early at 4:40, as William was going to drop me off 5 K from home so that I could walk/Run it.  William is excellent at finding back routes and avoiding all traffic, however, it was impossible yesterday.  It was gridlock everywhere.  Roundabouts are great but once its jammed, no one can move in any direction.  It took an hour to get to the Junction Mall, where we join Ngong Mall. Since I already had my gear on, I asked William to let me out so I could get in my exercise, as it was obviously going to be too dark by the time we arrived in Karen.  After about 15 min, I kept my eyes out for William to go by.  I was walking and running and only stopped at one garden centre to ask about the only petunias I have since since arriving.  I walked the whole ‘commerical’ length of Ngong, just until I reached the construction at the flyover. It was after 6 and the sun had gone behind a cloud.  I was regretting leaving my phone in the car, wondering if William had actually gone by me.  After all, it was 35 minutes since I had left him.  I started to walk back towards the traffic, looking for William.  I was beginning to formulate my plan C.  Plan B would be to use someone’s phone to call William or Gary, but I didn’t know either number. (All I do is hit “call”, so why memorize a number!)  Plan C was to find a woman working at one of the ‘garden centres’ at the side of the road and wait with her.  Til what I wasn’t sure.  I knew that William wouldn’t go home without me, but I wasn’t sure where he might wait for me.  And then, as always, William appeared.  Sweet relief.  He had been stuck in the jam all along.  It had taken him 40 minutes to go 4 km.  By the time we got home, it was over 2 hours!  I was so glad that I had been able to get out and walk/run.  It wasn’t a total waste!

Unfortunately, this morning wasn’t any better.  As school starts at 8, I think we will try starting later tomorrow, to see if we can miss the school traffic.  I will let you know how it works out.

So next time you aren’t moving at the speed limit, just remember, somewhere in the world (e.g. Nairobi) the traffic is worse, much worse.

Pole, pole.

The Gem

On the morning of our last day at the Waridi, I took some photos of my walk to work.

Leaving the Waridi for work for the last time and Heading up Rose Ave .

Going against all the traffic on Argwings Kohdek Road.

A little ‘shop’ along the way.

Argwings Kodhek Road, seen on the left, is a main road in town

turning off Argwings onto Chaka Road. A messy corner as there has been a burst pipe (or something) that has caused large potholes and water. Clearly, this is not high heels territory!

Also at the corner of Argwings and Chaka, fruit, veg, snacks, flowers and grass furniture.

Gary in the foreground, the Atrium (my office) in the background (centre right)

We have ‘moved’ into the Gem and have spent 3 weeks in our new home.  Despite rattling around and noise echoing around, we love it, though I am counting the sleeps until our shipment arrives (still scheduled for an Aug 26th and another week and a half to clear customs and get to our house).  But oh the space and quiet and greenery.  We are in heaven.  Carolyn, I can’t wait for you to come.  I can see you here identifying everything in our garden (I believe it might be similar, with agapanthus, one of my favorites just coming into bloom, hibiscus etc) and giving our new gardener, Samson, instructions (though he doesn’t speak a work of English). I can also see you happy to simply BE in the garden, watching all the birds.  Bob, you would know more about our guards and neighbours than we do. Speaking of which, our home is #1, Gem Villa.  There are 4 identical homes in our villa which is surrounded by a wall  topped by barbed wire and electric fence (beautifully camoflaged by a hedge on the outside and a vine on the inside).  There are guards at the gate 24/7.  The main entrance is hedged and has lights and lavendar plants all along it.  There are many mature trees and large plantings as well.  The property is owned by one of Kenya’s Governors who, according to Lucky, an aquaintance, spared nothing in the construction.  Along our side of the hedge along driveway, jasmine, honeysuckle and an orange trumpet flower grow.  Can you imagine? Each of the four homes has a gate but they all remain open.

With our shipment weeks away, there was still lots of shopping to do: staples, groceries, propane, toiletries, tea towels, bathmats and towels for washrooms, cleaning supplies, a ladder, a safe, a key safe (each door has a key so at least 18 keys to keep straight and the mgmt doesn’t have spares or back ups!), waste paper baskets, a bed, some chairs (both grass and the canvas sling kind – all at the side of the road), clothes line, stuff for William to clean the car (which is does every moring, time permitting) and supplies for the gardener (per his requirements:gumboots, dust coat,  2 pr leather gloves, jembe, panga, fork jembe, pruning knife and hose pipe-can you see why William had to go with Gary to get everything?) BBQ, charcoal, BBQ tools, door mats, light bulbs etc.  While I have said that the Nakumat has just about everything, I didn’t have this list in mind and it has required multiple trips to various stores.  And unlike at home, we have had to adjust our expectations. Given traffic and line ups and availability of things in stores, shopping hours (often 9-5) getting two items knocked off a to-do list in a day is indeed a good day.  We have spent so much time getting our few staples that I actually said last week, I am completely shopped out!!! Can you imagine?

With our new bed being made by Amos, we needed a mattress.  We ordered the firmest coil mattress we could find.  its made in Kenya, but the fabric is from Turkey!  Our kingsize mattress costs the equivalent of $600, significantly less than what it would cost a home.  There was one small catch.  There were none in stock.  We were less than a week from moving in with no bed! And there is no way I am sleeping on a floor.  Not that I don’t have enough personally cushioning, I am just way to old and its way too far to the floor.  Oh, but they would provide us with a temporary mattress until ours was ready at no additional cost.  Excellent.  Even better, we requested a queen size, as the bedding that arrived by air was for our queen size bed at home.  This would alloow me a bit more time to look for sheets.  So the day after we got the keys to the Gem, and a day before we planned to move in, the new mattress arrived.  And surprise!  They could give us a king size, so they did!  Yikes.  What a mad scramble to get king size sheets.  Naturally, the Nakumatt had sheets, but with an approx 40 thread count and a touch like sandpaper, I kept looking.  Mr Price’s sheets weren’t much better.  Biashara street (where all the fabric shops are) could make lovely fitted 300 count sheets, but that would take at least 3 dayss, which normally would be quite satisfactory, but not in this case.  Sleeping on a mattress without sheets was better than sleeping on the floor, but not by much!  I bought a set at Mr Price, hoping they would be a back up.  As luck would have it, the day of our move, I needed to go to the airtel office out on Mombasa road, near the airport.  Its quite a ways out of town, so William wanted to leave early to ensure I wasn’t late.  The trip took an unexpected 30 minutes and we arrived almost 80 minutes early.  In an effort to kill time, I wandered through the Tile and Carpet store and lo and behold, lovely plain, 300 count sheet sets.  Sold!    So our first night in the Gem, we had some of our pots and pans from home, our bedding, including bedspread, some clothes and our new bed and temporary memory foam mattress.  As we collapsed into bed that night, Gary groaned about the bed.  I pointed out that it was memory foam, and Gary said, well, its remembering someone else, not me.  Three weeks later, he still feels that way.

At the same store as I got the sheets, I  picked out fabric for curtains.  They provided the name of someone who could make them and he came out to the house to measure (in a manner of speaking)  I kept the fabric the same throughout all the bedrooms and found fabric for only 100 ksh ($1.20) a metre with calico (plain cotton) lining 300 ksh m.  There was some miscommunication between Gary and I and Paul, the man sewing them all, had to come back and install and measure 3 times.  According to Paul, the reason they are not straight on the floor is that the rod at the top isn’t straight!  Okay, right!

To make it feel more like home, we spent a Sat morning going along Ngong Road.  Gary was still scoping out BBQs, fireplace screens and possibly a single bed for the DSQ.  I was interested in some plants for the empty spots in our garden.  William cruised the one side of the road, while Gary and I criss crossed the road (gardens on one side, everything else on the other).  I got to be the picker, Gary got to be the payer (and negotiator).  It was like good cop, bad cop.  He was amazing.   Usually, he would walk away, and the negotiations would start up again.  At one point, Gary and I weren’t quite side by side.  Out of the corner of my eye, I could see a fellow staggering in my direction.  I recognized him as the guy that wanders along and in and across Ngong road most mornings, eyes glazed over, shouting and gesticulating amonst the rush hour traffic.  I wasn’t uncomfortable, but I was being cautious.  Within seconds, there was William by my side.  He too had seen the unstable person (William says he is on drugs and I have no reason to doubt it) and came to make sure I was safe.  It was not the first time I felt William was a guardian angel. I picked up some New Guinea impatiens, 2 varieties of butterfly bush, some snapdragons (Gary’s favorite), Artemesia parsley, rosemary (didn’t realize there was a bush in the yard)sage, thyme and a couple of new to me plants.  I have no idea how we packed it into the car but we did.  We also picked up some terra cotta bird feeders and a bird bath. Now we could sit out on the porch or the front terrace (driveway) and enjoy the birds.

Gary, the TOUGH NEGOTIATOR, making a deal for my plants for the garden.

Ngong Road ‘garden centres.

Ngong Road, Maasai cattle

Here are some pics of the empty Gem..

Porch off the Gem living room

The Gem living room and fireplace (which, given the temperatures lately, I am anxious to try out).

The Gem Living room

The Gem dining room

The Gem kitchen – ridiculous!

  I have to pinch myself.

August 26th Update

Today, no catchy title, no interesting updates, exciting pictures or hilarious antics (though I do have some to share).  An audit has been announced on our largest account in Africa and its ALL HANDS ON DECK as we prepare to undergo four weeks of intense scrutiny. Early mornings continue (and may get early) late evenings have started.  I have my USB (which for no reason that I have yet been able to determine is called a dongle, and which I keep calling a ding dong) which allows me to work enroute to home and office (oh joy, but we wouldn’t want to waste time – soon most likely sleep time).  Life at the Gem and with Gary has been equally hectic as it has taken untold visits (at least 6) to get internet, slightly less for TV, 5 trips for the correct light bulbs, 3 trips to redo a table being made etc etc.

Tragically, my friend at the office (if I may be so bold as to call Elizabeth that, but she does talk to me and we have had lunch 3 times!!!) is in a mess as her closest friend and neighbour was murdered in his home Satruday night.  I gather its been on the news (BBC etc) as David P was very senior (retired) in the British military.  She is, naturally, in shock.  We had lunch together and I listened to her share her story and her feelings.  Once again, it opened wounds, but as gently and respectfully as she could, she asked me what she should do or offer, as I was the only person that came to mind that would have some insight.  New field of expertise. Of course, there are police involved and as a result of her friends status, there will be a very senior international presence as well.  I imagine it makes the grieving process even that more complicated and filled with its own land mines.  But it should be a reminder of the gift of life, to open it up, experience it (good and bad) to use it all up and not save it for a special day, for it is very fragile and can be gone in a flash.

So for those that wait eagerly for ablog post, and especially for those that worry when I haven’t posted in a while, I wanted to let you know that Gary and I are fine.  In fact, I think we both feel especially fine since we skyped with Spencer last night and could see for ourselves how great he looks, we could hear how much he loves his job and could sense what a good place he is in (thanks to Christa et al for taking care of him). However, we are quite busy these days.However,  I may not be able to post for a while.  Or perhaps only post a ‘yellow sticky’ to say that we are still alive!  Hope you understand.

Big hugs to you all.  Love you all too too much, squeeze you later. xoxoxoxox

Angels around me

There are angels watching over me.  This much I know for sure. I also believe that my angels come and go, sometimes depending on my needs, sometimes depending on their own needs.  I know that Alistair brought us here and is always with us, for all the trials and tribulations, the challenges and triumphs, be they large and small. 

I know too that I have angels at home, doing the same thing from afar.  They are my cheer leaders who celebrate our small achievements and are a shoulder to lean on when we are tired or dispirited.  They carried me through those trying days and nights of Alistair’s hospital stay and through the endless nightmare after he passed away.  They carried me through the subsequent losses we suffered in the past two years and they also forced me to live again and feel joy.  Some of my angels came and helped my pack up the house, others sent me off on this adventure with gifts to help on our journey and to remember them by.  Others still sent blog replies, notes and emails with  jokes and updates and encouragement, their love and support. I hope they know how much I treasure their friendship.  Despite my best attempts, I am sure they will never know what a lifeline they have been and will continue to be for me.  One thing I have learned over the years, is not to worry about paying it back, but paying it forward.  There is no end of opportunities, in large and small ways, in daily activities and larger activities and projects,  for me to pay it forward here.  I hope to be a fraction of the people my dear friends and angles have been.

Spencer, is with us in our thoughts all the time too and we are often commenting on “what would Spencer think about this or that”, and “oh, we will have to bring him here to see this or that.”  We are filing away sights and experiences, sorting out which would be appreciated by our visitors, young and old, friends and family : animal and elephant orphanages (for the wee boys,) a guided visit to Kibera, a visit to Woodley Weavers (Caryl), golfing, (Glenn), wineries (Chris and Nina), hiking (Lorne and Tammy) and beautiful landscapes and amazing animals for everyone.  Our anticipation of our visitors’ arrival is also a wonderful gift.

My dear childhood friend Alison shared this wonderful link to a Toronto Star article. http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/07/27/how_to_handle_a_midlife_crisis_go_to_senegal_porter.html

 What a great story.  I wish I had her writing skill as I was absolutely captured by her style.  I loved her comparrison of the hollywood stereo type and her ‘itch’; of 10 years spent travelling and the next 10 in the same house and same office; her craving for freedom; to find adventure in everyday life: to be lost physically, culturally and if I read between the lines, spiritually.  In 26 posts I haven’t been that articulate. Her closing line is a wonderful call to action : Life is too precious to be wasted in complacency or boredom. Live it fiercely, while you can. 

 

JOB is another tireless cheerleader, not just for me, but for so many others.  She will be blushing as she reads there, underestimating her gifts she shares so selflessly. Over the years, she has showered me with love, care, humour, food, companionship, gifts and encouragement. So many times in the past few weeks she has reminded me of how far I have come and of what’s important in life.  She is a role model for living and loving generously and making the absolute most of everything.  Thanks JOB.

 

We should never underestimate the power of a kind word, a warm embrace, a gentle touch, a friendly smile.  Thank you all.  Each in your own way has been the wind beneath my wings and I shall endeavour to pay it forward. 

“I don’t want to get to the end of my life and find that I just lived the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well.” ~Diane Ackerman