I thought I’d give you a look into a typical morning for me
in Nairobi!
In contrast to the peaceful, secluded week we spent at Lake
Nakuru, life in Nairobi is full of life, noise, and somewhat organized chaos.
7:00 AM: Rise
and Shine
At 6:30 AM I wake up to the noises of children getting on
various school buses to ride at least an hour to school. My own host brothers (11 and 6 years
old) get up at 5:30 AM in order to catch their school bus at 6:20 AM. My
brothers go to a private school over an hour away from our home. Most children in Nairobi attend local
public schools, but parents will send their children to private schools if they
can afford the tuition costs.
Private schools in Kenya definitely have more resources and provide a
better education for students. (Throughout the semester I will be doing
research on the Kenyan education system, so I’m sure you will be hearing a lot
more about Kenyan schools!) Though I am not a morning person at all (just ask
my past roommates and family members) I think I could almost be a morning
person here. It is so much easier
to wake up knowing a day of beautiful weather and the sun is waiting!
7:45 AM: Breakfast
of CHAImpions
After getting ready for the day, I walk downstairs to a
breakfast of toast, chai tea, and sometimes a fried egg or piece of fruit. Kenyans love their chai. For them, a big cup of chai and some
bread will get them through the day, sometimes until dinner. The first week at Lake Nakuru we
religiously had chai at breakfast and though we didn’t have much structure for
the rest of the day, we without a doubt had a break for chai every
morning. I remember the first day
in Kenya I couldn’t drink more than three sips of my chai. I remember thinking it wasn’t the same
chai that I love from the Purple Onion in Minneapolis (The chai here is simply
milk and tea and then sugar is added as needed) and I couldn’t understand
drinking warm tea when it’s 80 degrees out. Now, I can’t leave the house
without drinking chai (I actually just bought a travel mug yesterday so I can
take some with me as I walk to class on the days I am running late which if you
know me well is more days than not!).
I also started to have two cups of tea at break time! I can’t imagine
how much I’ll be drinking when I leave in May!
8:00 AM: The
Journey to Nazarene
At 8:00 AM, I leave my house to begin my thirty-minute walk
to school. We all take classes at
the Central Church of Nazarene.
Because our program is condensed into only seven weeks of class in
Nairobi, we just take classes in our MSID cohort. Most of our professors come to teach us at Nazarene, but
also have other classes at the University of Nairobi. All of the students in my program live with host families in
estates within walking distance of our school. Most neighborhoods or estates here are gated communities
with security guards who are hired collectively by residents. In our area, the houses are mostly
identical two story townhomes with three to four bedrooms.
By the time I start walking, Nairobi is bustling. I see people in business clothes,
children in school uniforms, elderly men in tattered and dirty clothing, babies
in a cloth wrap strapped to their moms, college students with laptop cases and
books, women setting up their stands to sell fresh produce, among many
others. The first couple days
walking to class, I barely looked up from the ground as I navigated the uneven
terrain. Most of the path to
school is a makeshift mud/gravel path alongside the bustling roads. Along one stretch, a sidewalk does
exist, but is in dire need of repair as huge chucks of concrete are
missing. I also have to dodge
around piles of garbage, other people, oncoming bikes, and sometimes even
vehicles when the sidewalk disappears or I have to avoid a puddle of water.
Now I can navigate the streets without thinking twice, but
it definitely took some time to get used to. I also pass through Kenyatta Market on my way to school
every day. It is a huge market
(kind of like a farmer’s market in America) where anything and everything is
sold at individual stands and kiosks.
I frequently stop to get mangoes (they are sooo delicious here) and
apples. As a blonde American girl,
I stick out quite a bit especially in this area of Nairobi where there is
little diversity. Without fail, several different groups
of people will shout out “Hi!” “How are you?!” “Taxi?” or “Mzungu!” Mzungu is the Swahili word for white
person. After a couple of weeks of
passing the same people every morning and answering in Swahili, the locals have
realized I am staying here for some time and look at me as less of a
tourist!
8:30 (ish): Classes Start
Our classes are supposed to start at 8:30 AM, but have yet
to actually start on time! Some of
our professors operate on Kenyan time so we usually start around 8:45 AM or
9:00 AM. I really wish professors
in America ran on Kenyan time then I would never be late! In Kenya, there is a
lot less emphasis on sticking to a schedule. In America, we have a long list of things to do every day
and often stick to a tight schedule to complete each item. In Kenya, people also have a list of
things to accomplish for the day, but there is less emphasis on what time
things get done. With each day in
Kenya, my classmates and I are definitely getting used to Kenyan time. We seem to arrive just a little later
to class every day. Personally, I
find myself looking at the time less often than I do in the states. In the US, every minute counts, but
here time is a lot more fluid and flexible. It was hard at first to adjust to this new way of thinking
about time, but it has actually been refreshing change from my usual life of jam
packed days, impending deadlines, and constant checklists!
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM: Wakati wa Chai Tena (Time for Chai again!)
This is one of our favorite times of the day as I don't think any of us have had snack at school since fifth grade! We get to drink chai, eat cookies, relax, and soak up the sun!
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM Class
And there’s a morning in my shoes! I will be posting soon about my adventures from the past two
weekends!
