This morning, I’m in Zurich on the way home from a few days in Nairobi (Kenya).
This was a rather interesting and serious visit, and I got to spend quite a bit of time talking with both business and government leaders about their longer-term development plans and aspirations. If there is interest (vote in comments 
), I can try to put together a more serious post later in the week (once I get home and get everything settled back down).
But for your Sunday morning relaxation, I’ll just present a few photos from Nairobi for some cultural upliftenment.
More below the fold….
Despite being at a latitude of 1.3 degrees south, Nairobi actually has a very nice climate. The city is at an elevation of 5400 feet - the Brits sure knew how to pick their spots for administrative centers.
East Africa is basically dry, so Kenya is mostly open grasslands. Thus, grazing is the main agricultural activity - and Kenya is heavenly on the BBQ count.
It’s also strange to see the contrast between persistent Third World squalor (such as cattle being driven along the median strip of a major highway) and a great deal of gleaming new construction.
But as I said above, we can leave the serious stuff for the workweek. Here are a few photos and comments.
Sunshine and flowers abound.
Meeting room name FAIL.
More flowers….
Is this sculpture racist?
Meeting room name WIN. (RS insider joke….)
More flowers….
Another flowering tree….
More flowers….
More flowers….
More flowers….
This is an interesting (and beautiful) flowering bush. It produces flowers in three colors (which you can see if you look closely) - white, lavender, and violet. From that the bush derives its poetic name of “Yesterday, today, and tomorrow.” The smell of the blossoms is heavenly.
More flowers….
More flowers….
This is an interesting feature of the mid-day sun at latitude 1.3S at this time of year….
Finis.
Brings back great memories
FortitudineVincimus Sunday, September 27th at 3:50AM EDT (link)Wow! The pictures of the bogenvia really brings back great memories from my trip to Kenya last month! Here in California I’ve only seen it as a bush, but in Kenya I saw huge trees of it. Beautiful! Perhaps it’s a different species?
While in Kenya I spent several weeks about an hour outside Machakos, which I believe was the British headquarters before it was moved to Nairobi. A team from my church went to assist one of the local pastors in constructing an orphanage. What an amazing experience — carving the bricks with a hammer and chisel, carrying sand for the cement up from the riverbed on our backs, playing with the orphans, and just interacting with the people who were so friendly. At the dedication ceremony for the new building a number of local government officials attended — the DDO (district development officer), chief, and several others I can’t remember the names of. They definitely had a focus on development of their region.
As you mention, the coexistence of the “1st world” and “3rd world” in Nairobi was very interesting. One of the most striking sights was the scaffolding around any new building going up. It is all made of small trees instead of metal or milled wood such as 2×4s.
It was definitely sobering to become friends with people who may only eat once every few days. We were told many of the children at the elementary schools we visited would come without eating, yet they always seemed excited and joyful.
Kenya was beautiful, I made many friends, and I would love to go back. I’m looking forward to the remainder of your report.
Skanderbeg, you're surrounded by Botanical Gardens.
penguin2 Sunday, September 27th at 9:15AM EDT (link)One can’t help but feel uplifted by such natural beauty. And as you noted the contrast between industrial development and the older, simpler agrarian world is striking. It does stop and remind us to enjoy simple beauty for beauty’s sake.
Fortitudine, your observation of the joy and excitement of the children, despite their poverty, is striking. There is a difference between those that have so little in the underdeveloped countries; yet have incredible appreciation for what they do have, and can find joy in their lives. In developed countries, those that have so much still seem to be unhappy and without joy.
Skanderbeg, I look forward to your writing further about these travels and events. We are concerned about the effect of our current policies on the international stage.
Stay safe.
Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God.
Benjamin Franklin
Very Striking
FortitudineVincimus Sunday, September 27th at 8:50PM EDT (link)penguin2, You are correct, the difference in attitude of the Kenyan children and US children is striking. I just read that Obama is suggesting that American kids are at a disadvantage because they spend too little time in school. I would respectfully disagree. It’s not that we don’t have enough time in school, it’s that we’ve created a culture that does not value education. You could write a whole book on the reasons for that loss and I don’t intend to go into it now, aside from saying that Entertainment has become an all-powerful ethic.
It was amazing how these young children were often self-led. One of them would get up in front of the others and lead them in song or recitation. No or little prompting by the instructors. We saw this in the orphanage and at all the elementary schools we visited. All the orphans we worked with had visions about what they wanted to be when they grew up — pilots, doctors, engineers, a district development officer, and even the President of Kenya. How inspiring that someone cares enough about these little ones to give them hope beyond the present reality of having no family to take care of them.
Beautiful pictures Skanderbeg.
ocleverone Sunday, September 27th at 9:28AM EDT (link)The shadowless picture was very interesting.
I vote for a serious post on Kenya when you return. For now, enjoy the scenery.
To me, “consensus” seems to be the process of abandoning all beliefs, principles, values and policies. So it is something in which no one believes and to which no one objects … There are still people in my party who believe in “consensus” politics. I regard them as Quislings, as traitors … I mean it. — Margaret Thatcher
Did you visit Obama's brother
jeannieology Sunday, September 27th at 9:37AM EDT (link)and take pictures of his shack…I heard that it is right down the street from Kumbaya Hall and across the street from I’m My Brother’s Keeper Cafe
http://www.jeannie-ology.com
Skanderbeg, I am always interested in your globe-hopping posts
kyle8 Sunday, September 27th at 10:25AM EDT (link)you are always an interesting read.
“Nothing works like freedom, Nothing succeeds like liberty”
Kyle
Yes, please post more.
abbynormal Sunday, September 27th at 5:49PM EDT (link)The flowers are reminiscent of those we enjoyed while living in Hawaii and Guam, and I’d enjoy reading about your eperience in Kenya.
“Therefore, we must control men in order to force them to be free.”
Professor Pritchett
Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged
Your posts are informative and interesting - if you post, I'll read (nt)
Return to Revolution Monday, September 28th at 6:48AM EDT (link)The evil of the world is made possible by nothing but the sanction you give it.