Well this is a first, I am writing this on a laptop and not on my iphone and I am also writing it at my new desk rather than sat in a bar or restaurant. Yep, I'm back in the land of working, but after 17 years in one company I am now the new girl on the block - a bit of a shock. I haven't got a huge amount to do other than background reading and meeting some of the team, but I am sure it will get busier - all new roles start like this don't they?
So first impressions. I was met at the airport by Justin, my friend Annies' boyfriend who lives here in Nairobi. After an uneventful and empty flight on Kenya Airways (KQ) on a very old plane, I arrived to the chaos of Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta Airport - nothing chnages and although I had got my visa in advance, I still managed to be in the slowest queue taking over an hour to get through passport control - a reminder of the pace of Africa! At least my two heavy bags arrived with me (no light packing this time) and Justin was there waiting to take me to the other side of town to Karen, a leafy expat suburb of Nairobi where he lives. I had just missed a huge thunderstorm - the rains having just arrived a week or so before, and the power was out. As it was after 9pm, the traffic was ok so it took about half an hour. Soloman his security guard (have to get used to security giards beingn at every gate and entrance) carried my bags into the dark house, and then by torch and candle light Justin showed me round his very homely house with what I would find out later was a beautiful private bush garden. Gin and tonics, cheese and biscuits, a gorgeous fire with windows open and gossiping about mutual aquaintances was a perfect start to the trip.
After a good sleep, and lots of tea and further catching up - not to mention watching the local guinea fowl making their daily visit to his verandah; Justn took me to one of the local shopping malls which are springing up all over town. We had breakfast out (yes evenin Nairobi) and I buy a dongle to get internet access and a local SIM card for my phone. All kitted out, breakfast consumed - we then worked out where my guest house was.
The guest house which I am staying in for the first week is very close to the office and called ACK (Anglian Church Kenya Gueshouse). It's in the business district of town. Clean, functional and fine for the first week. Spiritual songs playing over breakfast and dinner (and I now realise a limited selection on repeat...), with fellow guests saying grace before they eat and lots of missionery types. I keep my head down and no one shows any interest in talking to me which suits me, but is probably not very social of me. Dinner is a good old Kenyan buffet style meal served at 7pm every night!
I was picked up by a driver on my first morning, even though the office is a 10 minute walk away, so I knew where I was going. He was late - this is Africa afterall. On arrival at work, there were lots of people hanging around (white people!) which threw me, but I found out later they were German journalists about to do a do a tour of some producers but getting an intro over a coffee in the office. When I arrived, they thought I was one of them, but soon we cleared that up and Michael the Executive Director arrived and showed me to my desk. But then nothing had been planned for me - fortunately I had lots of FLO board and other emails I could be getting on with. The office is in a relatively modern building (see photo) but has a 60s office block feel to it. I'm sat by the wndow - windows are open so you get the constant Nairobi traffic noise - but I have already started to block that out. All modern office facilities, wifi, good tea and toast and fruit supply and you have to take your own toilet roll to the loos (which don't have seats or soap but are relatively clean). There are about 8 people in the office, all very well educated Africans and one Belgium lady. I am slowly working my way rounding meeting them in a more formal way. It's very quiet here, the phone hardly rings and people seem to send emails around even when they are sitting next to each other! But Kenya is quite formal, esecially in the early days.
Walking to and from the office is really easy and the roads are busy with other walkers to the many offices around as we are in the business district and among a lot of the government ministires. There are shoe shiners lined up along the street. Shiny shoes seem to be important to the business workers around here and I have discovered when it rains, it is quite muddy even on the pavements so I can see why. Shiny suits and shiny shoes are seen by many workers on the streets (but fortunately not too many shiny suits in the office!). I am conscious I have an expensive laptop in my bag and muggings are very common, but I just have to have faith and I don't think there should be problems on this busy road in daylight. It just means I won't be able to work late as it is dark by 7pm. I am the only Mzungu (white person) that I have seen out and about walking to work, but there are one or two others around at lunch time.
On my frst day I was taken to Java House Coffee - the Starbucks of Kenya with 13 branches selling apparently excellent coffee and good food. Fortunately there is one just around the corner from the office, so I seem to have gone there three times this week as it gets me out the office. When I move into my own apartment, I think I will be bringing my lunch in.
On Tuesday I left the office early, and met up with my friend Cristina, an Italian lady who I met in 2007 when she was setting up a jewellrey business in Nairobi and doing some work with Sainsburys. She parted company with her original business and is now starting up again but more top end and has a workshop at her home. She works with the top eco designers - Livia Firth, Bono's wife etc . Her husband is back in the UK and I met up with him when I was home and bought a parcel back for her of equipment she needed. I'm glad I wasn't searched at the airport - although I looked at what was in the bag, I am not sure I would be able to describe how to use it all if questioned! She showed me around her house and workshop and then we went out for Italian pizza in the UN district - the other white suburb the deifferent end of town. A driver she uses bought me home, I got his number as having reliable drivers is key here as you cannot walk at night, even just round the corner.
There was a board meeting this week, so I was invited to join the board for lunch and then two of the board were staying at the guest house; the chair Chief Adam from Ghana and Mahmoud from Egypt so we had a relaxed dinner together in the guest house, a reminder of why it is great to be here mixing with different people from different backgrounds.
I've also forced myself to do some exercise in my room to the exercise DVDs I bought out with me! Quite tough as Nairobi is 2000m above sea level so has a bit of an effect on your breathing when exercising, or I am very unfit! I'm hoping there may be a gym near the apartment, or maybe even somewhere to run - but not holding out.
I'm nevous about the weekends and knowing what to do. Although the guide books say Nairobi is a great city, I'm not sure what there is to do. I don't fancy doing the really touristy things such as going around Nairobi game park or the giraffe centre or Karen Blixens house (out of Africa person), but maybe I should for my first couple of weekends until I am more settled. No one has offered to have dinner with me or meet up so far other than Justin. But when Crisitna is back she said we should spend the weekends together as she is on her own in the house as her husband and son live in the UK. However in theory I am moving into my apartment this Saturday so that will take Saturday up packing, unpacking and kitting out the new place. As of today (Friday), it is unfurnished so apparently it all needs to be bought today including a bed and a chair! So I think I may need to be adding a bit to the content. I will keep you posted!