Thursday Recap

Nairobi is a bustling, vibrant metroplex of about 4 million people.  Yesterday I did not have any set appointments so I plunged into the city.  

I found a magnificent new mall in the "rich" part of town; 4 stories with an open atrium, a food court and a cinema.  I had lunch at the food court - Chinese food.  One difference is that when you wander into the area various representatives offer to seat you in the common eating area and offer you a menu.  In my case 6 of them brought menus for me to browse.  Then they turn in your order and bring your food to you.

After lunch I walked closer to downtown and visited the National Museum.  A 2 story facility filled with various stuffed animals of the country, a little art work, a display of various human fossils showing the "progressive development" of humans.  There was a fascinating display which tracked humans, specifically Kenyan culture of course, from birth, through various stages, including childhood, youth, initiation rites, marriage and "transition."  Unfortunately the Snake House was closed for renovations  (sorry Evan).

I trekked through Nairobi University and into the heart of downtown.  The urban center is a teeming mass of people, jammed traffic, shops for tourists, food markets, businesses of all kinds and government offices.  After picking up a couple of items I decided to complete my cultural immersion by riding back to the guesthouse in a matatu, the most common form of local transportation.  Matatus are minivans which have been converted into people carriers- supposedly for 14, but at times more than that.  I located the main matatu departure station and it was swarming with people, minivans in various states (all of the older) and diesel fumes.  With only a small amount of difficulty I was able to locate the matatu for my route, jump into one and off we go.  Ok, well not exactly off... we spent about 15 minutes creeping along, jammed into traffic for half a dozen blocks.  Then we were able to make some progress.  PS.1- I was the only Anglo I ever saw during this whole time.  2- "Lanes" don't mean anything.

For dinner I popped into a fast-food chicken kind of place, where for about 3 dollars I got a somewhat scrawny 1/4 of chicken, a huge plate of good fries and a Coke in a glass bottle.  The rest of the evening I put my feet up and read in my room.  The accumulation of fumes over the day had taken their toll and I just needed to chill a little.

This was not a day full of "ministry," but I do think it is important to get some kind of handle on the culture and daily life.  We cannot share God's love with people if we do not understand them and their lives.  For us to be Christ incarnate requires involvement.  Of course one day in a big city doesn't mean I understand anything.  But it is a start.