Back to Nairobi (Thursday, November 30)
Well, the conference ended yesterday, and now I am back to Nairobi for a day before flying out back home to the US tomorrow. The workshop was very interesting in both content sense and “social” aspect. The majority of the participants were African scientists from different parts of the continent, and it was very inspiring to see them present and debate the needs and processes for solid natural resource management and conservation in their countries.
This morning a group of us who are flying out in the next few days got transferred out of the remote Kenyan countryside to a hotel in a nice part of Nairobi next to a huge shopping center. After walking around a bit around the center and buying yet more tea, I went to a small nearby souvenir market where I had the most fun bargaining with the venders. Even though I did overspend, I really enjoyed interacting with a bit pushy vendors who would pack your stuff and hand it to you before you even agreed to pay for it. Saying right away that I am Russian helped a lot!
I had lunch at a very nice restaurant in a predominantly ex-pat area with my former boss at Food for the Hungry, a Christian NGO I interned with in DC. It was very interesting to hear his perspective on life in Kenya and on what the organization was doing there, which added to my “storehouse” of ideas about my future.
The best part of the day came afterwards, when I had a chance to see a dear old friend from my HPU days. He is leading a team that is working with churches, an orphanage, and a school in Kibera, the largest slum in East Africa located in Nairobi. For the brief few hours that we got to hang out, I was almost transferred back to my undergraduate days, all the fun times we had with Campus Crusade, and all the memories of my good ole’ days in High Point, NC. It was very interesting to talk to a college friend on the other side of the planet realizing how much we have “grown up” since our carefree college days. It was also very inspiring to hear about how God is using him in the tough surroundings that he is in and how he is seeing God do amazing work amidst poverty and desperation.
One more day left in Africa…Sigh…(not looking forward to the looooong flight back and the 7-hour layover I have in the Amsterdam airport). But…I am finally watching TV (first time in over a week…new record for me).
This morning a group of us who are flying out in the next few days got transferred out of the remote Kenyan countryside to a hotel in a nice part of Nairobi next to a huge shopping center. After walking around a bit around the center and buying yet more tea, I went to a small nearby souvenir market where I had the most fun bargaining with the venders. Even though I did overspend, I really enjoyed interacting with a bit pushy vendors who would pack your stuff and hand it to you before you even agreed to pay for it. Saying right away that I am Russian helped a lot!
I had lunch at a very nice restaurant in a predominantly ex-pat area with my former boss at Food for the Hungry, a Christian NGO I interned with in DC. It was very interesting to hear his perspective on life in Kenya and on what the organization was doing there, which added to my “storehouse” of ideas about my future.
The best part of the day came afterwards, when I had a chance to see a dear old friend from my HPU days. He is leading a team that is working with churches, an orphanage, and a school in Kibera, the largest slum in East Africa located in Nairobi. For the brief few hours that we got to hang out, I was almost transferred back to my undergraduate days, all the fun times we had with Campus Crusade, and all the memories of my good ole’ days in High Point, NC. It was very interesting to talk to a college friend on the other side of the planet realizing how much we have “grown up” since our carefree college days. It was also very inspiring to hear about how God is using him in the tough surroundings that he is in and how he is seeing God do amazing work amidst poverty and desperation.
One more day left in Africa…Sigh…(not looking forward to the looooong flight back and the 7-hour layover I have in the Amsterdam airport). But…I am finally watching TV (first time in over a week…new record for me).
posted by HM | 5:40 AM
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