Freezing for the late train!

We were seated like regular patrons of the ancient restaurant.

Neglected and leaking from the lighting fixtures

Neglected, I must add, because if it wasn't, I wouldn't be shocked at the stream of water pouring from the light fixture (yes, the electricity, the water....) on the far ceiling of the restaurant nor would I have been aghast at the sight of a rat scurrying across the stained and rugged old, grey, cement floor that had counted endless footsteps in and out of the small, old, cob-webby room; a room whose door had a shiny, round, brass knob that I'd have loved to have as a souvenir. A room that had the smell of freshly baked cake! 

And Vote I Surely Did. March 5, 2013.

I beat Guka (the cock that hangs out with my chicken) to waking up having set my alarm for five thirty a.m, today, March 4, 2013, Election Day Kenya. I finally jumped into the car a few minutes after 6am and drove off to find this 'borehole' - lucky I overheard a neighbour mention the change in venue. (I had registered just up the road and as far as I know, the place is not known as ‘borehole’...in fact, I have never heard of this ‘borehole’. In my sleepy mind, I was sure that I would walk in, quickly vote and get back home for breakfast, a shower then make my way to work, all before 10a.m. Shock on me! First, the borehole place was very very far away. There was one car in front of me all the way and as we neared the place, I noticed people in a line that was quickly growing longer as I watched, and parked. I joined the queue and after a few idle comments learnt that borehole ni 'kule kwenye hiyo tank'. What! What tank?

Die You Devil! Die Again!

"You hurt him!
You hurt him!
You messed up his life!
You Devil!"
I screamed as I drove down the highway at 140KPH...

What could have been so terrible, unforgivable...

It was exactly 17 days ago.
I have wanted to write about this crazy experience for a while now, but I had not, till now, gathered the courage to remember in vivid detail and colour what happened early that Wednesday morning.

I will be watching...

CONGRATULATIONS!

We have peacefully left the past behind and not let it dictate our future as we elected the 4th president of the republic.God bless Kenya!

Too good, it must be true....

My 'maiden ride' on the Syoki train was fantastic! I called my regular bodaboda guy who picked me up at my gate, and rode all the way, across Mombasa Road (something I had sworn I'd never ever do by bodaboda but that wasn't even on my mind,) time was ticking and the train was reputed to leave on the dot of time. (I did however control where and when he could zoom across the road while I held my heart in my mouth determined not to add to the numbers of road/bodaboda causality statistics)