Top 10 Lists

When we talk to people back home, the first question we always get is what we miss most about American. Since our time is also quickly coming to an end in Kenya, we thought we would do a top 10 list of things that we miss about American and a top 10 list of things that we will miss about Kenya when we leave. We put these together as a family, so here it goes…

Top 10 Things We Miss About America

1. Family and Friends – This one probably goes without saying. Technology (when it works – see #2 below) has definitely helped, but it can’t compare to being close to family and friends!
2. Reliable Internet Service – This is one of those things that we take for granted in America. If the internet is down (even for an instant) we get really annoyed. In Kenya, you’re lucky if the internet is up half the time (probably more like one quarter). When it is up, the speed is comparable to modems that we had 10 years ago in America! It’s very difficult to get work done when the internet comes and goes. It was out nearly all last week, and no one really seemed to care much.
3. Modern Conveniences – There is a lot I could list here that we miss, but here are a couple: dish washers, garbage disposals, twist-and-ties on bread (they use tape in Kenya which you can’t use to reclose it!), the serrated edge on plastic wrap boxes (I guess they expect you to use a knife or scissors, but it never works right), air conditioners (there have been a couple of days we certainly could have used it)
4. Restaurants – When in America, I forget what a melting pot we really are! This is reflected in all of the great ethic variety we have in our restaurants. In Nairobi, the vast majority of people are Kenyans and like Kenyan food. So, there is little variety in restaurants. We really miss Mexican, Chinese, and even Panera! Maddy misses Sweet Tomatoes (her favorite restaurant in America).
5. Infrastructure – City planning is a beautiful thing that you don’t even realize until it is missing. There is very little (if any) city planning in Kenya. There are no sidewalks outside of downtown, and the roads are poorly designed and maintained. Roads that could use 3 lanes in each direction have only 1. Cars break down regularly and congest traffic for kilometers since the broken down cars have nowhere to go.
6. Regulation – Next time you want to complain about regulation in the states, try living where there is none! I certainly understand over regulation, but really miss regulation on pollutants (the majority of the cars & trucks smoke like crazy), building construction (every other night you hear a story on the news about a building collapsing due to poor construction), seat belts (there are none), nutritional information on foods (there are no requirements on foods that you purchase), and all the laws in place to prevent corruption in business and government (corruption is a HUGE problem in Kenya).
7. Safety – As I have mentioned in a prior post, the Kenyan’s view of a safe distance is much different than ours. So, when we are walking or running on the street, cars pass dangerously close (in our view) to us. Since there are no sidewalks, you have no choice but to walk on the street. I miss sidewalks!
8. Consistency – Going to a store and knowing that what you need will actually be there week after week. In Kenya, you just never really know…
9. Western Public Toilets – In Kenya, most are squat toilets and few (if any) have toilet paper since people steal it. I never thought a toilet (or toilet paper) would make our top 10 list!
10. Focus on Children – In America, we do a lot for our kids, and there are endless activities, stores, playgrounds, etc. for them. These types of things are very difficult to find in Kenya (in fact, there are no playgrounds that we have found). When the locals see us interacting with Maddy or other children, they are always surprised that we pay so much attention to children. In Kenya, you don’t even see parents playing with their kids or even supervising them at play.

Top 10 Things We Will Miss About Kenya

1. The People – By far, the best thing about Kenya is the people. I have written about the friendliness of the kids and adults many times in prior postings, but it is worth reiterating. Compared to American culture, Kenya is much more social and values community more. Even business conversations always begin with cordial conversations, and they think it rude to jump straight into business without exchanging pleasantries first. The people are also very generous with what little they have. It seems like the less they have, the more generous they are willing to be.
2. Running – Again, I have written about this in the past, but running on the dirt roads in Kenya is a beautiful thing. Since my last posting about running, I have started training for running a half-marathon (which is April 1), and have changed my route to pass by the game park. I have encountered several heard of giraffe, a heard of zebra, countless baboons, packs of gazelle and impala, and last week, even a rhinoceros! We’re talking close encounters here, around 50-100 feet (except for the rhino which was more like 100 yards). One time it occurred to me that there could be more than just herbivores out there, so I stopped wearing headphones when I run! The people too that I pass are also really great. All of them stop, look at me, smile, wave and say “Jambo!” (i.e. Hello). As I have mentioned, the kids love to run alongside of me, and I’ll miss their smiling faces when I am gone. They really keep me going, even on difficult runs.
3. The Pace of Life – African culture is much slower paced than America. Things rarely (if ever) start and end on time, and you just have to learn to go with the flow. If you show up on time, they ask why you are early. Sandy went to a meeting at Maddy’s school that was supposed to start at 10am with a guest speaker. She showed up at 10:10 and was the first one there! The lady that organized it said, “Sweetie, this is Africa, we won’t start until at least 11:30”, and they didn’t. Without all the modern conveniences of America, efficiency and productivity in their work is also much less. As I said earlier, things like electricity and the internet go out almost daily, and they just live with it and don’t complain.
4. Hour Long Recess – This one is from Maddy (obviously), and compared to the 30 minutes she gets back in America, who wouldn’t miss this!
5. Public Transportation – Maddy and I really enjoy riding the matatus. Yes, the music is pretty loud in some of them. Yes, some of them do drive pretty dangerously. But, they are a lot of fun to ride!
6. Scenery – Kenya is a beautiful place, and there are some views that are on my running paths that are breathtaking. From the wide expanse of the game park to the back drop of the Ngong Hills, the tropical climate is perfect for beautiful flowers, trees, and birds. Much different than anything you can see in America, so it is hard to describe it without seeing it!
7. Chapel / Church Services – Worship services are much more energetic than we are used to in the states. In America, we pretty much stand in one place and don’t move much. Here, Maddy dances in the aisles and really enjoys being part of the service. It will probably take us some time to readjust when we get back home, so if you see us swaying or dancing in church, kindly tells us to stop!
8. Food Court at the Mall – This is similar to the food courts in malls back in America. The nice difference is that you just sit at a table, and all of the restaurants bring you their menus and you can order a little from one a little from another. They bring the food to you, and you don’t even tip! In fact, you don’t tip at any restaurants unless they are the really nice ones that tourists frequent.
9. Coffee – Remember the movie “Out of Africa” about Karen Blixen who owned a coffee farm in Kenya? Well, her farm and homestead are within running distance of where we live. While coffee is not as popular as tea in Kenya, they still have a lot of coffee farms, and they produce some wonderful coffee. Consequently, the majority of the coffee gets exported. But, there is still plenty you can buy in the grocery, and at the malls, there is a restaurant called “Java House” (owned by an American lady) that serves a great cup. It’s cheap too!
10. Fruits and Vegetables – Since Kenya has a tropical climate, pretty much everything you can image will grow here. However, we will really miss the wonderful pineapples, mangoes, avocados, and watermelons that are so prolific here. You can get a pineapple for around $1 and a mango for around $0.20. We’ve certainly have eaten our share, and enjoy shopping at the same fruit stand at the junction where they even know our names!