Well lads,
Friday morning the aul computer wasn't working so while waiting for it to be fixed I headed down with Sr. Peig down to the Junction shopping centre to stock up on the essentials in Nakumatt for the week. Got myself a toaster as didn't have one in the flat. Bought the most amazing coffee called Dormans which is the Kenyan version of Starbucks and they have coffee shops in most of the shopping centres.
Anyway found a gym just up the road so went there after work that evening. It has what I need bench, free weights, cross trainer, treadmill so it'll do.
Got up the on Saturday morning and went for a run to Karen and back. It's a straight enough run with a few inclines but watching your step and avoiding crazy people on the runs is more of a battle. That evening I got the Matatu down to Karen to get my hair cut. They don't do scissors cuts like back home so asked the chap Freddy for a 3 on top and 2 at the back and sides needless to say I have a head like a convict now but atleast it won't need to be done for a while. Not a patch on Barbers Lane in Waterford though. While I was in there the fella in front of me looked familiar and he was decked out in a three piece suit bowler hat and sunglasses and when his phone rang it was some song by Lil Wayne as his ringtone. Any how it was some Kenyan rapper turned politician or something who was on the news the night before. While I was down in Karen I went to the Rusty Nail to watch the Premiership. Saw the Man City Chelsea match and the Liverpool Sunderland match which I have to admit was painful to watch to see our great club in such a state.
Anyway when it was over at 6.50 here it was pitch black and about 5 mins walk to the Karen shopping centre to get a Matatu back (not the wisest of decisions as a mazungo) but sure what could happen in Nairobi aka Nairobbery at night. Luckily made it down to Karen all right and luckily was on the Matatu next to a nun from up the road so was OK getting to my Kenol stop. But before that when he left Karen the Matatu driver did a U turn the other way I said to him I was going the other way but he said not to worry as he was only going to the petrol station to fill up.
Lesson learned here is if I'm going again don't be fooled by the 20ksh price (accounting head here) take a taxi when it gets dark for safety. I'll ring Bernard next time. Plus Old El Paso Fajita kit is a saviour for dinner and the extra virgin olive oil makes all the difference in the taste (getting kinda Jamie Oliver on my portable hot plate)
Today (Sunday) I completed another domestic achievement called ironing which I did 3 shirts,4 tshirts and the bed clothes with a few towels (if your supposed to iron them). Spent about 2.5hrs and I now know that faced with any challenge and out of necessity mammy's boys can accomplish any domestic feet to survive. I have to say I feel proud doing it and shows I'm not totally incompetent.
Still awaiting my TV shows from back home in the most (hopefully not robbed) and have sent off my next list for this week.
Song of the Day http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBR2G-iI3-I
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Back online after awile Thigio, Kitale & Chepynal (West Pokot) week and a half
Apologise for the delay in posting. I was up country the last week and a half in three outstations where the Daughters have projects going on. Basically I had to see what activities were going on to get a feel for the areas/circumstances involved and review how big an operation it will be to fix their accounting systems (should be fun & challenging :) )
Anyway first stop was Thigio on Tuesday 14th last. Thigio is about 45mins drive with around 25mins by way of African Massage (i.e. gravel unfinished road,dirt road,bumps and potholes). Anyway up in Thigio the main areas for focus on helping the community are a hospice for mostly people dying of AIDS, but also their was a 17 year old boy dying with leukaemia there. It was an eye opener and would break your heart. Also, they have a special school for children mentally and physically handicapped, a community library, community development projects like providing Premiership games at weekends for 10ksh (around 10 cent), women's development etc. I got what I needed and headed back to Nairobi with Peter the driver and be up for 5.30am the following morning for the 7.30-8hr car journey to Kitale.
Kitale Day 1 Overnight Stay
On Wednesday 15th I headed off with Sr Mary Holland and our driver Alfred (who's the spitting image of the rapper Akon) on the journey to Kitale. This road was a little bit better but pot holes and bumps etc were evident in most places but because some of the road is a truck route for supplies we had duel carriageway and decent road for most of it. I saw my first footpath outside Nakuru town to my amazement as they don't seem to be in abundance here. We passed the town of Eldoret where some of the Kenyan distance runners train. Anyway after the gruelling journey we arrived in Kitale which can only be described as not the nicest of places with the biggest problem being people (mostly the men) in a permanent state of drunkenness (much like dole day in Don't Be Silly Drink with Billy 4 for 10 before 2)through the manufacturing on mass of home brew poitín from the molasses from the sugar cane and maze. Also, nutrition is a big problem with families as a good days work for the average person would earn you 100ksh (€1 at a good FX rate). Take this into account a bag of sugar 1kg in Transmattres or Nakumatt retails at that price. I set off with Sr Florence a bubbly Nigerian sister down to St Emmanuel Primary School and to check up on the progress of the nutrition programme families. Anyway in Kitale they aren't used to us Mazungos (white people) apart from the religious and the children get all worked up where as the older people just stare so I realised that abit of basic Swahili goes along way. So if someone says how are you, you say Mizurri which means fine/well and to say how are you in Swahili is Abarri. Thank you is Asante Sana and your welcome is Karibu Sana. Anyway this worked especially going down to the school. But first stop was a visit to a mud hut (the norm for living in Kitale) unless you have some money (no social welfare in Kenya or children's allowance). Visited this mother must have been in here 30's with a rake of children and about to pop another one out anyday. Looked over at the children and couldn't believe they were all hers and asked the nun they must be neighbours as they all looked around from 4-5 downwards and they were 7 there. Florence said the fella I was looking at was 8 and that lack of nutrition stumps their growth. You'd feel sorry for them bet before they start. Anyway went down to the school and the school consisted of two decent classrooms and a couple of huts. Biggest problem is getting the kids to school either by ignorance on the parents end or alcohol abuse. Met the principle signed the visitors book and left and couldn't wait to get back to the compound.
We were joined at supper by the local priest Fr. McNabb from Mayo and had Nile Perch (Fish) and Chips, tasty out but full of bones.
Next stop Chepynal.
The next day we set out for Chepynal. A mountain village in the region of West Pokot. Getting up here means traversing a mountain road where only one 4X4 can pass and if you mess up a turn in some places you're facing a 200-300ft drop to the ground. Needless to say when these issues arose I didn't look down and had all the confidence in Gabriel (who's James Toney's double (the world champion boxer who got submitted by Randy Couture in UFC 118) albeit abit shorter height wise as he goes up the pass everyday. Anyway we reached Chepynal and it is like being in another world in comparison to Kitale. Everybody is friendly, won't rob you, go near you harassing you for money etc.
From a project perspective up here is more education, women's empowerment i.e. learning trades, learning english,setting up small businesses like hairdressers,dressmakers etc. Went down with Sr Lemlem to see this she's a mad Ethiopian sister.
Forgot to tell you up here there's no electricity so either solar or generator power. Anyhow where I was staying next to the sisters house was a 3 bedroom apartment fitted with a galvanised roof,toilet which had to be flushed with a bucket of water each time and a bucket for a shower. Old school survival and Bear Grylls would be proud. I had the shower down to a tea by the second day i.e. boil 2 kettles of water and the bucket of cold water for optimum temperature and amount of water for a good shower. Inspector Morse on DVD kept me entertained in the evening but it rained every night I was there and the rain pelting on the galvanised roof isn't the May West to get to sleep with.
Spent my weekend working on their systems and advising on different aspects of keeping the accounts correctly and on Sunday evening headed back to Kitale with a Pokot blanket which is so warm and a kalabash(keep water or charcoal in it). Next time I'm up in Chepynal I'm going to Creech which is about a 3hr trek into the woods panning for gold with the locals.
considering she's $1,300 an ounce at the moment it might be a productive journey.
Kitale Take 2 (The joys of Petty Cash balance reconciliations)
Back to Kitale and on Monday got back into the accounts. Spent a day going through next years budget and on Tuesday evening started getting stuck in to the petty cash and spent all day Wednesday assesssing what shouldn't have been in there and on Thursday morning and 72 journal adjustments later I had it balanced (well I suppose that's what I'm qualified to do) but as corny as it is there's nothing like when something balances and reconciles both on Excel and in the accounts package. Thursday evening the 23rd (my 25th birthday by the way) I flew back to Nairobi from Kitale. Kitale airstrip is just a field with a strip of tarmac and things got off to a bad start when we had flat tyre and had to be changed. Credit to Fly540 they have more comfortable seats than KLM long haul and on the way back it was such a clear day I had great views of the Kenyan countryside and the lakes. One of the lakes don't know the name but from my view it is exactly in the shape of the continent of Africa. Got back to Nairobi and Bernard my driver was there to collect me.
First things back were to put on a wash 2 colours and one whites (PS Peggy will be so proud I'm domesticating myself and have figured out the complex functions of operating the washing machine and the clothes line.) A trip to Nakumatt on Friday was a priority.
Thursday night the sisters got me a birthday cake from our good friend Violet from NIC bank. It was lovely and had a bottle of Tusker which tastes nice.
NOW TO POSITION THE MACBOOK TO THE CORRECT ANGLE TO GET A WIRELESS SIGNAL TO UPLOAD THIS POST.
Asante sante for reading this post
Stephen
Anyway first stop was Thigio on Tuesday 14th last. Thigio is about 45mins drive with around 25mins by way of African Massage (i.e. gravel unfinished road,dirt road,bumps and potholes). Anyway up in Thigio the main areas for focus on helping the community are a hospice for mostly people dying of AIDS, but also their was a 17 year old boy dying with leukaemia there. It was an eye opener and would break your heart. Also, they have a special school for children mentally and physically handicapped, a community library, community development projects like providing Premiership games at weekends for 10ksh (around 10 cent), women's development etc. I got what I needed and headed back to Nairobi with Peter the driver and be up for 5.30am the following morning for the 7.30-8hr car journey to Kitale.
Kitale Day 1 Overnight Stay
On Wednesday 15th I headed off with Sr Mary Holland and our driver Alfred (who's the spitting image of the rapper Akon) on the journey to Kitale. This road was a little bit better but pot holes and bumps etc were evident in most places but because some of the road is a truck route for supplies we had duel carriageway and decent road for most of it. I saw my first footpath outside Nakuru town to my amazement as they don't seem to be in abundance here. We passed the town of Eldoret where some of the Kenyan distance runners train. Anyway after the gruelling journey we arrived in Kitale which can only be described as not the nicest of places with the biggest problem being people (mostly the men) in a permanent state of drunkenness (much like dole day in Don't Be Silly Drink with Billy 4 for 10 before 2)through the manufacturing on mass of home brew poitín from the molasses from the sugar cane and maze. Also, nutrition is a big problem with families as a good days work for the average person would earn you 100ksh (€1 at a good FX rate). Take this into account a bag of sugar 1kg in Transmattres or Nakumatt retails at that price. I set off with Sr Florence a bubbly Nigerian sister down to St Emmanuel Primary School and to check up on the progress of the nutrition programme families. Anyway in Kitale they aren't used to us Mazungos (white people) apart from the religious and the children get all worked up where as the older people just stare so I realised that abit of basic Swahili goes along way. So if someone says how are you, you say Mizurri which means fine/well and to say how are you in Swahili is Abarri. Thank you is Asante Sana and your welcome is Karibu Sana. Anyway this worked especially going down to the school. But first stop was a visit to a mud hut (the norm for living in Kitale) unless you have some money (no social welfare in Kenya or children's allowance). Visited this mother must have been in here 30's with a rake of children and about to pop another one out anyday. Looked over at the children and couldn't believe they were all hers and asked the nun they must be neighbours as they all looked around from 4-5 downwards and they were 7 there. Florence said the fella I was looking at was 8 and that lack of nutrition stumps their growth. You'd feel sorry for them bet before they start. Anyway went down to the school and the school consisted of two decent classrooms and a couple of huts. Biggest problem is getting the kids to school either by ignorance on the parents end or alcohol abuse. Met the principle signed the visitors book and left and couldn't wait to get back to the compound.
We were joined at supper by the local priest Fr. McNabb from Mayo and had Nile Perch (Fish) and Chips, tasty out but full of bones.
Next stop Chepynal.
The next day we set out for Chepynal. A mountain village in the region of West Pokot. Getting up here means traversing a mountain road where only one 4X4 can pass and if you mess up a turn in some places you're facing a 200-300ft drop to the ground. Needless to say when these issues arose I didn't look down and had all the confidence in Gabriel (who's James Toney's double (the world champion boxer who got submitted by Randy Couture in UFC 118) albeit abit shorter height wise as he goes up the pass everyday. Anyway we reached Chepynal and it is like being in another world in comparison to Kitale. Everybody is friendly, won't rob you, go near you harassing you for money etc.
From a project perspective up here is more education, women's empowerment i.e. learning trades, learning english,setting up small businesses like hairdressers,dressmakers etc. Went down with Sr Lemlem to see this she's a mad Ethiopian sister.
Forgot to tell you up here there's no electricity so either solar or generator power. Anyhow where I was staying next to the sisters house was a 3 bedroom apartment fitted with a galvanised roof,toilet which had to be flushed with a bucket of water each time and a bucket for a shower. Old school survival and Bear Grylls would be proud. I had the shower down to a tea by the second day i.e. boil 2 kettles of water and the bucket of cold water for optimum temperature and amount of water for a good shower. Inspector Morse on DVD kept me entertained in the evening but it rained every night I was there and the rain pelting on the galvanised roof isn't the May West to get to sleep with.
Spent my weekend working on their systems and advising on different aspects of keeping the accounts correctly and on Sunday evening headed back to Kitale with a Pokot blanket which is so warm and a kalabash(keep water or charcoal in it). Next time I'm up in Chepynal I'm going to Creech which is about a 3hr trek into the woods panning for gold with the locals.
considering she's $1,300 an ounce at the moment it might be a productive journey.
Kitale Take 2 (The joys of Petty Cash balance reconciliations)
Back to Kitale and on Monday got back into the accounts. Spent a day going through next years budget and on Tuesday evening started getting stuck in to the petty cash and spent all day Wednesday assesssing what shouldn't have been in there and on Thursday morning and 72 journal adjustments later I had it balanced (well I suppose that's what I'm qualified to do) but as corny as it is there's nothing like when something balances and reconciles both on Excel and in the accounts package. Thursday evening the 23rd (my 25th birthday by the way) I flew back to Nairobi from Kitale. Kitale airstrip is just a field with a strip of tarmac and things got off to a bad start when we had flat tyre and had to be changed. Credit to Fly540 they have more comfortable seats than KLM long haul and on the way back it was such a clear day I had great views of the Kenyan countryside and the lakes. One of the lakes don't know the name but from my view it is exactly in the shape of the continent of Africa. Got back to Nairobi and Bernard my driver was there to collect me.
First things back were to put on a wash 2 colours and one whites (PS Peggy will be so proud I'm domesticating myself and have figured out the complex functions of operating the washing machine and the clothes line.) A trip to Nakumatt on Friday was a priority.
Thursday night the sisters got me a birthday cake from our good friend Violet from NIC bank. It was lovely and had a bottle of Tusker which tastes nice.
NOW TO POSITION THE MACBOOK TO THE CORRECT ANGLE TO GET A WIRELESS SIGNAL TO UPLOAD THIS POST.
Asante sante for reading this post
Stephen
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Visit to Lake Nakuru National Park
Well as I finish off the day typing this before I head to bed while Swedish House Mafia is playing on iTunes I'll tell you about my visit to Lake Nakuru National Park. Met my driver Noel this morning and his family who were tagging along at 8am. It's about a two and a half hour drive from Nairobi to Nakuru on some dual carriageway and single lane decent roads then as we entered Nakuru town which had basically dirt tracks for roads before we reached the National Park. Anyway entered the Park in the 4X4 and first kinds of animals we met were giselles and baboons. When we reached the baboon cliffs we shut all the windows (Sweet Disposition by Temper Trap is now on iTunes) as the baboons are inclined to go into the cars and rob whatever is in them. View from the cliffs looking over Lake Nakuru and Nakuru town were amazing. Also saw Flamingoes,Rhinos,Zebras,Rhinos,Buffalo,Springbok,Giraffe (one of them was definitely eating grass spiked with roids by the size and neck on him) and Osterich. Was disappointed I didn't see the lions as they weren't visible today. I'm sure a visit to Dublin zoo would sort that out but will hopefully see them when I hit the Masi Marra. (San Diego by the Coronas now banging out of iTunes). Anyway we stopped for lunch in the restaurant by the park and then went home. On the roads I forgot to mention from Nakuru to Nairobi and most roads btw they are people selling anything imaginable from mobile phone credit,pots,pans,skinned rabbits,animal feed, fertiliser,bottles of coca cola etc. Poverty on the outskirts is something else (Now on the iTunes jukebox Simple Man by Lynyrd Skynyrd) and within Nairobi also is frightening. There's very rich and very poor no in between.
Also, was looking at getting the Super Sports package for the telly in the flat for the Premier League & Champions League but will have to look into it as I was quoted 6,000KES around €60 p.m as it only comes with the premium pack and I don't want all the African channels. Anyway I'll try and negotiate with the dealer.
Back to work in the morning.
I'm presently uploading the pictures to my facebook and will create a flickr account and post the link up on the blog.
In the words of Bas Rutten "God speak and party on"
Mise le meas
Stephen
Also, was looking at getting the Super Sports package for the telly in the flat for the Premier League & Champions League but will have to look into it as I was quoted 6,000KES around €60 p.m as it only comes with the premium pack and I don't want all the African channels. Anyway I'll try and negotiate with the dealer.
Back to work in the morning.
I'm presently uploading the pictures to my facebook and will create a flickr account and post the link up on the blog.
In the words of Bas Rutten "God speak and party on"
Mise le meas
Stephen
Friday, September 10, 2010
First Friday done and cracked American Quickbooks Pro (We'll see)
Well first Friday finished. Was supposed to be a bank holiday over here for the end of Ramadan but the government don't decide on bank holidays over here until the last minute and as Saturday is part of the working week (5.5 days btw) they decided to give it for tomorrow instead.
I'm finally getting my head around this American Quickbooks accounting software the lay out is simple to understand but trying to implement a specific template for the accounts was tricky. Anyway finally cracked the template yesterday evening and the first two dummy runs went off without a hitch. I'll just have to wait and see if it's up to consolidation as I don't fancy trying to get a system like Sage shipped over here especially as I'd be back to square one and that would take up more time training up the nuns and the locals how to us it.
Went down to Nakumatt for the shopping in the Jeep (no the Matatu this time), one of the Ethiopian trainee nuns who is living on the compound fell off one of the Matatus the other day as it pulled off as she was getting on and hit her head and is in a serious condition in hospital.
Got the shopping for the week. Washing powder and comfort softener are expensive (or is it that the mother does this at home and I'm oblivious to the price). But back in the days of college I didn't remember paying the equivalent of nearly €8.50 for 10 liquid tabs.
One thing that is cheap over here is mobile calls and texts. The equivalent of 1c per text and 3c per min for local calls. I'm ringing home on the mobile and if I dial 123 instead of 00 before the 353 Irish int code I get it for around 30c per min.
Going to find a pub tomorrow to watch the Premiership, I think there's one down in Karen that the Kenyan Cowboys (the British settlers) own that shows them so will head down there tomorrow. Going to the National Park on Sunday for Safari (I've been told there's no giraffe's in this one) :( but hopefully I'll get to see them when I go to the Masi Mara.
Off to the countryside to visit two sites called Kitui (4.5hrs drive from Nairobi) and Chepynal in Western Pokot (9.5hrs drive from Nairobi plus trek up the mountains). I'll be staying a few days in Kitui first and then make the trek to Chepynal from their and will fly back to Nairobi from Kitui on the way back.
It's only gone 6 here and is getting dark already will be fully dark by 7. Going to sort out my Fantasy Premier League team now and watch some TV on the laptop. Have kept up with my TV from home via downloads but it's back to retro style limewire/bittorrent downloads speeds from a nzb feed. So overnight downloads it is and no guarantees it'll be finished in the morning. Patience is a virtue I suppose. Getting the series 1-5 of the West Wing from the priests next store so that should keep me occupied for a while aswell.
Mise le meas
Stephen
I'm finally getting my head around this American Quickbooks accounting software the lay out is simple to understand but trying to implement a specific template for the accounts was tricky. Anyway finally cracked the template yesterday evening and the first two dummy runs went off without a hitch. I'll just have to wait and see if it's up to consolidation as I don't fancy trying to get a system like Sage shipped over here especially as I'd be back to square one and that would take up more time training up the nuns and the locals how to us it.
Went down to Nakumatt for the shopping in the Jeep (no the Matatu this time), one of the Ethiopian trainee nuns who is living on the compound fell off one of the Matatus the other day as it pulled off as she was getting on and hit her head and is in a serious condition in hospital.
Got the shopping for the week. Washing powder and comfort softener are expensive (or is it that the mother does this at home and I'm oblivious to the price). But back in the days of college I didn't remember paying the equivalent of nearly €8.50 for 10 liquid tabs.
One thing that is cheap over here is mobile calls and texts. The equivalent of 1c per text and 3c per min for local calls. I'm ringing home on the mobile and if I dial 123 instead of 00 before the 353 Irish int code I get it for around 30c per min.
Going to find a pub tomorrow to watch the Premiership, I think there's one down in Karen that the Kenyan Cowboys (the British settlers) own that shows them so will head down there tomorrow. Going to the National Park on Sunday for Safari (I've been told there's no giraffe's in this one) :( but hopefully I'll get to see them when I go to the Masi Mara.
Off to the countryside to visit two sites called Kitui (4.5hrs drive from Nairobi) and Chepynal in Western Pokot (9.5hrs drive from Nairobi plus trek up the mountains). I'll be staying a few days in Kitui first and then make the trek to Chepynal from their and will fly back to Nairobi from Kitui on the way back.
It's only gone 6 here and is getting dark already will be fully dark by 7. Going to sort out my Fantasy Premier League team now and watch some TV on the laptop. Have kept up with my TV from home via downloads but it's back to retro style limewire/bittorrent downloads speeds from a nzb feed. So overnight downloads it is and no guarantees it'll be finished in the morning. Patience is a virtue I suppose. Getting the series 1-5 of the West Wing from the priests next store so that should keep me occupied for a while aswell.
Mise le meas
Stephen
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
My matatu experience to Nacumatt
Well went to work this morning around ten to sort out computer for tomorrow and went down to Nacumatt (Kenya's version of Tesco's) in the evening to buy a mobile phone that was compatible with the Zain sim card I was given. Anyway our driver was out sick so we had to get a Matatu down there and back. Think of a converted Hiace Van from about the late 1980's with the inner workings of the van being visible from under your feet and crammed with about 15-20 people with some hanging from the side (That's a Matatu). I had to watch the aul pockets on both journey's as they are notorious for pickpocketing and being the only white fella I stuck out like a sore thumb. Anyway roads are full of potholes well suppose I'm used to that coming from Ireland. Anyway as the internet is enough to get by and but not enough bandwidth to get a stream I'm spending the evening getting updates on the boards soccer forum. Had abit of a kip earlier and will go to bed after the match finished around 11.45 local time. Up for around 7ish in the morning to start getting stuck into work in the morning.
There safe and sound
Well arrived in Nairobi last night from Amsterdam via Dublin on the KLM flight. Had the relative comfort of a emergency exit seat but these Double decker 747's aren't built for comfort. I took advantage of the inflight entertainment system and watched Avatar and was fascinated by so much trance music on the music selection. 7.25 hrs was the flight time and when I got through customs I was met by my driver and representative and taken to the compound. It gets dark over here around 7ish each night and we were stopped by the police for tax and insurance checkpoint but was more of a bribe the cop and you go through one. After the bribe was paid we arrived at the compound guarded at night by security guards and Alsatians (the norm over here). Then went to my room for some rest.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Test post
This is a test post for my blog. Leaving Waterford Sunday night flying out Monday morning @ 6am from Dublin via Amsterdam to Nairobi. Should be in Nairobi at around 9/10pm local time.
Mise le meas
Stephen
Mise le meas
Stephen
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