Security (or lack thereof) is such an issue that I hardly ever venture out of the hotel. I am not even allowed to walk the 500 m from the hotel to the office. So be it. It's for my own safety. It's surreal to live my life in a bubble, cut off from the real world, unaware of the struggles of everyday life as told to me by the drivers taking me to and from the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA)
It is only fair that I feature the welcome sign at the JKIA, right next to baggage reclaim, after passport and visa. It would be fair to say that there is probably one luggage cart chugging away between the aircraft and baggage reclaim. Despite my luggage being labelled Priority, the waiting time was 25 to 30 minutes. I count my blessings because unlike experiences at Chicago or Miami, the baggage was not tampered with or missing. Slowness is a way of life here.
The hotel is almost like an oasis. This is a 5* hotel where heads of states on the Continent often meet. At the entrance to the hotel are security gates where cars are searched, much like the entrances to a lot of public buildings. Staff are well groomed and well mannered and would greet me by name. I am not used to such pampering and have determined not to get used to it because soon I will return to the real world where I have to do most things myself.
Is this life equivalent to living in a gated compound? A colleague, an expat, told me that he lives in a gated compound and his house is guarded 24x7 by two security guards. The expat economy is expressed in this simple formula: one expat = 5 local jobs (1 maid, 1 driver, 1 gardener, 2 security guards). His house has 2 levels; if there is a security alert, the second floor goes into lock down. A former prime minister lives within this gated environment and 5 identical Mercedes Benz cars are used on each outing. Also living in the same gated environment is an Indian billionaire who travels by helicopter. He was once kidnapped from his house within the compound.
Away from the bubble, the landscape can be an eyesore. The fact that I was able to take photos from the car meant that traffic was not moving and it was possible to take a quick photo with my iPhone.
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| Baggage reclaim at JKIA |
The hotel is almost like an oasis. This is a 5* hotel where heads of states on the Continent often meet. At the entrance to the hotel are security gates where cars are searched, much like the entrances to a lot of public buildings. Staff are well groomed and well mannered and would greet me by name. I am not used to such pampering and have determined not to get used to it because soon I will return to the real world where I have to do most things myself.
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| Hotel fountain at entrance |
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| Hotel back garden |
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| Manicured lawns and borders at hotel |
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| Waiting for the car in the morning. The car is always late. |
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| View from the hotel facing dual carriageway. I sleep with ear plugs. |
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| View of hotel at the back, away from traffic. |
Away from the bubble, the landscape can be an eyesore. The fact that I was able to take photos from the car meant that traffic was not moving and it was possible to take a quick photo with my iPhone.
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| Passing through a part of Nairobi |
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| Tracks of unused land, Nairobi |
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| View from the office canteen |
