Unimaginable Events in Nairobi

Habari,

I returned to Nairobi on Saturday, September 10^th exhausted, but thrilled by the memories I had created.  I was thankful for the day of rest on Sunday before I had to return to the office Monday morning.  Monday, morning brought about the usual chaos when you’ve been out of the office for a week.  I found myself entering one meeting after another until I looked up and the day was over.  When I returned to my apartment that evening, I was met by a frantic email from one of my old Tyco employees and now good friend, Kevin.  He was checking to make sure I was okay because he had heard there was an explosion in Nairobi.

I had to scratch my head about this, because I hadn’t heard anything about an explosion.  So I went out on the Net to see if anything had hit about the story.  You see, Nairobi doesn’t have nightly news like we do in the States.  You have to wait for the newspaper to come out the next day to get the news or turn on the radio and hope that the story has been picked up.  CNN had picked up the story, but the coverage was brief.  When I finally found some substantial information on the story, I couldn’t believe what I was reading.

Apparently there was a major pipeline explosion in the Sinai slum in Nairobi.  Pipeline explosion?  In the Sinai slum?  I know what many of you are thinking, because I thought the same thing.  What the hell is a pipeline doing in the middle of a slum?  People live in slums!  It may not be the best environment to reside, but people live there none the less.  I’m wearing myself out with the constant comparisons back to the States, but I can’t help it.  I can’t imagine that people would be allowed to congregate around a pipeline, let alone build their homes right up on it in the States.  Well, in many third world countries, that is exactly what happens. 

It appears that the residents may not help their situation much either, by puncturing holes in the pipelines and siphoning fuel from them.  So, there are always leaks.  It is reported that stealing fuel from pipelines can be big business for the criminal element in these areas.  SMH.  Once the holes are open, apparently everyone comes to gather fuel for everything from cooking to running old cars.  Now, keep in mind these people are desperately poor.   Anyone who has grown up poor can think of at least one thing that you or someone you know has done that is extremely dangerous (e.g. Stealing electricity from the electric company or jumping on the back of a moving bus to get a free ride.)  For those lifelong suburban friends of mine…you will just have to trust me on this one.  But, this scenario is so outrageous to me that I’m finding it very difficult to wrap my brain around it.

There are so many reasons why you wouldn’t want to live around a leaking pipeline.  The obvious danger became a real life nightmare in Nairobi on September 12^th.  There are all sorts of rumors about how this happened, but somehow a hole opened up in the pipeline, large enough to draw crowds to gather free fuel.   People, they were running towards the fuel.  OMG.  Something ignited.  No one knows if it was a cigarette or a random spark near the sewage where the leaking fuel flowed freely, but there was a major explosion and fire was everywhere.

The scene that followed was horrific and unimaginable.  There were charred bodies everywhere in the aftermath.  The fire caught on to the makeshift houses that the residents built.  It was reported that there was an informal school in the area where all of the children burned.  Horrible!  The last count I heard was over 120 people died and over a hundred were injured.  For days after the explosion, you would hear on the radio about how the Kenyatta national Hospital was overwhelmed with survivors. 

How in the world does something like this happen?  In the States, a pipeline company would never be able to put a pipeline in an area without properly securing it.  The government would never allow people to dwell within close proximity to the pipeline.  The really sad thing is that some of the multinational companies that operate carelessly in these third world countries operate according to the rules and regulations of the richer countries.  Shame on them and shame on the governments that allow them to do so. 

You will all be happy to know that none of us were ever in any danger and none of our local Kenyan employees were impacted.  Sorry this week’s post wasn’t the usual upbeat story, but I think it’s important for you to experience the entire journey with me.  I apologize in advance for the gruesome pictures.

I’ll see you here again next week.  Thanks for signing up as a follower Deb!  The rest of you, don’t be shy.

Asante sana,

Della Rochelle
Copyright © 2011 by Della Rochelle Williams

Shaking Things Up in India

Driving to the Office

Namaste,

Okay folks, this is the last installment of my Indian saga.  After our adventurous trip to the Taj Mahal on Monday, we were ready to get about the business, for which we came to India.  We both put on our business best to make a good first impression at the IBM offices.  The hotel transport was waiting for us when we got to the lobby.  By the way, I was thoroughly impressed with the impeccable service of the Leela Hotel.  As we headed to the office, we could see the IBM building from the expressway. 

I've seen 15 people in this

Now, let me tell you about the expressway.  Those of you in the States, think of driving down I-95 during rush hour, sharing the road with bicycles, auto rickshaws and people.  Yes I said people.  The buses let people out on the expressway.  All at once, you can see droves of people crossing the expressway to get to the overpass.  Shocking!  I would hate to know the mortality rates of those who drive and walk on the expressways.  The remainder of the trip to the office was a repeat of the day before, minus the animals on the road.

Right outside the IBM office

Once we got to the office, the driver was only allowed to take us as far as the security gate.  As beautiful as the IBM building was, the roads around it were a mess!  There was water and mud everywhere.  I was not amused considering the fact that I had on black suede peep-toe pumps.  Ugh!  It was the first and last time I wore the shoes during the trip.  The locals were very casually dressed at the office.  I felt like it was casual Friday on Tuesday.  The first day at the office went off without a hitch.  As we were waiting for the hotel driver to come and pick us up, we saw a warthog walking, unattended, through the IBMers going home from work.  Kangai and I were the only people amazed by the site. 

The second day at the office, September 7, 2011, proved to be a little more exciting.  Another member of my Africa team joined us at this point.  She was coming from the States and had been in India previously.  This tall, blond powerhouse is my second in command.  She is more G.I. Jane than Barbie, although she can be mistaken for the fictional American icon.  Blondie is a heritage IBMer and very knowledgeable.  She’s not phased by much and is willing to jump into anything.  I definitely brought my A Team to India. 

Shortly after I arrived at the office, I was summoned to the client site, which was a short drive from the office.  I jumped in a waiting taxi with two of my Indian counterparts and left my A Team behind.  Now I was dressed for business, but I had on sandals that day.  As we were barreling down the back roads, rearranging my internal organs in the process, one of my Indian colleagues got a phone call.  He answered the person on the other end of the line with some very nonchalant, “uh huh, uh huh…okay.”

He hung up the phone, and as if he was saying, “The sky is blue,” he said, “There was a bomb explosion at the court house.” My head snapped in line to face him and I said, “Excuse me.” He repeated what he said in the same blasé tone.  I was like, “should we be heading back to the office?” I wasn’t sure what direction we were headed in or how close it was to the courthouse.  I followed that with, “Should we be trying to get flights out of the country.”  He poo, pooed my concern and said, “It will be fine.” We continued on to the client’s office.  No one there seemed to be concerned either.  There weren’t any crowds of people around the water cooler discussing the explosion.  At that moment, it dawned on me that this was a regular occurrence for them.  They had become numb to these types of events.  Well, since I don’t believe in lightning striking in the same place twice, I went on with the show as well. 

It wasn’t until I got back to the hotel that evening that I found out 11 people died and 91 were injured.  OMG.  While we were doing more work in the hotel and watching CNN, the hotel shook.  It wasn’t like a door slamming or someone jumping on the ceiling above us.  It was enough of a rumble to stop us in our tracks and ask, “What the hell was that.” A short time later, the story came across the television. 

There was a 4.9 earthquake in Delhi.  Now although this was a very minor earthquake, I had to ask myself if something was trying to tell me to take my ass home.  Since both stories had hit CNN, I figured it was time to call my mother to let her know I was okay.  So I called her up.  When I told her what happened, she said, “So when are you coming home?” Mama is not use to me being in these types of environments. 

I wondered the same thing myself, but again, thinking that lightning doesn’t strike the same place twice, I felt we would be okay.  So, we stayed until Saturday morning.  We actually enjoyed the remainder of our time.  The Leela Hotel had a WONDERFUL spa that we took full advantage of.  Those of you who know me; you know this was right up my alley.  We ended the week on a high note by going out with the Indian team for drinks Friday.  I haven’t had this much excitement in my life in years.  India was definitely a trip I won’t soon forget.  This journey is changing my view of the world.  I’m excited about what comes next.

Join me next week when I will get back to my adventures in Nairobi.  Stay tuned folks.

Asante sana,

Della Rochelle
Copyright © 2011 by Della Rochelle Williams

Rock Stars at the Taj Mahal

Me Outside of the Taj Mahal

Namaste, 

I left you last time talking about how we were entertained by the traffic heading to the Taj Mahal.  Well, I guess it was only fair that we would become the entertainment once we arrived.  Let me explain myself.  From the moment Kangai and I stepped out of the car, we were accosted by the locals trying to sell us something or just begging for money.  Now, many of you who have travelled to countries where there is a large poor population will say, “That happens to everybody.”  I would agree with you on that note.   

However, things seemed to change the closer we got to the Taj Mahal.  We couldn’t help but notice that people just started to stare at us.  At first we didn’t make much of it, but then it got creepy.  We were accompanied by a tour guide provided by the Leela Hotel.  Kangai and I were quite pleased with him.  He was extremely knowledgeable and he wasn’t at all hard on the eyes. J  

Our Tour Guide
Schooling us on inlaid stone

Having a one-on-one tour guide was the best way for us to go.  As our stud-ly tour guide was imparting his vast knowledge upon us, crowds started to gather around.  At first I thought they were looking at him, because he was kind of hot.  Then I thought maybe they are trying to hack our tour.  Hell, I’ve done that in the past…not proud of it, but it’s true.  I remember mooching off of a tour during a trip to Greece.  We got caught and shooed away during our attempts, but I quickly realized that that’s not what these people were doing.  We realized that they were staring at us.   



Me and Kangai facing
Taj Courtyard

Now, once I realized this, I had a flashback moment.  You see, when I traveled to Hong Kong way back in 2001, the locals stared at me and my friend Susan so hard that they almost bumped into us.  Apparently they didn’t get to see African Americans up close and in person very often.  I was having a Hong Kong moment in Delhi, India, in 2011…ten years later!  SMH.  There is a vantage point when you enter the courtyard of the Taj where you just have to take a picture.  Well, when we stopped to take a picture, it was like the paparazzi came out of nowhere.  What was a cute photo op, turned creepy and we moved on. 

If you’ve ever been on the grounds of the Taj Mahal, you would know that it’s a vast area with beautiful gardens.  Our tour guide has been doing this work for ten years, so he took his job very seriously.  He tried several times to take us to secluded areas on the grounds to give us his in depth knowledge of the history surrounding the Taj Mahal.  The crowds were going out of their way to come stand next to us, take pictures or just stare.  LOL.  Kangai was clearly getting creeped out at one point so I let her in on what was going on. 

I asked her to look around the site.  I then asked her how many people did she see, who looked like us.  There were NONE.  Not one.  The stud-ly tour guide finally confirmed my theory by asking Kangai to ignore the groups surrounding us.  He went on to say that many of the people who visit the Taj Mahal were from the countryside and weren’t exposed to different kinds of people.  This became evident when we rounded a corner heading into the Taj and we saw a blond haired, blue eyed couple who were surrounded by locals who were asking if they could take their pictures. 

We didn’t feel so bad after that.  We figured the locals got a double treat.  They got to see one of the New Seven Wonders of the World and two beautiful, braid-wearing black women from Africa.  We came away unscathed, but I don’t want to even imagine how many homes, photo albums and Facebook pages our pictures will show up on.  Creepy.

My Souvenir

Needless to say, this continued for the remainder of our stay at the Taj.  I just want you all to know, this creepiness didn’t hamper our experience at all.  The monument is BEAUTIFUL.  It is really beyond words.  The 22 year effort to erect this monument shows in every corner that you see.  To know that a man chose to build this as a final resting place for his beloved wife is unbelievable.  Our tour guide told us that they close the Taj every Friday to make repairs.  Every Friday!  Believe it or not, people actually steal the stones from the monument.  Shocking.  You see, there are actually precious and semi-precious stones inlaid in the marble.  Breath taking.   

In this day and age, you can barely get a guy to take you out for a good movie and a meal, let alone build you a monument.  LOL.  I know…bitter.  But anyway, we went to a shop where the artisans still practice the carving methods that were used to build the Taj Mahal.  It’s a dying art.  We spent more time in this store than expected and of course I had to buy something.  I can’t wait to put it in my home. 

Souvenir Closeup

Well folks, I will cut this short for now. I knew I wouldn’t be able to tell the full story on India in two parts.  Next time I’ll tell you about the terrorist attack and earthquake episode.  Nairobi never looked so good.  Stay tuned folks.

Asante sana,

Della Rochelle
Copyright © 2011 by Della Rochelle Williams

Living on the Edge in India

Driving in Delhi
I didn't take this pic

Namaste,

This week I'm blogging from the lovely country of India, where I had the distinct pleasure of visiting Delhi.  Sorry for the delay in posting, but you will understand once you've read this week's entry. Now, many of you have read my blogs about Nigeria and the drama which ensued during my stay.

Well, that was nothing compared to what I've encountered while visiting India! During my stay, there was a terrorist attack, earthquake, flooding and multiple near death experiences just driving down the roads. I will try to recount my experience in two blogs, but there's so much to say I may need an additional entry.

I arrived in Delhi on Sunday, September 4, 2011 with my trusted employee, Kangai (she has given me permission to name her in the blog). We were both excited to be in India because we were going get a little sightseeing done during our visit. The plan was to take Monday off for a day trip to the Taj Mahal and then go to the office on Tuesday. We flew from Nairobi to Dubai and then from Dubai to Delhi. The first thing we recognized when we arrived in Delhi was the heat and humidity. You see, Nairobi's weather is almost perfect, so I've been spoiled by the weather since I've been there.

When we arrived at the airport, we got through customs without incident. Our luggage also came fairly quickly. There were signs that instructed you not to give bribes to people claiming to be customs agents. I wondered if that meant you should give bribes to those who actually were agents. LOL. Luckily we didn't have any issues. The drama started when we exited the airport looking for our ride to the Leela Hotel. No one was there looking for us. SMH. I had such high hopes for a drama free trip.

Once we realized there were no signs with our names on it, we attempted to reenter the airport to go call the hotel. Well, that was not allowed. Apparently, once you exit arrivals you can't reenter the airport and departures were a Jericho mile away. We were not amused, but as soon as my hope was about to fade, a young man standing at the information desk offered to help. Now once he heard our story and that the Leela Hotel was suppose to pick us up, he said to wait right here and he would be back. Now the skeptical American in me said, yeah right. He disappeared up the huge ramp heading towards departures. I had no desire to follow, this time I would just trust. It was so hot and humid that we had to sit down. We were not use to this kind of weather.

As we were about to lose hope, three impeccably dressed men came towards us and asked if we were waiting for a ride to the Leela. They weren't with the guy who scurried off to find help, but they found us anyway. I would realize later that this wasn't such an amazing feat because there were no other African women with braids in their hair in the whole airport! They asked us our names and how long had we been waiting. We complied with their request and told them we had been waiting for almost 45 minutes. They were very apologetic, took our bags and escorted us to a waiting BMW. I was feeling better already! :-) Once we were settled in the car, we were given ice cold water and frozen hand towels. Well, welcome to India!

The moment we exited the airport, I realized I would never criticize Kenyan driving again. There are two speeds in India, lightening fast to a screeching halt or creep along while riding the person's bumper in front of you beeping your horn. Kangai did not enjoy the incessant horn blowing at all. She was clearly irritated and sometimes found it difficult to hold a conversation. Now I had been to Nigeria so this was familiar to me. Even when they see that traffic is at a complete standstill, they will beep their horns. Kangai thought that maybe it was a way for them to communicate. LOL. I have to admit, the horn blowing here was much worse than Nigeria. One day when I was in the car with my Indian colleague, we were stopped at a security check. The driver blew the horn while the guard was checking the car in front of us. I wasn't sure what he could have bend trying to communicate. There was nothing to do but wait! SMH

As we barreled down the road from the airport, I was struck by how quickly the poverty level was revealed to us. One of the first sights we saw was a mother walking down the street with her child by the hand. The child was naked from the waist down, shoes were missing as well. Now you could say this was an isolated incident, but the scene was repeated throughout our stay. I was also shocked by the state of the roads. Some roads were better than others, but I didn't see any that would support the amount of growth India has seen over the past fifteen or so years. Maybe the issue is that India has grown faster than it's infrastructure and economy can accommodate.

I took this from car

One demographic doing well in India are the cows. Now these aren't the cute little 'moo' cows from California. These are the big, hump in the back cows that look like they work hard for a living. Well they are treated like gods in India and they are literally everywhere. If a cow decides to sit in middle of a major road, people would rather wreck their car than hit that cow. This causes a lot of near death experiences for us mere mortals.

When the cows decide they want to go get water from the river, they just go. They don't have escorts and they hangout all hours of the day and night. I believe they realize they are gods because they don't flinch when they are faced cars barreling down on them when they step on a major street. Now a California cow would probably scatter or at least be startled. Indian cows look as if they know you wouldn't hit a deity. And, the way people would probably react to you hitting the cow, you wouldn't dare. 

There were times when I felt trapped in the past while looking at the future. For instance, on the road to Agra, which is where the Taj Mahal is located, we encountered almost every mode of transportation known to man for the past hundred years. Traveling within a two mile radius we shared the road with mopeds, cows (lots of cows), bicycles, a camel, rickshaws, an elephant (yes, an elephant), cars, trucks, buses and wagons. We tried really hard to capture all of it, but we couldn't snap every picture in time. If I were driving I would have been absolutely terrified, but since I was a passenger, I was thoroughly entertained.

Now there were several times during the journey (4hours up and 6 hours back) when I felt like I was having a near death experience. Both Kangai and I got to the point where we couldn't watch the actual driving because it was too terrifying. As we were driving, we noticed that most of the cars drove with their side mirrors turned in. The reason for that became evident when we saw how close they drove to each other. The white lines in the middle of the street were completely ignored. They turned a two lane highway into a six lane highway without blinking. It is absolutely a miracle that there aren't accidents at every mile marker.

Folks, that is a sheep

There are two sightings I must tell you about before I go. The first was the sheep riding on the 
moped. Yes, I saw it with my own eyes and captured it in a picture. There were two men on the moped and the sheep was in between them lying across the seat. The funniest thing was that the sheep wasn't squirming at all. Could it be that it was enjoying the ride to the slaughter? I don't know, but it was an interesting sight.


Family on Moped
Mom, Dad, Two Kids

The second sighting was the family on one moped. The father was driving. There was a little boy who couldn't have been more than 4, sitting behind the dad. The mother was behind the little boy dressed in a full sari and sitting side-saddle holding a baby who couldn't have been more than 6 months old. Not one person was wearing a helmet and the mom was barely holding on to the seat of moped.

This was a normal size moped built for one to two people! For you mothers out there, the answer is, no there was nothing that resembled a car seat. This is truly shocking when you see it up close, because the mopeds fly in and out of traffic like bats out of hell. But, this is a normal occurrence. I was told by my Indian colleague that it's a combination of necessity and adaptation. I can understand that.

Well folks, I will cut this short for now. Tune in tomorrow when I will talk about how Kangai and I were treated like rock stars at the Taj Mahal. In the meantime enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Asante,

Della Rochelle
Copyright © 2011 by Della Rochelle Williams