Musings on Africa; cookie dough, screech owls, bumper cars & matatus
Posted by Lee-Anne Ragan | Filed under Change management & wellness, Travel
Back in chilly, wet Vancouver. Remembering. Recent musings from Africa.
I watched some weaverbirds making nests while running on the treadmill the other morning. Picking up twigs from the children’s playground they industriously wove them together. I marvel that they make 5-6 nests for every one they use (better protection). I especially marvel that the entrance to the domed nests is at the bottom and when they lay their eggs they somehow stay inside.
I like that at the UN cafeteria there is food from all over the world. I especially like that the line up for African food is longest.
The brakes to the bus that took us to/from Naivasha sounded exactly like screech owls.
I withdrew 300,000 from the bank the other day. Ugandan shillings that is.
Traffic there is like bumper cars without the bumps. There is a discernible pattern but it’s very hard to find.
Confession time: I get a little (okay big) thrill when the UNDP driver, John picked me up in the UN vehicle. Makes me shiver.
To take a matatu (public transit van) when it’s raining costs double.
Seen on the back of a matatu (think wild and crazy drivers that trace modern art patterns through traffic): Pray for us
Made cookie dough the other night in Nairobi. There was no electricity so couldn’t bake (no problem, in my house cookie dough rarely makes it into the oven). I joked with a Honduran guest that this was how all Canadians ate cookies. Had to quickly correct myself when she believed me.
When bulls fight it’s the grass that gets hurt (Honduran saying from said guest.)
Tags: africa, bumper cars, kenya, tanzania, uganda, united nations, weaver bird
January 28th, 2010 at 12:46 am
Just want to say your article is striking. The clarity in your post is simply striking and i can take for granted you are an expert on this subject. Well with your permission allow me to grab your rss feed to keep up to date with forthcoming post. Thanks a million and please keep up the ac complished work. Excuse my poor English. English is not my mother tongue.
January 28th, 2010 at 9:16 am
So glad you liked it. Thanks for commenting and keeping up through the RSS feed.
February 22nd, 2010 at 10:12 am
I’ve noticed your website a while ago, just recently did i start noticing it more and more. Very useful information, thank you and keep it coming.
April 13th, 2010 at 6:54 pm
Really awesome page you have there. Some of your posts really impressed me. I will definitely visit your blog again!