Year: 2007

useful mobile phone accessories

There are lots of useful accessories for mobile phones sold in Kenya these days. It starts with the obligatory zipper bags for 50/=, battery chargers and replacement batteries and might end with mobile phone holders which are still hard to find. I guess one day someone will just start selling them and others will follow.

Among all these small parts that add value to your mobile telephone needs, there are two particular gadgets I really like:

1. A dual SIM card holder (~ 200 – 300 Kshs.)

SANY0026

Some time ago, these dual SIM card holders consisted of an adapter that goes into the SIM card bay, and is put between the battery and the backside cover. These adapters proved to be a bit agonizing, but still did their job.

And nowawadays, there’s a more sophisticated solution available: a tiny SIM card adaptor, offering enough space for two SIM cards.
See those yellow stickers on the picture? You just stick them on your Safaricom/Celtel SIM card, cut around the dotted line and place that golden part (the actual SIM) into the adapter. And because cutting those SIM cards often is a bit inaccurate, there are special pliers available with some fundis who just punch it out of its frame.
Placing two SIM cards into this adapter gives you the chance of having two lines in one phone – to activate each line, you just have to switch them on and off and it will select one SIM card / line. It’s a perfect way for those who can’t or won’t decide between the networks.

Also, since SIM card replacement doesn’t cost too much in Kenya (as opposed to e.g. Vodafone Germany, where the replacement of a simple SIM card + activation costs around EUR 17,-), it makes sense to sacrifice those SIMs (in case the fundi doesn’t get it right) and just try it out.

2. a universal charger (~ 100 – 200 Kshs.)

SANY0037

There are phones that have problems loading the battery. Sometimes it’s just the external charger which is faulty and can be replaced, but sometimes the phone just refuses to recharge even new batteries so it’s a problem inside the phone. Since most charging devices are directly soldered onto the phone’s PCB, locating the error might be a problem for the average (unexperienced) fundi.
A perfect work-around for such a nasty problem, where the phone otherwise is fully functional, is such a universal charger that just loads most phone batteries externally. A cheap solution that will surely extended the life of many mobile phones.

visuals from the food corner

06-12k026

At Nakumatt Likoni (in Mombasa) the chocolate is stored in the fridge. A great idea!

06-12k012

Mombasa: Crispy chips, spicy beef kebap, lots of salads and 5 sauces to choose from.

06-12k000

Mandazi & other sweets as sold on Mombasa streets. I also tried some delicious Swahili Pizza (egg + minced meat) for 50/= as well as Kabibi, those rice cakes.

The Coast Region really is a culinary delight.

07-01a-012

Back in Embu I was welcomed by oily, half-fried chips. Hmmm.

You see, I met my butcher yesterday and he asked me why I had never come back to his shop. I told him straight away that his meat tasted like OMO and that I would just LOVE to see at least ONE person in this Githeri/Mataahaaa-infested rural town to come up with the smart idea of running a Nyama Choma joint where beef kebap is sold. Those beef cubes / shashlik skewered on a stick. I am sure ppl would buy and love it. Also because those sticks don’t take too long on a grill as mbuzi choma normally takes about 45 minutes or even longer. My butcher liked the idea but of course doesn’t have the funds to start his own Nyama Choma joint.

things I didn’t buy…

07-01a-001

1. A rather arrogant bumper sticker with a message for the uncreative masses.

07-01a-006

2. Came across this JoeDirt-styled shirt on a 2nd hand clothes market here in Embu. I didn’t buy it because it was a bit too short + unfortunately I have no muscles for showing off.
This shirt + a Kikoi + Bata sandoools, the keys to a worn out RangeRover and you’ll have the perfect KC look.

07-01a-007

3. Yeah, right!

07-01a-008

4. Now that’s for you, Twigamoja! :-)

07-01a-002

5. So I went to this one particular shop in Nairobi where they sold “Jesus souvenirs” as I call them. I liked the idea of having a nice calendar for kids which gives some meaningful (!) inspirations.
But then I saw this “Judgment Day will come – why not make Jesus your advocate?” message sold on a bumper sticker. WTF? Awesome messages like this one just scare me away as I don’t believe in any Armageddon-based religion. How can they actually try to convince people of Jesus’ message (Love) if they are scaring ppl at the same time with out-dated, medieval auguries?

SANY0016

6. I didn’t have to buy this special fruit – I found it on my way to the office. I had never seen something like this before and was curious to see what it’s all about. This fruit goes by the name of Fenesi in Kiswahili, or Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) in English and is about the size of two footballs. I cut it apart to see what it looks like inside and this (unfortunately) unripe fruit looked very promising to me.

People often oil their hands with kerosene/parafin before preparing jackfruit, as the rest of the mass of the fruit is a loose white mass that bleeds a milky sticky sap, often used as glue. (source)

Glue? SuperGlue! Aaarrgghhhh…. ;-)

the sunrise & Kikuyu Kenyatta Beach

Oh my oh my….SOOO many impressions from sunny Mombasa – and the most lasting one is the good food. Nice! And the weather is was much better.

For those who couldn’t make it to the beach last year, here are some visual impressions. Enjoy! :-)

06-12k019

@ 40 Thieves, Diani Beach on January 1st, 2007

06-12k018

All it takes is a matatu from Mombasa via Likoni ferry to Ukunda (70/= ), and from there good luck in form of a good samaritan (as all Matatus were awfully overcrowded at 10:30 pm) who stopped a minibus for us (thx, Pastor ??? of ??? Church in Ukunda! :-) belonging to girlshope.de. Now, what a coincidence. Anyways, thx for the free ride to 40 thieves!

There’s nothing better than celebrating New Year’s morning somewhere at the beach, and starting the year by swiming in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean. Hola Twigamoja – I started the new year in a very dutch way :-)

One “funny” incidence that won’t leave my brain for some time was the skipper of a typical Glass Bottom Boat approaching a Kenyan of indian origin at Diani Beach. The guy was SOOOO pissed off about being treated like a typical tourist (~ 3.000/= for a 2h trip with the boat) that he told the skipper in Kiswahili “I am even more Kenyan than you”. That phrase really made my day.

The agonizing reality of being a mzungu at the beach of course is that you’ll always be regarded as a walking money box. It sometimes stops by replying in Kiswahili or showing any local ID – but some of these beach boys operators are very persistent or maybe just dumb?

06-12k025

And then – of course – a nasty “traffic jam” of wananchi queueing for Likoni ferry on Monday afternoon. Waiting for 30 minutes in direct sunshine makes you feel like a Kuku @ Kenchic. Also, this is a disaster waiting to happen – if someone faints, there’s no emergency exit.

Reasons for going to Diani instead of other beaches are: Sitting is free!

06-12k043

Chairs = 50 bob At Kenyatta Beach. A PUBLIC beach!

06-12k040

Please note the “lifebelts” (inflated car tyre tubes) as well as other accessoiries such as swimsuits for rent to the public. There should be more public beaches – but then: Diani Beach is also open to the public. And better. Public in terms of affordable prices for the masses? Hmm..

06-12k039

“Jomo Kenyatta Community Beach CleanUp Coordination Committee”

A matatu from downtown Mombasa to Bamburi & Kenyatta Beach costs about 30/= ==> you don’t need to stay in an expensive hotel at the beach, but can instead rely on public transport, chose a cheaper bed&breakfast place downtown and also enjoy the typical Swahili cuisine in oldtown Mombasa. Beef Kebap, Swahili Pizza, etc. – I just WISH someone smart could introduce that kind of food to rural areas in Central Kenya (hint, hint!). Oh my…

06-12k030
a huge tortoise at René Haller Park

Another tourist attraction is René Haller Park, or Bamburi Nature Trail as it used to be called when I was there the first time in 1991. For an entrance fee of Ksh 200/= for Kenya residents (tourist 600/=) you get to see some animals (many many crocodiles) and, most importantly, a healthy forrest where there was nothing some 30+ years ago.

The bottom line to all this is that Kenya has so many different sceneries and interesting landscapes to offer, different cultures and customs which all mix up in cities like Mombasa. Spending the holidays in this hot and laid-back city just proved to be a very smart idea!

@ Bankelele (& entrepreneurs)

SANY9943

In case you can’t decide on the proper location for your duka project, or if you’d like to have total access/control on your business while sitting in that office chair, you might want to try out this (shaggz & nephew compatible) mobile duka solution I came across in Mombasa earlier this week.

And it also makes me think of other mobile solutions for Kenya (aka business ideas for the jobless youth – I just can’t stand these “all my friend are ideling around” phrases anymore): as more and more electronical services are becoming mobile and affordable / rescalable for resale, how about renting one of those pickups or smaller busses and equipping them with mobile internet surf stations (running on Linux or any other free software solution)? Electricity could be provided by solar panels (= one computer and 5 terminals) supplying batteries, and internet connection could be realized through a bundled GPRS connection. The technology is already there, customizable and doesn’t cost more than a normal (fully equipped) Internet Café (with maintenance & hardware costs).
In other words: I would like to see 2007 being the year when we see more and more younger people moving back to the upcountry side and trying their luck over there. I think there’s always a way to find a decent loan for a smart project. If YOU don’t try it, who else will?

on asking questions

There’s this friend of mine who thinks my life is all about blogging and that I’d only attend certain events in order to blog them later on.
She’s has therefore stopped asking me questions about my life as she argues “Oh, but I can read about it all on your blog!”.

Well, yeah?

Such statements really piss me off.

06-12k008
(random snapshot from my life)