irgendwie kewl
What’s this?
A print ad on polo shirts which are decorated with flags (I’ve just added the white arrows).
Interesting to note, though: you would probably never come across such a shirt with a German flag on it, unless it is a soccer shirt. That is, I also can’t imagine anyone wearing such a polo shirt.
There’s something wrong with this country since 1945 1919, I think.
My bro KP wrote a message from Taiwan, telling me that he recently tested the Ricoh GR Digital camera. “Even under worst light conditions, it delivers perfect pictures”, he says. “Can you see any pictures that were made with that cam?”, he goes on.
Well, of course I can. Thx to Flickr’s detailed camera search.
(~and there you go wondering what Web 2.0 is all about…additional value!)
A good friend of mine who recently travelled to the USA went shopping and passed by a shop called “The Children’s Place“.
Obviously, it’s a shop where they are selling clothes for children.
And then you come across this interesting label:
MADE IN KENYA
Ati? Where has this been made in Kenya? And are these clothes for sale in Kenya as well?
See this environmental-friendly (still not eco-effective, but anyways) torch? The LED bulb is powered by a dynamo inside, a magnet that moves within a coil and induces an electric current which is then stored in two small rechargeable battery cells.
A visiting friend of mine recently bought this nice torch on a christmas market for something like EUR 5,- (~ Ksh. 556 /=) and came with it to Kenya. Upon showing it to my colleagues at work here in Embu, they instantly smelled a very nice business opportunity. Indeed, I just wish someone here would take the opportunity and copy this in a jua kali way. I shall try that as well as long as I am here (unfortunately, only until the end of this coming week, but it is a nice incentive and makes sense to me).
I think it all started way back in 1993/94? or so when I saw a documentary on CNN/KTN about Trevor Baylis, this British inventor who came up with the Clockwork Radio and this company in SA called BayGen. I recently came across such a radio selling for something like Ksh 3500/= at Nakumatt Village, although that one also had a small solar panel for the lazy users which I now understand to be an improvement to the initial design.
So, now, as we are witnessing the WSF taking place in Nairobi and actually believing (I DO!) that “another world is possible”, how come soooooooooooooooooooooooooo much money is always spent on conferences, workshops, meetings IF instead it doesn’t take too much to at least invest those amounts of money to buy e.g. such torches and give them out to the traffic police in Kenya? There are about 5 police checks on the road between Nairobi and Embu, and most of these police officers are forced to buy their own torches for the night shift. Some of them are also using kerosene lamps. Now, while ignoring the question which stopped car has to “add value” and indirectly support Kenya’s police forces (so that they can go and buy more batteries), the truth is that we don’t have a battery waste concept in most African countries.
What happens to empty batteries in Kenya? Nothing. They are just disposed of like finished maize corncobs or goat bones. Helloooooo?! Batteries aren’t organic waste! Now go and try to explain that to the common wananchi….
Instead of informing the public about a proper waste management, I can only repeat my usual prayers: what we need are eco-effective products. But until then, let’s start using more environment-friendly products such as this dynamo torch that just eliminates the use of batteries.
Eveready – are you listening? If YOU can’t come up with a deposit of let’s say Ksh. 1/= on each battery sold in Kenya and a proper concept on how to recycle them, we’ll have to find some alternatives.
Also, since half of Africa is already covered by Chinese waste products, why not start importing some smarter imagineering products MadeInChina? The battery-free torch would at least make a change and give us some much-needed impact.
Something that’s much more sustainable than networked NGOs, outputs in form of printed brochures & other hand-outs and agreements on what the world should actually look like. If you won’t start this business, I will. :-)
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! :-)
@ 40 Thieves, Diani Beach on January 1st, 2007
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?
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!
Chairs = 50 bob At Kenyatta Beach. A PUBLIC beach!
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..
“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…
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!
The roadside is where the action is. There are some things out there you never get to see while travelling in a car. This especially applies to those Wazungu folks in their posh & red number plated 4WD cars who spend some years here and then say they’ve stayed in Aaaafrikaaaaa. Yeah, right.
Something like this (scrap metal art):
the car
the musician
the kichwa tembo
the kichwa again, this time with a flamingo and an old jacket
a stalled eroplani
TingaTinga paintings within nice wooden frames made out of driftwood – something where the Kenyan part in me argues that these frames can’t be good kwani they are already broken and the styler-part in me thinks: woah, yeah, great safari design, these guys have nice & inspiring catalogues.
And then of course Bwana fundi seremala who takes 2 weeks to complete the door frame for this Lamu-door. Whoever ordered this door will receive some piece of really nice work. Think of something like Ksh 25.000/= and we’re in business. Now that’s even more than what my colleagues in Embu earn every month. Jobgroup J & K in the public service, you know?
There’s something about this City of Nairobi that always makes me come back.
…I came across this beautiful scenery.
An ipod nano in use as the stereo system in a Matatu plying route no. 106.
STYLE!