Oh! No! Safari.com,
WE are STILL waiting for an official answer on our questions!
“People in networked markets have figured out that they get far better information and support from one another than from vendors. So much for corporate rhetoric about adding value to commoditized products.” (source)
THANK YOU! :-)
So you’re passing through Mwea and see a woman selling rice. And look, there’s another one selling rice. And another one. And another one. And another one. And another one. And another one. And another one. And another one. And….
“Waititu”, I asked my colleague the other day, “why are aaaaaalllllll these people selling rice? I mean, isn’t this confusing for customers? Now where do I buy my rice? Which is the best place?”
“Oh, customers just buy their rice at one shop and then, if they like it, they just return to the same shop next time they’re in need of rice. This is the way we do it in Kenya.”
Aha.
And then you’re proceeding towards Embu, where your next small step is to get at least one of those computers at the office online. The typical landline modem dial-in connection is just too slow, and you’ve thought about connecting one of the mobile phones of your colleagues to a computer via a data caboooool and going online using the GPRS (packet data) method. These guys need to be connected and are supposed to check their emails at least once a day.
You’re taking a matatu to Nairobi and buy one of those data cables. The cable works…..sometimes…..sometimes it doesn’t, and you just wish someone at the HQ who procured all these fancy computers could be around for some serious talks:
Of course none of those ******** TOSHIBA notebooks (hi M :-) comes with an InfraRed port. Please, the person in charge of procurement at the HQ should be sacked for blatant stupidity.
Now since the cable isn’t that reliabooool, and since it somehow “walked away” (= someone took it), you think of the next best solution of connecting a mobile phone to a computer: InfraRed. Or as we pronounce it here in this area: InflaLed.
You’re taking another matatu to Nairobi and strike a deal by just spending Ksh. 1.000/= on an imported InfraRed / USB to serial adapter. A small device that provides an InfraRed port on your computer via the USB port.
You’re back at the office, connect it to a computer, and realize it doesn’t work.
“Hmmm”, you’re thinking to yourself, “now that’s Murphy’s Law. Will I be able to find an InfraRed port here in Embu that JUST works?”.
Good question, eh?
There are about 5 good shops selling a variety of interesting mobile phones – and about 20 smaller shops selling just the usual, fast-selling & low-budget mobile phones.
There are about 20 electricoooool shops selling tv sets, tv sets, tv sets, tv sets, radios, cassette players, cd stereo systems, tv antennas, solar panels and car batteries.
Is there ANY shop in Embu that sells computer spare parts? Something like hard disks, mainboards, computer cases, RAM, CPUs, optical drives, USB stuff, etc.?
No! Nothing.
And I ask you: why not? How come that computer parts are even cheaper in Nairobi than in e.g. Berlin, yaani here in this town upcountry – where people are also using computers, just as the two leading supermarkets in town are also using computerized barcode scanning cashier systems – there’s not a single shop where you can buy such parts.
There’s a market, there are customers, and there’s is money. Alafu…..?
There are these days when you are busy doing many small things here and there, and end up having this emptiness in your brain in the evening. Today is one of those days. It sucks. It just sucks.
It’s strange, coz the day started with lots of communication as early as 4 a.m., brought lots of interesting impressions, a missed movie downtown (sorry, Barbara, but thx for the invitation + pls feel free to ask me on that WordPress.com thing) and a failed repair of an old notebook (Kilonzo, we shall find a cure for that heat sink problem soon).
And then there’s christmas. I found a Kshs. 1.000 note in my pocket, went to that Catholic (!) bookshop and bought the “Agikuyu – their customs, traditions & folklore” book for me. I needed to. THERE’S NO ESCAPE FROM THIS ONE, dear KUI, you hear me? Let’s go through this one together, or I’ll spam your blog with smilies.
I also saw the “Walking in Kenyatta Struggles” memoires by Duncan Ndegwa for sale at Prestige bookshop. Kshs. 2.500 /= for old stories on Mr A-G-pinstripe? Now that’s a lot of mbeca.
The best part, though: while waiting for my friends in front of that bookshop, I talked to a newspaper vendor and asked him about the Kenya Times office. After all, these cowards still owe me a Tusker.
The man told me he sells a maximum of 2 copies of Kenya Times each day. 2 COPIES! OH PLEASE!!!!
‘Nways, it’s just damn good to spend some interesting days in my beloved Nairobi. Back to shaggz life soon.
Man en piny maber miwuoro :-)
Let me please take this opportunity to wish all my readers, friends and family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year ! :-)
Upon arrival in Nairobi this morning, I took some time off to enjoy the hectic chaos downtown and just walk around without any proper destination.
Just these precious moments when you don’t have to work and actually have the time to open your eyes and see a bit of this Nairobi world which constantly hides between modern buildings and still shows the very beginnings of this not-so-old City in the Sun.
What I especially like are these old builindgs – some of them dating back to 1920 – that still exist within the old parts of this city and give it the extra charm.
Nairobi, I think, wouldn’t be what it is if it wasn’t for these old structures that really “add value” – not only from a touristic perspective.
So I came across Jeevanjee Gardens…
The last time I’ve been to Jeevanjee Gardens in downtown Nairobi was……1996?
I remembered this place being a dusty, dirty and very dry hide-out for glue-sniffing street children. A forgotten place which had been ignored by most Nairobians just like many other city parks.
And today?
Green grass after the rains, beautiful trees, a cleanded up and apparently maintained environment and – best of all – lots of Nairobians relaxing on the grass.
….”donated in 1906 to the Residents of Nairobi”.
And upon seeing this statue in honour of Queen Victoria, I suddenly realized that this place has been a public park since 100 years now. 100 YEARS!
Thank you, Bwana Alibhai Mulla Jeevanjee!
—
AOB:
Ok, this is for Acolyte and my jamaas from home – “Topaz” (behind the park). We used to get our oily chips from here when all other shops were already closed and something like “Steers” & Co. didn’t exist.
Na Steve…I needed to pop in(to) pop-in on Moi Avenue again and enjoy this vintage arrangement of old computer games. You know how many collectors there would be on Ebay who’d bid for any of these old video game machines?
Pop-In always is a journey back into childhood.
Look! Another “iMatatu“, but this time a SONY MP4 player. Rocks just as well.
The Matatu driver smiled all over his face and praised the little player for its size and convenience. Is this the future of mobile entertainment in Kenya?
(the switch mutes the output signal of the player)
…and here I am in my room in downtown Embu, thinking I am far away from the rest of the world out there. Lakini:
@Steve: yes, I will try to blog more on/from Embu in the coming weeks. Will be in Nbo over the weekend though & try to obtain some informations on “jua kali-DIY-projects” which are still brewing somewhere deep down in my head…
A workshop.
A workshop on the formulation of a Catchment Management Strategy for the Water Resources Management Authority which shall be gazetted in ~May 2007.
The second workshop on this matter I’ve been attending, and this time it included some brainstorming on the sub-catchment management strategy. A workshop with lots of interesting discussions, some good ownership through the HQs, and a workshop which really produced some output. Something that shall regulate the water resources by establishing an effective mechanism and in the end really have an impact on water resource management problems. Something that the People of Kenya can actually benefit from.
Things you do after the workshop: folding some flipchart paper into baskets so that people own up the rubbish they’ve produced during those 3 days…
A workshop that drained my brain of any blogging attempts in the past few days and left me wondering about the following observations instead:
1. These traffic police officers at your favourite road block – does the GoK provide them with batteries that power their torches during the nights?
(Kwasababu: ~makes me think the first minibus / lorry stopped has to “add value” to these people in public service.)
2. Important people in Kenya have a very…parrrrticulaaaar way of getting their messages across. The most notable rhetoric instruments of course are the implementation of pauses as well as something I call “left out words”.
speaker: “So….this is whereby we are looking FOOOOHHA (for)………..??
audience: “…..”
speaker: “right..”
Judging from the way these people speak, one can instantly assume where they normally spent their sunday mornings.
3. Toooooooothpicks! The toothpick alone deserves it’s own post. There’s NO meal in Kenya without toothpicks. No nyama choma feast without a package of toothpicks.
Ok, sure, some vegetaboool eaters are players and chewing on a toothpick all day long to maybe pretend a higher meat consumption or can’t afford any chewing gums. In fact, the other day I saw a smoker lighting his cigarette and the next thing he did with the half burned match was to stick it in his mouth.
So, next time you’re @ Java House – look out for any toothpicks on the taboool. Are there any? JH isn’t yet kawaida …
4. I pity those office folks – especially those in their red number plated cars – who have to sit in meetings and workshops most of the time. Those who hardly ever get out of their office world and sometimes even lose any sense for the wananchi out there. Workshops are exhausting. I am tired. Haiiiaaaaa……
5. Life is beautiful. @Everyone: have a nice weekend!
“committed to supporting Kenya’s environment”
Yeah, right.
Dear Bw Michael Joseph,
if you really want to support Kenya’s environment (yeah, the Mt Kenya fencing project is a good thing – restoring Kenya’s 5 water towers etc.), you better stop selling your “green cards” sealed in a plastic cover.
Also, I’d prefer if we could find an alternative material for these cards. Something like starch or even just maize leaves (!) that could do the job of being printed with (environmentally friendly) ink. After all, these cards just have a life expectancy of a few weeks, ama? Even better though: the electronical transfer of credit which doesn’t require any cards.Most consumers in Kenya and elsewhere just throw their used cards away and thereby pollute our environment. Now, instead of teaching them what to do with this waste, I suggest we instead give them biological material that dissolves / decomposes after use and remains as nutrients within the biological cycle.
Becos otherwise, the only good thing I can think of while being confronted with these cards is to stick them into one of my sketchbooks and modify them in a Dan Eldon way.
yours truly,
jke