Welcome to Sweden in Kenya

I’m living in a Swedish oasis in Kenya. Every time they open the huge metal gates to let us out you are struck by the orange dust, the fact that it is a bit warmer and the fact that there are no blond people outside that gate. That is when I realize I’m in Africa.

We have food on the table here, we have clothes on our bodies and we have water to drink and shower in when so many here have none of these things. We go to Nakumat almost every day, nothing really costs anything for us there, when we know that very few Kenyans can afford their “high” prices. Sometimes the Kenyans who can’t afford anything in the store go there, in their nicest clothing with some coins in their pockets just to buy a little piece of candy. A shiny Twix bar is an item of luxury.

// I am in no way living an African life, I’m not built for an African life and my stomach tells me that everyday //

Kiswahili – lesson number one

I will now give you an introduction course in Kiswahili. A language pronounced just as it is spelled, my type of language, a language for dyslectics.

Jambo = Hello

Hapana = No

Paka = Cat

Tatu = 3

Kikombe = Cup

Baba = Father

Dada = Sister

Gogo = Log

Habari = News

Sisi = We/us

Zizi = Barn

Mama = Mum

Nani? = Who?

Rafiki = Friend (remember from the lion king, the ape)

Lala = Sleep

Watu = People

Yaya = Nanny

Chakula = Food

Ghali = Expensive

Nyanya = Grandma and Tomato

For once I can see the sky. The Nairobian smog is thinning out and behind it you can see the bright blue African sky. Maybe we’ll have sun tomorrow. I can always hope.

Nairobi National Park

I woke up at 6.00, so I found it quite annoying when they started to run around between the rooms with a cowbell to wake us up. Entering the dining hall to get a banana for breakfast I realized the bell was probably a good idea because half of the students were still fast asleep. Second ring with the bell and of we went in three busses at 7.00.

When we got to the park we realized that this is gone be just as everywhere else in Kenya. You see, here everyone believes in the saying “Hakuna Matata” = No worries… Means no worries for the rest of your days, it’s a problem free philosophy, Hakuna Matata (Lion king for those who didn’t get that). Everything here takes a year, to buy a pack of gum at Nakomat, to sign in at the gym or to get into a park. Efficiency is not their policy so just relax, this for me, as a stressed Swede is a hard thing to learn. After an hour they let us start our drive into the park.

First animals we saw were giraffes, lovely, tall, amazing creatures. A bit like me I must say, you can see them at any distance sticking up behind the threes, like me in a crowd. Antelopes, impalas, vultures, zebras and a lion witch had just finished a yummy zebra dinner were other things we saw on our safari so I’m pleased.

// Laundry day today, it went well, nothing shrunk //

Kiswahili

Swahili = the people

Kiswahili = the language

We had our first Kiswahili lesson today. We only learned the word Hapana witch means No. Still I know this probably will be one of my favorite lessons during the year due to the teacher. He has a very contagious laughter and a very un-Swedish way of teaching. He told us to come to his lessons as a pleasure not a pressure with his very exact over articulation of every English word. Then he told us that if we felt tired it was totally okay to take naps during class, I doubt anyone will, these lessons will be way to much fun for that. Also he found my name very amusing but wouldn’t say what it means in Kiswahili so some girls looked it up after class and one of the many meanings of my name in Kiswahili is lesbian sex. I’m changing my name. Then the whole lesson ended with the teacher asking us if we believed in Jesus. Complete silence. We’re Swedes, talking about religion makes us uncomfortable and the thought of a teacher discussing religion is non-existing. He didn’t seem to mind though, just laughed some more.

// Now it’s time to sleep, in warm clothes straight from the boxes //

Boxes!

They are here!

My first night inside a mosquito net went well, until I woke up and tried to get out of bed, forgetting the net. I felt very fishy.

Yoga tomorrow

First attempt to do some training here. Friskis and Svettis was held at the football field by a woman working at the school for us kids at the boarding school, teachers and other Swedes living in the area. It was a lot of fun but it felt more like running a mile than just doing some jumping up and down due to the altitude. I’m pooped. Dinner was a very welcome follower to that and then a dip in the pool to relax my worn out muscles.

// Trust me, when I get back from this high altitude training I’ll be able to run to Malmö and back without even blinking //

A bus tour around the area

Filling the two school buses to their breaking point and then heading out on the awful Ngong road (if I die in Kenya it will be due to this death trap). All along the road were people selling threes, flowers and other things to plant in your garden, until we turned into the area of Kibera, the world’s largest slum (?). I’ve been in the slum in South Africa and that was awful but not anywhere near Kibera. Shacks everywhere as far as the eye could see. By the main road running thru it all were on one side their shops, hole pigs, cows and goats hanging in the windows of the butcher and on the other side were a wall of garbage that filled the whole area with a rutting smell. Our guide, who’s additionally our Kiswahili teacher, told us about one of the biggest problems in these slums and that is their “flying toilet”. Because of the non-existing toilets in the area people poop in plastic bags and then throw them away from their shacks, not caring whether it lands on the neighbors plants or on a by passer on the road.

After leaving Kibera we drove into a really nice area just next to it, the previous prime minister having his house in this area where the rich can watch the poor from the windows in their huge buildings. We drove through the business area and to the place where the girls who’ve been here before told us that this is where we’re going to party. From there we got to walk a bit, passing men selling tiny puppies from boxes by the busy road, some of the puppies running around so close to death. That tore my heart apart.

As an end to our buss trip we visited the most westernized shopping mal in Nairobi, the contrast to what we had seen during the rest of the day was a bit to big for me. It made me sleepy.

Should I feel afraid or safe?

After an amazing English lesson (the teacher is great), an introduction to the Model UN coarse I’m taking, some more information about safety; food and culture here and a short visit to check out the gym a group of us went to the Nakomat (Ica). Outside the store were guards, well not the typical Swedish shopping mal guards; these were real guards. With guns. Women and men dressed in full camouflage suits carrying huge weapons, in a very unprofessional way I must say. They just let them hang and dangle from their hands. So now here’s my question: Should I be afraid or feel safe?

// Don’t trust the police, that’s the advice we've been given in this country //

Postcards on my wall

I would like to send thanks to everyone who came to my goodbye party or who sent me their best wishes on my journey. It was an amazing start to my year in Kenya and all the beautiful cards and presents are here with me, the cards on my wall and the gifts coming well to use in my life here. I already miss you all.

If you wish to send me updates on what's going on in Sweden or in you’re lives I would be very happy to hear from you. My email address is Saga_Tullgren@hotmail.com or if you’re not to comfterble with the Internet my address is:

Saga Tullgren

Swedish School in Nairobi

P.O.Box 21324

005 05 Nairobi

Kenya

// From a cold and sunny Kenya //

Shaun das Schaf

My companion on this journey.

First day of school

Information, information, information. So many things to squish into such a small space: where and when to do the laundry; breakfast, lunch and dinner hours; security rules and school schedules are now filling my brain.

Things I have to try and remember:

I have laundry time at 11-14 on Sundays

Breakfast is at 7.20 - 8.20 Mon-fry and then 10 – 12 on Sat-Sun

Lunch follows my schedule

Dinner at 18.00 and then there’s snack time around 21.00

“Läxis” = study time is at 17.00 - 21.00

Drink lots and lots of water

Use the mosquito net, not because of mosquitoes but because of the disgusting grasshoppers.

I’m at 1700 meters over the ocean so the reason I start panthing when I just walk a few stairs is not because I’m fat. (That’s a hard one to remember)

I also went to the Junction market today, to try to get some of the things that are in the boxes that I sent ahead and that still haven’t got yet. Junction is where they have the Kenyan version of Ica and also Jawa house witch is like a cheap and much better version of espresso house. The food store is much bigger compared to Ica though and instead of like in Ica having 5 people working in the whole store here were about 2 people on every square meter that worked at the store. Actually I think it was more workers than costumers. And at Jawa house I drank the most amazing mango juice I’ve ever tasted, I strongly recommend it if your ever in Nairobi.

// Toblerone is gone be my savior when I’m depressed //

I fell a sleep and missed dinner

Today we visited a “botanical garden”; it wasn’t in any way resembling the one that I just visited in Copenhagen. It was mostly threes, no flowers, but the whole experience was more based on the teachers wanting us to get more familiarized with the Kenyan culture and way of living, and for that this park was perfect. The park is one of few that you can visit without getting in trouble, this resulting in a lot of schools taking their younger students there to play football and other games and since it is Sunday today there were also a lot of people practicing their different religions by praying, singing and just being together.

The park didn’t really look like much but it on the other hand the smell that hit you when you entered the area was amazing. The huge eucalyptus threes made the whole park smell like an Läkerol box had exploded in the middle of it all.

// I’m exhausted, I just want to sleep! //

Tia = This is Africa

I’m still not sure how I got here, but here I am. So lets take a walk in my room.

The end

The world’s greatest runway

From Copenhagen, Rådhusplatsen all the way along Stroget to Magasin was a pink catwalk. LOVELY! People I’ve met before I was now able to see at work, wonderful, wonderful models! The rain just made it more dramatic, not that the show needed more drama, there were girls falling all over the place, their poor feet exhausted from walking so far in heels mad to sit still in. Some girls even had to take of their shoes and after doing so they were not able to mask their happiness of getting of the instruments of torture very well. Clowns, old ladies and babies were also presented on the catwalk and of course boys, boys and boys. We should be proud of our Scandinavian men, they are often forgotten, you often hear about the beautiful Scandinavian women when it is the men that really are the beauties in this part of the world. This show was truly something special.

// Just wait till I get back from Kenya, fashion will return and it will be greater than ever //

Sailors!

Look no shoes!

Who is this woman? Everyone was clapping like crazy when they saw her.

My graduation outfit!

The scary part was that the women carrying the babies had high heels. I just hoped that they wouldn’t do like the other models and fall.

This girl was incredibly beautiful.

Hector and the search for happiness

What a dumb book to read, especially when you’re happier than ever. I think this is a good recipe for happiness or at least temporary happiness: chocolate, strawberries, cherries, a park, some sun and a good book. It should be included in the book.

// Tha movable gardens, a very cool idea //

A day in the name of Art

I decided that before I go to Kenya I would need to go to Louisiana, one of my favorite places in Scandinavia, a place were someone like I (a nerd) can have several hours of fun just walking around enjoying the exhibitions.

The exhibitions they have at the moment are truly worth seeing, as they mostly are, so if you have time take a trip with the Öresundståg to Humlebaek and then walk 15 minuets and you’ll be there. The exhibitions were Warhol after Munch, Sophie Calle and Danish Modernists. The Warhol after Munch was incredible. Warhol’s collars on Munch’s prints made astonishing paintings. Not to mention the Sophie Calle exhibition, photos and text that went straight to my heart, she has a wonderful way of depicting humans and their feelings that I haven’t seen before.

Walking around in the beautiful building with paintings that took my breath away made me wish that I had my brother with me. You se I’ve realized that I’m now too old to be sitting drawing and doodling in the children’s area at the gallery without a functioning alibi. My hands were itching to get a hold of a pen and a paper and it took all my strength to not take a seat on one of those tiny children’s chairs amongst the clay and crayons.

My day of art was perfected in the Staten’s Museum for Kunst and after that a nap at the hotel to process all the beautiful and mind blowing things I had seen during the day. Then biking in the poring rain to meet a German, the bike ride back to the hotel was even better than the previous one, I’ve never been so soaking wet before and when I entered the hotel the Britt that was checking in just laughed, probably at the fact that I had a perfect emo appearance being in all black clothes and with mascara every where on my face.

// Kenya coming closer, a week left //

My grandma and her orchids

The orchid room in the botanical garden was amassing! But the flowers didn’t even come close to the orchids that used to live at my grandmothers place. They had flowers almost al year around, and not one or two like that type of orchids usually have, no, the flowers hung like clusters of bananas from the stalks. But they died, I think when my sister and I were supposed to take care of them, my fingers are far from green.

Hotel Jörgensen

I don’t think I’ve ever loved a hotel room as much as I love the one I’m in right now. I’m seconds away from Norreport station in Copenhagen, booked 4 nights for fashion week, in a room that can’t in anyway compete in quality with hotels such as The Sands in South Africa (the best hotel I’ve staid at) or any hotel for that matter that I’ve stayed with my parents in. But still it is the best room ever, because I’m here by myself, on a little pre-adventure before Kenya.

Today, after checking in at 1 o’clock I took my bike (witch I brought from Falsterbo) and started my first day exploring Copenhagen for real. Biking in Copenhagen is the perfect way to get around, if you know how to stay concentrated in traffic… I don’t. I’m probably the most dangerous thing on the roads this week so if you’re driving in Copenhagen please watch out so you won’t hit me.

As a starter I went to Copenhagen’s botanical gardens, watched orchids, palms, water lilies and a man leading his blindfolded boyfriend into the big greenhouse, kneeling, holding up a box with a ring, telling his boyfriend to take off the blindfold and then asking him to be his. When the answer was produced between tears, a happy little yes, I and a very old couple felt we should do some spontaneous clapping.

After that I did the horrid mistake of thinking that while in Copenhagen I should look into some of their marvelous shops they have here, not buy anything of course, just look. The mistake in this was that after working the whole summer I for once am not broke, but I have no use for beautiful heals or black dresses where I’m going so I had to contain my huge longing to just spend everything on the Acne shoes, Givenchy heels or other way to expensive items that don’t even exist in Sweden.

After going up, down, around, in and out of every store and street in the center of Copenhagen I headed for the Black Diamond, the royal library. Outside it where an ongoing exhibition of the battle ships of war, with happy boys in sailor suits patrolling the ships and alongside the canal. I did some waving to the sailors, just because it was fun. When I got bored with the sailors I took my bike to Nyhavn to take a stroll among all the people. Then the rain came, lots and lots of it so I returned to my hotel for a short break before I’ll do some sightseeing by night.

// It just hit me, why is everyone except me Chinese at this hotel? Even the sheets are Chinese //

I think i did a good jobb

Last day at work! I’m done, now there are only 14 days left to relax and then I’m leaving.

// You are making it harder to leave you know //

No more Masha and Svetlana

Today I’ve said goodbye to the one and only, the most fabulous, amazing girl in the world. And it hurt. What will I do without one of my best friends? The one who showed me fashion, the one who made me feel like I don’t suck. There are few people who can make people love them in two seconds, but Masha can. My trip to Malmö today ended with me crying on the 100 buss, long time since I did that, but what else is there to do when you say far well to your best friend?

I also took my first step into saying far well to fashion for a year today. Of course I have Copenhagen Fashion Week left, were I will have to look fabulously fashionable, but after that I’m gone go all out African hippie style and live in sweatpants and rubber boots. This step from fashion was a quite big one, it has been more than 1,5 years since I wore a pair but today I bought a pair of blue jeans. Just to make the step easier for me they are Acne jeans, but still they are blue. Urk.

Fixed a new passport and an iPod while I was in Malmö just to get more out of the long buss trip it takes there and back. I had to talk the woman into writing 183 cm on my passport since according to her measurements I’m 185 cm, I’m actually only 181 cm! And of course I look like shit on the picture.

// Kaputt, a good german word //

VOTE!

Kenyans went to vote today, and when they vote, they vote. Rapports came about the voting halls opening 06.00 but there were lines outside them several hours in advance.