"Kid with a Fanta"

We boarded the bus 7 PM in Kampala and arrived in Nairobi after 13 hours on the road. It would be an understatement to say that the ride was uncomfortable. The roads were generally marked with potholes that heaved everyone into the stratosphere everytime the bus ran over one. Every time the bus shook violently, we muttered or groaned in unison. I was just glad that the bus didn't break down in the middle of night - it is not uncommon for people to be stranded for hours in the middle of nowhere.

When we arrived, we headed over to our motel and unpacked our belongings and slept for few hours. We then met our friend Collin, a native of Nairobi, who was kind enough to show us around downtown Nairobi. We grabbed lunch and first headed to the Uhuru Park which like Central Park is located in the heart of downtown.

Because Nairobi has the largest population in East Africa (at 3M), there is a true skyline and the city is vibrant and bustling with life. One observation our group made was that people in general walked faster here than people in Kampala. The city has excellent infrastructure like pothole-free oads within the city limits. There are multi-laned roads and drivers that actually pay attention to stop lights!

During the day the city is generally safe as long as you don't do anything that attracts the attention of thieves. However at night, it can be very dangerous as the city is generally poorly lit in many parts and create an environment suitable for crime. In fact, Nairobi is sometimes called "Nairobbery." To be fair, the city has become safer but incidences of crime is still very high.

And there were also some nuisances... many kids prowl in the streets looking for mzungus whom they accost for money. I consider myself compassionate but when it comes to handing out cash, I am strongly against it. Plus, my program coordinator shared that many kids live on the streets instead of going into an orphanage or foster homes because these kids make bank by begging.

We had a number of encounters with street kids but this particular one event sticks out in my mind. We were coming back to the hotel when a swarm of three kids each tagged along, their hands open and wide for donations. The kids usually put one hands in their mouth and say "Shilling for food." Usually, we try to coach them:

Example:

Kid #1: Jambo(hello)! Money please (sticks his hand out).
Me: Do you go to school? Son, if you go to school and learn, you can earn lots of money.
Kid #1: Please... money...
Me: I am giving this advice for free. This advice alone is priceless. You need to learn how to catch a fish instead of having them handed to you. Go to school. Be an inspiration like President Obama.
Kid #1: No...
Me: Trust me. Yes, you can!

But that day, one of the kids approached us clutching a Fanta in his hand. In Africa, soft drinks are relatively pricey and drinks aren't something that you would buy unless you had money. Our pauper offered his free hand out to us. Scott was incredulous...

Scott: Is that a Fanta?
Kid #2: Money please, sir.
Scott: No, no, no. If you can afford a Fanta, you can definitely afford a meal.
Kid #2: I need food.
Scott: Where did you the money to buy this soda? Did you steal it? That's a crime did you know?

The kid of course scrambled and darted away... So make sure you don't give cash to people - if they are truly hungry, offer them food.

But there are definitely advantages being in a city of this size - there were a number of restaurants serving great food. So we went to a place that served excellent pizza. Scott looks especially pleased in this picture.

 

On the Road to Nairobi Episode II – Midnight express to Nairobi

We decided on Akamba Co. for our transportation which operates typical coach bus that seats 44 people. We were unfortunately seated towards the back of the bus which meant that every bump would be amplified and send a shock wave through our bodies.

The entire night was spent in agony as the road to Nairobi was filled with cracks and potholes that made the roads look like a half completed jigsaw puzzle.

After 3 hours, we stopped for water and bathroom. I got off the bus and looked for a sign but instead saw a stream of people disappearing into bushes. I followed a man thinking he would lead the way but found him happily going about his business in a shaded area.

Lesson #2: When you gotta go, you gotta go.

On the Road to Nairobi Episode I – Shopping in Kampala

After three hours on a small 12 seater van that was meant to seat 8, we arrived in Kampala.

We needed to grab dinner and purchase some food before we boarded our night bus to Nairobi around 7 PM. The drive was scheduled to take 13 hours so having some snacks seemed like a good idea. In downtown Kampala, there is a shopping outlet area with a cluster of several stores. The largest of them is called Nakumatt store which resembles a miniature Wal-Mart. I am guessing that this store’s size would be roughly a quarter of a Walmart’s.

Once we had arrived at the store, I remembered that I needed calcium pills to supplement my diet. This is because a typical Ugandan meal consists of rice, matooke (mashed plantains), potatoes, sweet potatoes, beef or pork with sauce, cassava, and sometimes eggs.

Food is very carb heavy and lack protein - but most importantly calcium is missing in their regular diet. You will see many elderly Ugandans who suffer from osteoporosis and other bone – related ailments…

Going back to the Nakumatt story, I found some cupcakes, macademia nuts, and water. I also found a bottle of 30 calcium pills imported from US that cost 30,000 UGX which is $15 USD. Nearby store employee explained that taxes and transportation costs just made things very expensive. Worse, the pills only amounted to 30% of recommended daily dosage which meant I needed to take 3 a day. But I decided taking 1 a day should be sufficient so I grabbed two bottles.

After paying for the items and exiting the store, I ran into Scott, my fellow intern, who offered to give his extra calcium pills. So I decided to return one bottle and keep one just in case I needed some extra pills.

Here is where things got screwy. I went in and approached the employee at the Returns store counter

Me: Hi. I am looking to return this item that I purchased 5 minutes ago.
Employee: (Grimacing) What’s wrong with the item?
Me: Nothing. I just realized I don’t need two bottles and need just one.
Employee: (After some hesitation) Ok. We can refund this item. I’ll go ahead and issue a store credit.
Me: Actually, I’ll take cash since I don’t live in Kampala and it is very unlikely that I’ll need to spend 30,000 UGX…
Employee: That’s store policy. We can’t give your money back.
Me: No, on your receipt it only says that returns after 7 days are invalid. I don’t see any prints about store credits.
Employee: I can’t help you – talk to the manager over there.
After five minutes:

Returns Manager: May I help you?
Me: I need to return this item.
Returns Manager: What’s wrong with it?
Me: There is nothing wrong with it. I have too many pills and I just need one bottle.
Returns Manager: Did you open it?
Me: Does it look like it’s opened? (Already getting riled up) The plastic band is still attached.
Returns Manager: Ok… Let me issue a store…
Me: Nope I don’t need a store credit. I don’t live here. I don’t need to buy 30,000 worth of stuff from here.
Returns Manager: It’s policy.
Me: Policy only works if two parties agree upon a condition and both parties are aware of the condition. The whole credit only policy is news to me. I don’t see the policy announced anywhere and it’s not on the receipt.
Returns Manager: I understand but it’s policy.
Me: Nope, you are not understanding me. I have been told about this policy five minutes ago. Unacceptable.

At that point, another guy in green lumbers in and talks to the Returns Manager rapidly. I got really pissed and decided to repeat my story. I told him I won’t leave until I got my cash back. I emphasized my position with some nice language illustrating my frustration.

Green guy seemed to get irritated and walked over to a counter without a word and grabbed the money and handed to me.

Lesson #1: Don’t take things for granted or you will find unnecessary drama.