Wow...was gone since Nov last year

hey Kenyan bloggers...and all other bloggers! I am back to blogging again after a hiatus. In the interim, I finished law school, sat for the bar exam...and taking one day at a time now. More to come:-)

Maasai market, Westlands

Bamburi Beach Hotel - North Coast

on our tour of Fort Jesus

Carmella....well, how does Tusker compare to the rest?

Did not go to Moi U...but saw this bus outside Fort Jesus and had to take a photo

early morning KQ flight back to Nai

Diani Reef Beach Hotel, Ukunda - South Coast

Nai pics

Breakfast....Village Market

Sharing some pics from Nai

KBS bus....Chris on his way to the airport (JKIA)

Clearly, I cannot keep up with postings

I seem to forget to post on here, until I am in a really boring class and I need to find somethisn else to do.
Ok, I did my MPRE exam last Sat. I am not sure how I performed, will find out in about 5 weeks. But I did finish answering all the multiple choice questions, considering my ineptitude at multiple choice exams.
I cannot believe finals are almost here, then I will only have 1 semester left of law school. YAY...graduating in May. Excited, but daunted with bar exams.
Alright...will put more content :-)

I am back

I cannot believe I have not posted since August. I will update on my Kenyan stay shortly, but I am studying for my MPRE (Multi-State Professional Responsibility Exam). This is an ethics exam that alot of states require before a bar applicant takes the main bar exam in that state. Although I will be taking the Maryland bar exam, Maryland does not require MPRE, but since I want to waive into D.C. (if I pass the MD bar), then I have to take the MPRE as D.C. requires it. [Alof of lawyers in D.C. who have to abide by the ethics code - he!, he!. he!]

Place to Stay

I actually found a place to stay pretty much during my first weekend back. After the issue with the chuti, I wound up finding a great roomate through a family friend. We stay in Valley Arcade (between YAYA and Lavington). The place is great. Pretty much American apartment set up, with 2 bdrooms and 2 baths. Really nice and safe area. I also wound up visiting my friend L. who is French and lives in Gigiri (the chuti's place). I was not overly impressed, so it worked out that I did not even live there.
Most of the U.N international interns live in Miliamani, which is a 10 minute drive from where I live, so we get to hang out together and share taxis. We pretty much watched most of the games (world cup) at Annie Oxley's in Milimani or Tacos in tao.

Nairobi

I have not visitied this blog in quite a while. Settling down in Nai was taking precedence. Now that I am settled, i will be leaving to go back to D.C. in about 4 weeks. My first 4 weeks in Nai were so cold. Of course I knew that July is the coldest month (winter ya Nai), but I did not expect it to be this cold. All the same, seems like it is getting warmer by the day.
Going out is quite an experience. Alot of upscale bars and restuarants in Westlands. SoHo's, K1, Gypsies, Galileos and others for henging. Meditterano for really good italian food. There is also The Cellar and Ce' La Vie in Kilimani for good food. Wow, Kenyan restuarant scene is not bad at all. Have not made it to Carni yet. The first Friday that I was back, we went to Carni but we were frozen b/c they were doing a soul nite kinda thing and everyone had to be over 30 to get in.

I knew it!!!!

I swear I knew KQ was going to loose my luggage, and sure enough, they lived up to that standard and did. One piece apparently did not make it from London to Nairobi. I was really ticked off, especially after having spent the whole entire day in Heathrow. I had heard so many not so good stories about KQ, but I keep going back to them for some reason. I guess it is time now to switch to BA. Anyhow, I was very sceptical that I will even get that piece of luggage back (my friend in ATL told me that she lost 1 suitcase while flying KQ and it was never found). And then the KQ support staff at JKIA gave me a number to call to check if my luggage had arrived. And no one picks up this number. I am getting so frustrated already with the system in Kenya already (and have been here only 3 days).
Good news is I called and someone finally picked up and my luggage just arrived yesterday from London. The problem is that they would not deliver it because it was locked, so I had to rush to the airport after jobbo to go pick it up. And what's up with the questions that those folk at customs ask people? I am thinking they should be inquring what I have to declare for customs purposes, instead the jamaa is asking how many years I have lived abroad and what I am studying. That has absolutely nothing to do with items that should be declared to customs.
I also had a nasty experience already with a chuti I have not even met. Okay, I had told my supervisor at the U.N to get me in contact with other interns for purposes of sharing an apartment. I got in touch with these 2 German interns who live in a 3 bedroom house in Gigiri. The 3rd bedroom was empty because the third roomate went back to France. So we e-mail back and forth and they wanted me to be their 3rd roomate, but they had to ask their landlord first (the chuti)..you will NOT believe what the chuti told them. Ati he only rents to Europeans...I was like WHHAAATTTT??? I could not believe it. I am in law school and I thinking of all the possible violations of landlord/tenant and discrimation laws that this chuti is making...BUT...we are in Kenya. I gotta be crazy to even think I can do something about it. I was so ticked off.. My goodness, I am in Kenya and some of what happens here is uncomprehendable, especially for those who have lived abroad...BUT...what can I do?? suggestions?

What an ordeal

But i sort of brought this upon myself. It started with me missing my flight from D.C. to London (of course it would be a miracle if i made my connecting flight). So, 6.30 flight takes off without me and United kindly puts me on the 9.50 p.m. flight from D.C, getting into London at 10.30 a.m. next day (conveniently after KQ has left for Nai).
So now I am stuck in Heathrow from 10 am to 8.30 pm as KQ only has 2 flights out of London (2 flights, that's it).
I was sooooo bored at the airport (could not leave since i did not get the transit visa, and honestly was too lazy to try and get one at the airport - thanks to my heavy luggage - told you, i overpacked).
So I decided to get online but of course nothing in Brito is free (you know in states, you can always jump on someone else's network to surf the web), wapi...had to pay 5 pounds (about 12 bucks) to surf the web...
so here I am...spending my 12 bucks wisely, surfing and posting from Heathrow.