Thursday, October 30, 2008

The D's of Delhi

Dyanamic...Dusty....Delightful...maybe a little dirty. Multiple words that describe Delhi. India's capital city. I have spent the last week touring, experiencing, and enjoying everything this historic city has to offer. If you had to paraphrase delhi it would organized chaos. There is a mix of the historic and the modern. It has been 6 years since i last visited delhi and a lot has changed. With the impending 2010 commonwealth games being staged in delhi there is construction everywhere. But you can see signs of progress. The sparkling new metro quickly and conveniently takes delhiites from place to place in comfort, the new flyovers help spread the traffic among congested roads. roads that are no longer congested with various sorts of scooters, and rickshaws and cattle, but sparkling new cards, honda's, bmw's, mercedes, and india's own tata. yesterday i went to the emporio mall, billed as india's most luxurious shopping destination and soon to be asia's biggest mall. never before have i been in a mall that caters exclusively to the high end - armani, versace, hugo boss, and so many more. only designers, only high end. its a sign of where india has come. but intertwined in this enticing city is the opposite end. i also visited chandni chawk, delhi's oldest market (app 300 years old) where narrow gulleys offer you specialized items from jewelery to paranthas. seriously, there's a parantha gulley (delicious type of flat bread that indians make). speaking of food, its safe to say (in part because of diwali) that i have eaten as much as i possibly can.
It was a real treat to be able to spend diwali, the biggest of all events in India for the first time. Delhi sounded more like a war zone on tuesday night and all through the week you heard patakaas (fireworks) exploding everywhere. brilliantly lit markets were packed with shoppers getting their last minute items and everyone seems to great you with a smile. Other sites that i have visited include the red fort, india gate, qutab minar and connaught place. the unfortunate side of delhi is the security. it seems that everywhere you go, you must pass through metal detectors, this includes the metro, the park, and some outdoor markets. its the unfortunate reality, but in today's india, an unfortunate necessity. today's paper as well describes a series of bomb blasts in the north eastern part of the country yesterday that killed 70 people. all of which have only given me a taste of what india is and has to offer. its a sensual overload. you can spend just as much time learning about india's past as you can about its present, and maybe even more so about its future. i think its safe to say that given the amount of hindi i've been speaking here, i've forgotten all the swahili i've learned over the past 4 months, so i, or my swahili teacher, has some work to do.
Anyways, if i have to use a 5th D to describe Delhi, its done. I leave delhi tonight to head to Mumbai (Bombay) India's financial, cultural, entertainment and basically in everyway except political, capital. But here's to Delhi and all it has seen, all it has to offer, and all that will come. One of the truly remarakable captial cities of the world.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Happy Diwali!

Just a note to any and all who may read this to wish you a Happy Diwali! Hoping that there is plenty of light shining for all of you. May the new year bring you health happiness and success!

much love

Monday, October 27, 2008

The Cradle of Culture

Namaste from my motherland. If Kenya is referred to as the cradle of humanity, then I think its only fair to refer to India as the cradle of culture. I arrived in Mumbai (formerly Bombay) early Saturday morning. It has been 6 years since my last visit to India, and in between I have visited about 10 other countries. There is something definitely special about India. It is my ancestory, my heritage, my culture. It is the feeling and sensation that this is where my identity was born (for the record, I was born in Canada). It has always been both my privilege and my challenge (in a good way) to be born in Canada and come from a culture that is so rich, so colourful, so sensual. Blending the 2 together is not always the easiest and many times you can find yourself at odds when the society you live in and your roots give you two different messages.

If I could put a label to what the scent in the air is, I would say it is the scent of time. The Indus civilization is one of the oldest civilations in world, and India is the birthplace of two of the world’s major religions – Hinduism and Buddhism. Coming to India this time from Kenya, versus coming from Canada brought a very different feeling. I realize I am a first generation Canadian, born and bred in the Great White North, but as my plane touched down in India, I actually felt a sense of coming home. Whether it was because I look like everyone else here, or I understand the language even though its not English, or just the fact that after almost 4 months, I get to see family, something about being here that just feels natural right now. It was extra special to finally touch down in Mumbai which is the birthplace of my dad. Granted he only spent a few years of his life in Mumbai before moving up north, it is always nice to visit the birthcity. Actually, as I write this, I am in Delhi, the capital city of India. I arrived in Mumbai Saturday and flew directly up to Delhi later that day to spend Diwali with family. I will be returning to Mumbai on Friday and then spending the 2nd half of my trip in city affectionately known as ‘bollywood’.

Today, we went to dilihart. An outdoor market where artisians and craftspeople from all over the country come to display their crafts. Today’s theme was South India and Sri Lanka so I got a taste of South Indian culture. I had a great time exploring the hundreds of stalls to see what these creative and truly talented people have to offer. Conversing with them in hindi – even though its not my first language – brought me a strange sense of familiarity. As Diwali is upcoming, we spent the rest of the day going to various markets to gather the necessary items to celebrate the upcoming Festival of Lights. This will be the first time I get to experience Diwali in India and it is truly something special. Diwali – arguably the most celebrated festival in the hindu calendar is always a fun time. I have to confess, that I’m not the most well-versed when it comes to my Indian culture, in my defense though, it is an incredibly massive religion/culture, but Diwali is something I feel I do know and I love to celebrate.

Coming to india is a bit of a surreal experience. While I may know the superficial, surface level things about my culture, when I come here, I realize just how little I know, and just how much I wish I could/did know. I have to confess something else, when I first applied for this fellowship, my heart was in Asia. It was my hope that my placement would be in India and that I could use this opportunity to not only give something back to India, but to also spend an extended amount of time to learn about my culture. But, everything happens for a reason and let there be no doubt that I am extremely grateful and glad for the opportunity to be in Kenya, I wouldn’t trade it for the world and it has been a truly enriching experience.

But back to India. The flower markets, the mitai shops, the chaat stands, the bhajans and guzzles coming out from various places, the sabzi vendor yelling out his inventory throughout the day unnnnnnnnnnnday! (eggs), piiiiiiiage! (onions), and packed shops with people getting their last minute things for Diwali, it’s a sensual overload, and I’m loving every minute of it. Ironic to say, but in all this, as I call it, organized chaos, my mind is at peace, it’s mental and physical break where I feel like my spirit is already being renewed.

So, I guess I didn’t really get into why I think India is the Cradle of Culture, well….i could go into it, but this would get really long. Suffice to say, it just is, and if you don’t believe me, come here and see it for yourself. Right now, I may by even father away from Canada then when I was in Kenya, I may still be a foreign land where I don’t quite understand everything, or completely know my way around. But for the next week and a bit, I am home.

Monday, October 20, 2008

A Tourist in your own Town

This past weekend our friend and fellow intern from Nairobi came to visit and considering the great time I had in Nairobi, definitely wanted to return the favour by showing her a good time in Mombasa. Its funny to think about it, but really, how well do you know your own town? Like when someone comes to visit you (wherever you live) and wants to see ‘your’ city, where do you take them?

In Mombasa, the answer is – out of town! Ok fine, that’s harsh, but slightly true. Zu came in on Friday, we all went out for a late dinner and then first thing Saturday morning we were off to Malindi. Now, I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned this before, but Malindi (2 hours north, up the coast from Mombasa) is what I imagined Mombasa to be like. A relaxed Oceanside city where the water is steps away from the core, and you can walk the streets without fear of being runover. We arrived in Malindi to do a little tourist shopping, but the highlight was the marine park. We spent the afternoon on boat out in the ocean and went snorkeling in the reef. I’ve never been snorkeling, but I’m definitely hooked. Maybe a little anxious at first as I went a little too deep and a rush of salt water came down my snorkel into and into my mouth (the Indian Ocean does NOT taste good), so I made my way back to the boat to catch my breath. A few reassuring instructions later I was back in and loving it! Seeing all the brightly coloured fish of all shapes and sizes. I was moving along and had to stop as I ran into a whole school of fish swimming along and then they started to make circles around me. It was pretty cool! So thumbs up to Malindi, maybe Mombasa was like that one day not long ago, but the growth has outpaced the ability of the city to handle it.

Sunday was spent finally touring Mombasa’s main tourist attraction – Fort Jesus. It’s a Portuguese fort that was built in the 1600’s I think right on the ocean front. It’s a neat fort with multiple passage ways and little nooks and crannies, great views of the ocean. Located right next to the old town, you can see all the different colour roofs of the buildings of old town. I even finally found the Doormans. There’s 2 main restaurant chains I like in Kenya, Java and Doormans. Both are western style coffee places that are a mix between starbucks, tim hortons and your favourite breakfast place. Unfortuantely, like many things in Kenya, Java’s chain is only located in Nairobi, but Doormans finally took a chance and came to Mombasa. I had pancakes! I haven’t had pancakes in..well..a few weeks ago when I went to Java’s in Nairobi, but before that, it was at home. They were good, but nowhere near as good as my mom, my dad’s or my sister-in-law’s homemade pancakes with fresh strawberry sauce. No better way to start a weekend than with a plate of those! But, for now, doormans will do.

Anyways, it was a fun wknd, to be a tourist in your own town. Point out all the sights, and little things you’ve discovered. Gives you a chance to realize what your town has to offer. On a separate note, I’m taking off to India this Friday for a little vacation. Believe it or not, I’m reaching the halfway point of my time here. While I’m still learning a huge amount, and really soaking it in, if I’m totally honest a small part of me is starting to wear a bit, but I figure that’s normal at this point – plus the heat is really starting to set in! The timing of this India trip could not be better - I’ll be in Mumbai (Bombay) and Delhi and will be celebrating Diwali there with my cousin and my aunt and I can’t wait!!! The food, the music, the culture, just the whole atmosphere, I can already taste it, hear it, and feel it. I think more than anything though, the best part of it, will be – not having to think!

Thursday, October 9, 2008

KISS

Its Thursday. When I look back on my blog, somehow, I always posted on Thursday. Except for last week, but that’s because I took off for Nairobi on Thursday (and it became Monday). Its not on purpose…I swear! I mean, I try to write here every week, and for some reason, by the time I’ve put my mangled thoughts on paper..its Thursday. This week, I don’t have a specific topic. Just more random observations. I’ve just come from a course that my supervisor was doing on Information Management. I went thinking I would be learning something new, instead, based on the material that was being presented, I ended helping him teach it.

The knowledge gap. I have underestimated it. First off, at no point do am I intending to make light of the intelligence of anyone here, or anyone who I have met. Its simply a realization of an underestimation I made. We spent the day teaching health professionals that the process is just as important as the outcome and how to interpret data and make graphs. Simple graphs that most of us do with our eyes closed. But, while at first I was a little taken back at the content, I quickly saw the beauty of it. It all begins somewhere. How important is the ability to interpret data? How important is it to be able to make evidence-based decisions? Think about the changes, and the progress that could be made if we all the ability to make informed decisions. How important are the little realizations that process and outcomes are related. What good is the outcome if the process is flawed? One of my biggest frustrations with the work I have been doing so far is the sense that people are too focused on the outcomes, and achieving results and everything that happens in the middle is just fluff. I had a lot of fun today working with the people in the class, it isn’t often I know more than the rest of the class, and especially rare that I can contribute in such a way (who we kidding, I’m probably bringing up the rear most of the time…).

Everything takes time. Kenya will progress, life will get better, things will improve. It takes time though (whether or not I have the patience to see it through is another questions). Sure it took almost an hour to make people realize that if there are 40 pregnant women in a village and we want 100% of pregnant women to be attending antenatal care classes that would be 40 pregnant women attend. But we all start somewhere. Isn’t that learning in its purest form? Like the old saying goes, everything I need to know I learned in kindergarten. I remember when I was in grade 6, we had to do this class project on something or other (I think it was pulleys and levers), and my partner and I had these grand ideas for this great crane type thing to lift cars (those little hot wheels cars). It was a complete mess, we screwed everything up, and were way in over our heads. The end result was some half-ass project that was nothing more than a piece of string attached to a hot wheels car and a block of wood somehow interspersed in it…oh and a pretty bad mark on the project. I was pretty upset after that and was wondering where we went wrong. That was when my dad sat me down to discuss the project and helped me understand the mistake I made – it was too complicated, and he taught me the simple acronym “KISS” – Keep it Simple Stupid! Work, friends, hobbies, relationships, learning,…life! Keep it simple! We’ve all heard it, but that was the first time I ever heard it, and its something I’ve kept in mind ever since then, and I think that’s what we did today. We kept it simple, to the basics, and hopefully everyone went home with a new skill today that will benefit. Focus on the process, just as much as the outcome. Sometimes, the destination you reach is not as important as the path you take to get there.

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Mombasa vs. Nairobi...No Comparison...

Kenya is a predominantly rural country. In fact, (as far as I’m told) there are only three actual “cities” in Kenya – Nairobi, Mombasa, and Kisumu. This weekend, I took a trip down to Kenya’s primary and capital city Nairobi. We did briefly see Nairobi when we first landed in Kenya, but only for about a day and a half and that was mostly lost in a jet-lag induced haze.

Anyways, so Thursday night I took off for the city that it sometimes referred to as the most dangerous city in Africa, or Nairobbery. Let me tell you…I LOVE it! The cool breeze that I felt once I stepped out of the airport and drove into the city at 2000 metres above sea level was like a breath of fresh air (and the air does seem to be cleaner in Nairobi). I was staying with my two friends Zu and Jami who are doing their placement with the Nation Media Group. There is a definite vibe and energy to Nairobi that I have truly missed since leaving Toronto. Tons of well-dressed people making their ways to work. Skyscrapers, streelights, and sidewalks (so far I have only counted 4 streelights in the entire city of Mombasa, only 2 of which work at any given time, none of which are actually obeyed) The difference between Mombasa and Nairobi is like night and day. Like many other primary cities, there’s some negative feelings between the two places. People in Mombasa say that Nairobi is too fast, too rushed, and the people are rude. In Nairobi people say Mombasa is too slow. Having seen them both, I think I’m in the Nairobi camp.

Friday morning, I headed to the visa office to finally make my status legal in Kenya so it was a bit of a relief to get that out of the way. So we spent the weekend wandering the city, sampling various restaurants, and heading to various bars and even playing a game of ultimate frisbee with some expats. From Parklands, to Westland, from the Central City, to Downtown, I got a taste of city-life again. We went for breakfast, lunch and dinner, I toured the nation media building where Zu and Jami work, toured the masai market, and just wandered the streets.

Funny story, Zu took me to the Ngara clothing market just outside the city centre in one of the more sketchy areas of town. By clothing market, I mean a bunch of people who have lined up along a street with their cardboard boxes, and displays of clothing layed out on mats that can be quickly closed up should the cops arrive (of course its all illegal). So we walked, doing a little shopping. I realized just the impact that living with 2 girls to this point has had on me – as Zu looked at one shirt and asked me for my opinion, I said “It’s a nice shirt, the kind you would wear on a Friday to work with a pair of jeans.” The surprise on Zu’s face made me realize what I had just said. A simple yes or no woulda sufficed. Did I really say that?!?! (if you ever wonder whether I actually think about what I write, consider – would I actually admit saying that??)

Anyways, we continued shopping, and I was haggling with a vendor over a shirt when we heard a loud bang! Heads turned and people started to run, but for some reason we continued to haggle. Then we heard a 2nd bang, and saw a huge cloud of smoke moving towards us…tear gas. Apparently it’s a regular occurrence for Nairobi police to come by and shoot tear gas in the area to disperse the merchants, and of course any people who decide to shop there. We knew it was time to go, as the vendor yelled at me to give him the money for the shirt, Zu and I decided it was time to leave…quickly! Fate was telling me that I was not to buy that shirt I guess. As we ran away from the crowd, weaving and ducking, i have to admit i did wonder - where the hell am i?!? Good news is that we did get away in time, and we’re not affected by the tear gas at all. In the end, I am laughing at it, the only part that bugs me is the fact that i didn't get the shirt!

But that’s just the kinda city Nairobi is. Not without its problems for sure. First and foremost is security. On Friday night, even going from the restaurant where we were having dinner to the club (that was just down the street) required a cab – a distance you would be ridiculed for taking a cab for in Canada. But it is what it is. It’s unfortunate though, I really believe that based on the amount of potential the city has, if only the safety and security can be improved, Nairobi could really become world-class. I know there’s a huge side of Nairobi that I didn’t see, the slums (although we did go to Kibera on our first trip), the despair, the poverty etc. I know they’re there, but for one weekend, I got to see the kind of city Nairobi can be. In my lonelyplanet guide, under the section on Nairobi, the authors begin by asking the question: “Who’s afraid of big bad Nairobbery?”. Their answer is “Quite a few people apparently”. I like to think I’m not one of them.