Spam

Some things are inescapable, even in Africa.

Spam. Even in africa, I have to deal with spam. The few times I've been able to check my e-mail, I've foolishly logged on expecting a few nice notes from friends and family. Or course, thanks to the extra time away from my mailbox, I am met instead by an inundation of unwanted muck I have to wade through. I didn't pack for this. No, I don't want to buy your product. Facebook, you should be ashamed of yourself. And Viagra, I find your very existence offensive, so you can imagine what seeing you in my mailbox does to me. I haven't even checked my junk mail yet, and I'm not going to try.

Liberals. It seems that I can't evade the Democratic party. I just found out that Hillary is here. So in addition to this being the country of Obama's ancestors, I have to share it for a day or two with a Clinton. (They're quite proud of Obama. Hey, maybe they could produce his birth certificate for us. I'll be sure to ask.) Apparently Bill is in North Korea doing something with prisoners that he isn't officially authorized to do, and I kinda wish Hillary would head that direction too - not because I'm really that stubborn about sharing foreign territory with her, but because of the traffic. I understand that traffic in Nairobi is frequently maddening, but it is especially so whenever a US VIP is here, which brings me to...

Traffic. Oh. My. Gosh. I'd like to blame Hillary, but I understand that what we've experienced is pretty common. When we landed in Nairobi again, after our visit to Rwanda had concluded, we were to go straight to see Pelagie, Faustin and Salome's eldest daughter, who has an apartment rather close to the airport. On the way there, I think we spent more time stopped than moving. It must have taken over an hour. I don't know exactly how much time elapsed, but it was long enough for me to get tired of taking pictures out the window, and if you know me, then you know that on a scale of instantaneous to really long, that's an eternity. Fortunately, there really isn't road rage even though everyone honks constantly, or as they say, "hoots" (gag). Everyone behind the wheel is a maniac. Blinkers mean almost nothing. People get cut off left and right. Busses drive on the shoulder. It's definitely not a place for nervous passengers (sorry, mom). Furthermore, it was pretty hot in our little taxi, even though it was evening, so having the window down was a must, The problem ist hat having the window down is a bit like sucking on the tailpipe of every car in Nairobi. Which brings me to...

Smog. None of the vehicles in Nairobi would pass a smog check in the USA. The combination of exhaust and dust produces a hazy quality in the air that sticks to you. A number of times, I have taken off my sunglasses to find that there are dirt marks on my cheekbones where the bottom rim makes contact with my skin. The black lung is almost certainly in my future. I sound like Macy Gray (and I despise Macy Gray). I haven't resorted to my inhaler yet, and even if I did, I'm not sure it would help. Having an easier time breathing would only mean that I'd have an easier time drawing in carcinogens.

Spam. Or more generally, mystery meat. We don't really question it when we get it at Taco Bell, and I'm not really sure why. Here, one glance at the evening meal is sure to fill my head with all kinds of questions. Of course, the only question I'm really able to answer with any degree of certainty is, "Is this beef, chicken, fish, or something else?" Even that question often requires some chewing before it's answer becomes clear. Beyond that, all of the "How was this raised/killed/cleaned/cooked?" questions remain mysteries. If there's one thing I'm not going to miss about Africa when I return to the US, it's the food.

Growth. Not that I came to Africa to get away from growth - on the contrary, I anticipated great challenges and great growth during my time here - but I have been a bit surprised at the degree to which I have experienced it. I don't mean to say that I will be a changed man or someone else when I return, but I have definitely been challenged and impacted here in ways that will stick with me long after I return.