So I've gotten a lot of emails asking exactly what I'm doing here--so I'll explain. Accenture has a program called Accenture Development Partnerships (ADP) where you do consulting work for a non-profit, usually in a 3rd world country. You apply for the program, get assessed, and when approved you a put into this database of candidates. As roles become available they send them to you and you decide whether their needs match your skillset and you apply for that role.

This particular role is with World Vision--seeking to improve their supply chain processes in Africa with four pilot countries, S. Sudan, Ghana, Uganda, and Zambia. Right now we're looking to get their buy-in to this intiative with a 'case for change' and will be visiting the different countries, but currently work out of the Africa headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. In about two months from now we're hoping to get funding for the the additional phases of the project where we actually implement the identified supply chain improvements. In essence we're looking to make a charitable organization that benefits so many suffering people, more efficient, so they can benefit even more people.

Tonight we got together at a coffee shop with two Americans that work at the American embassy, one of which used to work on my last project at Accenture. Gareth was a little confused about the idea of getting together at a coffee shop as they don't serve beer. Never realized it was such an American concept. Anyway, they told us a great story about the Luo tribe here in Kenya. Apparently there are some people from the Luo tribe that are 'nightrunners'. Nightrunners are people who run around in the middle of the night starck naked causing havoc by knocking their butts on doors. Nightrunners don't know they're nightrunners and you're not supposed to tell them because they would have great shame and/or even die of shock. I've also been told this infliction is hereditary. I know this sounds far fetched, but if you ask any local they are dead serious when they talk to you about it. To me it sounds like extreme sleepwalking.

My impression so far is that Nairobi is a pretty dirty city, but the outside areas are very nice. I definitely feel safe during the daytime, but at dusk or at night with so many eyes on you, I am quick to jump in a cab instead of walk. I can see how crime can occur so often here.

They have many more western things than I would have expected. The malls here are anywhere from decent to really nice. They have movie theaters, bowling alleys, and yoga classes. There aren't really any Americans here as far as I can tell. Most non-Kenyans here are British or from mainland Europe. My roommate Gareth is from the UK and I think he's getting sick of me giggling every time he asks if I would "fancy a water". I guess I'm just not used to such formality. Today I read an email from my manager (Canadian from the UK office) saying we'd have a meeting with our senior executive every fort night. I read that as every night. Apparently fortnight is every other week. I think the only time I ever heard fort night was in a monty python film--how was I supposed to know? CHEERS!!!

This weekend I spent some time locally and some outside of Nairobi. On Saturday we met up with Evans and his wife again and went to Nairobi Safari Park. It's a small park and we actually ended up just going to the animal orphanage as the animals in the 'safari' part tend to only come out in the early morning or evenings and we were there just after noon.

Later that night we went to Carnivore,which is a very touristy restaurant that everyone has told me to go to. It's really huge and it's set up brazillian style where there are different meats on skewers and the waiters bring them to your table and shave off as much meat as you want until you're full. The appeal of this particular restaurant is the range of game meats they have. They offered the normal chicken, turkey, and beef, but also had things like alligator, camel, and ostrich. I was a big fan of the camel, but hated the alligator.

On Sunday Evans drove Gareth and me to Lake Naivasha. It's about a two and a half hour drive, but not the highway drive you would expect for a weekend outing. The roads are ok in some parts, but they often have speed blocks which are basically nails on a strip that would slash your tires if you drive over them. They require you to slow down in order to drive around them. In other areas you aren't driving on a road at all...it's basically a dirt path with tons of potholes. It's a bumpy ride....and quite dusty as well. You want to keep your windows down because it's so warm and there's no AC, but as you drive on the dirt road as others pass, the dirt goes everywhere and makes it difficult to breathe.

First we went to Crater Lake, which is a lake created by a now dormant volcano. The walk down to it was nice, but the mosquitos were not. Good thing I got bug spray with 100% deet!

After Crater Lake we went into the safari park and saw so many animals up close. First it was the zebras, then the gazelles. We then went in search of some giraffe. We drove up to where three of them were standing and then walked up to take some pictures. I was suprised how close we were able to get....well until Evans started chasing after them and they ran away.

We got back into the car and Evans was a bit abuzz with watching the giraffes run away. He decided to stay off the 'beaten path' and drove into an area filled with giraffe, bushbugs, and zebras. They all ran off and while it was nice to see the animals in action it felt a bit wrong to be chasing them in a car. Not long after a guy came racing up to us in his car yelling he wasn't supposed to be doing that. Evans excuse was "How else are you supposed to see them run?"

After the safari we drove to the Lake Navaisha country club. The country club was relaxing after a long morning. We took a dip in the pool and then grabbed some lunch. The best part about lunch was who was there---the rather large German man from the club Florida aka the brother (see photos from Lake Naivasha--he's wearing a yellow shirt).

After lunch we went on a boat ride on the lake to see hippos. They said there are about 900 hippos in all, but we only saw around 20 or so. They were so cute and we only got to see their heads as they were all in the water, but they did open their massive mouths once in a while and we saw the mommy hippos carrying the baby hippos on their back.

Throughout the day Evans delighted us with some swahili. I learned that Mnzogo means 'white person' and Evans said if we went to his tribe all the kids would be saying Mn-zo-go over and over again. Evans tribe is actually the same one that Senator Obama's father is from.

Three days at work and everyone seems really nice. It's not a bad walk in the morning as it's pretty cool and only about 10 minutes. I tried doing it in my work shoes the first day and a few blisters later I realized the walk would need to be done in flip flops. The hardest part about walking to work and trying to not get hit by a car. The sidewalks here are either non existant or not very wide dirt paths. If you walk on the pavement you risk being a hit by cars and/or matatus (mini vans full of commuters).

Tonight we (meaning myself and my coworker and roommate Gareth) met up with Evans and his wife for dinner and some dancing. He is very insistent on giving us the true Kenyan experience and brought us to what in the US would be considered a shady hangout where the band was loud, the crowd was sparce, and the menu was roasted goat meat. You order, it takes an hour to roast, and then they bring a roasted goat leg to your table and cut it up in front of you. They give you some Kenyan bread and diced tomatoes to make mini sandwiches. The goat didn't taste bad, but it was difficult to eat because it was so fatty and really chewy.

After dinner we went 'bar hopping' to some other fine Nairobi establishments including an Ethopian Restaurant/Bar and a dance club called Florida. Driving around there were prostitues everywhere. Young, beautiful girls that feel the need to sell themselves on the street. Such a shame. Florida, our last stop for the evening actually turns out is a dance club/brothel. Basically the bar tenders act as pimps and the Kenyan woman dance with the many Western men scattered all over the club. One man in particular...a German man probably around 300 pounds with a bright red shirt and suspenders danced with this pretty Kenyan girl. He looked a bit like Newman and danced like it was his last night alive. I did dance a bit, but this definitely wasn't my scene. Not too longer after we arrived, we departed for the evening and headed home.

The trip itself wasn't as bad as I expected. Reality set in quickly though as a horrible stench hit me as soon as I got off the plane. I got my bags, my visa, and I was heading through customs when a guy stopped me asking if I had anything to declare. I said no and he asked whether I had anything new in my bag. I thought about it--oh geez--I do. I went shopping before I left for Kenya and I have this habit of not taking tags off of things before I wear them. Stories of bribes and interrogations told me before I left ran quickly through my head. Luckily he was satisfied with the truth--yes I had some items that were new, but there were only about 10 items and they were girl's shirts and skirts. (Nothing he'd be interested in wearing) He let me go. Then, I was bombarbed by 20 people trying to "welcome" me to Kenya with a taxi ride into the city. I knew that someone named "Evans" was going to be picking me up and I looked closely at all the signs being held up---I definitely didn't see my name. All I could think was--don't panic--they'll see it on your face. Ha. A man offered to make an announcement for me and he did just that, but still no luck. Then he let me use his cell phone to call Ian, my manager. Turns out Evans was delayed, but he wife was on her way. She eventually came and I was on my way to the apartments.