Expat dinner
Finally met up with Jess. We had dinner last night at this Italian place at one of the really famous hotels in town. I was so proud of myself I took a matautu into town all by myself and navigated my way out of the taxi park which is a major accomplishment all on its own (next time I'm down that way I'll take a picture of the park for you all it's insane!!!!). Then I realized I had no idea where I was, I knew that if I got to the main road I'd be able to find the restaurant no problem so I set off in the direction I thought the road was. As I'm walking up the road I start to doubt myself so I decide to go into a store to ask what street I was on in the hopes of figuring out the map I had with me. Wow that wasn't a good idea, they were super nice but it seems like the map confused them and caused a number of rather heated debates on where I should go. The next thing I know I'm outside the store and one of the store guys had hailed a bodaboda (crazy motorcycle taxis that are everywhere - actually a good way to get around because they don't get stuck in traffic though they definitely raise the life-risking factor) for me. All I could do was get on - (I ride like a man as most western women do, women here usually ride sidesaddle but that's kinda crazy I think) and hope for the best. Wasn't that bad actually though I ended up there half an hour early because I had allowed time for the walk and it turned out that if I had just waited half a block to ask for directions I would have known exactly where I was. So that was two new forms of transportation for me in under an hour.
Dinner was good. Jess seems to be as culture shocked as I am, we both can't believe how different everything is. We were joined at dinner by a girl, Sam, who Jess was going to live with originally before that fell through. Neither of us had met Sam before but it turned out well, she's lived here every summer for the past 3 years so we got the inside scoop on what to do as an expat here. Apparently it's the Irish pub on Fridays, and Dad you'll be happy to know that for mondays hashing is really popular and we are thinking of going one week, (that's hash running people - it's not BC!). To add to the expat-ness of dinner, it turns out that pretty much only tourists and expats eat at that restaurant because by local standards it's pretty expensive (like 9 bucks for a pizza when a place down the street from me is less than 2 for a big plate of rice, and/or porsho and/or chips and your chosen meat eg beef, fish, chicken, or goat). Then it was decided that I should splurge on a special hire taxi to get home rather than walking or boda-ing to the taxi park to take a shared taxi because I don't know the city very well. Wasn't too keen on the special hire even though it was probably the smartest choice because they are less official feeling than the shared taxis, it's not like a Bluebird or anything - feels like you're just getting into some stranger's car. It was fine and the driver was really nice even pulling into a gas station b/c he knew he no change and rather than just over charging me, he stopped so I could break a 10000 shilling note. Was really good to talk to people who completely understood what it's like to arrive here and have to learn everything again because as great and understanding as my co-workers are, only a few of them know what it's like to leave everything you know behind and have to learn a entirely different culture while blatently standing out as a foreigner. Plus hanging out with someone who feels like an old friend (remember we lived together in a tiny dorm room for a week) was really conforting. Anways I've gotta go figure out my outfit for tomorrow - have a meeting with the UNDP and I have to make a good first impression especially because apparently we're not doing too well on the keeping the UNDP in the loop and not losing the forms they send to the office (nothing to do with me, they were lost before I got back from G-Town though I am the one trying to fill out the forms before next week's deadline).
PS - Made shortbread tonight - African style with margarine and cane sugar. Surprisingly they turned out ok to good just a little grainy au cause de la sucre
Dinner was good. Jess seems to be as culture shocked as I am, we both can't believe how different everything is. We were joined at dinner by a girl, Sam, who Jess was going to live with originally before that fell through. Neither of us had met Sam before but it turned out well, she's lived here every summer for the past 3 years so we got the inside scoop on what to do as an expat here. Apparently it's the Irish pub on Fridays, and Dad you'll be happy to know that for mondays hashing is really popular and we are thinking of going one week, (that's hash running people - it's not BC!). To add to the expat-ness of dinner, it turns out that pretty much only tourists and expats eat at that restaurant because by local standards it's pretty expensive (like 9 bucks for a pizza when a place down the street from me is less than 2 for a big plate of rice, and/or porsho and/or chips and your chosen meat eg beef, fish, chicken, or goat). Then it was decided that I should splurge on a special hire taxi to get home rather than walking or boda-ing to the taxi park to take a shared taxi because I don't know the city very well. Wasn't too keen on the special hire even though it was probably the smartest choice because they are less official feeling than the shared taxis, it's not like a Bluebird or anything - feels like you're just getting into some stranger's car. It was fine and the driver was really nice even pulling into a gas station b/c he knew he no change and rather than just over charging me, he stopped so I could break a 10000 shilling note. Was really good to talk to people who completely understood what it's like to arrive here and have to learn everything again because as great and understanding as my co-workers are, only a few of them know what it's like to leave everything you know behind and have to learn a entirely different culture while blatently standing out as a foreigner. Plus hanging out with someone who feels like an old friend (remember we lived together in a tiny dorm room for a week) was really conforting. Anways I've gotta go figure out my outfit for tomorrow - have a meeting with the UNDP and I have to make a good first impression especially because apparently we're not doing too well on the keeping the UNDP in the loop and not losing the forms they send to the office (nothing to do with me, they were lost before I got back from G-Town though I am the one trying to fill out the forms before next week's deadline).
PS - Made shortbread tonight - African style with margarine and cane sugar. Surprisingly they turned out ok to good just a little grainy au cause de la sucre
posted by Erin at 10:12 PM
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