Archive for October, 2015
Notes on Nairobi (9): National Museum and Snake Park
October 22nd, 2015 by Roger Darlington
Day six (Wednesday) of our trip started with a morning in which Vee and I did our own thing. We organised for Kennedy to drive us from the hotel to the National Museum which proved to be full of well organised, well labelled, and most interesting exhibits. On the ground floor, the Birds Of East […]
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Notes on Nairobi (8): beads, giraffes and Blixen
October 21st, 2015 by Roger Darlington
“Jambo!” (“Hello!”) as we say here in Nairobi. Day five (Tuesday) of our trip was Mashujaa Day, also known as Heroes’ Day (“mashujaa” is Swahili for “heroes”). This is a national day in Kenya, which is observed on 20 October as a public holiday to honour all those who contributed towards the struggle for Kenya’s […]
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Notes on Nairobi (7): baby elephants and babysitting
October 19th, 2015 by Roger Darlington
Day four in Nairobi was a Monday so Richard was at work, but Emily & Catrin picked up Vee and me from the hotel about 10 am. Nairobi roads are pretty amazing – choked with cars, lorries, buses, colourful minibuses called “matabu”, policemen, vendors walking between vehicles, and even on occasion lines of cows. Eventually […]
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Notes on Nairobi (6): just chilling
October 18th, 2015 by Roger Darlington
Day three in Nairobi was Sunday and even more chilled out. It rained heavily in the night and was still raining over breakfast, so we thought that we might have to abandon the plan for Richard and Catrin to make a return morning visit to use the swimming pool at our hotel. But the rain […]
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Notes on Nairobi (5): swimming and fun fair
October 18th, 2015 by Roger Darlington
Day two in Nairobi was Saturday and very chilled out. At 11 am, Richard and Catrin arrived at our hotel and we spent the next two and a half hours at the hotel’s outdoor swimming pool. It was a bit overcast but warm. Vee read a book while we three swam. Catrin loves the water […]
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Notes on Nairobi (4): Grandparents’ Day
October 17th, 2015 by Roger Darlington
Our first day in Nairobi was a Friday and the last day at school for Catrin before she starts a week’s half term break. Vee and I flew out just before the start of half term because the Friday morning was designated as “Grandparent’s Day” to quote the flyer (I’m sure that should be “Grandparents’ […]
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Notes on Nairobi (3): arrival
October 15th, 2015 by Roger Darlington
Vee and I flew from London to Nairobi on a daytime British Airways flight, so we arrived mid evening. It took just over 8 hours but, since Kenyan time is just two hours ahead of British time, there was no jet lag. We were met at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport by our son Richard and […]
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Notes on Nairobi (2): the city
October 15th, 2015 by Roger Darlington
Today Vee and I fly out to Nairobi to see our son and his family for a week. Some facts and figures on Nairobi: The city was founded as a rail depot by the British colonists in 1899 and made the capital in 1907. The name comes from the Maasai words ‘uaso nairobi’ meaning ‘cold […]
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Notes on Nairobi (1): the country
October 14th, 2015 by Roger Darlington
Two months ago, our son Richard, his wife Emily and their daughter Catrin relocated to Nairobi in Kenya as a result of his work. He is now the Head of Strategic Advocacy for an organisation called Well Told Story. So this week, Vee and I are going to visit them for the first time. It […]
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Question: when is a paper not a paper? Answer: when it’s a non-paper.
October 13th, 2015 by Roger Darlington
You have no idea what I’m talking about, do you? Well, today I went to a meeting where reference was made to a non-paper which was a new concept to me. Don’t believe me? Well, this document was issued recently by the British Government’s Department of Culture, Media & Sport and it is entitled “UK […]
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