Visit to Nairobi (1)
Almost 14 months ago, my son Richard and his family relocated
to Nairobi when he obtained a job as Head of Strategic Communications for the consultancy arm of a media company called Well Told Story. I am now on my third visit to them and, as well as my granddaughter Catrin (now aged 5 and 3/4), I have a beautiful new grandadaughter called Kara (aged just 7 and 1/2 weeks).
I timed this visit – like the others – to coincide with Catrin’s half-term, so that I can spend the maximum time doing things with her. In fact, I flew out a day before she broke up because the last morning of the first half term (Friday) was designated Grandparents’ Day – a lovely idea which the Montessori Learning Centre has been running for 10 years now.
Catrin is always excited about my visits – and the presents which I bring – so she likes to come to my bedroom as soon as she is awake. In fact, she had a bad dream and joined me in bed at 3 am. I managed to get her back to sleep but she was awake for good at 6 am.
Grandparents Day was a delight. Each class sang a special song to us highlighting love of grandpas and grandmas, a group of teachers performed a dance, and one of the grandparents – a Sikh singing in Urdu – performed a song while playing a wind instrument called the harmonium.
In the afternoon, Catrin got to open her first and most expensive present: a large Lego set of a ladies hairdressing salon. She had built it all within a couple of hours.
Saturday was a very physical day spent with Richard and Catrin.
In the morning, we visited an indoor rock climbing place at Diamond Plaza. Catrin has been there around five times before. She loves it and she is really good at it. She was keen for me to have my first experience of the sport at the advanced age of 68. I did about half a dozen climbs but it was not easy and afterwards my arms ached.
In the afternoon, we went to the Jacaranda Hotel where, after some lunch, we made use of their swimming pool. For Nairobi, it was not too hot: 27C with some cloud. Catrin adores swimming which she has done since she was a few months old and Richard is a proficient swimmer. My main role was to throw Catrin in the air and catch her plus other inventive games.
October 16th, 2016 at 11:16 am
I’m happy to hear you are visiting so soon after Kara’s arrival and look forward to hearing more of the family.
October 23rd, 2016 at 8:47 pm
Hope you have checked out the further blog postings on my visit, Nadine.
I’ve put lots of photos on Facebook, but I don’t think you’re on FB?