I officially accepted the internship with Somalia program of an INGO. It's something and I'm more than ready to work full time. So this is good start.
Today after doing some job research I went and played squash with my roommate at the Impala country club. The country club is beautiful - it looks like an old Italian resort from the 1960's. I say this because I stayed at a few Italian resorts built during WWII in Ethiopia and the Impala's style of green and white buildings with bars tucked in random areas is a mirror image. I played horribly but after half an hour I was able to make my roommate run. Afterwards we went swimming in the outdoor pool. The total cost of this outing was $6. Without a doubt I am living a life of luxury in Nairobi and I am grateful at this opportunity to enjoy such things.
After Impala, I met a woman who is working with my organization's counterpart in Somalia. She offers insight into work opportunities in the region and I enjoy talking with her about life in general. She drops me off at a matatu station and since it's before 5pm I am able to get home in half an hour. Later that night I meet my friend Cynthia at an Italian restaurant whose prices match some Italian places in the East Village. It was worth it as my appetite has recovered from transition into single life again. We then went to the Havana bar as it's the "spot" to go to on Thursday. We had a nice time aside from meeting several creepy expat men who clearly go to Havana seeking fresh meat.
The next day I completed a lot of paperwork for the organization I will be working for and then set out to buy food for dinner. I had a craving for chicken cutlet and I invited my friend cynthia as she has done a lot for me to help me get settled. Aside from the cutlets getting a little burned, they were delicious. Afterwards we went out to a Onami - the Japanese restaurant/bar owned by an Israeli restaurateur. The food is great but the prices do not match the service so when it took an hour for my friend's sashimi salad, I spoke to the manager and got the salad taken off the bill. After working in many restaurants in New York, I have little tolerance for food that costs a lot without the service to back it up. Also I have inherited my father's high expectations for service and lack of patience for poor management. I am however trying to be more patient and less uptight about things that are not worth getting angry over. It's a challenge and patience, as my Kenyan roommate tells me, is a skill that Kenyans have mastered. I will not master it but I will touch it.
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