Creative Plumbing

I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen anything quite like this creation that has appeared on my bath taps before. It’s not perhaps the most beautiful of creations, and is perhaps more appropriate for behind the scenes rather than on display, but it is very practical, and will prove, I’m sure, to provide a great convenience, because of what it allows me to do.
I bought a washing machine this week after 7 years in my apartment without. So, why did it take so long? Well, principally because there is a communal washing machine in a small building on the ground floor. There used to be a tumble dryer there too. Actually, I think there still is - just that it ripped a few of my clothes and put dirty marks on other things, so I’ve stopped using it. That building is fed from the mains rather than from the water tanks, so often times, there’s no water and you have to fill the machine with buckets. In times of very sporadic water supply, I’ve thought before of getting my own washer, but could never quite figure out where it would go. However, on coming back in September, I found that the communal one wasn’t working at all, and 7 weeks later, still isn’t. After many trips to a friend’s house to use her washer (thank you Jill!!), I figured it really was time I got one, and whilst the space issue hasn’t changed any, it’s now installed in my bathroom. The next question was how to plumb it in. Not a question I’ve needed to face before as both of my houses in the UK have been modern, and came with all the pipes (and indeed allocated space in the kitchen) in situ for such a necessary household appliance. However, here that’s not quite how it is. In fact, on making my purchase, I was told at the shop that of course washing machines should be installed outdoors not inside. Well, that’s certainly not the case in colder climes where the water would freeze for part of the year! That must be a throwback to when all washing was done outside, and by hand (and still is in the majority of homes in the city), in the river or whatever source of water there is.
To install it in my kitchen would have meant needing to completely redesign it, plus the cupboard bases are concrete, and the cold water comes from the mains, so is generally just a trickle. Certainly not enough for a washer. Hence, it’s in the bathroom, taking up a good proportion of the floor space. The creation was put together with various bits of galvanized iron pipe from a plumbing supplier, …… and, it seems, liberal amounts of a pretty horrid-looking putty substance, to allow the attachment of the washer hose to the shower attachment (whilst still allowing me to have showers!). And it does in fact work as I’ve already tested it out. The only downside that I’ve discovered is that it has to be plugged in in another room, and the electric cable doesn’t fit underneath the door. So, when the washer’s on, the bathroom door can’t be closed. Not a problem when I’m on my own, but it could prove interesting when visitors are here!!

Orchids Galore!

When people think about Kenya, they most likely think of the Big Five, safaris, Big Cat Diary, poverty, aid, …. Living here, I’ve come across all the above, but I also have opportunity to experience a different side. Nairobi is an exceedingly cosmopolitan city that is full of contrasts. Today, in this city in a Third world country, I went to an Orchid Show held by Kenya’s Orchid Society! According to an entry on the internet,  “The Kenya Orchid Society was established in 1953 to create and increase interest in orchids and their cultivation throughout Kenya and other East African countries. Membership is open to any person already in possession of at least 15 orchid plants, who is proposed and seconded by members and approved by the committee.” Hmm, well that’s me disqualified from joining!
Anyway, the show was held at the Exhibition Centre at Sarit, one of the older shopping centres here. There were various displays putting across different messages about the environment (the theme was ‘Orchids for a Greener World’), but for me it was the orchids themselves that were the focus. I had no idea that there are so many different varieties, and of so many sizes, shapes and colours. Each one so intricately designed and beautiful. Sadly, I had somehow forgotten to take my phone with me (which is very, very unusual here), so couldn’t take any photographs. However, there was a stall selling orchids imported from Taiwan, so I bought one (rather more expensive than the ones in Sainsbury’s in the UK!!), and here it is. I’m just hoping that It survives and flourishes as well as the ones my parents have in their conservatory.

Messy Eaters!

I’ve talked about the birds on my balcony a number of times, and I’m about to again! Since I took to feeding them on a regular basis, I’ve noticed that they have decidedly messy eating habits. In tucking into a plateful of leftover rice or millet side, they seemed to toss a good portion of it to the side. Not I think because it was substandard, but because that’s just the way they eat. Whist in the UK, I decided to purchase a seed feeder in the naïve assumption that this would save on this mess. However, whilst observing some birds with a friend from a bird hide in Warnham Nature Reserve, I realized the naivety of this assumption, as I saw seed dropping all over the place. And sure enough, that’s what’s been happening. It took a few weeks though before seeing the full effect as it took the birds themselves a while to figure out that this cylindrical object contained good things! Now, I have a balcony that has a fairly liberal sprinkling of seed on it, and plant pots that are bringing forth an abundance of millet and sunflower plants!!! What’s more, there are bird wars being waged over the 4 feeding holes in the container!

My Balcony Garden

In recent phone conversations with my parents, I’ve been hearing about their endeavours to get their garden ready for the winter, and all the work that that entails in cutting things back. Also that temperatures are steadily dropping (this led to the demise of their busy lizzies!). By contrast here, things are heating up after the cool dry season such that I made the decision this morning, having woken up fairly dehydrated, that it was time to move from my Spring duvet to the lighter Summer one. I look forward therefore to an equally comfortable and cosy, though cooler, sleep tonight. Like my parents, I’ve been cutting back a number of the plants on my balcony, However, this is with the sure knowledge that they will continue growing over the next few months, and as the light has increased, probably will do so at a gallop. And this afternoon, I’ve sown some seeds – lettuce and basil – in the hope of a harvest in a few months’ time. Mind you, they’ll have a battle on as the soil I’ve sown them in is a million miles from the wonderful richness of the likes of John Innes or Homebase Multipurpose compost that I’d use in the UK. One pot appeared to have been a termite graveyard going by the number of wings in there, but maybe it’s actually where my househelp has been depositing the sweepings. If I get anything, it’ll be a testimony to the seeds’ endurance. I’ll wait and see. Whilst my ‘garden’ here is somewhat different to the one I had in the UK (a fraction of the size, and covered over), it is very therapeutic to have at least a little patch of green-ness to sit out in the few times that I’m home during daylight hours.

Dirt and Beauty

One of the things that struck me when I got back to Nairobi a month ago from my 7 weeks away was that the sky was a strange brown colour. And going out of town a few weeks back, I was shocked at how brown the countryside had turned in the time I was gone. There too, the air was brown, a result of all the dust that is kicked up by both vehicles and wind. In town, I rather suspect that it’s a combination of dust and pollution. Upper Hill, where I live, is not the prettiest part of town, though decidedly smarter than a lot of places. With all the construction that has been taking place in the neighbourhood, it’s been noticeable that a lot of the roads are covered in dirt. Well, either dirt or rubble and rubbish! (No mechanized roadsweepers here!) Marks for aesthetics therefore would not be great! However, right now, it’s easy to forget this because of the glorious lilac-coloured jacaranda trees that are flowering profusely. Maybe it’s the contrast from the dirt that is making them stand out, or maybe I just marvel at them every year, but they really are very pretty (though some of my friends who are very strong on only having indigenous trees might disagree) and a wonderful distraction from the dirt.

Footpath, Road or General Dumping Ground?

After 6 years of commuting to the office, we moved in April of last year to a location such that I can now walk to work from home. That was wonderful as the 6km commute had become a hour-long (plus) traffic nightmare. However, over the time since we moved, the walk has deteriorated somewhat. To get from my house to the office, I pass through the double compound next door (thankfully, the askari (guard) is very friendly, knows me, and always lets me through), onto the road that is parallel to mine. From there, you get a nice view of the Ngong Hills (as in ‘I had a farm in Africa at the foot of the Ngong Hills’), though I’m sure that when I first came that wasn’t the case. An indication of the ‘development’ (aka construction) that has happened in the neighbourhood, resulting in the chopping down of quite a number of trees, thus revealing the aforeto-concealed view. And then comes, what used to be, a pleasant dirt road down a hill, with a footpath higher up on the bank. Over the last couple of years, this has become quite a thoroughfare for vehicles trying to dodge the traffic. In fact, the volume of vehicles coming down this dirt and rather rocky road, is an indication of the volume of traffic elsewhere, ie how bad the jams are. This got to the extent earlier this year that vehicles began using, what had up to then been, the footpath. That’s now quadrupled in width, and the vegetation inbetween the path and ‘road’ has quickly receded. Because of the vehicle traffic, it seems to be that the route to the office is either a mass of mud, or it’s inches thick in red dust. Either way, you arrive rather less clean than when you set out!

Yesterday at some point, someone started dumping building rubbish there (at least, that’s what it looks like).There were piles of it! Was this an attempt to stop cars going down the ‘footpath’; an effort to do something towards paving it; or was it in fact just a convenient place to dump stuff?! Given what was actually dumped, I’m leaning towards the latter: Sheets of glass aren’t generally the best thing for vehicles to be driving over!! On my way home for lunch today, a friend and I were witness to this dumping, as guys with a wheeled cart full of rubble, tiles, and a blue toilet cistern (!) dumped their load. Unfortunately the toilet was nowhere to be seen (buried?) later – it would have made a great picture! It made me ponder briefly whether men might start using that in preference to peeing at the side of the road into the bushes?!!!!

It seems such a tragedy. That road used to be quite pretty, resembling a rural country lane. Now it’s just a dumping ground, with some of the toxic trash being burnt, and is a ‘super-highway’ (well, okay, not exactly!). Still, as I choke on dust and fumes, and twist my ankle on the uneven ground (I’ve got through 3 pairs of shoes so far on that hill!), when I can lift my eyes up from the ground, the lilac-blossomed jacarandas (which are at their best at the moment) still make it look fairly pretty, and the colourful bee-eaters chattering away on the overhead wires make me smile!!