Big City Living

I've discovered that I've not so much suffered culture shock as I have experienced "city shock". Never before have I lived in a city bigger than 50,000...and here I am navigating my way through a city of 3 million! Today I visited the top of the Kenyatta Conference Center, and looked out over the entire city of Nairobi-- it really put into perspective how huge it is! Also, this city simply swarms with people and vehicles. In other big cities there are many people- but they are all moving in one or two directions. But here in Nairobi everyone is going every which way- there are few crosswalks and no rules of the road. The driving here is insane! I've seen huge buses make a U-turn over the median and watched matatus purposely bump each other along. The matatus are little mini buses that follow the same routes as the big buses, but carry only 14 people- and they are notorious for blaring loud music and indulging in crazy driving. Anyways, getting around is quite the adventure. Also, I'm getting used to being a true minority. I usually go all day in downtown Nairobi and see maybe two or three other white people! Also, the level of pollution is taking some getting used to...I'm looking forward to heading out the country soon so I can get some true fresh air. But some aspects of the city I love are the variety and the energy. There are a million different kinds of restaurants and shops, and everyone is always smiling, walking, laughing, rushing, yelling, meeting, and just being...like busy ants in this huge swarming colony.