Friday

Yesterday I came to understand the label that I saw on one of the cars: „drive or die.” I was in Nairobi in the morning. I haven’t missed this city at all. It is full of chaos. People keep clashing with each other quite roughly. I think the traffic lights can be found only in the center of Nairobi but the cars don ´t respect them. So I was waiting for the red light to start walking. The cars don’t slow down if they see a pedestrian crossing the street. And the pedestrians walk wherever. On my journey to the city I was accompanied by one boy, a teacher, who had earphones in his ears the whole time listening to reggae, and then he fell fast asleep on the way home. He was flung from one side (his neighbor) to another (me) and I thought to myself that I could as well go home alone. He probably didn’t mean any wrong, poor kid. It is just a different culture.
In the afternoon I met with the ladies who are responsible for the logistics of my project. I tasted the atmosphere of the Slovak project. I was happy not to be observed by a bunch of curious children for a while.
As it was Friday afternoon I spent several hours in the car with the taxi driver Johann. The distance wasn’t long but there were traffic jams and the drivers did whatever they wanted – meaning they were creating new spontaneous lanes, driving in the opposite direction or on the sidewalk.
The whole city was grey, flooded by smog as if fog was hovering above.
When I finally got home some time before the sunset (after six), I was taken care of by four boys. I was tired and I secretly hoped to have some rest so I told them that I would come later and asked them to wait. Ten minutes later they knocked on my door and accused me of lying. Then they started to argue about my hands – which belongs to whom. The youngest was 7, the oldest was 11.
That morning I read the side effects of anti-malaria drugs and in the evening, after I forgot most of them, I took the first dose. Then I couldn’t fall asleep, waiting for the side effects to come...
By the way, the FIFA trophy arrived to Kenya and President Kibaki was allowed to hold it. Prime Minister Odinga touched it unexpectedly and the trophy guards immediately put them away.