nomads and housewives

Yola, Nigeria: More Outdoor Markets

2009-05-23T17:17:00.000-07:00

I'm in LA right now for a conference, and I'm amazed at the speed of the internet! It took me about 15 seconds to upload each of the above photos, which would have taken about three hours to upload in Yola, Nigeria, where I live and work. I love acknowledging culture shock! I also love being able to smell the sea air and eat Mexican food, but now is not the time or the place to go on about that.

Instead, I wanted to show you more photos of outdoor markets in my Yola/Jimeta area. If you are in the mood to get a shave, find items to practice juju, or buy handmade mats to cover your food so it can stay warm or to give to your friends as gifts, the Yola/Jimeta area has just what you need. Enjoy and spread the love!

Yola, Nigeria: AU Abroad Comes to Nigeria for Summer Service Learning

2009-05-18T10:22:00.000-07:00

One brave AU Abroad student showed up in Nigeria to take the opportunity of a lifetime by doing a service learning course at American University of Nigeria. Liz Bayer is discussing her seven-week Nigeria summer experience in her blog, which any study abroad student thinking about Africa in general should check out. Here she's with some enthusiastic kids reading a book that came with a nice gold crown, one of the best (but there were lots of 'the best'!) in the recent shipment for community service. Everyone pictured got to wear the crown while the story was read... and of course, everyone deserved to.

Liz is doing her service learning at the Tulsi Chanrai Mission for Vision eye clinic (I blogged about their pediatric eye camp here) and has already absorbed tons about the community, as well as how Nigerians perceive other Nigerians and their surroundings. She also has lots of opinions about the Nigeria reality/media coverage discrepancy. I love being able to give people an opportunity to be fully influenced by their new-turning-into-the-familiar environment!

Yola, Nigeria: Another 62 Books for Community Service

2009-05-18T02:22:00.000-07:00

A big thank you to American University students in D.C, who for a class project sent 62 children's books to me so that they could be used for community service here at American University of Nigeria. Of course, we broke the new and used books in right away, as kids from Karatu Library Foundation enjoyed the shade by reading on their own and being read to by dedicated AUN students. Kudos all around!

Adamawa, Nigeria: Fulani Market Finds

2009-05-16T05:51:00.000-07:00

Ok, I have to say I am beyond frustrated with the internet right now, since the third photo in the four posts I have yet to post will not upload! Internet gods, please listen to my plea and grace me with your favor! Until then folks, please enjoy my recent trip to my favorite place in the area, the Fulani Market held every Wednesday a few minutes from Jimeta. It's farming season, so there's even more hustle and bustle there than usual. I came across a man selling some dope swords with very detailed etchings, and my friend Rachel just had to have her picture taken with two young girls letting the public know that they're looking to get married to someone suitable. Any takers? In case you're interested, they are both wearing knitted beanie caps that have beads strung on them, and loads of bling. One love, y'all...

Abuja, Nigeria: American Homemade Cherry and Apple Pie

2009-05-14T02:16:00.000-07:00

You know the feeling when in some way you've been put through the wringer and then your friends or family do something in their every day lives that changes you mood or attitude? That recently happened to me when I stayed with friends in Abuja. The hard-working loving wife to a gracious husband and mother of two adventurous children spent all day making pies to donate to a fundraiser for her children's school. The whole house was filled with smells that reminded me of the simple things in life. I wish these photos were scratch and sniff because it was the most comforting, warmest smell - the only thing that could match it would be the smell of rain (yes, I'm still obsessed with rain) ...

Pies made with dedication. Table cloth bought locally (also made with dedication).

Eye Charts: Vision Testing in Nigeria and India

2009-05-05T07:37:00.000-07:00

I've been in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, for a few days now and since I'm not much in the know about this place it's been hard to find consistent internet... but now, after over a week, I'm able to post. Lots of things in my life have drastically changed, which makes me think about my vision - for the future, in reference to the past, and most of all for how I want to live in the present. And of course, all this thinking led me to thinking about my mini obsession with vision tests in different countries - the first from Mission for Vision in Yola, the second at a friend's 'office space' (with a nice bar) in Yola, and then Mission for Vision in India. Do you have any pictures of other countries' vision tests?

Yola, Nigeria: Rain and the AUN University Club Pool

2009-04-24T03:47:00.000-07:00

The pictures are out of order to the story I'm about to tell, but I'll walk you through it, don't worry...

Some times, looks can be deceiving. Here is the AUN University Club in Yola on a nice day (pics #2 and #3). A few hours later it got even better, because it started to RAIN (pic #1). I can't tell you how nice a cool wind and wetness feels after a strong, beating sun for months on end! A short few minutes later, the rain storm ended (but another one that lasted a half hour or so came a few days later). We've been having such generator problems with any facility related to AUN that now we can't use the pool because the pump won't work on the electricity provided... and the machines and the air conditioners at the gym won't work because it's the same problem. I live for the treadmill, mostly because it's too bloody hot to walk for more than five minutes at a time outside. It's a bit frustrating to be dealing with all of this, but when I see these photos I feel like we are so lucky to even have a facility available to us here like this in such a rural location. I've decided to count my lucky stars instead of complaining of the above and about how I can't post as much as I'd like to these days because of internet problems. Is there something that you've been taking for granted lately?

Yola, Nigeria: Fulani Wedding Getting to the Perfect Picture

2009-04-19T08:23:00.000-07:00

"Baby, look at the camera," the Mama said in Fulani, over and over again. Take your pick of which one is your favorite. I love them all, in their own perfect picture way.

Jimeta, Nigeria: Jimeta Market Plastic Mat Seller

2009-04-15T12:12:00.000-07:00

We have so many students reading to kids, I have to get some boxes to hold all the books we take out for community service. Jimeta Market seemed as good of a place as any. I was distracted from the plastic container shop because the mat seller's shop was much more colorful. I asked if I could take pictures of the mats, because they were so beautiful. The various men in and around the shop took interest in what I was shooting. Some of them wanted their photo taken. I obliged, of course. The man you see above did not initially want his photo taken, but when he saw his friends mugs he started setting the stage, propping up mats and unfolding them just so. This was a classic 'getting to the perfect picture' moment. He was pleased with the outcome and so was I. I haven't returned since, but when I do, I know he'll be psyched. Enjoy the color!

Yola, Nigeria: Clouds and Rain!

2009-04-14T01:20:00.000-07:00

Sorry I've been so quiet, but I've been a bit under the weather for some time. I am excited to report though that we have gotten our first rain of the year! It's so exciting to see clouds, feel wind, and not have it be so HOT as the rain, rain, rain pours down. Have a very pleasant day, just like we're enjoying!

Yola, Nigeria: Cattle of the World

2009-04-03T04:26:00.000-07:00

Mooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.

Crafting: Cross Stitch Beginning from A Girl in the Bush

2009-04-02T04:04:00.000-07:00

I can only show you part of my accomplishment since my first attempt at cross stitching was subversive cross stitching, and I don't use offensive language here. Despite some (mostly?) uneven stitches, I'm very proud of my work, since the only thing that I drew out before I stitched were the letters... the heart, the vines, and the leaves were all done 'free hand'. I don't know enough about cross stitching to know whether this is standard or stupid, but it was nice to work with my hands and think about something other than all the challenges of living in the bush (with semi-working water, generators, and electricity).

Yola, Nigeria: Pretty in Pink Fulani Wedding Party

2009-04-01T02:48:00.000-07:00

Bridesmaids? Matrons? Attendants? I don't know what to call the role of these stunning ladies to the bride, but they were all there to support their friend in her new marriage (bride not shown). More pics of this fun event throughout the week...

Yola, Nigeria: Fulani Wedding Baby with Henna Hands Mom

2009-03-30T03:06:00.000-07:00

This weekend I went to an all female post-wedding party that I was invited to by a friend who, after 25 years of blissful marriage to his only wife, is taking on a second so that she can watch over his eight children while the first wife goes to school to get her teaching certificate. I was one of only two women at the party who had a camera, so I played unprofessional photographer nearly the whole time, which was great fun. When a beautifully hennaed mom/guest requested that I take a photo of her sleeping baby I couldn't help but wish I was still small enough to fit in the cradle of my mother's arms again and fall into deep sleep while everyone kept to the busy party rhythm around me...

Yola, Nigeria: Daily Fruit and Veggies

2009-03-26T11:45:00.000-07:00

A road side vegetable seller inspired my first post on this blog, and I couldn't help taking more photos recently when a friend and I stocked up on our weekly run for nutrients here in Yola, Nigeria. What are you eating where you are?

Nairobi, Kenya: Design by Kelly Jo for Kifaru Part II

2009-03-26T03:02:00.000-07:00

eric wainaina's office corner close up (obviously)

my old office desk cleaned up - i miss all that variety of fruit and the funky lamps!

This morning I remembered all the color in my old Nairobi office that I shared with Eric Wainaina and several other spectacular people. If you've read about my design labor of love in our old office you know how hard it is for me to stare at the white walls I have in my new office here in Nigeria - which I keep saying I'll paint and don't because of 1)the lack of paint colors available and 2)the HEAT. If you happen to be in Nairobi don't forget to check out Eric live on Thursday nights at Club Afrique. It's live music and energy you don't want to miss!

Brooklyn, USA: Chanel Kennebrew and Junk Prints are Role Models

2009-03-25T00:01:00.000-07:00

this necklace is made out of a record, $34 here

Happy Birthday to JunkPrints Bag (sold out, since there was only one and I BOUGHT IT!)

no longer for sale, but don't you wish it was?

rock you faces tee commissioned by earl greyhound (2000 sold out in two weeks. WORD), colored fountain tee $30 here, binary opposition tee $39 here

Chanel Kennebrew, who runs JunkPrints (in the mist of doing a bunch of other creative things) is a bit off topic of this blog since I usually show under represented regions (of which Brooklyn is not), or underrepresented people and design (which Chanel and her company do not represent), but both the diva and the company are such role models I just had to highlight them here. So if you don't know, well... now ya know. Etsy has featured JunkPrints and interviewed Chanel, other bloggers have discussed her productivity, and companies have commissioned her amazing collages and other creative works of art. Chanel seems to channel humankind and funkiness (my favorite combination) in her work (Hello? Necklaces made out of records!?!?), making sure the wearer of her art looks colorful while representing uniqueness (cue one of a kind JunkPrint bags). Chanel also returns answers to inquiries right quick and is always on point. Check out JunkPrints at her Etsy store and see the creativeness being processed on Chanel's blog. There ain't no way you're gonna be disappointed in these role models!

Yola, Nigeria: Getting to the Perfect Photo

2009-03-24T01:46:00.000-07:00

You know you have a ton of photos (especially with digital cameras) that lead up to the ONE shot that shows everything you want it to - the smiling faces, the model poses, the vivid colors, the natural light - the perfect photo. That can sometimes be hard to get here, since most Africans think photos should show somberness and stiffness, with eyes gazing down (children young enough to not yet be trained in this are usually the exact opposite), going against most Western sensibilities. And then there's the African sun - the light during the day makes it hard to delve into the depth that one wants the camera to record. I usually try to capture the moment by getting to know people before I take their photos, so that they can let their guard down a bit, understanding that I'll see them again and probably provide them with a copy of a photo snapped the last time we were together - and usually in the shade. At community service last week for American University of Nigeria our driver, Ali, wanted our group photo to be SO perfect he took time to make sure the kids had lined themselves up properly and had our new children's books just right. The sun still washes some of it out, but I think the lead up to our perfect photo is more priceless than the actual 'perfect' photo. What do you think?

Ali ends up pictured on the left in our 'perfect' photo, looking like he had nothing to do with the arrangement... the sly fox, that one.

Kenya and Nigeria: Jello Shots, Imported Wine and Whiskey, and African Beer

2009-03-23T08:45:00.000-07:00

Drinking occurs sometimes in places I happen to be. The first photo is last year in Nairobi at a friend's bachelorette party, and the rest are in Yola/Jimeta, Nigeria at a birthday party, in a moving vehicle, and at the University Club. Weirdly enough, a friend just posted a link to a New York Times article about what people drink. Hmmmmmmmm.

Cheers!

Yola, Nigeria: Evolve into Second Hand Clothing

2009-03-23T04:01:00.000-07:00

front.

back.

We just couldn't help ourselves in laughing at the situation. A good friend went inside a second hand clothing shop in Yola (with mostly Muslim, extremely conservative residents), spent 300 Naira (about $2 US), and came out with this tshirt. Lemme let you figure out why it is so inappropriate. It was a perfect gift for a friend we both know here, who will happily wear it (but probably not out in public).

Yola, Nigeria: Homemade Pizza

2009-03-20T13:43:00.000-07:00

the final product.

dough.

some toppings.

wendy getting ready to bake.

There is nothing like hanging out for girls' night making homemade pizza and art. Granted, if we all lived in a big city the green and black olives and mushrooms would be fresh and not canned (me and another friend peeled all of the olives from their pits), but we'll take what we can get here in Yola (the cheese was a special treat and was DIVINE) - especially because I don't actually have a kitchen, so if I want to do any cooking I have to borrow a friend's kitchen. This particular girls' night a week ago I learned how to do subversive cross stitch after we stuffed ourselves on pizza. I finished my new work of art last night. I'm so proud of it and will try and post tasteful pictures of it soon...

Yola, Nigeria: Portrait of a Woman Looking to Her Future

2009-03-20T12:04:00.000-07:00

me again.

Yola, Nigeria: St. Theresa's School Moto Painted

2009-03-20T00:01:00.000-07:00

I gotta say, this week has absolutely sucked for me, professionally and personally, but I'll get through. At least these hand painted signs at St. Theresa's Primary School provide hand made hope for the thousands of kids who pass through its gates... I can take inspiration from that.

Yola, Nigeria: Flower Power Inspiration

2009-03-18T00:01:00.000-07:00

The University Club has some great flowers outside their main doors. Just a burst of life before getting inside for some good grub and air conditioning (most of the time). These colors of nature make me happy...

Nairobi, Kenya: Matatu Love

2009-03-17T00:01:00.000-07:00

i miss my rides... public transportation at its best. i took these pictures my last week in nairobi - april 2008 *sigh*.

Hyderabad, India: Scribbly Katia Covers American University of Nigeria's Community Service with Amadi's Snowman

2009-03-16T02:05:00.000-07:00

This big, wide world can be so small at times - especially in the blogging universe. My new friend, Katia, author of Amadi's Snowman, who I've written about before, just posted something on us here in Nigeria reading to kids with her book about a Nigerian boy. Please check out her post here.

I gotta tell ya, the kids we read to loooooooooove reading about all kinds of things (hardbound with colorful pictures and few words work best). If you have any suggestions for more titles of African themed books or want to send some love over here, please leave a comment or shoot me an email (for those in the know).

Na gode (thank you)!

Picture below is from last Friday's American University of Nigeria's community service at St. Theresa's Primary School in Jimeta. Do you remember reading Harry, The Dirty Dog?

Yola, Nigeria: Mansions and Villages

2009-03-15T08:02:00.000-07:00

Nigeria is a place of extremes. In this instance, a big house (on the left) that someone will probably only use a week or two out of a year is being built next to a village just off the main road. I find it really weird/interesting/alarming, but really, it's just life.

World View in Color: Sky, Desert, and Snow

2009-03-12T01:52:00.000-07:00

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Jimeta, Nigera

Versailles, France
. . .
separate views, separate moods, separate seasons.
same life.
mine.

Mozambique: Great Hotels, Soft Sand Beaches, and the Indian Ocean

2009-03-11T03:21:00.000-07:00

I'm still stuck in beach mode, remembering my fabulous vacation in Mozambique a little over a year ago. We stayed in backpackers' places and we stayed in nice hotels (after all, it WAS vacation). In Maputo, it was hard not to fall in love with Hotel Polana (run by the Serena Hotel Group that has fabulous places to stay in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda), with its fabulous palm trees out by the pool, its fun little umbrellas to shade in, its bar, and its comfortable rooms. I've always felt hotels with pools that have a great view of the beach are tacky (why chlorine when you have NATURE?) - until I stayed here! Definately worth the money if you live in hardcore conditions and need some reprive.

All the photos represent our Mozambique travels on the costal lower third of the country. It's not a country you can even pretend to fully cover all in one go (HUGE country, bad roads, etc.), so make sure you plan lots of time inbetween just a few destinations.

Happy travels!

Lamu, Kenya: Island Life with Dhows

2009-03-09T06:44:00.000-07:00

Fine. I'm obsessed with complaining that I'm hot all the time here in Yola - and I'm obsessed with Lamu. What I wouldn't give for the sea breeze of car-less (donkeys only!) Lamu right now, sitting on a dhow (wooden sail boat), with henna feet (organized by the hotel management), hanging out with my friend Satan (who's in the last picture with my mother in a dhow on our most recent visit to Lamu - this is my absolute favorite picture of my mom), drinking fresh juice. Satan's wife runs Lamu House, which you have to stay at if you can afford to, since it's peaceful, divine, on the water, and actually in Lamu Town (instead of Shela, where most of the tourists stay). I love staying at Stone House, a few meters away from Lamu House, because it's beautiful, affordable, has a great roof top deck/dining area, and the staff are extremely friendly (admittedly, it's hard to find hotel staff that aren't friendly in Lamu). If these choices aren't enough, book a two night flying package through Twiga Tours -tell Sharifa KJ sent you! - in Sarit Centre, Westlands, Nairobi to stay at one of the many guest houses in Lamu Town or Shela.

The dhows of Lamu! Each dhow has it's own name, with a crew (complete with a captain!) guaranteed to keep you as laid back as possible. It's easy to book a dhow for a half or full day with lunch included either to go fishing, visit historical sites, or just to be on the water without a care in the world.

Lamu memories... the only thing better is being there in the moment.

Jimeta, Nigeria: American University of Nigeria's Community Service at St. Theresa's Primary School

2009-03-06T11:45:00.000-08:00

My students broke out the new donated books and mats Friday at St. Theresa's Primary School in Jimeta for American University of Nigeria's community service. Here are some of our immediate favorites (links to Amazon for fast ordering, but first try your favorite neighborhood bookstore):

Beautiful Blackbird written and illustrated by Ashley Bryan

Head, Body, Legs: A Story From Liberia by Won-Ldy Paye and Margaret H.Lippert - illustrated by Julie Paschkis

Good Night Moon by Margaret Wise Brown - illustrated by Clement Hurd

Corduroy illustrated by Don Freeman
Time to Say "Please!" by Mo Willems
Amadi's Snowman by Katia Novet Saint-Lot - illustrated by Dimitria Tokunbo

Welcome Dede: An African Naming Ceremony by Ifeoma Onyefulu

The kids loved the colors, and I love the sturdiness of the mostly hard cover books. Yola/Jimeta dust and heat can't bring this book project down! More favorites to report on next week...

Jimeta, Nigeria: 'Losing My Religion' Sticker Love

2009-03-06T09:50:00.001-08:00

Religion is a very important part of daily life everywhere in Africa, but I have to say I love the way it's expressed through stickers in this area of Yola/Jimeta, Nigeria. From a car showered with dust, still sticker reminders of God (enthroned in Nigeria!), faded and edges torn, stick to the window like they'll never come off. Today I went to a local Jimeta business and the walls were covered with religious stickers (and some not so religious - see the biologist sticker and the petroleum sticker the third photo down?). Interesting, no?

Yola, Nigeria: American University of Nigeria Received a Shipment of Children's Books!

2009-03-04T11:14:00.000-08:00

I've written so much about community service and getting children's books here, I wanted to let you all know the first shipment of 61 donated children's books from the U.S. arrived today, intact and undamaged! So the experiment worked, meaning send, send, send away! Na Gode Muku ('thank you' from me to you (pl.) in Housa) to all that contributed, and to those that are spreading the word about what we're doing here. This is truly amazing!

Yola, Nigeria: Questions from an Expat Resident of Rural Africa

2009-03-04T09:48:00.000-08:00

ConOil Petrol Station: petrol probably comes in to the station about once a week or so (which runs out within the day, so that the station becomes a place to park in the shade rather than to get your car filled with gas). Alice was collecting the money -obviously. Why are gas stations strapped for petrol in an oil rich country?

Why 70% broken nuts? And why in a bottle that you nearly have to break to actually get to the nuts?

Me spinning out of control at the University Club. Skirt by fabindia (bought in Delhi), tshirt by Lucky Brand Jeans (bought in Dubai), haircut by Richard at Axis (paid for in Washington, D.C.), ankle tattoos by folks in D.C, San Francisco, Delhi, and Atlanta, harmattan and hot by Mother Nature. Why is it so hot... really?

This is just outside of my apartment compound across the street from the university. I just love the sign, mostly because the 's' on the end of 'student' came a few days later and doesn't quite match the rest of the letters (can you see that?). Cows, trucks, and achabas dominate area. Where are the cows' caretakers? How do the cows know how to get home?

It's always busy at the two grocery stores that the American University of Nigeria employees and students frequent. John, who is always behind the counter at the Luka grocery store in Jimeta, is ready to wheel and deal for a regular customer. Why does it seems like everyone in Nigeria is on their cell phone, but no one has credit?

One of the youngest students at the Karatedo class offered at the University Club had his outfit washed by the housekeeper... who washed it with something red. Now it's tie dye, which I think makes it more fun! Why is no one swimming in the pool behind this kid?

Why don't more people make comments in the comment section on my posts? Why does blogging always make me feel better after a bad day?

Nigeria: Quilt Your Old Jeans

2009-03-03T10:10:00.000-08:00

It's been a while I suppose, since I wrote about design first instead of location. My friend Ann, who lives in Abuja, Nigeria, is a genius when it comes to quilting. She whipped this creation up for her son in a few short weeks. It's made of old jeans donated by her children and their friends. I love how she utilized the back jean pockets so that her son's stuffed animals can fit in, just where he needs them. And the red buttons... oooooohhhhh, lovely bursts of brightness! The pillows are so comfortable, and she was nice enough to give me one. Enjoy your comfortable bed tonight, and see if you can't remaster a way to use your old jeans...

India: Flower Power Inspiration

2009-03-02T03:36:00.000-08:00

Is it just me in my limited blog world or are lots of folks posting about greenery lately? A Bloomsbury Life, My Marrakesh, Design*Sponge, and Daily Dose of Green have all been streaming images of nature, flowers, and gardens into my conciseness. So I thought I'd post my own little memory haven of natural wonder, from my recent trip to India. May you feel inspired by my Christmas in Dehra Dun, or the beautiful rest stops full of potted plants we stopped at on our road trip there from Delhi, or even the single buds of I-don't-know-what (I love nature, but I am in no way a green thumb or have the encyclopedic knowledge it takes to remember Latin names). Or just chalk this posting up to being hot and sandy in Yola, Nigeria (Why, YES, i can in fact taste the dust from the Sahara!).

Yola, Nigeria: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Community Service

2009-02-28T04:51:00.000-08:00

It's been one of those weeks... the kind where things just don't seem to be going right no matter how hard I wanted them to. I always look forward to Fridays, when the American University of Nigeria students and I go out into the Yola/Jimeta community and read to children. This Friday, transport was late, and when we finally got to the school we were supposed to be reading at - instead of school children - we found adults. Adults who had just slaughtered a cow in honor of it being... Friday, maybe?... and who were distributing meat in a very organized fashion. This had to go right, it just HAD to... we could still read to SOMEONE, right? Right?!?!?!

After all, we had books and mats borrowed from Karatu, a large bus load of university students, and a big dirt (now bloodied) field, but... no kids. This is Africa, however (and it probably would happen in Bangladesh or India, or Argentina, but this is the place I know best). Sheer will and the law of gravity caused us to be able to continue with our mission. Not many vehicles drive into the village we were in, and soon enough curious children peeked from around their houses or stopped playing with their sticks to find out just what we were doing there. We laid the mats out and pretty soon little, interested bodies were surrounding us...

So we read...

...and read...

... and read...

...and everyone was happy! Satisfied adults with portions of meat to feed their families and children who got to read books on a Friday afternoon. All was right in the world - just in the nick of time for my sanity.

Northern Michigan: Watervale

2009-02-27T02:33:00.000-08:00

If you ever wanted to find out the word on good music and great live shows, my friend John's blog is the place to hit! I wish internet was fast enough here in Yola that I could see and hear all his amazing postings. Being so far away from most of my friends and all of my family, it's nice to be in regular communication with the ones I love. John emailed me the picture above right when I needed it most (I've been getting a lot of special treats lately at at just the right time!). I know Watervale is a haven for many, and this photo takes me back to my view when this picture was taken - my favorite dock, my favorite lake, and a special friend looking back at me.

Yola, Nigeria: Harmattan

2009-02-26T22:23:00.000-08:00

mid-day... forty degrees celsius... just down the road from the American University of Nigeria... the sun can't be seen through the sand in the air from the sahara... folks are tired... yes, harmattan is still here.

Nigeria: Jewel by Lisa for Vlisco

2009-02-26T03:14:00.000-08:00

photos by Bella Niaja (if you can't tell already)

There I was, going through my fabulous friend's blog (you all 'auda know Brandie by now!) when I decided to google Vlisco again, since Brandie is always so blown away by their ad campaigns for their fabrics (textiles?). I found myself drawn to this site, Bella Niaja, which had photos of the fantastic Jewel by Lisa for Vlisco that just showed recently in Lagos. I don't know much about fashion - except for my own - so I'll let the sites do their own talking, but I love BLING in any form, which these photos display in style. Stunning!

My Birthday

2009-02-26T03:00:00.000-08:00

Ok, so it was a bit ago, but you know how I love to reminisce. There were three of us (plus the chef who was nice enough to make an appearance). There was Mexican food. There were appropriate beverages. Pure bliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiisssssssssssss.

Dehra Dun, India: Mushroom Growers' Hospitality

2009-02-25T01:19:00.000-08:00

Moving from the present in Yola, Nigeria to memories of December in Dehra Dun, India...

I've been to India four times, and I have lots more trips to make there. If you are headed there soon, off the beaten path, when you might need a little break from the goings on of all the tourist sites, head north of Delhi to Dehra Dun, where in the foothills of the Himalayas you can relax with the best mushroom farmers in the area - Mr. and Mrs. S.L Dabral, otherwise known as Pa and Ma. Check out the beautiful Forestry Institute, and then ask around for them. They live nearby on Vasant Vihar Street. They are the most hospitable couple in the whole state, and they will take you on a personal tour of their mushroom farm about a half and hour drive away up in the hills. Enjoy the fresh air, the cool temperature, the beautiful view, and their delicious mushrooms. You won't be disappointed!

Yola, Nigeria: Achaba Love (from a distance)

2009-02-24T06:53:00.000-08:00

The Housa word for motorcycle taxis is achaba (apparently they're called okatas in the south of Nigeria), and here in Yola/Jimeta they come in all variations of distress, either from the bike itself, the driver, the passengers, or all three (I wish I was fast enough with my camera to have documented the achaba that had the driver, three men - one was holding a bicycle upside down on his lap - and one small boy going at what seemed to be the speed of light). Not the safest way to ride around, but one of the only options for the local population. Achabas: interesting to ride for a short trip less than five minutes; pretty dangerous for anything longer than ten minutes (especially since it seems most Nigerian drivers don't need to actually pass a driving test to get their licenses). What are you getting around in?

Books to Nigeria: Another Action for Community Service

2009-02-24T04:07:00.000-08:00

I'm on a mission - to have children's books sent to Nigeria, so that students at the American University of Nigeria can read to children in the community using appropriate reading materials that increase their self esteem and imagination. I've blogged about it before here and here. The final day I was in D.C. for my business trip I sent off another 25 books - this time by priority mail at the U.S. Post Office. It was easy! The two boxes of books cost $106 to send (about $53 dollars each). I'm looking forward to the day when now, in total, four boxes of books will arrive... that is, unless you send your own box to me, at Kelly Jo Bahry, American University of Nigeria, PMB 2250, Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria. I'm looking for new or used children's books that are all about simplicity, have lots of pictures and few words, or are counting or spelling themed. Don't you feel inspired now?

The Drifting Nomad: Good Folks to Support

2009-02-23T08:05:00.000-08:00

So there I am in D.C, jet lagged as all heck, meeting after meeting after meeting, carrying my computer around hoping at some point I'll be able to put something together on it, when all of a sudden I realize I don't actually HAVE my computer any more. WHERE IS IT? I search everywhere I can remember being, until finally (was it at 11pm?) a friend gives me the number of the cafe at the Takoma Park Metro stop (in Maryland), The Drifting Nomad, I was in earlier. I check the next morning. Austin and Jessica, the nice people who were on their work shift at The Drifting Nomad when I called, were kind enough to tell me they had my computer, and made sure I was me by asking me what kind of computer it was and what was in the computer bag (I didn't actually know since I couldn't put a sentence together at that point, but I managed to convince them). So next time you're in Takoma Park, or next time you need a good dose of nice folks, go to The Drifting Nomad. Frankly, in this day and age, anybody who can hold a computer for a very seemingly dumb customer who left it behind, is gotta be a good person, and work for a good company... and I'm not just saying that because they're fellow nomads... just walk outside the Takoma Park Metro and there it is.

thanks Austin and Jessica!

they've got great hot chocolate with yummy whipped cream!

Amsterdam: Urban Expressions of Design and Richard Avedon

2009-02-23T07:09:00.000-08:00

Take a girl out of Yola, Nigeria, drop her in Amsterdam for less than 24 hours, and what do you get? Wonder at the world of urban expression, in the form of graffiti, stickers, or art with spray paint. Bonus! The planets aligned so I could experience a great exhibit from one of the best photographers of our time. You might have the same fate, if you're lucky (are fate and luck two opposite afflictions?). Richard Avedon: Photographs 1946-2004 is showing at FOAM until May 2009. Definitely worth it...

this image taken from FOAM, all others above, as usual, by yours truly

Study Abroad Kenya: Student Reunion

2009-02-19T10:18:00.000-08:00

Many of my former students from Kenya (25 of the 96, plus one we 'adopted') welcomed me back to D.C. with a party to gossip about their friends, families, and experiences from their time in Kenya, share stories about how they went back or are planning on going back to Kenya, or to find out what the scoop is about the new summer abroad program starting in Nigeria. My mission is to get Africa in to the heads and hearts of those who've never had a previous interest, and my students are my number one plan of attack, because they now can infiltrate in nooks and crannies (families, friends, professors, workmates) I don't have access to. I'm like a proud mama, I know...

Donated Books: Kids' Paradise

2009-02-18T04:35:00.000-08:00

In D.C. yesterday, boxes and piles of books waited for me to come sift through them lovingly, share them with students and adults who reminisced about their favorite books from their own childhoods, giggle at the pictures and words they offered, delight in the absurdity that friends and strangers from all corners of this earth sent me their finds, so that American University of Nigeria students can read to kids in the twin cities of Yola/Jimeta. We say MUN GODE ('thank you (plural) in Housa). The first experiment went to UPS - 61 appropriate children's books that cost $336 to send and should arrive (cross your fingers) in a few weeks time. Another experiment from the U.S. Postal Service will go out today. Send, send, send away...

Need to know more? Check out my post here to find out what's what.

Yola, Nigeria: Harmattan

2009-02-18T03:25:00.000-08:00

I'm in D.C. for a business trip, so the severe change from harmattan (pictured above: dusty wind from the Sahara - nooooo, that's not fog this student is walking into!) in Yola, Nigeria to blue sky in D.C. (pictured below) is quite an adjustment (I'm actually ok with the temperature changes). I'm told that in the few days I've been in D.C. harmattan back in Nigeria has finished, but I don't think I believe my friends who miss me and want me back in Yola, pronto!

Love from Washington, D.C: A Fly By

2009-02-17T04:06:00.000-08:00

It is not the critic who counts, nor the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly, who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat.

- Taken from FlyBrother who lifted it from Theodore Roosevelt with props

Global Love: Matt's Answer to "Where the Heck is Community?"

2009-02-16T07:56:00.000-08:00

There's a larger story to this video that I can't publish here, all I want to know is of this makes you wanna cry, laugh, dance, and hug the person next to you, all at the same time? like it does me?

Yola, Nigeria: Primary Health Care Project and AUN Study Abroad

2009-02-12T07:20:00.000-08:00

Now that I've outed my job to you let me take it a step further and tell you about another fantastic project with the Tulsi Chanrai Foundation's Mission for Primary Health in Yola. Dr. Kar (husband to the Dr. Kar, opthamologist extraordinaire, who I have already raved about a few days ago here), runs a program which I described briefly here, dealing with reducing maternal and infant deaths in Adamawa State. Mission for Primary Health has set up a system in which 20 clinics function in the area to deal with emergencies AND health information, all for little or no financial cost to the patients. Look how happy these mothers and their babies (and primary health care attendants, as documented in the second photo) are!

I am proud to say that AU Abroad at American University has decided to offer their students the chance to study abroad at the American University of Nigeria, with a particular focus on internships in Yola. Mission for Primary Health, Mission for Vision, and Karatu (who I have blogged about here) have all agreed host these internships for the study abroad students and AUN students this summer. If you're interested in this opportunity, check out what the AU Abroad program/AUN in Yola, Nigeria is offering...

Yola: American University of Nigeria, Community Service/Books Wanted

2009-02-10T04:06:00.000-08:00

yola school children in front of their english lesson

aun community service volunteers reading to yola school children

aun students/community service volunteers engaging yola school children

we don't just read. we find time for playing, also

are you getting the point? one book, how many kids?

having nigerian mentors means a lot to nigerian children who don't often get one on one time with any adult. in tandem, university students connect with people (mostly children) that they would have never interacted with otherwise, creating responsibility, respect, and empathy where there might not have been any before this kind of experience. in the eyes of these university students, the school children are no longer victims that they need to 'save', but active, excited, little people who want to spend time with them.

school children running after the university students who engaged them in a little bit of fun

some american university of nigeria (aun) community service participants

Plain and simple, we need books. Children's books. The kind of books that can handle hundreds of small, curious kids pulling at them, pointing at them, loving them, with lots of pictures and few words. The kind of books that teach tolerance and wonder, with protagonists and characters that might resemble the kids in this community of Yola/Jimeta, Nigeria. I've written a bit about reading to kids in Yola already, but, you see, the program of community service at the American University of Nigeria (AUN) has expanded in such a way that we are outgrowing the resources we can borrow from. I am asking a lot, I know. It's very uncomfortable for me; I've never made this kind of request before. I want you to send me books (no other gifts please!) in Nigeria to:

Kelly Jo Bahry

Director of Study Abroad and Service Learning

American University of Nigeria

PMB 2250

Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria

AFRICA

We are not an NGO. We are a university reaching out to the community - Nigerians engaging other Nigerians (as seen in the photos above), and everyone growing from everyone else - a cross-pollination of learning, if you will. We are asking for books from afar because, frankly, the selection to be found in Abuja and Yola is lacking, and less than durable. Our university students are raising funds so that they can contribute to this same effort, but because we are all here and you're all THERE, wherever you are in the world, you might be able to contribute something so that a little child in Yola can have not only someone read to them a few hours a week (personal attention, play time, etc.), but can have the materials that they can refer to and learn from. When you do send us books, please make a comment below so that I can expect what's to come. Trips to the post office are often not as smooth going here as many of you are used to. I'll keep you posted (he, he, get it? POSTED? Ok, maybe not so funny...).

Yola, Nigeria: From Car Trunk to Club Table, Elephant Fish Lunch

2009-02-09T08:40:00.000-08:00

Living just ten minutes from the Benue River in Adamawa State, Nigeria; there are a few dietary perks. One is having fresh Elephant Fish caught, then driven to the AU University Club ten minutes away, where it's purchased for a LOT of money (well worth it!), and then cooked with simplicity so that it can be served to many, many customers who like a little variation in their diet (the hot sauce accompanying the fish was a particular extravagance). I'm just trying to show all those doctors who say foreigners shouldn't eat anything that hasn't been cooked to a pulp in Africa (I know it sounds so000 20th century, but it still happens) that fresh, properly prepared food can be healthy and delicious. What's on your plate for lunch?

Pediatric Eye Camp in Nigeria: Mission for Vision/Tulsi Chanrai Foundation

2009-02-04T05:16:00.000-08:00

a day before the surgery when this blind child with her mother will see

me (second from right) and the team of inspirational surgeons and assistants who did amazing work

over the course of an intense week

a good lap (my own!) helps the patient reach the tools needed to determine how the surgery went. the most incredible opthamologist, dr. kar, is on the right

removing the soft cataract of a child, which hardens into adulthood

there were many determined mothers with children who could not anticipate having sight the very next day, but will be able to seeeeeeeeeeeee

a nurse lulls a toddler to sleep after he was sedated. seems much more relaxing than our hands off approach

this girl is too old to have her sight fully restored since her brain no longer recognizes the electrical impulses for sight, even with surgery, but now she can 'see' shadow and light, which will give her plenty more opportunities into adulthood than she would have had otherwise. she smiled at feeling the flash from my camera. she wasn't able to do that the day before

seconds after the procedure finished of removing cataracts in both eyes for this child. within six weeks he will be able to wear thick glasses and have most of his sight

this father learns that the cataract surgery was not successful because his son has more eye problems than were initially determined, such as a detached retina and plenty of other issues that will prevent him from having sight

The Tulsi Chanrai Foundation's Mission for Vision had a pediatric eye camp for 47 rural children who were sponsored to come to the capital of Abuja, Nigeria with a parent or guardian to have their cataracts removed under anesthesia (which is not available outside of Abuja or Lagos). Most of the surgeries were successful - some were not. I was granted inside access with my camera and was able to arrange some American University of Nigeria students to sponsor four Yola children's surgeries (roughly US $430 for transport, food and board, and the surgery itself). This experience was very moving for all involved, and the organization is extraordinary, as I've blogged about already. The Tulsi Chanrai Foundation's Mission for Vision is planning on having a pediatric camp like this every few months, so stay tuned and stay an active participant in your global community...

Abuja, Nigeria Billboard: Hakuna Matata?

2009-02-03T08:01:00.000-08:00

I call this the 'hakuna matata' effect... the Kiswahili (the language of Swahili) term for 'no problem'. Thanks to the movie The Lion King the term is now universally known, but way overused to tourists in Kenya and, in my own personal estimation, unusual to see in an African country like Nigeria that doesn't use Kiswahili. I am torn between being extremely annoyed of the term outside of usual conversation and extremely excited that Kiswahili seems to be spreading...

Paris: Skyline and Graffiti Design

2009-02-02T05:03:00.000-08:00

I know I'm now enjoying myself in Yola, Nigeria, and that this second image is a little blurry, but I can't help but miss the feeling I had when I took these photos in Paris a few weeks ago. The sun shining on a snow covered day (Yola during the Harmattan does not equal cold and crisp), and then seeing this graffiti while taking an evening stroll to a Parisian restaurant (Yola does have good food and company, but it's still different) at the exact moment I was reminding myself that just because I live in a rural area doesn't mean I can't dress up... this was only one of many serendipitous happenings during my stay there. Yola is always full of surprises, so I'll get my head out of the clouds soon enough and provide photographic evidence to come of how wondrous this Nigerian world is...

Africa Ankle Tattoo with Dubai Henna

2009-01-30T05:54:00.000-08:00

I'm sure you know by now with my prior post about henna designs how much I'm addicted to henna. I like the old anti-drug commercial "This is your brain: this is your brain on drugs." Well, this is my ankle and tattoo: this is my ankle and tattoo complimented by Dubai designed henna. I just can't get enough of henna, and I think of all my Kenya, Ethiopia, and India testings of where to find the best henna design, Dubai beats them all. I just found out that I can get hennaed in Yola, Nigeria, where I live, so I'll let you know how that goes. For now though, I just wanted to show off. Because, really, a woman can never have too much henna. Now in true infomercial form: Find your best henna design today!

Worshiping in Neon: Hindu Temples in India

2009-01-30T05:09:00.000-08:00

Dehradun, India had just as many temples and worship places as any other space in India, but this particular place held some kind of grip on me. Maybe it was the neon signs and the way my host put red paste on my forehead when we were finished elbowing our way through the crowds of worshipers....

Pomegranetes: Nectar of the Gods

2009-01-28T07:48:00.000-08:00

I'm feeling nostalgic today again after talking to someone I lost contact with about 17 years ago. I was whooshed back to memories of my childhood fort after passing this pomegranate stand in Old Delhi a few weeks back, and I searched through my thousands of photos of my trips to find this particular one. Fruit will always have a place on my plate, but in the pomegranate's case, it's more appropriate to say its place is stained onto my fingers, onto my clothes, and onto my lips...

Food Lover's Guide to the World: Dubai, India, Abuja, Paris

2009-01-26T07:40:00.000-08:00

Over the last seven weeks I have been to many places that I don't live in. I haven't discussed food in a while, so I thought I'd give you a glimpse into some of my culinary experiences on the road (not in the order I traveled in).

inside a dubai grocery store. i ate two donuts (if my memory serves me correctly, i think it was the first time since i was a child), one glazed and one with neon green frosting. i felt obliged since i have a family member who is running a chain of dunkin' donuts in the states. i didn't get the coffee, but i support anything that gives starbucks a run for it's money!

sezzam restaurant in dubai. i had sushi, but i was distracted by my book and the view of all the skiers inside the mall of emirates to actually think about taking photos of my own meal. highly recommended.

buffet breakfast at the golden tulip suites just one block away from the mall of the emirates. the rooms, value for money, and the service were excellent at the suites, and even though i got to pick out these gorgeous fruits and cheeses, they could do a little better in their culinary arts. also highly recommended.

a home cooked, dehradun, india christmas dinner. can't tell you what anything on this plate is actually called, but trust me, it was sooooooooooooooooo yummy. go to dehradun if you want to get off the india tourist circuit and get down to the basics, which in this case, is really what it's all about.

i always stay with a particularly wonderful family when i'm in abuja. the mom made pancakes for her son, and when i suggested mickey mouse shaped (as i have served many a time as a resort waitress), she trumped me with 'the usual' for her family - a choo choo train! with chocolate chips! it's fine to try this at home, kids.

and finally, a bottle of veuve clicquot ponsardin champagne and dessert in paris. maybe you can't really tell since at the time it was a suprise dessert (fine chocolate from all over the world is below the paper napkins), but the mood and taste was just right. thank god for last minute trips, because you certainly can't get this kind of vibe in yola, nigeria, where i'm headed back soon enough. home. which means more to come from the culinary tastes of north eastern nigeria!

Airport Artist: Cool Dad Alert in the City of Love

2009-01-21T14:07:00.000-08:00

A very special dad I know drew out an 'airport' for his kids to put their model airplanes on and play with (I feel like some very good take offs took place on this fine thing). This special dad happens to live in central Paris, but that alone doesn't make him cool. Taking a few minutes out to make (instead of just buy) something for his kids to play with is what makes it all so good. I know after traveling through so many countries, and purchasing so much that I thought represented the experiences I've had in those countries, I am forcefully reminded through this exchange of simplicity that it's just the plain (plane?) intention of what can be done with a pen and a cardboard box that can make all the difference, through design, as well as cultivating the imagination of children....

Back to Basics: Reading to Kids in Yola, Nigeria

2009-01-19T14:22:00.001-08:00

A large part of me doesn't want to show you this (just another African experience!), but the rest of me does (this is so cool!). I've been brave and dangerous lately, so I'm doin' it. This photo shows what it's like to read to kids in Yola. That's me, the funny looking white lady in the bottom left corner, pointing to something on the page after reading and asking something like 'where is the yellow ball?' to eager kids from Yola who want to enjoy a book. As with any question I ask to kids I'm reading to, I think .2 seconds after I asked the question all these kids pointed to something on the page, yellow ball be damned. There is a certian rush to interaction like this, the joy of reading and being read to, one I hope to pass on to the few Nigerian students who read to children with me, nearly every Friday afternoon. I was reminded of the joy of reading to children after finally, on my three week visit to India, meeting in person Katia Novet Saint-Lot, who wrote the children's book Amadi's Snowman and who I've posted about in the past here. I was also reminded of this while being read to by a grown man with an accent different than mine. The words on the page danced a whole different way with this new way of hearing words that I could see but would never pronounce the same way as he (him?).

Back to it, there's an American girl named Samantha Boss who took some great photos in Nigeria (including the one above) that you can find on her Picasa site here. She also has a short blog of her journey into Nigerian univesity life here. I know everyone is into Obama-mania right now, and rightfully so, but when it all gets stripped down to the basics, this is what I think it's about: education on all sides, interaction, and possibility - not dependency. Enjoy!

India: Saris for the Wedding

2009-01-19T03:30:00.000-08:00

This past five weeks I've been all over the globe (four different continents, depending on how many you think there are in the world -apparently there's consideration for in which country you were taught geography), so I haven't done as much as I normally would in trying to show you the beauty that is involved at an Indian wedding. Here's one final shot at attempting to grasp how beautiful all the saris at this particular extravaganza were, and of course, the women wearing them.

Next posts I'll be moving on to other experiences in other regions...

the bride with her two sisters and father, and guests

the men and women were all expected to cover their heads for the ceremony

this particular sari was given to this woman by her mother-in-law, who was given by her mother-in law

i so want to know who was wearing this!

hand woven with mirrors. why wouldn't you smile?

none of us are indian in this photo, but i betcha can't even tell!

my black sari. i never did get a full view photo of me wearing it, but you get the idea.
it was heavy, but worth every sparkle!

India Wedding: Party On!

2009-01-01T04:01:00.000-08:00

The bride and groom have been kind enough to let me post these photos to show just how beautiful and authentic their celebration was. Can't you tell they rock?

What?!?!... you didn't think I'd leave you hanging for the new year, did you?

Delhi, India: Wedding Mehndi (Henna) Party

2008-12-23T01:23:00.000-08:00

All of these photos I took using my new Cannon SX110is during and after the Mehndi party and I am in love with it. The photos above are all of the people - young, old, male, female - and the bride of course - during the remarkably fast application process, a few hours after (flaking), and the after-after (a nice orangy color) - who partook and used their beautiful Mehndi designs to compliment their movements. Is it hard to distinguish between the bride, the man, the child? Just curious. There are multiple photos of the same people in their different processes of beauty. We all rocked it for the ceremony the next day. I know you wish you were at this wedding!

More on saris worn and fabrics flaunted to come...

Delhi, India: Wedding Style and Design by Rajeev Sethi (with a cameo by Jivi Sethi)

2008-12-21T20:55:00.000-08:00

I'm not going to even try to pretend I knew about all the details and representations of the (at least) five events in the Delhi wedding my friends were the reason for, but I will tell you it was surely the event of the year, and maybe even the decade. Traveling to Delhi (the big city), India from Yola (the bush), Nigeria for this event (ok, ok, and to check out different parts of India afterward) was quite an experience on it's own (jeans and flip flops to saris and high heels anyone?), but I was blown away to the extreme. Why? Because of the love felt between the family and friends who came out for this magical occasion, and because of the design and care that went into this multi day event, courtesy of the inspiration and coordination of Rajeev Sethi, his dedicated team, and his friend Jivi Sethi.

You'll understand when I walk you through a bit of it...

Going into the compound where nearly all of the wedding events were held, this is what one saw. It might be hard to tell from the photo, but all those hanging thingis had lights in them.

One had to walk past this to get to the gate... blessings abound!

Through the beautiful lights, flower petals, potted flowers and plants...

To this...

and this... Ambiance, anyone? I swear it felt like the night's dancing and celebrating never ended, but we had to go home eventually and catch some shut eye before the mehndi (henna) party in the banana grove (in another part of the grounds) the next day. I of course had to play in the millions of flower petals placed at the base of all the trees, but that's another story ...

And I had to take a photo with the best dressed man at the mehndi party, who turned out to be Jivi Sethi. Jivi Sethi is a close friend of Rajeev and a designer in his own right (can't you tell?), and assisted in the set implementation as needed.

Both Rajeev Sethi and Jivi Sethi (no relation) are very accomplished in their creative and business endeavors. To know more about Rajeev, look here. For more on Jivi, look at Rang Decor's great blog here and/or in any home decor magazine.

India Clothing and Weaving: Designer Mallika Mathur

2008-12-21T08:00:00.000-08:00

Dress and scarf made by Mallika. Shoes and 'purse' (actually a gift bag) bought at Khan Market.

I'm recovering from a very busy week of Delhi wedding functions and the flu, but I wanted to share the experience of visiting Mallika Mathur's sample studio. Mallika clothes many of Delhi's fashionable, and the nondescript building her sample 'showroom' (a converted apartment) is located in - a busy part of the Soami Nagar South neighborhood - does not even hint at the color, texture, and imagination her clothes provide. I am in love with the hand dyed ribbon on most of the clothes and the special weaving on the fabrics - including the saris. Her designs offer reasonably priced custom made luxury that are simply irrisistable... I received lots of compliments on my purple, gold and silver dress and scarf and they were very comfortable to wear (as I danced the night away...). Call Mallika up at +91 9811143852 if you're interested in visiting her showroom or ordering a piece of your own.

Mallika's assistant displays some of the colors and styles designed.

Saris galore! Even the display cabinet is stunning.

Hand woven beauties

Mallika organized for my scarf to be dyed the same color as my dress within 24 hours.

If you are overwhelmed by splendor you are welcome to take it all in on the comfortable couch.

Nigeria: Design Essentials to be In the Know

2008-12-06T01:01:00.002-08:00

These are the designs that best represent Nigeria to me so far, and are the basics to be 'in the know'...

Without a colorful wall map, it's hard to distinguish the 36 states and one Federal Capital Territory, or the main roads that get one from place to place. Plus, it's just pretty to look at.

Items that I think SHOULD be Nigerian made, but aren't. OR, should be good quality, but aren't. Some indications of this are clearly displayed, as on the scarf above, but others aren't always so easy to spot.

Items that are Nigerian made, and *absolutely beautiful*, like this handmade woven shelter/mat/wall that protects from rain and dust, but can be easily broken down and rolled up to travel. Simple and elegant.

Business suits, top of the line cell phones, and serious smart folks are a requirement for the hustle and bustle of Nigerian urban life. If you are like me and can't be at this level yourself, make sure to find friends who can!

West African Fabric: Yinka Shonibare and Vlisco

2008-12-05T01:35:00.000-08:00

Yinka's take on Victorian Design

Vlisco Beauty

My friend Brandie has posted some gorgeous(!) designs from English born Nigerian Yinka Shonibare and the Netherland's Vlisco that I just had to share. Another nod to Nigeria, and to my outandaboutafrica girrrrrrrrrrl, Brandie. I hear your thunder of applause for all of them...

Nigeria: Sharing the Love of Yola, Blog Style

2008-11-28T09:03:00.001-08:00

There are a few of us here in Adamawa State who try to share our vision and experience through our blogs. This blog of course focuses on design, and random places I really enjoy, with Adamawa State featured often. My friend Dani shares her life specifically in Yola with lots of photo albums, a blog, and a short description about her. Her photos and short descriptions really capture the vibe. All of this information is a great way to show folks who have never made it here - or are about to make it here - what Adamawa State has to offer. Dani in particular provides great insight into family life in Yola/Jimetta, both her own and those around her. Peruse as you see fit...

Nigeria: Don't Go Chasing Waterfalls, Stick to the Rivers and the Lakes that You're Used To

2008-11-27T11:37:00.000-08:00

I admit it. I listen to old and probably really bad music. That's what you get when you are an American living in Africa for so long. Radio is king here (being the whole continent), and so is anything that makes your hips move or your heart long for your former lover who now is with someone else. On this Thanksgiving with the internet working so well and with a few glasses of wine enjoyed with friends, I can tell you that I am thankful for the Gwara Falls that we visited, about a two and a half hour drive from Yola. This place was so untouched except by the thirty or so Nigerian residents who live in the area. I am always in complete awe of what earthly designs this place has to offer. Even if I like listening to hip-hop from twenty or so years ago, or reminiscing over photos taken about ten years ago that I thought would never be seen again. This place works in mysterious and wonderful ways...

Nigeria: Living Room Stripes and Daggers

2008-11-27T10:10:00.000-08:00

Lemme just keep going with this luck and show you my dividing wall in my studio that I painted all by myself (I'm going to paint the wall at the foot of my bed on the left of this picture next year). AND of course, all the daggers and the big knife I picked up in the Fulani Market - for about $3 each. There is absolutely no worry of personal security risk around here, but I still feel brave just looking at them.

Nigeria: Trucking in Style

2008-11-27T09:55:00.000-08:00

Wow, look... a PHOTO uploaded from Yola! Of course I don't have the sari pictures with me, so I thought I'd give you one of my favorites since arriving to this dare-to-dream place called Yola. On one of our many weekend road trips to assess the area, we stopped somewhere random to get some petrol and this truck was just sitting there (Broken? Abandoned? We will never know). I'm guessing many of the work trucks being driven around Nigeria are with a Pakistani/Indian influence in terms of decoration, but I was struck by the saying on this particular one. Indeed, to be a man is definitely not a day job. We need to all take this to heart in celebrating American Thanksgiving, and in keeping in mind the current crisis in Mumbai. Bless us all.

Sorries and Saris

2008-11-27T06:41:00.000-08:00

After about a week of not properly being able to access the internet, here is a post. Not a post with pictures however, since the internet is still holding something against me and my colleagues here in Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria, but a post none the less. I apologize on behalf of the server, of which I have no control or interest to control.

I now am a proud owner of the most beautiful sari from India I have ever seen, and that when I can post pictures I definitely will. It's a black sari (something I would have never picked out myself), with strong pearl and sparkly accents. Since I am going to a wedding in Delhi in the middle of December and only brought one sari with me to Nigeria, I thought it would be best to send a friend going for her one month vacation back home to India with some money to pick the most luxurious sari she could find for the modest amount I gave her. She delivered in a big way. Are you on the edge of your seat yet, shaking with anticipation? Maybe tomorrow (just maybe) you can see just how fabulous this particular sari is...

Lamu, Kenya: House & Garden Enchants

2008-11-20T05:21:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I have a bit of an obsession with Lamu and sometimes can get very caught up in expensive design magazines, but I didn't know the two would come together like they did last week. There I was, going through the Abuja airport, when the December edition of the British House & Garden caught my eye. I bought it for a whopping equivalent of $18 and got on the plane for the one hour ride back to Yola. There are lots of great articles and photos about all kinds of things in this magazine, but there on page 128 is a beautiful six page spread of a house built on a Shela Beach 'hillside' on Lamu Island (which is not featured on their website). I read plenty in between the lines that someone who has never been there before would not notice (ie, how permission to build came to be, etc.) or get wrong (Maasai people don't make beaded chairs that come from central or western Africa), but it still made me nostalgic for the simplicity of Lamu Island life.

Nigeria: Slow Internet, Tulsi Chanrai Foundation, and Motherly Love

2008-11-18T06:56:00.000-08:00

Internet is soooooooo slow I can't comment to folks that I want/need to or get into my email - so if you're back to find out why I haven't responded, the answer is YES to Amani and I KNOW DC IS A PLANNED CITY BUT I BLOCKED IT FROM MY MEMORY to Fly Brother. Whoops! And to former students, RECOMMENDATIONS ARE ON THE WAY...

With all this annoyance about slow technology to get myself back in a decent mood I remembered the day that I went to visit the Yola Primary Health Care Project funded by the Tulsi Chanrai Foundation. Twenty clinics in the area are now where dedicated and trained health attendants empower mothers (and their partners) during and after pregnancy - with a lot of local education and without high technology. Adamawa State had the worst recorded maternal deaths in the world (over 5700 in 100,000), but the Project within the nearly three years of its existence is reversing this trend in a remarkable way. I took the photo above as I was walking out of one of the Project's clinics during an immunization drive. The little boy pictured was wearing a hat to big for him and as he ran outside his mother (on the left) called after him to make sure it stayed on his head. I don't speak Housa (only after two and a half months in Nigeria I can now say hello, fine, and thank you), but in any language you can always tell when a mother is looking after her child - and that is a beautiful thing.

Nigeria: Karatu Library Project and Amadi's Snowman

2008-11-16T03:36:00.000-08:00

Karatu (the word means reading in Housa) Library Project was started by Martha Speirs, the head librarian for American University of Nigeria. During her (not so) free time, she wanted to share her love for books and reading by helping to make books accessible to the local Yola/Jimetta community in Nigeria, so she started Karatu. With a variety of well wishers and volunteers (and very little money), Karatu distributed donated books to eight already existing community libraries and schools in the area, and just recently they opened their own one room headquarters in the Shagari Shopping Center of Yola. With this office/library/resource center run by dedicated volunteers, they now have children and adults coming to them to borrow books or to be read to. The headquarter photos above and the partners Karatu has are shown in Karatu photo albums here.

Karatu's vision fits in well with the author of Amadi's Snowman, Katia Novet Saint-Lot, who wrote about Karatu on her blog. Her explanation about how the book came to be with associated photos can be found here. She is interested in how children around the world interpret her book about a Nigerian boy who doesn't want to learn how to read into their own world views, so she is doing a global virtual book tour that will ends the last day of November. Pass it on...

Encompassing the nomadic housewife in me, both Karatu and Amadi's Snowman bring a sense of usable purpose and design that is wonderful and rare. Enjoy!

Northern Michigan: Watervale

2008-11-15T13:53:00.000-08:00

There is nothing like eating in the dining room at Watervale Inn. And that's all I'm going to say for fear that the whole world will now know about it. Being hungry in Nigeria with a blog can make an American girl delusional for good, homemade food...

Kenya Fashion in America: Amani Ya Juu

2008-11-15T02:15:00.000-08:00

In Nairobi I became very familiar with Amani Ya Juu, a beautiful, welcoming fashion house and cafe where marginalized women create a sewing and design haven - and well prepared meals - that cater to wowed customers. Amani, as it's lovingly called to those in the know, is an impressive establishment that is very interested in doing things right rather than doing things big. Lately though, both ideals have been used to create a 'fashion narrative' that brings their clothes and wares to the States, where they are planning on opening an Amani Ya Juu store in Washington, D.C. Check out their show in Charlotte, North Carolina at Forest Hill Church here. I admire Amani for so many reasons, including because they use a business model to make their NGO successful, they take the term 'fair trade' to a whole different level, and they produce quality items that can be loved because of their design and function - not just because they were made by strong, proud women in Africa...

Picture taken by Jillian Pichocki Photography from the Amani blog

Nigeria: Fulani Bracelets and Fabric

2008-11-13T02:30:00.000-08:00

I bought these Fulani bracelets for about $1.50 each. They seem to be made out of plastic, straw-like material. I like them because they come in all different colors and patters and look good with many of them worn together. The fabric underneath them is a kitchen apron made by my friend, Wale, and a head scarf I picked up in the local market. More fabric that I take delight in!

Nigeria Fabric: Style with a Seemingly Indian Influence

2008-11-07T10:17:00.000-08:00

I'm going to a friend's wedding in Delhi, India in December (and staying four more weeks there... if you're around look me up). I've been to India three times before, so when I had a Nigerian friend take me to the local Jimetta market to find out who her favorite vendors are, I couldn't stop staring at this (what seems) Indian inspired piece. After having the store owner swear it was made in Nigeria (confirmed by my friend) and haggling a good ten minutes, I bought it for about nine US dollars. I love that it's really intricate, and that the gold outline is a bit off the base design so that it almost feels like I have double-vision when I look at it. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it yet, since right now I don't even want to unfold it because it's so perfect as it is...

Mecca: Cake Toppers and Glitter

2008-11-07T07:28:00.001-08:00

My friend Marcy runs an amazingly mind blowing creative business called Mecca in Benzonia, northern Michigan, which specializes in all things glitter and fun. Her creativeness shows in every nook and cranny of the restored 1880's shop itself, with sequenced tree branches (weeks of work!), a bright pink foiled wall, a Mexican themed bathroom (yes, I still appear to be obsessed with bathroom design), and her own cake toppers. Marcy's passion is making cake toppers for all kinds of occasions out of unusual finds, which as she describes are "one-of-a-kind and quite sparkly! using vintage flowers and felted sweater leaves, ribbon, and nostalgic found objects, each creation is a keepsake box that opens. the smaller ones can sit on top of a cake with a trinket inside."

Until recently you could only find her toppers in her store or in a local craft fair or two. NOW she's made her way into the broader world by advertising her work on the web. Please visit her site and then call her to order your own special cake topper, or to purchase one of her already made specialties. (in order of appearance above: 'penelope' (special order sold), 'home on the range' $26, 'martha cake box' $42, 'tattoo parlour' $26)

More on northern Michigan design havens to come...

Kenya: Lamu's Takwa Ruins

2008-11-06T00:54:00.000-08:00

I am a lover of the Lamu archipelago in Kenya (as you either already know or will have plenty of evidence of soon enough), and one of the reasons in a list of many are the Takwa Ruins. Takwa is an ancient abandoned town that's remarkably intact and has become a nice, quiet place to visit for a morning or afternoon walk into the past. It has within its walls a beautiful archway and just outside huge Baobab trees that remind me of old, wise men. This morning I needed a spiritual pick me up, so I started to look through all my Takwa photos and then felt like sharing...

Thank you/Nagode/Asante

2008-11-05T13:43:00.000-08:00

Well, the world was watching (as I can personally attest to from Nigerian and Kenyan perspectives - along with hours and hours of watching CNN). I am very, very proud to have participated in being part of one of the largest voter turnouts in US history - even though my state didn't 'need' my absentee vote. How wacked would it be to look back on this and say, 'noooooooo, I didn't vote during a time when my country needed to hear my voice the loudest'? Congratulations, America.

Nigerian Wedding: Igbo Style

2008-11-05T11:59:00.000-08:00

My friend Laureta got married a few weeks ago, and I was so taken by her personal style in the wedding photos (LOVE the way the beads are placed in her hair) that I asked her if I could share a few. She was nice enough to allow me the pleasure of showing her raw beauty to the world...

Laureta was married in proper traditional Igbo (pronounced hard 'e' and then 'bow' as in bow and arrow - the 'g' is silent) fashion in Amucha, Imo State (down south), Nigeria. Simply put, the day involved Laureta greeting folks at her place as a maiden (pictured above and with her sister), and leaving maidenhood to be a married woman (pictured below and with her sister-in-law) at her new husband's place. Laureta and her husband plan on a white-dress-church-wedding (which seems so boring to me now), but since the bride and the groom are from different christian faiths, they have to agree on the ceremony and location first. Stay tuned...

VOTE! mantra

2008-11-04T05:30:00.000-08:00

vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote respect respect respect respect respect respect respect respect be neighborly be neighborly be neighborly be neighborly be neighborly be neighborly vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote calm calm calm calm calm calm calm calm calm act with grace act with grace act with grace act with grace act with grace i have a dream i have a dream i have a dream i have a dream family family family family family family one world under god one world under god one world under god one world under god vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote vote love love love love love love love love love love

Abuja: National Gold

2008-11-03T02:56:00.000-08:00

The official Nigerian capital city of Abuja has less than 800,00 residents (Lagos is the most populated city with more than 15 million people). Abuja became official in 1991 mostly because Lagos needed to relieve population pressure and the Abuja land didn't initially 'belong' to any of the hundreds of ethnicities here. It is by far the calmest capital city - and the only planned one - I've ever been in. Most people say it has no soul, but it's such an anomaly so I quite like it. The Nigerian National Mosque is the most beautiful architectural splendor the city can boast, but since I'm not Muslim I can't go inside to compare it to the outside. If anyone can give me a visual on this I'd love it...

Tuareg Boxes: Workmanship and Color

2008-10-31T00:44:00.000-07:00

It's easy to over use words like 'swoon', 'attention to detail', 'unique', and 'pop' when I see a Tuareg box. It seeems every single one is different than the other, and they all have something to say - something like 'take me home and love me forever'. If you don't happen to go to a West African market any time soon check out a legitimate fair trade ecommerce site called eShop Africa that's been covered by Fortune and National Geographic. Enjoy!

Set the Stage for Nigerian Style Romance

2008-10-30T03:09:00.000-07:00

Here in north eastern Nigeria, you might think that a romantic setting is hard to find. Not so in Yola/Jimetta, where you can take your love to the Romantic Bakery for some home made bread and sweets, or woo him or her with words of affection under a chandelier and a fancy detailed ceiling. Romance is all about finding hidden and unique treasures and making them sparkle, no matter where you are in the world...

Women at the Jimetta Market

2008-10-29T06:53:00.001-07:00

Feeling like this space has so far been very male dominated, I want to show you all what some women look like here in the Jimetta Market of Adamawa State, Nigeria. I realize I'm showing you the backs of non smiling African women fully clothed, but if I would have asked to take their picture and then had them smile for the camera and promised that I'd give them a copy of the photos I took it would not longer be fulfilling the purpose of what I want to show you, which is something that most photos of African women don't provide (discretely or otherwise) to the general public: this is real life in Jimetta Market as documented by another woman. More to come...

Nigerian Fabric (or is it?) and Yola Couch and Table

2008-10-28T02:19:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it's almost dizzying to try to select fabric from the colorful array available in the market. I was happy to return to the land of West African fabric that I last visited more than five years ago, but vendors of late have told me that much of the mass produced fabric available here is now made in China. I try not to focus on that too much...

... since it's still beautiful and supports Nigerian sellers (insert the pros and cons of globalization here). I was able to find a few different fabrics that initially didn't seem to go together until I threw them over my three black pleather chairs that I pushed together to make my 'couch'. Maybe I'll have a tailor fit them to size eventually, but the current arrangement does the trick of not allowing my skin to stick to the furniture - and in a place where nearly every fixture falls apart (Chinua Achebe was right on all kinds of fronts) if you just look at it funny, my motto is 'if it ain't broke don't fix it'.

Every item on the coffee table - save the San Francisco music box I recently received as a precious gift - are from local vendors: the mats were purchased on the side of the road, the bronze salamander bottle opener is from the Arts and Crafts Village in Abuja, and the metal 'snack holder' is from the Yola market - to be filled with small little tidbits of nature soon enough.

White Hot Yola

2008-10-28T02:06:00.000-07:00

I've been using a borrowed camera of which I'm not totally used to to take all my photos in Nigeria. These shots were taken while cruising down a main Yola street on a Sunday with some camera setting I'm still not aware of, but they do a great job of conveying the feel of the place. The rain has stopped for another six months or so (temperatures will go up, up, up and everything will soon be brown and grey), and Harmattan is on it's way - dust from the Sahara will cover the place. I know it will be hell, but I'm still looking forward to living through it.

Mandela Love and my Yola Bedroom

2008-10-27T10:04:00.000-07:00

I was sick all weekend, but I occupied much of the time sitting around feeling blah by converting my hardly worn Nelson Mandela skirt I bought in South Africa four years ago into a pillow I can now enjoy every day and night. This was my second experience in sewing by hand, and even though it's a bit uneven I'm proud of the result. I made this repurposed tribute to Mandela using half the filling from an overstuffed pillow made in Nigeria that no human being should ever be expected to sleep on (unless one enjoys one's head nine inches off the bed while trying to catch some zzzzzz's) and cutting off the top and bottom of the skirt and then sewing the edges together. My Mandela pillow fits in perfectly where ever I need him, be it for an overnight jaunt to a friend's place, an afternoon nap on the couch, or sitting pretty in my newly designed bedroom...

And what a bedroom it is! I bought six yards of dark purple, pink, and gold patterned fabric from the local market for about nine dollars and had two pillow cases and a large wall hanging made by a tailor who charged me about five dollars for the labor. I borrowed and tweaked this idea from The Gables management in Nairobi who use Maasai blankets and kikoi to do the same sort of wall hanging design...

...All the colors and patterns of the fabric blend perfectly with my new hand dyed and sewn Nigerian indigo quilt bedspread, which I absolutely adore! It certainly wasn't cheap, but after hand sewing the Mandela pillow I can appreciate how much work went into it. Plus, it's the perfect weight for all nights spent directly under the air conditioner.

More posts on fabric and updates to my new Yola home to come...

Abuja Artist - Adisa Agboola

2008-10-27T05:19:00.000-07:00

When I see art that I like, I absolutely love to meet the artists who produced the work. Walking through the Sheraton Hotel in Abuja, there is always lots of art that catches my eye, but it's too expensive for me to even think about and it seems the sellers there rarely have an actual connection with the artists themselves. So instead, when I have a few minutes I get my art fix in Abuja by walking across the street from the Sheraton to the government sponsored Arts and Craft Village, where I can bargain for all kinds of trinkets or just browse through all the curious items for sale while leisurely conversing with the local sellers. This time around on my walk through I was very lucky to stumble upon an artist named Adisa Agboola who I've admired ever since I saw his work in the Sheraton - he sells his own works in his own studio at the Arts and Crafts Village for a fraction of the price (of course, you know I bought something from him)! If you want to support this particular Nigerian artist through purchasing his one of a kind work or learn more about him email him at adisartcommunication@yahoo.com or call him on +234 (0)8032629872.

Adisa and one of many of his beautiful pieces

Salamander Inspiration

2008-10-26T09:43:00.000-07:00

Inspirational Lizard - the Salamander

I just got back from a quick trip to Abuja, where I was grateful to return to a fun cafe called Salamander that my Nigerian hosts turned me on to a few months back. I'm guessing the inspiration behind the name is from all the lizards that run around here - I'm used to geckos in East Africa but these guys are a LOT bigger and far more colorful. I love the cafe Salamander not only for the quirky design of the place, but because they serve amazing sandwiches and interesting drinks that can't be gotten in a Nigerian rural setting such as Yola. Salamander also hosts a fantastic bookstore with unusual finds and offers free internet - two laptops are even provided for customers to use. Every time I visit there are all types of people enjoying the place. If you're planning on coming to the MTV Africa music awards on November 22nd you should definitely check it out. More posts on Abuja to come...

Inside Salamander Wall - see the resemblance with the real thing?

Salamander Virgin Bloody Mary and Famous Eggplant Sandwich

Design by Kelly Jo for Kifaru: Nairobi, Kenya

2008-10-21T12:19:00.000-07:00

I can't stand white walls and initially this place was filled with them (but did I think to take 'before' photos? noooooo). The Kenyan crisis was very overwhelming to get through, but what saved me was being able to design Kifaru (it means rhino in Kiswahili), the office building and studio shared by Eric Wainaina and friends (see yesterday's post for more on them) who were kind enough to let me shower the place with color. I used all my 'off time' to paint the walls and organize textiles, plant arrangements, and revolving artwork to create a space that reflected and shared the creativity of the people working within the Kifaru compound. It was laborious, but extremely gratifying. And then I left. Now I have my own apartment in Yola, Nigeria I'm designing, and when I get done enough to post photos you know I will. Karibu Kifaru (in Kiswahili, Welcome to Kifaru)...

Entry Way Into the Kifaru Building
photo by my friend and fellow adventurer, Howard Michitsch

The Maasai Warriors were given to me by a close friend. The paint on them was fading from the sun and they were hard pressed to find a home, so I spray painted them silver and loved the effect. It took a while for some of my colleagues to get used to it, but I won out in the end. The table cloth is fabric from Mozambique, the large painting behind was a gift to Sheba Hirst, the colored string lamp shade was purchased in Westlands, and the plants were bought from an urban garden funded by The Greenbelt Movement.

Eric's Office
photo by my friend and fellow adventurer, Howard Michitsch

Eric requested that I do something with his office after I designed my own office in the Kifaru building. The rooms were so tall I couldn't find a ladder that would let me paint all the way to the ceiling, so I mixed up some color to get a 'duct tape grey' and painted a border around the top of where I could reach. It really grounds his space. I then used an orange base with a yellow wash for the walls, and put in some plants to give the room some life when it wasn't filled with his keyboard playing. The curtains are from East African fabric that I used different patterns of throughout the entire building. The carpet comes from Trio Crafts and Rugs, a carpet company run by Ethiopians in Nairobi where you can have any custom design you want - for a fraction of the price you would pay in the States. The bookcase was made by local street side craftsmen - in Kenya we call this part of the jua kali sector.

Kifaru Kitchen
photo by my friend and fellow adventurer, Howard Michitsch

The bright orange curtains with East African fabric doesn't look tacky against the white tiles or lawn green paint color I picked out (because it was called 'grass green'). The kitchen looks out onto the vast back yard filled with the same kind of colors. The Kisumu sign is from a public bus route designating its destination, and Eric has a few songs referring to this western Kenyan city he loves.

One Bathroom

I know, it's a bathroom, but it was sooo much fun to mix the purple/brown paint that became this tree and find the perfect plant that would grow with all that light.

Two Bathrooms

Judging by my previous posts it might seem like I'm obsessed with bathrooms, but really they can be quite amusing on this continent. For the common hallway upstairs we had two bathrooms right next to each other. I decided to go completely different directions with both so I painted the one one the left with a forest of multi colored trees (you can only see one in the photo) that I carried over from Eric's bathroom, and kept the one on the right plain bright yellow, but featured the collection of Tanzanian Tinga Tinga artwork admired by everyone in the office- you can find some examples here. I also made the shelf covering using East African fabric and bright yellow thread and buttons bought in Westlands (who wants to look at toilet paper?). No need for curtains since the bathroom windows were frosted. I'm all about practical in my fun.

My Old Office

I pretty much lived in my office (sometimes I slept on the couch in the hallway or in the sound room), so light at night was really important to me, but seemingly not important to the electricians who placed a single overhead light bulb in the 20 foot ceiling. So I purchased all kinds of fun lamps, including this purple string one. I painted my office walls a dark blue with a light blue wax on/wax off wash, procured lots of plants, and had my house landlord build me some bookshelves to make a home for our library. The curtains are yellow linen one one side and brown East African fabric on the other, so that folks driving in who face the window above can get the full on African vibe. The artwork is by my new friend Solo 7, made before he revolutionized his neighborhood and earned well deserved acclaim. More on him below.

Kifaru Front Yard

With a vast front and back yard, there was hardly any outdoor seating at Kifaru besides the blankets we would lay down for picnics. We picked up a jua kali table for six with an oversized canvas umbrella and this little two seater made out of small logs. The cushions are of course the same kind of East African fabric that I've been describing and fawning over. I love how the sun highlights the mood of the bright cushion color, or is it the other way around?

Outdoor Front Kifaru Wall with Solo 7 and Mika

I met Solo 7 through a friend and was immediately taken by his experience in Kibera, Nairobi during the Kenyan crisis and his reaction to it as an artist (read more about him at the Guardian Weekly here). I asked him to show his work at our office, and also asked several artists from the Kuona Trust to show their work (and bought pieces by nearly all of them - not so practical for a nomad, but the housewife in me loves it!). Now Kifaru can boast being another (informal) Nairobi gallery promoting East African artists. Me and my obsession with getting rid of white walls, I asked Solo 7 to paint one of his messages on the outside of our office. This is the result. I think it's a good reminder to anyone who passes through the Kifaru gates what people living in Kenya are all about. Hear that international news agencies?

Eric Wainaina

2008-10-20T16:13:00.000-07:00

Mohammed and Eric

I will always have love for Eric Wainaina, and so should you. Not only is Eric one of the greatest musicians based in Nairobi who is about playing African music to Africans and the rest of the world (gotta love his interview on Channel O's Crush!); he also let me design nearly the whole office that we shared together with Rainmaker and Enovator Music (pictures coming soon); let me help him out with his wedding ceremony to the beautiful and equally talented Sheba Hirst; knows how to work with people who are passionate and transformative; and always has time for his fans, like my god son Mohammed. Check out both his albums on itunes, and take note that when Kenya was awash in confusion in the first few months of 2008, it was Eric's song about Kenya only ('Daima') that flooded the airwaves on all Kenyan radio and tv stations to keep the peace. Eric's music is good with either dancing around your house while your cleaning up (you know that's what you do!) or singing along with at the top of your lungs with friends. Eric Wainaina and the Mapinduzi band play regularly on Sunday nights at Club Afrique, Museum Hill, Nairobi - you don't want to miss out on any of his live shows. His third album is coming out soon. Eric and his people are just one more reason to stick around the capital and to keep an eye on Kenya...

vilankoooooooolos

2008-10-18T08:18:00.000-07:00

it's always nice to go on vacation with someone who you don't have to worry about trying to take care of. last christmas my friend brandie and i went to mozambique to 'get away from it all' (check out her blog on african inspired fashion and design here) because - well, neither of us had ever been. we spoiled ourselves silly until the last few days of our vacation when i was dealing with how to manage the political crisis that resulted from uncertain presidential election results in kenya (my home at the time). before all that though, brandie and i managed to travel from the capital city, maputo, to the northern end of the lower third of the country (got that?), vilankulo, with another friend. there we stayed at the most amazing little hotel called casa rex that was very economical for the vibe, services, and attention to details offered. the night view of the full moon, palm tree, and hotel still stimulate my imagination. i know gorgeous sunsets happen all over the world, but i'd never seen a pink like this before. we spent christmas day on a dhow, snorkeling on a nearby island, and ate a fantastic lunch. does one usually find chickens on a paradise beach during a christmas picnic? it was hilarious!

rainstorm color

2008-10-17T00:36:00.000-07:00

there are some moments in life that you know you will remember forever, but i've still got this one in in print. the yam market in ganye, just near jada in adamawa state, nigeria provided me hours of wonderment, mostly because of all the yam transactions that happened during a heavy rainstorm. these people were serious. don't mess with yam sellers!