#kenya blogposting

[ocs-rainbows-and-stuff]

First post on my new blog!

Hi everyone! I'm Kenya (she/they) and this is my new OC blog. Please read the rules before interacting. Send a ✨ in my askbox (or The Mailbox) once you have read the rules, this confirms that you have indeed read them!

Kenya's OC Blog — Da Rules (tumblr.com)

Also, take a look at the list of characters that will make appearances on this blog! There are many OCs on this blog that would love to interact with you. They don't bite, promise!

Kenya's OC Blog — Characters (tumblr.com)

Don't be afraid to reach out to me if you'd like to RP, my characters don't bite, and I don't bite either!

[kenyauslander]

Happy Birthday to one of the most amazing friends/Tumblr mutuals I’ve ever had, @ask-dark-monita! 🎉🎉

[ocs-rainbows-and-stuff]

"Listen, I just work here." Jessica replies.

When Wool opens the box, there's a pie inside! A totally normal pie. Nothing suspicious about it at all. From the looks of it, it seems to be cherry flavored. Or mayhaps raspberry.

"Special delivery!" Jessica chimes, handing Wool a totally non-suspicious box (which totally isn't from Malcolm) that was wrapped very nicely. (@ocs-rainbows-and-stuff)

“…I don’t know if I like this”

Wool eyed Jessica suspiciously before carefully opening the box, ready to dodge or throw the box

[fairtraderuk]

Kazuri Beads Jewellery - "Kazuri" is a Swahili word which means "small and beautiful".  Kazuri Beads, as a business, has an interesting backstory. THE ORIGINS... Founded by Lady Susan Wood, who was born in 1918 in a mud hut in a West African village. Her parents were missionaries from England. Lady Wood was sent

[crocutalupus]

Hyena cubs, while they’re born coming into the world fully armed and ready to fight, are heavily dependent on their mothers for the first few years of their life. Their mothers are of course their first food source, but they’re also responsible for introducing them into hyena society, stepping in (and acting as a security blanket) for them when cub play gets too aggressive, showing them the lay of the clan territory, and securing a spot for them at carcasses as the cub(s) begin to enter their den graduation period. ...

[alwaysmercy]

Essential Words

I open the light blue binder, faded by time and use, to a page filled with words written in teeny tiny cursive.  My mama’s writing. The first page, undated, contains verses from the Psalms. Words of Poetry. Pleas for mercy. Pleas for comfort. Pleas for strength. And, yes, gratitude and praise. Essential words. Tested by time.

“As a deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O Lord.” Psalm 42:1

“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10a

I read these words she has written down.  Words she has prayed and pondered. They are as familiar to me as her handwriting and I am calmed and comforted.

There are so many words that clamor for my attention these days. They tumble into my inbox, shout out from newscasts, podcasts and blogposts, until I want to stuff cotton into my ears and turn away.  It is too much. I want to retreat.  And, so I do. I retreat into these familiar essential words my mama has recorded for me.  I find rest and renewal here. I find strength to face the day, and because of this, when the text came early one morning from my friend and colleague in Kenya, David Chuchu, with urgent words, I was ready to listen.  When we talk a few hours later, David begins to describe life during the pandemic in Kenya, and I can hear the desperation in his voice, a desperation not for himself, but those living on the margins.

“I get calls from deaconesses, pastors and people every day. I am in touch with the most vulnerable: widows and orphans and those with HIV/AIDS.  People are desperate.”  He tells me.   “With the imposed curfews and shelter-in-place, people cannot work or support themselves in the smallest of ways. In Kenya, if you cannot work, you cannot eat. And if you cannot eat, you get desperate.  In the words of one woman in the slums of Kibera, ‘I’d rather risk dying from Corona virus, than starve to death.’”

Kenya is no stranger to devastating events, especially in the last few months. Raging floods, swarms of locust and now COVID-19 has ravaged this beautiful country, destroying property and livelihoods and leaving countless numbers of the most vulnerable homeless and hungry.

Pastor Chuchu is reluctant to ask for help.  He is sensitive to the fact that folks in the U.S. have been affected greatly by the pandemic, and that resources are stretched thin. And yet, the need in Kenya is engulfing.  It is a matter of life and death.

David continues, “As coronavirus cases continue to increase, people try to implement social distancing. Washing of hands and wearing of masks or using sanitizers. A mask made locally with a piece of cloth by local tailors cost 50 Kenya Shillings. (50 cents, US). This precious commodity is far beyond the reach of the orphans and the vulnerable families. Talking to Agnes Olela, a 78-year-old grandmother living with four orphans, why she is not wearing a mask at this time as she walks on the street.  She has this to say ‘How can I buy a mask and yet I do not know where I will get the next meal for my grandchildren. That money can buy vegetables if I have it, and we did not even have our meals today. Those who are able may buy them, isolate themselves indoors and food will be delivered to them. Who will do that for me if I do not go out there to look for something to eat for my grandchildren?’”

David and his now whittled down team at Diakonia Compassionate Ministry are working hard to provide for the most vulnerable—widows, orphans and those whose immune systems are compromised by disease. DCM also works to provide for deaconesses and pastors who are suffering greatly during this pandemic. (There are no systems for livestreaming church services and no tithes being received to support these workers).

It’s overwhelming. I get it. I too, hesitate to ask for help, but I am reminded of words attributed to Flannery O’Connor,

“The poor live with a little less padding between them and the raw forces of life.”

If you are blessed with an abundance, no matter how small, and want to share, please donate.  

Here’s what $30 will buy to sustain a family for a month:

Cooking oil, maize, beans, tea, sugar, salt, vegetables and soap.

There are two ways to help:

1. By check made out to Holy Cross Lutheran Church,  earmarked in the memo “for Kenya”

Mailed to:

Holy Cross Lutheran Church

4701 Grove St.

Rocklin, CA 95677

OR

2. Online donation to:  Curatio Mundi.   https://www.curatiomundi.org

They accept PayPal, credit cards and soon, Venmo.  Please indicate that it is for Kenya relief.

(Curation Mundi is a not-for-profit donor site that has means to get donations to DCM and Rev. Chuchu)

Always Mercy,

Pamela

[warninggraphiccontent]

6 August 2021

The sun is shinin', come on get mappy

Ever found yourself floating aimlessly around the alphabet soup of UK government departments doing data, wondering who's responsible for what? Or lost track of all the interesting initiatives that you might be able to get involved with or learn from?

I'm delighted to be running a new project with the ODI that tries to help with that. We're mapping data responsibility and initiatives across the UK government here, so please do tell us what we've missed and comment on what we've already got. It'll be open for comments until Friday 10 September, so you have all summer to contribute.

There's a launch page explaining everything here, and we're also going to be publishing a blogpost a week focusing on a particular area of the ODI manifesto. This week is infrastructure week. Keep an eye on the ODI blog for future ones.

In other news:

A date for your diary - the 22nd Data Bites will be taking place on Wednesday 8 September at 6pm, thanks to ADR UK and the ESRC. Details will appear here in due course - which is also where you can catch up on the previous 21 events.

I'm also chairing an event for IfG at this year's Labour Party conference - more here.

I'm really sad to see this news about Understanding Patient Data (full disclosure - I'm doing some work for them at the moment). Natalie has done a terrific job, and I really hope their work is able to find a home elsewhere - it's more important than ever, given recent events.

Nick Timmins' new report on how the Department for Education handled the pandemic is well worth a read. Warning: contains mutant algorithms. Diginomica pull out some lessons on those here; my piece from last summer on that is here; and there are more links below.

If you enjoyed this account of what allegedly happened to that Spectator piece on Marcus Rashford (h/t Alice), pour yourself a cup of tea and enjoy this story of something similar from my time at the Media Standards Trust.  

I did it - my first half marathon since 2019. There's still time to sponsor me and donate to the excellent Tommy's, here.

Warning: Graphic Content will now be taking a break until September. I'll be posting some things on Medium as well as on Twitter in the meantime, so do follow me there. If you need some other data-related newsletters, podcasts or event series to tide you over, there's a list for that. And if you know anyone else who should subscribe, encourage them to start the new school/parliamentary term in September the right way by signing up.

Enjoy the summer, thanks for subscribing, and see you in September

Gavin

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Graphic content

Tokyo shift

Olympic records are being broken at a record pace* (The Economist)

How the Olympics became bigger and more diverse* (The Economist)

What the Tokyo medal table tells us halfway through the Games (BBC Sport)

Russia and Kenya take the podium in the athletics doping contest* (The Economist)

Tokyo Olympics: Will Team GB beat its record-breaking performance in Rio? (Sky News)

20 Chinese gold medal contenders at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics (South China Morning Post)

Olympians are probably older — and younger — than you think* (Washington Post)

The Fastest Men In The World Are Still Chasing Usain Bolt (FiveThirtyEight)

Here's how Sydney McLaughlin of the U.S. won the 400-meter hurdles at #Tokyo2020, breaking her own world record (New York Times - more here)

Katie Ledecky's historic week, day by day* (Washington Post)

The Climber: Adam Ondra | The Hurdler: Dalilah Muhammad | The Gymnast: Sunisa Lee | The Swimmer: Simone Manuel (New York Times)

Viral content

Why are Covid cases falling in the UK?* (FT)

Excess deaths in your neighbourhood during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic (ONS)

COVID-19: Sewage surveillance reveals 'widespread increase' of coronavirus in England last month (Sky News)

Covid travel: which countries are on the green, amber and red lists? (The Guardian)

Tim Spector: the data explorer who uncovered vital clues to Covid* (FT)

Which Americans are against the jab?* (The Economist)

Chart: Less than 0.1% of vaccinated Americans tested positive for COVID-19 (Axios)

America is plummeting down the global vaccination league table* (The Economist)

Florida’s hospitals set a bleak pandemic record* (FT)

How Europe, After a Fumbling Start, Overtook the U.S. in Vaccination* (New York Times)

Side effects

Why the pandemic is not making your rent cheaper* (New Statesman)

New York City Homebuyers Are Back, and They’re Looking for Deals* (Bloomberg)

Net worth

How Google quietly funds Europe’s leading tech policy institutes* (New Statesman)

Explore different settlements on the balance of power and what they mean for the future of the Internet (Demos)

Ransomware attacks rise despite US call for clampdown on cybercriminals* (FT)

Environment

Planetary ‘vital signs’ show extent of climate stress — and some hope* (FT)

How heat dome has sparked worst wildfires in a decade across parts of Southern Europe (Sky News)

Beyond human endurance: How climate change is making parts of the world too hot and humid to survive* (Washington Post)

Race

The 'ethnic data gap' on voters - and why it matters to parties and pollsters (Sky News)

Hollywood reaps the rewards of becoming more diverse* (The Economist)

UK

The first ever machine generated map of the @UKParliament treaty procedure (UK Parliament)

Favourability towards Boris Johnson falls to lowest level since October (Ipsos MORI)

Productivity: firing on all cylinders (IfG)

Mathematician Hannah Fry: ‘I’m sure there’s lots of tutting — but not to my face* (FT)

Everywhere else

‘It’s Huge, It’s Historic, It’s Unheard-of’: Drug Overdose Deaths Spike* (The Upshot)

Elon Musk’s Outrageous Moonshot Award Catches on Across America* (Bloomberg)

Police shootings continue daily, despite a pandemic, protests and pushes for reform* (Washington Post)

People in the West are least worried about hurtful speech* (The Economist)

An Inca highway still benefits people living nearby* (The Economist)

German election 2021: The New Statesman’s poll tracker* (New Statesman)

Meta data

Information health

Statistics informing quarantine requirements for arrivals to England (Office for Statistics Regulation)

Review of NHS Test and Trace (England) and NHS COVID-19 app statistics (Office for Statistics Regulation)

What we mean by trustworthy use of patient data (Understanding Patient Data)

The future of Understanding Patient Data (Understanding Patient Data)

Lord Bethell’s new phone (Good Law Project)

UK government defends deleting all trace of job vacancies after appointing Matt Hancock's lover to health department board (Business Insider)

Education, education, education

Schools and coronavirus: The government’s handling of education during the pandemic (IfG)

The UK A-Level ‘COVID-19 algorithm fiasco’ and lessons for the enterprise (diginomica)

Four things government must learn from the A-level algorithm fiasco (me from last year for IfG)

More from last summer (W:GC)

Even more from last summer (W:GC)

Ensuring statistical models command public confidence: Learning lessons from the approach to developing models for awarding grades in the UK in 2020 (Office for Statistics Regulation, from March 2021)

AI got 'rithm

Hundreds of AI tools have been built to catch covid. None of them helped.* (MIT Technology Review)

I’m sorry Dave I’m afraid I invented that: Australian court finds AI systems can be recognised under patent law (The Guardian)

Bias in Artificial Intelligence (Harvard Magazine)

The ethics of recommendation systems in public-service media (Ada Lovelace Institute)

Britain can set 'gold standard' in ethical artificial intelligence - industry report (BCS)

ICO baby

The Information Commissioner's Office is letting us down*  (Telegraph)

Response: ICO’s priorities and impact of our work (ICO)

New guidance on direct marketing and the public sector (ICO)

Thread (Tim Turner)

Information Rights Strategic Plan: Trust and Confidence - annual tracker (ICO)

UK government

Introduction to Data Quality course launched (Government Data Quality Hub)

A new model for modelling (Actuaries in government)

Six reasons why digital transformation is still a problem for government (NAO)

govcookiecutter: A template for data science projects (Data in government)

Radar – more than just wave detection (Defra digital)

Driving technology convergence and reuse in our Future Borders and Immigration System (Home Office Digital, Data and Technology)

The longlist (Civil Service Data Challenge)

Cabinet Office eyes ‘geographical capability map’ for civil servants (Civil Service World)

Next step in plans to govern use of digital identities revealed (DCMS)

Building a single sign-on for government: What we’ve learnt so far (Services in government)

ESRC launches opportunity to inform data infrastructure strategy (UKRI)

Keeping old computers going costs government £2.3bn a year, says report (BBC News - CSW had this last week)

2021 Deane-Stone Lecture: Ambitious, Radical, Inclusive and Sustainable: How a National Statistical Institute evolved through Covid-19 (Sir Ian Diamond for NIESR)

Taking the wiki

Left-leaning Wikipedia is no match for my shelf of dictionaries* (Telegraph)

There are 11,656 athletes at the Olympics. Guy Fraser wanted them all on Wikipedia (The Guardian)

A sense of place

‘X’ Marks the Spot: Officials Map a Route Out of the Pandemic* (New York Times)

What 3 Words is a Mess

Dis and that

Disinformation: It’s History (CIGI)

Why Generation Z falls for online misinformation (MIT Technology Review)

It's a jungle out there

Why Amazon’s £636m GDPR fine really matters* (Wired)

The slow collapse of Amazon’s drone delivery dream* (Wired)

Open for the best

Natalia Carfi to carry the torch of openness (Open Data Charter)

Tech spec experts seek allies to tear down ISO standards paywall (The Register)

The promise of open-source intelligence* (The Economist)

Private parts

Estonia says a hacker downloaded 286,000 ID photos from government database (The Record)

Here’s how police can get your data — even if you aren’t suspected of a crime (Recode)

Everything else

The social value of data (Bennett Institute)

BIG TECH’S DUTY OF CARE (New Economics Foundation)

Inequality just went stratospheric. Can we bring it down to earth?* (Prospect)

A New Tech ‘Cold War?’ Not for Europe. (AI Now Institute)

THE TIME TAX: Why is so much American bureaucracy left to average citizens?* (The Atlantic)

Can data cooperatives sustain themselves? (LSE Business Review)

medConfidential note on the PRUK green paper and DARE project (medConfidential)

Measuring internet poverty (Brookings)

Data don’t lie, but they can lead scientists to opposite conclusions* (The Economist)

Opportunities

JOB: Head of Digital Data & Digital Democracy (London Borough of Newham, via Martin)

JOB: Executive Director (Digital Freedom Fund)

JOB: Senior Data Analyst (Common Wealth)

JOB: Visuals Project Editor - Visuals (The Guardian)

JOBS: Data for Science & Health team (Wellcome Trust)

JOB: Data Journalist (Tech Monitor, New Statesman Media Group)

JOBS: Data and Digitalisation programme (Ofgem, via Owen Boswarva)

JOB: Head of Strategic Communications and Engagement, Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation (DCMS)

JOBS: Economic Advisers - The Digital and Tech Analysis team (DCMS)

JOBS: Modelling Hub Analyst Roles, Data & Analytical Services Directorate (MoJ)

JOB: Director of Analysis (MoD)

RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP: Data, Visualisation and Storytelling (The National Archives)

JOB: Product Manager - Data (BBC, via Jukesie)

And finally...

Vennerable

In celebration of John Venn's 187th birthday today, here's a poem in the form of a Venn diagram. (Brian Bilston)

*whispers* that's not actually how they work, but fine, it's funny (@StandingHannah, via David)

[comicsaucensjj]

C🌍MIC SAUCE RECIPE I don't know about you but I am excited!Award winning #writer and creator of the hit television show #Blackish , #KenyaBarris has reportedly begun working with super #producer #PharrelWilliams and #Netflix to produce a full length musical that explores #Juneteenth and its origins. No details have been released around the storyline as of yet. This announcement is preceeded by Kenya's success with an episode of Black-ish where he spotlighted a Juneteenth celebration. #blogpost #blogger #ComicSauce #Pharrell #Grownish #traceeellisross #anthonyanderson #YaraShahidi #blacklivesmatter #groupeconomics #blm #promoteyourdopeness #like #insta #cardib #blackowned https://www.instagram.com/p/CCbaaASHIRi/?igshid=oi8iw1j9s2gd

[bellagbear]

I’m back! But back where is the question I keep asking myself. I’ve been around so many places and started and stopped many things the past few months, so I’ve lost track of where my ‘back’ is. Is back in the Netherlands where I come from, or is back in Nanyuki where I’ve lived the past 6 months and made my home as well? Putting those questions aside, one ‘back’ I am sure about is back to writing weekly blogposts. I am very excited to again share my creative trials and errors with you so we can learn and laugh about them together. It seemed fitting to me to launch my writing again with a monthly sewing update for March so I can bring you up to speed about which projects have been occupying my mind.

I participate in the ‘Finish it‘ stich-a-long (SAL) at the website of the amazing Galdra where the objective is to finish a list of projects in 2019. In this post, I will talk about my progress with that project as well. Read more about my plans here:

New year resolutions: finish it SAL project list

I see that most of the projects I discuss in this post are not on that list, but that seems to be the nature of the sewing game: you always have more projects going on than you think.

‘Look behind the lines’ mini quilt

This is my first finish since I came ‘back’ from Kenya. It is a quilt I’ve started a long time ago to practice random piecing.  I had a lot of fun assembling the triangles but did not know what to do with them after. Then the announcement came for a mini quilt exhibition of the quilt guild in the Netherlands I am a member of. I decided to finish this quilt for that exhibition. The quilt exhibition is 11-13th of April and I am very excited to see my quilt there together with all it’s brother and sister quilts.

Look behind the lines mini quilt

This is my first exhibition and I am eager to see how people will react to my quilt. I will post pictures after. Also, I am planning a big post about this quilt to explain the process of sewing it and the meaning behind it. For now, I would love to hear your interpretation of this quilt. I’ve asked many people their interpretation and there are so many interesting visions.

Unconventional X stitch cross stitch

If you are a cross stitcher you have hopefully heard of the name ‘Unconventional X Stitch‘. It is run by an awesome lady and producing oodles of amazing creepy, macabre or fantastical cross stitch patterns. I’ve always wanted to try one of their patterns because I like supporting small-scale independent artisans. When they announced a stitchathon I knew it was time for me to dive into one of their patterns. A stitchathon is an event where you stitch as much as possible in a set amount of time. Another small creative entrepreneur I support with this project is Jodyri Designs where I got the amazing purple fabric. This pattern is based on a work by the scientist Pierre Denys de Montfort.

colossal octopus by Pierre Denys de Montfort and UXS

Kenyan quilt

The assembly of all the blocks has started! And while I write this I realise not even all the blocks are finished. This proves that quilting does not have to be a linear process at all. Or at least, it is not for me. This is what I have so far:

Kenyan quilt assembly of the blocks

It is a bit wonky at the bottom, but I will fix that when I work on it next time.

Nearly Insane sampler quilt

One of my last posts before my hiatus was introducing this sampler quilt I am making to practice my machine sewing skills:

The nearly insane quilt: a machine quilting sampler

I work on this quilt whenever I have little inspiration to sew, but do feel like making something great on my sewing machine. Here are some of the blocks I made:

Block 2

Block 30

I’m very curious how this quilt will turn out because all the flower fabrics blend together a bit and make this a VERY busy. My belief now is that the quilting of the layers will solve everything.

Crewel embroidery mountain landscape

Embroidery is even harder to make decent pictures of than other sewing work it seems. Does someone have the golden tip for embroidery photography? Or maybe just a small tip to get me on my way?

Crewel embroidery is really fun! I have a lot of fun experimenting with different stitches and designs. More of this kind of projects will follow in the future. Other benefits of crewel embroidery are that it is portable and perfect to use a crazy amount of different colours. This pattern is by Sol Y Mano studio.

New Year cross stitch SAL finished

This one is finished! Made from a pattern of the beforementioned amazing Galdra. Find it on her website: NYE mystery SAL

NYE mystery SAL finished

How am I doing: back in the Netherlands

It is surprisingly easy so far to get used to life in the Netherlands. There are things I am struggling with of course, such as adjusting to different social norms and habits again and the people I met and have grown to love in Kenya. Maybe it is going well because I keep myself very busy. I am working on my report as crazy and I am also doing a lot of sewing and cross stitch. I am seriously considering moving back to Kenya and I want to finish stuff well before I go. This will both improve my chances of finding a good position there and it will also make me feel at ease to leave this country again. So whatever the future might bring, I can be sure that the next few months will be very engaging, both academia wise and quilting wise!

The last Kenyan men and beer I’ve seen

Let me end this post with some questions for you:

How have you been? Did you start or finish any nice big projects?

Are you going to move in the foreseeable future?

Do you like hot or cold countries?

See my DeviantArt or Instagram (username: bella.g.bear.art) for more artwork and WIPs. You can also follow my blog by clicking on the button on the left or by filling in your email address. There will be a monthly update at the end of every month and a new blogpost every Sunday or Monday.

I’m back! Or: Monthly Sewing Update March 2019 I'm back! But back where is the question I keep asking myself. I've been around so many places and started and stopped many things the past few months, so I've lost track of where my 'back' is.

[ocs-rainbows-and-stuff]

Malcolm: Dare - Get out of the Middle Truth: Would you, could you, on a boat?

"Seems like a certain someone *cough cough CYNTHIA cough cough* told you a certain nickname I hold a vast amount of disdain for. But? You know, I'm in a good mood, I'll humor it."

Malcolm pauses for a moment, and reads the ask over again.

"THIS QUESTION MAKES NO SENSE! Anon, have you ever read a book on grammar, more or less retained any information from it?! Would I, could I, on a BOAT?! What does this even MEAN?!" Malcolm goes on a rant for a while about how the sentence doesn't make sense.

He chooses the dare anyway.

(live Malcolm reaction to the Truth prompt:)

[kenyauslander]

something something romance is stupid something something why do i even bother trying since i'll be perpetually single anyway

[mercystacy]

UGALI

This is the most staple meal in Kenya and everyone must know how to make it.Just 2 ingredients flour and water.Tools are mwiko and a pot that is not nonstick.

SKUMA

This is for eating with ugali most of the time and it is very healthy.Some people call it colard greens but here it is what we call kale.

BEEF STEW

This is a big staple too and it is an easy recipe to enjoy beef.All you need is to add oil to a pot,fry onion,then tomatoes that have chopped up and cook them till it is mashed up then add meat(preboiled) and fry till done.You can add dania/parsley at the end.Other ingredients can be garlic,chilies or bell peppers.Do not dare put zucchini/kojet in it otherwise you leave Kenya and do not come back.

RICE

Most people just cook it plain in Kenya just water,rice,salt and oil.You can add turmeric or soy sauce for flavour or color change.

MAYAI YA KUKULA NA UGALIThis is eggs to eat with ugali so you have to fry it with onions and tomatoes.

NJAHI

This is black beans and here in Kenya we do not use the canned ones.You get from the mama mboga who boils a fresh batch every morning or you boil it yourself at home.Presoak overnight so that they boil faster.

BEANS STEW

Just like njahi we do not eat the canned one.You fry it simply with onions and tomatoes.Optional you can add coconut milk to add more flavour.

CHICKEN KIENYEJI STEW

This is mostly made with what we call Kienyeji chicken.This chicken looks different from the typical layers and they taste better especially in stews.

CHIPS

We call chips in Kenya fries.Always soak them in water to rinse out the starch as they fry better when you do that.

PANCAKE

The Kenyan pancake looks very different it is almost a cross-breed between a crepe and the pancakes I see people in the USA eat.

BOILED EGG

You just boil water throw in eggs for 15 minutes for hard boiled.In Kenya we do not eat eggs with the yolk still running I always find it weird seeing american chefs make eggs that are runny.Plus if you are Kenyan and you want to eat runny yolks remember all american eggs are pasteurized and Kenyans are not so you are risking getting salmonella.

MKATE MAYAI-FRENCH TOAST

This is basically french toast and most Kenyans do not add milk to the batter just egg wash on the bread then you fry.

CHAPO MAYAI-ROLLEX

This is a new staple you fry an egg then roll it inside a chapo.It is our version of an egg burrito.

GITHERI STEW

There is also githeri with waru/potatoes

The githeri is something every single Kenyan has eaten let them not lie to you.If it is fried well it tastes so good.The potato makes it even better and the Bantus are the ones obsessed with adding potatoes to every meal.

PILAU

There are many versions of the pilau depending on which tribe cooks it for you.The best one should have some meat in it.

KACHUMBARI

This is to enjoy with meals as a side dish.I think this is the only side dish in Kenya lol.

CHAPATI

This is one delicious food and you can eat it with anything.I like it hot from the pan.The one that has layers is more tasty.

There is normal chapati but you can also add butternut squash in it.

CHIPS MASALA

POTATO AND BEEF STEW

This is beef stew with potatoes and imagine people eat it with rice.Some kenyans love eating carbohydrates with more carbohydrates lol especially people from central province.

CHAI

The Kenyan tea must have a color as shown and you get this by boiling the milk with the tea leaves.If you use tea bags you squeeze them till the tea gets to this color.

Chips Mayai

The best I ever had been at was at a restaurant outside USIU campus.It is fries with eggs.

Matoke/Raw Banana Stew

This is the banana that is still green you just fry it with onions and tomatoes.Sometimes meat can be added.

Liver Fry

This is liver fry perfect for those with anemia since it has a lot of heme iron.Always eat an orange as you eat liver to absorb most of the iron.

Tilapia Stew

Mukimo

This is mashed potatoes with leaves of pumpkin/kaharora(stinging nettle leaves grounded)

Those are the Kenyan meals every Kenyan should know how to make.If someone doesn’t know how to make at least half of these meals either a man or a lady do not date them at all bure kabisa.

Some Kenyan bloggers to teach you how to make these meals are:

KALUHI’S KITCHEN

JIKONI MAGIC

TALKING TO NELY

You can also check the blogpost below of Kenyan cooking YouTube channels.

KENYAN COOKING CHANNELS TO GET RECIPES

kwaheri

25 Recipes Every Kenyan Should Know How to Make UGALIThis is the most staple meal in Kenya and everyone must know how to make it.Just 2 ingredients flour and water.Tools are mwiko and a pot that is not nonstick.

[ewasteperformance-blog]

Cable Drift in Kenya (a report on chasing cheap electronics)

Text: Dani Ploeger, photos: Alexia Manzano

In January and February 2017, we visited Nairobi to present the outcomes of the Bodies of Planned Obsolescence workshops we did in Nigeria, Hong Kong and the UK in 2015. In addition to showing our previous work, we visited electronics retail sites in Nairobi and elsewhere in Kenya to buy a collection of new USB cables as part of an exploration for a new direction within the project. The group of participants included Catherine Chapman (journalist), Chris Williams (international relations scholar), Greenman Muleh Mbilleh (artist), Joan Otieno (artist), Dani Ploeger (artist), Brigitte Mutengwa (anthropologist), Hannah Whittaker (project coordinator), and Alexia Manzano (photographer).

Until this latest journey, the project’s engagement with e-waste had mainly focused on the export of – often still working – second-hand devices from the Global North to the Global South. These devices usually remain technically functional for many years after the original owner discarded them. After having been used by their new owners for a period of time, these devices then eventually end up on e-waste dumps. It is these devices that we engaged with in our workshops in Lagos and Hong Kong.

However, already during our stay in Lagos in early 2015, we became aware of a development in global electronics consumption that has thus far hardly been addressed. After I lost my smartphone in a car robbery, I went out to buy a basic replacement phone (see the blogpost below). To my surprise, a brand-new Nokia brick phone, directly imported from East-Asia, was much cheaper than a similar secondhand model imported from Europe; the ‘original’ model from 15 years ago was considered better quality than the new product.

Especially in sub-Saharan Africa, an increasing amount of e-waste is now generated by low-grade new electronic devices and peripherals (mobile phones, data cables, battery packs etc.). These new devices, which are imported directly from China, Malaysia and other producing countries in East-Asia, often break shortly after purchase and are usually instantly discarded. This trend is also becoming apparent in Europe, where discount retailers like Poundland (UK) and Action (NL) are offering an increasing assortment of peripherals of equally low durability. Thus, a change in the dynamics of global trade in new and used electronics is taking place.

Several questions arise from this development:

-Consumer technologies such as computers and mobile phones have long served as symbolic objects in visions of the ‘new’ and the futuristic. How does the current drive towards conspicuous disposability and transitoriness of these objects affect this symbolic trope?

-The availability of directly imported low-cost new electronics means that Europe and North-America’s role in the supply of consumer technology to Sub-Saharan Africa is declining. In what ways might this development relate to China’s expansion of its geopolitical interests in sub-Saharan Africa in a broader sense (large scale investments in infrastructure, energy supply and raw material mining)?

-How can the degree to which various markets (ranging from the urban to the rural and the pastoral) are penetrated by specific electronic devices (e.g. mobile phones and its peripherals) be read as a degree of connection to and participation in globalized culture?

A consideration of electronics consumption in Kenya is of interest to these questions: the country encompasses a particularly broad range of electronics retail and use practices, ranging from westernized urban mall culture, to pastoral communities where electronics play a very different role. Street vendors and small scale shops are omnipresent in Kenya. Their form of trade seems especially compatible with the dissemination of these cheap, new electronic devices and peripherals. The speed and informal nature of the transactions in public space make it a typical environment for the impulsive purchase of products without long term-use perspectives.

During our visit to Kenya, we decided to examine the rise of low-grade new electronics by tracing the way in which one specific common and cheap electronics accessory – the micro USB charging cable – is represented and sold in a broad range of geographical and cultural environments across the country. We explored the trading sites where we found the various cables through a psychogeographical approach. In his article, ‘Introduction to a Critique of Urban Geography’ (1955), Guy Debord describes psychogeography as ‘the study of the precise laws and specific effects of the geographical environment, consciously organized or not, on the emotions and behavior of individuals.’ In such study of the environment, the method of the ‘dérive’, or ‘drift’, takes a central place. Debord describes this as ‘a mode of experimental behavior linked to the conditions of urban society: a technique of rapid passage through varied ambiances.’

In each site we visited, participants conducted several dérives. Throughout these drifts (individually or in pairs) through the retail environment the participants purchased cables and used writing, photography and sound recording to document their environments in terms of their social, geographical, economic, and aesthetic dimensions. In addition, photographer Alexia Manzano created visual overviews of the general environments of the dérives, while also acting as a paparazzi of sorts, taking distant shots of participants with a zoom lens while they were exploring the environments. The resulting set of data from our explorations includes the following:

-a collection of physical cables

-a series of white box studio photographs of these cables

-individual participant documentation of the environments in which the cables were collected (including text, snapshot photos and sound recordings)

-photographic overviews of the various sites

-photos of the participants interacting with their surroundings during their explorations

Through this combination of documentation in different media and with different scopes the project builds on the acknowledgement that the electronic commodities we investigated do not exist as autonomous objects, but are embedded in a network of stories, expectations and practices. Importantly, the buyer also plays an important role in this network. Thus, the project participants are also implicated as research subjects themselves. While performing their explorations, they operate – and are perceived – in a certain relation to the commodities they buy, based on (assumptions about) their background in terms of class, gender and race. Hence, part of the documentation is focused on showing how participants navigate and interact with the various retail environments.

An evaluation of some of our findings in relation to this, as well as a reflection on the potential and limitations of the project’s methodology will follow soon. For now, here is a selection of photos and participant notes from five of the sites we visited:

Gaikindo Market, Nyeri County (regional rural market)

Greenman: ‘My phone is a fake Sony. I asked Jimmy from Jimmy’s Enterprises if he has an original USB cable for my phone. The cable he sold me malfunctions. Charging is frequently interrupted’.

Joan Otieno: ‘Salesman Karioki was not aware that he had a USB cable in his assortment. He didn’t recommend the one he had: “Please don’t buy it, it’s fake! There’s another shop that sells originals. You have money, so you can afford an original one.”’

Gakindu, Nyeri County (settlement, 5km from Gaikindo)

Dani Ploeger: ‘We found no USB cables. Kids offered to go home and look for some for us to buy from their families. Here, only the sheep had cables.’

Westgate Shopping Mall, Westlands, Nairobi (upmarket shopping centre)

Joan Otieno: ‘I perceived this as a place where only the rich go. I didn’t interact with people and only saw prices at a distance. The cables were very expensive. On the way to the toilet I spoke with a security guard. “Do you just want to have a look or do you want to buy?”, he asked. I felt bad about going to shops without buying anything.’

Dani Ploeger: ‘Several of the cables I saw here are advertised with a focus on their innovative characteristics. The promoted features often seem absurd, e.g. the cable doesn’t tangle cos it’s very short.’

Luthuli Avenue, Central Business District, Nairobi (electronics wholesale area)

Catherine Chapman: ‘There are many wholesalers here and nobody seems to know what’s going on. There is no control of products coming in and going out and traders seem to have little to no knowledge of the products they are selling.’

Chris Williams: ‘I was looking for a mini USB lead for my somewhat older phone. I didn’t find any and nobody I met had an understanding of cable types. They were just sales people.’

Nyayo Market, Ngara, Nairobi (secondhand market close to the city centre)

Greenman: ‘I overheard the traders speaking among each other: “Did you have the whites in your shop? They look like money”. They asked me: “are you buying this for yourself or for them?” I was perceived as part of a group of foreigners, rather than a local individual visiting the market.’

Chris Williams: ‘I felt that the atmosphere on the market was relaxed. I spoke with a trader who appreciated secondhand products: “old is gold”’.

[crocutalupus]

The elephants would run up, screaming and charging the den over and over. For nearly half an hour we watched this go on. Needless to say we didn't end up going to the den that night. We're already pretty cautious around elephants, but watching them harass the cubs was a whole new feeling. We were both intrigued and anxious at the same time. The hyenas didn't look like they shared our feelings however, they would run at the elephants in retaliation, not ever a threat to the elephants but standing their ground. I've never seen anything like it.

[tayarilondon]

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[maybeholds]

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