Welcome to Mia’s Diary. I’m super excited to be collaborating and contributing to The Lily Review. This is going to be fun; at least that’s the plan, and I’m really looking forward to it.

Since this is our first meeting, I thought it’d be great to start with some R&R. One of the things that we do on a daily basis is talk about something or someone or someplace. Sometimes, we rave – speak in a positive light – (like when a Matatu charges you 30bob to “tao ndani” and then actually does take you tao ndani) and other times, we’re pissed off (e.g. like when Uchumi displaces its product and then attempts to sell it to you but for the higher price and then refuses to refund the difference. Major Rant!)

I would love to hear your rants and raves for the day, week, month and year in the comments. Basically, wewe sema tu! Just come over and tell me all about it. For my part, I’ll also contribute my rants and raves, and somewhere in between, I’ll also be talking about random but interesting things. Before we can move on, here are a few pledges: Read the rest of this entry →

Recently I witnessed a most interesting sight. I was in the car with my mum and we were headed to town from somewhere quite suburban (read outskirts of Nairobi) where matatu drivers are even less courteous than those in the city centre, if that’s possible. We are used to matatus stopping in the middle of the road to pick or drop passengers, or just for the driver to enjoy the scenic view.

So it came as no surprise that one matatu was smack in the middle of the road as we were driving. The car ahead of us was being driven by a man who apparently could not take such behavior lying down. So he decided to firmly place his hand on the car horn and leave it resting there. This seemed to irk the matatu tout and the driver who of course did not move an inch. The man continued to hoot and finally drove up next to the matatu to hurl insults, I presume.

No sooner had he done this than a war of words (which I couldn’t hear, thankfully) ensued. The matatu driver proceeded to hit the man’s car with his fist several times. At this point I thought the driver of the saloon car would get out and start fighting, but he didn’t. After his car received several fist blows form the matatu driver, the matatu tout, who was on the road, opened the man’s passenger car door to challenge him to a duel or something. I don’t know what the man said but the tout proceeded to close the door and kick….yes, KICK the man’s car on the passenger side, several kicks by the way, some even on the passenger window. My mouth was agape all this time because I couldn’t believe the nerve! Read the rest of this entry →

Okay, actually this happens to me nearly everyday. Here is the typical scenario: A woman is patiently and innocently waiting for a matatu. Out of the blue, five touts come rushing toward her, seemingly from nowhere. She has barely been watching her surroundings; so lost is she in her own little world.

Suddenly she is grabbed by her arms, shoulders, hands, and even her poor tired legs. Her first thought: “Oh no! I’m being kidnapped! What was that I saw on CSI? Pepper spray…nope. Kick the attacker…” But alas! Her legs have been grabbed!

Slowly she snaps out of her reverie and hears: “Madam, thirty bob! Thirty bob!”. She cannot free herself from their grip. She ends up being dragged into the matatu with the strongest tout. Read the rest of this entry →