Back home - thank you Kenya team 2

I am back home in Denmark and thrilled to be with my family again.
But my heart is aching.....
It is aching because I miss my new 11 friends from all over the world. I miss Kenya and "no rush", I miss the fun team days and our team jokes. I miss the carefree days where I only had to worry about the project and nothing else.
This experience has been a once in a lifetime event. Thanks to all of you for entering my life I will keep you and all our memories in my heart for ever.

Sunrise close to Masai Mara

Walking Safari

Me and my masai friends

Today a new adventure begins.
Luan, Reka, Joshua and I are going on a walking safari with the masai's. Right now it is raining and I am afraid that it is going to turn into a muddy experience. See you all muddy on Wednesday!


Back from safari which turned out to be a wonderful experience.

Toothless masai woman

We lived with the masai's, enjoyed their continuous dancing and singing, played with the children, milked a goat, made chapati's with the women, killed a goat and ate it! At night our masai worriers stood next to our tent and protected us from the wild animals.

Tears and goodbuys

Today was the final team day. We spent the day finishing our last shopping at the YaYa market and the Masai market. The crying started at debriefing with Muriuki and Alex and kept on during our last dinner together at Fair Views. Tomorrow everybody will take of in different directions. It is sad to realize that this might be the last time this team is gathered. It has been a wonderful experience. Professionally, to learn that my skills can be used in other contexts and personally as I have learned so much about Kenya but also about the 8 other countries of my team mates.
I learned 
- that there is No rush in Kenya
- that pole pole means easy easy
- that Jews cannot travel or use anything electronic from Friday sunset until Saturday sunset
- that t is possible to have been born in Indian, lived in Congo and now be settled in Canada
- that it is possible to be Chinese, born in the Netherlands and live in Switzerland
- to dance the Bollywood way
- or tried to learn the African shoulder and hip dance
- That meeting new friends is wonderful and saying goodbuy is horrible

Final presentation

The presentations are now officially delivered to our customers together with the final report.
All teams did well - team three on 3 hours of sleep! - and all meet with the Primary Secretary. I think he was impressed by our work and "the power and passion of IBM". I do hope that he will work on our recommendation, starting Monday morning
After lunch at the ICT board we went back to the hotel were everyone passed out of a few hours before getting up to meet with Jane: Vice President, DOT. I am glad that we are finally done as atmosphere of  the last couple of days has been very tense.

Evening was party time at "carnivore" the meet eater restaurant. Followed by a great time in the next door night club. Those Africans really know how to dance.

Final days in Nyeri

The Posta Kenya team

 

 

These are our final days in Nyeri. Today, Tuesday, we got a call from Jane from PCK who told us that the Regional Postmaster Mr Gathura wanted so see us in his office in Nyeri before we leave. So we went to his office today with our friend Mr Mulundi - the headpostmaster of Nyeri. We explained our recommendations from the project and they surprised us by giving us a farewell gift: red "postapay" caps, table mats and a pearl twiga. And we responded with IBM goodies: a Think booklet.
It has been wonderful the way Mulundi and Gathura has welcomed us to PCK and Nyeri. We surely have two friends in Kenya.

Here at Green Hills the three teams have been working almost around the clock. One team is behind schedule and we need to find out how to help them to complete their work. This afternoon the three teams presented our projects to each other and gave advise and comments before we start the last marathon run to complete the work.

Thursday morning we head off to Nairobi - for the last time  - to be supporters for Team Chui's final presentation Thursday afternoon.

Lake Nakuru - big five completed

Ugly storck in a beautiful setting

This weekend we went to Lake Nakuru to see the rhino in order to complete the BIG FIVE. We succeeded and also managed to see a hippo, a lot of pelicans, flamingos and the ugly Kenyan stork.
The number of animals in Lake Nakuru park is not as big as in Samburu so everyone was a little disappointed by the amount of hours we drove around in the park without seeing any animals. Just before leaving the park we managed to find a group of lions taking their afternoon nap in one big pile in the shade of a tree.


On our way back to Nyeri on Sunday we drove by the Rift Valley, the Thomson falls and at least 5 equator signs. We haven't quite figured out how the more or less straight road from Nakuru to Nyeri crosses equator 5 times. Maybe someone just put up the sign to do some business?

Rhino

Hippo and Pelicans

Flamingoes

Lions taking an afternoon nap

Tea and Coffee in Nyeri

Pappa Papetti is tasting tea

Luan and Eva enjoying a great cup of coffee

Our friend Mr Mulundi - the head postmaster of Nyeri had arranged a tour for us to both a tea and a coffee plantation in Nyeri. We had a great day at both places, learned about the processes and tastede some really good coffee.