Alright alright

Day 6

Okay okay. All clear. No problem. That's fitting. Let's do it like that. Alright alright.

This phrase is addictive and you hear it everywhere. You can say it anytime. At the beginning of a conversation, as a thank you, at the end of a conversation, it fits almost every situation.

Since Thursday, I am in Kisumu, a medium-sized city in western Kenya, near the huge Lake Victoria. Here I am now shooting the film for the NGO and will be here for a few weeks. I am staying near the center in a small but nice accommodation on the premises of the NGO office together with Filip, a volunteer from Austria, who is doing his civilian service here for a total of 10 months.

Just now, an eagle, or at least a pretty big bird of prey, soared 15 meters above me in front of the light blue sky and behind the green of the numerous trees and plants. There are a lot of them here.

The last three days here in Kisumu were primarily for getting settled in this new environment. So I took the time to get to know the organization's several employees, to walk a little bit in the city, to run errands, to have tea with Maurice, our personal security, to understand the traffic, to understand the garbage system, to eat samosas (deep-fried dumplings filled with meat or vegetables), to drive to the lake, to enjoy the sunset there, to have tea again with Maurice, to fight against mosquitoes, and to pray to God while sitting on a motorbike taxi (Picky Picky). Picky Picky's are replacing public transportation here. They are simply motorcycles standing by the roadside, and their owners eagerly draw attention to themselves when they see you. You just swing to the back, snake a few kilometers through the hustle and bustle, and pay 100 Kenyan shillings at the end. 70 cents. On these vehicles, banana trees, bicycles, mattresses, or even a whole family are often transported. It's so convenient and so irrational.

I just wrote 'garbage system'. In the end, everything is mixed into trash bins and burned somewhere on the property or on the street. So there are open fires on the roadside, and alongside them, people walk with huge baskets of fruits on their heads, and in between, there are cows and goats. Right in the middle of the city.

Yes, when you are on a motorbike taxi, you see a lot. And you feel that you are in Africa.

On Friday, I went with Filip, Simon, the head of the organization, and a few other employees to the lake to a very cool bar. Dunja Beach. There you could have a drink, watch the breathtaking sunset, and listen to live music. A huge stage was set up, and about 15 people played great Kenyan music. Including dance routines that encouraged participation. Percussion, drums, bongos, guitar, female and male singers. Everything was there. It was great. When you looked at the lake, you could hardly see the other shore, although the view only corresponded to a small bay. Lake Victoria is gigantic and roughly the size of the states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg combined. It is unimaginable. There are hippos and crocodiles on the shore, but unfortunately, we didn't see any. Or fortunately?

After the bar, everyone was hungry, and we went to a traditional restaurant. There we had grilled beef with many side dishes and especially Ugali, a typical Kenyan cornmeal porridge that honestly tastes like nothing. But here's the catch: You take some Ugali, shape a small ball with your hand, and make a hollow. Now you can mix the Ugali with the side dishes like with a spoon and take everything together. One might wonder why you don't just use a spoon. Personally, I really like eating with my hands. Simon, the boss, explained that one appreciates and feels the food much more when you touch it with your fingertips. I liked this thought. And honestly, I found the scene extremely suspicious when well-dressed men started kneading their plates. There were large sinks at the bar so that you could clean your hands properly after the feast.

Yesterday and today, I was out and about in the area again and observed Kenyan life on the streets of Kisumu. Everything feels like you are in a single Arte documentary about Africa. It is a completely different world. So chaotic, so dusty, so poor, so exhausting, and yet so joyful, so relaxed, so warm-hearted, and so funny. Just now, Paul, an employee here, really wanted to make pasta with me. He says he likes to eat it but doesn't know how to cook it properly, so he wanted me to show him how to do it so that he can cook it at home sometime. So we cooked spaghetti with tomato sauce together. He was happy, and we all really liked it.

It is now 7:23 pm. Work starts tomorrow. Tomorrow I will go to the projects in the region for the first time. Tomorrow filming begins. But now, when it's dark, when all the employees are gone, and there is only one person left on the property besides Filip and me, it's time. It's time for tea with Maurice.

Oh, one thing I forgot. I got a haircut. That's it. Alright alright.