Kamihehu: A Drink At Own Risk
This was a mythical place that we only heard about. It was where illicit brews were sold, and we obviously never ventured there, so everything we knew about…
Mwangi Dhobi (Drycleaner)
He was a short bald man who was the only dry cleaner in OlKalou. His shop was a small wooden building at the site of the current market.…
Ndongoria: The Barber
He was the Barber in OlKalou running his kiosk from inside the market. Back then, everybody wanted to have the English haircut (kwenjwo githungu). That was the style…
Bhachu – Only Indian in OlKalou
Bhachu was the only Indian (Muhiindi) in OlKalou. Like Mukurino, we did not know when Bhachu came to OlKalou or where he came from. All we knew was…
Propane Gas: New Phenomenon
I mentioned gas cylinder above, and one may be tempted to think we used propane gas for cooking in our homes. Far from it. At Bhachu’s hardware, that…
Visit To Nyahururu
I witnessed the propane gas paranoia one time when I accompanied my mother to Nyahururu. There was a new Bank Manager at Kenya Commercial Bank, Nyahururu branch where…
Lets Have Tea – Shall We
I have no idea what part of Nyahururu we were in, but the house we visited was beautiful. There were comfortable sofa sets and coffee tables with plenty…
Bottom Falls Out
Like all good mothers are known for embarrassing themselves and their children without batting an eyelid, my mother asked our host how she managed to cook the tea…
Now I Understand My Parents
As one grows older, you look back at some things your parents did and you thought they were embarrassing, but then you realize, you have become your parents…
Here Comes The Dinosaurs – Us
Lo and Behold, as it turns out, our children, Generation Dot Com, look at us like we are some dinosaurs from another era in time. The things we…