New Year’s Themes*
January is the dreaded month. The longest Monday, as it were, what with the prolonged hangover and/or financial dieting that happens on this most unfortunate of months. Back to work, back to school, back to the dreary routines that we all hate so much. Offices are opening and here at UP things are no different.
This got us thinking, what are signs that the holidays are well and truly over, and that it is time to get your game face on? This list is just a starter so if you have any more, get them in!
The Decorations Are Not so Decorative
The garish Christmas decorations that adorn every building during the season are deteriorating fast, though due to that peculiarly Kenyan disease of procrastination they shall stay up until June, yellowed and decayed by the remorseless January Nairobi sun. Be on the look out for lots of “mer y chr stma ” and ” ppy ew ear” fluttering over doors of stores and offices. You know you are in January when you start to see bored looking cleaners scrubbing awful painted depictions of Santa Claus off shop windows.
Traffic Becomes a Place and Not A Description
The city, through Christmas up until the turn of the new year, regains that fidelity of days of yore, when the time between point a and point b as advertised on a guide to Nairobi actually holds true. It is delightful to be able to go from Lavington to JKIA in under half an hour. January becomes real when you get out of your house and spend ten minutes just trying to wedge yourself into the moving masses to begin your three kilometre, two hour commute from home to the office. All peace and good will is shattered by angry drivers with hands glued to their horns.
People Become Their Usual Crabby Selves Again
Service delivery in Nairobi is usually a study in human reluctance. Watchmen drag their feet to open the gate as you sweat bullets hoping the bushes by the infernal gate are only quivering because of the wind. Waiters seem to want to be anywhere else. Come Christmas, though, everything changes. The matatu conductor is very nearly friendly and the lady at the supermarket counter actually shows you the smile that for the last eleven months you thought was a myth. Well, it’s January. the frowns and lead feet are back. Keep your windows up when you get to the gate, and hope your account with the almighty is in the black.
Offers and Discounts (To get You To Work and School)
Christmas was all about fun and celebration. It was a time for family and for giving thanks. Time to take stock and make plans. It was also a time for shopping. Discounts and offers were screamed at us from Billboards, Radio, Internet and T.V. Everything was something percent off, we should hurry while stocks lasted, so on and so forth. Electronics, holidays and clothes, all things to warm the cockles of your heart. January is no different, with sales and offers all over the place. The kicker comes with what is on sale. From Electronics we have school books, instead of clothes we have office supplies. Depressing, huh?
Are there other things you think should be on this list? Let us know!
