What Happened to Nairobi’s Soul?
There is something in this city that is really sucking my soul dry, causing me moments of panic and cultural discombobulating. That little trend is that friendly neighbourhood corporate invasion of Western (../../primarily%20American.jpg) grease buckets, assembly line sandwiches and knock off card board pizza that has flooded our billboards and deflated our wallets, all the while increasing the size of a Nairobi ass. Yes, indeed they have come. Drawn to that fresh blood smell of new money, new drops in the market with every day of construction on our new mega-malls.
When did this city become like this? A listless suburbia of people wrapped into cell phones, bumping ideally into each other before obliviously driving their own personal cookie-cutter-cars to the next neon monstrosity. These Formica scented and florescent lit temples to consumption spring up everyday, and everyone in Nairobi just eats it up!
Does anybody recognize this next little bit of conversational cesspool?
“Did you hear? The new mall 200 meters from the old mall is going to have American ice cream! Nairobi sure is moving on up!” Indeed, a little closer to an economic gallows of it’s own making. What is the yuppie Nairobi obsession with Western products, Western stores and the American dream? The U.S. is just one big strip mall and now Nairobi is only a golden arch away from looking like Tulsa, Oklahoma. Enough of this self-imposed colonial grovelling. Fine, Nairobi, advance do it for the benefit of a few people who sure as hell aren’t Kenyan, and who will do little to ever further the development of this city.
Nairobi used to have a soul! Who could think of anything more off putting than a beautiful afro-clad woman, letters spelling Wambui shimmering in her name tag, asking you in her best valley girl accent, “How may I be of service today?”
It’s enough to make my skin crawl; Nairobi isn’t the town for the forced smiles and feigned interest in “Western customer service standards.” This is a city that above all is genuine, even when it’s full of shit.
At least it’s unique! It doesn’t have that factory-approved stamp of safety on it. Nairobi is rough around the edges, and that’s what I like about it! I need a little chaos in my life, I need a little traffic to appreciate the good times, and I need a little rudeness to remind me of all those kind people who give those little moments that make simply existing here have a pay off.
Don’t force a city of such beautiful curves into a square.
By Alex Roberts
8 Comments:
Mathew says:
America and Europe has always wanted to dominate an colonize the globe. So don’t complain when this is not the pristine Africa you always envisioned. Don’t blame us, blame the racist colonial attitudes of your people for stripping the rest of the world of their cultures. You are now trying to force homosexual culture on us. Same old racist behavior.
Traci says:
What the hell does homosexuality have to do with it!? No one is forcing “homosexual culture on us”. A person’s sexuality is personal to each individual.
Mathew says:
So chaos and bad customer service makes Nairobi genuine and have a “soul?” Lol, what a useless racist piece. Please just go back to your country, some of you foreigners are tiresome with your false “love of real Africa.” Stop trying to save us for your pleasure. NKT!
Zohaib says:
Well Said!
terri says:
Good read, congradulations Alex, proud of you..
Homosexuality Mathew? are we reading the same article..you are the racist one here..
Bryan Emry says:
Agreed.. But where does homosexuality come in? Good read..
Butch says:
Can’t say I disagree Alex. There is quite a bit to be worried about in terms of corporate domination by some giant food chain establishments. I’ll be the first to admit I went to both dominos and cold stone and the over-cheery staff with their chants and singing made me cringe and creeped me out, but I had to ask myself, how many jobs are those being provided? ObviousIy, I don’t agree with all of it, but it doesn’t mean that there is no good to be gleaned from them. Perhaps we should ask why Kenyans are so very eager to partake in all of the hype? One reason, I’d argue, is that the service standards are simply something we are not accustomed to. My friend Matthew (with his backwards homophobic thinking, dude wtf it’s 2014, get your head out of your ass) has nailed it, the fact is, shitty services and things not always working or running smoothly takes it’s toll, soulful or not. And the more we as Kenyans realize that standards are there to be maintained; not kept up for 2 months after launching a new joint or business or venture or even bloody traffic lights!!! Uhuru highway, jeezoss and assuming success is guaranteed, the sooner our country will change for the better and maybe just maybe well be able to keep our souls, instead of “selling out”.
Nasi says:
after seeing Matthew’s comment, i had to go back to the article, wondering if i’d missed you shoving homosexuality down his throat. great piece.i do agree with Bryan…in as much as these chains are flocking over here, they are providing employment in one way or another. although, Nairobi is selling out in my opinion.