One thing that comes with living as a white man in black African countries, is that the majority of the people will assume you are rich (and many times you are). That brings about that some people will try to take advantage from you. Taxi drivers double their rates, waiters do that, beggars and street children double their efforts, and also with choosing your African friends you have to be careful.
Sometimes I get tired of that, because this is a 24/7 situation.
Still you have to keep in mind it's not like that. The overall majority of the people will not try to take advantage. I experienced it this morning, when going to a electronics shop for fixing the cable of my lavalier microphone. 'How much will it be?' I asked before going down into business. I was already preparing for being cheated. Both the lady at the counter and the technician looked to each other and laughed a bit. 'Sir, we are not going to charge you.' That was just the confirmation I needed on this wonderful day.
The sky is clouded, a soft cold breeze is blowing. I am wearing a fleece, the people on the street walk in jackets, holding their hands in the pockets. It's winter in Nairobi. We have to see through it, but the good thing is that you can do a lot. When it's hot you tend to become slow. Still I'm longing for the summer.
Dutch subtitled version of feature on the Kenyan artist Bertiers now online.
http://www.frame51.com/bertiershi.wmv
English version on the way.