Law Students

We arrived in Nairobi two months ago. The trip was staggering in its length and I was so far apart form anything I'd known, that shock is far too simple of a concept to encompass the disconnection I felt.

After arriving at the airport and making our way through the Visa queue, we took the van ride, everything was a blur - some things vaguely familiar but misplaced - arriving in the Jacaranda Hotel. We were greeted with Passion Fruit juice and we settled in for a little rest. The room was small, but a bed was such a novel concept to my body, that I cared not. The next day, after a wonderful buffet breakfast, we took taxis the further 2 blocks to BID Apartments - hour home for the next almost 5 months.

After 3 days, the Law students started arriving. Over the next week, about 40 students arrived to have a 2-month study and adventure in Nairobi. At first, I thought it would be cool to have other Americans nearby. After only a week or two, my opinion changed. These students were like other Law students I had encountered - they were not interested in learning about the culture they were in nor in speaking with anyone outside their chosen field unless necessary to get something they wanted. They were inconsiderate that families lived in the apartments around them, talking loudly and having parties until after midnight. Tuscaloosa is a college town, but we live away from campus. I have not lived in the college style for many years.

Two months have passed and the Law students had their end-of-class party. Mostly they were ok, and responded when I finally asked them to tone it down after 10p and the kids (whose window faced the party) were in the bed. They had a safari and then began to vacate. Now they are gone, the wireless network is no longer flooded by their laptops, even the weather seems to have noticed and responded by giving us two of the prettiest days in a month.

My feelings are mixed. I thought it would be nice to have Americans along with us, but it was not. I thought it would make it easier to shift into Nairobi life, again I was wrong. I thought I would miss them, I don't - in fact I am glad they are gone.

The students are gone, taking with them their American collegiate culture. We have 80 days left and finally we can live like Kenyans (perhaps high middle class Kenyans).