Q&A regarding the internship and the trip to Kenya

Here are some typical questions I've been getting regarding the internship I'll be doing in Nairobi and the trip to Kenya...

So what exactly is it that you will be doing there?
In a nutshell, I'll be a part of a team that helps either Finnish businesses in matters regarding business in East Africa (and East African businesses about Finland). Maybe a Finnish company wants to know the market for some specific product. Maybe they want to look into expanding their businesses or for example take a part of their production to foreign markets. It works the other way, too, so if someone from, let's say Tanzania or the Seychelles wants to know about business opportunities in Finland, they could contact the Office I'll be working at.

Umm...*shyly, trying to think of a way to formulate the question in a manner that isn't insulting*... and do you know anything about that...?
Well, I know something. ;) This is, however, an internship, with requirements including good information retrieval skills, a background in customer service and office work (which is all I did before I started working as a substitute teacher) and excellent language skills.

Yeah, okay, I understand. But does this have to do with your studies then? You didn't study business, if I remember correctly?
Yes, it's an internship for my Master's degree in Africa studies. I'm also taking a study module in Corporate Responsibility in my Master's, so I feel that this internship will be very helpful in the future. As some of you may know, my Bachelor's degree with a major in Africa studies included minors in Leadership and Philosophy as well as studies in Environmental Politics, not forgetting the compulsory Swahili-courses, which I can perhaps try out in Nairobi. :)

Are you nervous?
Of course! I'm excited about meeting new people and learning a lot. I'm at times worried about how it all will turn out, but luckily I've been to Kenya before (which was one of the requirements of the internship) so I can prepare myself for the culture shock a bit. Mostly I'm worried I'll be lonely, because I can only see L on Skype and I'll miss my friends and family. However, L is extremely supportive and wonderful through all this. And a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

Don't go and catch the ebola, now! 
Yeah, I'm pretty sure I won't. :)
The ebola-virus mainly effected West African countries like Liberia, Sierra Leone and Mali, and luckily it has been pretty well contained. If you take a look at a map of Africa, you will find Kenya in East Africa (between Somalia and Tanzania, on the coast of the Indian Ocean) and notice that these effected countries are waaaay on the other side of the continent. Were you super worried when they had that one case in Spain? No. The distance between Kenya and Liberia is almost twice as long as the distance from Finland to Spain. :)

Have you taken all your shots and anti-malaria medicine?
Yepp, I already had most of the shots from my last trip eight years ago. I have taken the necessary shots for hepatitis, tetanus (fi: jäykkäkouristus), yellow fever (fi: keltakuume) and meningococcus (fi: meningokokki eli aivokalvontulehdus). Nairobi is pretty much malaria-free due to its altitude, but I will be sleeping under a mosquito net just to be sure. If I travel outside of Nairobi, I'll take the anti-malaria medication, wear long sleeves in the evening and spray OFF all over.
Additionally I will have to be careful not to get very sick from contaminated water and the likes, as you do when you travel to foreign countries, but you know, it's bound to happen eventually... Last time I got really sick and had to go to the hospital in Nairobi, so I've already been there and I know I'll receive good care. :)

So when are you leaving and how are you flying?
I'm leaving TODAY! My KLM-flight through Amsterdam will depart from Helsinki at 6 pm, I have a one-hour lay-over there and then it takes 8h 40 min from Amsterdam to Nairobi. I'll arrive to Nairobi 7 am local time tomorrow morning! My landlady and a driver will pick me up at the airport (sweeeet).

You said local time... What's the time difference?
It's +1h from Finland. When Finland switches to summer time, there will be no difference in time.

And what's the weather like now?
+28 degrees Celsius and sunny. :)

What currency do they have in Kenya?
The Kenyan shilling, KES. In Nairobi they call it a bob. 100 KES = 1,03 €.

Well, what about...?
Don't worry, I'll write a "Kenya in a nutshell"-information text later. :) Now I have to hit the shower. Mamma is coming over for a cup of coffee and we'll have some berliininmunkki before heading to the airport with her and L.

How are you feeling?
 I cried a lot yesterday, because I miss L tremendously already, but I am getting a bit excited now. It'll be fine.

I love you and I miss you already.

See you in August!

What to pack?

"Do all Europeans dress like they're going to work on a farm?", asked Ken, a Kenyan volunteer, whom I became friends with during my last trip to Kenya. All of the Westerns, including myself, looked like they had Googled "safari outfit" and packed accordingly. After the 3-week workcamp we returned to Nairobi and I went to the nearest second-hand shop and bought a pair of jeans. 

That was 8 years ago.

This time I'm going to do an internship at an office. Instead of safari shorts, I'm packing pencil skirts, blouses, comfortable heels and pantyhoses. I expect I'll be dining out and going for drinks in the weekends, like I do in Helsinki, as well as going to art galleries, museums, cultural experiences of all kind, networking events with other expatriates - like a normal person living in a big city. So I basically need my basic summer wardrobe with me. Sure, there are shops in Nairobi, but I heard that the second-hand shops don't really carry any quality items and the quality stores are really expensive, so I have to be prepared to have everything I need with me.

The challenge for this evening is to make it all fit in my luggage...

Luckily L will stay and guard the rest of my possessions - I can only imagine how stressful it would have been to have to empty an apartment now, phew. Also, the apartment I'm renting in Nairobi is furnished and all-inclusive, so I don't have to worry about basic necessities at home.

In addition to clothes, my travel pharmacy and hygiene products, I'm bringing a couple of books, my laptop, Fazer's chocolate and my selfiestick (thank you, ex-colleagues for the fun gift!).

Am I forgetting something?

2 days left.

This morning I planned outfits for the first few days in Nairobi, so I'd have a smart carry-on in case my luggage ended up stuck in Amsterdam or something. Momentarily I even felt excited about it all - planning, packing, arriving to a new environment early Saturday morning, starting a new job on Monday, meeting lots of new, interesting people...


Then I looked at L and was back to feeling sad.

I don't want to gooooooo...

An End of an Era

I couldn't believe it this morning when I didn't have to wake up at 6 am and go to work at the school. It's an end of an era, you might say.

3,5 years teaching three different subjects (Finnish, Arts, English), countless hours of planning and grading papers, numerous new friends among the amazing colleagues I had, plenty of very special pupils and a boss who raises the bar for my future bosses. 

This is what a class gave me as a thank you on our last lesson together: 

I will miss you, too, HeSko. 

Crazy last Friday in Finland

Since I was on sick leave on Monday and Tuesday, the last days have been super busy at work. 

However, there was a nice moment in class with a group I've really felt connected to (Minna, yours ;)). A few months ago we did a verb exercise using the lyrics for Adele's Someone like you. So as my last words for the group I sang for them: 

"Nothing compares, 

no worries or cares, 

regrets and mistakes 

they're memories made. 

Who would have known how 

bittersweet this would taste...?

Nevermind I'll find someone like you,

I wish nothing but the best for you, too.

Don't forget me, I beg, 

I remember you said:

Sometimes it lasts in... employment contracts...

But sometimes it hurts instead."

They applauded and a few hugged me as goodbye. 

A very nice moment.

Besides having nice lessons, I managed to do almost everything I needed to, so that feels good.

 When I was cleaning out my cupboard in the teachers' lounge, a co-worker said: "You're cleaning like you're never coming back!". In reality, I don't know what happens when I return to Finland. I might apply for jobs closer to my own field or I'll be a substitute teacher again. All I know for sure is that I'll go to Flow festival in Helsinki mid-August (Florence + the Machine!!!) and spend some time with my aunt and her whole family when they come to Finland from the US. That's it, that's all I know. Everything's up in the air but that's fine by me. :) 

Today when I came home, I was so tired I took a two-hour nap. Now I'm watching TV. What a superfly way to celebrate the last Friday in Finland for over 6 months.

A week left. Days are flying by.

Only 9 days left!

... and only three days left at work! That's MADNESS.

A girl was so upset about me leaving that she sobbed quietly for most of the lesson. :(  If I wasn't so stressed, I would have cried too.

Tying up these loose ends is taxing. Being sick with flu doesn't help. Talk about bad timing!
 I'm also second-guessing my use of the 2,5 weeks of Christmas holiday. I had all the time in the world to make notes about students then but didn't. Instead I spent countless hours planning what to pack for Kenya by surfing on Pinterest and making useful Google searches like: "how to dress office style in hot weather".

Oh well.

Btw: https://www.pinterest.com/amkehki/nairobi-here-i-come/

A home away from home?

This is where I'll wake up 12 days from now. Can't believe it!

I'll be sharing a flat in Westlands, Nairobi with three other women in their twenties. I have my own room and I'll share a bathroom with one of the room mates. 

It looks modest, I know, but I decided to budget less money on housing and more for the experiences. Plus it has everything I need and more. It's pretty close to work: I'll walk for 10 min. to get a bus (or a matatu as they're called) and the bustrip should take about 10 min. If the traffic would be horrible, it's a distance I could walk.

Additionally the rent, 270€/month, is perfectly within my budget AND the rent includes all services - security, cleaning and laundry (incl. ironing) SIX times a week! Hiring someone to clean your house and wash your clothes is a local custom for anyone who can afford it
and a great way to fight unemployment. Still, for a Finn it might take some time getting used to.

I'll sign the contract when I get to Nairobi and see the place, but for now it looks pretty good, so yey for me!

Yes, I'm a "Lists"-kind of person

1.     Leaving work: Preparations

☐	Organize all files and papers for the succeeding teacher. Clean out your locker in the teachers’ lounge (the one you haven’t cleaned in over three years)
☐	Grade all papers (9th graders’ exams, 7th graders’ papers)
☐	Comment and grade preliminarily all 148 students
☐	Transfer all information regarding the student body council to the succeeding teacher and finish any unfinished business in regards to it
☒	Organize farewell party for co-workers
☐	Bake something for the last day of work

2.     LEAVING HOME: Preparations

☒	Discontinue any services not needed during the time abroad (anyone in need of a subscription of TIME-magazine?)
☒	Change to electronic billing where still needed. Also: order another set of key codes for online banking, in case they run out during the next 6 months
☐	Clean – L won’t appreciate a messy desk for the next 6 months
☐	Leave home keys to sisters
☒	Make a Power of Attorney -letter for L in case of emergencies
☒	Apply for student money as well as the stipend for the internship and acquire all needed documents for it (a letter from the faculty, transcript of studies etc.)
☒	Make a budget
☒	See friends and family before leaving
☐	Enjoy the time left with L and watch all available movies nominated for the best picture Oscar with him (Birdman and Whiplash still on the list….)
☐	Get over this freakin' flu and don’t worry about leaving too much

3.     Leaving to Nairobi

☒	Research dress code for business wear in Nairobi, do Google searches like “how to dress well for office work in hot weather”, get inspired by Pinterest, shop for suitable clothes
☒	Get all necessary shots for a trip to Kenya and prepare a travelers pharmacy kit
☒	Find a room to rent in Nairobi
☒	Study up on current affairs in East Africa (and try to control the fear caused by news regarding terrorist attacks in Kenya…)
☒	Study future employer organization and affiliates
☐	Gather all travel documents, make copies to carry with you and scan documents to cloud service as a back up
☐	Make a list of all necessary contact numbers (insurance company, bank, Finnish Embassy, etc.), back that up as well
☐	Make a list of items to pack for 6 months (and try to figure out what not to pack)
☐	Decide between a huge suitcase with wheels and a huge backpack.
☐	PACK.