Here and There: A Random Thursday

April 8th, 2011 by Savvy Kenya

c435a34c44f2dd63c664140c2d79ee30.88.124 Here and There: A Random Thursday

Weird building in Kahawa Wendani. I would love to know its architect.

Anyway, whenever mum wants to go grocery shopping, she goes to Githurai. If you can avoid the stench of rotting vegetables, mass of humanity and vehicles, dust/mad depending on the season, then you are going to buy the freshest and cheapest groceries in Nairobi. Traders from other estates come to Githurai for their supplies.

Whenever she comes back with a big paper bag of groceries and/or sweet potatoes, bananas, maize etc she calls whoever is at home to go to the stage and help her carry the luggage. This time, my bro and I reluctantly walked to the stage and there she was, with a whole bunch of green bananas.

37b23640805ab1c3fc5f8957c8fbc4bc.103.124 Here and There: A Random Thursday

She had a bunch exactly like this

After hurriedly crossing the dangerous and very wide Thika road, we decided to give someone the porting job. My bro gestured this street kid who sniffing glue and watching us. We gave him 20bob for just a short distance, less than 100m. On reaching the stairs of our apartment block, he dropped the bunch and walked off! I knew we shouldn’t have trusted him.

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Posted in Blog, Humour, Work | 23 comments

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  • metobo

    haha!! i like the building!! it doesnt look real at all…… thanks for me dosage.

    I assure you it’s very real!

  • http://cesily.wordpress.com cesky cess

    I dint see that coming…. hehehe… ‘On reaching the stairs of our apartment block, he dropped the bunch and walked off!’

    Everything was going so smoothly. lol!

    It would’ve been a good ending, we had to carry the bunch upstairs ourselves.

  • Igna

    Hahaha that house must be owned by a very mean landlord.

    What about the owner of the land, he probably grabbed the road and sold it to the building owner!

  • Wish gal

    Walala, woi, is tht a true bldgng? I like the bananas though, any left overs?

    It happened yesterday, so of course the bananas are still there. Give me a call anytime you want to come over for some matoke.

  • Pato

    I’ve seen that building before and trust me, we are lucky Kenya is not prone to Earthquakes like Japan. From my professional opinion that building is poorly designed.

    Maybe it’s not poorly designed but creatively designed to make use of the space! It’s certainly different!

  • http://http//ourkidbert.blogspot.com/ Our Kid

    LOANDING? Why is it that all sign writers always happen to mess up very short text of less than 140 characters. It is not like they are overloanded with work!

    As for the building, all I can say is ‘Let us pray’.

    I would say painting signs is not an easy job and sometimes they are overloanded with work.

  • http://iwacu.wordpress.com/ Sibo

    What an interesting day!
    For that building, I bow…..
    What did you expect from a glue-sniffing street kid?

    Certainly one of my more eventful days!

  • http://lifeishorteatadonut.wordpress.com/ nuttyphilosopher

    hahahaha….your post just made my very uneventful Saturday. Ati “Loanding Zone”. Spell check anyone, someone….????? Too funny. And that building – no comment.

    glad I made your Saturday :)

  • Domnic

    ‘LOANDING ZONE’ and ‘OVERLOANDED WITH WORK’ takes the day. hehehehehe.

    the comments compliment the blog!

  • Yugorstenkovitch

    I’ve seen the building near Nakumatt Wendani, and it’s actually a good use of space, considering it’s built at a V-junction. Likely the architect was inspired by New York’s Flat Iron building amongst others (Wikipedia link to others http://bit.ly/en8JzS ). Unlilke how Pato says, it should be safe if the right materials were used (NY’s FlatIron was completed in 1902 and is still standing strong na zingine ni as old as 1897 in ATL)

    looked at that building, let’s hope this Wendani building has a solid design!

  • Pato

    Thats true Yugorstenkovitch. One proposal would have been to have complete Reinforced concrete walls at the smaller ends. Architecturally it looks unique but structurally it looks inadequate. The Flatiron Building incorporates a steel skeleton unlike our building in Wendani. Other interesting facts – Peter Parker in Spider-Man works as a freelance photographer for the Daily Bugle, which in the movie is located in the Flatiron Building.

    Read more at Suite101: The Flatiron Building in New York City http://www.suite101.com/content/the-flatiron-building-in-new-york-city-a268091#ixzz1JDgqvevM

    You guys are definitely educating me about buildings! Interesting links. Maybe our particular architect got inspiration from that New York building

  • http://pitzevans.wordpress.com pitzevans

    Everytime i go to kahawa wendani im hit by the peculiarity of that building, n wonder how people live at the sharp end. i wouldnt cross that high way with a bunch of bananas, once saw a lady killed on it at kahawa sukari where i used to live.

    the highway is dangerous but they will build foot bridges, hopefully!

  • http://reflectionsanddeflections.blogspot.com/ OtienoHongo

    You really have to be very brave to live in that building! To think that someone at City Planning actually approved it!

    We Kenyans are nothing if not brave!

  • http://marlmarly.wordpress.com marlmarly

    sounds like you had an interesting day. lol! the money wasnt enough for him to carry the banana up the stairs…

    but instead of asking for more, he just took off!

  • http://kbaab.wordpress.com Kbaab

    That building is a no no no. It’s neither aesthetically appealing nor structurally sound. I bet no architect did it just a quack. I can even bet that the drawings didn’t even get to the city council, it flaunts all the by laws.

    All the best in your interviews my dear. :)

    Thanks, I feel good times ahead

  • http://www.myinkdropshere.wordpress.com jacquendinda

    haha that building!!! I remember it…when I was in Campus I used to live just a few metres before that Building…it looks funny… We used to keep on guessing the shape and we all couldnt find a name for it…

    I think it’s a trioid, you know like a cuboid?

  • http://twitter.com/shique08 shique winny

    hahaha the shape of that building..wahh cant stop figuring out how it looks from inside…i mean seriously..why would anyone erect such a building?ohh and the JKUAT parking thingy..LOANDING???? *kizungu ni ngumu kweli* #Thatsall

    • savvykenya

      I would love to tour that building! Unfortunately we moved from Kahawa..

  • Shiko-Msa

    That building is a slice!

    • savvykenya

      A slice of cake! @shiko_msa

  • Leonard Mukasa

    1. From the info about meeting your former schoolmate, you must be 25 years old (+/- 1)

    2. US $ 100 = appx. Ksh. 8,500 (more if Euros or Pounds). UoN application fee= Ksh. 3000, K.U= Ksh. 2,000 and the rest are cheaper. Which universities have you been applying to? Btw, K.U is just 600m away from your home.

    3. Why apply to 10+ universities if you passed your undergraduates with a 2nd upper? One application is enough and you’re in… unless you failed.

    4. The only motorbike you will get at ksh. 60-80k is a brand new Chinese 125cc. With 80k + you might get a 150cc (Chinese)

    5. That building has corridors inside?

    • savvykenya

      Eish Leo, what’s with the psychoanalysis? Now I feel the need to defend myself.

      1. I turned 24 a month ago, so you’re accurate

      2. I was applying to Ivy League universities in States and some good universities in the UK, application fee is not less than $100. Two, I know about KU and I did not want to do masters there. I ended up in Strathmore. And oh, I no longer live in Kahawa Wendani

      3. I needed a scholarship, I did pass, with first class honours to be exact. Some scholarship would award you only if you’re already admitted in a university somewhere.

      4. I learned about the cost of motorbikes and a Bajaj that I’m eyeing goes for between Kshs. 120-150K

      5. I have never been inside that building but can sure you it is real and people live there.

  • DeBlitz

    That building am taking a trip from Kasa to have a look at the NY Fe’ inspired….but i’lll use the footbridges.