It’s been a long day today. As ever a collection of unpredictable things to deal with and a to do list a mile long. I’m not complaining – I like being fully occupied and appreciate the fact that every day is different. I’ve been continuing to grapple with the problem of longevity, (of Hope and Kindness, not me), and have finally finished Built to Last, (the book that I have been drawing inspiration from). As I have blogged previously it has been a very stimulating read and has generated a lot of doodling on my planning pad.
I haven’t been consciously abstaining from news but had been news free for about a week until this afternoon. The transition from news junkie to news free has been easier than I would have thought a few months ago. Very few withdrawal symptoms. I did have a quick flick through the Standard, (Kenya’s ‘other’ daily newspaper). It would appear that Kenya is winning in the fight against Al-Shabbab. It will be interesting to see how much media space this has generated in the West. The press in Kenya is, understandably, full of news and views on the situation. Opinion seems fairly mixed about whether Kenya’s involvement in the current war in Somalia is a good or a bad thing. It is certainly very significant for the Horn of Africa. It’s difficult not to be pessimistic about Somalia’s future prospects, and very hard to imagine what life must be life for the average Somali. We live in a crazy world.
In a couple of weeks I will be heading back to the UK for a bit of a break before returning to Kenya to start a new school year in January. I always find it difficult readjusting to life in the West after a few months over here. I will be flying back via Dubai and will, I am sure, find the ‘Dubai Experience’ as perplexing as ever. Dubai is a miracle of modern urban and airport design – a temple to all things buildable. Like most airport terminals Dubai seems to lose its charm after a couple of visits. Once you’ve seen one you’ve seen them all. Having said that it is impossible not to be impressed by it’s sheer audacity – common sense says that it shouldn’t be possible to build such a structure in such an unpromising and inhospitable location.
Wikipedia contains some interesting facts about Dubai. “Currently, human waste is collected daily from thousands of septic tanks across the city and driven by tankers to the city's only sewage treatment plant at Al-Awir. Dubai's rapid growth means that it is stretching its limited sewage treatment infrastructure to its limits. Because of the long queues and delays, some tanker drivers resort to illegally dumping the effluent into storm drains or behind dunes in the desert. Sewage dumped into storm drains flows directly into the Persian Gulf, near the city's prime swimming beaches. Doctors have warned that tourists using the beaches run the risk of contracting serious illnesses like typhoid and hepatitis.”
“The Burj Al Arab (Arabic: برج العرب, "Tower of the Arabs") is a luxury hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates managed by the Jumeirah Group and built by Said Khalil. Its construction started in 1994 and ended in 1999. It was designed by Tom Wright of WS Atkins PLC. The hotel cost $650,000,000 to build. At 321 metres (1,053 ft) and 60 floors, it was the tallest building used exclusively as a hotel until being succeeded by Rose Rayhaan by Rotana in 23 December 2009, again in Dubai. The Burj Al Arab stands on an artificial island 280 metres (919 ft) out from Jumeirah beach, and is connected to the mainland by a private curving bridge. It is an iconic structure, designed to symbolise Dubai's urban transformation and to mimic the sail of a boat.”
From the sub-slime to the ridiculous!
It will be great to catch up with my family again but anticipating the return journey from a developing country to a developed country via an over-developing country always makes me more acutely aware of the sheer injustice of Kosele’s existence on the margins of sustainability. Tomorrow we have a group of visitors coming over to see what Farming God’s Way is all about. I pray that their visit will inspire them to audacious visions for their own communities. Somewhere between Kenya, Somalia, Dubai and the UK there must be a place where people live in peace and enjoy rich, fulfilling and sustainable lives. That would be an interesting place to visit!
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