I've never been a confident dresser. I get carried away on the spur of the moment in shops - I've worn hareem pants when no longer a student, even squeezed myself into leopard skin lycra trousers because I thought they looked fun. They did. Just not on me. So Kenya, and its sophisticated sartorial situations have been a steep steep learning curve.
How do you tell the new arrival at the Nairobi evening drinks do? They are the one with blue-tinged skin and goosebumps. Our location at 5500 feet means that evenings are chilly no matter how hot the day, - but that deters no one from inviting to twilight drinks, sundowners, on the veranda, when in the UK you'd be inside, next to the central heating. Old hands snuggle in poised pashminas.
My mate Lisa tussled with 'What do you wear for a Sunday afternoon walk in Karua Forest with the dogs. And Prince Edward?' Karua Forest is wildish. Muddy. Rough underfoot. A forest without a National Trust caff. Lake in the middle for dogs to jump in. Must be accompanied by rangers as risk of mugging not negligible. So far I'm thinking running shoes, chinos and an old t-shirt. But the Prince Edward factor is a real wildcard. She opted for a flowery dress and high heels, and was very appropriate for the scones on white linen reception in front of the lake, - but I fear in her place I might have misread the signals!
Tom has spent the week at heavy duty security training on the Nairobi outskirts. Industrial strength first aid in the field. What you do when a colleague is hit by an antipersonnel mine, how to triage casualties, then square that with real explosions to put you off. How to travel in convoy, simulations at road blocks, again with explosions and gunfire. Robbery at gunpoint, murder by rebels and group kidnappings. Not a fun or calming time for him, or for the wife holding the anoraks back home.
So I giggled nervously when in the welcome home debrief on the sofa he described appropriate clothing for wear in Somalia in case of kidnap.
??? Surely the kidnappers aren't that picky, I thought?
But they'd been addressed by a veteran of a 10 day kidnapping in Somalia, and he'd noted how, kidnapped, you spend long periods lying on the ground in the bush with a paper bag on your head. Ants everywhere, who bite, which you scratch, attracting more ants. His suggestion: if ever invited to Somalia, alongside your helmet, flak jacket and ever-present first aid kit, don't wear shorts and a tshirt. You never know what's out there, but long sleeves and long trousers are your best bet. Treat those ants with respect.
How do you tell the new arrival at the Nairobi evening drinks do? They are the one with blue-tinged skin and goosebumps. Our location at 5500 feet means that evenings are chilly no matter how hot the day, - but that deters no one from inviting to twilight drinks, sundowners, on the veranda, when in the UK you'd be inside, next to the central heating. Old hands snuggle in poised pashminas.
My mate Lisa tussled with 'What do you wear for a Sunday afternoon walk in Karua Forest with the dogs. And Prince Edward?' Karua Forest is wildish. Muddy. Rough underfoot. A forest without a National Trust caff. Lake in the middle for dogs to jump in. Must be accompanied by rangers as risk of mugging not negligible. So far I'm thinking running shoes, chinos and an old t-shirt. But the Prince Edward factor is a real wildcard. She opted for a flowery dress and high heels, and was very appropriate for the scones on white linen reception in front of the lake, - but I fear in her place I might have misread the signals!
Tom has spent the week at heavy duty security training on the Nairobi outskirts. Industrial strength first aid in the field. What you do when a colleague is hit by an antipersonnel mine, how to triage casualties, then square that with real explosions to put you off. How to travel in convoy, simulations at road blocks, again with explosions and gunfire. Robbery at gunpoint, murder by rebels and group kidnappings. Not a fun or calming time for him, or for the wife holding the anoraks back home.
So I giggled nervously when in the welcome home debrief on the sofa he described appropriate clothing for wear in Somalia in case of kidnap.
??? Surely the kidnappers aren't that picky, I thought?
But they'd been addressed by a veteran of a 10 day kidnapping in Somalia, and he'd noted how, kidnapped, you spend long periods lying on the ground in the bush with a paper bag on your head. Ants everywhere, who bite, which you scratch, attracting more ants. His suggestion: if ever invited to Somalia, alongside your helmet, flak jacket and ever-present first aid kit, don't wear shorts and a tshirt. You never know what's out there, but long sleeves and long trousers are your best bet. Treat those ants with respect.
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