Confusing day in the tropics!

Its really been a confusing day all round.

We've been getting earth tremors here for the last few days - there's been some kind of seismic activity across the border in Tanzania and we're getting the aftershocks. They are really quite minor - and quite weird. Yesterday i sat in a traffic jam and my car rocked from side to side! Today as i sat at my desk i shook and my PA sitting 5 feet away from me stayed perfectly still and didn't feel a thing!

Anyway i think they're still going on - one or two a day - and no-one seems to know how long they may last or if they'll get stronger or weaker. One of the geologists from the Nairobi Met Dept held a news conference yesterday at about 4.30pm and said that we'd had the last of them and they could only get weaker - and then - funnily enough - we got the strongest we have had so far at 10 past 5 with a 6.1 rating on the Richter scale - confirmed by some fellows in a met station in Texas, USA! Shows how competent they are here with these things!! Anyway - can't blame the fellows - turns out they don't actually own any equipment that works!! - Usual story I'm afraid in this part of the world.

I've had 4 emails so far warning us what to do in case of an earthquake, and the best thing is they all tell you something different. One email's 'TO DO' tells you exactly what the next one tells you 'NOT TO DO'! It's great. I'm just hoping - me and a few million others I'm sure - that basically these after shocks won't get any worse than they have been - a few cracks in the wall but nothing major - and meanwhile we keep our fingers crossed! One of the best 'TO DO' ideas we got through the email said that if it occurs when you're asleep- roll out of bed and curl up in a ball at the end of it! - Now work that one out!!

Meanwhile apart from the constant stress of worrying what or what not to do when the world shakes once more i got an email from a friend who works up the road at a school that borders the fence of the Nairobi game park. It just read; "Have you heard there's a couple of lions escaped from the park and heading our way. AAAAARRRGH!!"

I thought she'd probably had one cup of coffee too many BUT as it turned out a couple of lionesses came out onto the main road and lay amongst the cars! - Probably making the most of the heat of the tarmac as it's been so cold the last few days! Anyway rogue lions aren't really run of the mill things to deal with in our everyday world - although we live on the periphery of the park - there is a huge fence that usually keeps them all in. Turns out they got bored after a few hours and took themselves back to the park - after upsetting a few pedestrians and cyclists no doubt! Don't blame them for legging it back - the shocking traffic we have to deal with is enough to make anyone want to jump an 8 foot electric fence to escape back into the wilderness!!

Well better get back to practising for rolling off my bed in the middle of the night in my sleep!

AAAARRGGGHH -from me this time!
Was about to post this blog and got another tremor - it's really scary actually especially after seeing the news and the massive earthquakes that are going on in other parts of the world - and I'm not even in my bed yet to practise my roll!
Really must go! Wish us luck!