A beautiful sunrise silhouette of Toronto that I shot months ago with a few token lampposts too! I got real lucky with that one lamppost that was still lit and hadn’t yet been turned off in lieu of the daybreak and rising sun.

Well here’s the last photo from the series. This lady was comfortably reading in the shade in her stall in the market that had established itself by the side of the road. She was quietly biding her time as she patiently waited for interested tourists to approach. Sometimes life feels like it’s a ginormous and never-ending waiting game, but in the end it’s really up to us to get back to it! And that’s what I’m going to do with my photography… gotta get back to it!

I wonder if anyone’s actually inside that ‘Scratching Card’ booth or what this kid is really up to…

It feels like a sleepy Sunday today. I’m a bit under the weather so it’s the perfect opportunity to just relax and take a breather before a busy week of work, and, well, life starts yet again!

On a side note, the plastic bag that the man is sleeping on reminds me strongly of the plastic bags that are handed out from the 7/11 convenience stores here in Canada!

In Kenya, you tend to see a lot of people sitting in the shade. You also tend to see a lot of people consumed by a toothpick, whether they be sitting or standing or walking around with their friends. In this case, I bring you both… a man sitting in the shade with a toothpick.  Quite fitting I think for a lazy Sunday such as today!

Matatu. This is the main method of transportation for most Kenyans and, until recently, the only form of public transport available in Kenya. They are minibuses, sometimes pick-up trucks, that cram as many people into them as possible and then some. They are a true sight to behold, and often greater than 25 people can be crammed in like sardines! People climb in and out of the vehicle, often while it is still moving, and usually it is so tightly crammed that the passengers often lean half of their bodies out of the windows just to be able to sit in the vehicle. The passengers also do a lot of talking to the other drivers on the road, telling them to move out of the way, signalling when the matatu wants to merge, etc… talk about back seat driving!!

I cannot believe it has been one decade since 9/11. It’s startling to believe that one full decade of my life has been spent in the wake of something that happened in merely one hour on the morning of one previously inconsequential day that has since changed the course of history for the entire world.  I still find the video footage of how quickly and destructively the two buildings collapsed to be surreal. It doesn’t matter how often I see it, even a decade later, it’s still sheer disbelief every time… like, did that really happen? Did two of the most iconic buildings in the New York city skyline literally crumble like a cookie in a matter of moments and take nearly 3,000 innocent lives with it? Did this really happen one decade ago?

Ever wonder how most buildings are built in third world countries? Well, for starters, there are no cranes in sight. Actually, there is very little, if any, machinery involved. Local construction is often accomplished as you see in the photo above, which captures construction at about the fifth storey of this building. Random scaffolding is established which allows the construction workers to climb and lay cement. Before you know it, they’ve made a building! Unfortunately, a few of these quickie local construction projects have been known to collapse after completion – and yes, people were inside… there were fatalities. Pretty scary if you ask me. It’s quite sad that they lack the resources and technology to properly and safely develop their country.

These men are sitting in one of those trenches I described earlier, surrounded by garbage, and are having a very gripping conversation. I love that their jackets have “Orange” written on the back – marketing one of the main telecoms and biggest companies in Kenya. You tend to find a lot of people wearing clothing that says “Safaricom” (aka vodacom) or “Airtel” or “Orange”.

Sorry for the hiatus guys, but I’m back.

Here’s a shot of three women casually hanging out on what is considered to be the sidewalk between the road and the enclosed houses behind. In Kenya, you see a lot of people sitting on the streets, often trying to shade themselves, since there really isn’t any consistent work for them to do or any proper housing for them to live in. So they spend a lot of time waiting outside for new opportunities to arise – often, they make their money through small jobs, ie. selling corn on the street. Overall, people on this side of the world are very eager to work and very appreciative for every opportunity they receive.

Of course those who have a job in downtown Nairobi have lifestyles much more similar to our busy go-go-go lifestyles in North America. You will see them racing to work during morning rush hour, dressed in suits, with a serious demeanour on their faces! But still, incredibly nice, polite and appreciative people utterly thankful for the jobs they have been blessed with.

Also, notice very carefully that the standing woman has a toothpick in her hand. More on that to come later.

Here’s another one of those random photos where I really don’t know what’s going on. I can only suspect that this is a photo of another location where they receive and prepare goods to be sold. But there’s something about this photo I just love – I really love the composition and the colors, and there seems to be an odd harmony with the number of people, their expressions, the way they are interacting and looking around, and all the random crap around them. Or maybe I just love the lady with the mug which seems to have a Canadian maple leaf on it!

This is one of the better markets located very close to the downtown core. These vendors have much nicer goods to sell – what seems like authentic Kenyan souvenirs - but where are the customers?!?

Until one comes around, it’s lounging in the shade time. But don’t be fooled. The second a tourist walks by they will jump to their feet and start their campaign to keep you at their storefront, no one else’s, and after some haggling eventually sell to you.

This photo was actually taken when we visited the coastal city of Mombasa, Kenya. Coastal people are just so relaxed and friendly, spending most of their days by the beach and in the sun. Not to mention the weather is fantastic year around and we were visiting in what is their ‘winter’. Literally, ‘no worries’!

Continuing from my last post… an up close and personal view of the same scene from a different angle. As you can see, I literally meant a trench!

Unfortunately, there is so much poverty in this part of the world that they lack the resources to properly develop even the most basic of infrastructure. Not to mention, the condition was infinitely worsened by the corruption of past presidents who were siphening off for themselves whatever little money the government could have spent on the country and the people.

Often, you see these deep trenches forming moats around the various neighbourhoods of Nairobi. My father explained that after Kenyan Independence, over fifty years ago, there was never any money to build a sewage drainage system to handle the rain water whenever there was a storm. So instead, they created trenches/moats near the roads where the water would eventually drain into and would then be soaked up by the mud. It’s a very odd sight. Let me tell you, these trenches are deep, often part of the sidewalks, and was probably hand-dug by some unfortunate poor soul with a pick-axe!

Oh you know, just a routine morning – hanging out with a buddy and reading the daily newspaper.

Ok I admit, “Bananas” is a pretty lousy title. Or maybe it’s a pun - in my defense, I have absolutely no clue what’s going on in this photo and thus it appears crazy, mad, wild, nuts, bonkers or… wait for it… bananas! And yes, that was a bit of a stretch; the pun was completely unintentional. Literally the only thing I can clearly make out in this picture are the piles upon piles of bananas! Not to mention I have no clue why there are little petrol (aka ‘gas’) cannisters on the left?!? Maybe this is a ‘sorting facility’, receiving the ‘goods’, then distributing them out to the various street vendors! Your guess is as good as mine.

There were definitely some shady characters to be seen on the streets as we drove around Nairobi, Kenya. At times, and especially if they saw me snapping their photo, it would make me a bit scared. Good thing the vehicle just kept on moving.

Establishments entirely made out of corrugated low-cost metal sheets are a common site in East Africa, utilized primarily by the poor and the lower class. Their homes and shops are literally self-constructed by taking scrap sheets that have been used, discarded or leftover from other projects, and somehow fastening them together to form four walls and a roof. Forget low cost housing, this is poverty housing and it really symbolizes the plight of the poverty in this area of the world.

So when I see this photo, I sure do love the utterly random green bench against the green wall that has been created using like fifteen random scrap metal sheets. I love the juxtaposition of the lonely lady in red sitting in the shade contrasting with this entire green visual spectacle. But the best part of this photo? The tattered signage on the left – especially the sign “Office Of The President”!