Mission Safari: The Next Chapter(s): What's For Sale

June 23, 2005

What's For Sale

Earlier this week when I was taking Josh to the airport, we got stuck in rush hour traffic in Nairobi. The hawkers, whom I have mentioned before, we out in full force. We began to inventory what items were for sale in the middle of a traffic jam. Here were the top 15 items "FOR SALE":

15. Mango

14. Belts

13. Hats

12. Padlocks - all sizes

11. Handkerchiefs

10. Scarves

9. Jumper Cables

8. DVD's - pirated

7. Camp Chair

6. Nuts

5. Bobble-head dogs

4. Super Glue

3. Men's Suits

2. Harmonicas

1. Bob the Builder Pillows

June 23, 2005 | Permalink

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» Can we hawk it? Yes, we can! from Lake Neuron
Mission Safari has a wry little list about the items being hawked on the streets as he drove through Nairobi. Astute people who are related to young children may pick up on the headline of my post. ... [Read More]

» Hawkers in Mexico from Finding direction
After reading Tim's list of what he saw for sale on the road in the middle of a traffic jam in Nairobi, Kenya, I decided to keep my eyes open in Mexico... [Read More]

Comments

That's awesome! A great way to alleviate the boredom of a traffic jam, anyway. I'd love to see someone try on a suit though...

Posted by: Jim | June 24, 2005 at 12:22 PM

So - where were the guys selling watches? They are always around when we go through town.

Posted by: Kathy White | June 24, 2005 at 01:33 PM

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2009 Book List

Robert van Gulik: The Chinese Lake Murders (Judge Dee Mysteries)
I continue to read through the Chinese mystery books written by van Gulik. This story was a bit more complicated to keep straight but had a very fascinating ending. I do enjoy this series. (***)
C. S. Lewis: The Screwtape Letters: Complete and Unabridged
C.S. Lewis is the man! This book was yet another example of why I never tire of reading his thought provoking and heart changing writing. (*****)
Robert Van Gulik: The Chinese Gold Murders: A Judge Dee Detective Story (Judge Dee Mysteries)
Another aspect I like about these stories is the insight they provide to ancient Chinese culture. (****)
Robert Van Gulik: The Chinese Bell Murders: A Judge Dee Detective Story
These Judge Dee books are a lot of fun to read. They are interesting plots with enough twists and turns to keep it exciting, yet not too many to make it ridiculous. This author has another 10 or so in this series. I look forward to making my way through them. (****)
pearl buck: Imperial Woman
I read this book while we were in China. I enjoyed reading this historical novel as it gave me background information on the Temple of Heaven, the Forbidden City, and the Summer Palace. The story was pretty interesting as well. (***)
Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee (Dee Goong An) (Detective Stories)
This is a pretty good Chinese detective story written in the 18th century and translated into English in the 20th century. (****)
Yiyun Li: The Vagrants: A Novel
This story is set in the 1970's and tells the tragic story about a town involved in the Democratic Wall Movement, a pre-Tiananmen Square political movement. The author paints a very real, sobering picture of life in China during this volatile time. Although it doesn't directly discuss one child policies, it helps provide insight to the recent challenges of life in China that lead to international adoption. (*****)
Robert van Gulik: The Chinese Maze Murders: A Judge Dee Mystery (Gulik, Robert Hans, Judge Dee Mystery.)
This mystery novel is set in 1800 China. The book is a gem. Besides being a good read, it provides some historical insight to Imperial China. I look forward to reading more by this author. (****)
Pearl S. Buck: The Good Earth (Enriched Classics)
As we get close to leaving for China, I have decided to read a few fictional works about China. My first was the old classic The Good Earth. I read it sometime in high school but realized that I didn't remember much about it. Anyway, the book was very revealing about pre-Revolutionary Chinese thought and reliance on agriculture. I understand better why it is considered a classic. (****)
Ken Follett: World Without End
This 1000 page tome was worth the time it took to read it. This was the "sequel" of sorts to Pillars of the Earth. I would not have imagined I could be so engrossed by the lives of English peasants and nobility from the 14th century. (****)
Russell D. Moore: Adopted for Life: The Priority of Adoption for Christian Families & Churches
A Must Read for anyone interested in adoption, believes in adoption, wants to support adoption, or has been adopted (physically or spiritually). The author explains our adoption in Christ, and then makes a case for why the church needs to see adoption as missional. (*****)
Dava Sobel: Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time
A very interesting true story about how longitude was discovered. Particularly interesting after reading all the Hornblower books. (***)
C.S. Forester: Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies (Hornblower Saga)
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C.S. Forester: Lord Hornblower (Hornblower Saga)
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C.S. Forester: Commodore Hornblower (Hornblower, 9)
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C.S. Forester: Flying Colours (Hornblower Saga)
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C.S. Forester: Ship of the Line (Hornblower Saga)
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C.S. Forester: Hornblower During the Crisis (Hornblower Saga)
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C.S. Forester: Hornblower and the "Hotspur" (Hornblower Series)
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C.S. Forester: Lieutenant Hornblower
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C.S. Forester: Mr. Midshipman Hornblower (Hornblower Saga)
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Andrew Klavan: Empire of Lies (Otto Penzler Book)
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Dave Eggers: What Is the What (Vintage)
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Andrew Klavan: Damnation Street (Weiss and Bishop Novels)
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Charles Dickens: A Tale of Two Cities (Penguin Classics)
Another great tale by Dickens! (****)
Mary Shelley: Frankenstein: Or The Modern Prometheus (Puffin Classics)
The novel is so much better than any of the movies or cartoons. But isn't that true of most books. (****)
Charles Dickens: David Copperfield (Signet Classics)
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2008 Book List

Ken Follett: The Pillars of the Earth (Deluxe Edition) (Oprah's Book Club)
A great historical novel. Compelling, engaging, and inspiring. A reminder that hard things are time-consuming, but worth doing. (*****)
Timothy Keller: The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism
An incredible book answering the skeptic's questions. Very thought provoking. More importantly, very gracious. (*****)
Stephan Talty: Empire of Blue Water: Captain Morgan's Great Pirate Army, the Epic Battle for the Americas, and the Catastrophe That Ended the Outlaws' Bloody Reign
A very cool read about Captain Morgan. Aaarrrggh! (****)
Bill Willingham: Fables Vol. 1: Legends in Exile
Very interesting but not for young eyes...PG-13/R. (***)
Marjane Satrapi: Chicken with Plums
Another great graphic novel. (****)
Brian K. Vaughan: Pride of Baghdad
Great Graphic Novel. Incredible allegory for the people of Baghdad. Based on a true story. (*****)
Ngugi Wa'Thiong'O: Wizard of the Crow: A novel
A tremendous novel that reveals incredible insight to the African mind. A "fictional" country with a "fictional" tyrant and the havoc his reign brings to this country. A full analysis is forthcoming. A must-read if you want to better understand why Africans think the way they do. (*****)
Shaun Tan: The Arrival
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Bill Bryson: The Mother Tongue
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Ceridwen Dovey: Blood Kin: A Novel
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Leo Tolstoy: Master and Man and Other Stories (Penguin Classics)
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Bill Bryson: Neither Here nor There: Travels in Europe
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Jeff Shaara: Gone for Soldiers: A Novel of the Mexican War
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Bill Bryson: Notes from a Small Island
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John Grisham: Playing For Pizza: A Novel
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Khaled Hosseini: The Kite Runner
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Bill Bryson: A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail
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Bill Bryson: I'm a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America After 20 Years Away
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