Ice Storm: A Kenyan Perspective

We have had an ice storm here in South Carolina. We have all enjoyed looking out seeing the beautiful glistening ice on the trees, bushes, and cars. The kids have enjoyed the ice cycles. Unfortunately, because it has hit most of the Southeast, I have been unable to touch base with pastors, as they too have been "iced in". I sat here being a bit annoyed by this, but figured "oh, well".

However, I forgot how the ice storm might effect my Kenyan friend, Dr. Gitu. He is doing his Family Practice Residency over at my alma mater. He has been influential in my decision to go to Kenya. Nonetheless, I was so concerned about what I was doing today, that I forgot what his first experience with an ice storm might be. That is until he emailed me this deliciously hiliarious email about his journey to work today. If you have the time to read it, it will be a blessing.

Here is what Dr. Gitu had to say about the ice storm:

Hi y’all,

I had a rather interesting day, and thought you might enjoy hearing about it.

You see, the southern part of the US where we live has been having a rather mild winter, with no hint of snow or even rain. Just as I was beginning to brag about how clever I am for having brought my family to this paradise, an ice storm hit us yesterday.

Now this is worse than snow. What happens is that it rains just kawa rain, but then the temps dip under freezing, and the water on the roads and grass and cars and everything turns into ice. Now nobody gave us a tutorial on how to tackle this kind of maneno, so I wake up this morning to find the car covered with rock-hard ice.

First problem, the door is glued shut, and the keyhole has ice over it too, so I fight the good fight and gain entrance. Then I turn on the engine, but cannot see anything outside because the windscreen and rearshield and all the windows are covered with a thick layer of ice. I turn on the wipers, but these are glued in position, so I get out and get physical, yet my success in dislodging them is to no avail, because they only slide over the ice and make a fearful noise- no good at all per improving visibility.

Since it is still dark, and traffic is minimal, I figure that if I peep through the slit the wipers left along their overnight abode, I can make it to the hospital. All is well until I come to the first intersection. I cannot see whether or not there are vehicles coming from either side-or even from behind! I stop the car and come out, and try to scrape the ice off with the tip of my pen! But the ice is harder than the pen, so I give up lest I ruin my Jembe before I get to work. I try to open the windows, knowing I might risk being frozen in one position myself (my body, they say, is 65% water), but the windows are glued shut by this stuff too!

Over the intersections, I borrow a leaf from the matatu driver- simply open the door and stand up to check both sides, then get back in and zoom off when I see some space in the traffic! I made it to work without a major accident, having barely missed an electricity pole. This is great for this son of Africa, because I found that my colleagues had several mishaps along the way- skidding off the icy roads, flattening peoples’ mailboxes, visiting ditches and sliding on their driveways, landing on their bottoms and many did not get to work at all!

Now my understanding has been enlightened. I hear that I am supposed to leave the car running with the windshield defrost on, which will melt the ice off, or at least allow its scraping it off easier- not with a pen, stupid, but with an ice scrapper. A friend has donated his to me, na sasa mimi si mchache.

How did this help me get time off? The few of us who made it were allowed to deal with the urgent issues and head home- that is something to celebrate!

The place is beautiful, however, with icicles hanging from every blade of grass, and the telephone lines, and every place from where water may drip.

More later, na mbarikiwe mpaka mshangae.

Alfred

Comments

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We got the same thing here in Missouri. We ended up cancelling church, which as a youth minister it is good to get some time off every once in a while. Not to mention it was my birthday. I enjoyed it.