M.A.T.A.T.U.

M = mal-adapted
A = all
T = terrain
A = anarchic
T = transportation
U = unit

A wild matatu ride leo (today). From town at 1730, there was a jam (to be expected) and the 125/126 matatu I was in, along with its intermittent base (it seemed to join the music periodically without regard to the actual beat) decided to morph into an ATV (all-terrain vehicle). In jams like these, 2-lane roads, like Lang’ata road, miraculously become 4-lanes, generally pioneered by matatus. Needless to say, some of these 4-lanes do not have the ‘luxury’ of tarmac, or even a flat surface to drive on. Ours was one who chose an alternate route, which consisted of the median/ditch. We were bouncing along like a kangaroo at a 30 degree tilt to the right (this was the first time I have been even slightly scared in a matatu, as visions of the overturned one from yesterday flashed across my mental screen – he had also chosen a haphazard route, resulting in a dramatic plunge into a large, concrete drain/ditch, leaving him almost entirely belly-up). Following however many metres of ATV driving deemed necessary (or more likely, physically possible) we proceed to cut off various other vehicles. The size of the competition by no means hinders forceful attempts to reintegrate with the 2 original lanes: semis viewed generally the same as motorbikes.

Don’t play chicken with a matatu…they’ll always win. Maybe some sort of kamakazi influence…or just a burning desire to obtain as many passengers as possible during ones’ shift? The conductor also provides assistance by leaning out the window and sweet-talking neighboring cars to let us in. For example, “Mama, mama. Hello, mama. How are you? Please (in a pitiful, mournful voice), we are trying to merge. Please, mama. Give us space.”

I breathe a sign of relief when we rejoin the main traffic for good (at least for my leg of the journey), and I arrive at my stage…where I am greeted by a heard of cattle.

Also learned a few more words:

Utoto = childhood / childishness
Ujana = youthfullness
Utu uzima = aldulthood