Nick and Samantha decided to quit the rat race and join the statistic of 5.5 million Brits currently living overseas. They relocated to Kenya on a corporate overseas posting two years ago and have enjoyed every minute of their life in Nairobi punctuated by frequent exciting safaris and playing host to many ‘green with envy’ friends on holiday from Blighty.
Samantha is often found mid morning greeting fellow expat housewives whilst grabbing a skinny latte after her supermarket stock up. She is delighted with the fact that it’s now possible to buy Italian shoes and quality new clothes from stores with recognisable high street names. She regularly works out at the gym and is thrilled that the children love their outdoor life and have settled into school beautifully. They have even taken to running around shopping centres with no shoes on, in spite of their mother’s protestations.
Now that Nick is nearing the end of his allotted contract and his employers are muttering about long term strategy, he is privately considering becoming self employed in order to stay on in Kenya. Property development could be an option, or perhaps consultancy work? It would be such an enormous wrench to leave now that the family are happy, the economy is buoyant and the memories of their days living in ‘Nappy Valley’ on the outskirts of London still send cold shivers down his spine.
The diary of a British expat living in Kenya. News, views, debate and a healthy dose of trivia.
Haha. Good post on the "two year wonders". How about doing something on the KCs (or have you already done this and I've missed it) or the Old School Expats (the one's who have been in the country since the year dot.)
ReplyDeleteAs a Kenyan working in the US, I would not have appreciated the Nappy Valley reference until last month, I went on a business trip to the UK office. I was shocked!! Now alot of things made sense.
ReplyDeleteWhenever our British coworkers came over they seemed to kind of go crazy about buying things. Their spouses would come over and stay the whole week, and we would wander what would they have to do?
I mean we had a VP come and almost go into shopping psychotic attack shopping at Sears!!
Don't get me started about restaurants, at first they come across as ... "careful", and then really crazy about spending money.
Also, I understand how they could without hesitation charge the Four Seasons to their expense account.. it is cheaper than the Holiday Inn in London!!!
My observation, alot of mid-level managers/executives live lives that are the equivalent of an entry level professional in the US. London was a cruel version of Aspen Colorado.
I did write a 'Kenya Cowboy' and seperate 'Kenya Cowgirl' stereotype a while back - at my peril! Thinking of doing a retired old timer expat stereotype next.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous - V interesting to have your observations as a Kenyan living in the States, looking at the crazy British! Sadly, I can visualise myself as one of those shopping crazed spouses! Thanks