Glamorous Names and Cool Logos

The very colorful matatus (small buses) and larger buses have interesting names and often have logos splashed across them.  So fun.  It's against mission rules for senior missionaries to ride in them but the young missionaries do it all the time.  They have stories to tell!  Here's a few matatu names:

• Good Reputation . . . hmn . . . a good reputation for being on time?  For running into other vehicles?  For driving anywhere and everywhere, including in the dirt on the sides of the road?
• Luminous . . . does that mean the bus shines?  Or that we see it coming clearly?  We definitely see it coming and we get out of the way!
• Glamorous Luminous . . . even more bright and shiny!
• Snowball . . . few people here have even seen snow so I guess a snowball is exciting
• Compliant . . . with the law?  Just wondering.
• Blessing One . . . only one?
• Mother Land . . . which one?
• Super Coach . . . as opposed to the opposite?
• Three D . . . I sincerely hope it's a 3-D vehicle and not a flat 2-D one
• Actuary . . . I had to look this one up:  "An actuary is a business professional who deals with the measurement and management of risk and uncertainty."  So how is a matatu an actuary?  Just wondering.  For sure there is risk and uncertainty.
• Reliant . . .  What is the matatu reliant on?  Reliable might be a better word.  But maybe that would be pushing it.  Although matatus go very fast so they can reliably get to the next stop on time.
• Two Bt Sacco . . . I think they mean Two Bit.  Love this name.  Sacco means "company" or "business".  A 2-bit sacco isn't exactly impressive.  Two bits is 25 cents.
• Desire . . . hmn . . . do we desire to be taken safely to our destination?  Hope so! 
• Lucky Transport . . . you're lucky if you make it in one piece.  You're lucky if the matatu makes it in one piece!

The logos are even more fun and definitely show that this is a country not afraid to say the name of Jesus Christ for fear of being politically incorrect.  So nice to be able to talk to people about Jesus Christ and not have them roll their eyes.  Here are some of the logos we've seen:

• Never Drive Faster Than Your Angels Can Fly
• Jesus is my Savior
• God is Able
• In God We Trust
• Keep Calm and Love Jesus
• Obey God
• God is Good All the Time
•  Semper Fidelis . . . which means "always faithful"
• The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Knowledge
• Reveal your Salvation

The pictures below are not about matatus.  Just some pictures of people and places.  The next two weeks are going to be pretty hectic so I won't be posting for a while.

We had to say good-bye to these lovely young girls from India.  They've been here for a month to be with their dad who has a good job here.  Now they're heading back to India for school.  I love their colorful clothing.

They love to pop in and say hi and play a few tunes on the piano.

Gopi and his wife and daughters.  We will not see his wife and daughters again as they are heading back to India and we will be back home in Canada in a few months.  There are so many nice people who live in our compound.  We always enjoy visiting with Gopi whose English is very good.  His wife speaks very little but the girls are pretty good.  So nice that in the next life, we will get to be with all the people who have touched our lives on earth.

One Saturday we went downtown and there was a huge group of roller-bladers on the main highway.  They rollerbladed clear from downtown to past Galleria Mall.  That's a long way.  Made me tired to think of it.  I much prefer ice skating.  It's not as much work.  I tried to read the back of their shirts to see why they were rollerblading.  I caught the words "Skating for Global Goals."  Sounds impressive anyway.

Crazy to be rollerblading on a busy highway!

Funny . . . Seniors . . . Caution Driver Under Instruction.  Kind of scary to think of seniors who have never driven learning to drive a truck in this crazy traffic.

And the traffic really is crazy.  Roller bladers.  Pedestrians.  Baboons.  Seniors learning to drive.  Crazy matatus.

P* and J* knocked at my door excited to show me a snake in a tree.  Then of course they scared me with it and I screamed, which is what they wanted.  It really did look real and we've had snakes here before.

The snakes belong to D* whose mother is a ranger at Masai Mara fighting elephant poachers.  D* is very knowledgeable about wildlife as he often accompanies his mom.

The kids were so happy they "got" me.  We love our little neighborhood grandchildren.