Macharia Gaitho
6 October 2008
column
Nairobi — Kenyans will be Kenyans ... especially away from home.
Four days covering the Vice Presidential debate in St Louis, Missouri, was not all work and no play.
With colleagues Basett Buyukah and Robert Gichira we ventured out until we found a home away from home, The African Palace Grill and Bar about 30 minutes drive from downtown St Louis.
We were told about the place by two Kenya students at Washington University in St Louis (the VP debate venue) Joyce Mugure and Raphael 'Rafohz' Njoroge, who had about a bar where Kenyans and other Africans congregate in big numbers.
Come TGIF and we were ready to let the hair down. Another Kenyan at the same campus, Mohammed Ibrahim, was at hand to drive us to the African Palace.
And what do we find? Good ole Tusker Lager in the heart of the American Midwest!
And as we were quenching a we heard somebody shout "Basett", and in came counding Benedict 'Brito' Odhiambo who was overjoyed to bump into a real live TV star from home. Brito, a typical Nairobi Eastlander, was intent on covering our table with drinks, jaza meza style.
All good things must come to an end, and eventually we had to tear ourselves away from Brito's welcome. As we staggered out at around 10.00am Brito was really disappointed that we did not have the patience to stay a couple of hours more when, he assured us, fellow Kenyans would flood the place. Nightbirds everywhere, it seems.
Well, we had to hit the road. Left St Louis on Saturday for Cowboy Country, Nashville, via a circuitous route that had us first fly north to Chicago and then back south just next door.
On Tuesday the big show comes to town, Barack Obama Vs John McCain at the Belmont University. Some of my relatives were really excited to hear that I am in Nashville, the home of Country Music. The KCs (Kikuyu Cowboys) brothers have plied me with enough orders for stetson hats and other paraphernalia including scarves, boots, leather waistcoats and checked shirts, not to mention Charley Pride, Dolly Parton and Don Williams music audio cassettes (Yes, audio cassettes ! ! !), to fill a theme store. There may be some business opportunities here.
The tour continues.
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