Nairobi is at its crescendo. I've been in Kenya long enough to know that the afternoon showers are one of only two things in Africa that are punctual. The other was not my lunch date. I had planned to be back at my hotel by the time the rain hit. It comes fast and hard, and smears the city gray.
Dirt spreads from unfinished sidewalks and rivers run brown down the non-drained streets.
As I try to navigate a way across the murky moats, I count unclogged drains as No. 23 of the things I take for granted back home. Rain falls fat like the drips off awnings and I search for some temporary shelter. The sidewalks are already crammed tight with those waiting the storm out under awnings. The women bright with their dark skin and deep colors. Lanky men in suits.