BACK TO HAPPY

BASIC MOMENTUM FOLKS
it's amazing how waiting can really weigh you down and then how quickly things can change when things are done. Newton's law says a body in motion tends to stay in motion. and a body at rest stays at rest. and COTW would add that a body that's been thwarted, halted, and harshed tends to hibernate. i was so lost as to how to get all the little things required to live and work and function here that i was overwhelmed, defeated, and lost. and with Prado MIA for 7 weeks getting its bush makeover, i was listlessly cocoon bound, wondering if i was ever going to get to other side. life here in africa is a lot like the roads: full of potholes, no sign posts, lots of obstacles, hidden speed bumps, nightmare traffic, and patches of tarmac bliss. all the bureaucracy had me heavy laden, and which fixer to use was making my head spin. 


one thing i'm adjusting to is that there are no absolutes here. like there are no stop signs when you drive. a 4 way stop is a hodge podge of give and take, the bullies get ahead, and everyone gets to where they are going in time. but there are no directives, no right answers, and no wrong answers, it all just kinda depends. might expect that in Haiti, but nairobi is pretty developed. still, everything is a little slippery. money fixes everything, everyone knows someone, everyone has to pay somebody something, but it all just kind of flows together. but things take time, no matter who you know, and i was out of sorts, having a rough patch as i was left on my own to find the right path to take, the right fixer to use, the right amount to pay, and equally who not to pay and who not to use. i didn't know if it's the wild west or like bartering in some bazaar in morocco, but the terrain is tricky. and was wearing me down. 


but then after a couple of divine hookups, people and places came my way and slowly things came together. then this week it popped, the dark cloud that was hovering passed, and suddenly i was light hearted and carefree. the robe days were behind me and it probably all started with... 


THE RETURN OF THE PRADO
craig sadler is a good guy. he does car renovations. is a pro. and an artist. he does one-offs, not a factory line. he took my prado and liked my vision...lose the plastic fenders, lose the plastic everything, go bush makeover with a green body and tan top and a roof rack, pop out hatch roof panels, a proper bull bar and side bars, Cibie driving lights, new seat covers, new interior paneling, and new mechanical as needed. well, what i thought was a 2-3 week job took 7 weeks. the mechanical was substantial, primarily all things suspension and brakes. it took a long time to get the parts and get it done right. it ended up being behind schedule and over budget, but it was all worth it in the end. in new york you are what you wear, in africa you are how many cattle you own, but i'm from LA, baby, and it's always been you are what you drive. certainly not the deepest life philosophy, but in that town... it is what it is. in this town, you're a city guy or a bush guy, urban or rural, a suit or safari shorts. i HAD a soccer mom mini SUV before, now i have a badass bushmobile. it feels good behind the wheel. i have arrived... at least as far as wheels is concerned. the new prado is all killer no filler. and even the bwana guards in the parking lots stop me and wanna talk! the Prado is unique and a head turner. no one really knows at first glance what it is, so it's fun. and drives freaking great! a huge improvement, and lots of peace of mind knowing it was done proper and thorough. plus the sun roof when you flop open the front hatch is worth the price of it all. open, airy, and freeing.


LOOSE ENDS CONVERGE
the other good news after getting the prado back was lots of other loose end documents that dictated the quality of my life and had been holding me hostage, finally got sorted. Eunice at Work Arrange got me my personal PIN number in 48 hours, which got me my personal bank account, which gave me a place to wire some US funds over, which gave me my certified bank copy of such funds, which will get me my Status H work permit in 2-3 weeks. the PIN also got me my vehicle log book registered with the KRA (think IRS + DMV) so the new log book and my title will be in my name in 2-3 weeks... but it's "3 hours in line later" and done! (thx lorella for standing in line for me!). the PIN also got my insurance sorted and the KRA receipt means they'll give me a new sticker good thru november! plus i met Joshua, an indie accountant at my lawyer's office (i had to sign an affidavit swearing i had changed the color of my prado from navy blue to green!), and then we took a meeting with a potential client for a slingshot vid, and i even jailbroke my iphone today so i can use safaricom with it now...NOT  AT&T.


so there is light at the end of the tunnel! things are coming together and moving along. i actually am singing in the shower again and have a skip in my step. africa is not so bad after all. it can several weeks to several months for a butterfly to emerge from its cocoon depending on outside conditions. and it took close to 6 weeks for me to emerge from da funk. but alas, i found a way and it looks promising. ddm got game, at least i got some docs saying i can play. it's not 100% sorted yet, but the big hurdles are over. some speed bumps may still be lurking, but i got the right sled to navigate now! 


SOUTH SUDAN
so wednesday i fly to Juba and spend 4 days shooting in south sudan. COTW back on the plane, flashing his passport and buying visas. it is the adventure i came for, and it keeps coming. so blessed. no doubt lots more work here for me than i had in DTLA for the past 3 years. a good move coming here. i got great peeps around me, slingshot is coming legit, and my permanent housing may be just weeks away now. all poa sana! very cool! speaking of shooting, the CNN shoot i did is soon to air. here's a sneak peek...


CNN.com/TheNextList 




fun to see what you shot! it should aire soon!  otherwise, the fun clip this blog is some Coldplay band members getting their africa on. very beautiful clip and cool music!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cgovv8jWETM&feature=channel

and speaking of cool music, dminer my composer from Johnny is writing music for me for africa clips. here is his latest for Supreme Safaris we put together!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dmmj-Fx4WMU


i guess that's about it. i'm back to happy and glad to be here! life can be full of cobblestones and potholes for a while, but if you wait around long enough, you get some smooth road! now for some pics!!!!!!!

Old Prado. before shot last october.

i bought it before i went to Ethiopia last October for the Charity: water shoot. 

i think the color is Soccer Mom Navy Blue. and plastic everywhere!

just see the after shots below.

lots of black-outs or power cuts lately. here in nakumatt supermarket, we waited almost 20 minutes!

out with the old. some parts fully trashed!

nothing says "bush" like some 7 inch Cibie halogen driving lights! 

it all started when the Lewa wildlife conservancy wouldn't let me in with a blue vehicle. the new colors
are animal sensitive and approved apparently. a gentler footprint. (???)

new rear bumper and all metal now.

still going to add some thin mud flaps that will wrap around the wheel well. new springs makes it
ride higher. not mad at that!

front hatch flopped open makes a huge sunroof.

rear hatch sheds lots o light as well. plus new seat covers.

phat ride now. the bush sled emerges!

dual hatch roofs. (or is it rooves?)

new center console lock box out of diamond plated steel.

back seats. note the leather piping. pimpy.

front seats. still cool in the hot sun.

more diamond plating to replace plastic rear end. A/T tires next time.

fun to look at and fun to drive. the branch cables keep branches from smashing you're windshield. 

getting the feel of it. contained excitement.

more newness. niiice.

driving around Nairobi in this thing is pure joy. even in traffic. (at least for now!)

masai guy and his cattle. it says a lot.

still love watching cows wonder along the road. won't see that much on the 405.

Village market shopping mall over near the UN area and embassies.

lots of mzungus here, always, but i also found robert who unlocked my iphone. yay!

well, all for now. next week...JUBA!!!!!!!!

hang in there...

xxxoo
COTW (citizen of the world)