A normal day. I wake up late, rush into the shower, eat breakfast without really thinking on what I am actually eating, I run down the stairs to the gate and off I go to town. Today I caught a mat (short for matatu) rather quickly, so I arrived at the National Bank Building at Harambee Ave, in the middle of the Business Center, at 8.35 am.
While on the mat I got a glimpse of a laughing woman. That’s unique in a traffic jam, especially at morning. There was no fellow co-driver, so either she just had fun on her own, or she was listening to the radio. For sure the last option and since she nearly cried tears of joy I bet she was hearing Mina’s and Joseph’s morning show on Classic 105. Yes, I have become a fan. The show presents hilarious questions to the audience. On top, the two hosts are quite comparative. Mina usually talks in English and introduces the one liners. Joseph usually reacts in Sheng (Kiswahili + English) with equally big one liners. I am not sure if they actually believe what they say. I consider it an act. But a stupendous one!
Another important aspect of this kind of radio show is what information a foreigner can gain from Nairobi’s population. It clarifies their way of thinking, living and being. It also provides me with topics to introduce to friends, co-workers so I can double check or even test the reactions.
Let me enlist some of the questions/ one liners:
• Men, does life starts at 40?
o Men: hell ya
o Women: oh boy, by that time he has a belly from drinking, had too many girls and cannot perform properly anymore
• Ladies. Your guy is broke. Do you leave him or stay with him?
o Women: hell ya. I leave him. He does not know how to deal with finances.
o Women: hell ya. I leave him. How can we go out now?
• When a woman is pregnant, men are nowhere to be found at home. Why is that?
o Men: we need to exhale because at that time the ladies’ hormones are a bit mixed up
• Who plans the extension of the family?
• A woman is out with girlfriends until 11 pm. That is not how it should be. Should men tie their ladies?
• Can a lady cut a man from benefits? And if she does and the man ignores that, is that forcing to spread her legs?
o Joseph: how can it be forcing if she is your wife?
• Do men and ladies lie when they are courting somebody?
