Nairobi, Kenya

Yes, back in Africa and I love it! I was invited to tag along and help at a Sports Festival for my religious community. Most of you know that I grew up Ismaili Muslim, but I have been 'out of practice' for the past 15 years (or so). So why did I decided to come to the Games? It took me a while to figure it out, but I realize that I miss the sense of community. Aside from the religious aspect, Ismailis are very involved in volunteering and in third world development. Which is something that has become more and more important to me as I gain insight on myself during this trip. But again, what was I doing spending a week with 5000 other Ismaili's? I won't lie, it was a little overwhelming at times. But I took my time outs to regroup and it was a very rewarding experience.

I didn't see much of Nairobi, since most of my time was spent in a cab or bus to and from the 'Village' and the Kasarani Sports Center. Did you know that Nairobi is the 3rd most dangerous city in Africa? Yeah, I didn't know either until I got into town. Probably would have helped to do a bit of research before just jumping on a plane. I mean even walking across the street is dangerous. Security at the hotel was tight, especially since we stayed downtown. I never felt targeted, but we heard stories, and that was enough for me to keep my solo meanderings to a minimum.

The Games were amazing. There were athletes from 20 countries, including Syria, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, UK, US, Canada, Uganda, Tanzania and of course, Kenya. All together about 1200, participating in volleyball, basketball, soccer, swimming, track & field, table tennis, badminton & chess (is this really a sport? no offense). I knew that I would be recruited to help and I was all for it. I volunteered to help with the player's uniforms. We pressed flags and numbers on thousands of jerseys. Although the majority of the work was done the week before, we repressed all of the Syrian athletes shirts at least twice. Logistics were great but something always falls through the cracks.

I was overwhelmed by the Kenyan hospitality and the coordination effort of countless volunteers, who worked 18+ months, in addition to their regular jobs, who made the Games such a success. On the first day I met Laila, from the UK, who knew about half of the people at the games. Therefore, I was introduced to about 2000 people in a week - no joke. Her and I meeting wasn't an accident. I was in need of the community and she brought me to it. By the end of the week, people were greeting me like we were old friends. I made some friends for life, in a week (!). As far as connecting with others, this trip has been the most rewarding thing I've done.