RSS

October 31st, 2009 - 6:02 PM § in cars, special topics

A Gem of a Factory

By sheer coincidence and close on the heels of my previous post, I received a link today from one of my Facebook friends, which showcased the transparent factory of Volkswagen in Dresden, Germany. It looks nothing like an industrial site, rather it’s more like an art gallery or a hotel … any structure of beauty and wonder other than a car manufacturing plant.

There’s a lot to say about the amazing technology used in this factory, but my personal favourites are the delivery robots guided by magnetic fields and the equipment that get their energy from the wooden floor. Watch the jaw-dropping YouTube video and applaud the greatness of this “engineering powerhouse” that is Germany/Volkswagen. (Click on the link below.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nd5WGLWNllA

No Comments

October 30th, 2009 - 12:02 PM § in cars, special topics

Kenyan MPs and Their Cars

There’s a flap going on at the Kenyan Parliament and it has nothing to do with an unlocked bonnet going up and down, up and down in the wind, as MPs’ vehicles speed past. It has everything to do with the waiting VW Passats purchased by the government to replace the “fuel guzzlers&[...]

Tags: , , , , , No Comments

October 25th, 2009 - 10:27 PM § in commuters, special topics

A Junction of Accidents

This is one picturesque junction in Nairobi. On Argwings Kodhek Road, a roller coaster slope leads down into a stream-crossing bridge before rising again towards a canopy of trees, which frames vehicles coming from Yaya Centre’s direction, in style.  On the perpendicular road, Ole Odume Road[...]

Tags: , , , , , , , No Comments

October 25th, 2009 - 9:59 PM § in bikes

In Search of the Perfect Bike Trail

I was back on Farasi today, hoping to remedy my aching back. It’s a lot like getting over your allergies. You expose yourself to the very allergens that cause them, until you develop an immunity. After an hour on murram, ditches, mounds, and tarmac, I didn’t feel much pain on my back. M[...]

Tags: , , , , , No Comments

October 14th, 2009 - 3:27 PM § in special topics

Funny Bumper Stickers

Well, I only found one today and it wasn’t a ha-ha-ha kind of bumper sticker but enough to cause a twitch at the corners of my mouth. My favourite on Nairobi streets will always be “ex-matatu driver”, which is essentially a stern warning to steer clear of the driver’s insane [...]

Tags: , , No Comments

October 4th, 2009 - 9:47 PM § in special topics

How to Drive in the Rain

For a while there, I thought I needed to clear my ears of some accumulated wax. Did the news report just say that 27 lives have been lost in the past 24 hours? When I managed to glance at the TV screen, I had to agree with the presenter; all the accidents the station reported [...][...]

Tags: , , , No Comments

September 23rd, 2009 - 12:11 AM § in special topics, travel

Accidents Aren’t Inevitable

Long weekend, sadly, long list of accidents as well. Just chilled at home, while Boss Kibe went on a holiday with his family. Thankfully, he didn’t contribute to the mass of mangled metal on the road. Rather, he bore witness to pileups, crashes, and human roadkill, as he drove down Mombasa Hig[...]

Tags: , , , , , No Comments


← Previous Entries