Life has its unforgettable moments, particularly when ordinary conversations take an extraordinary turn. Such moments were rare during our school days as everything happened in almost the same way. In my secondary school years, one such memorable moment unfolded in a Geography class when our teacher challenged us to think beyond the conventional.

We eagerly shared ideas as our teacher listed the advantages of trees on the blackboard. Eventually, we exhausted the textbook benefits, but the teacher encouraged us to explore further.

In a moment of silence, a student at the back of the class excitedly shouted an additional advantage. The room hushed in anticipation of this unique insight. To our surprise, it was a brilliant idea that none of us had considered before. This groundbreaking idea changed our conversation forever, and it remains etched in my memory over three decades later.

The student confidently began, "A tree can be used to show direction." The teacher listened attentively, wearing a smile that puzzled most of us, as we had not expected such a perspective. The student continued, "When I'm at home, my father directs people to our house by instructing them to come to the big gum tree with three short ones on the side." He concluded majestically, "Without the big tree and the small ones on the side, no one can find our home." The teacher praised him, as his explanation was both humorous and convincing.

While using trees as landmarks for directions in the countryside may seem primitive compared to today's GPS technology, where someone can simply send you a pin for precise directions, it was the norm at the time.

The first time most of my classmates and I arrived in Nairobi was when we enrolled at the University of Nairobi. The city streets all looked identical, posing a significant challenge in finding our way back to the college, especially for newcomers.

I remember an incident when a friend and I went shopping for stationery. We visited several bookshops to buy specific drawing pencils. Although these shops were close to each other, they were on different sides of the street, causing us to mistakenly believe we had walked a considerable distance. To return to college, we decided to hire a taxi. The driver, recognizing we were newcomers, took us on a roundabout route and dropped us off just across the road, about 100 meters from the college entrance. We paid for the trip painfully.

The next time, we opted to use landmarks, such as tall buildings like the Kenyatta International Conference Centre, and shorter ones on the right, like Nyayo House, and on the left, even noting their colours, to navigate the city. This approach ensured we didn't get lost. So, we kept our eyes on the skies and prayed it did not get dark.

This story illustrates how we adapted to life in Nairobi. Over time, we learned to distinguish one street from another, reading the road signs and exploring various places. We even identified a popular city clock where friends would gather before heading to the cinema or other destinations in town.

Everyone who spent time in Nairobi knew about the Kencom City Clock, a popular meeting point. Several of my friends even met their future partners there. The difference between human encounters then was physical, like meeting at landmarks. Today, people meet on websites and keep talking on the phone as they go about their other activities. And it's the same way couples meet and probably separate today. Social media handles have helped old friends reconnect after years.

The key takeaway is that, in a time when reliable communication technology was lacking, landmarks like trees and buildings became synonymous with meeting points. Today, technology has transformed the way we communicate and navigate, with the convenience of sharing live locations and easily changing meeting points and plans using mobile phones and other devices.

I also recall a comical incident when a friend had planned to meet his girlfriend at a Wimpy restaurant in town. There were two such restaurants with similar names on different streets, and they each ended up at a different one. They arrived on time at separate locations, one on Kenyatta Avenue and another on the downtown street of Tom Mboya. They both waited for the other to arrive, even serving themselves while hoping to spot their partner. Eventually, frustrated and disappointed, they left for their respective homes.

Upon realizing the mix-up, the gentleman took the initiative to investigate and discovered that they had both honoured the date but gone to different restaurants. They resolved the confusion and agreed to meet next time at one of the restaurants on a specific street.

Such mix-ups were common in a time when reliable communication was lacking, unlike today, where the dynamics can be reviewed in real-time. It's been quite a journey, and today, with the ability to have almost everything delivered to your doorstep, and the convenience of sharing live locations, visitors no longer need to be picked up from the station, even on their first day. Technology has provided us with newfound freedom and convenience. The navigation system, in addition to mobile phones, has created a convenience that allows people to connect on extremely short notice.