Hester lived in Mogadishu just before the troubles. But Unlike most ex-pats, she did not live out of a Hotel. She embraced Mogadishu and became a Somali. In Mogadishu, she was known as the white Xalimo, lived with Somalis, hanged out with young Somalis of her age, got herself a Somali step mum (well, with help from Dad) and went out for long runs in the boulevards of Mogadishu. For all of these reasons and for the fact that she was one of few Europeans who lived through the transition, Hester has a unique perspective on Mogadishu

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