大象传媒

As Barack Obama makes his first visit to Kenya, his ancestral home, since becoming president, 大象传媒 Africa journalists share their experiences of reporting on him. How close have they been able to get to Obama and what results have they seen from his presidency - beyond the Obama-mania gripping the continent? Peter Okwoche, Kassim Kayira and Audrey Brown give their verdict.

Nairobi in the USA?
Did you know that back in the United States in the 60s a small city in California launched a campaign to change its name to Nairobi? 50 years ago East Palo Alto was home to lots of African American families - they made up 80% of the city's residents. It was a time of a surge in interest in African American history and culture. In East Palo Alto a group of community leaders set in motion a plan to change the name of the city to Nairobi. They didn't succeed but along the way they set up a Nairobi high school, a Nairobi primary school, a Nairobi co-op and a Nairobi shopping mall. Kenyan journalist Dickens Onditi Olewe went to the meet the people behind the plan

Biccies and choccies: shrinking and expanding words around the world
An online video from Straya - or Australia - has advised that if you want to sound authentically Australian, you must abbreviate. Biccy not biscuit, choccy not chocolate, bevy not beverage. We take a walk round the Fifth Floor to find out which languages love abbreviating, and which want to expand.

Juan Luis Guerra
The Dominican musician Juan Luis Guerra has been king of the dance and music styles of the Dominican Republic - merengue and bachata - for almost three decades. He visited London this month and raised the temperature of the grey and cloudy summer with his latest CD "Todo tiene su hora" - Everything has its time. 大象传媒 Mundo's Constanza Hola is a big fan. She tells David why.

And Fifi Haroon with her pick of weird and wonderful stories from the world-wide web this week.

Picture: Shopkeeper lays out scarves printed with pictures of US President Barack Obama
Credit: Simon Maina, Getty Images