Friday, May 18, 2007

Njenga wapi?

So Thursday, Njenga-the man who usually gives me a ride to school, didn’t show up at 8:45 when he usually comes and didn’t answer his phone when we called him. I had an exam at 9 am, which I had previously not been stressed out about, until it got to be 9am and I was still sitting in my house. So Monica called someone else who drove me to school. I walked into the classroom 15 minutes late to about 80 people all being quiet and writing away at their exams. The exam was a one hour timed exam which started at 9, but luckily it only took me about 35 minutes to do. Whew. That was kind of nerve wracking. After the exam I met up with Hassan who is the guy making the movie about Terrorism that I was interviewed for on Sunday. He needs help with the production of the movie in terms of recruiting people for interviews and asked if I wanted to be part of his team and I said yes. He is a cool kid and we talked a lot about his movie and then bought me lunch. Some things about Kenya being old fashioned in terms of gender equality annoy me, but I have to admit I enjoy men paying for things all the time.
On Tuesday when I was at Masaai Market I was saying how I wished I could shop for the things at Masaai Market without the constant hassle of bargaining and people following me and offering me things. One man actually said to me “Do you need a zebra?” I couldn’t stop laughing. Almost every person comes up to me and says “My seestah I give you good price!” which usually means starting at 10x whatever they would charge a normal, non-mzungu person. So anyway, I was walking slowly down the street Thursday killing time before I went home because class was canceled and it was early, and I came upon this shop called “Zanzibar Curio Shop” and decided to go in. What do you know, this place was huge and sold everything Masaai Market sold at fixed prices that were a lot lower than I could get as a mzungu at Masaai Market! My wishes were answered and I spent the next hour or so there exploring and buying some presents for people at home : )

2 comments:

  1. Sarah, if you could pick me up a zebra, that'd be great. I really need one.

    Is it bad etiquette to appropriate your blog to reiterate a happy bday to my sis? You called her; I didn't. But did you send a card, or a CD, or a zebra? Bet not.

    Hiya, Joy. I sent an e-mail, too. I'm not a total deadbeat. Debra said she had a hilarious conversation with you on one birthday or the other. My cell phone was kaput all day, and in fact remains kaput. Lame excuse, but kaput is kaput, and I worked all evening. Also, I suck.

    By the way, I have a devious fambly-togetherness plan for the summer, details of which I will share when next we're un-incommunicado (a combination of commune and avacado devoutly to be wished).

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  2. i DID send a card in fact! but no zebra.

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