Happy Birthday to Mary, another one of my wonderful mothers
Hope your day is great and those children of yours are nice to you : )
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Love that African Hospitality
Last night Whitney and I saw “The Namesake” which is based on Jhumpa Lahiri’s book. It was very good and I recommend the book first and then the movie : )
Today Whitney and I went into Old Town in Mombasa. First we went to Fort Jesus, which is the fort that the Portuguese used when they occupied Mombasa, and then it was later used as a prison. Since we are considered residents of Kenya with our student ID’s, we got in for pretty cheap. The place was cool, really old and interesting Arabic architecture.
Afterwards we walked around town for a long time, through busy little streets. Old Town is really pretty because all the buildings are old…hence the name, so it has a lot more character than Nairobi. People are really nice too, and generally don’t harass you as you walk down the street. Mombasa is a majority Muslim town and it was really interesting to be in a place where Christianity is not the central religion, as I have never been anywhere like that before. We stopped on the side of the street and a man cut open a coconut for each of us and we drank the water inside, which didn’t taste very good to me, but it was an experience.
We walked around a lot more and finally came to this cute little shop where a man and his wife were sitting. We were told this place had great food and that the man was a really nice guy, and both proved to be true. We sat and talked with him for a couple hours while he served us samples of everything he made. He was a very wise old man (as cliché as that sounds). One of the things that stuck out in my mind was when we were talking about travelling he said “water that flows down from the mountain is clean and clear, but water that sits in a puddle gets dirty and stagnant, so it is better to always keep moving and travelling”. I thought that was really interesting and something I will always keep in my mind. He also told us that a lot of famous people had come into his shop, but when they came he hadn’t realized they were famous, like McJagger and a few movie actors. He also said that Nicholas Cage rented the place out in 1984 to make his movie “Short Cut”, which I definitely want to see now. It was really cool to meet this man and his wife and his food was absolutely amazing.
We then took a few matatus home, trying to get in the general direction of the house we are staying in and finally found a place we recognized and walked home. It was a lot of walking and Mombasa is HOT and very humid, much more so than Nairobi. It was a good day though. We also went for a walk on the beach with the family’s dogs and Lesley at around sunset, which was really nice.
This family is so nice and welcoming. Got to love that African hospitality. It has been so completely unreal being here, but so incredible at the same time. I feel so lucky to have been picked up by chance by these people. Talk about being in the right place at the right time!
Today Whitney and I went into Old Town in Mombasa. First we went to Fort Jesus, which is the fort that the Portuguese used when they occupied Mombasa, and then it was later used as a prison. Since we are considered residents of Kenya with our student ID’s, we got in for pretty cheap. The place was cool, really old and interesting Arabic architecture.
Afterwards we walked around town for a long time, through busy little streets. Old Town is really pretty because all the buildings are old…hence the name, so it has a lot more character than Nairobi. People are really nice too, and generally don’t harass you as you walk down the street. Mombasa is a majority Muslim town and it was really interesting to be in a place where Christianity is not the central religion, as I have never been anywhere like that before. We stopped on the side of the street and a man cut open a coconut for each of us and we drank the water inside, which didn’t taste very good to me, but it was an experience.
We walked around a lot more and finally came to this cute little shop where a man and his wife were sitting. We were told this place had great food and that the man was a really nice guy, and both proved to be true. We sat and talked with him for a couple hours while he served us samples of everything he made. He was a very wise old man (as cliché as that sounds). One of the things that stuck out in my mind was when we were talking about travelling he said “water that flows down from the mountain is clean and clear, but water that sits in a puddle gets dirty and stagnant, so it is better to always keep moving and travelling”. I thought that was really interesting and something I will always keep in my mind. He also told us that a lot of famous people had come into his shop, but when they came he hadn’t realized they were famous, like McJagger and a few movie actors. He also said that Nicholas Cage rented the place out in 1984 to make his movie “Short Cut”, which I definitely want to see now. It was really cool to meet this man and his wife and his food was absolutely amazing.
We then took a few matatus home, trying to get in the general direction of the house we are staying in and finally found a place we recognized and walked home. It was a lot of walking and Mombasa is HOT and very humid, much more so than Nairobi. It was a good day though. We also went for a walk on the beach with the family’s dogs and Lesley at around sunset, which was really nice.
This family is so nice and welcoming. Got to love that African hospitality. It has been so completely unreal being here, but so incredible at the same time. I feel so lucky to have been picked up by chance by these people. Talk about being in the right place at the right time!
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Unbelievable
Today Whitney and I landed in Mombasa at 7:45am and started walking from the airport to where we were told we could catch a matatu, a couple kilometres away. As we were walking, this car pulled over and a woman asked if we wanted a ride. They seemed friendly, so we accepted and we started driving down the road. The husband was British, but grew up in Kenya and the woman was from Zimbabwe. They have been living in Mombasa for the past two years, after living in Zimbabwe for a long time before that. So they were asking where we were staying and we said we had a friend recommend us a hotel, but we didn’t know the name and the phone number wasn’t working. So eventually the woman turned to us and said “do you want to come stay with us?” We hesitated, but accepted, sort of in disbelief. The whole time we were driving I had actually been wondering what these peoples’ house was like because they seemed to be pretty well off. They were really nice and said they had three kids our age, two boys who were not currently home-one who they had just dropped off at the airport, and an 18 year old girl who was home studying for her exams and who would like to have some company.
So we pulled into their gated house and walked in through the front doors to find a large, open air house, with an outdoor pool in the center of it. They showed us our room, with a huge queen-sized bed where we’d be staying, with our own bathroom. We were in complete shock. Then they served us breakfast. Afterwards, Whitney and I walked to the beach, which is about 10 minutes away. The beach was beautiful and it was hot and the water was warm. We met a guy on the beach and then his friend, who we talked to for a couple hours. They were really nice and seemed genuinely interested in talking, and not in dating us. So that was really nice and refreshing, after Nairobi.
They told us that if we wanted lunch we could be home at 1, so we headed back and had tortellini and garlic bread for lunch. Yum! After lunch we swam in their pool and laid in the sun. We had tea and talked to the mother, Lesley, for a while in the afternoon and then went with her to run some errands and see some of the town. We then came back and I took a bath in the large bath tub and went to watch the satellite TV.
This whole experience so far has been completely surreal and amazing. I keep breaking into a giggle, just thinking about where we are and what good luck we have had. These people seem genuinely nice and said they like having us around now that their sons are gone.
Tonight we are going to see “The Namesake” at the movie theatre in town. I will write more tomorrow!
So we pulled into their gated house and walked in through the front doors to find a large, open air house, with an outdoor pool in the center of it. They showed us our room, with a huge queen-sized bed where we’d be staying, with our own bathroom. We were in complete shock. Then they served us breakfast. Afterwards, Whitney and I walked to the beach, which is about 10 minutes away. The beach was beautiful and it was hot and the water was warm. We met a guy on the beach and then his friend, who we talked to for a couple hours. They were really nice and seemed genuinely interested in talking, and not in dating us. So that was really nice and refreshing, after Nairobi.
They told us that if we wanted lunch we could be home at 1, so we headed back and had tortellini and garlic bread for lunch. Yum! After lunch we swam in their pool and laid in the sun. We had tea and talked to the mother, Lesley, for a while in the afternoon and then went with her to run some errands and see some of the town. We then came back and I took a bath in the large bath tub and went to watch the satellite TV.
This whole experience so far has been completely surreal and amazing. I keep breaking into a giggle, just thinking about where we are and what good luck we have had. These people seem genuinely nice and said they like having us around now that their sons are gone.
Tonight we are going to see “The Namesake” at the movie theatre in town. I will write more tomorrow!
Monday, June 4, 2007
tutaenda mombasa
I am off to Mombasa tomorrow morning and will write more when I get back on Friday or Saturday. In the meantime, here are some articles from THe Daily Nation, Kenya's main newspaper.
Mombasa:
Crackdown launched against homosexuality
A pressure group yesterday announced a crackdown on homosexuality and lesbianism in Mombasa. The chairman, Mr. Maalim Babu, said the group, affiliated to the Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya, was concerned that Mombasa was becoming an immoral town. Homosexuals and lesbians organized a secret meeting at a Mombasa town hotel last week. The group yesterday appealed to Christians and other faiths to join them in the war against immorality. Mr. Babu estimated there are 25,000 homosexuals and lesbians in Mombasa alone.
Kitui:
Eating competition man choked by bread
A man was choked by a loaf of bread in an eating competition organized as part of activities to mark Madaraka Day at the Kitui stadium. Katiwa Ndaya was invited with four others to compete in eating a load of brad and soda in record time. Katiwa, who finished third, had no time to celebrate his victory as his eyes popped wide open with bread stuck in his throat. He was rushed to hospital where he was assisted and returned later to claim his prize.
Mombasa:
Crackdown launched against homosexuality
A pressure group yesterday announced a crackdown on homosexuality and lesbianism in Mombasa. The chairman, Mr. Maalim Babu, said the group, affiliated to the Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya, was concerned that Mombasa was becoming an immoral town. Homosexuals and lesbians organized a secret meeting at a Mombasa town hotel last week. The group yesterday appealed to Christians and other faiths to join them in the war against immorality. Mr. Babu estimated there are 25,000 homosexuals and lesbians in Mombasa alone.
Kitui:
Eating competition man choked by bread
A man was choked by a loaf of bread in an eating competition organized as part of activities to mark Madaraka Day at the Kitui stadium. Katiwa Ndaya was invited with four others to compete in eating a load of brad and soda in record time. Katiwa, who finished third, had no time to celebrate his victory as his eyes popped wide open with bread stuck in his throat. He was rushed to hospital where he was assisted and returned later to claim his prize.
Wikendi Nzuri Sana (very good weekend)
Wikendi Nzuri Sana (Very good Weekend)
I had a great weekend this weekend. Friday was Madaraka day and after Swahili, Whitney and I went to Njuhi’s house for a celebration lunch and family gathering. Her grandmother and aunts and uncles and cousins were there and we had chakula kubwa (big food) that was amazing once again. It was cool to meet more of her family, especially her grandmother. There was a family meeting that they have once a month where they discuss how each person/family is doing and what each person wants for the upcoming month or year. So everybody went around talking about recent events in their families and what they needed and who to pray for. They spoke in Kikuyu, so Njuhi translated for us. Then we all held hands and sang songs. It was really great to be able to be there and be a part of that. Despite the language barrier for songs and prayers and the meeting, I felt very included and there was a lot of power and positive energy in the room. On Friday night I slept over at Njuhi’s house.
On Saturday we went into town to meet Tim, Njuhi’s cousin, for the Sawa Sawa Festival, which was a jazz festival in the Nairobi Arboretum. The Arboretum is really beautiful and big and I had never been there, despite it being right on the edge of the Central Business District in the city. We saw some great groups play, including this famous South African guy named Hugh something that starts with an M (Masekele?). Unfortunately I have a bad name memory. He played the saxophone while another man played a trumpet and there was another with a guitar. The sax and the trumpet were amazing. They played one song with a group of little girls who were orphans. They sang a song called “make a change” that made me choke up. They were glowing while they sang, with huge smiles on their faces. It was adorable.
Another man sang a cover of Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song”, and while I have always liked that song, lyrics never resonated with me as much as they did when I heard it in Kenya. “Emancipate yourselves from slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds…How long shall they kill our prophets while we stand aside and look…” Those words just seemed so much more powerful in a country where slavery is so recent, and in some cases still present. The white man may not officially be the power holder anymore, but after Independence white men are still the ones who run major companies and live in the big houses with gates right outside the city. Many people are killed daily because of corruption and poverty is rampant. I can now see why Bob Marley is so popular here-he sings about the oppression Kenyans, and many people in other developing countries, face constantly. The oppression that their current states were founded on through colonization and then through the power the European continues to hold.
Afterwards, Tim, Njuhi and I went to Tim’s house for dinner and then we went out to a few clubs with three more of Tim and Njuhi’s friends. I had a really good time hanging out with them and dancing. I was the only white person at the club we were at, but for once that didn’t attract unwanted attention and was able to just hang out, so it was nice. We got back to Tim’s house at 5am and I slept until almost 12.
Sunday I went home and showered and did laundry. Then Monica and I went to the hospital to see my 3 week old nephew. He was at the children’s hospital because he had gotten a bacterial infection, but he was doing much better when we saw him. I held him for a while and he was so beautiful-warm and sleepy with soft little tight curls of hair. I wanted to hold him for hours. But alas, we headed home.
I had a great weekend this weekend. Friday was Madaraka day and after Swahili, Whitney and I went to Njuhi’s house for a celebration lunch and family gathering. Her grandmother and aunts and uncles and cousins were there and we had chakula kubwa (big food) that was amazing once again. It was cool to meet more of her family, especially her grandmother. There was a family meeting that they have once a month where they discuss how each person/family is doing and what each person wants for the upcoming month or year. So everybody went around talking about recent events in their families and what they needed and who to pray for. They spoke in Kikuyu, so Njuhi translated for us. Then we all held hands and sang songs. It was really great to be able to be there and be a part of that. Despite the language barrier for songs and prayers and the meeting, I felt very included and there was a lot of power and positive energy in the room. On Friday night I slept over at Njuhi’s house.
On Saturday we went into town to meet Tim, Njuhi’s cousin, for the Sawa Sawa Festival, which was a jazz festival in the Nairobi Arboretum. The Arboretum is really beautiful and big and I had never been there, despite it being right on the edge of the Central Business District in the city. We saw some great groups play, including this famous South African guy named Hugh something that starts with an M (Masekele?). Unfortunately I have a bad name memory. He played the saxophone while another man played a trumpet and there was another with a guitar. The sax and the trumpet were amazing. They played one song with a group of little girls who were orphans. They sang a song called “make a change” that made me choke up. They were glowing while they sang, with huge smiles on their faces. It was adorable.
Another man sang a cover of Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song”, and while I have always liked that song, lyrics never resonated with me as much as they did when I heard it in Kenya. “Emancipate yourselves from slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds…How long shall they kill our prophets while we stand aside and look…” Those words just seemed so much more powerful in a country where slavery is so recent, and in some cases still present. The white man may not officially be the power holder anymore, but after Independence white men are still the ones who run major companies and live in the big houses with gates right outside the city. Many people are killed daily because of corruption and poverty is rampant. I can now see why Bob Marley is so popular here-he sings about the oppression Kenyans, and many people in other developing countries, face constantly. The oppression that their current states were founded on through colonization and then through the power the European continues to hold.
Afterwards, Tim, Njuhi and I went to Tim’s house for dinner and then we went out to a few clubs with three more of Tim and Njuhi’s friends. I had a really good time hanging out with them and dancing. I was the only white person at the club we were at, but for once that didn’t attract unwanted attention and was able to just hang out, so it was nice. We got back to Tim’s house at 5am and I slept until almost 12.
Sunday I went home and showered and did laundry. Then Monica and I went to the hospital to see my 3 week old nephew. He was at the children’s hospital because he had gotten a bacterial infection, but he was doing much better when we saw him. I held him for a while and he was so beautiful-warm and sleepy with soft little tight curls of hair. I wanted to hold him for hours. But alas, we headed home.
Last Thursday
On Thursday I met my friend Margaret and we went to her room in the women’s hostels for the university. We hung out in her room and talked and watched some guy named Michael Smith (?) singing gospel with this huge church of people in Canada. It was interesting. We also watched a DVD of Westlyfe (sp?) videos. I gave her a keychain I had gotten her in Capetown that was a beaded “M”, and she LOVED it. She couldn’t stop looking at it and holding it, it was really cute. She made us ugali and sakumawiki for lunch and it was actually the best sakuma I have had since being in Kenya. Sakumawiki is a green leafy vegetable similar to kale that comes in long strips. Most people eat it with ugali, which is a stiff meal that looked like mashed potatoes, but thicker and stiffer, and does not taste anything like potatoes. Anyway, both are staples in Kenya, but this was the best of either I have had yet here.
At 2pm I had my Psychological Anthropology exam, which I think went pretty well. Afterwards I went over to the YWCA and watched “The Queen” with Whitney, but didn’t get to finish it because it started pouring and I thought I should get home since getting a matatu in the rain is even harder than getting a matatu in the not rain. The past two days my matatu ride home has taken an extremely long time because the traffic has been so bad and we spend so much time just sitting. Also today on my matatu a song, which seemed excruciatingly long, was playing in which the chorus was “1 pussy and 13 dicks”. Wow. I could not believe it. Another more believable, but still sort of funny thing was that in the newspaper yesterday there was a page with a huge list of people who were supposed to contact some woman to claim their dead relatives’ estates. One of those people listed was Barack Obama. I wonder if he read “The Daily Nation” and is coming to claim his property. Apparently a bunch of his relatives live in Kariokor, where I live too!
Friday is Independence Day here, which is called “Madaraka Day”. Everyone has their Kenyan flags hanging outside their shops and houses. I am interested to see what it’s like. We have Swahili in the morning, but we are going on some kind of “adventure” in Karen. Afterwards Whitney and I are going to Njuhi’s house for lunch and maybe some kind of festivities. I am looking forward to another large amazing meal and some good company : )
At 2pm I had my Psychological Anthropology exam, which I think went pretty well. Afterwards I went over to the YWCA and watched “The Queen” with Whitney, but didn’t get to finish it because it started pouring and I thought I should get home since getting a matatu in the rain is even harder than getting a matatu in the not rain. The past two days my matatu ride home has taken an extremely long time because the traffic has been so bad and we spend so much time just sitting. Also today on my matatu a song, which seemed excruciatingly long, was playing in which the chorus was “1 pussy and 13 dicks”. Wow. I could not believe it. Another more believable, but still sort of funny thing was that in the newspaper yesterday there was a page with a huge list of people who were supposed to contact some woman to claim their dead relatives’ estates. One of those people listed was Barack Obama. I wonder if he read “The Daily Nation” and is coming to claim his property. Apparently a bunch of his relatives live in Kariokor, where I live too!
Friday is Independence Day here, which is called “Madaraka Day”. Everyone has their Kenyan flags hanging outside their shops and houses. I am interested to see what it’s like. We have Swahili in the morning, but we are going on some kind of “adventure” in Karen. Afterwards Whitney and I are going to Njuhi’s house for lunch and maybe some kind of festivities. I am looking forward to another large amazing meal and some good company : )
Friday, June 1, 2007
oops
SO I seemed to have forgotten the blog I wrote last night to post today. I will post it tomorrow.
Today is Madaraka day (Indepedence day) and we are going to Njuhi's house for lunch.
Sorry for the disappointing blog!
Today is Madaraka day (Indepedence day) and we are going to Njuhi's house for lunch.
Sorry for the disappointing blog!
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