HI! arrived in Nairobi 2 days ago and am currently spending time in the city before we head off to the village. I have been in 3 countries in the past 3 days. THAT to me is a little insane. One thing that is consistent is the hustle and bustle of the city life and the AMAZING technologies within.
The house I am staying at is unreal. It is the house of Caesar, the son of Papa Asiyo (my host father). When I arrived in Kenya i had the misconception that I would be roughing it all the way through. With a family of 5, 3 servants at hand and a gigantic house, I was definitely wrong.
The laptops and cellphones here are way more advanced than in Canada (atleast I think so). Since landlines and electricity is often spotty, the country depends on both. For example, you can do banking on your cellphone, the laptop I am currently writing on has a fingerprint recognition and is also touch screen.
The hospitality shown by Caesar, his wife Connie and his 3 lovely sons (which by the way are mind-blowingly mature and curtious for their age) has been a great treat before we embark on our real adventure. Right now it hasn't really hit me that I am so far away from home because they have so many comforta available to me here.
It is so odd to be in a household with a bathroom and balcony in each bedroom and still be regarded as someone more privileged than the owners. The assumptions made about both our nationalities form a really weird dynamic.
Words cannot describe the luxuries here. so I will say this: In the game of Kumiliki (Kenya's monopoly), Park Place is replaced by Karen (Ka-ren). when I asked where Karen was, they said "it is here"...BALLIN!
Today, I went to church. The service was so different! i'm not a religious person but it was really great to see how they used rap, dance and comedy as a medium to engage young people. it was really impressive.
Today I went to a slum. Caesar works with the prime minister and visited a site where they were dropping off food for starving people. we waited in the car. too dangerous. But to see the garbage piles, the desperation and the resilience was much needed.
Today I went to a Giraffe park. and had a giraffe eating out of my hand. that is all.
off to enjoy a dinner prepared by in house cook... yeah, I know.
I'm disappointed that you won't have stories about sleeping in the bush, but whateves. Its funny you mentioned the technology thing, because someone once mentioned to me that even in Somalia they have superior phones, telecom, etc.
ReplyDeleteThis is already starting to get interesting :)
Would it be naive to ask, do they speak English? What other languages do they speak in Kenya? The house is real nice!
ReplyDeleteSandy
I had the same thoughts as momo....i wanted to hear horror stories about how wild boars ate your belongings while you struggled to sleep as hyenas lurked nearby. but alas...this is good too :)
ReplyDeletecan't wait to read more!
WOW
ReplyDeleteI hope the material you brought matches and/or goes beyond their English skills! Good luck on your first week. They'll be charmed, I'm sure :)
ReplyDeletei loved reading your blog.
ReplyDeleteWow! you've only been there a few days and it sounds like you've had the experience of a lifetime!!!
ReplyDeleteDear Maggie,
ReplyDeleteSorry I didn't get a chance to talk to you before you left!!
Hmm, your speaking of not wanting to lose a part of yourself is interesting...Nothing that is relevant to your life can leave you, you know. Stuff can only be eroded if it no longer serves you. So I would not worry about that :)
And as for Caesar's house... it is the complete and polar opposite of Wikondiek. (All the houses in Wikondiek together could probably fit in Caesar's house!) Be prepared for the huge discrepancies between rich/poor (materially speaking anyway...)
Hope you are doing well, please contact me if you need anything!! Say hi to Mayan!
Stacey
Hi Maggie, it's Laura! I just wrote a letter to the school and Laura Crane will be sending the cheque and the letter in the mail. Hopefully it will get to you quickly!
ReplyDeleteI love this blog entry and I will definitely be following your adventures this summer.
Keep having an amazing time!
Its a paradoxical feeling when you end up living in a place that you've spent years having misconceptions of. I know i can relate to that feel and was slightly unsure of my position within it. I'd love to know how your feeling changes/adapt throughout your placement. I'll be reading the blogs as regularly as possible!
ReplyDeleteall the best,
aj (a past intern)
Hey! I'm doing my internship in Mexico City and I'm definitely relating to what you (and other people) are saying about the huge disparity between the rich and the poor. I know people who have maids and drivers and at the same time I know people who sell tamales on the streets. It's nuts! I really can't reconcile that reality yet. Anyway. Looking forward to reading your posts :)
ReplyDeleteHey, I have also lived in Los Angeles for the past 20 years. I know people who live in the mansions in Beverly Hills and I also know people who are homeless living in Skid row downtown L.A.
ReplyDelete