Hello again!
I am staying with my host family now, and they are very nice. My host mom Rose is very welcoming and loves to feed me. I worry that I'll end up gaining a bunch of weight this semester! My host brother Duke (8) was fairly indifferent to my existence until yesterday, when I showed him how to play frisbee. Now it's all he wants to do! Beforehand, I'd ask him a question and he would either refuse to answer or give me a vague, one word response. I think he was just a little shy. My host grandmother Anastasia is very talkative and loves to tell stories about her travels. My favorite story is her story about going to the U.K. She spoke of how she was astonished at all the wazungu (white people) cleaning toilets, mopping floors, and cleaning in general. She was a child during the Mau Mau rebellion and independence, and still gets a kick out of seeing the British take care of themselves!
My classes officially started today, since yesterday we had a meeting for Americans at the U.S. Embassy. You'll be happy to hear that they have a thorough evacuation plan in place, although they don't believe it will be necessary. It was interesting to hear the ambassador's perspective on the situation, although I don't quite agree with everything he said.
There is only one other person in advanced Swahili with me, which really puts the pressure on, but I'm sure I'll learn a lot because of it. We had 3 hours of Swahili this morning, and then Country Analysis this afternoon. My professor for Country Analysis is very engaging and I'm excited to learn a detailed history of Kenya.
As for my internship the second half of the semester, I am currently a "displaced person." I was supposed to have my internship in Kisumu (in the west,) but due to the recent violence in that area I had to be moved. I don't know where I will be, but I think I will be working at either an orphanage or a rehabilitation center for youth.
I think the largest adjustment I've had to make while being here is constantly being aware of my race. It's so easy to blend in as a white person in the U.S, and here I stick out like a sore thumb. I think this is the aspect of studying abroad that I will learn from the most.
The other adjustment I've had to make is getting used to traffic. The rule here is basically whoever acts first has the right of way- and people do not stop for pedestrians. I think the most terrifying experiences I've had have been crossing the street. My strategy so far has been to find a Kenyan crossing where I need to cross and to follow closely behind them. I'm hoping I'll get the hang of street-crossing soon... otherwise it may be a long (or short) semester.
I'd better get going home now, since I don't want my host mom to worry. She likes me to be in by 6:00 before it gets dark. Hope everyone else is having a good semester!
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2 comments:
Kelsey,
It is great to hear from you again. Please blog whenever possible.
You may not recall this but one of my discoveries during our stay in the UK was how it felt to be a foreigner, instantly recognized once I spoke a word. They universally 'liked' Americans then and were very friendly, but still there were times when I wanted to simply blend in and thus kept my mouth shut.
That made me think how much more difficult it is when one stands out and is disliked and is not able to "pass" by keeping one's mouth shut.
I am talking about African-Americans in the US, not you in Kenya.
Please send my greetings and gratitude to your host family as they keep you for awhile.
D.
haha, i never got good at crossing the street, always just relied on the people around me. everyone else would be watching the traffic and i'd just be creepily watching them.
also, the whole "sore thumb" thing was i think the hardest thing for me to get used to too. it took me awhile to figure out that people were always watching me. i quite literally glow in the dark. had a few bad experiences in that area but for the most part people mean well.
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