Yesterday, the five of us who were staying in the country for the weekend decided to go to the town hall meeting of Americans at the U.S. Embassy. The rest of the students on our program went to Uganda for the weekend to raft the Nile (which would have been amazing, but I couldn't justify spending over $300 to go to Uganda without seeing a good chunk of the country.) I've decided, along with my fellow students, that I hate U.S. Embassy meetings.
At the time of the meeting, they had not yet announced the news that Kibaki and Odinga had come to a power-sharing agreement, so everyone was still in the mindset that, should the talks fail, Kenya would have a civil war on its hands. Many people had questions that the ambassador either dodged or answered a little too optimistically in my opinion. Furthermore, he commended the police for their actions in maintaining stability in the country, which really sickened me and my classmates. He argued that the statistics released (which say that over 91% of the deaths in some areas were a result of police brutality) are "not very credible," even though numerous incidents have been caught on tape. He spoke highly of the Kenyan government structure and Constitution too, and it became even more clear to us that the reason the U.S. put so much pressure on Kenya to come to a political solution was not because the U.S. values democracy or freedom. So long as the country is stable, by any means necessary, the U.S. is fine and in fact, for most U.S. citizens in Kenya, it's business as usual. The ambassador even had the guts to say he thought the media over-dramatized the violence through the incident in Eldoret. I don't know how you over-dramatize over 30 women and children burned alive while seeking refuge in a church.
During the Q-and-A session, it was increasingly clear which citizens were in Kenya for exploitive reasons and which weren't. Many people had commendible questions on aid for IDPs and how to address the problem of ethnicity in the country, and others were more concerned with the state of their tourism industry or whether it was likely that the violence would spread to the "upper-class areas." I had to leave before the session was done because I was getting so upset.
I am happy that the two politicians reached their settlement, and was actually quite surprised with the amount of power Kibaki yeilded. It was great to see all of the Kenyans celebrating the news! Now only time will tell if this agreement is actually feasible, and if Odinga can live up to all of the promises he made to the people, or if he too will be swayed by power.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
Samburu!
This weekend was amazing! We ended up going to Samburu National Park instead of Maasai Mara because the University of Minnesota didn't like the idea of us driving through a small portion of the Rift Valley, but I loved Samburu nonetheless. On Friday afternoon, we saw one of the Mau Mau caves, which I was really excited about. The Mau Mau fighters used to hide from the British in the caves, and also used them to pray. I was happy to see the caves I had read so much about, and was also happy to see Mount Kenya (even if I am too poor and out of shape to climb it.) It was also nice to be in the historically "white" highlands just because the climate is much cooler due to the altitude. We then went to a primary school near Mount Kenya which is sponsored by Minneapolis, MN. It was fun playing with the kids and seeing where they go to school each day. They were very eager to hear me sing a song, and I'm afraid to say they heard a very poor rendition of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star."
Me and my new friends in Standard 6.
In our Samburu jewelry after the dance
Me, Caitlin, and the Samburu Warriors
Elephants!
Giraffe!
The beautiful view 
This picture reminded me of the Lion King
Me and my new friends in Standard 6. After camping Friday night, we headed to a Samburu village, but first had an incredibly touristy moment when we stopped and took a picture at the equator. Four of us were wearing Wisconsin shirts, and we're determined now to get our picture on the study abroad website. When we arrived in the Samburu village, we were greeted with a song and dance by the women. The whole experience was surreal. The Samburu people are cousins to the Maasai, but were separated from them by the British when they were placed in the north, while the Maasai were placed in the southwest. We participated in a short dance with them and then bought a few things from their market before heading to the National Park.
In our Samburu jewelry after the dance Me, Caitlin, and the Samburu Warriors At the national park, we went on an afternoon game drive. We didn't fulfill my friend's dream of watching a lion kill a zebra, but we did see tons of elephants! Afterwards we camped in the park and I realized that after the novelty of monkeys wears off, they really are pests. One even opened my friend's tent and took her cosmetic bag. She wasn't able to get it back. A group of the Samburu joined us for dinner and we had a goat roast. I chickened out and hid while they killed the goat and drank its blood, but a few of my classmates were brave and drank the blood too. I found out that I don't really like goat meat and will most definitely be returning to vegetarianism when I return to the U.S., but I do like it that the animals here get to live life before being slaughtered.
Elephants! Giraffe!The beautiful view This picture reminded me of the Lion KingSunday morning we went on an early morning game drive and saw many giraffes, impalas, gazelles, zebras, and water buffalo, then got in the vans for the long haul back to Nairobi. It was a great weekend!
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Hello again, everyone! I have a few updates you may want to know about:
1. Last weekend I did not go to Maasai Mara, as the program staff decided it wasn't safe at that time to go. I stayed in Nairobi instead.
2. If we get the ok from the U of M, we should be able to go to Maasai Mara this weekend, if not, we're going to Samburu National Park instead.
3. I went to my first ever Nairobi disco last weekend. It was amazing. They played the "Numa Numa" song and "Who Let the Dogs Out" and neither was a joke. Men there danced without the company of women- It was a grand time. Of course, it's all fun and games until someone's cell phone gets stolen. In this case, my friend Sarah's. Oh well.
4. I touched a cheetah last weekend at Nairobi National Park. I also didn't tip the guide who attached himself to me and my friends after we entered the park. Oops.
5. I will be going to Mombasa a few weekends from now to bask in the sun and experience the coast of the Indian Ocean- I'm pretty excited.
6. Don't worry Dad, I do go to class here, too. 6 hours a day, in fact.
Hope all is well in the U.S! I hear Obama won Wisconsin- if he wins overall, I hope he picks Clinton as his running mate. I'm a big fan of both of them.
1. Last weekend I did not go to Maasai Mara, as the program staff decided it wasn't safe at that time to go. I stayed in Nairobi instead.
2. If we get the ok from the U of M, we should be able to go to Maasai Mara this weekend, if not, we're going to Samburu National Park instead.
3. I went to my first ever Nairobi disco last weekend. It was amazing. They played the "Numa Numa" song and "Who Let the Dogs Out" and neither was a joke. Men there danced without the company of women- It was a grand time. Of course, it's all fun and games until someone's cell phone gets stolen. In this case, my friend Sarah's. Oh well.
4. I touched a cheetah last weekend at Nairobi National Park. I also didn't tip the guide who attached himself to me and my friends after we entered the park. Oops.
5. I will be going to Mombasa a few weekends from now to bask in the sun and experience the coast of the Indian Ocean- I'm pretty excited.
6. Don't worry Dad, I do go to class here, too. 6 hours a day, in fact.
Hope all is well in the U.S! I hear Obama won Wisconsin- if he wins overall, I hope he picks Clinton as his running mate. I'm a big fan of both of them.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Hamjambo tena, rafiki zangu!
My second week at my homestay has started off well, I believe, but after a long weekend at home, I am ready to be out and about again. I like my host family a lot, but two entire days spent primarily with an 8 year old can make one eager for adults.
Last week, the whole group of Americans had to go to immigration to apply for our alien resident passes, and I've concluded that government paperwork offices in Kenya employ people who are just as unhappy to be there as those who work at government paperwork offices in the U.S. The entire experience was the opposite of fun. They got upset with us for coming in a big group, for being too slow, for not following directions when they hadn't actually given us any, etc. To top off the grand experience, they fingerprinted us in a room that smelled very much like rotting meat. Mmm...
I have Kiswahili for 14 hours this week, which is going to be intense. Even in Magdalena's class last semester, in which I was almost always flustered and stumbling over my own words, I was given a break. Now, with just me and "Pambazuko," we must always be on our toes and know our stuff. Currently we've been reading Kaburi Bila Msalaba, a novel about the Mau Mau rebellion- worlds better than Rosa Mistika for you wanafunzi wa Kiswahili. I've really had to study my vocabulary to comprehend the story, but hopefully this will prepare me for my rural homestay and internship.
Most afternoons I have Country Analysis with Dr. Jonyo, and I love listening to him lecture! My classmates find his lectures depressing (and it's true, colonialism isn't exactly an upper topic,) but understanding Kenya's history is crucial if one is to understand Kenya's current political crisis. I have heard people cite Kenya's ethnic divisions as existing since the very beginning, but it was Britain that purposely divided Kenya's peoples along ethnic lines in order to more easily conquer them. Different groups did exist before, but coexisted peacefully until the colonial power accentuated their differences in order to prevent unity. Britain further corrupted the state by centralizing power in the form of chiefs and then the government, creating a political system in which the President is given far too much power. These ethnic divisions remain today, further perpetuated by politics- the one in power can better assist his own people, and because the British neglected to assemble a system of checks and balances, these acts go unquestioned. I have faith that the mediation and reconciliation talks with Kofi Annan will help address these issues and look for a lasting solution.
Honestly, it was kind of nice to hear about a different country being the imposing aggressor for once, but I can't ignore the fact that the United States has brought many dictators to power as well in order to assure our own level of consumption remains constant. I can only roll my eyes whenever I hear western politicians talk of the importance of "democracy." If democracy was so important, we would allow other nations to democratically decide to go against our wishes.
Well, this rant has been sufficiently long, and I applaud those of you who made it to the end. This semester has me thinking quite a bit about world politics and equity, and I am lucky enough to be surrounded by students just as interested as I am. I'll leave on a lighter note though by saying a few things that excite me:
1. Glass bottled soda- so much better for the environment than plastic or metal
2. Extremely hospitable people
3. Maasai Mara- next weekend everyone on the program will be traveling to Maasai Mara to camp among Kenya's beautiful wildlife and experience a Maasai goat roast. I can't wait!
Last week, the whole group of Americans had to go to immigration to apply for our alien resident passes, and I've concluded that government paperwork offices in Kenya employ people who are just as unhappy to be there as those who work at government paperwork offices in the U.S. The entire experience was the opposite of fun. They got upset with us for coming in a big group, for being too slow, for not following directions when they hadn't actually given us any, etc. To top off the grand experience, they fingerprinted us in a room that smelled very much like rotting meat. Mmm...
I have Kiswahili for 14 hours this week, which is going to be intense. Even in Magdalena's class last semester, in which I was almost always flustered and stumbling over my own words, I was given a break. Now, with just me and "Pambazuko," we must always be on our toes and know our stuff. Currently we've been reading Kaburi Bila Msalaba, a novel about the Mau Mau rebellion- worlds better than Rosa Mistika for you wanafunzi wa Kiswahili. I've really had to study my vocabulary to comprehend the story, but hopefully this will prepare me for my rural homestay and internship.
Most afternoons I have Country Analysis with Dr. Jonyo, and I love listening to him lecture! My classmates find his lectures depressing (and it's true, colonialism isn't exactly an upper topic,) but understanding Kenya's history is crucial if one is to understand Kenya's current political crisis. I have heard people cite Kenya's ethnic divisions as existing since the very beginning, but it was Britain that purposely divided Kenya's peoples along ethnic lines in order to more easily conquer them. Different groups did exist before, but coexisted peacefully until the colonial power accentuated their differences in order to prevent unity. Britain further corrupted the state by centralizing power in the form of chiefs and then the government, creating a political system in which the President is given far too much power. These ethnic divisions remain today, further perpetuated by politics- the one in power can better assist his own people, and because the British neglected to assemble a system of checks and balances, these acts go unquestioned. I have faith that the mediation and reconciliation talks with Kofi Annan will help address these issues and look for a lasting solution.
Honestly, it was kind of nice to hear about a different country being the imposing aggressor for once, but I can't ignore the fact that the United States has brought many dictators to power as well in order to assure our own level of consumption remains constant. I can only roll my eyes whenever I hear western politicians talk of the importance of "democracy." If democracy was so important, we would allow other nations to democratically decide to go against our wishes.
Well, this rant has been sufficiently long, and I applaud those of you who made it to the end. This semester has me thinking quite a bit about world politics and equity, and I am lucky enough to be surrounded by students just as interested as I am. I'll leave on a lighter note though by saying a few things that excite me:
1. Glass bottled soda- so much better for the environment than plastic or metal
2. Extremely hospitable people
3. Maasai Mara- next weekend everyone on the program will be traveling to Maasai Mara to camp among Kenya's beautiful wildlife and experience a Maasai goat roast. I can't wait!
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Notes from the mzungu
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!
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!
Monday, February 4, 2008
I am in Kenya...
...and it is not as bad as the news reports say, especially since I am not in the west. Nairobi is business as usual, and it is HUGE! I'm not used to such big, bustling cities.
I don't have much time to write, since my friends are leaving the cyber cafe soon, but I will say this: I am safe, I have not witnessed any violence, and do not believe the latest U.S. news reports that Al Qaeda was involved in the post-election violence. That is a load of you-know-what. People here have many opinions about the crisis, but they all agree that the U.S. should best mind its own business, especially since it has shown itself to be partisan.
I'll leave it at that- I'll try to write more later in the week. I miss you all!
I don't have much time to write, since my friends are leaving the cyber cafe soon, but I will say this: I am safe, I have not witnessed any violence, and do not believe the latest U.S. news reports that Al Qaeda was involved in the post-election violence. That is a load of you-know-what. People here have many opinions about the crisis, but they all agree that the U.S. should best mind its own business, especially since it has shown itself to be partisan.
I'll leave it at that- I'll try to write more later in the week. I miss you all!
Friday, January 11, 2008
The Trip is Still On
After many panicked days of searching BBC and the East African Standard for any scrap of news I could get my hands on and several vague emails from the Study Abroad Office at the University of Minnesota, I finally know the status of my semester in Kenya. The trip will continue with some restrictions.
I will now be leaving on January 27th instead of the 20th, and the possible locations for my internship are much more limited than before, but overall, I am very happy that my program is still going forward. I still encourage you all to follow the news on Kenya- there are many interesting and hopeful things happening currently, but also many troubling ones. I only hope that the former events exceed the latter. I will post again when I am in Kenya!
I will now be leaving on January 27th instead of the 20th, and the possible locations for my internship are much more limited than before, but overall, I am very happy that my program is still going forward. I still encourage you all to follow the news on Kenya- there are many interesting and hopeful things happening currently, but also many troubling ones. I only hope that the former events exceed the latter. I will post again when I am in Kenya!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)