11 June 2010
So the one toilet here that everyone uses (because the other one won’t close/lock) sounds like a ring wraith…not joking. Every time the toilet flushes it does this screech, then the normal toilet sounds, then the ring wraith screech again. It’s weird, but in some way kind of comforting.
I am such a nerd.
Part of what we’re doing here is going into Maasai villages and interviewing mostly Maasai women (mamas) about various things relating to their lives and especially in the context of how the national park and wildlife affects them. The second person we interviewed today was a man named Stephen. I am not joking when I say he is the Maasai version of Barney Stinson (How I Met Your Mother, CBS). Not in behavior (okay a little bit) but he looks JUST like NPH. It’s ridiculous. Needless to say, I was a bit distracted in my interview.
Today we also had this amazing opportunity to go to a Maasai “Boma”, which means house, but this was a “cultural village” where tourists can arrange to “live like the Maasai…but that’s not what we did. Anyway, when we got there the mamas came out and greeted us. The women of our group would bow our head as a mama passed by and they would place their hand on our heads. Apparently when Brenna went into town today a little girl did this to her. Adorable. Then they started singing a welcome song to us as we walked into the Boma (See the video on facebook). At the end of the dance they do this thing where they kind of hop toward someone and then bump into them and that’s apparently their way of saying “Cheers!” and the head mama bumped into me! Once in there we had the opportunity to buy beautiful jewelry made by these women. The sales of this jewelry supports their families and often times they can fund their children going to school off of the money they make. They make these necklaces, bracelets, rings, earrings etc by hand and they are beautiful. I tried bartering. I was “successful” meaning I could get the price knocked down usually 50-100 ksh (.50-$1 USD) but other times they just repeated the price they originally said. I am so not made for bartering.
I so enjoyed having a chance to see how many of the locals live. Not the staff, who aren’t the typical Kenyan, but the average Maasai person. I would much rather have sat down with Eunice (my favorite interviewee), played with her baby, and asked her all about her life from birth to now! But unfortunately I had to ask fairly specific questions about her cattle and her land. Boo.
I think what I found most surprising in our interviews is that every single person said that the government is doing next to nothing (if that) to help them-they have the worst roads which are maintained by themselves, no compensation for livestock lost due to wildlife, etc-and yet they aren’t angry with the government. They just chalk it up to “that’s how it is”. There is no sense of entitlement with these people. They are appreciative to have what they have. Man could our country use a dose of that. It is so common to hear “the government should do this for me” but how entitled is that? I mean I get that it seems logical that one could rely on their government to provide for them, but at the same time we take so much and still expect more. But I look at these people, Eunice especially, and they are full of joy. More joy that I have seen in a long time. It was convicting and refreshing. Something I hope I remember and take with me.
As I settle in, I’m starting to find that I’m not as irked by people and Brenna and I are starting to have some really great chats. Erica (our SAM-Student Affairs Manager) has already offered to help me get connected with various zoos or vet jobs here!!! I’m making these wonderful connections that I NEVER expected out of this and I couldn’t be more thankful. Who knew that coming here could lead to me landing a short term vet job in a few years here in Kenya?! I would die of joy.
All in all settling in is feeling good. We’re going on our first game drive tomorrow and I cannot wait. God is good.
So the one toilet here that everyone uses (because the other one won’t close/lock) sounds like a ring wraith…not joking. Every time the toilet flushes it does this screech, then the normal toilet sounds, then the ring wraith screech again. It’s weird, but in some way kind of comforting.
I am such a nerd.
Part of what we’re doing here is going into Maasai villages and interviewing mostly Maasai women (mamas) about various things relating to their lives and especially in the context of how the national park and wildlife affects them. The second person we interviewed today was a man named Stephen. I am not joking when I say he is the Maasai version of Barney Stinson (How I Met Your Mother, CBS). Not in behavior (okay a little bit) but he looks JUST like NPH. It’s ridiculous. Needless to say, I was a bit distracted in my interview.
Today we also had this amazing opportunity to go to a Maasai “Boma”, which means house, but this was a “cultural village” where tourists can arrange to “live like the Maasai…but that’s not what we did. Anyway, when we got there the mamas came out and greeted us. The women of our group would bow our head as a mama passed by and they would place their hand on our heads. Apparently when Brenna went into town today a little girl did this to her. Adorable. Then they started singing a welcome song to us as we walked into the Boma (See the video on facebook). At the end of the dance they do this thing where they kind of hop toward someone and then bump into them and that’s apparently their way of saying “Cheers!” and the head mama bumped into me! Once in there we had the opportunity to buy beautiful jewelry made by these women. The sales of this jewelry supports their families and often times they can fund their children going to school off of the money they make. They make these necklaces, bracelets, rings, earrings etc by hand and they are beautiful. I tried bartering. I was “successful” meaning I could get the price knocked down usually 50-100 ksh (.50-$1 USD) but other times they just repeated the price they originally said. I am so not made for bartering.
I so enjoyed having a chance to see how many of the locals live. Not the staff, who aren’t the typical Kenyan, but the average Maasai person. I would much rather have sat down with Eunice (my favorite interviewee), played with her baby, and asked her all about her life from birth to now! But unfortunately I had to ask fairly specific questions about her cattle and her land. Boo.
I think what I found most surprising in our interviews is that every single person said that the government is doing next to nothing (if that) to help them-they have the worst roads which are maintained by themselves, no compensation for livestock lost due to wildlife, etc-and yet they aren’t angry with the government. They just chalk it up to “that’s how it is”. There is no sense of entitlement with these people. They are appreciative to have what they have. Man could our country use a dose of that. It is so common to hear “the government should do this for me” but how entitled is that? I mean I get that it seems logical that one could rely on their government to provide for them, but at the same time we take so much and still expect more. But I look at these people, Eunice especially, and they are full of joy. More joy that I have seen in a long time. It was convicting and refreshing. Something I hope I remember and take with me.
As I settle in, I’m starting to find that I’m not as irked by people and Brenna and I are starting to have some really great chats. Erica (our SAM-Student Affairs Manager) has already offered to help me get connected with various zoos or vet jobs here!!! I’m making these wonderful connections that I NEVER expected out of this and I couldn’t be more thankful. Who knew that coming here could lead to me landing a short term vet job in a few years here in Kenya?! I would die of joy.
All in all settling in is feeling good. We’re going on our first game drive tomorrow and I cannot wait. God is good.
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