Kenyan Culture Chapter 1
My last few blog entries have been about serious issues of poverty and development, so I figured I would post a more lighthearted blog today with things I’ve learned so far about Kenya, just for general enjoyment. This includes things such as Kenyan food, African sayings that I’ve picked up so far, cultural practices that I’ve noticed, Climate, and a general update about the goings on the past couple of days.
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| Hopefully at the end of this blog you will know more about people like these Kenyans in Nairobi. |
Arrived Safely in Kakamega
On Friday I left Nairobi at 9am for an 8 hour ride across Kenya to Kakamega, where I will be for the next nine weeks working an internship for the Foundation for Sustainable Development. We just started training on Saturday, and after a week of training we will be moving in with our host families and starting our work placements. I’m here in Kakamega with 9 other student interns (seven from Duke, one Canadian from Victoria, and one from University of North Texas). The training has been a mostly productive learning experience so far, but I’m ready get to work in my actual internship at a high school south of Kakamega.
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| The countryside was a beautiful mix of sloping valleys and hillsides. Plus rainstorms and dangerous roads... |
Food:
I’ll start in a subject that is very close to my heart (and stomach). Kenyan food is a lot simpler than you might imagine. Breakfast is often a small meal that includes mainly toast and tea. My usual breakfast at the Holy Cross Consulata consisted of peanut butter and honey on toast, and Chai tea (basically tea with milk and sugar. Quite delicious) Sometimes eggs and fruit are features of the morning meal, but the size of the meal (small) stays the same.
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| My lunch yesterday from left to right: Vegetable soup, matoke (bananas cooked in someway to taste like yams), chipati (very pita break esque, or Indian Naan), and mixed cut vegetables in sauce. |
Lunch and Dinner share many similarities in the Kenyan diet. Both are usually eaten later than their US counterparts, with lunches around 1 or 2 pm, and dinner sometime from 7-9pm. The main staple of the Kenyan diet is Ugali, a thick mixture of corn that resembles mashed potatoes in sight but not texture and thickness. It is possible to mold Ugali with your hands almost like PlayDough. People sometimes mold Ugali into a shape that resembles the end of a spoon or ladle, and then fill the Ugali-spoon with vegetables, meat or soup. It’s truly a utility food. Kenyans also enjoy varieties of fried and baked meat (beef, chicken, goat). The only differences is that certain appendages that have fallen out of fashion in the US (liver, gizzards, heart) are still popular in Kenya. Fruit is fruit (cut mangoes, bananas, papayas, apples), but vegetables are rarely found in their whole form, besides carrots and potatoes. Leafy green vegetables often accompany meals, but they arrive on your plate after being sliced and boiled or fried (kind of like a kale).
Dessert… I was surprised by the similarity in taste of desserts among Kenyans. Ice Cream, cake and other delectable staples in the States are consumed in Kenya. Of course, Ice Cream is limited to areas with working refrigeration, so mostly urban centers. Also, donuts without frosting are very popular (and delicious).
Kenyan/African Sayings Part 1
What a great section! I’m look to expand on this section as I get to know more Kenyan people and talk to them more about their lives, but so far I have a few fun pearls of wisdom from the African continent.
“A young man can climb the highest tree and still see less than an elder sitting on the ground.” (This is what I will tell freshman next year)
“The higher a monkey climbs up a tree, the more he shows his ass.” (Corporate ladder, anyone?)
“No matter how far you throw your urine, the last drop will always land between your legs.” (this quote is about Karma, and I assume it’s a man peeing)
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| The scenery at Uhuru Gardens in Kenya. I'm sure a young fool must have climbed on of those trees. |
Cultural Oddities and Differences
This will become a recurring feature in my blog, simply because you can’t tell the story of someone’s culture in a few paragraphs. Today I feature embraces, weather, words, and storytelling.
Hugs
Unfortunately, gone are the fabulous brotherly hugs of Villa Maria, replaced with a more subdued and restrained hug. Hugs are usually only given to members of the same sex, especially in rural areas, and they aren’t the strong embrace. Here is a quick hugs play by play: Using one hand, you grab hands with the other person, almost like a handshake. Then, you embrace, with the hand you are holding at the center of each other’s chest, and the other hand on the person’s back. Then, you lean back to normal position, still clasping hands, and move your head to the opposite shoulder as you did in the first embrace. I was thinking about a video demonstration for this section, but I think it’s ridiculous enough already. Point is, hugs are a small part of Kenyan culture, and their go-to embrace differs in closeness from the normal hugs of the United States.
Climate
It’s winter in the Southern Hemisphere near the equator, which means temperatures of around 70 to 80 degrees and the occasional rain shower. (They have it pretty rough, right?) Actually, it did not rain at all in the time when I was in Nairobi, and was around 70 to 80 degrees day and night. In Western Kenya where I am currently stationed, you can expect a good hour of rain every day, with temperatures the same as in Nairobi. The style of rain here is strong, short bursts, different than the persistent drizzle of the Northwest.
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| The streets of Kakamega after a quick afternoon downpour, a common feature of western Kenya. |
Language
Because it was once upon a time a British colony, Kenyan language is a mixture of English and African influences. The official languages of Kenya are Swahili and English. Therefore, many people in Kenya and fluent in English (although it comes with a British accent), and most papers, stores, and advertisements are written in English. Swahili still plays a major role in culture and rural areas, but knowing English is usually enough to travel within the country. Still, part of our program at FSD includes a large language component because of how essential it is to show the respect for the community and Kenyan culture.. Therefore, I will be working to develop my Swahili past “Habari Yako’ (How are you?), and Asante Sana (Thank you very much).
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| If you look closely you can see English names on the buildings of downtown Kakamega. |
A Kenyan Tale
Probably one of my favorite things about Kenyan culture to this point is the sharing of stories with the Holy Cross community in Nairobi. I’ve noticed three basic differences in Kenyan stories. First, they always have a point or a punch line at the end (no need to find $50 at the end of these stories). Second, there is always a more than ample amount of gestures to relate the story to the audience. Finally, the punch line is always accompanied by loud and animated laughter from the audience. Even bad stories receive laughter, even if the volume is lessened a bit. So it encourages even those who may not have the gift of relating information to at least give it a go, because your efforts will be appreciated. I’m more of a smile person than a loud laugher, so I’m trying to develop my laugh to match the standards set by my new Kenyan friends.
Well, that’s it for Kenyan culture for this blog. I’ll update this every few weeks as my knowledge and experiences expand. Kwaheri (goodbye)!
Kurt