Contraditions and Quirks of Kenya

This is Africa.

I am finding Kenya to be a truly fascinating place. It is full of unique an interesting contradictions and idiosyncrasies that make it a really vibrant example of what it means to be a "developing country," ecspecially in the sense that development today can be somewhat synominous (unfortuently in many aspects) with americanisation. In many ways Kenya reminds me more of America than Italy did. Kenya has shopping malls complete with food courts, coffee chains, clothing stores, sport stores, book stores, and even Apple stores. Italians would probally rather vomit than construct such a thing. When I lost my computer charger in Italy, I never was able to find out how to replace it. If I lose my chaarger here, it would be a short trip to the mall, maybe even the massive walmart-like grocery store, to relace it. There are other American like institutions that seem to have seeped into the cultural framework of many parts of Kenya. DsTV, the satelite company many people use for television has E! network, disney channel, and dscovery channel. In fact, Kenya may have more American TV channels than Canada, in this is in addition to the massive amount of british television. But what makes this country so unique is how things so western live side by side with that which is so African. This can be humourous and somewhat sad, such as when you see so many landrovers and mercedes driving on what have to be the worst roads I have every seen. There are shoping malls and nice cars and American television, but then you walk down the street among beggars, roadside vendors, matatus crammed with 20 people and a fre collecter hangingout, wires hanging in ways that dont seem safe, and people cooking on outdoor fires in conditions far from snaitary. Hopefully some of this can change, and things can get a little safer, better for those struggling, but there is something really wonderful and unique about Kenya, the good side of TIA, that I hope is never lost. Like being able to get a great Kenyan meal at my school for less than a dollar, the fact that fresh fruit and vegetables are cheaper thaan junk, the seemless mixing of endlish and kiswahili in the way people talk (my family only calls chicken by its kiswahili name -- kuku), the way the culture is so open and sharing, with my house getting visitors in such a friendly and open way that is just not possible in us culture, and the thrill of market shopping. There is nothing quite like going to Masai Market and hagling down from a mzungu price to a slightly less mzungu price. This past weekend i got a bag, a medium sized painting, 3 necklaces, and a elephnt figurine made out of tusker bottle caps for the equivalent of $15 US, which was pretty good i thought. All in all, despite the contradictions, the inconruities,there is something very vibrant and unique about the crazy frenzy that is Nairobi. There is something so uniquely African about being able to go to a mall that sells Ipods and iced lattes or a grocery store with CornFlakes and Mac & Cheese, but also to a crazy outdoor market with 20 shilling scarves and old american tshirts or a roadside stall selling mangos and 50 shilling bootlegged DVDs.

While I still cringe when i see someone boiling a plastic container in water, and I definetly learned the wrong way about eating fruit strait from the market without washing it, there is something charming about Kenya. While I hope things get better for all the hardworking people here -- and they are so hard working and ingenious, its only a matter of time before the take control of this place and make it great -- I hope they carve out their own development, and really retain their vibrant culture.

When it comes to Kenya, there is really only one thing to say:
TIA