Tribute to H.F.B.

You loved nature. 

You admired the flowers and the animals. 

We were Saturday people—you and I. 

Since I started spending my Saturdays with you as a young child,

there hasn’t been a Saturday that’s gone by, during which we’ve been apart

and I haven’t wished to see and talk with you. 

It shouldn’t surprise you that I took each of these photos on a Saturday—

photographs of things you loved.

Like flowers, you brought me happiness. 

You also taught me what it means to forgive—

like the fragrance a flower leaves on a shoe that has crushed it.

You never came to Africa, but you gave my brother

a small sculpture of African animals when we were small. 

You were well-read, knew geography and knew all about animals and birds.

Like the elephant, you devoted years

to raising and caring for your children (and grandchildren).

Like the wildebeest, you were full of grace.

Like the unique stripes of each zebra, you were unique and special to me.

Like the cheetah, you knew when to work and when to take it easy.

Like the giraffe, your demeanor was one of tranquility, not one of haste.

Like the baboon, you had your own sense of humor.

You played a big role in shaping who I am today. 

You will forever live on in my memories

and in the natural surroundings that you loved so dearly. 

I understand this is just a part of the circle of life.   

Hakuna matata.

Photos of the Month

Making Chapati With My Sisters

Gotta Have One of These

Trying to pluck tea with some professionals J

I got to see the entire process of brick making from digging a hole, filling it with water, soaking earth, then placing sod upside down on top, cutting the soil, forming the brick in a box, letting them dry in the sun and be ready to burn. 

Giving a Speech at a Funeral

Kericho Life

A British Tea Plantation Near Kericho

Building Relationships

One of the more challenging yet rewarding endeavors in a new place (especially in a different country) is meeting people and establishing a social network.  Out of all the places I’ve traveled, Kenya has been the easiest in this respect; however, it still takes a great deal of effort.

Throughout my first term in school, I didn’t feel like I belonged.  People were polite and helpful, but I didn’t understand how the system worked and I knew little Kiswahili, so missed out on a lot of the conversations.  This term though, I feel like part of the staff.  I know how things work, understand much more Kiswahili and Kalenjin, so am more aware of what is going on and can make jokes with my colleagues.  I can also call children to bring me tea or wash my cup for me…something normal/expected here, but that I found really hard to do for a long time.  It’s still not easy, but I’m getting used to it.   

On the roads, I now meet people who I know.  It’s nice to be able to greet familiar faces on my way to or from school or between home and town.  I must admit, I do get tired of having people still come to the road and stare and call “Chepchumindet”. 

This last week I was in Kericho and I met people I’d met in distant places like Kisumu and Nairobi.  It was such a nice surprise to see people that I’d remembered and who knew me and to chat a few moments with them.  Running into acquaintances always makes me feel more like I’m really living here.  Sometimes though, I meet someone who seems friendly at first…and I’m sure he is, but takes it too far to the point that they become a pest. 

Other times incidents can act as bonding experiences like attending a funeral and just spending time singing, dancing, cooking, washing utensils and telling stories around the fire.  Or being with some friends when a drunkard demands money from the muzungu and tries to beat me with a stick, but then is handcuffed and arrested.  I was thankful to have been with friends and for their advice about what sort of disciplinary action to request when filing a report at the police station. 

I feel like I’m finally successfully establishing a life here with friends, work, mundane activities, and mere acquaintances.  Life’s about finding people who let you be you and make the ordinary things more fun.  It can be challenging, but the rewards are worth it.  

A Land of Magic

I’ve never had much of an interest in fantasy stories and tales of magical places like Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings or King Arthur, but here it seems as if such an education might prove useful.  Magic and superstitions play a big role in guiding people’s behavior and decisions.  Below are a few things I’ve noticed, and I’m sure that is just the surface, especially since I don’t speak the local language, so miss out on a lot.

*Sweeping at night invites evil into the house.

*Stepping over a pumpkin can make it dry up.

*A few years back, a woman in this village was struck by lightning while fetching water.  Because she died in such a way, the majority of the villagers believe she was a witch. 

*A woman living near Mau Forest is believed to be a devil-worshipper by nearly all of the people in her area.  She waters mushrooms daily that she grows in containers outside her house.  They claim that she uses the mushrooms as medicine and can also poison a person with them, if she wishes to curse them.  Her house was even burned because of this.  People claim it is definitely true because a crow came and nabbed a mushroom, rescuing it from the flames.     

(Seems like witch trials and accusations in the U.S. a few centuries back). 

*If devil worshippers come visit your home, your crop or milk production will decrease or your clever children will become poor students. 

*Many people swear that if people quarrel about a boundary, lightning will come to settle the boundary dispute, scorching the earth in a line where the fence posts ought to be placed.  Likewise when people quarrel, lightning will appear in the shape of a cock with an axe in the sky.

*The Kisiis are said to be night runners.  According to the people around here, this means that they run naked at night and can be on one ridge, but if you reach there trying to capture them, they will suddenly be on the other ridge of the hills.  They are also said to ride people’s dogs at night and so you may find your dog sleeping all day.  A Night Runner’s wife is supposed to keep her feet on the fire and only eat warm food.  If she removes her feet or eats leftovers, he will be caught.

*According to the Kipsigis here, the Luos practice a lot of witchcraft, making it undesirable to eat in someone else’s home, because you may be poisoned.  I asked one of my Luo colleagues about it and he claims it’s true and that when travelling you cannot look nice or you must travel at night.  If you appear successful, someone will become jealous and curse you.  This may mean losing one’s wealth or going mad. 

*Also, there is a man around here who let his wife make a decision about when to return to their home after staying with relatives.  Because he didn’t make the decision and “followed” her home, there was a lot of talk with people insisting that she must have given him traditional medicine: a “love-potion” even, to make him behave in such a way.

With all these notions, life is always interesting.  They can’t easily be dismissed.