Reminiscing my Kenya adventures from last Summer is actually what got me to start this site, so here it goes!
I have a habit of not posting things until they’re a distant memory. Here are some of my snippets of memories from my Kenya Trip with Fontbonne University during the Summer of 2012:
- “Mind the gap” when riding the Underground rail in London.
- Getting to finally see platform 9 3/4 in person. Shout out to Harry Potter!
- Capturing a slug in Libby’s/Colleen’s room at Brackenhurst.
- Finding a slug in the first place…how did it get in the shower?
- The bathroom “strobe light.”
- Peter being our fabulous chef at Brackenhurst.
- “Dauti”/David being super animated and telling us all to “come over here!”
- Having no concept of time. 8-hour differences can be tricky.
- Drinking the concentrated/non-diluted orange Quencher drink.
- Urban Bites brand chips, which has flavors like paprika and chutney.
- “Sawa, Sawa” = “Okay” in Swahili, basically making sure that we understood. Someone would say “Sawa, Sawa?” and we’d respond “Sawa, Sawa.”
- “Asante Sana” = “Thank You” in Swahili.
- “Karibu” = “Welcome” in Swahili.
- Talking to the British man who helped us with our Underground rail ticket in London. He had something funny to say, but “the joke came and then went” as he put it.
- Being in London for the Queen Elizabeth II’s 60th Jubilee celebration and signing her guestbook and being welcomed to the Heathrow Airport with red carpet.
- Anna Hotop’s Flat Ellen joining us on the adventure.
- “Michael Anthony” Horn starting all sorts of clubs like the Homeless Club at the Heathrow airport.
- Eating AND sleeping at Windsor Castle (the restaurant). I somehow managed to stay awake though.
- Allie Coleman, Josie Zeugin, and I adventuring through parts of London via the Piccadilly rail line. We stopped at Piccadilly’s Circus, Leicester Square, Covent Garden, and King’s Cross.
- Being “lost in London,” but not really.
- Being immediately taken by the hand and pulled away from the group when we arrived at the Mukeu School for children with special needs.
- Josie talking about “1,2, this is my shoe…3, 4, shut the door…5, 6, comb your hair…7, 8, white piece of paper…9, 10, say it again!” which was the school’s version of “1, 2, buckle my shoe.”
- ShoSho’s Kitchen Crew!
- Mike saying on the roof, “So when is this thing going to fall down?”
- A man named Jenga who was a builder.
- Lisa and Judy playing Duck, Duck, Goose! and being super competitive.
- Little Mary being such a cutie. "1, 2...1, 2..."
- Getting Little Mary to say "3."
- George being a great photographer. He was also your average mischief maker and typical teen.
- Dauti saying everyone’s name like “Elica”/Anna, Anna, Anna/Josie “Dosie”/Billy, Billy, Billyyy!
- Children eating grass.
- Peter putting an extra layer of bread on our sandwiches.
- The beautiful African landscape.
- Listening to Garfunkel and Oates with Josie on the way to Mukeu.
- "Teach me how to Dauti."
- Experiencing bartering at the village market/mall. People referring to me as "Sister."
- Trading hair bands/food to get stuff.
- Mike getting stuff for an orange and a sandwich.
- At the village market, "Cooking is free." "Touching is free." "I give you student price."
- Seeing baboons on the road.
- Listening to jammin' songs on the African Impact bus like "Irreplaceable" and "If I Were A Boy" by Beyonce, "Mr. Lonely," "Ring My Bell" by Anita Ward, "Secret Lovers" by Alantic Starr, and "Kiss Kiss" by Chris Brown.
- Quotes from Allie, "Can one of you punch me uhh right there?" "It hurts so good."
- Baby Elephants at The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.
- A quote from Katie: "Africa smells good today."
- "Hey, you single? I rike you." said a guy at the Farmers Market to us.
- Joyce stealing everything/always running away.
- "I'm beginning to think these rocks look like chicken nuggets." - Libby on our drive to the Masai Mara. (I also want to mention that this entry in my journal was jotted down funny, most likely because of the bumpy roads...and I mean BUMPY roads.) But as mentioned to us...it was a "free massage."
- Having so much dust come into our van that if someone were to take off her sunglasses, it just might look like tan lines. :P
- "You seem moved by your departure." - Kevin to Josie the last day at Mukeu.
- Encountering monkeys, one taking Lisa's mango juice box.
- Seeing a hippo and a crocodile and thinking of Bowser, the video game character.
- "Is anyone distressed?" says Dauti our Driver, "I am distressed!"
- Libby who had to pee while on our drive, so we all stopped and peed in out in the open African nature.
- "Glamping" at the Ilkeliani site.
- The Swahili Poem we learned in the classroom…
"Wazalendo wa hesima, naomba kwenu nafasi,
Niwatetee kwa wema, walemavu wetu sisi,
Tuwaonee huruma, na wapate ufanisi,
Walemavu tuwapende, na haki zao tuwape.
Wana haki ya kusoma, bila ya kubaguliwa,
Wafundishwe vyema vyema, mambo watayaelewa,
Watafanya kwa hekima, kazi watakazopewa,
Walemavu tuwapende, na haki zao tuwape.
Ufikapo uchaguzi, udiwani na ubunge,
Tusifanye ubaguzi, walemavu wajiunge,
Pia wawe viongozi, na sheria wazitunge,
Walemavu tuwapende, na haki zao tuwape.”
"patriots of respect, I beg you to opportunity,
is to advocate for good, and our disabled,
only to have mercy, and might effectively,
disabled to love them, and give them their rights.
have the right to read, without discrimination,
well trained well, things will be understood,
will do wisely, work will acquire given,
disabled to love them, and give them their rights.
when you get to the election, the council and parliament,
not make an exception, the disabled join,
also be leaders, and clear rules surely,
disabled to love them, and give them their rights.”