Student Blogs

Kenya in 3 days, what!!

October 23rd, 2010 hmcane12

Pole (sorry) again that I have been so MIA… but let me list all of the assignments we’ve had due in the past week and maybe you’ll forgive me: EP (Environmental Policy): Institutional Framework paper (on water regulation), SSC (Swahili & Social Culture): Swahili take-home (thankfully) final & Gender Roles paper (assessing the Maasai, Iraqw, & Kikuyu [dominant Kenyan tribe] tribes), WE (Wildlife Ecology): statistical analysis assignment on ungulate and bird population counts from the Serengeti, WM (Wildlife Management): Final  diversity, abundance, & association research poster for mammal species at Tarangire National park .  To top it off, we had another two days of classes even after our final exams/papers! The hidden camera on my laptop was painfully distracting on our last day . But as of this morning, we are now all graduated Tanzanian students!  To celebrate, I decided to do another homestay.  My friend Blake actually sprained his ankle pretty badly the week I did my homestay so he couldn’t go, hence why he had his this morning.  Although we were only there from 8-12, it was another eye-opening experience.  Our host family included grandparents, their two sons (one of which is married), 3 kids, & a newborn except this time, Floridi spoke English fairly well so the language barrier was no as omnipresent.  He was a Chadema supporter ( 🙂  ) and one of the warmest and most interesting Tanzanians I have met so far.  He is one of few Iraqw men around the age of 30 that has not married yet.  He said, “Once I am married I then have to provide.  My priority will be family.  But right now my priority is education… so I wait.”  After our homestay, we were invited to a farewell/prayer service by the primary school children and their principal.  Sounds great right? What could possibly happen on a walk down the hill to a church?  Well…let me tell you.  As I was strolling down the hill, holding the hands of six excited level 4 students, we passed by an Acacia tree—my favorite! There were a few thorns on the ground, as always, NBD. All of a sudden, the little kids looked like we had just spotted road kill…except they were saying, “pole pole pole!” I looked down to see this …thorns can pierce through the sole of a shoe FYI.  It really didn’t hurt that badly but for some reason it was bleeding so so much , I honestly was causing a scene (aka scaring the children)…so my friend Rachel & I snuck behind the church and had to be resourceful.  First we obviously applied pressure to stop the bleeding (my blood apparently didn’t bother Rach, we SFS students are wayy  hardcore) and then we found a piece paper and wrapped a dusty piece of [unidentified object] around it it was a grand temporary fix.  I rocked this look all the way back to our campsite.  It was great; it was the first time we walked through town and people didn’t stare at us because we were white…they just stared at my toe instead! The principal of the primary school (who must have seen the thorn in action) actually told our manager that “I saw America student walking back… her toe…it was off.” A lot gets lost in translation…story of my life for the past 2 months.  Anyway, this whole event was not as traumatic as I probably made it seem…it was just funny and a great example of the common occurrences that happen here.  Three more full days in TZ. It really is sad… especially because I have a work in progress.  I run up Moyo Hill every day (more or less) and a few children have picked up on my running patterns.  They now wait at the top of the hill for me so I decided hey instead of promoting boys to flex in pictures (too late) let me teach them the waka waka dance! Are you surprised? They knew every word and are the most fun dancers . Tomorrow we’re actually going to the school of these children and building a kitchen for them!  We raised $535.00 USD through an auction… the guys here auctioned off an amateur pedicure and permission to have them carry you around for an entire day…my kind of auction!  The school is currently using firewood which is pretty horrible for the environment and also depleting their resources so this upgrade should be highly beneficial to them and their surroundings. Anyway I got to get some rest…I’ve never laid cement before but in this hot African sun, any type of labor seems hard! Tutaonana (see/talk to you later)

☮ Hannah

3 Responses to “Kenya in 3 days, what!!”

  1. Ian Christopher Canepa says:

    hahahaha yet youve never asked to teach me the dance? thanks dude

  2. Andrew Novicki says:

    Is your foot infected yet?

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