Shopping in Kenya

Right now I am in the part of Kenya where President Obama's family comes from. He is part of a tribe of people called Luo, so I am meeting many, many people who are Luo. There are photos and posters of the President everywhere, and lots of people can be seen wearing shirts with his picture - everyone is so excited that Barack Obama is president of the USA!

Today I went to the center of the town where I am staying. It is called Ugunja, and in Ugunja there are market days on Tuesdays and Fridays, when people come from neighboring towns to buy and sell all the different things they might need. There are no supermarkets or malls nearby, so everything including clothes, food, tools, and cleaning supplies is bought and sold on market days. The market is all outdoors so the people put the items they are selling in wooden stalls or on blankets on the ground, and you just walk around through a maze of people to buy all the things on your list.

When we were in the part of the market for food, we saw big piles of dried corn that Kenyan people grind into tiny pieces to cook ugali. We also saw fish that has been dried out so it can last a long time (no electricity means no fridges!). I saw big piles of onions, garlic, tomatoes, and kale. You could buy an orange and have someone cut it up for you right there so you could eat it while you shopped. There were also chickens tied up to trees that you could buy for about $3. In Kenya, if you want chicken for supper, you buy it while it's still alive!

We also went through a part of the market where clothing is sold. You can buy new clothes, or used clothes if you want to save some money, but everything is laid out on blankets on the ground so you can't try anything on! I bought two shirts, and together they cost me less than $5 which I thought was a very good price.

I also saw all kinds of things being sold which are not food or clothes. I saw safety pins, matchboxes, cooking spoons, pots and pans, soap, plastic tubs for washing clothes, farming tools, rope, and brooms. And I didn't even see the whole market!

It was really fun to go shopping this way because everything is sold by an individual person so you can stop and talk with tons of people while you shop, and each one knows a lot about what they are selling. For example, the people selling corn can tell you exactly how to prepare it, and the people selling fabric can tell you how much you need to make a dress or pair of pants. It is not like going to Wal-Mart or CVS where there are many different items and the workers may not know anything about an item you are interested in. In fact, I like the Kenyan market a lot because I love to talk to all the different people! It was also fun to be outside, enjoying the fresh air and sunshine while I shopped. I had a great time!

Safari!

Hello boys and girls! I know it has been awhile since I wrote about my time in Kenya, but I have some very exciting stories to share with you. My mom is visiting me, all the way from West Harford, CT, USA! She and I decided to go on safari. Did you know “safari” is the Kiswahili word for “journey” or “travel”? It’s true. Our safari was particularly special because we spent it in Maasai Mara National Reserve. This is a very large piece of land where all different animals can live without worrying about hunters. In fact, if you know the movie The Lion King, the land looks very much like the land where Simba, Nala, Pumba and Rafiki lived.

In Maasai Mara, we were able to drive around for hours and see many wonderful animals. We watched herds of elephants, led by one big and strong mama elephant, feed on more grass than you can imagine. We saw a pride of lions one morning just after they had eaten their breakfast – an animal called an eland, sort of like an antelope. There were two male lions and about four female lions with maybe four or five of their cubs. They looked so cute, but we knew not to get too close! Lions are the biggest meat-eating animals in Maasai Mara and can be VERY dangerous. We also saw a mama cheetah, some hippos lying in the mud with their babies, and even a crocodile. He was huge!

Mama Cheetah sitting in the grass.

The crocodile!

Hippos lying in the mud.
Their skin is very sensitive so they use the mud and water to stay safe from the hot sun.

All of the animals we got to see are known as endangered species, which means that there are very few of them left on Planet Earth, and all of us humans must do everything we can to make sure that they continue to live. Humans have hunted many of the most beautiful animals in Africa for hundreds of years and this is why we are now in danger of losing them forever. Luckily, the people of Kenya have decided that no one is allowed to hunt ANYWHERE in Kenya anymore, which is very good news for our friends the elephants, cheetahs, hippos, and all the other beautiful animals here.

Male and female Crowned Cranes.

Rothschild giraffes.
See how they look like they're wearing socks??

African buffalo.
Look at those horns! They can be VERY dangerous when they're angry!

Beautiful flamingos wading in the lake and flying overhead.

Food in Kenya!

I have been living in Kenya for over 2 weeks now and I have been able to try all different yummy foods, some new, some familiar. One thing that is different in Kenya is that besides breakfast, lunch and dinner, we have a fourth meal called Tea. We drink tea or coffee and maybe have a snack, like a little donut called a mandazi. They’re so good! Tea is at about 5pm. My host-mom will make the tea for me and put it in a big thermos. She uses Kenyan tea which is like English breakfast tea, and she mixes it with sugar and fresh milk from a cow up the road! Every day we have tea with fresh cow's milk and I think it is the best milk I have ever tasted. In Kenya, this kind of milk is even cheaper than buying it from a store.

For breakfast we have tea or coffee and maybe eggs or toast and some fruit. Has anyone ever tried papaya? We eat a LOT of papaya in Kenya, sometimes with banana and avocado as well. Lunch is a very big meal for us – usually we eat it at about 1 o’clock or 2 o’clock in the afternoon. We might have rice or noodles, with beans, or maybe delicious fried fish from Lake Victoria called tilapia. There is also chicken and beef, and liver which is very nutritious and good for you. There is something in Kenya called ugali, which is made by mashing up dried corn and mixing it with water. We eat this with EVERYTHING! It’s very good and you can use it to soak up all the delicious juices from the other foods. We also have the most yummy flat breads called chapatis. Maybe when I come to Whiting Lane in May I'll bring you some! Everything I have eaten so far has been GREAT. We have dinner late - at about 9pm, which is right before bedtime. This was very different for me because normally I don't like to sleep right after dinner, but I am getting used to the Kenyan schedule.

Oh, and the other day we ate one of my favorite foods ever – for my host sister’s 20th birthday we had chocolate birthday cake! It was fantastic. We sang happy birthday and had candles and everything.

Have you ever tried ugali or chapatis? Do you think you would like them? What kinds of foods would you want to show our friends in Kenya if they were to visit the USA?

Going to School in Kenya

Yesterday I met a class of first-graders in Kenya, and it made me think of my friends at Whiting Lane! I wanted to tell you a little bit about what it's like to go to school in Kenya. The school system is very much like ours, only with different names. Instead of Kindergarten, Kenyan's say Pre-Unit. Then, grades 1-8 are called standards 1-8. The different levels of high school are referred to as Form 1, Form 2, Form 3, and Form 4.

All children in Kenyan schools wear uniforms, though they are different for the different schools. There is no food in the public schools so most children go home for lunch, though I have met some whose families do not have enough money for lunch, so they stay at the school during lunch hour.

Children LOVE soccer in Kenya, and also basketball and running. They learn math, science, social studies, English and Kiswahili which is one of the main languages here.

How in Kenyan school similar to American school? How is it different?

What do Kenyan moms and dads do?

Some of you wanted to know what sorts of things Kenyan moms and dads did for work and I think I have found some answers for you. I have learned that some parents are doctors. I went to a hospital the other day and there were lots of different doctors and nurses there. Another time, while I was driving down the road we saw some police officers by the side of the road to check to make sure our car was safe. I think some Kenyan parents are police officers as well. I have also met grown-ups in Kenya who are teachers, shopkeepers, taxi-drivers (some are bicycle or motorbike taxis!) and almost everyone has some part of their home where they farm different crops to sell.

Does anyone have a parent who owns a shop, is a police officer, or farmer? I bet all of us know a nurse or teacher! Do you think Kenyan moms and dads sound a lot like moms and dads from West Hartford?

The Journey Begins!

Hi Everyone! Last night after I finished all my packing, I decided to make a farewell video to all you guys from my house in West Hartford. Check it out here.

This morning I made my first stop in Cincinnati, Ohio. Who has been to Ohio? Does anyone have friends or family there? It's pretty far to drive but not so bad to fly. I am staying with my friend Randie who is helping me get ready to go to Kenya! Only 3 more days till I fly to Africa. I can't wait!

Packing my bags and dusting off my rain boots...

Hello everyone!

I am starting to get ready to travel to Kenya and I am very, very excited. So far I have done a lot to get ready for my trip. I have had some different shots, called vaccinations, to keep me healthy while I am in Kenya. I have been reading lots of different books about Kenya so that when I get there I already know some interesting things. I also got a pair of rain boots! Some people think it is always hot and sunny in Kenya but actually it rains for two seasons each year, spring and fall. When I am in Kenya it will be VERY rainy so I hope my boots will keep me warm and dry.

What else do you think I might need in Kenya?