By Celine Dion.
It's playing on repeat in this internet cafe right now. Kenya sometimes blows my mind.
Speaking of cultural anachronisms (Perhaps one of the lexicon-lovers out there (Lily, Owen, Caitlin, Blair, Michael Boyce...) can tell me if "anachronism" can describe non-temporal phenomena?), one of my favorite little things about Kenya is the habit of emblazoning little English phrases and sayings on the back of matatus and boda bodas. Things like "Jesus Love," "Big Boy," and "Waiting Game" aren't entirely logical, but don't seem tremendously out of place. However, seeing a boda with the license plate "John Kerry" or a matatu with big metallic letters spelling "Elvis Lives" is sometimes a little too much to bear. I've also seen buildings labeled "Back Alley Investments," "Hygenic Butchery," and my all-time favorite, "Turbo-Happy Catholic Church."
Anyway, a quick update on my schedule for the next few weeks, and them I'm off to rehearsal:
Tonight: Show
Tomorrow, Nov 8: Matatu to Nairobi with Carrington, the 40-something Mainer who I met at the orphanage in Mangu. Take an overnight train to Mombasa (on the coast.)
Friday Nov 9 -Sunday Nov 11: Be tourists on the coast. Check out Swahili ruins, the Portuguese "Fort Jesus," and lots of churches, mosques, and other fascinating cultural and religious places.
Monday Nov 12-Wednesday Nov 14: Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. Possibly Zanzibar
Thursday Nov 15 -Saturday Nov 17: Arusha, Tanzania. Mt. Kilimanjaro and the Serengeti. (Lion King Africa, here I come.)
Sunday Nov 18: Nairobi, meet my father and the VOSH volunteers for a week of free eye-clinics in Nairobi's Kibera slum. Carrington returns to Nakuru alone.
Saturday Nov 24: Return to Nakuru with my dad, and possibly Blair again. Miss Red Ribbon pageant in the evening. It's a beauty pageant for HIV+ women.
Sunday Nov 25: Tourist things in Nakuru. Lake Nakuru National Park - flamingos, rhinos, and other exciting stuff.
Monday Nov 26: Take dad to visit REPACTED and Nuru Ya Jamii.
Tuesday Nov 27: Return to Nairobi, dad flies home.
Wed Nov 28- Saturday Dec 1: Stay in Nakuru for Dec 1st World AIDS day events.
Sun Dec 2: Depart for Eldoret and Baraton University, where I'll begin translating Amezidi.
Dec 18th: Return Nairobi
Dec 20th: Fly to France, meet Nick there, climb and stuff.
So that's where things stand now. I must run, but wish me luck for tonight's show.
As always, thanks for reading!
Chris
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2 comments:
GOOD LUCK GOOD LUCK GOOD LUCK GOOD LUCK!
Not that this matters anymore, but I've never heard anachronism used without regarding time.
But you seemed to execute the sentence well, so I'll give "cultural anachronism" to you. Just this once.
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