We are back in Kitale after a crazy couple days in Nairobi. We followed Daniel around the city like a row of ducklings clutching our bags for dear life. The boys bought drums at the market, the girls bartered for jewelry, and we all had real lattes at a Starbuck-esque café. On the 8-hour overnight bus ride home we passed 2 overturned semis, but did not get hijacked (which has been happening a lot at night on the roads from Nairobi to Kitale). It’s good to be back home in the boonies.
It should be noted that Kitale is next to the village where America’s potential future president’s grandmother came from, and his Dad is from a well known Kenyan tribe. There are people all over wearing Obama ’08 shirts, and even boda bodas and matatus with Obama’s face painted on them. Currently playing at a theatre in Nairobi: “Obama: The Musical!” (no joke). My personal favourite is a song I heard on the radio 5 minutes after arriving in Kenya, and have since heard almost every day since:
Well this is not about class, nor colour, race, nor creed,
Make no mistake it’s te changes well all the people dem need
Then I’m a shout out.. Barack Obama, Barack Obama, Barack Obama, ooy ooy,
Now you can hear it in the morning (Obama!)
And you can hear it in the evening (Obama!)
Black man and white man shouting (Obama!)
Dem hear the groove and dem is moving (Obama!)
It is not Hillary Clinton (Obama!), and it is not John McCain (Obama!)
It is not Chuck Norris (Obama!), and I know it’s not John Wayne (Obama!)
It is not the one Rambo (Obama!), And it is not the Terminator (Obama!)
But the new trendsetter (Obama!) The mountain of the whole America and dem shout out…
African-American rise, and keep your eyes on the prize,
Cause now none of them realize, the black men is in their eyes.
Well it’s no joke, it’s a fact, we’re gonna point the white house black
And I can’t believe it’s true, black gonna run the red white and blue.
-- Barack Obama by Cocoa Tea
In addition to all this, the town where Barrack’s grandma is from is now being referred to simply as “Obama”.
Needless to say, I’m pretty stoked to be here during the election.
*a
that's funny about Obama (town and man). he must know about the song, I wonder what he thinks of it.
ReplyDeleteso what is the compound like? how big, how many people? are you all working on the same "projects" or are their various things happening simultaneously?
oh, and I sent you a text message; hoping it goes through, really unsure about it though! forgot to mention that I just found another place that carries Bibbi Caffe: the Torre Cafe opposite the Mt Baker Theatre gets a direct import from Italy! I saw it today and thought of you and our delightful meetings at Temple Bar!
;) miss you, friend! take care and bestest wishes,
anne
can you please, please, take some pictures of the Obama madness happening over there? i would love to see some shots of local Kenyans rockin' Obama t-shirts and the like.
ReplyDeletethanks, corey