Two Types of Rhinos

Note for the folks at home: The Black Rhinoceros and White Rhinoceros, both inhabitants of East Africa, are not named for their colors. As I've been told, (this has not been Wikipedia Verified,) The Black Rhinoceros was named after the area in which it was first discovered, whereas the White Rhinoceros was so named because the non-English name for the beast sounded like "white". And here I was thinking we had strict rules for naming animals.

Small Intestine

Note for the folks at home: Kisamburu is the native "mother tongue" of the Samburu people, indigenous residents of the area. The language, which has been around for hundreds of years (at least,) is still the primary language of a large population of people, so certain changes have had to be made to respond to modernization. In many cases, when a new concept needs to be addressed in Kisamburu, the English word for it is just fit in seamlessly. To a Kisamburu/English speaker, this seems natural, but to someone who can only recognize the English words, the effect can be amusing. (See Above.)

Animal

Note for the folks at home: the education system of Kenya is a little different from that of America. (Apparently, the Kenyan system is based on the English system.) Some things are similar: eight 'primary' years are followed by four 'secondary' years, which can then be supplemented with four (or more) 'university' years. However, academic achievement in Kenya is measured in a much more sudden (and ruthless) manner: one single exam at the end of your four years of secondary school determines your fate. Akin to the SAT (or ACT), this end-of-high-school-exam is, understandably, all students care to learn about.

Late

Note for the folks at home: it's difficult for a foreigner to get used to seeing zebras, giraffe, elephants, etc. on a daily basis without reverting to Mindless Tourist Mode. In many areas of Kenya, zebras are common enough to be labeled "pests". As far as I can tell, a zebra to a local Kenyan is like a squirrel to an American.

Traditional Herbal Doctor

Note for the folks at home: the indigenous people living in/around Maralal are the Samburu tribe, who are noted for being one of Kenya's most "resilient" tribes in the face of widespread modernization. Despite Maralal having electricity, television, and the internet, the Samburu tribe continues to live according to many of the traditions passed down generation after generation. Inevitably, modern conveniences can't be ignored, which has a great number of complex consequences, among them uncontrolled littering and pollution, rampant alcoholism, and very old Samburu men giving me advice on which mobile phone plan to use.

End

Note for the folks at home: the magic of the internet has begun its slow march across rural Kenya. This has been made possible by a number of technological revolutions in the recent past. First, electricity (usually sourced by hydroelectric or geothermal plants) has become more common in the 'bigger' towns throughout rural Kenya. Next, with available electricity, computers (usually fairly ancient Windows machines) are finding their ways into schools and businesses. Finally, portable pay-as-you-go "key drive" modems (using the existing mobile phone networks --- also becoming very common) bring the web right into the hands of the very confused rural users. Next challenge: explaining "lolcats".

Bullfighting

Note for the folks at home: As all of my knowledge on traditional bull fighting is second-hand (at best), I can't guarantee the accuracy of any of this additional information: bull fighting is a tradition of the Luhya tribe, which originated around the Kakamega region in western Kenya. The fight is not to the death; a winner is decided long before one of the bulls dies. The bulls are, according to all of the sources I can find, given controlled substances, but my colleague (pictured above) is the only source attesting that this substance is Marijuana, and not some form of traditional alcoholic brew.

And a note for mom: please ignore the image of two high bulls above.

American Phrases

Note for the folks at home: while American slang is nearly nonexistent in Kenya, it's impossible to overlook the existence of "Sheng". Sheng is, nominally, a colloquial mixture of English and Kiswahili most popular, not surprisingly, with the youth of Kenya. In practice, it seems to be something much more complex and sinister. So far, I've documented reversed syllables ("kuja hapa", 'come here', becoming "jaku paha"), flagrantly extended ending vowels ("ugali", a popular Kenyan food, becoming "ugalaio"), and the total deconstruction of English to what I can only term 'AIM Speak' ("hi iz u cmn 2 da prti?") as 'legitimate' examples of Sheng.

Super!

Note for the folks at home: Kisamburu is the local "mother tongue" of Maralal, the native language spoken by the indigenous people of the region: the Samburu tribe. "Supa" is the standard greeting, to which the response, "oyie", should be given in a slightly rising inflection... something I've yet to master to the point where it doesn't cause my listeners to laugh/cringe. Other Kisamburu phrases: "supa deyi", "serian" (both greetings), and "kara lmalimoi" ("I am a teacher"). The lone syllable "eh" is a tremendously common part of speech. It seems to have a great deal of conflicting meanings, to the point where one can't help but think it was invented with the sole purpose of confusing foreigners.

Whoa!

Note for the folks at home: gigantic anthills and gigantic piles of elephant droppings are pretty common sights (and obstacles while walking) in the Samburu area of northern Kenya. Other local wildlife includes zebra, gazelle, cape buffalo, hartbeest, eland, and rhinos. The area is also reportedly home to lions, hyena, and leopards, but I have yet to see any (or touch their excrement with my bare hands.)

Nipe

Note for the folks at home: Kiswahili (the language of the Swahili culture - usually simplified to "Swahili" outside east Africa) is the national language of Kenya, making it the most popular common language among individuals of different tribes. There are about forty different tribes in Kenya, each having (at least) one "mother tongue" of its own --- usually dramatically distinct from Kiswahili. Add to this the fact that English is gaining ground country-wide, primarily in big cities, and you're left with the linguistic maelstrom that is modern Kenya. Moreover, visitors should expect even the youngest child growing up in Kenya to know two or three more languages than themselves.

Right Now

Note for the folks at home: "Rude", it turns out, is a relative term on a global scale. Things to do in Kenya: pick nose, cut forward in lines, chew with mouth gaping, spit freely, urinate in semi-public situations. Things to avoid doing in Kenya: scratch beard, greet someone with something as short as "hello", leave the house with dirty shoes, decline an offer of tea, use the imperative verb tense ("come!") instead of the subjunctive ("would you come").

White Person

Note for the folks at home: while a white person ("mzungu") isn't a rare sight in big cities like Nairobi or Mombasa, there are still places in Kenya where an individual of European ancestry draws a bit more attention. In rural towns, it isn't surprising to find a train of local children chasing a caucasian, chanting what they believe to be the standard white person greeting: "HAWAYU?"

And yes, that is how short ties are commonly tied. No idea why.

The Worst Lunch Ever

Note for the folks at home: Chinese construction companies are surprisingly commonplace across Kenya at present. The Kenyan government has contracted a great deal of construction work - mostly road building - to Chinese companies, which tend to employ local labor. From what I've seen, locals are divided on the issue: some argue that the development of Kenya should be done exclusively by Kenyan companies, while others insist that having the more experienced Chinese companies set a "base" first will reduce the chance of failure in the future.

Coffee

Note for the folks at home: Despite living in a country that produces about 50,000 tons of coffee per year (yep, wikipedia'ed it), Kenyans in general are much more interested in tea ("chai") to quell their warm-caffeinated-beverage cravings. Ordering "coffee" in a restaurant will usually result in a packet of instant coffee and a mug of hot water.

And a note for mom: please ignore usage of the word "orgy" above.

Extreme Motorcycle Over-Loading in Kenya

Note for the folks at home:

Motorcycles ("piki-piki" - reportedly an onomatopoeia) are an extremely common sight throughout Kenya. Piki-piki uses range from pedestrian taxi service to long-distance goods transport. And, yes, livestock transportation is not unheard of.