Thursday, June 11, 2009

Honoured in Oyugis

    Quote of the day: Life has no limitations, just the ones you make.


    Sunday June 7 was a very intense cultural experience and not the happiest of times. One of the Yogurt Mamas from the Orande Women's Group who was going to be working in the kitchen with us passed away last week at the early age of 37. Roy had to attend the funeral and Jen and I were invited to go and not only that but it was an honour for us to be there. We had nothing else to do and we thought it would be nice to attend. Jen and I rode on a motorbike together to get there which was pretty sweet and we got to see another area of Oyugis higher up on the hillside. Another incredibly gorgeous view.

     

    Two of the Yogurt Mamas from the Orande Women's group greeted us and it was really nice to see some familiar faces. They were all so kind to us and smiling the whole time. Again we were the only white people there and many people came up to us and introduced themselves. We were told repetitively that it was truly an honour that Jen and I were there as visitors.

     

    We were then treated as the guests of honour...before the ceremony started the Yogurt Mamas took Jen, Roy, a friend of Roy's, and I into one of the women's homes and served us a HUGE meal. A whole chicken, cooked liver, ugali (kinda like dry mashed potatoes), chapati (like a flour tortilla), and a HUGE pot of rice. When we asked if all the food in front of us was just for the 4 of us Roy replied "No...its really just for you two"...Jen and I! There was enough food for a table of 8 and we had to be respectful and try to eat it all! We sat on couches and ate with our hands. After we ate we were told to finish a whole bottle of pop as well. I felt so sick afterwards...o well, I'm fine now and will eat strategically next time in order to be respectful but not STUFFED :)

     

    A funeral in Kenya:

  1. Lots of people & lots of speeches. Even if you are friends with a friend of the person who died you should attend and you may be asked to speak.
  2. Politicians usually attend, make a speech, and blabber on about politics...HOW RUDE during a funeral! So disrespectful.
  3. Many people were talking amongst each other during the ceremony and even answering their cell phones!
  4. Groups breaking out into song
  5. Attire is pretty much everyday wear for them...you can wear whatever you want
  6. A teenage girl breastfeeding her child was right behind us
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    Most memorable moments:

  8. Eating the chicken served in a pot along with the head/beak and claws/feet. EWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!
  9. Feeling sick after eating so much food...my little tummy can't eat that much!
  10. Being mentioned in the ceremony twice by the Orande Women's Group and one of the men from the District Hospital
  11. Squeezing into a hospital pickup truck with 7 people + 2 in the back of the truck
  12. Finding out that the children of the women who had passed away are now orphans :(
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    Greatest learning experiences about Kenya:

  14. In general, relationships between a man and a woman do not involve much emotional connection and marriage is simply for convenience or if the women gets pregnant
  15. Cow poo mixed with mud makes a really good house...and its cheap! I learned this right after I stepped in cow poo...right after my shoes had been all sparkly clean from our hotel staff cleaning them.
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