Why Hello Mirangine, Kenya. My name is Iwona. I am here as a Peace Corps Volunteer. Please stop staring. No seriously, stop staring.
Why hello Mamma selling charcoal on the side of the road. I would love to buy some charcoal from you, but first I need to buy a jiko(charcaol stove) and a sufaria(pot) so that I can cook food. Will you please show me where I can buy these things? Oh, you are going to walk with me the whole way and make sure no one low balls me and gives me the mazungu(white person) price. Why thank you so much. You are my first friend here in Mirangine.
Oh hello random man on the side of the road who is obviously irritated because I didn't greet you initially before I asked you a question, but then gets considerably happier because I then greet you in your mother tongue of Gikuyu. Can you show me where the matatu stop is for going into Nakuruu? Oh, you are going to walk me the whole way there so I don't get lost. Thank you so much. Asante sana.
Goodbye man that sits unnecessarily close to me on the matatu to Nakuruu and asks me to take him to America with him. I told you four times already I have a boyfriend! and he can kick your ass. And no I won't help you get a green card either. See ya.
Goodbye adorable little baby sitting next to me on the return matatu who won't stop crying. I know you are so so so happy that your mother bought you a sucker but could you please not touch my hair with your sticky little hand. Thanks. See you never.
Hello three really friendly men who are installing electricity in my tiny little room so I can have light in the afternoons, but more importantly so I can write this blog post. You are too kind and insist on thanking me over and over for coming and living in your country for two years. I hope there are more people like you to come.
Why hello Mamma selling charcoal on the side of the road. I would love to buy some charcoal from you, but first I need to buy a jiko(charcaol stove) and a sufaria(pot) so that I can cook food. Will you please show me where I can buy these things? Oh, you are going to walk with me the whole way and make sure no one low balls me and gives me the mazungu(white person) price. Why thank you so much. You are my first friend here in Mirangine.
Oh hello random man on the side of the road who is obviously irritated because I didn't greet you initially before I asked you a question, but then gets considerably happier because I then greet you in your mother tongue of Gikuyu. Can you show me where the matatu stop is for going into Nakuruu? Oh, you are going to walk me the whole way there so I don't get lost. Thank you so much. Asante sana.
Goodbye man that sits unnecessarily close to me on the matatu to Nakuruu and asks me to take him to America with him. I told you four times already I have a boyfriend! and he can kick your ass. And no I won't help you get a green card either. See ya.
Goodbye adorable little baby sitting next to me on the return matatu who won't stop crying. I know you are so so so happy that your mother bought you a sucker but could you please not touch my hair with your sticky little hand. Thanks. See you never.
Hello three really friendly men who are installing electricity in my tiny little room so I can have light in the afternoons, but more importantly so I can write this blog post. You are too kind and insist on thanking me over and over for coming and living in your country for two years. I hope there are more people like you to come.
This is awesome.
ReplyDeleteSo my brain did one of those "re-arrange the letters and read whatever the hell it wants to" things and I totally read Mirangine and Migraine... =P
ReplyDelete