Patting the floor

May 28, 2000 by Steve Peifer

The greeting for hello how are you in Swahili is Habari zako. The response to that is Mzuri sana. I’ve gotten to the point where I like to sing it as I greet Kenyans to the tune of the Hallelujah Chorus:
Habari zako
Habari zako
Habari zako, Habari zako
Habari zako!!!
At first, I would get rather piercing stares, but now it is common for me to have Kenyans respond by singing:
Mzuri sana
Mzuri sana
Mzuri sana, mzuri sana
Mzuri sana!!!
There are startling things that remind you that...

Which one is the cold one?

May 21, 2000 by Steve Peifer

Sometimes you find cross-cultural moments when you least expect them. My first graders are doing a slide show on the computer, and I’ve asked them to do pictures of their parents, their pets, their teacher, etc. Last week I asked them do draw the seasons.
Them: Which one is the cold one?
Me: What do you mean?
Them: Which season is the one that gets cold?
Me: Winter!
Them: Which one is the dry one?
Then it hits me: we have a wet season and a...

Haircuts

by Steve Peifer

Sometimes it’s the small things that can be the most surprising when you change cultures. Like haircuts. Back in the states haircuts are pretty routine-at least once you find a hairdresser you like and whose price you can get comfortable with. Haircuts in Kenya have been far from routine! I have now had 5 haircuts in Kenya and each was an adventure in itself. I have also self-barbered (don’t tell my hairdresser at home this!).
Haircut #1 was from a long-time...

The battle for the forest

May 14, 2000 by Steve Peifer

Teaching spreadsheets to young children is one of the most unexpectedly rewarding things I have done since I have been in Africa. It didn’t start well; I just didn’t know how to communicate with them, and they would give me that glazed look that indicated that I had hopelessly lost them.
The way I learned to teach them was to teach Fred, our friend who works for us on our yard. Fred has never lived in a home with electricity, so...

Eating Flying Ants: A Gourmet’s Guide

May 7, 2000 by Steve Peifer

We had the principal over the other night, and he grew up in Africa and told the boys a story about going deep into the bush when he was about ten and seeing some African children, who, when they caught sight of him, started screaming and crying and running away. Later, he found that in that tribe, the parents told their children:
`If you are bad, the white people will come and EAT you.’
What I have found since is that it...

Culture Shock

May 1, 2000 by Steve Peifer

You would expect that Culture Shock would hit you immediately. And we did have some degree of culture shock right away. There were all of the “differents” to get used to. But the biggest shocks are just now coming.
Friday afternoon I had a very long conversation with a Kenyan friend. It all started because I had stepped on cultural toes with army boots. To share the exact situation would cause me to step on cultural toes again. Suffice it to...

SHUT UP! HE’LL HEAR YOU!!!!

April 30, 2000 by Steve Peifer

I’ve been a rude host- please forgive me. I’ve not properly introduced you to the Dorm Boys:

Joseph Kim aka Eating Machine: Joseph is a Korean who is quiet, a good athlete, a diligent student and great on the clarinet. His nickname is due to his determination when he eats: he puts his head down and shovels. I have seen champion eaters in my time, and I would put him against all comers.
Seth Shaffer aka Tarzan. Seth is an American from...

Ode to a Warm Chapati

April 26, 2000 by Steve Peifer

As I sit down to write this morning, I wish I were a poet. For if I were I would write “Ode to a Warm Chapati”! I just bought some freshly made, warm chapatis this morning and, although I had already had my breakfast, I had to eat one. Ahhhhhhhh. They are surely Kenyan comfort food. Although I have written about chapattis before, I want to be sure you understand just how wonderful they are. Chapatis are the bread of...