2008/06/23
The divide
“ I lived in Ecuador for a year, I had a boyfriend there, I came to Kenya thinking I could take up the culture, and not live the ‘foreigners life,’ but I couldn’t- there is something different about Africa which prevents me from fully integrating myself in the culture, I say I’m a single white female and a wall just come up with me and half the men I work with”
“you know if we had this conversation with anyone who had just arrived, or who hadn’t lived here, they wouldn’t understand- and probably call us racist- so much for the perfect little dream of universal cultural acceptance – I think that’s called growing up – yeah, but it kinda sucks”
-Reflection on life in Kenya, A book that doesn’t exist, the worlds of a Dutch woman who I met one night in Nakuru
“We can call them the Diaspora- like the Jewish people who don’t live in Israel- but for Africans who have been out of Africa, maybe make it an adjective, they can be ‘diasporic’”
“It’s almost like they’ve bitten the apple, and been enlightened, I know it sounds very righteous, but there definitely is a difference. All the Kenyans in the club have lived or experienced life outside of Africa, and are drastically different because of it. The people I call my friends who are native Kenyans have left the continent- and come back with a totally different perspective, it’s really hard to relate otherwise.”
-Conversations on the differences between the Western world and Africa
“But growing up doesn’t have anything to do with Drinking alcohol and partying- or even driving a car, it has to do with taking care of yourself, and being responsible, and I don’t think that happens, or at least starts to happen until you move out of your parents house, pay your own bills, and realize you are responsible for other people. Yeah your 21, so what"
“Don’t be complacent, if you’re complacent and “non-controversial” nothing gets done but what is already being done, look at this country, look at our country, it’s fucked up, and if you don’t make some people unhappy, then nothing going to change because they made if that way, and I think that’s a bit ‘controversial’”
“Fuck you, don’t give up- then I really will be angry at you, why would I be mad at you for failing, I fail all the time I’m not mad at me”
“Do what you can”
“He was drunk, he could barely walk, yet he drove a Japanese embassy Landrover into a cactus patch at 4am and couldn’t get it out”
-This long, long month, of which I’ve decided that I’m only growing younger
(I did not say all of this - and the speakers are left anonymous on purpose)
“you know if we had this conversation with anyone who had just arrived, or who hadn’t lived here, they wouldn’t understand- and probably call us racist- so much for the perfect little dream of universal cultural acceptance – I think that’s called growing up – yeah, but it kinda sucks”
-Reflection on life in Kenya, A book that doesn’t exist, the worlds of a Dutch woman who I met one night in Nakuru
“We can call them the Diaspora- like the Jewish people who don’t live in Israel- but for Africans who have been out of Africa, maybe make it an adjective, they can be ‘diasporic’”
“It’s almost like they’ve bitten the apple, and been enlightened, I know it sounds very righteous, but there definitely is a difference. All the Kenyans in the club have lived or experienced life outside of Africa, and are drastically different because of it. The people I call my friends who are native Kenyans have left the continent- and come back with a totally different perspective, it’s really hard to relate otherwise.”
-Conversations on the differences between the Western world and Africa
“But growing up doesn’t have anything to do with Drinking alcohol and partying- or even driving a car, it has to do with taking care of yourself, and being responsible, and I don’t think that happens, or at least starts to happen until you move out of your parents house, pay your own bills, and realize you are responsible for other people. Yeah your 21, so what"
“Don’t be complacent, if you’re complacent and “non-controversial” nothing gets done but what is already being done, look at this country, look at our country, it’s fucked up, and if you don’t make some people unhappy, then nothing going to change because they made if that way, and I think that’s a bit ‘controversial’”
“Fuck you, don’t give up- then I really will be angry at you, why would I be mad at you for failing, I fail all the time I’m not mad at me”
“Do what you can”
“He was drunk, he could barely walk, yet he drove a Japanese embassy Landrover into a cactus patch at 4am and couldn’t get it out”
-This long, long month, of which I’ve decided that I’m only growing younger
(I did not say all of this - and the speakers are left anonymous on purpose)
2008/06/18
Looking past Propaganda
While Exploring Del.icio.us I found some interesting material
Friendly Feudalism: The Tibet Myth
A well balanced article that looks at Tibet's past and current state
I have nothing against the Dali Lama or his teachings, and am not necessarily pro Chinese - or anti-CIA and the counter communism operations of the 50's, but look at the whole picture
-Cheers
From Kenya
When she asked how they felt about returning to their homeland, the sentiment was unanimously negative. At first, Lewis assumed that their reluctance had to do with the Chinese occupation, but they quickly informed her otherwise. They said they were extremely grateful “not to have to marry 4 or 5 men, be pregnant almost all the time,” or deal with sexually transmitted diseases contacted from a straying husband. The younger women “were delighted to be getting an education, wanted absolutely nothing to do with any religion, and wondered why Americans were so naïve [about Tibet].”
Friendly Feudalism: The Tibet Myth
A well balanced article that looks at Tibet's past and current state
I have nothing against the Dali Lama or his teachings, and am not necessarily pro Chinese - or anti-CIA and the counter communism operations of the 50's, but look at the whole picture
-Cheers
From Kenya
Labels: Tibet reading media
2008/06/11
Oh to flying metal
when here for so long
then suddenly away
I reach- and gone
we'll meet some other day
Went scuba diving last sunday! - it was in a pool but still pretty sweet :), and I got commissioned to design a climbing wall (over 60 feet tall!) just have to have some proposal in by the end of this month- life's weird like that, makes me think of the wheel of Wyrd, or maybe it's just me being interested in everything
Lately my breakfasts have consisted of Tea- Lunch is Tea and scones (or Mendazi) and Dinner is ... well it involves Tea- in this order: Green, White [ Black with 2/3 milk], Green. It's very enjoyable (and keeps me hydrated)
For those who keep asking these are the only thing I can think I need right now:
things I could use:
-Duct tape
-A Headlight- LED-AAA
-A leartherman multi tool
-pictures of people- so that they can be traveling with me
-Some kind of wallet- the older the better
-Requests for things you would like me to bring back (east Africa- or Europe)
-Medium sized short sleeved colored cotton shirts with some kind of flannel (tartan?) pattern - like what I wear in my facebook photo.... :)
send to:
Sean Kolk
c/o Michael Omondi
p.o. box 75315-00200
Nairobi, Kenya
Cheers
then suddenly away
I reach- and gone
we'll meet some other day
Went scuba diving last sunday! - it was in a pool but still pretty sweet :), and I got commissioned to design a climbing wall (over 60 feet tall!) just have to have some proposal in by the end of this month- life's weird like that, makes me think of the wheel of Wyrd, or maybe it's just me being interested in everything
Lately my breakfasts have consisted of Tea- Lunch is Tea and scones (or Mendazi) and Dinner is ... well it involves Tea- in this order: Green, White [ Black with 2/3 milk], Green. It's very enjoyable (and keeps me hydrated)
For those who keep asking these are the only thing I can think I need right now:
things I could use:
-Duct tape
-A Headlight- LED-AAA
-A leartherman multi tool
-pictures of people- so that they can be traveling with me
-Some kind of wallet- the older the better
-Requests for things you would like me to bring back (east Africa- or Europe)
-Medium sized short sleeved colored cotton shirts with some kind of flannel (tartan?) pattern - like what I wear in my facebook photo.... :)
send to:
Sean Kolk
c/o Michael Omondi
p.o. box 75315-00200
Nairobi, Kenya
Cheers
