Post by Aly on Mar 8, 2006 6:06:35 GMT -5
And I'm back from Lamu.
I had written this long letter that I was going to send to you all but was not able to get it to sumbit, so there is a lost letter out there about my last week in Lamu. Sorry everyone, I tried.
Anyway, my homestay family is awesome. The two kids call me Auntie and Maryam (my mom) has to pull them off me so I can go to sleep. Yesterday they were braiding my hair until they realized that it was too fine and slippery to stay put without hair ties so they abandoned the project.
In addition to being back in the heat (no, not heart, its wicked hot) of the urban center on the East African coast, I am studying many new topics in class in regards to Swahili culture and history. I learned all about Female Circumcision and will never as long as I live oppose the belief behind it, as it truely helps equalize men and women in society. I disagree with certain cultures(the Somalis in particular) who do not simply pin prick to fulfill the "drawing of blood", but go so far as to (graphic, not for children) Not only cut out the clitoris to the bone but sew up the labia.
Not that any of you needed that image, but do not call it Female Genital Mutilation, because in most places it isn't. Its simplyso that a woman can say she has been circumsize and went through it bravely so she is as strong and brave and stoic as a man who did the same thing. It is also a mark of the difference between women and girls.
On a different, less controvesial topic, oh no, wait, its even more controversial... anyway, if you've been readin the East African News then you know all about the protests because of the goverment raiding a newspaper plant and burning copies of The Standard newspaper, stealing hard drives and then going to the Radio station and raiding that as well.
That is all in Nairobi. NOT NEAR ME. The other SIT program also is not in the area. Don't worry.
So India was bombed... big surprise after the US said it would be allowed to start a nuclear program... Gee, i wonder if maybe the pakistanis, chinese and tibetans are a little worried.
At any rate Mombasa is hot. The trash is piling up everywhere and they've started to burn it. There is still not water or electicity rationing on the coast, which is good news. I have plenty of clean drinking water and my homestay is very clean. I leanred how to cook mandazi, which is wicked easy and tonight I will learn how to make spinachi. I have decided that if i cooked all the things I have learned in one night, it would be one vegetable, no meat and 5different startches. But thats the diet here. There is really nothing else. Sad, unhealthy, but true. Its mostly maize flour and water that they have to cook with so they have 4 different types of bread.
I had a tomato yesterday. My first in a month. I mixed vegetables into the coconut rice and was happy.
Happy belated birthday Nana, I was going to post yesterday but internet was down in mombasa all afternoon. Sorry. I hope you had a good day!
Aunt Donna has a birthday soon I think, so happy birthday to you too!
Its International Women's Day. So to all my Simmons Girls, I bring you Love.
Have to go back to class now. Talk to you all soon, and Boy, i will call you around 5pm my time= 9am your time. Might call mom too, haven't decided.
Love and kissies and hugs from The Indian Ocean.
-Aly-
I had written this long letter that I was going to send to you all but was not able to get it to sumbit, so there is a lost letter out there about my last week in Lamu. Sorry everyone, I tried.
Anyway, my homestay family is awesome. The two kids call me Auntie and Maryam (my mom) has to pull them off me so I can go to sleep. Yesterday they were braiding my hair until they realized that it was too fine and slippery to stay put without hair ties so they abandoned the project.
In addition to being back in the heat (no, not heart, its wicked hot) of the urban center on the East African coast, I am studying many new topics in class in regards to Swahili culture and history. I learned all about Female Circumcision and will never as long as I live oppose the belief behind it, as it truely helps equalize men and women in society. I disagree with certain cultures(the Somalis in particular) who do not simply pin prick to fulfill the "drawing of blood", but go so far as to (graphic, not for children) Not only cut out the clitoris to the bone but sew up the labia.
Not that any of you needed that image, but do not call it Female Genital Mutilation, because in most places it isn't. Its simplyso that a woman can say she has been circumsize and went through it bravely so she is as strong and brave and stoic as a man who did the same thing. It is also a mark of the difference between women and girls.
On a different, less controvesial topic, oh no, wait, its even more controversial... anyway, if you've been readin the East African News then you know all about the protests because of the goverment raiding a newspaper plant and burning copies of The Standard newspaper, stealing hard drives and then going to the Radio station and raiding that as well.
That is all in Nairobi. NOT NEAR ME. The other SIT program also is not in the area. Don't worry.
So India was bombed... big surprise after the US said it would be allowed to start a nuclear program... Gee, i wonder if maybe the pakistanis, chinese and tibetans are a little worried.
At any rate Mombasa is hot. The trash is piling up everywhere and they've started to burn it. There is still not water or electicity rationing on the coast, which is good news. I have plenty of clean drinking water and my homestay is very clean. I leanred how to cook mandazi, which is wicked easy and tonight I will learn how to make spinachi. I have decided that if i cooked all the things I have learned in one night, it would be one vegetable, no meat and 5different startches. But thats the diet here. There is really nothing else. Sad, unhealthy, but true. Its mostly maize flour and water that they have to cook with so they have 4 different types of bread.
I had a tomato yesterday. My first in a month. I mixed vegetables into the coconut rice and was happy.
Happy belated birthday Nana, I was going to post yesterday but internet was down in mombasa all afternoon. Sorry. I hope you had a good day!
Aunt Donna has a birthday soon I think, so happy birthday to you too!
Its International Women's Day. So to all my Simmons Girls, I bring you Love.
Have to go back to class now. Talk to you all soon, and Boy, i will call you around 5pm my time= 9am your time. Might call mom too, haven't decided.
Love and kissies and hugs from The Indian Ocean.
-Aly-
