Mari and I have spent 10 days in Nairobi doing an intensive Swahili-course. Tomorrow we will head for Sigowet and meet our new friends there!
Before going to Kenya I finished the three weeks FK preparation course and two of the exams of the masters degree. I definitely felt more prepared for a year abroad after the FK course. We did games on cross-cultural communication, role-plays on conflict resolution, we had discussions on partnership-exchanges and a school project at Mandal college on migration. But most important I have met great people from different parts of the world that are in a similar situation, staying one year away from their friends and family and exploring new ways of living in Tanzania, Norway, Nepal, Malawi, Uganda, Mosambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Ghana.
Before going to Kenya I finished the three weeks FK preparation course and two of the exams of the masters degree. I definitely felt more prepared for a year abroad after the FK course. We did games on cross-cultural communication, role-plays on conflict resolution, we had discussions on partnership-exchanges and a school project at Mandal college on migration. But most important I have met great people from different parts of the world that are in a similar situation, staying one year away from their friends and family and exploring new ways of living in Tanzania, Norway, Nepal, Malawi, Uganda, Mosambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Ghana.
“We finally have the tools and equipment to open the door, but we are still waiting for the gentelman who are driving the stairs, I think he got tired and left”, the pilot informed after landing on Kenyan land. Apparently he was not tired nor had he left. A short while afterwords we found ourselves safely inside the airport building.
My first worry was like always water, and as soon as I had the bottle in my hand I became patient both with queing and filling in application-forms. So the couple of hours we spent at the airport was just a slow motion welcome to Kenya that made me lower my shoulders and looking forward to learning to know this country.
Luckily for me and Mari, we had our Kenyan friends Irene and Josephine travelling together with us. They’ve already spent four months in Norway and are probably aware of the Norwegian mistakes we are likely to do here. Firstly they told us not to insist to carry our luggage to the rooms ourselves, and secondly not to feel guilty about other people doing it!
Almost every evening George and his son James have come to the guesthouse and we have gone out to eat dinner together. They are from the luo-tribe and have told us all the gossip about the kipsigis-tribe with whom we will live. Probably we will know the gossip about the Luo-tribe as soon as we land in Sigowet! George also took us to see the Karen Blixen’s house and other secrets around Nairobi. After seeing the movie ‘Out of Africa’ it was great to explore the spot live!
We have been told that Nairobi has become safer recently because the police have started to shoot the pickpockets. That’s also the reason she adviced us not to attract attention if we get robbed. We wouldn’t like the police to kill anyone.
Four hours a day we have been thought Swahili by teachers that want us to learn all the basics in 8 days. We are also eager to understand and remember everything we are told, but in the end of the day we have to admit that only practicing can make the new language stick in our head. It’s a funny language to learn though, with a lot of rhythm and repetitions, like weweninikakatoki-kind of sounds. When we struggle with the complicated grammar, prefixes and noun-classes our teacher says “that’s why you are in Africa, here everything is complicated, even the traffic!”
My first worry was like always water, and as soon as I had the bottle in my hand I became patient both with queing and filling in application-forms. So the couple of hours we spent at the airport was just a slow motion welcome to Kenya that made me lower my shoulders and looking forward to learning to know this country.
Luckily for me and Mari, we had our Kenyan friends Irene and Josephine travelling together with us. They’ve already spent four months in Norway and are probably aware of the Norwegian mistakes we are likely to do here. Firstly they told us not to insist to carry our luggage to the rooms ourselves, and secondly not to feel guilty about other people doing it!
Almost every evening George and his son James have come to the guesthouse and we have gone out to eat dinner together. They are from the luo-tribe and have told us all the gossip about the kipsigis-tribe with whom we will live. Probably we will know the gossip about the Luo-tribe as soon as we land in Sigowet! George also took us to see the Karen Blixen’s house and other secrets around Nairobi. After seeing the movie ‘Out of Africa’ it was great to explore the spot live!
We have been told that Nairobi has become safer recently because the police have started to shoot the pickpockets. That’s also the reason she adviced us not to attract attention if we get robbed. We wouldn’t like the police to kill anyone.
Four hours a day we have been thought Swahili by teachers that want us to learn all the basics in 8 days. We are also eager to understand and remember everything we are told, but in the end of the day we have to admit that only practicing can make the new language stick in our head. It’s a funny language to learn though, with a lot of rhythm and repetitions, like weweninikakatoki-kind of sounds. When we struggle with the complicated grammar, prefixes and noun-classes our teacher says “that’s why you are in Africa, here everything is complicated, even the traffic!”
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