130111–The black “muzungo.”
A small addition. The black “muzungo”–that’s ME: I’ve been black all my life. At least brown. Here I’m a “muzungu”, I’m considered white. So unexpected. So I guess in Kenya now, I’ll be the black, “white person.”
Irina Bernebring Journiette
Live. Do. Laugh. Explore. Dance. Love. Fall. Write. Scream. Enjoy. Dare. Go.
2013/01/11
130111–Matataus, Kibera and KiSwahili!
Mambo! Sasa?
My swahili, or kiswahili is getting better. Especially now that I’ve got to practice all day with a bunch of amazing kids in Kibera. Today was the first day I got to experience another reality here in Kenya. No armed guards or running water. Sophie, the director of 5 C Human Rights Theater group very kindly invited me to her home and let me hang out with her family and friends all day. She met me at a mall close by my house and then we took a matatau, a small minibus, to her house. Now I’m her adopted Swedish daughter and she’s going to teach me some genuine Kenyan cooking and take care of me whilst I’m here. The older kids taught me how to count in Swahili and I taught them how to count in Swedish. And Sophie also told me to stop being a baby about the matataus (apparently they drive like crazy and are quite crowded and a haven for pick-pockets, so I still need to keep my guard up though) and just go ahead and take them. Something that will save me around 570 KSH a day. The taxi to her house is 600 KSH and the matataus are only 30 KSH combined.
Besides hanging out and taking about life, eating really good food and messing around with the three youngest ones Sophie also told me a lot about what she does, what’s she’s passionate about and what some of the struggles women in Kenya face on a day to day basis. We also of course got to talk a lot about Kibera, and since she lives in the highest building in Kibera she showed me the view from the rooftop. We also walked around in the local market where food is like three times cheaper than in the supermarket I’ve been to. It’s so strange to imagine that Kibera, one of Africas largest and most crowded informal settlements is so very close to where I’m sitting now, I’m my very comfortable and spacious living room–we are three people on four bedrooms and a large living-room. It’s only about 15 minutes by car. But in these two worlds the reality of everyday life is so different. Tomorrow I’m heading back to Sophie’s and staying until Sunday. Mama Reina (that’s what the children calls Sophie since her youngest daughter is named Reina) has fixed me my own bed in the same room as Patty and Ryan and since it’s weekend tomorrow I’m hoping on meeting more people who can share an insight into their everyday life. Also. I’m brining my camera tomorrow so hopefully I’ll get some great pictures!
2013/01/09
130109–Karibu Kenya!
I’m in Nairobi! Sitting on the floor in my new livingroom grasping the fact that I’m for the first time in my life “south of Sahara.” The journey here felt much shorter than I was expecting–even though it was snowing i Istanbul and I was rerouted via Amsterdam. I arrived this morning and D. and O. the couple I’m living with had sent a driver to come and pick me up. The driving here is almost even more crazy than in Riyadh, but my new ‘rafiki’ (friend in Swahili) and driver David felt safe. However, I don’t think I will be heading out on the roads driving by myself anytime soon. Today I’ve spent getting acquainted with my neighborhood Kilimani, just north of the city center. This will be my base for now. But my goal is to explore as much as possible. Of course I’ve already gotten lost once, but during the day time most places around here feel and are safe, and people are in general very helpful. Looking for a small supermarket a woman guided me in the right direction, offered me some nuts and told me a little bit about her work with a local NGO. For now things are pretty relaxing. Tonight we are having dinner at an Ethiopian restaurant and I’m going to try and get a hold of a Kenyan number so I can start contacting people to talk to about my project. And I need to figure out what I want to do and where I want to go when I’m here–as I feel and fear that these eight weeks will pass much faster than expected.
Tuonane baadaye–See you later!
2013/01/08
130108–Good Morning and Good Bye.
It’s departure time. I’ve just finished packing all my bags, hoping I have everything and now it’s time to leave. It feels strange, exciting and somewhat scary. Loulou called me yesterday, just returned from Tanzania and had some scary stories to tell. The gist of her stories were simple: “Don’t get kidnapped”–I will do my best.
2012/12/31
121231–Happy New Year! Recap.
I started the year dancing in Malmö then left for Saduiqqi and politics in Saudi with karaoke detours to Lebanon, discovering political Islam in Kuwait and the Nabatean culture in Jordan. Returned to Sweden and spent the summer nights dancing with great friends at Torrowland in Boom, Belgium and Q-base in Weeze, Germany. Fled the Swedish winter and returned to Saudi for mediation and rejuvenation before landing back in a snowy Sweden—adventuring back and forth to Stockholm, escaping for a night of dance and decadence to Qlimax in Holland and heading further north into Härnösand. The year finally ends back home with Ingela, preparing for departure to Kenya in 8 days.
2012 has been amazing. I’m ready for 2013.
2012/12/27
121227–In appriciation of /r/philosophy/
…When my mind has time to wander I always tend to find myself here. Food for the soul and complex ideas that can leave me puzzled for days. Go ahead. Browse it. It’s just lovely.
2012/12/25
121225 — Happy Holidays.
Walking over to grandmothers house for Christmas lunch.
2012/12/18
121218–Three weeks!
Today it’s only three weeks left until I leave for Kenya. So much to do. So little time. You can find my presentation about what I’m doing in Kenya here.
Even though the snow has left us I feel that Kenya will be a huge contrast to this…
2012/12/15
121215–Faith in Humanity restored
If you’re not from Sweden you’ve probably missed all the debating that’s been going on recently. A dragged on debate, inflated by ignorance and the lack of education and which has left my faith in humanity somewhat damaged. First there was the outcry and the sudden “need to defend Swedish culture” after someone happened to mention that the fact that it was always the colored kids that was asked to play the role of the gingerbredman during the celebration of Lucia. Then came the “oh-so-horrible-the-world-is-trying-to-destroy-all-that-is-Swedish” cry when it was made public that Disney had decided to cut back on the racial and cultural stereotyping in it’s Christmas show. Ignorant voices cried out in some disharmonial unison, “If the immigrants don’t like our traditions–they can leave.” HOLY crap that escalated quickly. I have no idea how all of a sudden it became linked to migration policies (or even the Swedish government). But.. I did. And so, my faith in humanity slowly crept away. But then. Out of the blue came the rebuttals, one by one I saw and heard friends speak out about the pure non-sense being plastered over facebook. And so. My faith in humanity slowly started to return.
Then came phase two. My mother arrived today from Saudi, she landed in Copenhagen carrying not one, not two, but three large suitcases. Not one single soul offered to help her with her bags, they all just stood looking at her with smirking eyes. And so. When she told me, my faith in humanity disappeared. And I hated all of you (Scandinavians)(us?) for being self-obsessed, small-minded people and I cursed at you in my mind. But then. As I was about to drag two of her suitcases up the four flights of stairs to her apartment a teenage guy approached me. Looked at me and said: “I’ll help you with that.” And so, by his simple little gesture. He managed to store my faith in humanity. Thank you dear sire.
Irina Bernebring Journiette 