:: Tossed Salad and Scramble Eggs ::

:: Sunday, December 25, 2005 ::

I was suppose to put up this post along with my pictures from last December's trip to Kenya, but have been caught up with school assignments, Latin and Ballroom and Economics Summit. This year is seriously no joke! More on that later.


The girls! Hilda, Jan and me

I suppose that my Kenya and Morocco experience of having seen poverty is no different from anyone who has been to a Third World Country either by tour, backpack or mission trip (today, a few youths from BFEC talked about their mission trip experience in China and their conclusion as most youth's would realised was that 'Singaporean kids are so pampered, we should be thankful for what we have. They have never much exposure but yet they are still happy. It amazes us' - I'm glad they realised). Its true, remembering poverty is alot more real once you've seen it.

I cannot claim that I have 'seen' poverty apart from literally visually capturing the moment, but feeling for it has become alot more real. There were a few instances which perhaps made me think and rethink a few things.


1. Dora. She was distant cousin to Hilda and she came to stay with the family so that her mother had 'less mouths to feed' back in her village in Mombasa. For some reason or another, I become relatively closer to her than most of the others during my brief stay, and until today, I do not know why she chose to befriend me. She was a year younger than me and yet she was richer in life experience than I was. She taught me how to cook the local traditional 'ugali' and 'chapati' not because I asked her but because she wanted to. She taught me about the wild life, taking me by the hand and telling me the Kenyan folk stories. I never questioned her about her family history but her mannerism were juxtaposed by warmth and love for those around her and yet a physique acustomed to years of hardship despite being in her youth.


2. Children at the Masai Mara. It is certainly a tourist must-do to be at the Masai Mara to spot the Savannah Animals. I camped for 3 days and while I was having lunch, there were a few young boys, probably aged 7 or 8 curiously looking at us having lunch. They stood playing in the bushes on a tree trunk. They were happy like most young children their age would be. My Dutch friend started playing with them, teaching them how to flick bottle caps, using sticks to play a miniature game of hockey and racing. They spoke no English but could count, they only knew a little Swahili and the Masai tongue.

It reminded me of when I was in Morocco and Deqi raised his fingers, signalling to the school children we passed by to count along with him in Arabic and English. I did the same with the Masai children, signalling them to teach me the Swahili numerals. I learnt and when I tried to recite the numbers to them, the young boy stopped his friend from repeating them numbers with me so that I could try to do it on my own. They then signalled me to come join them on the long trunk on which they sat on and bounched each other up and down. After I got up onto the loose trunk, the 5 of them pushed it up and down. They wanted me to enjoy the simple fun they were having. They delighted in my joy. It was a simple but powerful gift.

When our guide came, they were scared and ran away. That night, I asked the guide why they were so afraid of him. He told us that the reason why they were there was because they were looking for food. He said that whatever leftovers from the camp tourist were normally given to them but they had to go to the back of the house kitchen to receive the food and were told not to appear infront of the tourist just incase there were any discontented objection to their presence. And yet for the time that my Dutch friend and I played with them, they never once asked for any food. We just played in mutual joyful contentment except that they were always hungry.



3. The Masai boys in the village (which was quite commericialised by tourism). They were all our age (give or take a year or two) but they came from a different culture. Some of them were hoping to go to university via fuding from British philanthropists. What turned me off was that by our coming to the village, we were seen as 'cash cows' and their aggressiveness to get us to buy the Masai ornaments made my initial reaction one with less sympathy. It is obvious to them that despite being students, the fact that we could afford ourselves to Kenya made us money lambs. But I questioned my initial perception. I can't help being turned off, but whether it was justified was a different thing altogether. Think about it with a pinch of salt - day to day living with so many relatives. They live like the Savannah game, primarily for Survival. I suppose if I were them, my behavior would have been as such. It is an honest hard living nonetheless and simply nothing we'll experience over here. My judgement was to quick and not justified.

4. Apart from the people, there were the Savannah animals at the Masai Mara which were just amazing. I think the two animals which came out pretty well on my poor digital camera were the elephants and the girraffes


Mother and Baby elephant (Sarah, remember how Praji said that Mr Bala's full name was Baby elephant? *snicker)


The giraffes looked like dinosaurs crossing the plains and reminded me of Koala range when I was in Hawaii with John






I learnt alot in this trip, not only about the culture, but I sat with Hilda's family when they had a time of fellowship and heard Mama Hilda's testimony which was very encouraging. We believe in the same God, depend on Him to walk closer to us each day, and yet theres perhaps something very different in the way her experience pulls her closer to God which are so different from mine.

:: Stuffy 12/25/2005 07:04:00 AM [+] ::
...

Annual Gang Gathering 2006
Tat alert

Hi Steph,

I'll make this short and sweet.

Date: 17 Dec 05
Time: 1800hrs
Venue: Melville Park, Blk 16 #03-13
Point of Contact: Eng Tat (No numbers here, those who're invited should know how to contact me)

Meet at the sidegate bus stop at 1800hrs with everything ready. If in the event they require entry via the main gate (i.e. parents fetching/cabbing), do inform me earlier so that i can make the necessary arrangements.

Its potluck day so everyone brings in something to share! Don't forget the presents if you're rich enough, but more importantly, be present. Thats the best gift anyone can get!

I have like ZERO furniture in my house so i'll do my best to bring in some music in the form of radio etc. I currently have zero idea about how to do up the place but i'll try to work it out. If anyone of you is free to help out, your assistance is more than welcomed =)

I am not expecting it to be an overnight thing though i'm up to it if you guys want to. It should be a pretty late session though. Note that there's no bed or cushions around. But there's aircon so that should keep everyone happy.

Attendance:

a. Present

1. Eng Tat - Yet to decide on potluck item
2. Sam - Cake for dessert
3. Zak - With Khairul. Prolly staple food
4. Khairul -With Zak. Prolly staple food
5. Elson - Yet to decide on potluck item
6. Zhi - Drinks
7. Shit - Pizza and sparkling juice
8. Thara - Yet to decide on potluck item
9. Steph - Chicken dish
10. Jason - - Yet to decide on potluck item

b. Pending/Not Sure

1. Vivien
2. Nadiah
3. Reuben - Yet to be able to contact him
4. Suling - Trying to contact her

c. Most probably be unable to attend

1. Zhan - Church commitments

Did i happen to leave anyone out? And is anyone bring his/her significant other? Do update.

Ok please publish this (or the gist of it) on your blog. It receives much more gang attention than the one i have. Thanks.

Oh. One more thing. Wilfred's having a gathering at his house on 16 Dec 05. Time is 7pm. You might want to tie down with me if you're going? Can meet you after work if possible.

Reply soon. Time's running short.

Cheers,

Tat


Dear Tat,

I'll be brining Chicken. Thara if you want beef, then bring it! Suling is still in Canada, and will not be home for christmas.
Yep, will be going for Wil's gathering. Have to see the 3402-ers.

Thanks
Steph

:: Stuffy 12/12/2005 05:19:00 AM [+] ::
...

Because I did something so silly, I'm going to hid in a basket =(



Sorry pohpoh

:: Stuffy 12/01/2005 03:08:00 PM [+] ::
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