“Triumph of Love is my favorite show. Do you know them?” Do I personally know the characters of a Mexican telenovela?
“Oh no, I don’t know them. They actually live in Mexico.” She looked confused. “They’re not from my country, they live in a different country.”
“Oh” she said, disappointed. “Do you have a boyfriend?”
“Yes.”
“What does he look like?”
“I can show you a picture.” She nodded, wide-eyed.
“Ohhh he’s beautiful! Oh, I mean, handsome. What’s your mom look like?” I showed her. “And your brothers and sisters? And your house?” What was this? Twenty questions?
“Is Kenya beautiful?” she asked.
“Yes, it’s a very beautiful country. Do you think it’s beautiful?”
She smiled in silent pride, “Yes, very much. Is your country beautiful?”
“Yes some places are beautiful.”
“Which do you like better?”
“Umm I don’t know. I like them both.”
“I want to go to Australia.”
A girl who’d just finished Class 7 had shown up at the office right as I was about to leave for the day. She wanted to visit Fridah, who’s currently in Boston, and since I’d just sent an email to Fridah I asked if she’d like to send another to her.
“OK, here you go. Just sit here and type what you want to tell her.”
“I don’t know how.”
“Press the letters that you want and they will show up here” I said, pointing to the screen.
“OK. Can I have tea?” Right, I’d forgotten the Kenyan custom of serving tea to visitors. I went to the kitchen to make some and brought it to her with a few slices of white bread.
“Space?”
“Right here” I said, pointing to the spacebar.
She finished typing and we walked to the couch so she could drink her tea. “Can you swim?” she asked.
“Yes, can you?”
“No” she shook her head. “Why do you wear your hair so long?”
“I don’t know. I like it long. Your hair is long too.”
She pulled at her braids and the blue hair which had been woven into them. “No, it’s not my hair.”
“Oh no, I don’t know them. They actually live in Mexico.” She looked confused. “They’re not from my country, they live in a different country.”
“Oh” she said, disappointed. “Do you have a boyfriend?”
“Yes.”
“What does he look like?”
“I can show you a picture.” She nodded, wide-eyed.
“Ohhh he’s beautiful! Oh, I mean, handsome. What’s your mom look like?” I showed her. “And your brothers and sisters? And your house?” What was this? Twenty questions?
“Is Kenya beautiful?” she asked.
“Yes, it’s a very beautiful country. Do you think it’s beautiful?”
She smiled in silent pride, “Yes, very much. Is your country beautiful?”
“Yes some places are beautiful.”
“Which do you like better?”
“Umm I don’t know. I like them both.”
“I want to go to Australia.”
A girl who’d just finished Class 7 had shown up at the office right as I was about to leave for the day. She wanted to visit Fridah, who’s currently in Boston, and since I’d just sent an email to Fridah I asked if she’d like to send another to her.
“OK, here you go. Just sit here and type what you want to tell her.”
“I don’t know how.”
“Press the letters that you want and they will show up here” I said, pointing to the screen.
“OK. Can I have tea?” Right, I’d forgotten the Kenyan custom of serving tea to visitors. I went to the kitchen to make some and brought it to her with a few slices of white bread.
“Space?”
“Right here” I said, pointing to the spacebar.
She finished typing and we walked to the couch so she could drink her tea. “Can you swim?” she asked.
“Yes, can you?”
“No” she shook her head. “Why do you wear your hair so long?”
“I don’t know. I like it long. Your hair is long too.”
She pulled at her braids and the blue hair which had been woven into them. “No, it’s not my hair.”