Kenya
Introduction
Ahh, Kenya, a wonderful place on the coast of East Africa. I've only been there once, but I loved it when I went. As you probably know, Kenya is an African country, and most African countries have some very energetic and inviting people who respect everyone equally. Kenya is no exception in that. Kenya is consistent of many tribes and villages, each with their own customs and traditions. The villages (from what I can tell) are usually collections of house or huts with their own plots of land. If you've ever gone into the countryside, you'll usually see tea farms by the road as well as regular crop growing farms. Sometimes you'll see the occasional group of people harvesting some tea or a farm owner maintaining his fields. The cities in Kenya are quite nice if you can get over the busy cars and people rushing around. Street vendors selling mandazi can usually be found almost anywhere in the city. Shops and markets are abundant in the city as well where you can buy anything from Kenya's stunning style of clothing to a bit beef for that night's dinner. Some people though are fortunate enough to have enough cattle or chicken to get their own meat fresh. Even heading out of the city you can find gatherings of people though trying to sell the fresh produce from their farms. They usually can make some money out of it too and nothing to complain about here about the actual quality. I've said way too much in the introduction alone so scroll down to read some more.
Tri-Cultural Cuisine
Kenyan Coat of Arms
My Experience With Kenya
Sadly, I've only been to Kenya once, while the rest of my family has been there 2 or 3 times. I guess I shouldn't complain though since some people never get a chance to come to places like this. I went to Kenya for about one week (possibly 2, can't remember) or so and lived with my dad's family basically the entire trip. This was probably one of the best trips I've ever taken, as this was my first time getting a chance to see where my dad grew up. It sucked that it rained though for so much of the trip, because it made the ground pretty muddy and a hassle to walk in. Still, that didn't detract greatly from my enjoyment of being in Kenya. While I was there I got to help harvest some sugar cane (and eat it), look at the house my dad used to live in and the plot of land he owned, see a banana tree (Hey, I'd never seen one before in real life), and visit a ton of family members I'd never met before. I loved the entire trip, even when the chicken ran into the house and we were all trying to catch it as it ran around the living room. I think at some point we stayed in Nairobi, or went there for a day to shop. It's a very energetic place it the city. We explored the place quite a bit, and bought a few souvenirs and clothing to bring back with us on the trip. At some store we went to, I remember my dad buying me and my brother a mandazi from one of the small vendor places selling snacks and deserts. Either that or maybe it's just wishful thinking because I really wanted one of the mandazi. We did a lot in Kenya, and it was quite a while ago now so i can't recount all the details, but it was a wonderful experience, and I'm glad I got the chance to visit.
More On Culture And Traditions
Arts
Much of Kenya's passion for the arts can be seen through their elaborate bead making designs and eleagant accessories and wraps. Their numerous types of art were usually influenced by tradition and customs. Certain styles of clothing and accesories may sometimes belong to a specific tribe or region. Those differences can be used to often identify tribes of that area. Basket weaving, crafting masks, and braclet making is also very common in Kenya. Music is very popular in kenya and extremely diverse. From songs with storytelling with a continuous beat to energetic fast paced songs where everybody is hopping around. Kenya has many influences from the outside world which is part of the reason for for such diversity. Even more american styles of music such as Hip-Hop can be found here. Don't even get me started on the number of instuments they have. You can't have music without dance though either. Many dancer's can be found in Kenya leaping up in the air to the beat or stamping at just the right moments in a song, they dance with energy and passion. The Masai for example perform for any tourists who come to vist their villages.
Language
The official language Kenya is English and Swahili, but I believe most of the population in Kenya speak Swahili-also known as Kiswahili. Swahili came about from great Arabic influence as much of the East African coasts traded and communicated with the Arabic traders. Swahili is spoken across much of the eastern coastline region in which Kenya resides and in a few other countries in Africa. Swahili is a Bantu language meaning that is part of the group known as Niger-Congo languages which consists of about 250 speakers. In reality though this is a small number as around 2000 different languages can be found in the African continent. Different dialects of Swahili can be found across the different Tribes in Kenya. The 3 centralized dialects of Swahili include Kiunguja, Kimvita, which is the one spoken more commonly in Kenya, and Kiamu, which is spoken on one of Kenya's islands called Lamu and a few other coastal areas. Many people I would imagine didn't know about this language before but for many Kenyan's, it's about as common as English is for you (and me).
Cuisine
Many Kenyan's don't go all out for every meal as you may or may not be used to. A simple cup of Chai for the morning and a mandazi perhaps would be good enough for them. At dinner the most commonly eaten foods would probably include Ugali, Sukuma Wiki, and every once and a while Nyoma Choma. At least that's what I know it to be like. The types of food grown and eaten can change between village and tribe so who knows. Specialty dishes such as Chapati can be seen at Christmas maybe or for a special event in a Kenyan household. Chapati is a dish like many other that originated from India. It's never made very commonly, but when it is made, you'll be left wanting more. Even when your stomach has already long reached the bursting point. Chicken is another dish in Kenya not eaten commonly. It's more like a delicacy for them because Chicken is crazy expensive to raise or even buy. Moving away from meat, Githeri is a prime example of how Kenyan's utilize vegetables. Githeri is a dish my dad ate in Highschool for lunch often I believe and he loved it. I'm not going to lie, I think Githeri was my middle school crush for a while. Githeri is made with corn, beans, and seasonings/garnishes. Vegetable based dishes like these are more common in Kenya.
Religion
To be honest their is not too much to say on Kenya's religious practices. Religious freedom is granted in Kenya so it's not influenced by the government in any way. Around 83.6% of Kenyans practice Christianity with the majority of those Christians being Protestant. The rest of Kenya mainly practices Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and other such religions. Kenya became a mainly Christian country after a revival that occured some time in the 19th century. Other traditional religions that were practiced in Kenya have long since passed on. Kenya is still quite diverse in religion, but they will more than likely remain a mainly Christian country.
Events and CelbratIons
Kenyan's, and Africa in general are very proud of their culture and like to celebrate this with a collection of different festivals and events. Groups can also be found around the world trying to embody the spirit of Africa. Whether it be through dance, paintings, or theatre. The East African Arts Festival is probably one of the most major events held in Kenya. The festival-as you would've guessed-consists of people giving there tribute to the styles of East African Art. The celebration last for 3 days and is held in Nairobi, Kenya, where tons of East Africans and people around the wolrd gather. Drums, street dancers, and painters can be found all throughout the streets of Nairobi for those awesome 3 days. Other festivals go on as well around Kenya though such as a the International Camel Derby held at the outskirts of a Maralal town. The even attracts more visitors then you think each year from all around the world. Amateurs and proffesionals gather here for camel racing, cycle races, and even donkey rides. These are only 2 of many events that go on in Kenya though, including the Mombasa Carnival, Janhuri Day and many more. If you get the chance, you should go yourself. No matter who you are, Kenya is happy to sing, dance, and celebrate with you.
