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Children here are the bosses of parents.
My daughter was yelling my name from another room when my dad asked "why dont you go to your Mother instead of shouting her name, is she your age mate?" My daughter responded "Guka, my mom does the same thing."
A tree is shaped while it is still young.
My dad said this to caution me, when I gave in too easily, to my childrens demands.
Things will never finish from the shops.
This came from the observation that in America we have too much stuff. My parents meant dont overindulge in material things.
Your tongue can get stuck in your mouth.
My mother said this after staying home alone. The neighbors just say "hi" she observed and dont have a conversation. Unlike in Kenya where she talks to people all the time.
This is like a country during a curfew.
In the suburbs its rare to see people walking Kenyan style.
Do you know you have your own Country?
My mother felt pity on me, her American educated daughter with no maid to help with housework and no driver to shuttle the kids for soccer practice. She could not understand why I chose to live in America.
You should buy a plot and build a house in Kenya.
If life in America becomes too hard, at least youll have a place to live.
You should not grow old in this Country.
This was after seeing people as old as my parents still working.
By Hannah Wanjiku, Orange County, California.
Comments
...@Wamerika...kula tano!High five.......Hit the nail on the head.....its time for ur parents to go home n think about number 6....it applies to @Hannah.
Priceless piece Hanna, it had me in stitches!! Ati it is like the country is in a curfew, and " do you know you have your own country"!! " The tongue can get stuck in the mouth" Loved it!. Puts a sharp perspective on competing values dada. Apart from that, I do hope they loved the experience! Trust me, they will have a renewed respect for you. One thing for sure: They did a good job of raising you..your sense of homour is just great. Sijacheka hivvo siku nying!. My mum would sweep the entire compound even during winter out of boredom and forever trying to cook up some meal for my neighbours and I swore never to put her through the agony again. Now, I prefer my visits to Kenya but will never regret giving the experience of seeing matunda ya labour yake! All the best.
One point though, you have one life, and time spent either in Kenya or abroad is no rehearsal. Sleeping (or dreaming) in Kenya and working (or waking up) to the realities in America is the destiny of many. We cannot change the cards we've been dealt (moving to USA); we can possibly change how we play the hand. This is like one traveler with two paths before him/her; cannot take both paths and remain one traveller-choosing the beaten path or the least travelled is a traveler's choice.
East or west home is the best.Whether u bcome an American citizen u still a Kenyan n yr brains if they work
well will always talk 2u n remind u urundi nyumbani.For those who want to stay abroad buy life insurance too
so when u or loved ones go either to hell or heaven don't bother other pple to b taken home by holding harambees
just because u don't have money juu an American start saving for their grave the rest of their lives;so become a real
American n invest in all this.But my Fred's without saying much Kenyan is changing n with small brains u can leave better
n enjoy all the time if u work a little hard.With diaspora it takes close to 25-30 yr to own hse but in jamhuri it can take u less that 5-10 yrs or less if u play yr cards well.So personally I will say like that woman.Buy something or invest juu with this diaspora life we hear,things can happen n the only place u can ran is east or west...............But wenye wa nataka kukaa kaeni
na matako yote mawili.
The Real Truth:
Mkenya Halisi, really? Have you ever lived outside your country? Your comments leaves a bad taste in ones mouth. Your
writing style, language and content needs some editing. Without being defensive, I can assure you that there are many
people in Diaspora who own their homes outright without mortgages, who pay their bills and have never had a harambee n to pay hospital bills, travel to motherland to bury a loved ones or to ship a body home for burial. Those whose names appear
In media seeking a hand in burying or shipping a body home are a very small fraction of the diaspora population. If one
needs real help, there is nothing to be ashamed about. The pleas, as I recall are always " to those who wish to help or contribute". If that embarrasses you, or feel that it is a bother, you need to conduct a self evaluation to determine whether you you are only projecting your feelings on to others.
THE REAL TRUTH
While I do not want to dismiss your dad and mom's sentiments, it appears that thEy are homesick, which is recognized by one's cognitive preoccupation with thoughts of home or attachments to things which may include and not limited to social norms or customs. If they have been here for more than two months, it is time to send them home.
I remember that even after two years, I was constantly comparing home and here. Once I was able to visit Kenya every year or so, I realized that I had been homesick.
The truth is, if your plan is to go back to Kenya to settle, accumulate all you can, materially, contacts, get as much education and experience as you can etc, and then move back and live the good kenyan life. There are friensds who have gone back and would not take anything to come back to settle here. They are happy, good jobs and the wonderful social life.
But for those who have decided that this is home, the suggestion is to settle here, get as much education or relevant experience as you can, become the expert in your field or business, invest here, indulge in philanthropy here and if you have the luxury to do so, some in Kenya and LIVE.
You will know that you are LIVING when the following takes place:
1. You will stop enganging in conversations like "back home, this would not happen", or "I cannot afford to take a vacation because I am still paying for my land at home".
2. You will never have your toungue stuck in your mouth for you will have a social life that includes American and Kenyans and others.
3.Your neighbours will not be a source of your social network for you will need some space and time to recuperate before the next event.
4.You will be glad that you live in a subburb, away from the row of houses where you can hear your neighbor's foot steps, or smell their burnt food.
5. When your children yell from the next room or hang the phone on you, becasues they are having a bad day, you will acknowledge and assess the situation to figure out what dynamics are being played in your family, so that you can get the help you and your family need.
6. You will stop atributing your parenting short comings to American lifestyles for you know 'the so and so's child back home who dropped off high scholl or college because they had too much money".
7. You will be you and will not want to be anyone else. You will face the truth and realize you live in the US or elsewhere because you want to, it is the right place to be, and have no regrets no matter what.
When 1-7 happens you will have stoppped living in America physically and emotonally in Kenya.
You are stronger, brighter, resilient and better than you think and do not need your visitors who have no clue of life here make you believe that their homesick sentiments are words of wisdom.
Enjoy your parents.