My favorite things...continued

5. The world cup

I'm going to be honest. I didn't even know the world cup was this year yet alone that it was in Africa. I don't follow soccer or consider myself a fan so when I heard that the world cup was going to be in Africa while I was I didn't think much of it at first. At the time I didn't realize that the world cup would grow to be a huge part of my life. Soccer or futbol is a way of life here in Kenya and for that matter all of Africa. No other sport holds a candle to the game and you are almost guaranteed to find a random match spring up usually with a makeshift ball or soda can. Not only should I have realized this from the start but I should have noted the importance of the world cup being held in Africa.

A little background on the world cup (and I mean a little since I know nothing!): The world cup rotates countries every four years. Countries can petition to host the event, similar to the Olympics. In order to host a country must be economically stable and have the capacity to host multiple futbol matches simultaneously. This means many large stadiums within a small radius to make traveling for players easy. So once you take this into consideration this eliminates a lot of the countries that participate in it especially those in Africa. Before the end of his presidency, Nelson Mandela appealed to the World Cup community asking for a chance for South Africa to host the games. Many scorned him and didn't think even South Africa had the infrastructure to host such a world watched event. However, Mandela saw this opportunity to host not as a way to specifically benefit South Africa but to unite the continent. This was truly seen in the 2010 games.

Africans did not identify with one team or another but instead were rooting for any African team. They followed Ghana to the final matched and the talked about how they got screwed for months after. It is this one continent one nation mentality that finally drew me in. It was contagious. I found myself looking forward to each and every game choosing one team to root for (almost always an African team, only rooting for the USA when they played Ghana). The world cup was a cultural event here. We found ourselves choosing the locations we would watch the game based on who was playing. If an African team was on we'd be out in the community rooting along with every other Kenyan.

The world cup united the continent. The songs, the media, the tv commercials; it was everywhere!! I'm not sure I would have paid much attention to the games it I was anywhere else, I'm not even sure I will watch in the future, but I do know that the world cup shaped my experience here. It was the late nights of watching at local pubs and bars, screaming at the tv when a ref missed a call, and the disappointment felt by all of Africa when Ghana lost. The world cup successfully united a content. We can only hope that something can be learned from this...

6. The scenery

Kenya is beautiful. There really is no other words to describe it. Its a country that has such diversity of scenery and environment that you never get bored. Here in Kisumu its hot due to the elevation and the lake. I've enjoyed many a nights sitting next to the water. The sunset over the lake is breathtaking and there's something peaceful about spending a day on the water. From Kisumu the land rises into the Rift Valley. As you drive east you're greeted by huge boulders that mark the start of this famous area. The rift valley is known also for its large tea plantations. Rows and rows of tea stretch out as far as the eye can see only interrupted by small white houses that hold the workers. The weather is a little cooler and is home to rainforests, barren mountain sides, and savannahs. How this is possible is beyond me. It does make for beautiful landscapes, interesting plant life, and a diverse animal populations, aka great pictures.

The tea fields at Kerico

Traveling even further east you meet Nairobi. A huge city amidst a developing country. Kind of out of the ordinary. Further on Kenya drops off again into beautiful national parks and then of course to the coast where white sand beaches line the Indian Ocean and the population suffers through humid and hot days. I only wish I could see it. Overall the scenery blew my mind. Its a blessing to be able to live in a place like this and experience it everyday. I know the pictures and the landscapes will be a constant reminder of one of the things I love most about this nation.