Obama-mania & Waldo

I have decided to have a little fun with this blog. In light of the recent American election, and all of the Obama-mania that has taken place in Kenya. Everywhere we have gone, people have asked if we were going to vote for Obama (before the election) and then ask us what we think of Obama. I have had to tell people that I really don’t care about Obama, because I am Canadian. I would not vote for him, because I am Canadian. They still ask my opinion, and I have to once again say that I do not know about American politics, and therefore, cannot form an opinion.

The people, and the politicians here believe that tourism is going to increase, and that once the president-elect takes office, that he will increase trade with Kenya, and Africa. The reason for the hype is because his father was from Kenya. It will be interesting to see, just how accurate their dreams are going to be. It will also be interesting to see how they will react, if their dreams do not come true.

There is a Kenyan music artist here who has written a song called “Obama Be Thy Name.” We are also hearing on the radio the “Barak Obama” song that talks about painting the Whitehouse black. One of the national newspapers in Kenya gave away free calendar posters called “The Year of Obama” and begins with the month of November. You can buy Barak Obama key chains, posters, and other paraphernalia.



Obama-mania has caused those of us in the TI compound to come up with a few “Obama-isms” of our own. We talk about how we like “Barak-and Roll” music. When something exciting is happening we say “Barak on!” I think I even heard someone make a reference to an “Obama-nation.” Please understand that we are not bashing the newly elected president. We are just feeling like we are caught between “Barak and a hard place” when it comes to celebrating his victory as someone who came from very little, to the 44th president of the United States, and yet is seemingly worshipped as some kind of god.

Now to return to things I am here to do in Kenya. I love hanging out with the kids here at out different projects, and meeting different kids on our journeys. One of the first places I visited here (with the rest of the TI team) was a school. I had fun with the kids by jumping with them as they surrounded me and jumped themselves. As I jumped, I would bend my knees to make myself shorter as I jumped. Once I got as low as my legs would allow, I duck-walked around the yard with them. I then extended my hand to shake hands with one of the children. As I shook their hand, I would stand up as though the hand shaking would act a jack. The jumping would begin again when I was back to “full height.”

I had my picture taken in the crowd of children, and have included two levels of a “Where’s Waldo” type game for you to pass your time away. Have fun, and I will post more of what is happening under African skies again later.