This evening Joe took a few of my superiors and I out for dinner. Roll call (from left to right):
Business Producer Patrick Mwangi, Head of News John Mwendwa, Operations Director David Kimotho, my advisor Joe Matthewson, Managing Director Rose Kimotho, Me and Business Editor Chege Kariuki.
A few weeks back I was told that 'If Kenyans know how to discuss anything, it's politics.' I would imagine that in a country where corruption is so rampant and media is overwhelmingly outspoken, politics would find its way into most conversations. And true, we did mostly talk about Kenyan politics.
I wondered how corruption had gotten so overt. We see many things, or rather don't see many things, happen 'under the table' back in America, sometimes being exposed later.
Rose explained that in the ancient custom of gift giving, as time progressed, somehow the lines got blurred where the person who was given gifts would expect gifts or favors, in exchange for whatever the other person wanted.
But in my life quest, I always wonder what the rest of the world thinks about America. I had to ask what they thought we were thinking when Sara Palin became a Vice Presidential candidate!
I'll leave that one to your imagination!
We got into talking about how the feel was around Kenya during the election. I told them about how in DC, the morning after, everyone was a little nicer, humbled and smiled at each other. It was a calm, yet joyful and proud day.
The group said how excited everyone was! I could imagine! Folks here really took Obama as 'one of theirs,' although ironically, some of the group said that if Obama were to run for president of Kenya, he would not have won...something about not being 'Kenyan enough.'
But anywho...the food was great and only complemented by the even better conversation!
And best...my adviser really likes what I'm doing out here--so he can give a great report back to Bill Handy, director of Medill's Global Journalism Program.
Stay tuned...
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