Quick note (actually, became not-so-quick)
Just a quick post to say that yes, I am still alive. Not sure when I'll have time to post in detail about any of this, so I'll just give you a swift rundown of recent happenings here at Mpala Ranch...
- Spirited discussions about conservation of African landscapes. It's really been fascinating - to me, an ideal framework in which to learn about the land we're currently inhabiting. Conservation covers such a range of things - politics, cultural traditions, ecology, history, behaviour, technology, money-grubbing from wealthy American philanthropists, international trade, pharmaceuticals (did you know that viagra caused a decrease in rhino poaching, because rhino horns are sold in Asian markets as an aphrodisiac?), geology, etc etc etc, and all of it somehow needs to be woven together into a coherent plan. I wish I could transcribe the conversations we've been having, both in class and out. We've been talking to a lot of interesting people here at the center, who have the most spectacular ranges of experience... From peppery American professors to droll British gentlemen, to softspoken Kenyan gamekeepers.
- Dylan Sherlock, a friend from high school who happened to be in Kenya, came to visit us at Mpala with his friend/brother Joe! I'm going to utterly fail at describing Dylan's program, but as his emails say, he is an "Africa-Canada Eco-Leadership participant." Summary: he's been living in Kenya for about 3 months with a family in Kimende, a small town south of Nairobi, along with the other program participants - 6 each of Canadians, Tanzanians, and Kenyans. They do ecological stuff, and actually get to hang out in cities, unlike us. Their visit to Mpala, at any rate, was a lot of fun; it was good to meet Joe (Dylan is actually staying at Joe's house in Kimende, while - due to some strange protocol - Joe lives at a different house) and to hear some stories of other students living in Kenya.
- Not to belittle the Princeton program. Though it would be great to spend a few days in Nairobi, I wouldn't trade this for anything. The camp is wonderful. We are living outside. Every kind of wildlife is nearby. I climb trees all the time. The staff is wonderful. The food is surprisingly good. You can just lie on your back and look at the stars all night, shooting star after shooting star streaking across the Milky Way, and it's difficult to think of things to wish for because this is as close to perfect as any life I've found so far...
- Went to a Masai village and saw all the cultural stuff - on the one hand, it's a touristy excursion where we get to take part in dances that we have no business taking part in, and we spend outrageous amounts of Kenya shillings on their handicrafts. On the other hand, they do actually live in huts made of spindly branches and cattle dung, and they are actually a very significant portion of Kenya's population. So. Hopefully more on that later.
- Today, visited the Ol Jogi Ranch, which belongs to a French billionaire and was possibly the strangest place I have ever been. Certainly the most ostentatious, outrageous, literally unbelievable display of wealth I have ever seen - and in Kenya! Irony of ironies. It's an enormous private ranch, with a game reserve that contains approximately 10% of Kenya's rhino population. He has a private zoo/animal orphanage - I had my face two inches from a cheetah. He has an animal hospital which is probably the best-equipped hospital between here and Nairobi. He has 5 planes. And he spends a few months a year - probably less - at Ol Jogi per year. Ridiculous. But amazing. We saw wildlife far closer than we ever have before, and saw rhinos for the first time (they exist only in heavily protected sanctuaries, because the poaching is so severe.)
- This course ends the day after tomorrow. 1/4 of the semester, almost done! Unbelievable.
- Was going to post photos, but blogger fails at life, and we are going home to sleep. So, goodnight.
Detail, photos, poetic observations, etc, coming soon.
Jenn
- Spirited discussions about conservation of African landscapes. It's really been fascinating - to me, an ideal framework in which to learn about the land we're currently inhabiting. Conservation covers such a range of things - politics, cultural traditions, ecology, history, behaviour, technology, money-grubbing from wealthy American philanthropists, international trade, pharmaceuticals (did you know that viagra caused a decrease in rhino poaching, because rhino horns are sold in Asian markets as an aphrodisiac?), geology, etc etc etc, and all of it somehow needs to be woven together into a coherent plan. I wish I could transcribe the conversations we've been having, both in class and out. We've been talking to a lot of interesting people here at the center, who have the most spectacular ranges of experience... From peppery American professors to droll British gentlemen, to softspoken Kenyan gamekeepers.
- Dylan Sherlock, a friend from high school who happened to be in Kenya, came to visit us at Mpala with his friend/brother Joe! I'm going to utterly fail at describing Dylan's program, but as his emails say, he is an "Africa-Canada Eco-Leadership participant." Summary: he's been living in Kenya for about 3 months with a family in Kimende, a small town south of Nairobi, along with the other program participants - 6 each of Canadians, Tanzanians, and Kenyans. They do ecological stuff, and actually get to hang out in cities, unlike us. Their visit to Mpala, at any rate, was a lot of fun; it was good to meet Joe (Dylan is actually staying at Joe's house in Kimende, while - due to some strange protocol - Joe lives at a different house) and to hear some stories of other students living in Kenya.
- Not to belittle the Princeton program. Though it would be great to spend a few days in Nairobi, I wouldn't trade this for anything. The camp is wonderful. We are living outside. Every kind of wildlife is nearby. I climb trees all the time. The staff is wonderful. The food is surprisingly good. You can just lie on your back and look at the stars all night, shooting star after shooting star streaking across the Milky Way, and it's difficult to think of things to wish for because this is as close to perfect as any life I've found so far...
- Went to a Masai village and saw all the cultural stuff - on the one hand, it's a touristy excursion where we get to take part in dances that we have no business taking part in, and we spend outrageous amounts of Kenya shillings on their handicrafts. On the other hand, they do actually live in huts made of spindly branches and cattle dung, and they are actually a very significant portion of Kenya's population. So. Hopefully more on that later.
- Today, visited the Ol Jogi Ranch, which belongs to a French billionaire and was possibly the strangest place I have ever been. Certainly the most ostentatious, outrageous, literally unbelievable display of wealth I have ever seen - and in Kenya! Irony of ironies. It's an enormous private ranch, with a game reserve that contains approximately 10% of Kenya's rhino population. He has a private zoo/animal orphanage - I had my face two inches from a cheetah. He has an animal hospital which is probably the best-equipped hospital between here and Nairobi. He has 5 planes. And he spends a few months a year - probably less - at Ol Jogi per year. Ridiculous. But amazing. We saw wildlife far closer than we ever have before, and saw rhinos for the first time (they exist only in heavily protected sanctuaries, because the poaching is so severe.)
- This course ends the day after tomorrow. 1/4 of the semester, almost done! Unbelievable.
- Was going to post photos, but blogger fails at life, and we are going home to sleep. So, goodnight.
Detail, photos, poetic observations, etc, coming soon.
Jenn
posted by Jenn at
9:12 PM
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