If you could be any animal in the world... what would you be?

When I was little, I wanted to be a giraffe.

--------

This past weekend, my friends, Assia and Phoebe, and I hopped on a bus and went to the Giraffe Centre. It's essentially a sanctuary for giraffes and it is neighboring the Nairobi National Park. Unlike zoos in the US, it's a spacious area for the giraffes--- I felt like we were in the wild. Smaller animals like the warthogs from the national park squeeze into the area and run around the giraffes.

So at the centre, there's an elevated and ground-level area to feed and pet the giraffes, a place to lounge, and a nature trail (which is essentially the bush (aka the wild)). For the trail, we're required to have a guide to avoid dangerous situations--and I'm glad he came along. He pointed out the giraffes (more hidden than you would think), gave lessons on plants, and we hiked to a viewpoint where we saw the 7 hills.

Here she comes! I was squealing like a child when Dora (giraffe above) started meandering over to us. The staff at the giraffe center shake the food in a metal bucket and call the giraffes' names. Sometimes, they climb into the giraffes' area to lure them to where the visitors are--then, they encourage the visitors to pet the giraffes and pose them for a good photo opp. I envy their job, they look like they're having so much fun.

Oh, and btw-- see that house to the right of the giraffe (pic above)? That house costs $600 (that's right, US dollars, baby) for a room, per day! And you have to book a year in advance. The rich really are too rich.

Phoebe is hiding from the giraffe. hah, she was ... apprehensive

...so was I-- but my excitement level outweighed my apprehension. This was the first time I fed her.

Assia feeding the giraffe and Phoebe smiling :)

Humans crossing the street.... or...

...giraffes? heh.

On the Nature Trail
We're standing in the dried-up Gogo River--there were occasional pools of water. Behind us there's a drop-off. The guide told us that hyenas come in the morning to drink-- it's like a watering hole.

We were walking along and the guide stops. He asks, "Do you smell that? Come." And he veers off the path. We walk along and he points out the giraffe (above). This is Jock and he's the ONLY male... that's right, he's a player.

As cool as it was to see a giraffe in the wild, I thought it was even cooler that the guide smelled the giraffe and knew how to locate him.

The second giraffe we saw in the wild, Betty. She was frightened by us-- she saw us, made like Forrest Gump, and RAN. She is peering through the bushes at us. We left her alone.

After the hike, we headed back to the main centre to cool off in the lounge area. And of course, to feed the giraffes one last time. This time, we stayed at ground-level.

I look more apprehensive in this one because Aileen, the giraffe above, literally drooled on me from above. She got greedy and grabbed too much food so it ended up on me. haha.. so me and Aileen.. not such good buddies.

Educational FYI: There are THREE types of giraffes! And they're pregnant for over a year! Ugh.

Giraffes are beautiful, aren't they?

Hope you enjoyed trekking along,

Yv

Oh, and in case you were curious, if I could be any animal now... it would be a sloth. :)

Kiswahili or Japanese?

So I’ve been trying to teach myself Kiswahili—> this process involves looking for helpful websites (because I’m too cheap to buy a book), making flashcards (ah, good ole’ high school language class techniques), and creating “homework” for myself. And of course, I am learning by simply being here and asking my Kenyan friends to teach me “hip” phrases.

What I’ve noticed is that Kiswahili sounds like Japanese—no joke! Even when I walk down the street, I'd hear people talking and think they're speaking in an Asian language. Naturally, I want to express solidarity with my people (Asians) so I turn around with wide eyes, a hopeful smile, and fingers-ready-to-flash-THE-peace-sign… only to find that it’s two Kenyans speaking Kiswahili.

Don’t believe me? Well, for the words below, ask yourself… Kiswahili or Japanese?

1. Usiku
2. Jisikie huru
3. Nusu

4. Basu
5. Kisha

6. Elfu
7. Inatosha

8. Watoto
9. Keti

10. Chisu
11. Azima

12. Kimbia

Fun game, right? Maybe I should patent this too and it’ll become an awesome gameshow….

You may be wondering, was I being selective and biased with the Kiswahili words I picked? Maybe. But that’s not the point. Heh. ((although in real seriousness, a majority of words do have this Japanese-esque sound/spelling. To add validity to this statement, my Kenyan friend thinks so too.))

Anyhoo, in an attempt to make you forget my “foolery,” here is some visual stimulation; Location: Nairobi National Museum

They had an amazing mosaic art piece on the floor of a garden. The garden emphasized growing indigenous plants and their importance to the well-being of Kenya's environment.

My friend was telling me how this mosaic Kenya is split into the different provinces. As well, she explained how the color of the glass reflects the geographical features of the country.

The light and dark blue ovals on the map are 3-D, glass faces! ((Not as creepy as it sounds, I assure you)) Each face reflects the general facial features of the people/tribe in the region. It is a beautiful piece.

Kwaheri/Sayonara,
Yv