Reflections on Kenya, from Vietnam

Being in Kenya during President Obama’s inauguration was fascinating. Living in Vietnam, I am at times surprised by how much people here know about and follow US politics. At the same time, however, Vietnamese are perhaps uniquely qualified by their history to understand that whatever changes occur in current US politics will probably not impact their lives here today in any immediate or dramatic fashion. By contrast, Kenyans appear to be universally exuberant about the fact that Barack Obama, whose father’s village is someplace in the Kenyan countryside where they don’t have power at night (or at least not on inauguration night), is now US President. I probably saw advertisements for more Obama inauguration parties in Kenya than I have ever even heard of inauguration parties anywhere for all the other presidents that I remember being elected! His face shows up in random product advertisements and congratulatory cakes, and his name is plastered across more than a few Nairobi matatus. I was down at the coast on inauguration day, and should have fond memories of the event. Mostly because I was lazing in the swimming pool looking up through the coconut trees at the stars, meanwhile the hotel was projecting the festivities on a big outdoor screen to entertain the guests, in lieu of Masai Dancers.


One of the amusing things about going to Kenya was doing it from Vietnam. Picture me with any random person in Vietnam:

“I am going to visit my sister and her family next week.”
“Oh that’s nice.”
“They live in Africa.”
Puzzled look at me to double check my skin color
“Where?”
“Africa, I'll meet them in Kenya.”
Pause
“In Africa?”
“Yes, Kenya.”
Pause until end of conversation.

Then after I get to Kenya I keep trying to explain to people where I live, usually ending up saying ‘next to China.’ Everybody knows where China is, it’s where cheap motorbikes come from. Incidentally, they sell the same brands of Chinese motorbikes in Nairobi supermarkets that we have here in Vietnam. Upon leaving Kenya, one of the security guys at the Nairobi airport, who was very friendly, paid me some undeserved respect when I mentioned that I was going ‘home’ to Vietnam. He looked at me soberly, shook my hand firmly and said, “You’re a brave man, going to a place like that.” Obviously Hollywood has done a good job commemorating Vietnam - the war, which perhaps makes better selling movies than Vietnam the country!

In case anyone is confused, let me just say that my life here is pretty relaxed. I drink a lot of good coffee, read a lot of books, go to the beach fairly frequently and have rarely worked very hard. That to say, whether or not I happen to be a “brave man” has no bearing on my capacity to live in Vietnam!