Greetings, TGHP friends!

I’ve been a bit of a recluse these past couple weeks. As I recently told a friend, “I’ve been too distracted doing the work to talk about the work I’m doing.” She assured me that it was an excusable distraction.

But in a world that’s starting to expect hourly progress updates (thanks, Twitter), I fear that my online absence is mistaken for indolence. That is not the case, but I will try again to maintain a potent virtual presence over the next couple months.

First, Daytona was an amazingly productive work space for me. I’ve completed approximately 70% of the transcriptions with The General. It is a long and tedious process, but I reap great rewards reconnecting with the material.

Second, earlier this month, I visited one of my favorite mentors – author and Professor Theodore Rosengarten – in McClellanville, South Carolina. He and his wife, Dale, requested a “Kenya debriefing session,” and I jumped at the opportunity to retell all of my stories to a relatively new audience (most of my family and friends have cut me off already). They were excited to listen to The General and watch some of my videos – a tour of the tea farm, a church service, the family reunion.

They encouraged me to keep my head down and finish the transcribing. “Dr. Ted” believes that once I read all of the transcriptions, an appropriate form will emerge to organize the material. It was wonderful to receive their guidance and support. Although it’s nice to hear my parents tell me how smart I am, Dr. Ted and Dale gave me a great deal of confidence that the work I’m doing is important – and mostly, they think that I can do it.

Third, my good friend Katie invited me to speak to her Global History summer school class last week. She teaches at a high school in Brooklyn/East New York. I told her that I only accept speaking fees in livestock, so she bought me a hamburger, and we called it even. She requested that I talk about Imperialism in Africa and the Kenyan Independence movement, but the kids wanted to hear more about life in Africa and how you could possibly bathe without a shower. I tried to strike a healthy balance between what might appear on their exam and what they found interesting – always a delicate dance.

I think they learned something and provided me with some good insight (”Instead of taking that gikama shit, I’d just climb a tree and run away” – said one 17-year-old boy in response to a story about the General’s father being accused of adultery and carrying the red-hot iron brick to prove his innocence. I thought the student might want to reconsider the order of events, “running” before “climbing a tree” but commended his idea.).

Katie was delighted with how the presentation went. She did get a little nervous when I started with, “In 1940, African soldiers fought with the British against the Japanese in World War II. There, they learned that the same bullet that would kill an African also killed a white person. For the first time, they realized the Europeans were vulnerable and defeatable.” All-in-all, a very good experience.

Forth, apologies for this very long blog. I will wrap up now and hopefully do another one within a week’s time. Hope everyone is having a lovely summer and doing their part to preserve a little piece of culture and history.

Sending good thoughts – Laura Lee/Nkirote

I consider myself to be a pretty outgoing person. I love people. I’ve been in Daytona for a week now, and my two biggest social exchanges have been the following:

1 – Waving at this cute old man who rides his bicycle at the same time I go running on the beach – he always smiles and gives me a fist pump.

2 – Gushing about the generous samples that the Publix deli man gave me yesterday while waiting for my sliced meat. He invited me to come back at the same time tonight and provide my hours devours.

I wouldn’t think that I’d be happy like this – the loner, the weird young blonde locked in her room, her bikini only a drawer away, a sunny day outside on the beach…

I’m hunched over my laptop, frantically transcribing hours and hours of material, pumping my foot to control the transcribing pedal device. My phone’s off, the unsecured wireless network is only available sometimes – if you told me how this would be, I probably wouldn’t have come. But, I am so content right now.

I couldn’t figure it out – is my connection to the beach so strong that I forget to be lonely? Is cable television enough to distract me from the void of human contact? Can continuous access to ice cream in my freezer fulfill me as a person?

Then I realized – I’m not alone. I’m back with The General, reconnecting and reliving all of our conversations, all of our time together. From the recording that was interrupted by a big centipede almost falling on my head, to the many sessions that were interrupted by curious children, visiting to meet the strange mzungu – it’s awesome to reconnect with this material. It’s hard, it’s tedious, it’s long – but, oh my gosh, it’s awesome.

In the same day, I’ll be laughing til I cry and then crying til I laugh – I just thank God that I don’t have to do this in a coffee shop.

So…I guess all I’m saying is that I’m so where I need to be right now.  And it feels pretty good.

Hugs from Daytona – Laura Lee/Nkirote

Well, I just watched my last episode of WWE Monday Night Raw with my family in Kenya (and perhaps the last in my life – and I know it’s Tuesday night,  but I guess there’s a delay, so don’t tell me what happens!).  We had ugali (the staple food here – a maize meal porridge, like thick grits clumped together) and a goat stew with cabbage for dinner.  I’m going up to The General’s tomorrow morning at 7am to have my last breakfast with him and Jojo Jessica (The General bought corn flakes last week in order to get me used to American food again – we eat it with boiling milk, fresh from their cow, but it still feels more familiar than sweet potatoes).  We head to Nairobi in the afternoon, and then flight is on Thursday!  Just a hop, skip, and a really long freakin’ flight, and I’ll be home!

 

I can’t believe that my time here is up.  I will miss this place, these people, and my life here.  I’m extremely happy with the material that I’ve collected, and I look forward to sharing what The General has taught me.  I know that I haven’t written much about the “nitty-gritty” (quoting a recent email) of my time here, but I’ve been so busy, working hard – meeting with The General or related figures nearly every day, all-day, preparing questions, and reviewing our sessions – that I haven’t posted many specific updates regarding the progress. 

 

I think that I can use my experience here as a model on which to base future stories and historical preservation throughout the developing world.  I’m excited to get back to the States and make a business plan for The General History Project, Inc. (now an official 501(c)(3) organization!) and organize the material I’ve collected – perhaps in book-form.  At a minimum, I plan to begin the tedious task of transcribing the sessions with The General, so I might disappear for a bit to get the work done.  As always, I welcome any ideas for how to best move this project forward and present the material that I’ve collected along the way. 

 

So, I will catch everyone up and continue to post information about the project and The General and my Kenyan life after I get back.  But in the meantime, Laura Lee’s coming home…

 

Kwaheri – LL/Nkirote

 

“Nkirote, too much of anything is poisonous.” – The General

Many Africans inquire what my English name – Laura Lee – means, and why my parents chose it.  I struggle to make something up or just say, “Um, I don’t know.  I think they just thought it was pretty.”  This does not satisfy Africans.  In many tribes, names and naming ceremonies hold great significance.  In Meru tradition (The General’s tribe), your birth name is given according to the following pattern:

1^st Boy: Named after father’s father

2^nd Boy: Named after mother’s father

3^rd Boy: Named after father’s or grandfather’s brother

4^th Boy: Named after mother’s or grandmother’s brother

 

1^st Girl: Named after father’s mother

2^nd Girl: Named after mother’s mother

3^rd Girl: Named after father’s or grandfather’s sister

4^th Girl: Named after mother’s or grandmother’s sister

 

All of these names relate to the actions or character of the person a child is named after.  For instance, if a child is named after a person who likes to cook, she will be called “Murugi” (meaning “a girl who cooks”).  If a child is named after a person who likes to travel, he will be called “Muiti” (meaning “traveler”).

 

Traditionally, boys would go through an initiation into manhood, culminating in their circumcision around the age of 15.  After circumcision, the boy’s father chose another name for his son, which related to the boy’s own actions.  Because of Western influence, this tradition is not as common today.

 

If a child died, then the next baby to be born was not named after a person.  Traditionally, the Meru feared that their God would realize another child was born and take them away too.  So you’ll occasionally find someone called “Kiura” or “Kirigu” (meaning “frog” or “banana,” respectively), in an attempt to mislead the God.  Kangai is a common name for a girl who has been adopted, because it means “God-sent.” 

 

The Meru people also receive an English or Biblical name when they are baptized.  The General’s full name is Japhlet Kithinji King’ua Thambu.

 

Japhlet – His baptized name (found in Chronicles – he chose it himself)

Kithinji – Named after his Great Uncle, meaning “butcher,” signifying a rich man who always has meat (cows or goats)

King’ua – This is his father’s family name, equivalent to the English last name, meaning “joker”

Thambu – His name given after circumcision, signifying a man who does not like to waste time    

 

I have been given the name “Nkirote,” which means “generous, a good manager, responsible, and someone who can make a home anywhere because she is easily accommodated.”  The name “Nkatha” means the same thing.  I am proud of my Kimeru name, and I strongly prefer “Nkirote” to “Mzungu” (“white person”). J    

 

Common Kimeru Names:

 

Kawira – A hard worker (girl)

Mwenda – One who loves everyone (boy)

Muthomi – Person who likes to study (boy)

Kaimuri – A proud person (girl)

Gatwiri – Someone who finds food for animals (girl)

Kirimi – A person who lies to dig/farm (boy)

Kinyua – Someone who likes to drink (boy)

 

In the Luo tribe (the tribe of President Obama’s father), names are usually given according the time of birth.  My taxi driver in Nairobi was named “Otieno,” meaning “night,” because he was born at night.  So “Morning, afternoon, and night” are extremely common names.  Names could also mean “harvest” or “planting,” depending on the season of when they were born. 

 

In Kenya alone there are over 70 tribes, so I will not begin to speak of the naming traditions of all these people, but I think it’s a nice tradition to know the meaning and origin of your name.  So, if you know or meet an African, ask them what their name means and who they are named after.  I predict you’ll get an interesting story.  Also, we should take the opportunity to ask your parents how they chose your name if you don’t know.   

 

Mom and Dad – feel free to leave a message regarding my name (I think you read my blog?).  J   

 

Kwaheri – Laura Lee/ Nkirote

This is the view from the house, with The General's tea and surrounding landscape.