1. How I’m Married Now
On Friday night we had a wedding themed party on the compound in which every student on my program was assigned a character to play. Guess who was cast as the bride?!
(Me)
And from the bachelorette party…
To the ceremony…
To the reception…
It was the most beautiful wedding I’ve ever had.
2. The Impacts of Colonialism on the Economies of Kenyan Societies
If you are wondering whether I ever go to class here, I will have you know that this week I gave a 45 minute presentation AND wrote a paper expressing my views on the impacts of colonialism on the economies of Kenyan societies. And so, it is my opinion that while European governance in East Africa was no doubt responsible for initiating any and all Kenyan contributions to the international market, it is also true that British policy effectively undermined the economies of indigenous societies. The age-old subsistence strategies of Kenyans ultimately could not coexist nor compete with capitalistic settler production; hence the eventual shift toward an export-oriented economy in Kenya came at an enormous cost to Africans. Essentially, colonialism proved to be a divisive force among Kenyan populations, by which European settlers and authorities systematically destroyed traditional economies via manipulation of land and labor within the colony.
3. The Ngong Hills
Yesterday a group of us went hiking in the Ngong Hills, located about an hour outside of Nairobi and peaking at 8,000 feet above sea level. The trek was very hilly. It was also very beautiful, and was certainly a cultural experience given that we were led by a group of local guides carrying spears. I think this was because sometimes buffalo come out of the bushes. Don’t quote me on that. 
4. Goats
Before writing this post my friend Megan and I spent approximately 2 hours researching interesting facts about goats due to Megan’s current fixation on anything and everything goat-related. And really, there is so much more to goats than just the (COMPLETELY UNTRUE!) rumor that goats eat tin cans.
There are countless goats in Kenya, always roaming freely around the streets and in the countryside. Some goats are white, some are brown, and some are black. Some have dreadlocks and some don’t. Some have oddly swollen body parts that look like serious pregnancies or tumors and some just look mildly famished.
Did you know that more people drink goat’s milk than cow’s milk worldwide? Did you know that female goats hit puberty at only 7 to 10 months? Did you know that goats are the oldest domesticated species? Have you ever seen this video of goats yelling like humans for 2 full minutes?
http://gawker.com/5984348/two-minutes-of-nothing-but-goats-yelling-like-humans
Enjoy!
Go Abroad with Ally 