The Adventures of a Muzungu
Wherever I go here in Kenya I am obviously a tourist. I don’t necessarily like using the term tourist to describe myself, but it is a pretty good definition of what I have been for the last six weeks. The minute that people here look at me they can tell that I am not from Kenya, or even this half of the world. This has proved to have some perks and also a couple of downfalls.
Muzungu is a slang term used in Kenya for someone who is a foreigner or a traveler. It has been around for quite a while and comes from the Swahili word zungu, which means spinning around in the same spot. The first Europeans that came to Kenya often looked like they were spinning around in the same spot lost and confused. From this came the term Muzungu.
Obviously if I’m a tourist that means I have a lot of money to spend on souvenirs, right? At least that’s what everyone seems to think if I walk into a market. I recently visited the Masai market here in Nairobi. It’s naturally a spot for tourists to stop and get some “Authentic” African souvenirs. There’s actually a lot of really cool stuff, but the price of these items are often very unfair. When looking to purchase a blanket, because it is often very cold here in Nairobi, I approached a woman and her stand. I found a blanket that I rather liked, and asked her what her price was. Immediately she said 1,800 shillings. Keep in mind that in Kenya the currency is Kenya shillings and one U.S. dollar is the equivalent of 100 shillings. Eighteen dollars for a blanket in the U.S. doesn’t necessarily sound like a ridiculous price. Things here in Kenya are usually a lot cheaper though, I can buy a pop for sixty cents instead of a dollar fifty. That means this lady was grossly overcharging me. In the end I was able to bargain the price down to 700 shillings.
The native Kenyans here often refer to the prices that tourist are charged as muzungu prices. Meaning that it is more expensive to be a tourist than a Kenyan. This actually makes sense and part of the problem is that many tourist don’t realize that they are paying Muzungu prices. Paying twenty dollars for a hand carved sculpture made out of ebony wood sounds like a bargain to most tourist. Back at home something of that quality would cost even more. Considering that it may have only cost five dollars to make, the seller of the item is making a large profit off of the tourists ignorance. The tourists don’t know any better and so the sellers often get away with charging more for their wares than they should be.
Another interesting thing about being a Muzungu is that I often get stared at by small children when I am in the rural parts of the country. I’m not really sure why that is, most of them have probably seen a Muzungu before. It’s still a nice thing and makes me smile every time that it happens. The not so nice thing is when some of the children walk up to you, grab your hand, and ask for money for food. This has happened to me and it nearly broke my heart. You’re not supposed to stop and give them any money though. The minute that you take out your wallet, they’ll take it from your hands and run. That or draws the attention of other children that are on the street and they will swarm you and you end up giving out hundreds of dollars in money. Saying no to these children has probably been the hardest thing that I have ever done, I went back to my room that night and cried quite a bit. That experience is one that will definitely stick with me for a very long time, probably the rest of my life.
Being here in Kenya has definitely been a good experience for me. I’m definitely way outside of my comfort zone and I’m constantly trying new things. Many of these things I will probably never see again once I leave Kenya. It’s that thought that pushes me to continue to try new things and enjoy this wonderful experience.
