Tuesday, December 22, 2009

The Masai

Bev has gone back to the US, but before she left we had plans to travel around a bit and pick up artwork for her organization. Our first stop was in Narok which is the nearest town to many Masai tribes, and Bev happened to know a Massai man, named Kipila, who was willing to take us out into the bush and visit Masai homes. The Masai live on less than most Americans would think possible. The houses are constructed of mud and cow dung with a wood base made from a local tree and in total they are only about 10x15 ft. They are all identical, with only a fire place and small ledges built into the walls and covered with cow hide for beds. The Masai refer to cows as Life because from the cow they get milk, meat, blood, dung, and hide - and that's all you really need in life, right? But in all seriousness their lives did not seem to be any more lacking than the lives of most Americans. Lacking in different ways maybe, but not more. Kipila took me into the houses of strangers because in Masai culture any Masai is allowed to enter and even sleep over in the house of any other Masai. So we sat in the dark, stuffy hut and Kipila translated while I asked some Masai women about their lives.
As I felt the meeting drawing to a close I threw out a question about the Masai song and dance, hoping for a small glimpse into that part of their culture and let me tell you, I got what I asked for. The women laughed and said that it was circumcision season and that if I stayed on a few days I would be able to get the full view of their song and dance. How could I say no to that???
I said my farewells to Bev, packed my malaria pills and a change of clothes and headed back into the bush with Kipila, to his home, where his family welcomed me as one of them.
The first day I hung out with his daughters doing chores and learning how to bead Masai bracelets. That was fun and interesting, but it was not until the next morning that things got really amazing.
Kipilas daughter Rachel and I walked a few km Sat. morning to another Masai home where two boys (and by boys I mean they were 17 and 19) were to be circumcised. They circumcise girls as well, but there were not any girls in this ceremony. A group of women paraded out into the bush with the boys to kick off the ceremony, the men dispersed, and I stayed on with the rest of the women to prepare the feast. A few months ago I would have been enraged by the sexism of the all the work left to the women, the multiple wives, and the overbearing power of the Masai men. But the women love it! We had a blast peeling potatoes all day and they all claim to be best friends with their co-wives. I had more than one invitation from the women to become their co-wife... Rather than weak and submissive these were some of the strongest women I have ever met and although they have immense respect for their husbands they are by no means afraid to tell them off or refuse them. I am starting to doubt my conception of fairness and equality. Who is the western world to tell the Masai that their way of life is wrong or sexist? I felt far less pressure dressed in the Masai shukas and and living their lifestyle than I generally feel as an American female. The Masai seem to submit themselves to life and tradition while Americans try to conquer and control life. Which sounds more stressful?
At about four the boys returned and the ceremony began in earnest. The boys were escorted to the house where they were sat on cow hides and shaved and then sandals were cut for them from the cow hide. Then the drinking started. The excess of alcohol was unfathomable. In honor of each boy were the traditional 10 buckets of Masai brewed herbal alcohol, but that was nothing to the hard liquor that seemed to be stashed in every corner and under every Masai cloak (shukah). The women continued to cook, but by no means missed out on the partying. I was both shocked and amused when the woman next to me stood up and took a large swig out of the tumbler she had been sitting on, but I was completely blown away when a traditionally dressed old women coyly withdrew a small container from her shukah and proceeded to snort a brown powdery substance.
I firmly declined the snuff, but not so wisely agreed to try a small cup of the herbal alcohol and spent the remainder of the night in a nauseous, feverish delirium. The Masai were a little more hard-core and danced and sung for the entire night, but I felt so sick that I had to seek out one of the four English speakers out 150 people (a 12 year old girl) and ask her where I could sleep. She took me into one the houses where I climbed into bed amongst a large number of African children and wove in and out of feverish nightmares in cramped, sweaty misery. The children woke me at six saying "quick Nashipae (that was my Masai name), the boys are coming!" We rushed outside in time to see the boys being paraded out into the cow field where they were anointed with water, layed on cow hide and circumcised. Though awake and sober neither boy made a sound and I was told that if they had it would have shamed their whole family.
The atmosphere was somber and powerful and adding to its eeriness were the drunken (and God only knows what else) men passing out and having strange heaving fits. The boys were then carried back to their beds where they lay for the day in the company of their friends and parents. Everyone else kept drinking. I was still sick so I slept most of the day, but when I got up the celebration was still in full swing. A feast was served and then the elders continued singing and dancing and it was absolutely beautiful. They sang in their Masai tongue with pure, passionate voices and danced with a strange thrusting head movement. It was a dance that would have looked absurd if attempted by anyone other than the traditional elders in their beautiful wraps and beads.
They live an intense lifestyle, and I by the time I left I was ready for a shower and some time to recover from the bedbugs I got at the ceremony, but there was a definite ache in my heart when I had to say goodbye. The Masai have an amazing culture and I feel so lucky to have experienced it so personally.
I spent the next few days at a hostel in Nairobi just see the city and be really on my own for a bit which was very needed and very fun. I met so many amazing and interesting people and even brought an Israeli back with me to the children's home to volunteer! The past two weeks have been just the adventure I needed and I feel like I discovered a whole new side of Kenya and of travelling in general. The Masai and the many travellers at the hostel were all amazing and inspiring in their own ways and I feel energized and excited just to have met them and heard their stories. I am having fun, but still missing you all so much (especially around the holidays) so PLEEEEAAASE keep in touch!

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