22.3.10

The Signs of Kapsowar

This past weekend, the McFaders took our van (post coming soon!) on its true maiden voyage up to Kapsowar, another mission hospital where our friends Christina and the Jones' are working. It was a weekend complicated by sick children, but nonetheless a relaxing little visit and great to see friends. We even had a hotdog and hamburger grill out! Kapsowar is smaller than Tenwek, and more rural, without a paved road to speak of for a couple hours. They are also even further up in the mountains than us (8000 vs 6500 ft), and get sweet views like the above picture just when they are hanging the hospital laundry.

The trip also gave me a chance to indulge my amateur anthropological habit of photographing shop signs in Kenya. I hope to develop a collection of them, and here are a few from the weekend.
Just quaint, and just outside the hospital gate.
"Nyama Choma" is grilled meat. The fine print reads "The Best Nyama Choma in East & Central Africa & Asia." I guess that they're better than Asia, but not West or Southern Africa.
Say what you will of him in the US, Obamania is still firmly embedded. Although I'm not sure what Arizona has to do with anything, except that Obama's main opponent was from there.
Sometimes the camera was just too slow, but my other favourites (note the commonwealth spelling) from the drive were "New Hygiene Butchery" and "Lazarus Funeral Home". I just love imaging the conversation where those names were decided on...

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

VERY cool cultural experience. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this. THIS is why I get the travel bug. Experiencing other's views of the world from their viewpoint opens me to my own assumptions and biases. Very educational.

Thanks for sharing!

tscarlet said...

Fabulous! What a creative and artistic way to help the rest of us appreciate the culture there. Keep the signs coming!