|
|
Serving
Students at
Santa Ana
College and
Santiago
Canyon College
KENYA
Etiquette
|
Introductions
The people
in Kenya are very friendly, they speak Swahili, some words are:
Jambo welcome/hello/good
morning/good afternoon/good evening
Kwaheri good bye
Ahsante thank you
Ndio
yes
Hapana no
Names
and Titles
The use
of first names at an early stage of a business relationship is acceptable.
Dining
and Entertainment
Eating
habits are generally comparable to those prevailing in Western Europe or
the United States, and American travelers ordinarily experience no difficulty
in adjusting to the local cuisine. European and Indian restaurants
are common in Nairobi.
When invited
to a Kenyan home for dinner, adults and children generally eat separately;
dinner is served first, and socializing follows. You might also be
invited for afternoon tea, a cultural holdover from Kenya's prior status
as a British protectorate.
Meat in
Kenya usually refers to goat, beef, chicken, lamb or fish; corn meal porridge
(ugali), red bean stew, and fried bread (kitumbura) are staples.
Pineapples, mangos and papayas are common and popular. Muslims do
not drink alcohol or eat pork.
Generally
anything peeled, prepared, or piping hot is safe to eat. Water in
Nairobi is potable. In other parts of the country, water must be
boiled or bottled water used.
Entertainment
Due to
the influence of imperialism, western tourists can eat western food everywhere.
American meals available consist of full American breakfast, with evening
meals generally served in courses. American type meals are generally
British in style, beginning with soup and followed by a roast of lamb,
beef or pork. This main dish is accompanied by potatoes or rice and
two or three vegetables. Dessert is usually a selection of two or
three sweet items and/or fruit. Lunches may be buffets, either hot
or cold, including curries and traditional food dishes. Food is plentiful
in Kenya, so you are in no danger of losing weight. Homemade hot
sauces can be added to soups or vegetables to add personality and seasoning
to sometimes unseasoned British-style presentations.
There
are plenty of items to choose from in order to quench your thirst.
Bottled water is available, in addition to coffee and tea (both grown in
Kenya). There is usually a selection of juices in the morning and
a wide choice of bottled drinks available. Many kinds of liquor,
wine and several brands of beer are available. There are a few national
specialties: Kenya Cane (resembling rum), Kenya Gold (a coffee liquor),
Papaya wine, Konyagi (a kind of Tanzanian brandy), Waragi (Uganda) and
a banana brandy (pombe mandizi). There are other creations, but they
are beginning to be prohibited by the Kenyan government because of the
dubious and uncontrolled methods used to brew and distil them; i.e., chang'as
(usually made of sisal), kanga (distilled from local grain and/or vegetables)
and mutukuru (distilled from maize or wheat).
Native
Cuisine East African eating habits are simple and to the point. Most
local people have a dish similar to the Kikuyu dish, irio, which is made
from corn (maize), beans or dried chick peas and potatoes, all mashed and
cooked together. Ugali is the Swahili name for the stiff corn meal
mush that forms the foundation for meals throughout most of East Africa.
Githeri is another corn and bean dish and there is a vegetable dish (like
our turnip greens) called sukhuma wiki, "sees you through."
"Traditional meals" are eaten in the traditional way with your right hand.
Soccer,
track and field, cricket, and croquet are popular, both as spectator and
as participatory
sports. Drama, concerts and dance are provided by the Kenyan National
Theater. Probably the most popular attractions in Kenya are the national
parks and game preserves and the large numbers of indigenous animals they
contain.
When traveling
throughout Kenya, it is very important to respect the local cultures.
Never take a picture of a Maasai unless you have asked him/her first; they
are extremely proud and do not take kindly to taking pictures of them without
their permission. You'll definitely want to capture their colorful
ornaments and clothing on film, just ask first.
Links
to More Information
|
