Kenya

 Part 1: Lamu

Smiles. Africa leaves you with smiles. But it left me with curiosity. It left me with mystery. It left me with wander. It left me with the same feeling it gave me when i first arrived.

This is a good thing.

Entry on lamu

They constantly chuckle. I sometimes hear them whistle but after a while i realise its mosquitos. It feels and is extremely far away. The children are happy, the entire morning spent in Lamu it didn't cross my mind that the community we had been part of for a few hours was, in fact, poor. 

They live their lives in a way that embraces what they have to the fullest.  A lot of the time, their main assets consist of love, family. its the only guarantee they have.

And thats what i saw and felt. But after a certain amount of time spent in their chaotic yet humble strive for normality, my mind started to gaze off. To other subjects - like dirt. Around me. Purity in their faith. Shocked me. Cats everywhere. Allergic. Mosquitos on floor level. Annoying. 

I generally started to feel irritated - a feeling that took away the humble yet vibrating vibe of Lamu's streets. As we got on the boat to leave, we passed by a crowd of teenagers wearing t shirts and bermudas. Some of them even had belts. 

My mother asked the guide if the children were hungry but he said no. They live with eachother, there are no extremes, no differences except for the different religions they have learnt to live with and tolerate since their birth. 

Children, happy or sad. A town with everything they need. 

i want to see it happen

formentera neglecting embracing

   

i must go

The same window ledge i photographed a year ago. a bit more than a year ago, when i had just turned fourteen. I didn't particularly like that age.. it was all about discovering and taking off more layers to see what was beneath. Now that i'm older, wiser, i feel it. I feel the difference, unlike the other years where a new year meant i could say i was a year older. This time i feel maturer. I feel that my life has changed radically. i tell myself that it has, perhaps it hasn't changed that much. I mean i come home regularly and i have a loving family and my bed is always there waiting for me to embrace it. It always has been.

I must appreciate what life gives me. I must be graceful, positive and creative. Creation can vary in so many ways. I often sense eagerness to the point where it becomes bitter and overwhelming. The need and desire to discover and to capture is less strong than it used to be, but it will always be there. Some feelings are always there when you need them and fade away ever so slightly when you're far, far away from them. I was telling my mother about how i didn't want knowledge to exceed imagination, i dont want to write analytically the way we're taught to write. I want to write in a soft smooth yet intriguing way. Soft tasty fried yet tasted like boiled tomatoes, salty and beautifully sweet at the same time. I love food. I hate irony, loud talk, provoking modesty rather than humble subtleness...

Discipline is important, discipline with yourself is very important. Knowing yourself and treating yourself well is important. But we should never forget to share, to live with others, to appreciate and enjoy other people's company.