I guess it just goes with the territory when different cultures try to work together. But I can't help but be amused by some of what goes on at the orphanage. For example, the stick-it-to-the-man through self-sufficiency thing works pretty well. Set up a solar panel and you've got free lights for the grown-ups and 24-7 radio for the teenagers and you've got a lot of happy Africans. Organic gardening, on the other hand, gets mixed reviews. It's always fun to have some new plants but putting poopie on the food gets a mixed reception.
As for fleeing corporate America, this doesn't go over at all. For most Kenyans America is the dream to which they aspir. Strived for, longed for and the destination of pilgrimage. They were even part of the oft-ridiculed 'coalition of the willing' in Iraq. Fleeing evil agri-business? Forget it. Businesses that employ lots of people with good working conditions. Bring it on.
Life as a white person in Kenya has been interesting. The people I see every day are fine with it since white people turn up at the orphanage with some frequency. Among strangers though it can cause a bit of a scene. I was doing work near the fence next to the nursery school next door. Within five minutes I had about 20 pre-schoolers looking up in wonder at the Misunga doing some work. Many of the locals are shocked that Misunga will actually do some work and get his clothes dirty. There's a lot of foot and bicycle traffic on the dirt road that goes by so there's quite a bit of chatter back and forth. Seeing other white people is kind of weird. It takes away your monopoly and I find myself wanting to avoid them. But then again I'm not the most forward about introducing myself so maybe that's not such a big change. It is what it is.