An Embarrassing Bend in an African Road...

One of the most embarrassing things in my life happened one dark nite in Kenya.

I actually had about seven different stories happen to me that day, but I will just share one of them here: the embarrassing one.

In Kenya, I lived just outside of the capital city of Nairobi. It was about an hour matatu ride in normal circumstances. I would usually leave around 3 from the city, get to the junction around 4, and then walk the hour to the orphanage to be there by 5. But this was not normal circumstances. I got a late start, and there was freaking awful traffic. I didn't make it to the junction until it was 9PM. In the States this wouldn't really worry me so much, but this was a whole nother bag of oats.

This was my first time being outside of the orphanage after dark. And I still had to walk an hour to get back there. And when I say dark, I mean dark. It was pitch black, and I was a liiiiiitle bit nervous. But I hitched up my backpack and started walking briskly to the orphanage. All around me the locals were laughing and talking and enjoying the evening. They were on either side of the road in the small shops and houses speaking in Kiswahili and carrying on with each other. And here I was: the determined white guy walking as quickly as I could with this huge backpack strapped tightly to my back.

So I am walking and walking and walking - getting more nervous with every step and each noise. But I am starting to feel a little bit better. I had been walking for about 5 minutes and nothing had happened. Ok, I can do this. I can make it back to the orphanage. I can do this. I can - - -

Next thing I know I am facedown in a ditch. I had totally forgotten that there was a bend in the road. My brisk pace and I walked directly into this 10 foot deep ditch. Literally, I took one step on the ground like normal, and then one step just on the air. I fell completely head first into this unfortunately deep ditch...and landed right next to a startled donkey. Pretty embarrassing.

But I wasn't fully embarrassed until a local man came running over to help me up. He pulled me out and then proceeded to solidify my embarrassment. He said, "Masungu, what were you doing there? My friends and me, we watched you walk right into the ditch. Why do you walk right into the ditch? It looked like you wanted to walk into the ditch - you were walking so fast and straight. But we did not believe that you wanted to go into the ditch until you really walked into the ditch. We have never seen a white person walk so purposefully into a ditch. Why did you want to go into the ditch, masungu?"

Well, I know why I want to go in there now... to get my dignity back. Sowa sowa.