Market Life

One of the things I love most about Kenya is the Kenyan people.  They are truly some of the most jovial and soulful people I have encountered. I want to share an anecdote about one of my market experiences:

The markets in Nairobi are overwhelming, to say the least.  There are rows and rows of vendors selling similar-no less beautiful, but similar-items, virtually everything hand made.  As I approach, the vendors greet me with the somewhat vapid invitation to view their items that market sellers the world over share due to the hours and hours spent sitting, waiting and hoping that the thousands of people who pass by day after day, year after year, will stop and invest.  For sellers, the competition is high, the passers by are many, and the resulting sales are few. 

When I see something l like, I stop and commit to the dance we will do together.  I am met with the common, “Have a look; looking is free.” The vendor goes on to say, “First customer; lucky money.”  I smile and respond with a greeting in Swahili.  At that, the dance begins to bloom.  The vendor puts business aside as he asks why I speak Swahili, where I am from, what people I come from, and other details of my story.  He is genuinely interested and even offers blessings for my children.  We share a moment, both of us indulging in the connection we can share because I, too, am a Kenyan.  We are worlds apart in many ways, but we share a common pride in this land where we were born. 

We move forward with our business endeavor.  We bargain hard but playfully.  That is the nature of the Kenyans I know: there is a playfulness present, even through the retelling of hardship.  In the end, we both feel satisfied with our ends of the bargain.  We greet each other again with a warm handshake and full smiles.  I walk away to the sounds of “Safari njema” (safe travels) spoken over me.