July 9
Sometimes doing this research I feel
like a bit of a stalker. Or at the very least, an eavesdropper, a
nosy parker. But I didn't think I looked like a terrorist.
Because are looking for Chinese
companies, any time we see Asian people, we immediately start trying
to (more or less) secretly analyze their clothing or hairstyle, get a
glance at their papers, catch a few words of their
conversation—anything which lets us distinguish whether they are
Chinese, Japanese and Korean. And before anyone looks at me in
horror—you lived in China for nearly 3 years, how can you not be
able to tell a Chinese person from a Japanese person? Do you think
all Asians are the same?—yes, normally I can and no, of course I do
not, but when when people have been traveling and living abroad for a
while, national and cultural identifiers start to fade. After three
years of living outside the US, I am not sure how “American” I
look until I open my mouth—even then, a charity mission group from
Atlanta at our last hostel told me I sounded British. So often the
only way to tell is to be slightly creepy, lean in, look the other
way, and frantically try to hear enough to identify a language. The
St. Mary's nuns that taught me would be horrified. But I have already
embarrassed myself several times trying to chat with people in
Chinese about what they are doing in Kenya, only to discover they
have no idea what I am saying.
Also because we are looking for Chinese
companies, any time we see Chinese signs, we take a photo.
Now, like the eavesdropping, this can
make us look strange and even a bit crazy. But I didn't think it
would almost get me mistaken for a terrorist!
We found a business park called “China
Centre” and naturally wanted to explore. We chatted with the
security guards, were let into the compound (pretty much all shops
are in compounds here, with gates, walls and security guards checking
everyone going in and out), and I whipped out my camera and started
taking photos of the signs for the shops inside. One of the guards
detached from the group at the gate and wandered over to talk to
Mollie, and walked with us inside. He became alert as I lagged
behind, again snapping photos without thought. When I finally
reached the top of the stairs and started taking more pictures of the
signs advertising our old friend “Little Sheep Hot Pot” and a
Chinese hair salon, he asked me what I was taking photos of.
Surprised, I said the Chinese signs. When he asked why, I simplified
the truth a bit, and told him that I had studied Chinese and liked to
practice reading. He asked me, quite serious, to show him my photos,
flipping back past the ones I took at the center to the previous day
photos at University of Nairobi, with me jabbering along about how I
took this of the restaurant ad and this of the sign outside and this
of the American wing at the college... and finally he smiled and
said “I understand what it is you are trying to do, but actually
you are not allowed to take photos of the building here. But it is
ok, because I understand and I do not think that a woman could be a
terrorist.”
Well, I had expected being asked to
stop taking photos, and could even see being asked to leave, but had
never thought I could be terror suspect! Suffice to say, I am now
being more careful about the impression I may be giving—though to
keep finding information I will likely have to continue to be a
shutterbug and nosy nellie for the rest of the trip.
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