26/10/10
As we're waiting to board our flight to Kenya back in May a few trainees and I decide to have one last beer on American soil before we knowingly subject ourselves to two years of Tusker. Across the bar we spot none other than Viggo Mortensen himself. Being the young, inexperienced go-getter that I am I decided nothing is going to stop me from getting a picture with him. One last selfish American act before I move to Kenya. As I walked confidently towards his stool he tightens and eye contact is useless. I asked him, and like the 50 other people who asked him that day, he obliges. He quickly composes himself and professionally turns his irritated frown into the face of a man grateful for all his fans, within seconds before the shutter snaps. I managed to mutter a "thanks" as I walked back to my seat. I felt worthless and later erase the photo (I try not to keep evidence of my faux pas).
Within the whirlwind of training and my first five months in Kenya the moment has been forgotten...until now. I'm at a local primary school trying to get a pen pals program started. After my session with the class I sit in the headmasters office and make polite conversation until it's my time to leave. The headmaster, slightly worried, admits he promised the students that I'd greet them. I stand in front of a class of about 25 students and introduce myself, and assuming I'm done, turn to the headmaster for approval. "Well actually, they just want to shake your hand", he admits. As I make my way from student to student, class to class I think about two things: 1) What kind of germs am I picking up?, and 2) They just want the individual attention of being able to touch me. What worries me most is no one notices how incredibly awkward this is for me, or more-so that there's no shame in needing to touch the mzungu. What is so great about a handshake anyway? When asked if they are now happy a resounding "yes!" comes in unison. I can't help but notice all the big, genuine smiles of their faces.
On the way home I contemplate the celebrity status that all volunteers encounter each time they step outside their homes. I've had adults screaming at the top of their lungs so that I will greet them. And children, hundreds of meters away, their mzungu sense tingling, as they peek out from behind bushes to yell "howww aree youuuuu?!?!" I can't see them, but these little ninjas can see me. As the freak-outs become more frequent (or more likely as I become more sensitive to them) I realize I need to get home fast before I loose it on a helpless kid.
Is this what celebrities go through on a daily basis? Viggo, if you find yourself vainly searching the internet for any mention of your name and you stumble across this Peace Corps volunteer's blog: I'm sorry for disturbing you that Tuesday afternoon in a Laguardia airport bar. It will never happen again. Am I resolved yet?
2 comments:
FIrst off, I love your blog-I love reading it when it pops up to tell me your latest post :) :) And I miss you tons!!
Second, its so funny you mention this celebrity situation...when I went to Russia (worked only for a month at a children's camp far, far away from Moscow), I had the same kind of stuff happen. I had just arrived at the camp and all these kids would come up asking questions at the same time so I can't understand let alone translate them all at once. They all want pictures with me, and the funniest thing, I gave my "autograph" at least 25 times that first day. Some of them even wanted my address/phone number/email, which I unknowingly gave to a few and later wondered if I would receive a flood of random letters from kids whose names I wouldn't remember (not one showed up btw). I later learned that most of them had never even travelled to Moscow, so they would probably never leave that area of Russia. So the chance to see an American was exciting for them-they'd even ask me if I knew George Bush or Britney Spears. Anyway...read your post and wanted to share that with you :)
Stay safe and continue to share your amazing experience :) I will save some pics of fall in NYC for you!! Because I love this time of year TOO!!
Thank you so much Jamie!! I miss you tons and hope school is going well :)
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