Personal Impression Essay: A Kenyan Night and an African Wedding

Event 1 Kenyan Night

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

I attended a Kenyan Night event at the Irving Convention Centre, Dallas in August 2014. In attendance was the president of the republic of Kenya, Kenyans in the diaspora, American business people, scholars and government officials from both the US and Africa. The event was a chance for the president of the republic of Kenya to meet the American business investors and the many Kenyans residing here in the United States. While the event was mainly a business forum, the aftermath offered what was dubbed as "Kenyan Night".

This was a good and well thought out initiative. I got to learn about the diversity of cultures in Kenya and Africa at large. At the Kenyan Night, I got a chance to sample the varied Kenyan dishes. On offer was porridge, fermented milk, maize mixed with beans and other traditional dishes. The staple food of the people of Kenya is Maize (corn). Kenyans also like to consume tea, coffee and beer. Kenyan cultural dances were showcased at the event. This, we learnt, is usually done at important events. The Maasai dance was eye-catching. The Kenyans also got a chance to showcase their Africans wedding and conventional attires. The attires were amazing. I particularly liked the Maasai Shuka.

I got to learned that Kenya has forty-two tribes. Kenya is a multi-religious country with Christians, Muslims, and Hindu and African traditionalist all coexisting peacefully. It was noted that Kenya is a world leader in tea production. Tourism is also a major economic booster in Kenya.

At the event, the notion that Kenya is a hotbed of terror was dispelled. I found out that our US soldiers have their base in Kenya and offer logistic support to their Kenyan counterparts. I also got a chance to learn that Kenya and Africa as a continent is rich, despite what we see in the media. Following the interaction with the Kenyans, I noticed they are a welcoming people, peace loving and fun people to have around.

Event 2

The second event was a wedding, this was particular an African wedding who had lived in this particular country for a number of years and now they felt it was the time they settled to become a family. The event was a small given that most of their relatives and their people were all back in their home country something that is always necessary before they take their vows. Being Christians, the event was taking place in a church on 17 December 2016. Friends, family, neighbors and other people who would love to witness this particular event were the main people in attendance. The event started at eleven with the groom waiting for the bride at the altar who arrived at noon with a small entourage. As she walked, towards the grooms, songs and praises accompanied her very well and this was a very happy for the groom. A small reading of the scripture plus the consent of the parents finalized the event as the people sung and gave those presents as they began their marriage.

I felt very humbled by the manner in which the wedding meant a lot to the lives of this person of this particular culture. The real reason as to why I felt this is the way the marriage brings people of all occupations together. What I learned from this event is that marriage is a very important aspect of this culture and that this a serious thing in which members of the community consider as a very important event in their lives.

The event made change my view about marriage gave the modern stereotype that it is not a good thing. It also made me reconsider my plans for marriage in future and how I plan to make it a very religious affair(Knouse, 2004).

References

Knouse, J. (2004). Using Postmodern Feminist Legal Theory to Interrupt the Reinscription of Sex Stereotypes Through the Institution of Marriage. Hastings Women's LJ, 16, 159.