Written Language Day

Yesterday was Written Language Day in Somalia. Yes, it’s a thing. In fact, it’s an official holiday.

I’m currently at the airport in Mogadishu getting ready to fly back to Nairobi. It allows me some time to do a short reflection on this rather strange holiday. I had a couple of meetings today and I cheerfully quizzed my Somali counterparts regarding what they know about the history of their language. It turns out they know about the same as Anglo-Saxons know about their language. Not a great deal.

* * *

A bit of history

First of all is the obvious question as to why such a day even exists, particularly because it is a written language day and not just a language day. I’m not Somali and I am not the best person to ask, but I do have some information to provide some context.

As a written language, Somali is one of the youngest in the world relative to the number of speakers. It became a written language within my lifetime back in 1972. Prior to that, it was primarily a spoken language much like Romansh in Switzerland (a shoutout to my former life there). There were apparently attempts to create a script using Arabic (given the obvious importance of Arabic for its Muslim citizens) and also using Roman characters (originating from Latin and favored by scholars who were educated in Western countries). In the end, Roman characters won and the school system was adjusted accordingly. It was a momentous decision that would impact the country forever.

I tend to think it ended up being a smart decision and not necessarily because I was raised in the Western world using Roman characters. In 1972 we had no idea that the world would soon be entering a computer, and eventually, internet age. Unbeknownst to the decision makers, it laid the foundation for a much easier transition to the modern world. Technology, driven primarily by English and Roman characters, improved over time to accommodate other scripts, including Arabic, but development was initially very slow. The use of Roman characters positioned Somalia much more quickly to adapt its language to these technologies. Had civil war not erupted and devastated the country in the 1990s and 2000s, who knows where the country would be now.

Driven overseas by war, the diaspora educated class produced much of the early content in Italian and English (the two colonial powers leading up to Somalia’s independence). It wasn’t until the last couple of decades that Somali-language content has really taken off.

The country’s diaspora numbers several million people, forming one of the world's most dispersed migrant groups. Those living overseas continue to produce much of the material by Somalis and/or covering Somalia-related topics.

* * *

The complexity of the language

The Somali language is influenced heavily by vocabulary from Arabic, with some Italian and English words stemming from the colonial legacy. Given that Swahili also has some Arabic roots, I find that I can recognize words here and there. Though I should say that I sadly have not invested a lot of time in learning the language.

The complexity is certainly a deterrent. Somali features tonal elements that make it challenging for learners. It has unique sounds like 'c' (which sounds silent to me but apparently there is a sound) and 'x' which is a guttural that causes me to cheat and use my French ‘r’ (not the same but close enough for a foreigner). Vowel length also apparently varies depending on how words are used. There is gender agreement as in Latin languages, something I’m used to from French though it works differently in Somali. Also, sentence construction (i.e. verb placement) is also very different from English.

All this not an excuse for my lack of Somali. It just didn’t help.

* * *

The cultural importance

Early in my time in the country, I learned of the profound tradition of Somali poetry. This influence is interconnected with the country’s history as a pastoralist people surviving on the rugged, desert terrain in the Horn of Africa. A Somali-American friend of mine likened it to the mythical Wild West in the US. To understand Somalis is to understand their attachment to this rich heritage. Though most Somalis, whether in Somalia or in the diaspora, have no desire to embark on a pastoralist life nowadays, driving camels or goats across the rocky desert is a cherished part of their story. They value the celebrated poets, poetry and traditional songs, including many with lyrics of reverence to the beloved camel.

This is at the heart of the language’s richness. This history influences everyday speech, adding complex allusions to even modern conversation.

* * *

But should this be a national holiday?

For a country that seems to be fighting for its life against forces of Islamist militants and the devastation of climate change, it probably seems like a frivolous reason for taking a day off from work. Indeed, that was my thought when I first heard about it. A lot of my staff are even confused about this recently created holiday.

Upon reflection, I’ve changed tack on this. First of all, the country is not inundated with noble leaders from the past who should be recognized with holidays instead. There are no days dedicated to past presidents, generals, social justice leaders, etc. nor are there any obvious candidates. Other than religious holidays and independence, there is room for something else to be recognized.

Secondly, the Somali language is a critical unifier of a population 24 million speakers in Somalia, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya and the diaspora communities around the world. Clan may divide you when you are in the country, but outside, language generally makes you a brother or sister.

With the country continuing to struggle to pull out of decades of strife, and with the diaspora under pressure around the world due to attitudes towards race and immigration, the language seems to be about more than a written script. There seems to be a conscious and/or subconscious need for the solidarity of a people under threat. And language (and to a large degree religion) is an important unifier. I don’t know if that was behind the creation of the holiday, but it seems to me a good reason for its continued existence.

Happy Written Language Day.

 

Christmas and Nanyuki

Christmas in Nairobi

My sister-in-law and her boyfriend arrived from Manila mid-December and would stay until just after New Years. We have spent two prior Christmases with her in Kenya. The first was five years ago during Covid and then again two years ago. While there were some things that she enjoyed and wanted to do again this time, she also wanted to explore some new things.

We had just finished the move into our new apartment so we were still getting settled in and putting things away. In spite of the busyness of the first half of December, we also needed to make some sort of effort to put up some Christmas decorations. I would also be working throughout the holidays. Even though the workload would be lighter than normal, there was still a lot to focus on.

* * *

Karura forest

The first few days we spent around Nairobi and just hanging out. On Christmas day we opened gifts and had a nice dinner. It was otherwise pleasantly uneventful. The 26^th is a holiday in Kenya (Boxing Day, nothing to do with the sport), so we would have some time to do more sightseeing around Nairobi before heading to Nanyuki the following day.

* * *

A couple of months ago, we were looking at options for what to do over the holidays. We ruled out the coast since they live in the Philippines and get enough hot weather and beaches. We had thought about camping, but the logistics can make that a bit complicated. We also wanted to incorporate a game drive, something they don’t get to do very often. In the end, we decided to go to a B&B located in a remote area near Mt. Kenya adjacent to a nature conservancy. We did this two years ago (at a different B&B) and it worked out well. It’s off the beaten path – away from the larger national parks and away from places that are likely to be busier this time of year.

* * *

Nanyuki 

On Saturday morning, we all squeezed into our vehicle and headed out. The plan was to travel about three hours to the town of Nanyuki, have some lunch, load up on groceries and then continue on to the B&B is about 45 minutes from town.

Dinner with a view.

Directions to the B&B were relatively good and we eventually found our way to the house. After settling in, we made ourselves comfortable on the large back deck overlooking the conservancy. The air was perfect and there was a slight breeze. The B&B included a guy, Bernard, who stayed on the property that would help with cleaning, dishes, and various other things. He seemed particularly keen on tracking the wildlife and their habits which turned out to be quite helpful. We scanned the hillside across from us, located within the conservancy, to look for animals. We soon spotted some buffaloes and a bit later some elephants and zebras. Very nice to have tea with such a wonderful view.

* * *

The next morning, I was up well before sunrise, not only to look for animals but also to look in the opposite direction towards Mt. Kenya. As we have known from past experience, early morning is the best chance you’ll have all day to catch a view of the mountain unobscured by clouds. For about an hour, it remained hidden. In the meantime, I made coffee, grabbed some binoculars and made myself comfortable. Before long, a warthog appeared in the twilight only a few meters away, only to trot off into the brush. Bernard told us that, though most of the wildlife was confined to the conservancy, some animals, such as the warthog and hyenas, were also frequently seen outside.  

Eventually, Mt. Kenya revealed itself. I must admit, it’s different seeing it now having climbed it back in February. Though it’s less mysterious than it was before, I could now focus on looking for details that I recognized from being up there.

Mt. Kenya at sunrise.

The first two days we spent relaxing and just enjoying the down time. I caught up on a few work things, read and often just sat and enjoyed the view of the animals moving about the adjacent hillside. Often when we do this sort of thing, we fill our days with activities. It was nice to scale it back a bit and have some time to chill.

I wasn't the only one working. Kiran studying with Mom's help.

* * *

Game Drive in Lolldaiga Conservancy

On the day of the game drive, we traveled to the gate of the conservancy about twenty minutes away. We would meet our driver and safari vehicle at 6:30am. Given that there were six of us, it didn’t make sense to try to do a game drive in our vehicle. Even though it’s four-wheel-drive, and we’ve used it many times for game drives when it’s just the four of us, it’s too tight with six people. I’ve also not been to the conservancy before so I wouldn’t know my way around if I were driving. Having the open top is also nice and it allows me to spend more time looking around and less time focused on driving and navigating.

King of the jungle.

We piled in the safari Land Cruiser and off we went in the cool morning air. It was good to be back on a game drive. It is, without a doubt, one of my favorite things to do. The sun was just coming up and, thanks to a tip from one of the rangers at the gate, we spotted a very smug-looking male lion within the first three minutes. He was an absolutely beautiful animal, sitting calmly after who knows what he was up to during the night.

Lion with Mt. Kenya looming in the background.

I do like exploring a new park/conservancy. The terrain of this place was particularly interesting and varied. It takes a while to get a feel for the place and weigh in on where you’d like to go and what you’d like to see. It turned out that our guide had only been there once before, so he wasn’t super knowledgeable either.

Chilly start to the day.

Nonetheless, we were able to see a lot, including four lions in total. We would occasionally park among the animals and the driver would shut off the engine. We sat, watched animals, and listened, just enjoying being in such a wonderful place.

Jackal

Checking each other out.

Towards the end of the game drive, we parked at a small lake near a large herd of cattle. Most parks have arrangements with the local population to allow some grazing. Conservancies have a bit more flexibility and can engage in for-profit activities so long as they follow conservancy regulations. That was the case with this herd. We asked the herder, who came over and chatted with us, whether or not he ever lost cows to lion attacks and he said yes. If fact, it had happened the day before. I would think that it would make lions lazy over time. Cows are easy targets compared to wild animals like buffaloes and gazelles.

As we were heading to the gate, we made one last stop to see a herd of elephants near another watering hole. Once again, he shut off the vehicle and we sat and watched. We saw some elephants a couple hundred meters away and the guide said that it was a different herd awaiting their turn at the watering hole. They apparently can’t/won’t mix with other herds so it’s first-come, first-served. Once the first herd wanders off, the next herd will make their way to the water.

After the game drive, we went to Nanyuki, stocked up on food and returned to the house. Standing out on the deck that evening, you could hear lions off in the distance. Such a cool sound. You could also hear an occasional hyena. While it was fun to hear them off in the distance, one night we heard a hyena just outside our window. In addition to its loud howl, it was so close you could hear it chomping on something. It sounded like bones and I was imagining it finishing off some animal kill. But upon inspection the next morning, it appeared that he/she was probably just chomping on garbage from a nearby refuse hole.

* * *

Coming back from the hedge maze.

On the last day, we headed back towards Nanyuki and visited the famous Fairmont Hotel and the adjacent animal orphanage. I stayed at the Fairmont several years ago while attending regional meetings. It’s quite expensive and I was told that at the time they gave us a really good rate during a period where they were trying to increase their occupancy rate. It is still one of the nicest hotels I’ve ever stayed in.

On the equator at the foot of Mt. Kenya.

We had a drink and a snack and then walked around the beautiful grounds situated at the base of Mt. Kenya before heading home.

It was a nice escape for a few days, but we were now in the countdown to the end of the holidays, the return to school and to our routines.

* * *