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Africa
Gift Idea for Bookish Travellers, Part 1
12/12/09 12:47
My Maasai Life
By Robin Wiszowaty
Me to We Books; 316 Pages; $22.95
At 21, Robin Wiszowaty bid farewell to malls, SUV’s and household debates about Frosted Flakes vs. Cap’n Crunch and said hello to bare feet, true communal living and cabbage.
In My Maasai Life, Wiszowaty takes the reader along on her transformative journey from suburban Chicago to rural Kenya. At first an overwhelmed outsider who barely speaks the language, Wiszowaty sticks it out for an entire year, ultimately gaining acceptance in a traditional Maasai family.
“I wasn’t treated as a visitor, I was treated as a Maasai daughter,” says Wiszowaty, on the phone with The Citizen.
Far from a dry travelogue, Wiszowaty’s story is compelling, charming and tear-jerking at times. Though her quest for personal escape soon turns into a lifelong commitment to international development (Wiszowaty is currently the Kenya Program Director with Toronto-based Free the Children), My Maasai Life never seems contrived or overly preachy. Read More...
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A Taste of ... Morocco
10/01/09 13:45
What is it? A bowl full of snails
Where is it? Morocco
Describe it? As the sun sets over Marrakech, the main square (Djemma el Fna) springs to life as an outdoor food court. Smoke dominates the air, vendors sing their praises of their stalls and many stomach-challenging delicacies are on offer. One of the cheapest is a big steaming bowl full of snails in a spicy broth. Wielding a toothpick, you extract the slimy creatures from their shells, try to avoid gazing into their sad little faces and give your mandible a workout – oh yes, they’re chewy little suckers.
How much? Pocket change.
From my food and drink column in