Masai Village

I guess the anthropologist in me is more irritable than the zoologist. We pulled up at a Masai village, along with 2 other cars, about 100 mtrs off the road leading from the crater to the Serengeti plains.

We forked out the preset flat fee of $50 per car and prepared our self for our place amongst the culturally aware citizens of the world. We would soon be able to talk about the day in the life of the tribesman over cocktails and nod along with a "but of course" look on our face when someone brings up the issues facing the modern Masai.

Of course, I kid.

We were shown and encouraged to join in a dance that had stopped being an expression of joy a long time ago, shown the insides of a hut, had some tawdry jewelry pushed on us and were finally asked for a tip.

I learnt nothing. Though the whole exercise did fill me with disgust; I guess that's something.

It was not the 'Masai' that I found unbearable in their contrived re-enactment of old traditions, but rather the visitors who will go home and opine over the Masai life and its challenges. The most appalling thing was a room where they had herded all the kids so they could break into a "spontaneous" song at the sight of a foreigner and, of course, a lady who'd request a dollar or two just as you are "aww"-ing over the cutesy song and dance the kids were taught instead of their times tables. The kids started singing as soon as one spotted us 2 mtrs from the window and I had to turn around and race the other way. People were walking out with big grins on their faces feeling they had just been a silent witness to an average day at the 'kindergarten'. The sad part is, considering how many cars they get everyday, this really is the average day at the kindergarten - sitting still until a tourist walks in and singing a song until he/she hands over a dollar to the lady and walks out. It's not the Masai's fault, we encourage this crap.

Understanding a culture takes years and not $50 and half an hour jumping around as part of some dance. It's obnoxious, insulting to think otherwise.

The young kid who showed us around the house said we could ask any question. I asked some lame ones, the answers to which he pretty much made up. These are questions I should have asked:

- What do you do for fun?
- What is the biggest problem facing the village?
- How would you solve it?
- What do you want to be when you grow up?
- What questions do you want to ask me?

Who cares about which bed the female sleeps in with her kid and or what they use to thatch the huts.

Enough of my "holier that thou" rant. If you go to the Serengeti, skip the 30 mins Masai village detour and save yourself some self respect.