Stargardt changed my table manners. Fortunately, the customs in Kenya suit me in that regard.
As a Stargardtien, the sense of listening is more important than vision. The sounds around you can tell you much about what is going on. Even if you just sit on the porch of your house. The following newsletter features an audio recording of a typical Sunday in Nyahururu.
This is a short one: Recently I met a friend who works in adult education. The new semester had just started and due to the current COVID-situation, the students were required to wear masks. My friend mentioned how difficult it is to recognize his new students and learn their names because of those masks. Well, for a Stargardtien this is the steady-state: Even when people don't wear masks they are difficult to recognize.
I recently noticed that the majority of the time I am walking around Nyahururu with my head bowed down. This has nothing to do with my state of mind, rather the nature of the ground demands my full attention.
I've been here in Nyahururu for two years now and sometimes I still get the question of how I dealt with the culture shock. My answer is usually: Sorry, but I didn't encounter that one yet. Now I've found out how a culture shock expresses itself and read things like "Adaptation to the unknown", "Feelings of insecurity" or "Orientation systems". Doesn't that sound like Stargardt?