Improving the World... One Interaction At A Time.
A Performers Guide to Cultural Interactions
By William Draven
As an actor at a major motion picture studio, and theme park in Hollywood, as well as a magician I frequently get the opportunity to entertain for from all over the world. A year ago or so a document was released within our entertainment department that outlined different countries, and some good information you can use to create meaningful, lasting encounters with their people.
I immediately saw the advantage of this information for the magician community because what are we if not entertainers? We can use just about any tool at our disposal to help create that one magic moment with our audience that can make it even that much more memorable. So I got permission to share the information with you. Of course this project will take some time to post up, so I'll be updating this based upon two factors. The first being how well received, and appreciated it is from you the community, and the second how relevant the community feels this information is as applied to their lives. That is to say if not encouraged, I won't keep it up. Otherwise, I'll post new threads titled: "Improving The World: {country name}" that that specific file relates to.
Without any further delay, I bring you our next country: Kenya
Country: Kenya
Continental Location: East Africa
What They Call Themselves: Kenyans
Primary Language: Swahili
Secondary Language: English
Prominent Cities: Nairobi [capital], Mombasa
Well Known Historical Sites: Mount Kenya (on the equator), Mount Kilimanjaro (on the southern border of neighboring Tanzania).
Currency: The Kenyan Shilling
Starter Phrases:
Hello: Habari Gani
Goodbye: Kwaheri
Welcome: Karibuni
Please: Tafadhali
Thank you: Asante
Cultural Notes:
Prominent People/ Celebrities: President Barack Obama’s father was Kenyan. Tom Morello (African-American guitarist, Rage Against the Machine( is a grand0nephew of Kenya’s first President Jomo Kenyatta.
-System of Government: Presidential Republic
-Kenya is a former British colony. Kenyans drive on the left hand side of the road.
-Most Kenyans speak Swahili & English
-Bordered to the East by the Indian Ocean and is roughly the size of Texas, Kenya is directly on the equator.
-“Out of Africa” (Universal Studio’s Oscar winning film starring Meryl Streep & Robert Redford) was written by Karen Blixen under the pen name Isak Dinesen, while she lived in Kenya, 1937. Blixen was a Dutch Baroness.
-The Maasai Warriors are part of the small semi-nomadic Maasai tribe from Kenya’s interior.
-Safaris are popular tourist activity in Kenya. They are known for wildlife reservs featuring the blue wildebeest, lions, rhinoceros, giraffes, leapards, and African elephants.
-Although not explicitly Kenyan, the Star Trek character Lieutenant Uhura has a Swahili name. Uhura means “freedom.”
-Hakuna Matata is Swahili for “no worries.”
-The name of the wooden block game “Jenga” is derived from the Swahili verb “to build.”
-World & Olympic champion long –distance runners are consistently produced by Kenya. With 14 medals, Kenya was the most successful African nation at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. They also dominated the Boston Marathon with male and female runners.
What To Avoid:
Mention of its colonial past and recent elections which have resulted in turmoil.
A Performers Guide to Cultural Interactions
By William Draven
As an actor at a major motion picture studio, and theme park in Hollywood, as well as a magician I frequently get the opportunity to entertain for from all over the world. A year ago or so a document was released within our entertainment department that outlined different countries, and some good information you can use to create meaningful, lasting encounters with their people.
I immediately saw the advantage of this information for the magician community because what are we if not entertainers? We can use just about any tool at our disposal to help create that one magic moment with our audience that can make it even that much more memorable. So I got permission to share the information with you. Of course this project will take some time to post up, so I'll be updating this based upon two factors. The first being how well received, and appreciated it is from you the community, and the second how relevant the community feels this information is as applied to their lives. That is to say if not encouraged, I won't keep it up. Otherwise, I'll post new threads titled: "Improving The World: {country name}" that that specific file relates to.
Without any further delay, I bring you our next country: Kenya
Country: Kenya
Continental Location: East Africa
What They Call Themselves: Kenyans
Primary Language: Swahili
Secondary Language: English
Prominent Cities: Nairobi [capital], Mombasa
Well Known Historical Sites: Mount Kenya (on the equator), Mount Kilimanjaro (on the southern border of neighboring Tanzania).
Currency: The Kenyan Shilling
Starter Phrases:
Hello: Habari Gani
Goodbye: Kwaheri
Welcome: Karibuni
Please: Tafadhali
Thank you: Asante
Cultural Notes:
Prominent People/ Celebrities: President Barack Obama’s father was Kenyan. Tom Morello (African-American guitarist, Rage Against the Machine( is a grand0nephew of Kenya’s first President Jomo Kenyatta.
-System of Government: Presidential Republic
-Kenya is a former British colony. Kenyans drive on the left hand side of the road.
-Most Kenyans speak Swahili & English
-Bordered to the East by the Indian Ocean and is roughly the size of Texas, Kenya is directly on the equator.
-“Out of Africa” (Universal Studio’s Oscar winning film starring Meryl Streep & Robert Redford) was written by Karen Blixen under the pen name Isak Dinesen, while she lived in Kenya, 1937. Blixen was a Dutch Baroness.
-The Maasai Warriors are part of the small semi-nomadic Maasai tribe from Kenya’s interior.
-Safaris are popular tourist activity in Kenya. They are known for wildlife reservs featuring the blue wildebeest, lions, rhinoceros, giraffes, leapards, and African elephants.
-Although not explicitly Kenyan, the Star Trek character Lieutenant Uhura has a Swahili name. Uhura means “freedom.”
-Hakuna Matata is Swahili for “no worries.”
-The name of the wooden block game “Jenga” is derived from the Swahili verb “to build.”
-World & Olympic champion long –distance runners are consistently produced by Kenya. With 14 medals, Kenya was the most successful African nation at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. They also dominated the Boston Marathon with male and female runners.
What To Avoid:
Mention of its colonial past and recent elections which have resulted in turmoil.