University of Virginia Library

American Women

Hasmukh's family is
considered upper class in
Kenya, yet his mother would
feed the entire family of eight
on a dollar a day. Each day she
would go to the market place
to buy fresh produce, but
Hasmukh said he had never
tasted meat until he had come
abroad, according to religious
practices in Kenya. His first
exposure came with a baloney
sandwich on a plane over
Chicago.

Automobiles, on the other
hand, cost twice as much in
Kenya than in the U.S.
Hasmukh's brother drives a
three-year-old Mustang, a
$6,000 car in Kenya.

He expressed his
amazement at government
health programs in the states.
"You're taking care of your
blind people," he said
excitedly. Braille is unheard of
in Kenya, as are any programs
for the handicapped.

Hasmukh had some
unfavorable comments about
American women. He thought
they were, "rather arrogant,
selfish, and stupid, but very
exciting." When asked how he
came to this conclusion, he
answered it was "just
observing."

It took him 2½ years to
adjust to the American sense of
humor. "My classmates used to
enjoy getting me embarrassed."
He said no one would explain
the dirty jokes to him.