Last word
On Cultural Hegemony
# FREEPIK
Ochieng was not having a good day . He was standing behind the door of the class where he had been ordered to stand in disgrace and wearing a silly conical hat written ‘ dunce ’ because he had failed a quiz on general knowledge .
The class teacher was telling the students that he couldn ’ t understand how Ochieng could fail to answer correctly to very simple questions and to further humiliate him he asked him again which was the first day of the week .
When Ochieng replied that Saturday was the first day of the week , the teacher asked with mock seriousness which calendar Ochieng used as the class burst into peals of laughter as they corrected him in unison that Monday was the first day of the week .
The teacher , obviously enjoying the light moment , decided to ask Ochieng to be the teacher for the moment and explain to the class from which planet he came from and to also let the class know from where he got his outlandish answers from .
Ochieng self-consciously explained that since the Swahili word for Monday was Jumatatu , which actually means day three and inferring backwards Jumapili means day two and Jumamosi means day one hence Saturday must be the first day of the week .
Stumped , the teacher recovered quickly and reminded Ochieng that the medium of instruction was English and the quiz was in English , to which Ochieng asked whether facts changed depending of which language one was speaking .
To distract from the awkward situation the teacher asked the class another question that Ochieng had got wrong . How many continents are there in the world to which the class answered again in unison that there were seven .
The teacher then asked Ochieng what he had written as his answer to which he replied six . The teacher then decided to ask Ochieng to name his continents so that the other students , as a class they could correct him .
Fidgetingly Ochieng , in a low voice explained that he had read that all the continents started with the letter A and they were Asia , Americas ( North and South connected by the isthmus of Panama ), Africa , Australia and Antarctica
The teacher then triumphantly turned to the class and asked them to assist Ochieng with the continent he had missed to which they gleefully chimed as Europe . With a glint of defiance Ochieng retorted that Europe was not a continent .
In an irritable tone the teacher sarcastically informed the class that Ochieng wished to rewrite geography and reform the days of the week and asked Ochieng what magical powers he had that were going to make Europe vanish .
Ochieng wasn ’ t sure that he should speak but summoning some courage born of the fact that he was annoyed that the class was having a hilarious time at his expense , he resolved to confront the teacher .
Ochieng told the teacher that he had taught them that a continent was a large landmass surrounded or almost surrounded by water hence the Americas separated by Panama and Asia and Africa separated by the isthmus of Suez .
Were Kenyans so brainwashed that they have not realized that they got nothing at independence but a change of guards . While a Kenyan is dying to exit Kenya for better pastures the white man is striving to come to a paradise called Kenya .
Although that incidence took place a long time ago , Ochieng ’ s hackles still rise at the thought that the teacher just dismissed him and asked him to read assignments more diligently and curb his tendency to daydream and create facts .
Ochieng was brought up on the Christian doctrine that even if you repeat a lie a thousand times it is still a lie but it
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