Safari Day and the Synergy of Game Life
Semira Bakare
In Swahili, ‘safari’ means journey. I loved the smooth drive that stretched for countless kilometers west of Monduli. Our destination was Tarangire National Park.
The rolling hills of dry land were backgrounded by the rhythmic chants of the Orkeeswa students around me, and eventually of myself. The first animals we saw today were a large pack wildebeests. Our tour guide then showed us baobab trees with fat trunks and finger-like branches. The next sighting was a battle. Two antelopes fought with intertwined horns; my camera captured the lean muscle of the waifish animals. After many minutes of driving through the park, we were placed in harmony:
- Zebras
- Wildebeests
- Giraffes
- Boars
The protective synergy of these animals goes as follows:
The giraffes use their necks, tall and slender, to anticipate the arrival of a predator. This advantage trickles down to even the smallest of animals, boars. Zebras, too, provide immense protection. Their white stripes illuminate the night, easing the poor sight of wildebeests. Their coats also give an effective distraction in large groups.
Kayla and I realized that elephants look like old men, and that a camera cannot effectively display the magic of a giraffe. Mongoose called ‘Kwaheri’ to our vehicles when we left the park. As we sucked on baobab seeds and their white powder stained our shirts, children chased after our bus begging for food.
Tonight a smaller group of us played a game called mafia, an interactive storytelling-murder-mystery game. Laurie promised us that on Tuesday she would lead the story. We were all anticipating a colorful narrative, and she delivered even more than that. The game featured Hamlet allusions, compelling red-herrings, and almost-successful murderers (Nolan and Dr. Chung!). Our safari today was not confined to the limits of the Tarangire. It extended to the time we spent together on the journey back, at the campfire, and our marvelous game of mafia!
