Leader Spotlight

John Linsley has been a leader on Putney’s Community Service program in Tanzania for the past three summers. John is keeping very busy these days, pursuing a graduate degree in International Relations and taking advantage of this winter’s above-average snowfall on alpine skis. We caught up with John recently, and learned a lot about East African cuisine, wildlife, and vernacular in the process. “Ninakushukuru,” John!

You can now view a complete list of our leaders from summer 2007 including their bios on our web site at Summer 2007 Leader Bios.

PST: What are some of your favorite East African foods?  Any stories about food experiences you’d like to share?

JL: Without question, my favorite East African foods are samosa (pastry shell filled with meat, vegetables, onions, and spices), and chapati (tortilla like bread).  And, two other treats are freshly cooked cabbage and sugarcane.  Once in Kenya, I enjoyed goat head soup while at a Kikuyu wedding celebration.

PST: What inspired you to pursue International Relations and East African studies?

JL: From a young age, I had been drawn to the African landscape, dreamed of a safari, and the opportunity to travel and explore culture in a different corner of the world.  Then, at seventeen, while waiting to be called for my interview in the lobby of the admissions building at St. Lawrence University, I picked up a pamphlet of study abroad programs and was immediately struck by their Kenya Semester Program.  Deciding on a college was easy!  And, it was during my years at St. Lawrence that my professors and fellow students inspired me to pursue an ‘international’ career, with an African twist of course      

PST: We know that you are currently at graduate school. Do you plan on incorporating East Africa into your future?  

JL: Definitely!  I plan to work with development and humanitarian issues in East Africa either with an organization or the U.S. government.  Throughout my career, I hope to share my work with high school and college students studying in East Africa.  

PST: What are the three most important "Survival Swahili" phrases?

JL: “Kwaheri ya kuonana” or “Tutaonana” both ways of saying “goodbye till we see each other again” (very important since a simple goodbye implies a permanent goodbye to the East African ear, and that is not part of their culture).

“Tafadhali, ningependa …” to say politely at a market, shop, or restaurant, “I would like …”

“Asante” or “Ninakushukuru” both ways of saying “thank you.”

PST: You’ve led the Tanzania program a few years in a row.  What is the animal on safari that still amazes you beyond belief?

JL: I can watch a herd of zebra for hours.  The maze of black and white, and the way the herd moves in unison, still amaze me.   

PST: If you could share one unique thing about East Africa that travelers should know, what would it be?