To be able to visit my Cũcũ's (Grandmother) in her home in Githunguri, Kenya, for Christmas, felt especially meaningful this year given the pandemic's toll on the world, and its spotlighting the vulnerability of our grandparents. We walked around the farm “just as we always do when we visit” but this time, I found myself paying more attention: to the ground, to our languages, Kiswahili and Kikuyu; to the flowers, leaves, birds. It felt like the spaces between each avocado tree, and the stillness between our conversations, were silently teaching me to revel in these little moments with family."

 
The piece aims to preserve these moments in sound. Random recordings from the day weave into one another; melodies paint the experience of the farm. Then, I recite a poem I penned soon after the visit that says, in Kiswahili: “I am learning, slowly."

Music, Words and Mixing/Sound Design Nyokabi Kariũki

Translation  Aušra Bagočiūnaitė

Subtitles Ignė Narbutaitė
Animation Emilija Juzeliūnaitė

Awards  HearSay 2021 Create Art Award