"In Kenya, chicken is special," Mamboleo says, adding that chicken was once one of her favorite foods. But at the Freshman Union, she says, "every day we have chicken, chicken, chicken" and now she is sick of it. She says she has not sampled the dining service's lasagna, another of her favorite dishes, out of fear that she will lose her love for it.

"It's pretty difficult to adjust to the cold," Ndiaye says. "The wind is extremely terrible," Mamboleo says. But Frank W. Okhwatenie, a Kenyan graduate student here on a cultural exchange program, disagrees with their opinions of the Cambridge winter. "You are very lucky in America--you have seasons," he said, "Winter is fun."

Cultural differences can often result in humorous situations for foreign students. Ndiaye says that he did not originally realize that asking "How are you?" could simply be a form of greeting. He says that he would try to answer when people on the street would address him in this way and "while you start rambling about how you're doing, people are long gone."

But some differences cause more pain than amusement. Many of the African students say they are perturbed by the constant rivalry among their peers. "In every aspect of student life, there is cutthroat competition at one level or another," says Ndiaye. "There's so much pressure. The students don't have time to socialize," Okhwatenie says.

The African students said they were wary of becoming overly competitive, but that they feared it might be inevitable. "If I want to survive here, I might get caught up with that [competitiveness]," Mamboleo says.

Despite the problems of culture shock, most Africans are as involved in University activities as other undergraduates. Many belong to groups connected with Africa and international affairs, but their interests extend well beyond these fields.

Ndiaye has chaired a Phillips Brooks House service program for two years and has participated in junior varsity and intramural soccer. He was also a delegate to Harvard's Model United Nations where he was elected best delegate for his country's region. Mamboleo is running track and is a member of the International Relations Council, which teaches high school students about international relations. Okhwatenie is teaching a special class for the East African Folk Song Troupe.

Despite their difficulties with life at Harvard, most African students say they have no regrets about coming here. "My coming here is widening my view of looking at people and the whole world," Okhwatenie says. Harvard "accommodates all sorts of people. There is a lot of mixing of races, religions, and backgrounds," Mamboleo says. Asked if she has made the right decision in coming to Harvard, Mamboleo says, "definitely."

Many of the students say their American education is preparing them to assume special roles when they return to their homes. "I feel Kenya needs me. Kenya has got a problem where people go out of the country and never come back," says Mamboleo, who says she hopes to practise engineering or work for the United Nations.

"I think Ghana will need doctors," says Joseph O. Boakye '91, about his home. "I'm also interested in the affairs of Ghana, and as a doctor... I can give my views on issues, and I can be an influence in some way."

Taaka K. Awori '89, says she hopes to be a human rights worker in her native Uganda. She says she plans to return despite the fact that "the pay will be so minimal, it's amazing." She adds, "I just want to be home. I've been away for a long time."