Published on 26/11/2010

By Shirley Ngenga (texte original)

Liza Mucheru-Wisner. If you still do not know who she is, Liza is the first Kenyan and African to get an opportunity to be a candidate on The Apprentice - a famous American show. On top of that, she is an entrepreneur, educational technologist, model, golfer, a passionate children’s education advocate, belly dancer instructor, a mother and wife.

"There was not so much culture shock; I just missed my family dearly. I come from a family of six. We are a very close-knit family and being away from home was a little hard for me," says Liza.

Kenya, she adds, is a great country, because of the rich cultural diversity.

"When I went to America I was the one bringing information on culture not the other way round," says Liza.

The Wisners:Liza, Dennis, Zaleik (older one) and Zamar.

It would seem she was well informed and was therefore spared the culture shock that many go through while in a foreign country.

The dating scene, too, was easy to deal with. She met her husband, Denis Wisner in campus where they were both students.

"We met at the University and hit it off immediately. His father is Irish but he grew up in Brooklyn. There was a connection I just could not explain," Liza laughs.

"He got all my Kenyan jokes, I do not know how. By our second date, I knew he was the one but we spent a great deal of time being best friends. We had so much in common. We were both spontaneous and enjoyed every moment with one another.

"We live in Texas but would wake up one day and decide to go to San Antonio. It was never about money or shopping, we just enjoy visiting new places. One moment it would be the parks and next, the beaches. We also loved camping despite being novices (laughs). It was so crazy how much we liked the same things effortlessly," says Liza.

While it was fun hanging out, this did not mean that they would automatically get hitched. Ironically, they cringed at the very thought of marriage.

"We would often joke that being best friends, marriage would ruin everything including the friendship we both cherished.

"I guess we were a little scared but at some point, everyone has to take the leap of faith," she asserts.

The Proposal

Liza and Denis eventually got married in March of 2004. At the time, Liza had just graduated and Denis had started his Masters degree.

"He did not propose; it was a mutual decision we both made. We felt that it was time. We were already living together and my mum was coming to visit. So one morning we got up, got dressed and went to get married. I wore a black sari, Denis wore a suit and we went to the courthouse and got married. What is even more interesting about that day is that shortly after the wedding, Denis was back in school while I went to work," says Liza.

Well, a happy couple it seems. Liza says the fact that they do things in a manner that keeps the other happy is the bond that binds them.

Marriage

"When my mother came over we were already married. Though I had told her before she arrived that I was married, I was still scared of her reaction. I had to give him a list of things to do and things not to do in front of my mother.

"The first night she came he cooked for her. When he left to go to the kitchen my mum whispered, ‘Uyu ni mwega muno (this is a good guy). They connected so well that I was the one who felt left out of place," says Liza with a laugh.

In 2006 the couple were blessed with a son, Zaleik and in 2008 they had Zamar.

When asked about her experience of an interracial marriage, Liza says it has been okay.

"Interracial marriages are generally accepted today. My family loves and accepts him. Although sometimes when we go to places together, people often assume that we are not together (laughs). At times, we go for shopping and the attendant assumes we are two separate customers," says Liza.

Marriage challenges

As a full-time Associate Director at ELITE Graduate Program, running her business, Texas Techies and a belly dancer instructor, life can get very crazy.

However, she always strives to make time for her children and family. She says when it comes to marriage, learning how to stay in love is the most important step.

"I fell in love with my husband eight years ago. It was definitely love at first sight! In our six years of marriage, I have learnt that staying in love is another thing all together. Simple things like having a detailed-weekly chores list on the refrigerator makes a world of difference," Liza asserts.

Unlike in Kenya where one can easily find someone to help at home, life is different in the US.

"You come from work and continue working. Because my husband and I have a duty roaster on everything, from cooking to washing to laundry, I can juggle my work around the house chores and not feel guilty indulging on the couch while he washes the dishes," she adds.

So busy is the couple such that besides the duty roaster, they also have their own Google Calender, which helps them, plan their time. "Sounds silly, but in a busy lifestyle, it’s usually in one ear and out through the other. I cannot even tell you how many arguments this calendar has saved," explains Liza.

Further, Liza believes that one has to be willing to work on their marriage, just like one works on everything else.

They have learnt a lot by trying out things advised for married couples especially from their church. Praying together is one thing they have taken up.

Recently, the couple read the book, Fall in Love and Stay In love. "We would read to each other; it was a bit awkward (laughs) at first but we learnt a lot."