New Years
on Mike in Mombassa (Kenya), 04/Jan/2009 17:57, 34 days ago
So, on the menu for the dinner party wasMain course 1: Potato and chick pea curry;Main course 2: Curry with green beans, baby sweetcorn, onions, sugar snaps and garlicDessert: Banana split (with pineapple) and coffee/Tea10 people came. we ate late, 7:30ish. It all went down well. We headed out to a night club (Il Covo) for a bit of bopping after but didn't stay long. I did get chatted up by a local girl called Amy who insisted I didn't have an Irish accent so I must be Dutch. Apparently the Dutch and Kenyans are very alike. I never did quite find out why.For the next two days I didn't do much bar reading and cooking and cleaning and talking to friends and family on the phone. Thankfully I had my phone working again. The family stayed up till late at my brother Matt's house on Christmas Day. Everyone seems to have had a good Christmas.The journey to Voi was uneventful. Spent most of it sending NY's text. After getting settled we bought some booze, collected some volunteers from the Nairobi bus, and on to Chris's gaff for the party.It was an interesting dynamic as the African contingent were mostly men and the volunteer contingent mostly women. Chris hosted the party masterfully ensuring all enjoyed themselves. A dance off around midnight included a short piece of Irish dancing. My only excuse is that I had been drinking. I would have probably drunk more if my bottle of whiskey hadn't mysteriously evapourated.The night ended with a brisk walk down the red hills of Voi to a warm bed.After a day recovering it was time to get back to reality. We fought the travelling crowds and eventually made it back to Mombasa. I was anxious to get back to work and a daily routine.M.Cultural LearningHomosexuality is still illegal in Kenya. Female Genital Mutilation is not illegal (even though Kenya is signed up to UN Human Rights bill). Neither is mentioned in polite conversation. Of course I heard both discussed at the New Years Party.No I don't want my picture taken right now. (Lamu)On the rooftop with the Canadian volunteersMe and Tali on the porchSending new year text. I look tanned in this but it is probably as much to do with all the red dust in voi.The dance off.