Birthday Celebration

Today I hosted a birthday party for David, a friend of mine. I had wanted to make something American for all my guests, but with only a basic gas stove I decided to stick with something easy: stew, chapati & ugali. A friend of his, Nightingale, came over early to help me cook. I really enjoyed talking to her, especially when I discovered she was in a long-distance relationship herself. We exchanged dreams, hopes & concerns, and I found it very therapeutic to find commonalities.

The guests trickled in. The other volunteers came over first, including my roommate Will, as well as Andrea, Rachel, Brian & Katie. My two friends who played field hockey came over, Cathy & Njeri. Then finally David's friends came over: Sara, his girlfriend, Ken and James. Surprisingly, we had more than enough food to share with the guards! People mingled and ate, before we shut out the lights and I announced David as if he were a Chicago Bulls player. We made him dance for us for quite some time before we served dessert: coke floats. So at least they got something American.

Later we moved the party to the Klub House, or K1; a nice, two-level bar nearby made of large wooden beams. I split my time talking with my friends, playing pool with James, dancing with da ladies (sorry, no pics) and watching my favorite team, Barcelona, kick the tar out of Real Madrid, 3-0. And to top it all off, the bar tab was just over $20 for nine people! I must say, it was a fabulous night.

Apparently, Kenyans don't make a big deal out of birthdays. Marriages and funerals are a much bigger deal, as they are in the States, but birthdays not at all. It was David's 23rd birthday, and his first birthday celebration. I was more than happy to share it with him and our friends.