Monday, May 20, 2013

Market Monday

I’ve decided that Mondays are Mondays wherever in the world you are. Mondays around here are very busy and very unpredictable. But I actually really enjoy the meetings, getting back into a routine after the weekend, seeing people who hadn’t been around the few days before, etc. It’s nice. One of my favorite things about Mondays, though, is that it’s Market Day! Every Monday morning, our baby house cook, Christine, goes to the vegetable market in town and brings back a huge sackful of beautiful fruits and vegetables. Gigantic carrots, bunches of kale, pretty mangoes, potatoes right out of the ground. It’s beautiful and all locally grown. Kenya has awesome produce. 


This morning, I spent some time on the kitchen floor, peeling plantains and potatoes with two of the aunties (we may or may not have spent more time singing and laughing and talking than actually working... but really, what’s new?) 




I LOVE Market Mondays. And so the toddlers - who doesn't want extra snacks?!


P.S. Is Deli not the most beautiful girl you've ever seen?


Happy Monday!

Monday, May 13, 2013

Coastin'

Last week, a few friends and I took a short trip to the coast. Two are starting grad school soon, another was going home for a not-so-fun visit, and I just needed a break and a tan (priorities, am I right?) So we decided very last-minute to head to Mombasa for a few days, and we left literally the next day. Our trip was low-key, but still really fun. We stayed in Ukunda, maybe 100 meters from the beach and just a ferry-ride away from Mombasa town. We swam in the Indian Ocean, rode camels on the shore, gave up on having cute hair and just wore top-knots (the humidity over there is brutal... I forgot how much I DON’T miss humidity), toured and shopped around Mombasa town, laid by the pool, got sunburnt, visited friends and their new house, ate a lot of dark chocolate, and did absolutely no work. It was so nice to have a mini-getaway in such a beautiful place with good friends. Unfortunately, I got very few pictures from this trip. I had my camera out for maybe 30 seconds on the beach and got sand in every crevice (and really didn't want it getting stolen or wet on the rainy days), and my phone doesn't take the best photos :( But here are a few:

We flew on a teeny tiny 12-passenger plane

Praise the Lord for beaches

Old Town shopping

Thrift find. Anthopologie rip-off?

Camel ride! Not comfortable, but still really cool

Thank you to everyone who donated money specifically for fun and breaks. Here’s to feeling refreshed!