The 28th Day- September

Rachel reminded me this morning that I owe a post. I am only finding a moment to type one out now. Where did September go???!! I am only left smh.

Well, I have decided that it makes more sense if I hit two birds with one stone by telling my September story with pictures and adding to my eidetic memory archives that I have neglected for a long time.

My friends and I sped off to the beach, after many moons and had an absolutely fantastic time...the pictures below captured some of the moments. I was buried in the sand as I have no worries about getting my hair in a mess seeing as I wash it every morning...That experience had me decided to dump my long held fantasy of getting down and dirty at the beach, allow sand in unmentionable places? no thanks.

I started a brand *spanking* new job on my birthday...picture that! :)...I am Senior Programme Officer-Oil at International Alert- Uganda and boy! what a team! I finally feel like I 'fit'...like I was made for this job, this job was made for me. I was blessed to head off to Jinja with all of them earlier this week and I fell even more in love with some of the most talented people in Uganda's civil society space. My gushing ends here :).

I spent nine days in Nairobi- the longest I have ever been in the city infamous for robbery,  the kibera slum, beer guzzling meat eaters and home of two l.o.v.e.l.y people I met in Ghana's GIMPA; Susan and David. I attended a wedding, visited a farm of rabbits, and ate many sumptuous dinners that have me struggling to fit in some of my clothes-damn, this over 25 weight that packs on so easy :(...

I made a friend. Paul Gitu. I am always amazed when this happens as I imagined that I would not be making friends at this point in my life. I wait to see how his God-sent role in my life will play out.

These men, really? I hahad...

funny faces

Viv & her yummy man :)

The crew...

I thought these kids looked so comfy and cool

Short of taking a swim in what has almost become 'pond Victoria' for all its murkiness and algae, we waded around. I suspect some skin issues I had to treat were brought on by this wading.

I do look like the FLOU, don't I?!

Viv thought spearing the cake was way cooler than cutting it...I am beginning to think she may need to be institutionalized, I tell you...

More cake 'slaughtering'

and then there was sand e.v.e.r.y.w.h.e.r.e!!!

Some good laughs with the 'resurrected' corpse...I was impressed by how nice I looked with 'as if' grey hair...looks like I am going to age gracefully, no? :)

Sankara Hotel Nairobi. This establishment is something else! As you can see above I was welcomed to my room with a message on my television...that bed was like jelly and it held me together so nicely...mehn! I am so going back soon!

It was nice to discover that Kenyan weddings are just as much a big deal as ours are in Uganda :). I met some fantastic people, did some major laughing and generally had a ball...The bride and groom, meanwhile, could g.r.o.o.v.e!! I was impressed.

Francilia...this little gal had me rolling with laughter on one of those Nairobi evenings...she is way wiser than her four years of age.

I thought the play on words here was brilliant :)

This church's name left me puzzled...

Nelson and his lovely kids took me around the family's farm. I was particularly fascinated by the rabbits. The kids seemed to love the rabbits as pets instead of a money making venture. I told their dad he had his work cut out for him :)

Random plane that Nelson's kids insisted I take a picture of

My dear Susan Wambui Muturi...she is yummy, no? We had some intriguing conversations that Friday evening

Susan's entertaining daughter Kimberly who is so like her in character it is like watching a mini Susan ran around

Bayimba Festival of Arts...this Tanzanian band took the day on the night I was there. I suspect the 'dancing queens' had a lot to do with its popularity :)

My new work family...absolutely fascinating individuals...This is only half the team as the other half felt too afraid to get on the water...

I thought the dancing lizard name of this raft was clever... above, I tried to capture the Ghandi monument. We were told the story of his ashes scattering  in such an interesting way by our boat guide...