Surprise Dinner Guests

Last night I prepared beef for dinner. Usually, I prepare ugali alongside for George. However, Herbert called and said Emily was preparing chapatti for us so there was no need for ugali. Herbert said they would send over the chapatti soon. What we didn't know was that Herbert and his wife were bringing it and would be joining us for dinner!

Because it's just me and George and we don't have a fridge, we prepared a small amount of food. When it looked they were going to stay, I looked at George and whispered, do we offer food? He said yes and helped me pull it together in the kitchen. He thought of offering "appetizers" to fill their stomach before we served the beef. So, he put out bananas and banana pancakes that I had made earlier. Then we put out the beef to have with the chapatti they brought.

I was worried that it wasn't going to be enough, but it was. They said they were full after and enjoyed the food which made me happy. We had a really nice time and I'm glad they came for dinner. It was just one of those moments where I thought, this is so different from the US! We would never just show up for dinner without calling or planning ahead.

When I tried to plan dinner in Kisumu, I would ask George who would be there so I knew how much to cook. He would tell me, no matter what I cook, we'll make it work for whoever shows up. That's how it's done in Africa. Whoever shows up, you give them what you have. No one gets annoyed or bent out of shape when people show up unexpectedly - because it can happen a lot. Last night was a good reminder for me to be flexible and hospitable even when not prepared. Even though it's so different than what I am used to, I love Africa for the way they welcome and serve people. It's a very selfless, relaxed culture that I need to be more like.