The Kenyan Brigade

On Saturday we had a meeting with a group of people I like to call the "Kenyan Brigade." It's a group made up of Kenyans who are living in the Moshi area. Someone came up with the idea of getting everyone together to meet each other. There are many similarities between Kenya and Tanzania, but we never forget that we are foreigners here. Sometime, foreigners can be targets for problems so it's good to have a support group. If someone is in need, they now have a group of people to reach out to for help.

Saturday was the party day. It began around 1:00pm and went until the wee hours of the morning. People stayed long just to talk and socialize with people from their own country. Many of us had met for the first time, but instantly had a connection because we are Kenyan (I am included in that since my husband and son are Kenyan). I understand how they feel. Whenever I meet a fellow American here, I instantly feel bonded, even if we are quite different.

At the party there was a lot of roasted goat, beef and chicken. Everyone pitched in to make a nice meal happen. Eli and I left around 6:00pm, but I heard the crowd really turned out later in the evening. I enjoyed meeting people. I met one lady who went to school in San Diego and even lived in Carlsbad. It was so nice to talk about it. Eli was wearing a Chargers jersey (thank you Mom!) which she recognized and got us talking. Eli had a blast running around with other kids. He plays a bit rough though, so we had to keep a close eye on him to make sure he wasn't too aggressive. He thinks he can play with kids like he plays with Nala.

It was a great day. Now we have a whole new network of friends!

(PS. I went on an errand with a friend's wife and drove our car across town for the time. I was a bit nervous as cars drive on the left here and there are roundabouts, not stop lights. Fortunately it went great. It felt good to drive again. I missed it so much. George is the primary driver in our house, but it's good to know that I can do it if needed.)