siku kuu...day 2

On the second day of siku kuu we headed out to visit our friends and their baby at their home in a village about 30 minutes from us. These friends are dear to us. It just feels like God has blessed us so with their friendship. We knew the man from 7 years ago when we built homes here for Habitat for Humanity and by an awesome miracle were able to catch back up when we moved here. He helped teach Jason Kiswahili, they study and talk together almost every week, and he has helped build our school as he is a skilled fundi. He got married and had his baby boy we have been a part of seeing their family grow and change. Their home is still in the process of being built but they always insist that they have us around for meals whenever there is an important holiday. Many people start building a home when they have some money but as often happens the building is delayed until they are able to get more funds. They still only have one room finished but since our last visit they added a small covering for the area where they cook and have made some progress on the bathroom as well. As soon as we arrived we were served hot chai and keki outside on the mat and then were asked what we wanted to eat (they said guest decide and they would cook what we wanted even though we said whatever they served was fabulous). After we all decided on pilau (spiced rice that his wife really cooks amazingly yummy) the men folk were off to buy ingredients while us women folk tended the watoto and got ready to cook. The first couple times we visited they would not allow me to help but this time she handed me a kanga (to wear to protect my clothes....as an aside I seriously do not know how women in the Western world survive without kangas...they are amazingly helpful! For example, Evy had a poop blowout on the drive over and ta-da- kanga to the rescue, they serve as towels, skirts, head coverings, baby slings, aprons, and the list could go on...i digress...). I was able to help as much as the kids would allow this visit. Despite the insane heat, lack of shade to be had, and opening a bottle of fermented hot sauce only to have the lid pop off and spray hot sauce ALL OVER MY FACE I really enjoyed cooking together (ok, the hot sauce part pretty much sucked especially with no running water). While we cooked Anni played with some watoto from the neighborhood who wandered over and Jason and his friend chatted. Evy was having some major teething issues and was pretty crabby. When a baby is crying here it is the responsibility of everyone in the vicinity to help:) and I so appreciate the community (although I swear my children DO NOT cry because they are not wearing socks but I have given up trying to make locals believe this :) After a bath in a washing basin to cool her down she finally fell asleep. We were there all day. Eating, visiting, talking, kid wrangling, and sharing.

Siku Kuu day 2 well spent if you ask me.


one of my jobs was to peel the heleke (cardamom) and smash it to bits in this coconut shell

the women folk get their cooking on....

Evy and Muddi (their baby's nickname) sleeping (ok, well he was sleeping Evy was more pulling his arms and fussing)

finally asleep...and again kanga to the rescue!

how sweet is he?

their family dressed in their siku kuu best and I just noticed the pili pili (hot pepper) bottle that caused all the trouble in the background :) nice.