Beautiful Feet: The Calm Before the Storm

Anticipating that this week would end up being filled with uncertainty as to how Kenyans would act at the voting polls and after elections, a few of us girls took advantage of our weekend before and had a mini-vacation! The students at Uhuru Academy left the school for election holiday on Friday so we had no work to do! Luckily, there is this outdoor shopping "center" in Nairobi called Toi Market where a bunch of individuals come and sell the American and European clothing they receive from ex-patriates and short term mission groups. LADIES, ITS AMERICAN CLOTHES THAT ARE IN STYLE FOR WAY UNDER THE PRICE. The only catch is you have to go searching through piles and all the little huts to find some treasures but we spend all day shopping anyway right?? So, Christine (my roommate), Caitlyn (our director of education, American), Lydiah (a Kenyan Uhuru staff member), Jody (Tim our field director's wife), and I all decided to make a trip last friday! It was fun just to go somewhere with us girls and buy some clothes since we werent allowed to bring much on the plane! Here are a few pictures of what we got!

Everything you see in these pictures was found in Toi Market....for like 90% off.. LOVE IT! Anyway, on Sunday, Christine, Caitlyn, and I went to church that morning and then went to this place called River Cafe. It's in Nairobi near our church and according to Caitlyn's husband it is very delicious! It's all outdoors with a nice little patio and seating area in a beautiful garden! The food was amazing too and I got my first burger since being in kenya that had meat in it! I was very satisfied with my BBQ hamburger and french fries (all gourmet of course) and we may or may not have ordered nachos as an appetizer as well.....SO GOOD!! Then, we ventured on over to Village Market, where we normally go after church, and went to a cute little jewelry store called Kazuri which means "small and beautiful". All of their jewelry is handcrafted and painted and so elegant :) Here are some pictures of the restaurant and our little Sunday afternoon outing!

The architecture was very rustic but fit in well with the surrounding garden. Almost like a tree house!

Christine and Caitlyn in their new dresses from Toi Market!

Caitlyn and I (my new dress too)

My roommate, Christine, and I

All three of us after our delicious meal heading out to the garden :)

Our view while eating!

Then, on Monday Caitlyn, Christine, and I met some of our friends from church at the Windsor Country Club to do some lounging! This was the same day as the elections but the results were not supposed to be released for a while after so we felt safe venturing into Nairobi. The Windsor is this country club owned by Europeans so we just went and hung out by the pool and stuffed our faces all day. It was our last official day to relax before elections so we wanted to do something FUN and surprisingly, it was not expensive. So, we arrived around 10:30 that morning and while Christine and Caitlyn took advantage of the nice gym, I relaxed beside the pool and read. Then our friends, two married couples in their 20s came. We ate lunch beside the pool (I got BBQ wings and celery sticks!!! Missed them!) and got roasted in the sun! All in all a successsful and relaxing election day!Here are a few pictures of the Windsor!

The golf course

The pool area

The view from the dining patio

Their cool, little shrubery

Christine and Caitlyn relaxing in our PADDED lounge chairs!

Some more of the pool area and just behind it the bar and dining patio.

Christine and I hanging out by the pool

Caitlyn and Christine excited for the scrumptious food!

Maybe a little over excited.....

Caitlyn and I!

After we left the Windsor, we were feeling burnt but well rested! We had such a wonderful time that weekend getting to relax with no worries before the looming elections. Currently, we are still waiting on the votes to be counted and announced but all is well in Limuru for now. I will be posting an elections aftermath blog and pray that I have only good and peaceful things to say about Kenyans reactions to whoever wins. We are praying for peace and anti-tribalism and that Kenya would unite as nation under One God! We are also praying for our students as they went home for the election holiday and that they would return safely back to school on Monday! Same for the teachers and guards! Kenya is such a wonderful and beautiful place and we are praying for it to be restored to that beauty and peace this elections. More to come soon!

One last thing...... I LOVE ANIMALS AND GOT TO TAKE SOME PICTURES WITH MY NEIGHBORS LIVESTOCK LIKE THE ANIMAL SCIENCE NERD I AM :) ENJOY!