Talking about inspiration

After seven months in Nairobi, Touching down on my amazing homeland in the fabulous NYC was an incredible, invigorating feeling. I cake here on my way home to visit one of my best friends Jessica kalweit who works for an incredible company-Bespoke Global- representing artists Worldwide whos ingenuity is second to none. It has not only been fabulous to get to be with her and all the creative inspiration she brings to the table, but beautiful to be in such an inspirational city. Having been here less than 24hours i am amazed by the art and creativity all around.
Maybe it's part and parcel to the fact that everyone is crammed into tiny spaces that the value of every inch is enhanced. Therefore everywhere you look someone thought and that nook or cranny, and made its beauty and attributes shine! Or for as far as street art goes, maybe it's trying to shine brighter in a city of jewels.
Here are just a few pictures from myd first day...
From Jess' office, to artists airing out their recent work, poinient street art, interesting design features or patterns inlayed into sidewalks, everywhere you turn, there us something to ignite your sense for curiosity!

Best east African model

SFW AWARDS 2012

Now is the time!
Vote because he's chizzled. Vote because of his fierce gaze. Vote because he is one handsome piece of man!! Or for his big toothy smile:-D
Vote team Emo Rugene for Best East African model!

Never know

You just never know when something will change your life... Not that anything has happened lately, at least nothing I have noticed, but always every day you are shifting. I am sitting and enjoying my quite weekend after 4 months of fabulous change, incredible work, devastating lose and the introduction of beautiful souls in my ever flavorful life.
I miss my friends and family but also I am constantly overwhelmed with the fact that my fortune in life is incomparable to my past most imagined thoughts of a beautiful life for me.
Kenya is incredible! I still cannot put my finger on it but it might start with the fabulous people, the multi-cultural experience every day, feeling the shifting and movement in an entire economy, or even the constant greater awareness to my surroundings. I am so...there are really no words. But it is something like lucky or fortunate. It overwhelms me with close to tears almost everyday just being so amazed by life.
A recap of this week:
-I started in Nyali, Mombasa on site where me and my favorite electrical contractor and java project manager met at the Moi international airport drinking 100shilling beers awaiting the riots to subside (a prominent Muslim leader had been assassinated so Muslim youths were rioting his death, as only one would expect) MONDAY
- next,on site all day which is always exhilarating and exhausting at the same time. Then it was the same waiting game letting the riots die down so I could get to the airport and back to Nairobi. Apparently the mombasians do not care to riot at night nor in the morning. They can only sustain about 4 hours on average of protest and church burning, then they need to sleep. Disclaimer: All Kenyans confirm this observation. TUESADAY
-So much work, but a friend tore me from my desk to get a beer and some dinner :) that was nice and needed WEDNESDAY
-working soo hard prepping for a meeting Friday and as my dad would say 'putting out fires'. THURSDAY
-during the following work day, I gained a big score for little old me when I received great accolades from my big boss in the way I conducted myself in a meeting
That night settling in with a book, headed to sleep, my friend Diana surprised me, so then I invited my friend Claudia and we had some wine. The two were able to support each other with the recent deaths of their mothers--this may have been one of those life changing moments for them and for me, I realized I could be a conduit, which made me very proud. FRIDAY
- my amazing friend Caroline set me up with the best facial lady (sandie), so I started my morning with beauty and relaxation. Then plopped myself at the village market, discovery new and enjoying old places I have found. Landing finally at beautiful ArtCafe. Never knowing what life will present to me SATURDAY

How to say I love you

I had a tiny pink slip in my in tray the other day from POSTA the Kenyan Post office.  Our office messenger, Simon - wonderful Simon, takes these slips to the post office and brings back your goodies. 
I didn't know who or where it was from.  To my fabulous surprise it was a package from the States from my wonderful friend Lindsay.  Words cannot describe how happy, special and loved it made me feel!!  I could not, and would not fight back my tears of utter joy.  She decorated a box with SoCal nostalgia which was awesome!! AND I absolutely needed a box for all my pens and things but could not find one here in Kenya -- little did I know that the one I needed was coming with love oozing out of it, from Miss Lindz!  It is filled with magazine articles that I cannot wait to devourer this weekend, lotion, anti-bacterial gel :), Princess lip gloss :D, some candy I will eat after lunch! and a Feng Shui charm for happiness.
Love love love, so much love is all I can say!  Lindsay - you have brought me so much happiness which makes that charm even stronger!
Thank you Lindsay for being an amazing friend and keeping in touch even though 180degrees of the planet separates us!  I love you!!!

It's official - I AM KENYAN

I just got this email copied to the whole office and I am so proud and happy of my new heritage!!

Team,

Due to her great love for PIL & MOJO and Kenya at large Alexandra Girot has been baptized to Alex Mwende. Join us in rejoicing her kenyanized Name.

Regards

Kaloki

  

Meaning:

MWENDE in our local our Kamba culture is synonymous to love and is a name given to a lady who is loved by everyone. The fabric of love in her keeps all family team united always and she loves to see all united as one.

Four Firsts in One Sunday

1- my friend Joel who works in the building where I live, and his friend Godfrey, took me to their church. It was in Kawangware (classified as a slum) there was singing and dancing and a whole lot of swahili I didn't understand. It was fabulous!!
2 - they took me on my first matatu ride. Matatus are the closest thing to public transportation in Kenya but they cram people into these vans and go off roading through the traffic.
3 - finally I had nyama choma (BBQ) and it just so happened to be goat meat, that was surprisingly better than imagined!
4 - with everything Joel and Godfrey shared with me today, I treated them to FroYo at Planet Yogurt. They loved it and have declared to work very hard so that they can bring their children back (when they have them)

Driving into Kawangware (can you see the goats I am about to eat?)

Joel (Pronounced Jo-elle) on the left and Godfrey on the Right

Our Goat being cut up.  Ugali on the right and chips front and center

Only in pictures have I seen Joel stop smiling...haha

Mark - The Best African Friend a Girl could Ask For

Just over one month ago, I sat in a French Style Cafe in Mombasa trying to filter caffeine through my blood so as to counter act my hang over and I felt so at home.  I was washed over by the thought:
Every step has led me to this point
I am exactly where I am supposed to be
One week later my best friend here died.  Mark -- The best friend anyone could have, but especially a girl who just moved from the other side of the planet, joined a complicated company and living without her protective circle and ready to Adventure! He was gone. Just like that.  Friday I talk to him at almost 6pm and Saturday by 2 or 3pm I get the call.
It is rare that you find a friend you can work with every day, go out for dinner and drinks during the week, travel on the weekends laughing all along the way.
I am so happy that I was to ever meet someone like Mark: Bigger than life, funnier than all get out, connoisseur of the finer things in life, an avid explorador, an outdoors man, an entrepreneur at heart, a tell-it-as-it-is realist, a perfectionist and all around helpful heart to anyone he met.
One of the best parts for me was that our relationship compared to any other men I have been friends with was so different.  We could actually just be friends and just be coworkers.  If anything,it was like having a an amazing older brother who i loved and loved to experience life with.
His death was sudden an tragic, and something I was not ready for, but of course, good bad or ugly, everything happens for a reason.  Though I am still not 100% why he was taken away, I know that the Universe will unfold itself in explanation some day.
As a positive, I was able to be a shoulder to cry on and an Ambassadress to Nairobi for his Mom and Sister.  Difficult is not even the word to describe how horrible each day was, but fortunately the nights were all ended just as Mark would have wanted, with great dinners, South African Chardonnay from 2008 only, and laughs until we cried.  (there was even some air guitar peppered in there)
Also, I gained 2 beautiful members to my family, Megan and Lynne.
My and  Mark's favorite cab drivers, Charles and Msembe were a salvation through the hard times as well.  Charles keeps saying to "keep keeping on".  And I know Mark would have liked that, since he would tell everyone missing him that we mustn't let this stop us and have to keep moving forward (or something of the sort).
Lastly, what makes me so happy is that the first night I was with his family I was compelled to say after dinner "we must take some shots!  Shots of Sambucca!!"  That we did.  and as Lynne took photos of Megan and myself acting ridiculous, a purple light kept appearing over my head!  That was Mark 100%  Even the table where we ate the night of his memorial, I happened to take a picture of at a dinner a few weeks later and purple glowed clear as day.  I knew he would have loved that place!

So I miss him every single day.  I am still a bit angry with him for leaving, but I know he is constructing the most fabulous vacation property on the most magical beach for all of us he loved, waiting with Chardonnay 2008 in hand and beautiful people everywhere!!  And when I do think of what this perfectionist thought reaching the other side, it always puts a smile on my face because I am sure he looked back and simply said, "SHIT!"
:) works every time!

Mark haggling with the man selling us chickens to BBQ while camping in Sagana

I love this picture of Mark shaking hands with a local little boy

Mark and his sister Megan (stolen from your Facebook - Thanks Megan! my new sister!)

Let the purple reign!  Some 2008 Chardonnay for you Mark

A beautiful quote from my friend Austen Montero so fits Mark's impact:

Dine on Laughs and Love on Wine.

Let all the wonder and magic always be a part of you.