Meeting More Cousins

This past week, I've been spending a lot of time exploring around downtown Vancouver. I'm pretty sure I can get any where now, without getting lost.

Vancouver is an amazing city. There is so much to do, and so many things to see, I barely have time to do anything! Last week, my aunt was working a lot, so I had a chance to hang out with a lot of my other family. I met up with my cousin Salina, who, if y'all remember Sabrina from Arusha, is Sabrina's older sister. She is my age and we had a great time at this delicious dessert place called True Confections. They have the biggest and best cake slices I've ever had. Every time I go, I always get the toasted almond cake slice.

Toasted almond cake and a white chocolate martini! What more could I ask for?!

Salina ordered a flour less Belgium chocolate cake with hazelnut and a Bailey's hot chocolate. Yummy!!

She and I had a great time together. It is so nice to have a cousin who is the same age as me and living just a 10 minute walk away!

On Thursday (March 20th) I spent the entire day with my cousin Tamiz. He picked me up in the morning and took me out to breakfast.

Salmon eggs benedict. 

Then we went to tour the UBC campus. Oh my gosh. It is huge! It's a city within itself! And such a gorgeous campus. It seems like a great place.

 While we were in his office, he showed me all the records he has. Look what I found...

I may or may not have freaked out. Way too cool!!

After he showed me the ins and outs of being a professor and all of UBC, we went to hang out at the beach. It was such a nice day (which is pretty rare since this is the season for rain) and we couldn't let it go to waste. I got some gorgeous pictures of the beach and the scenery. Vancouver is such a beautiful city. But it's hard to appreciate all the beauty when the sky is grey and the entire city is drowning in rain.

It is crazy to think that only three months of the year, do people really come out to enjoy the beach.

After spending the day at the beach talking and catching up, we headed back to his condo to have dinner with his wife Jamila and their cute son Zak.

The last time I had seen Zak he was only a couple months old. Now he is 3 and so big!

He is almost as big as me! And only 3 years old!

He is such a cutie! And I am now known as "Auntie Kash", hehe!

We had a great dinner, and I was so happy to meet up with my cousins and see Zak!

Well, I'm in Canadia!

Hey y'all.

So, I've been missing for a while and that is because I made a very spontaneous decision to buy a one way ticket to Vancouver, B.C. I wasn't really sure how to start this blog post. But there ya go! I'm in the Great White North.

Now, this trip isn't just for no reason. I'm in Vancouver to tour UBC (University of British Columbia) and to visit all of my family up here. Most of my cousins I haven't seen in years and I'm really excited to finally see them again!

I've also decided to be a bit more touristy while here. I've been to Canada (or as I like to call it Canadia) almost every year since before I can remember. (I'm a dual citizen and most of my family lives up here).

I arrived Friday night (March 14th) and was picked up by my aunt Salma and my cousin Isiah. We just hung out and got every thing settled. I love her apartment. It is the coolest place ever. Right in the middle of downtown Vancouver and with an amazing view!

The view from her apartment. So amazing!

On Saturday, we went out to Burnaby (which is just east of Vancouver) to do some grocery shopping and walk around in this huge mall called Metrotown. Holy moly, that place was intimidating. It just didn't seem to end. 

While we were shopping, my cousin and I decided to take some selfies.

Yep, he is a cutie. And so funny! At one point, I told him that I was going to introduce him to rap music and he said (and I quote) "who is rap? - is he a friend?" Yeah, I know. He is the best!

Under the number sign, to the right…are the buns! 

On Sunday, we walked to Chinatown and got the most amazing coconut buns I have ever had. It was at this hole in a wall bakery, and man oh man are these things delicious! We got there at the perfect time too because right after we ordered a dozen, the bakery was full of people and there were only three buns left! 

There they are. In all their glory!

So good. Every time I come to B.C. I always crave any kind of Asian food because they have the most authentic! (Apart from actual China, South Korea, Vietnam, or Thailand…hehe).

Then, we dropped off Isiah to his dads and went to explore the downtown mall with my other aunt Shaira. So much shopping! And walking! My feet were dead. 

Monday, I just hung around and made plans for the rest of the week. I was also researching what to do for next week since Isiah will be home the whole time with us! 

But today, I took the sky train down to Richmond, which is suburb in Vancouver to meet up with my aunt Shaira. We took a drive to Steveston Village, which is where Once Upon A Time is filmed. We walked around and then had lunch at this amazing sushi place. 

That's about all to Steveston Village

The sushi we had was delicious. We had arrived just in time because the restaurant was closing at 2. We ordered and got our yummy "boxes", which had quite a bit of food.

Tempura, salad (the white square bowl), sushi, sashimi, chicken and miso soup.

All with complimentary tea. We had gotten there so close to closing that by the time we were done with our food, we were the last ones in the restaurant. The place was completely empty.

Like a ghost town…um, restaurant...

I also got a picture of the guy behind the counter making the rolls, but he doesn't look too happy hehe. He saw me taking a picture of him and then when my aunt told him I was from Texas he smiled and said "welcome to Canada!"How wonderful.

Not too happy, eh?

Once we finished, Shaira dropped me back to the station and I took a ride home. I even saw a guy wearing a Texas jersey. I was going to approach him but up here people freak out when you randomly talk to them. 

But so far, so good! It hasn't been too cold and it's only rained once (if you don't count misting).

Street Kids

Since I've been back, what I've noticed I talk about most of my experience in East Africa is what I saw on the streets. 

Now I know, my experience was a much better one than most people. I didn't get robbed, I was lucky enough to have family to meet up with the entire time, and I had all the advantages of being a tourist along with living there. But I still saw things and had my eyes opened to what problems occur in the third world. 

I don't think people realize how lucky they are to live in the West. And I also don't think telling people from here how lucky they are will change things.

When I was volunteering at the National Library, the driver would take me through one of the bad parts of town. Every morning and every afternoon we would go down the same street. And each day, the sights never ceased to stop amazing me.

I will try my best to describe the scene but I don't know if it will do any justice.

We would turn onto a side street cluttered with shacks and people. Music would be blasting, people would be doing their daily business and then to my right, there was a huge sewer ditch. On the edge of the concrete were kids. All along the side. Just laying there.

They were all high. One of the big problems in Kenya and Tanzania is glue. These kids sniff it to get high and remain addicted.

Every time I passed them the same thought would go through my mind; No one cares. They pass by these kids and act as if it is nothing. Those kids are born on the streets, die on the streets and no one cares or knows.

When I talked to people about it, they viewed it as a nuisance. Like a weed in a flower garden.

No one wants to do anything because it isn't "their problem", the governement doesn't have the means or the money to set up programs for these kids (unlike the United States and most of the Western world).

I learned, from a friend Brian, that there is a way for these kids to get out. But they are brainwashed by a "street father" - basically a pimp who keeps them high and asking for money.  At night the police will do a sweep to try and catch these kids if they have no where to sleep. If these kids are caught they will get sent to an orphanage where they will be disciplined and sent to school. They have a chance to change, but the discipline is what keeps them away.

I see all these news stories about helping our homeless and new programs and I just think to myself, the homeless in the West are lucky. They have options. Lots of options. They can turn their lives around. People here care about them and want to help. 

Things I Haven't Posted

I've always tried to be consistent with my posts through out my travels, but every now and then some details would slip my mind. Or I didn't think they would work with the post that I was drafting at the time, so I would write a little note and forget about it.

Since I have been back home, I have been researching to figure out where to go next. I have a lot of notes about where to go and who to contact and as I was going through them I came across the list of "things I haven't blogged". (Yeah, it was labeled like that).

A lot of these said things on the list are not that important and I won't dwell on them. But there were a few that really stuck out and though it has been a month since I have come home, I want to write about them.

When we finally arrived to Nairobi (the first time), as my father and I were getting a taxi, we noticed these very "American" tourists (two men) who were completely over whelmed by all the locals trying to get their business. At one point they even lost each other. Dad and I laughed to ourselves and got into the taxi.

When we arrived to the hotel where we were meeting my grandfather's friend, five minutes after us came those two very "American" men. They were filling out a form at the hotel and one of the men, a bigger guy, reaches to the question "where are you from?" and proceeds to very loudly state: "TEXAS!"

When my father and I heard that we couldn't help but get excited. My dad asked the man where he was from and it turned out he didn't live that far from us. Just imagine, the chances of meeting some one from where you are.

We were just chatting about what in heavens name we were all doing in Kenya, (I mean think about it. A couple Texans in Kenya? That sounds like a recipe for trouble.) When they heard my story, the bigger man almost swelled with pride. He was so happy to learn of what I was doing.

And much like that other man I had mentioned in my "Art of Making Friends" post - the Welsh man- this Texan really made me realize how amazing people are. He didn't say much but he told me how proud he was that a young Texan like myself was doing a trip like this, and he wished me all the best.

I'm not one for superstitions, but looking back, I think that man really brought me good luck. Every now and then during my travels I would go back to that encounter and just remember that there was another person from Texas who was rooting for me and was proud of what I was doing.

A person I will probably never see again. A person whose name I don't know. A person who reminded me how proud I am to be from Texas. A person who, from the very beginning, gave me motivation to never look back.

Back in Nairobi

I've been a little M.I.A for the past couple weeks because I've returned home...temporarily...

As y'all know, we took a road trip to Nairobi. 

Asif and Sabri went back to Arusha and I stayed in Nairobi with Julie Aunty and Nizar Uncle. My cousin Rahim, Julie Aunty's son, lives here as well with his wife Shirlei (who is Brazilian) and daughter Shazia. 

Shazia is the cutest little mixed baby I've ever seen! She has gorgeous curls and lovely olive skin. She understands both Portuguese and English (she and Shirlei go to Brazil for a couple months every year). 

Ain't she the cutest??? 

Last Saturday (January 4th), Shirlei, Sana (Asif's girlfriend) and I went out for a girls night. 

We went to this hotel called Sankara to the upstairs lounge. They had a live band that played great music so we stayed for quite a while. 

Shazia, Shirlei and I have been spending the past couple of days together before they leave for Dubai. We've been going to all the big malls here, which are just like malls in America. Maybe better! 

On one of the days that we were together, we went to "the market". Which is just a place where all the people who receive donations from Goodwill and such are out selling what has been donated. 

The best part about this place is you can find the most expensive brands, barely used, for cheap. And when I say cheap, I mean a dollar or so. 

We came across on stall where I found a Topshop shirt. And I got it for 100 bob, which is about $1.50. 

On Wednesday (January 8th) we went back to Village market, which I'm not sure if I wrote about before. I had gone with dad to get a phone there, but today we just went for lunch and to let Shazia play. 

That's the courtyard outside for the foodcourt. Such a great place! 

It was their last day in Nairobi so we made sure Shazie had a good time. 

Since then, my stay has been very low key. And now that I've returned home the next couple of posts will be more about reflection and some of the things I haven't blogged about. 

New Year in Nairobi

Happy New Year! 

Sabri, Asif and I took a road trip from Arusha to Nairobi on Sunday in order to spend New Years here. 

The road trip was pretty uneventful, but the scenery was beautiful! 

We arrived in Nairobi at 8 ish and went for poussin chicken at a place called Stavros. It was the most spicy I have ever had in my life. I was tearing up but I couldn't stop it! It was sooo good! 

But then on Monday we just did some errands and went to an Indian restaurant for lunch called Ashiana. 

There is a lassi. 

That's called Thali and I couldn't even finish it. 

And my favorite Indian dessert! Gulab Jamun!! 

So then on New Year's Eve, Sabri and I just relaxed all day. 

We went to a restaurant called Sevens for dinner and dancing with a huge group. 

There's us at the restaurant. 

We had steak, calamari and a delicious brownie!

Over all it was a great night! The DJ got better as the night went on so I went and danced quite a bit!