Dressed in our Sunday best, or at least the nicest dresses in our suitcases, we headed off. I assumed the first building with a steeple was our destination, to which Dorothy replied 'no, dear, that's a cult.' After a short drive, we finally arrived at the correct church, which had dozens of dressed up children running around - too cute.
The singing had already begun, so we slipped in and took our seats to the side. Although I didn't understand the lyrics, the melody was quite catchy and I found myself humming along. Aunty Terry seems quite amused by the fact that I join in with the dancing, especially because I'm not even always sure why we are dancing in the first place.
The church was having a carol service, and their choir beautifully harmonised everything from Away in a Manger to The First Noel. When the announcements were being done, the pastor welcomed any visitors. Dorothy whispered to me 'everyone's looking at you,' to which i replied, 'i know, they always are.' Only then did I realize that I was supposed to be standing. Why she didn't just tell me to stand in the first place instead of being so cryptic, I don't know, but I was up on my feet in a shot. A guest speaker from America then explained the importance of Jesus being born of a virgin, and the service ended with the choir singing We Wish You a Merry Christmas.
Outside, Dee introduced me to even more of her family. I'm beginning to wonder if there are many kenyans she isn't related to. Maybe Obama is a distant cousin of hers as well?
When we finally finished greeting everyone, we headed to town for lunch. Aunty Margaret, Tony's mom, joined us at a chinese place, where they had bbq chicken wings for a starter (only in Africa). Dee and I had a laugh at the menu, which listed chicken and pork dishes under the vegetarian section. We eventually managed to place an order for a dish without meat, which we enjoyed amidst animated conversation.
Afterwards, we decided to attempt bargain hunting at the market again. This time, though, we were armed with Aunty Terry's powerful negotiating skills. Despite the fact that the vendors were less passive than those at the first market we'd been to, she managed to work them down to a fraction of their original selling price, much lower than we had managed. At one point though, she sent me away to sit in the shade with Aunty Margaret. Apparently my very presence was driving the cost of items up. Dee and I each walked off with gorgeous beaded handbags, which we celebrated with ice cream.
That night we relaxed at home watching soap operas on tv. It's quite an amusing way to pass the time here. Originally in Spanish, they've been dubbed into English. Between the overdone theatrics, long dramatic pauses, and unsynchronised lip movements, the shows are good for a giggle. Then there are the vicious theats to 'boil one another in their own soups' said with such serious facial expressions that you cannot help but laugh. Funniest of all, though, might be how Dee and her family muse over the events on screen, deciding who deserves their fate and wondering what some characters were thinking. Never a dull moment in Nairobi :)
