Happy Thanksgiving from Nairobi! I spent my night indulging at Onami Japanese Restaurant and Grill.
Sushi hand-rolls and sparkling red wine from Onami
Apple tart with homemade ice cream and caramel sauce from Onami.
Cheers! xo
-s
Happy Thanksgiving!
Author Archives: sarahvbowling
Learning to live with me
I came to Kenya with close to no expectations. I really didn’t know what to expect in terms of environment, culture, living-situation, climate, people or really anything. As my time here winds down, I am leaving with a different view about myself. This experience has been life changing for me, but I think, not in the way you would expect. I’m not leaving with a new view of the world. I haven’t decided to give up all consumerism things at the realization that very few people in this world are able to even consider buying something just because they feel like it. And I haven’t been humbled. Growing up in America, everywhere you look there is some sort of foundation for those in need. There is no shortage of awareness of how lucky you are to be born into a rich country. For me, I haven’t been shocked at what I’ve seen here. Maybe it’s me being selfish, I don’t know, but what has been most life changing for me is learning to live with myself.
I came to this country without so much as a familiar face to rely on. At home, I am constantly surrounded by familiar friends and family and after recently moving from a house with six people, living alone felt…well lonely. I admit, the first month here for me was really hard. I found myself wallowing in my loneliness, but I got past it. I started to meet people, get out and even make some friends. More than anything, I feel confidence. Confidence in my independence, personality and self. Coming somewhere I knew no one was the best thing I could have done for myself. It has helped me grow and learn to live with who I am.
xo
-s
From Safari Dancers to REAL Safari Animals
Two weekends ago I went to an amazing show called Safari Cat Dancers and Acrobats and it was fantastic, but this last weekend I opted for a real safari through Lake Nukuru National Park. Here are some of my favorite pictures from the trip…
Vifaru (Rhino) and Nyati (Buffalo)
Flamingos
pundamilia (zebra, but directly translates to “donkey with stripes”)
View from Baboon Lookout
Nyani (Baboon)
View from Out of Africa Lookout
xo
-s
Luxury Bazaar
Last weekend Dormans was one of the vendors at a Luxury Bazaar that featured catering, fine wine, gourmet food, high fashion, designer cosmetics, eco furniture and live music. I was pleasantly surprised that this Kenya Concierge guided event was handing out free Rift Valley Leather bracelets and champagne at the door. While perusing around, champagne in hand, I tried pie from KOS Delights, got a foot massage from Nothing Like It, tried Browns Cheese and jellies, drank Sierra beer and Kenyan made wine, had sushi from Talisman restaurant and checked out MIA designs. I, of course, also enjoyed Dormans, who was handing out coffee samples and selling a special blend of espresso. They were also selling coffee accessories, spices, salts and chocolate. Every time I passed by, I was happy to see that there was a line of people waiting for coffee samples.
I heard people saying that the bazaar wasn’t very big, but I liked the intimate setting under a tent as the Nairobi rain misted the outside.
The entrance to the Luxury Bazaar
Talisman sushi making
Inside the Luxury Bazaar
Browns Cheese
Dormans Coffee – Happy workers!
xo
-s
Tuesday Shoesday: Boots with the Fur
Several years ago, UGG was notorious for their “Classic Boot”. Companies around the world were creating knockoffs and everyone I know probably still has a pair, real or fake. The real UGGs are made sturdy, with soft shearling insides and last an awful long time. For me, the classic UGG boot is more of a large house slipper than a fashion statement, but to each their own.
UGG Australia “Classic Tall” Boot in Chestnut
Photo from: Nordstrom.com
While many variations of the classic UGG are still in the market and selling like hotcakes (my personal favorite: the ones with sequins), I have been pleased to see UGG branch out in the last few years. They have been creating some really great, high-quality boots and shoes made of more than just shearling, but fine leathers. One of my personal favorites that is out now is the UGG “Foxley”- made with leather and genuine lamb fur. Is there really any other boot that better fits the “boots with the fur” description? I think not.
UGG Australia “Foxley” Boot
Found at Nordstrom for $499.95
xoxo
-s
Safari Cat Dancers and Acrobats
Last night I went to Safari Park Hotel for dinner and a show. To start, the hotel is amazing. It has beautiful grounds and includes six restaurants, a casino and a nightclub. I visited the Nyama Choma Ranch where they have a large variety of meats that are cooked in a massive barbeque at the entrance of the restaurant and the chefs walk around and serve you off the skewer. I tried the lamb, beef, pork ribs, crocodile, ostrich and goat.
The menu at Nyama Choma
One of the chefs at Nyama Choma and the giant BBQ filled with meat
Getting my first piece of meat (pork ribs)
After dinner, there was a really fun show of dancing and acrobatics that was on the stage right in the restaurant. From my table, I was basically front row. The acrobats were my favorite, doing tricks like standing four people tall on each other’s shoulders and limboing under a flaming stick. After the show, I sheepishly went on stage for a photo-op with the performers.
Safari Cat Dancers
Fire Limbo!
With the Safari Cats
All in all, it was a really fun night! I would definitely recommend, that if you are visiting Nairobi, you go to Safari Park Hotel’s Nyama Chroma for dinner and see the Safari Cat Dancers and Acrobats. The performance is every Saturday night at 9pm and the show is 500 KSH or free with dinner.
xo
-s
Night Shift
Manufacturing is a tough environment. You rely so heavily on you’re suppliers to get you what you need to produce what the customers want. If you can’t supply the customers immediately, they aren’t going to want to wait and they will go somewhere else for the business. Luckily for Dormans, our Customers are pretty loyal and they WILL wait for backorders, which is exactly what many of them have had to do for our top selling blend, 3K.
Our packaging supplier got delayed on delivering almost two months, which dropping our stock down to zero. Once the packaging material was delivered, there was only one option to catch up on stock: night shift. Starting early this week, our roaster, grinder and packager have been running almost 24 hours a day. This will most likely continue for several weeks until we are back on track. Among many negative factors of the night shift, such as cost, I am missing some of my buddies during the day that had to switch to the night shift for the time being.
Hurry up and get the stocks up guys!
-s
Maasai Market
Today, I visited Maasai Market in Nairobi and was pretty overwhelmed. The bright colors everywhere are what immediately catch your attention and the range of product is immense. There is handmade jewelry, baskets, bags, clothes, wooden kitchen utensils and much more. However, the place is covered in “brokers” who take you around and tell you ridiculous prices for everything. One tried selling me an item for 15000 KSH and I easily talked him down to 1500 KSH. The brokers at the market have some pretty unique marketing tactics too, one told me that a particular piece I was looking at was so special it could be put in a museum when I was finished with it. Luckily, I am a hard bargainer and got some great deals (I think?). I left feeling pretty exhausted from all the bargaining and intense badgering. Be warned: Maasai Market is not the place to go for leisure shopping.
Hope I can fit all the goods in my suitcase on the way home!
xoxo
-s
Kikoys from Mombasa
Last weekend, I had the pleasure of visiting the beautiful coast of Kenya-Diani Beach, Mombasa. I got a chance to get out of the city with some truly genuine people and found what has become one of my favorite Kenya souvenirs-the kikoy. They can be used as a sarong, wrap, head cover, towel, scarf, blanket or really anything you want. For awhile, I was accidentally calling them kiokos, which incidentally is a common African last name and was causing a lot of confusion when I was asking the women on the beach if they were selling Kiokos….
Several of the kikoys I bought at Diani Beach
Kikoys can be bought for about 500 ksh (roughly $6.50) with some bargaining. The ones that I especially love with towels sewn on one side (shown in photo above-purple stripe one side, solid purple towel other) can be bought for about 900 ksh (roughly $10.50) with some serious bargaining. One late afternoon on the beach, on the suggestion of my new friend, Philip, I took a picture of the women who sell the kikoys leaving after a days work.
I think this picture is really beautiful.
Thank you for the kikoys, women of Kenya.
I am planning another trip to the coast in November, it is safe to say I will be on the lookout for more kikoys.
xoxo
-s
Developing a Taste for Coffee
I have been a regular coffee drinker for almost seven years. The year I got my drivers license, I cruised through coffee stands ordering lattes like I had been doing it for years. I drank lattes all through high school, but when I got to college my budget shifted and I needed a cheaper drink. I switched to americanos and drip coffees with milk added. Still, I think I never have devolved a real taste for distinguishing the difference between blends and roasts. One of the quality specialist at Dormans Coffee has challenged me to develop this taste. Each day, when they are quality testing, (called cupping) he calls me to come taste the coffee too. Today, I tried our Espresso and Suprema blends side-by-side and then the dark vs. medium roast Suprema blend. He tells me that before I leave he is going to test me with all of the coffees (thirteen blends in all) and have me guess which is which.
Hope I am up for the challenge!
xoxo
-s