Rita Laibuta: Personal and Professional Insights

As some of you may know, I sit on the Board of the Young Women Social Entrepreneurs (YWSE) Nairobi network. We host monthly dinners - "How she does it" - where we have women speakers come and talk to us about their professional journeys so far.

April's speaker was Rita Laibuta. She is an Electrical Engineer by training and the Energy Consultant for the French Development Agency on the DFID /EU - funded Green-mini Grid (GMG) Kenya program. She is implementing Mini-grids and productive use projects in Kenya therefore providing electricity to more than 13,000 households and businesses and supporting more than 10 privately owned Kenyan energy companies. Rita is a 2016 Mandela Washington Fellow and a 2013/14 Tullow Group Scholarship Scheme beneficiary. She loves promoting the development of renewable energy projects and advocates for entrepreneurship in Renewable Energy including participating in the British Council Entrepreneurial Africa London Showcase in 2016.

Rita shared a lot of great insights that she has picked up along the way on her personal and professional journey, and I thought that these were too good not to share! Some may be more specifically applicable to women, but I would encourage everyone to give this a read. Do you relate to any of these? Do you agree or disagree? I'd love to hear about it in the comments!

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A summary of the learnings picked up throughout my professional and personal life:

1. Battling the “impostor syndrome”: Every time I read my bio, I always wonder - who is this, and why is she lying to people? A lot of brilliant, accomplished women, including the COO of Facebook – Sheryl Sandberg, Shonda Rhymes (the founder of the production company Shonda Land and author of Year of Yes), Arese Ugwu (the author of the Smart Money Woman) and many others, talk about this annoying syndrome that plagues more women than men globally. Knowing that this said “syndrome” is not only affecting me but many other women out there has given me the confidence to own my successes.

We all have our failures, I have failed many times than I can count, but I have also achieved quite a lot. I am proud of my achievements and excited about how much more I will achieve in future. Re-reading my bio with the knowledge of this “syndrome” that affects many other women has helped me think to myself more and more that, “You know what? That is me. I deserve this. I did this.” I am learning to celebrate my successes and in turn, it helps me to celebrate the success of everyone around me, appreciating the fact that we are all on our different paths, and it does not hurt to pat each others' shoulders when we do good.

2. It’s all about the mindset – Life really is what you make of it - cliché, but it’s true for me. I have lived the typical negative Kenyan life. This was in me in highschool, in campus, until my friends in university - best friends to date - pointed this out. You know the talk: "there are no jobs”, “if you don’t know anyone you won’t go far”, “how do people get these things?”

I’ll tell you that it influenced this: my looking for a Masters scholarship until I got one (and no, I did not get a first class, so trust me, I was not applying while thinking I am the most brilliant Engineer in this country); applying for the Mandela Washington Fellowship (MWF), (I got rejected in 2015 by the way), but I was one of the 1000 Africans meeting Obama in the summer of 2016, in Washington DC! I had decided to apply every year until I got in.

I've been accused of living in a bubble. And I'll admit I love my bubble. The thing is, a positive and fluid mindset goes a long way, and it is a choice we have to deliberately make. We can today choose to see ourselves as winners in what we do or as victims of life, constantly wondering “How do they get those things (jobs, recognition, etc.)?"

3. On mentors and relationships – I am the type of person who, if stuck in a rut, will be googling a book on "how to get ahead in your career and relationships", “how to negotiate”, “how to become financially independent”, etc.

Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In spoke to a lot of my work related doubts. Thanks to Shonda Rhymes, I am more comfortable in inserting myself in uncomfortable situations, saying yes to requests that I would normally decline, like making public speeches; Outliers questioned my idea of what brings on success; Arese Ugwu, Robert Kiyosaki on money management, Stephen Covey is why I have a personal vision statement, Robert Greene has pretty scary laws.

My observation is that mentors do not only have to be people in our physical spaces. As an introvert, if the only option I had was to request total strangers to mentor me, I would have been depressed for sure. I have also learnt to look for groups with similar interests - you will always find these when you look for them.

And finally, I have found that mentors can be anyone around us; there is so much to learn from others. We have heard many times that we are the average of the people we surround ourselves with – I can safely brag that my circle is full of brilliant women and men. Women whom I learn from every day, women who have helped me be the woman I am today. So yes, it’s great to get that one figure that can mentor us in our various spaces, but if they are not easily accessible, look to learn from your surroundings, and books. And of course, what value are you adding to your circles? It is always a give and take. 

4. And finally on self-love – I believe that self-love is the beginning of it all. You can call me the self-love ambassador. I strongly believe that if we were all taught to love ourselves from an early age, this world would look very different. You will always know a woman who has learnt to love herself from her talk, her principles: and it's a process. Women: we are beautiful, we have so much to give, but we have to start by giving ourselves. We have to learn to celebrate our success. I have read that science supports the power of positive affirmations.

“Affirmations are basically a form of auto-suggestion, and when practiced deliberately and repeatedly, they reinforce chemical pathways in the brain, strengthening neural connections”.

Affirmations make me feel good about myself. And so as I wrap it up, my answer to how I do it is this, “I wake up every morning to my “I AM” affirmations – I am confident, loved, loveable, awesome, enough, unique, special, strong, joyous…I am my biggest fan.”

I urge every woman to be their biggest fans. With this mindset, we will continue to conquer our worlds.

Jahazi: Dar es Salaam Restaurant Review

At the Dar es Salaam Serena Hotel is a gorgeous little seafood place called Jahazi. I loved it so much that I ended up going twice within a span of a few weeks. This review mainly covers the first visit, but I will touch on the second one a little bit.

First of all, the ambience was absolutely GORGEOUS! Very deliberately designed, and there's no mistaking that you're in a seafood place while you're there. They had beautiful pictures up on the wall - I fell in love with one, and was quite sad that it wasn't for sale!

The picture I fell in love with is the one on the left

Jahazi is the kind of place where you're brought complimentary appetisers, sorbets and bread baskets, so that's already a plus!

Their bread basket was great! First of all - who doesn't love bread? Secondly, they brought a variety of butters, including garlic butter and seafood butter. I'm incredibly impressed by the self-control I displayed in NOT polishing off the whole thing and then being forced to run laps to fit in all the rest.

They brought us a prawn starter (apologies - wasn't on the menu, and I forgot to ask the name). While I'm not a huge seafood person, prawns I do love (see my main course later), and I quite liked this one! It was tasty and refreshing, without being too overpowering, and paired well with the mango that was slightly sour.

We then ordered some starters - the crab croquette and the calamari. The crab croquette, while being a tad overspiced, was very tasty. It had some mango pickle and clove, and a hint of a butternut taste. Definitely would order again.

The calamari on the other hand, was overspiced - too much pepper, and lacked multidimensionality. Would not order this one again.

After the appetiser, they brought us some sorbet. INSERT ALL THE HEART EMOJIS! I'm such a sorbet fan (I may or may not have been known to beg ask restaurants to just let me have the sorbet as a dessert), and theirs lived up to expectation, and then some. Lovely tropical flavours and great presentation, with the magic of just the right amount of sweetness = 100% on this one. (The pictures below are from both my visits.)

Let's move on to the mains, shall we?

The first time around, I ordered the prawns masala. OH. MY. GOODNESS. Two things I can honestly say the Serena in Dar es Salaam does better than ANYWHERE else I've ever been. One is their chilli paneer (yes, truly!), and the other is this prawns masala. I may just have to wax poetic here!

It was absolutely PERFECT. In the view of my (albeit limited) culinary expertise, I can say that there's nothing they could have done to make this dish better than it was. From the perfectly cooked accompanying basmati rice, to the fluffy and delicious chapati AND naans they served, to the spicy, flavourful and tangy curry itself - this was a match made in heaven. I daresay I'm quite in love and if any of you see me looking depressed in the near future - it'll be because of an unmet craving for this dish.

EVEN THE PICTURE SPARKLES

The second time around, I had to FORCE myself not to order this again, and to try something new - leading to my first ever crab experience! I ordered the chilli crab, and again, absolutely loved it! I didn't really have a crab baseline to compare this to, but I would order it again.

Food aside, the service was friendly. The chef came to ask for feedback - and actually listened and asked questions, which some restaurants absolutely fail to do! When we mentioned our grievances with the calamari, we were promised that this would be worked on. Yes, the place is a little pricier than your usual, but in my opinion, it was DEFINITELY worth it.

So, the next time you visit Dar es Salaam, you should definitely check out Jahazi! (And maybe order the prawn masala and send me pictures hey??)

Liked this post? Please feel free to comment and let me know!

The latest #restaurantreview is up! Link in bio - check out my review of #Jahazi at the Dar es Salaam Serena and find out which dish caused me to fall absolutely in love! . #foodie #foodiecam #foodblogger #igfood #foodporn #foodstagram #instafood #foodgasm #foodpics #kenyanblogger #kenyanfoodie #curry #prawns #crab #daressalaam

A post shared by The Kenyan Nomad (@kenyannomad) on Apr 7, 2018 at 3:22am PDT

A Letter to You

Today's guest post is from a beautiful person I know who has a story to tell - a story about love and heartbreak and what it feels like to be human. 

My love,

I once heard someone describing their heartbreak as physical pain they felt within their breast. I could not understand it and I could not comprehend how emotions and our physical being could become so synced by something as meagre as love.

The pain hit me right in the middle of my chest. It began as a tightening feeling and grew upwards to my throat and neck. Anxiety it threatened and misery it promised. It was actual physical pain and it felt like all the happiness from within my existence had vanished instantly. I thoroughly wish I was writing with extreme exaggeration - however, it seems this is why heartbreak is named as it is.

So many unanswered questions, so much yet to say and so many promises broken. “I’ll never leave” was the biggest lie we said. So much was so wrong with everything, yet everything seemed so right. Sense and practicality had taken a back seat because your smile was all I needed to forget myself. It seemed that reality had finally become better than those escaping dreams, for sleep was something we fought and every waking moment was drenched in the vibrancy of each other.

Many have presumed to have fully understood love. They say that you cannot have loved for this and that reason and condition, it is as though a rule book exists. I was once of that school of thought until I got knocked to the ground by love and all its grandeur. Love in all her magnificence and glory was too remarkable for me. I questioned her presence and I believed her loyalties lay more with you than me. Indeed I was wrong, for she was not just to either of us.

In a world far away, it would have just been me and you, me and you, just us two. However, life had something so alternative in store for us. We were never perfect for one another and no matter how much we tried to mold our shapes, these two pieces would not fit together. To love someone and for them to be your ever after are mutually exclusive, this we learnt the hard way.

In the night I can hear you call my name and in the day I can feel your smile dance on my skin. I remember every curve of your face and every hair within your beard especially the odd white ones which you hate but which I love so. I remember the sound of your laugh and the pain and sadness in your eyes as you reflected on what has passed, what is now and what is to come.

Love flowed deep within me although you doubted me and doubted my love, it was always there, however what I will admit was that I didn’t love myself enough to love you for everything you came with. Now, just like sand slipping through my fingers; I have to let you go for you were never mine to keep. You belong to the whirlwind of life and to those who have already claimed your love. You belong to someone who has enough strength to fix their own broken pieces as well as yours and who can carry the weight of the own heart and yours. I was never strong enough for the two of us.

The tears I constantly weep make no sense to me for I do not know if I am mourning the loss of you, or the loss of who I was when I was with you. The pain in my heart will continue to surface in the small moments of the day. My days will carry on as will yours, however I will always have those instants where I will stop with whatever I am doing and I will miss you terribly. For now that is my constant being.

Then a day will come, a day where my happily ever after will come and you will become a distant memory whose lines I can barely remember. The thought of forgetting you makes my heart ache and yet it gives me hope to know that someday my heart will be able to love again, and from the lessons I have learnt, it will indeed love wholly and fully.

For now, I leave you to the one who is the best of keepers, and I pray that wherever you are, whoever you may be with and however you may be that happiness will always find you. May all the hardships you have faced become easier and may every moment presented to you be filled with utmost beauty.

Forever yours,

A. 

The Garden Brunch Cafe: Nashville Restaurant Review

What's a reunion without brunch?




Asking ourselves this, 8 of us planned to do brunch the Sunday most of my friends were in town - 17th of December. The Garden Brunch Cafe was selected as our location, and so we headed there at about 9:45 am. Unfortunately, the cafe doesn't take reservations, so there was about a 30 to 40 minute wait for us - more for those who came after us. The weird thing is that they don't seat tables of more than 6, and all had to be present for us to be seated. This meant that 4 of us got a table first - and then 2 of us had to wait an ADDITIONAL 30 minutes for the last 2 to arrive to be seated. We weren't too happy about that, but by the time we were hungry enough that we just wanted some food - a good decision, since the food was great! The ambience was chic and modern, and not too busy.

I loved these centrepieces!

We decided to get a carafe of their mimosa for the table - mimosas make everything better, and you simply can't do brunch without them. Really silly, but I got excited about the fact that they spelt 'litre' with an 're' - you can see it in greater detail in the second picture.

I decided to get the fiesta omelette, with turkey sausage, green peppers, cheddar, onions, and jalapeno peppers, and a side of pancakes to share. One of my friends ordered the same, and the others got the french toast, and the breakfast bowl - scrambled eggs with cheddar cheese, a choice of bacon, sausage or ham, served over pan roasted potatoes - with an iced coffee.

Oddly enough, there was no cutlery on the table, and we had to ask for it. In fact, the service for such a popular place was slow and substandard - hopefully, this was just a one time thing. For example, one of our friends ordered a southern pecan flavoured black coffee. This came, but we had to ask for the cream, which took a while to bring. The same friend had asked for her omelette without onions - however, it came with.

Okay, back to the food. My omelette came with toast and grits. The grits were FANTASTIC. They were perfectly creamy, and I had to pace myself in order to avoid finishing them all in one bite! The fluffy pancakes also got a 10/10 - they were perfectly fluffy, and just slightly gooey in the centre. I absolutely LOVED them.

The omelette was good too - however, it wasn't closed, and the ingredients were cut really big! So this meant I had to take a bite of peppers separately, then sausage separately, and so on.

Fiesta omelette

My friend who ordered the french toast really liked it, and rated it among her 'top 5 french toast experiences'. The only thing she would've improved was to have her eggs come with some toast.

French toast with a side of eggs

My friend who ordered the breakfast bowl wasn't as pleased with his experience. While the flavours worked well individually, he felt that they didn't mix well together - it was like a deconstructed breakfast bowl. Everything was really big and chunky, and the eggs were a huge mass. However, he loved his iced coffee, which he ordered without whipped cream and deemed perfect. With a slight chocolatey flavour, it reminded him of a kid's drink from back in the day.

Breakfast bowl

Overall verdict - good food - I'd return for the grits and pancakes alone! However, service is in definite need of improvement. 

Bolton's Spicy Chicken and Fish: Nashville Restaurant Review

Nashville is famous for its hot chicken, and I'm definitely a fan from when I last visited. This time, my friends decided to take me to a place that does both hot chicken AND hot fish - it seemed like the perfect opportunity for a quick review.

Bolton's is a casual, hole in the wall place. It's known as a hidden gem - not one of the more popular hot chicken joints, but definitely worth it. You order up at a little window, and tell them which meat you want, with the desired spice level and sides desired. The cutlery and plates are plastic, and you seat yourselves.

Unfortunately, on the day we got there, they had run out of the other spices, and only had one level - light medium I believe? While I had wanted to try something spicier, I'm glad I didn't - this proved spicy enough for me!

I decided to get a chicken tenders plate, which came with two sides - I chose the mac and cheese, and fries. Most of my friends got the catfish, and loved it.

The chicken was AMAZING - and definitely spicy! However, the only complaint I had is that the spice is only on the outside - it would've been nice if it permeated through to the meat itself. The fries were amazing, with cajun seasoning, and the mac and cheese was absolutely PERFECT. It was peppery and creamy, and I'd love to get my hands on the recipe. The portion was more than generous, and despite the fact that I was starving when I got there, I wasn't able to finish.

Chicken tenders plate - the mac and cheese was under the paper

Verdict from my friends: the catfish was delicious! Aim low on the spices - and don't regret getting a drink.

Most of them got the green beans as a second side, which they loved.

I do intend to return when I'm next in Nashville - and maybe this time, I'll try something spicier!

Karambezi Café: Dar es Salaam Restaurant Review

Picture this - a lovely evening, the sound of waves crashing on the beach, the smell of salt in the air. Already perfect enough, but then you add in a restaurant serving excellent seafood - meet Karambezi cafe. Located right on the ocean cliff, with a gorgeous view of the ocean and the night sky, they definitely get a 10 on ambience.

We got a wine for the table - a lovely Chardonnay that went well with our selected appetiser, as well as all the seafood we got.

For starters, we all opted for the pull apart garlic bread. As they describe it, "home baked loaf served straight out of the oven covered in cheese and herb & garlic butter". Doesn't that make your mouth water?! The flavour more than lived up to the description - it was so good that we had to order more! It was like a cheesy dream - among the top 10 garlic breads I've had. Not only was it perfectly garlicky, but perfectly cheesy too. Don't be surprised if you find me there eating this as a main meal with some wine. The only thing that we weren't too pleased about was the fact that the home baked loaf wasn't as fresh as we'd have liked. 

For the mains, I got the Karambezi fish and chips - battered fillet of fish with peri peri & coconut served with garlic sauce. My colleagues got the seafood platter - lobster, prawns, calamari, line fish, Baby White Snapper, crab claws and other delicacies served with 3 sauces; the classic fish and chips - battered fillet of fish served with homemade tartar sauce; and the king prawns - grilled King prawns served with spicy cajun.

I really liked my fish and chips - however, the portion was HUGE and I wasn't able to finish. A certain garlic bread may have been to blame. The batter was thick and flavourful, and when it became clear that I wasn't going to be able to finish, I took to eating just the batter with the garlic sauce, and the tarter sauce, which I'd ordered as an extra.

Verdicts from my colleagues - quoted verbatim.

Seafood platter: GOOD. NICE! 

Seafood platter: The prawns were rubbery, but the platter was impressive. I liked the Tilapia best. The crab was perfectly done - however, it would've been nice to get a hammer.

Classic fish and chips: Well, in the end - I got the fish and chips that I wanted. (Strangely poetic, and we've used this to express our satisfaction in multiple other contexts now!) 

King prawns: Portions were too big. Big prawns aren't usually nice prawns. It was meant to be cajun, but just had a little sprinkle of paprika. 

Seafood platter

Karambezi cafe fish and chips

Overall verdict? I loved the place! I'd love to visit in the daytime, as I bet the view is just GORGEOUS. Have you been? What did you think?

Salt: Dar es Salaam Restaurant Review

Recently, I've been spending a bit of time in Dar es Salaam. I like the city - it's a sleepier, quieter version of Nairobi. Of course, there's no way I could be in a new city without doing a restaurant review, so I seized the opportunity one evening when we'd ventured out for dinner. Interestingly, we hadn't quite planned to go to Salt - we were actually planning to go to a Thai restaurant nearby. However, when we got there at around 8:00 pm, they were already closing (despite it not yet being closing hours). A little weird - and a little early to close for dinner, we thought! One of my colleagues had been to Salt before, and since it was in the same complex, we walked over. Located in Oyster Bay, an area close to the beach and known for good restaurants, we were happy enough to make the switch.

The decor of the restaurant was really cool. Rustic, eclectic - British - and easily adaptable to a casual afternoon or a more dressy dinner. It sounds weird, given that Dar es Salaam is so hot, but I think that a fireplace would go really well with the theme! Not that they'd need to use it, of course.

After perusing the menu, we ordered a bottle of wine for the table. This was the strange part - we ordered the Spier Chenin Blanc, but were told they didn't have it, and were offered the Spier Sauvignon Blanc. A few moments later, we were offered the Chenin Blanc - seems as though the waiter was a little confused! 

We decided to get a few starters before the main meal, which turned out to be a great decision - their starters were amazing, and easily eclipsed the entrees! I ordered the beer battered calamari, while my colleagues got the baked baby brie with garlic bread, the Greek salad, and the prawn cocktail. 

Beer battered calamari

The calamari was amazing - definitely an A+ from me! It was fresh, and flavourful, and the batter was light and crispy. The accompanying sauce was sweet and spicy, and perfectly complemented the dish. The baked brie was "heaven", according to the colleague who ordered it. The Greek salad was proclaimed to be among the top 3 salads they'd tried. However, the prawn cocktail proved to be overwhelmingly rich, and wasn't as enjoyable. 

For the mains, I ordered chicken skewers which came with chips and three sauces, and my colleagues got the pork chops and the Zanzibari curry. 

Zanzibari curry

Pork chops

Chicken skewers

We all agreed that the main dishes were good, but couldn't live up to the starters. My chicken skewers were slightly dry and underflavoured - however, the peanut and mint sauces were amazing. I'm not really a salad person, but I really liked the one they made - the dressing was great! Apart from the tomatoes and black olives, I ate it all. The chips were amazing - perfectly cut, not overly oily, and I could've easily kept eating them. 

The apples gave the pork chops a nice flavour, and my colleague who ordered the curry was impressed with the presentation -  they served it IN a coconut. This also ensured that the flavour infused well into the prawns. While it was a Zanzibari curry, interestingly enough, it almost tasted Creole! 

For dessert, although we were all stuffed by this point, my colleagues decided to order the pecan pie, and we snuck some bites of this. 

Oh. My. Goodness. I wasn't quite expecting such amazing pecan pie, but this was a surprise I was very happy about! It was absolutely delicious, and I can easily say it might be the best pecan pie I've ever had. I'll definitely be returning for it!

Overall verdict? Nice restaurant - a little room for improvement as far as entrees and service goes, but excellent ambience, location, appetisers and dessert!

Have you been to Salt? What did you think? I'd love to hear your opinions! 

Happy New Year!

I made no secret of my love-hate relationship with 2017. Towards the end of the year, I felt that the global energy, if such a thing exists, had turned from positive to negative, and there was a lot of frustration, unhappiness and anger all around - one only has to look at the news and social media over the past few months to confirm this! While for me, personally, it was a year full of learning and new challenges, and great memories I'll treasure, I'm sure you'll understand why I'm so excited for 2018! It's only been a few days, but it already feels like it'll be a great, game-changing year. Maybe I'm still energised from an amazing, amazing vacation (more on that in later blog posts), but I have a feeling this will last. Plus, it's my sixth year as the Kenyan Nomad, so that'll be fun to celebrate!

I can't start off the years without saying a huge thank you to all of you! When I first started this blog, I had no idea how much it would grow. 2017 was a year where my readership was the highest it's ever been - and I loved getting feedback from people! To all those of you who took the time to write me, or to chat to me at events, and just tell me that you enjoyed reading my work - it meant a lot! I had people who didn't know me come up to me and let me know that they love the Kenyan Nomad. You can bet that was amazing to hear! I like to keep feedback channels open, so I'd like to invite you all to fill out this form: https://goo.gl/forms/Q0NSdOKWRvjqcZj82

It's not long at all, and gives me a chance to learn about what you liked, or didn't like, and what you'd like me to write about going forward.

Once again - thank you all, and I wish you a very happy and successful 2018! Keep an eye out for some upcoming posts; I managed to gather some great content in December!

Quotes to Live By (2 of 2)

There is something greater and purer than what the mouth utters. Silence illuminates our souls, whispers to our hearts, and brings them together. Silence separates us from ourselves, makes us sail the firmament of spirit, and brings us closer to heaven. 

Kahlil GIbran

Let there be spaces in your togetherness, And let the winds of the heavens dance between you. Love one another but make not a bond of love: Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls. Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup. Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf. Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone, Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music. Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping. For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts. And stand together, yet not too near together: For the pillars of the temple stand apart, And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow.

Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet

The appearance of things changes according to the emotions; and thus we see magic and beauty in them, while the magic and beauty are really in ourselves.” 

Kahlil Gibran, The Broken Wings

Yet the timeless in you is aware of life's 

And knows that yesterday is but today's memory and tomorrow is today's 

And that that which sings and contemplates in you is still dwelling within the bounds of that first moment which scattered the stars into 

Who among you does not feel that his power to love is 

And yet who does not feel that very love, though boundless, encompassed within the centre of his being, and moving not form love thought to love thought, nor from love deeds to other love 

And is not time even as love is, undivided and placeless? 

Kahlil Gibran

Love is the only freedom in the world because it so elevates the spirit that the laws of humanity and the phenomena of nature do not alter its course.

Kahlil Gibran

Do not wait for life. Do not long for it. Be aware, always and at every moment, that the miracle is in the here and now. 

Marcel Proust

Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones. 

Marcus Aurelius

True understanding is to see the events of life in this way: “You are here for my benefit, though rumor paints you otherwise.” And everything is turned to one’s advantage when he greets a situation like this: You are the very thing I was looking for. Truly whatever arises in life is the right material to bring about your growth and the growth of those around you. This, in a word, is art- and this art called “life” is a practice suitable to both men and gods. Everything contains some special purpose and a hidden blessing; what then could be strange or arduous when all of life is here to greet you like an old and faithful friend? 

Marcus Aurelius 

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.
Marianne Williamson

 My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.

Maya Angelou

Go and make interesting mistakes, make amazing mistakes, make glorious and fantastic mistakes. Break rules. Leave the world more interesting for your being here.
Neil Gailman

When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bonds; your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction and you find yourself in a new, great and wonderful world. Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive, and you discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be. 

Patanjali 

When we walk to the edge of all the light we have, and must take a step into the darkness of the unknown, we must believe that one of two things will happen. Either there will be something solid for us to stand on, or we will be taught how to fly.

Patrick Overton

A billion stars go spinning through the night, 

blazing high above your head. 

But IN you is the presence that will be, 

when the stars are dead. 

Rainer Maria Rilke

Everyday courage has few witnesses. But yours is no less noble because no drum beats before you and no crowds shout your name. 

Robert L. Stevenson

The World is a great book, of which they who never stir from home read only a page. 

St. Augustine 

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

Steve Jobs

Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart. 

Steve Jobs

Nothing is as real as a dream. The world can change around you, but your dream will not. Your life may change, but your dream doesn’t have to. Responsibilities need not erase it. Duties need not obscure it. Your spouse and children need not get in its way, because the dream is within you. No one can take your dream away. 

Tom Clancy 

Of all the things that can be stolen from you – your possessions, your youth, your health, your words, your rights – what no one can ever take from you is your freedom to choose what you will believe in, and who and what your heart will love.

Unknown

Another 20 Desserts, Dishes and Drinks in Nairobi You Must Try

As promised, here's part 2! Haven't checked out part 1? Do so here!

Incidentally, this happens to by my 250th published post!

1. Bhajias from Bhajia Corner? Maru Bhajia Place? (no one could remember the actual name) in Diamond Plaza. There seems to be unanimous agreement that the best maru bhajias in town are from this little place in Diamond Plaza. Yes, we may not remember the name. but those of you who've been to Diamond Plaza know EXACTLY what I'm talking about! To those who haven't yet been - once you go to the food court, you'll be swarmed with lots of waiters trying to get your to order from them. However, just ask for the maru bhajia place and you'll be directed accordingly!

2. Nyama choma at Njugunas Place. Is there any food that's as quintessentially Kenyan as nyama choma (literally, roast meat) is? Njugunas is reputed to have the best in town - soft, perfectly done, and flavourful. No more chewing one piece for five minutes!

3. Heavenly beef at Zen Garden. In case you couldn't tell already, Zen Garden is one of my favourite restaurants in Nairobi. I love going there, but at the same time, whenever I go, I want to eat EVERYTHING! Unfortunately, that hasn't been physically possible... yet! This beef is lovely and perfectly cooked with teriyaki sauce. If you're making a list of the things you can't miss out on in Nairobi, this HAS to be on it!

4. Chicken biryani from Khazana at Village Market. Despite not being a dish of Kenyan origin, biryani has almost become a staple for us!

5. Tres leches cake at Mercado. Tres leches is a cake that's been soaked in three types of milk. Not only is Mercado one of the only places in Nairobi that does it, but they also do it well!

6. Tagliolini al nero at Lucca (Villa Rosa Kempinski).

7. Frozen key lime pie from About Thyme. I know, I know, frozen key lime pie? Doesn't sound the most appetising, right? Trust me though, this is AMAZING. Very light and refreshing, with a perfect blend of flavours. I first tried this on recommendation from About Thyme's owner - then fell in love, and dragged my best friend over to the restaurant to make her try it too!

8. Fresca y menta margarita at Fonda. Thank GOODNESS we have more options for Mexican food in Nairobi! Long gone are the days where you order a burrito at a regular cafe. And of course, you can't have Mexican food without (hopefully giant) margaritas!

9. Palak paneer from Chowpatty.

10. Fried chicken and waffles from Nyama Mama. Technically, Nairobi IS south of the Mason-Dixon line, so this makes total sense (as does the enduring love of country music in southern parts of the country).

11. Grilled lobster at Osteria.

12. Cheese pie from Spring Valley Artisan Cafe. I am actually SO glad I don't work close enough that I can stop by this place everyday, because I'd order their cheese pie whenever I could, and I'd easily be thrice my size! The pastry is just right, the flavour of cheese is perfect (but not overwhelming), and it doesn't drip with fat which can be such a turn off.

13. Thai red curry from Zen Garden. I usually get this with chicken, but you're free to experiment! Red curry is the epitome of Thai food for me, and I honestly believe that Zen Garden does the best red curry in town. Perfectly complemented by their jasmine rice, this curry is rich, hearty and comforting - exactly what a curry should be!

14. Chicken salad with strawberry and poppy seed dressing at Java House. One of the best things about Java is the fact that it has such a variety and can cater to so many different types of cravings. Want something decadent? Go for the chocolate fudge cake. Something hearty? Get a steak. Something light? This salad is perfect for that!

15. White sangria from Tapas/ Artcaffe. I've tried the white sangria at both places MULTIPLE times, and I can honestly say I can't tell the difference, which is why they both made it on the list ;) Red sangria is more popular (at least in Nairobi), but anyone who's tried this white sangria can attest to the fact that it is, indeed, perfect.

16. Chorizo from hell from La Tasca Spanish Corner. This is one of those I haven't tried yet, and I'm almost afraid to - it looks like pure fire! However, it comes highly recommended by a friend and fellow food blogger.

17. Crispy duck wonton with fresh mango salad and plum sauce at Pan Asian Yao. Done by the same group that brought us Nyama Mama, Pan Asian Yao is a newer Asian fusion restaurant in Nairobi. This dish has been described as 'to die for' - so what're you waiting for?!

18. T-bone steak at Trattoria.

19. Zinger strips KFC. Okay, okay, stop laughing. Yes, KFC isn't Kenyan, but their zinger strips are amazing, and had to make the list!!

20. Funghi pizza from 360 Degrees Artisan Pizza. I have it on good authority that when this pizza is made, angels sing in the kitchen to make it even MORE amazing.

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