Birthday LOVE

It's my birthday and...Wow, I mean, WOW.  Why are birthdays so awesome? I love the fact that someone out there, back in history, decided that we will all celebrate the day that we were born ..and every year at that! S/He could have decided that it would be every other year..or only on the 10s or something..but no, s/he decided that we should celebrate every year. Okay it would have been nice if we had half year birthdays too but yearly is pretty awesome. 
When Sergio was visiting a couple of weeks ago, we had an early birthday celebration while he was here. We went to my favorite fancy restaurant in Nairobi. I have a favorite fancy restaurant in Nairobi and a favorite shit hole restaurant - For my birthday we went to the fancy place. It's called Seven but they should call it "oh damn, I over did it". The food is good - and it's such a cool place in general. I think I spoke about it in my Easter blog post. So we got all dressed up in our nice jeans and brass jewelry and went to our "fancy" dinner.

At dinner, Sergio gave me my early birthday present from him - Um, probably one of the coolest gifts I have ever received and something I really wanted but never thought I'd actually do:

Comedy classes at the Improv DC once I move back!! Things 'bout to get silly up in hea

So, that was just the best - one, just being with Byu there and making a toast to a new year for me and then BAM! getting comedy classes is like Gold baby! Can't wait (but I'm scared!!!)

Then - Yesterday marked my big celebration with my friends here. My brother David and his girlfriend Ali flew in on Saturday night so I planned the get together the next night on Sunday so they wouldn't be face down in the masala by 8pm.   We all met up at Mystique Gardens - a Karoga restaurant in Westlands. Karoga is a style of cooking where you cook your own indian food on these little jiko grills. Typically it's a man thing and the Indian men get together and cook and then eat to get away from the ladies for a bit. It takes a while so we arranged for the restaurant to start our food early. It's all outside and you get these little bandas with a big table - like a picnic shelter. It was an awesome time. I really love all my Nairobi friends, truly. And having my brother there too was like over the top. Only thing missing was my byu. But his presence was there afterall...as I'll show you later.
Here's some of the pics of the karoga:

cookin it up - there are these little clay charcoal grills there with a giant pot on top where the masalas cook.

Me stirring the pot

I took a turn at the jiko

Jeera Chicken - Delish

My brother David and his girlfriend Ali digging into the bhajias

Some of my favorite people

I look chubby here in my giant sweater -but it's my birthday!! Who cares?

Part of the group

And with me -

more stirring. You stir this stuff for like an hour at least.

Then, I got some presents!!!! It's like people had read my bucket list of stuff I want to buy before I leave - All these things I really secretly wanted - seriously.

A really cool long necklace from Emma

Scott gave me his Ethiopian table that I have always coveted! Now I dont have to buy it from him!!!

It's so lovely - he's the nicest ever!!!! Love him.

Tara gave me an indian spice set thingy. If you go into any indian kitchen, you will find one of these filled with the various spices that are most common in indian cooking. Looks like this when it's in use:

And Scott also gave me his Ethiopian Platter thing. This thing is huge. it's like 2.5 or 3ft in diameter. I'm gonna serve up my arabic mezze on it!

And my BYU somehow managed to arrange for someone to buy my absolute favorite purse ever and give it to me at my birthday dinner!! I actually just blogged about this damn purse - I wanted it so bad. I decided I would buy it for myself on Saturday - I went to the shop and they told me someone had purchased it the day before! Turns out that it was Scott buying it for Sergio for ME! Love it love it love it love itLove it love it love it love it

Also my little brother gave me a pretty hilarious red neck margarita glass. It's so characteristic of him and it makes me love it even more - It's a great to-go margarita glass!! It's a mason jar on a pedestal. brilliant.

My awesome step mom and dad sent me a really thoughtful gift. They saw the jewelry I made here and sent me all this jewelry making stuff. Needless to say...Immo be busy makin me some blang from here on out. (I feel that bling refers to gem stones and blang refers more to like boho style stones and metals and stuff)

 And I dont have photos but my mom sent me some work out clothes, which I really needed, some sandals that didn't fit my giant feet, and this awesome coffee mug. It's a GIANT mug.You just cant tell in this photo.

So, that's it. It's 11:35 and it's now about over. Just spoke to my byu for 1.5 hours and my sister for an hour and my mom for a bit - that's about all I need, those personal connections,just to know you matter. Beyond gifts and all that fun stuff..your birthday is that one day a year where you actually realize how many people genuinely care about you and whether you exist on this planet. It's good.