How was the weekend? Good? I certainly hope so. Mine was fabulous. My little boy partook in a few "firsts" and made his Mama proud.
Just let me take a moment to brag and boast.
The little man had his first official swimming lesson:
First few moments in the water:
Kicking violently (and maintaining a death grip on my shoulder):
"Dad, I'm freezing."
Although the poor thing hated floating on his back he loved the water!
Another "first" was searching for Easter eggs:
I'm not quite sure he really "got" the egg-hunting extravaganza but the colorful oblong object was intriguing enough for his pleasure.
Anyway- yes, a very joyful weekend, indeed.
Now, onto today's post.
I realize I promised something Asian and delectable for you...but since I had such a fabulous weekend with the above mentioned little tyke, I thought it fitting to include a post sharing how he came to be.
NO, not that. Don't allow your mind to go-a-wandering down that road, please.
Thank you.
And, actually, his story does deal with travels and other-lands. Because, my friends, this little boy was made
in Kenya. Yes, on the vast continent of Africa. He's a little African baby...
What? His blonde hair and blue eyes didn't give it away?
Ha.
But yes, certainly. This little man came to be while my husband and I were serving in East Africa for a year post-college. I was teaching, Mr. K was digging wells, and this little man's presence suddenly changed our lives forever.
Now, while pregnant (and in Africa, mind you), I had many-a-craving. Unfortunately in the middle of the African bush, there aren't many Dairy Queens around to deliver your sweet fix.
Yeah, I had many a tearful "I need ice cream" moment at times. Not gonna lie.
However, a few of my main cravings (thankfully) were things just beyond my door.
Things such as fresh plantains (a savory banana-type fruit):
Beans:
Banana's on-the-vine (they stay fresher when you
pluck the whole vine rather than an individual piece).
Mouth-watering papaya:
PINEAPPLE (my main, daily craving) & mangoes:
Ginormous avocados:
Fruits and veggies galore:
(sorry for the side-photo, grrr blogger)
Wildebeest meat:
Hahaha! I'm kidding. Nasty.
But we did eat this:
Yup. We tasted some incredibly delicious teriyaki hippo.
I'm not kidding.
It was really, really good.
Did you know hippos are the most ferocious African animal?
Yeah.
They can snap a human in half in one bite.
Stay away, my friends, far away.
Want a few other fun photos?
Okay.
Ever feel like you're stuck in traffic?
Think again:
Ever in need of a toilet when traveling and can't find a rest-stop?
Yeah.
Welcome to the bush bathroom!
This 12 week pregnant woman had many-an-issue with this one:
Try flying in one of these bad boys with a bun in the oven:
Morning sickness doesn't brush the surface.
Try motion sickness!
I made a valiant effort to hold it all in.
The hospital where we had our first ultrasound (in Nairobi):
There he is!
The first live-birth I witnessed in Eastern Kenya
(I was 16 weeks pregnant here):
Sadly, this precious girl only lived one year,
she died a few months ago from an amoeba
(due to lack of clean water). It was terribly sad.
Anyway- didn't mean to end on a tearful note.
Africa was quite good to us, indeed, albeit eye-opening.
Our little man will forever be our favorite African souvenier!
More on this crazy-adventure later.
I have many-a-culinary-story to tell and
recipes to share!
1 comments:
Best souvenir EVER! :)
Post a Comment