On Saturday, we traveled to a little village known as Katulu to celebrate Sister Jacinta, a JRS colleague who was becoming a full sister in the Catholic church. I am not sure if the terminology is correct here. What are you before you are a full sister? (50 shillings to whomever has the answer.)  Anyway, I had only learned what the celebration was really about on Friday, for Sister Jacinta had invited me a few days prior by saying it was a celebration of her brother's new house.  There will be food and dancing she said, he has finished his house.  Sounded like a good enough reason for a party to me, but hearing she was entering a new stage of commitment to the church added enthusiasm.

Paul, Matthias (the social worker Travis works with), Travis, Darlene, and I all piled into a rented matatu in the morning and headed towards Katulu. The roads were bumpy yet everyone was excited.  To see new parts of Kenya, to hang-out with JRS colleagues for the first time since arrival, to meet Darlene, to celebrate Sister Jacinta, many reasons.  Along the way we stopped to buy a gift which consisted of an ambiguous card that, depending on ones view, could either celebrate a new house or becoming a full nun (eat your heart out Hallmark). We also bought candy, "for the children" Matthias said.

The order of the day was a 10 am mass, followed by speeches, then the party would really begin. We were there before 10 but things did not get started until 11:30. Notice the photo below of everyone waiting patiently. From left to right you have Nora, Matthias, Geoffry, two mzungus, and Paul in the background.

The mass began and was a lovely ceremony with Sister Jacinta making a full commitment (I'm really wanting to know what the proper language is). Then the speeches began. It was probably about 1 by this point and people were getting hungry, but this was how Sister Jacinta's community celebrated it was explained, "Food always comes after." That was fine, things were still fresh. Travis and I even got invited up front along with the rest of the JRS team and were asked to say a few words. I think Travis did a much better job (ask him about his pre-rehearsed African speeches), as I think I may have screwed up some verb tenses at one point.

After our speeches finished the speeches kept going. And then they kept going. And then more people got up to speak, and while they were speaking, others lined up behind them to speak. And then people started speaking for awhile and saying at the end of their speech that it would be good if those who came after them would speak quickly so that everyone could eat. It was after three by the time the speeches were slowing down, and the hunger among the partygoers was visible.

It became even more difficult to forget the hunger when they brought the food out. Huge pots of beef, chicken, potatoes, beans, rice, chapati, soda, and cabbage. In the photo below, notice the man speaking and the two woman in line waiting to speak. And notice the food between them.

There were several times when it appeared the meal would begin...but then someone else would get up to speak. The confusion and tummy-induced gittiness was not just among us mzungus.  Even the Kenyans could be heard saying, "In my village we eat during the speeches, otherwise we fear our guests will leave with their gifts", or "Oh my goodness, we are never going to eat." The MC started imploring people to speak quickly and, I may be wrong about this, but I think it finally ended when he negotiated with two women to allow the meal to begin rather than speak.

Then we ate and the food was as good as we hoped. We had to leave after the meal to return the vehicle, which was difficult as Sister Jacinta showed me the goat and cow meat that would be roasted later. The party was going to go all night she said which did sound like fun. Another time we said. We would be honored to come back.