Trip to Girthiri Family Butchery

Even Kenyan locals would be quick to tell you that Kenyan food is not what keeps people coming back. Most of the cuisine is pretty utilitarian and during our first few weeks here we hadn't really been impressed with "Kenyan" food we'd got at restaurants.
That being said, last Thursday I got my first taste of good Kenyan food. We went with our language teacher (Jonathan Ololoso) and a former student of his, Yumiko out to lunch. We drove to Kenyatta market (near Kenyatta hospital for those who are mapping things out) and were quickly treated to a scene of pandemonium. Upon seeing foreigners in the car, a host of local "entrepreneurs" looked to help us park. Luckily, Jonathan shooed them away and we found a parking spot. We entered some gates and found a chorus of hissing meat, hawker's calls, and bright conversation. Thick smoke made it hard to see as we wound our way through a narrow alleyway. Again, Jonathan acted as our guide, leading us past numerous sellers of various asundry items (ties, flowers, meat, cell phone chargers etc...). Avoiding the large pit ovens in the pathway, we finally came to the Githiri Family Butchery (proudly proclaimed on a battered old shingle over the premises). The shop had no door, three grimy tables, some wooden benches about 7 feet long, and a display case showing raw cow parts of all sorts (liver anyone?). The flies were flying thickly, quick to descend upon any unguarded soda or meat.
We sat down. Jonathan ordered some matumbo (like green mashed potatoes), ugali (the white corn-based staple of Kenya), chips (french fries) and meat. We went back outside to "wash our hands" meaning rub our hands under some water heated by the noonday sun. Taking our seats again, we waited for the meat. Soon enough, one of the cooks came in with a cutting board filled with still-smoking beef. He chopped it into bite-sized bits and poured 4 piles of salt around the corners of the board. We dug right in. The meat was as good as any I'd had, rich and flavored by the ugali and salt. We ate and ate, finishing off the solid pound of beef. We ordered another plate of meat and conversation halted as we polished off round two. Altogether it must have been about 2 pounds of meat, for a grand total of Ksh 300 (that's $3.75). Unfortunately, we left our camera at the apartment or we would have posted some pictures. Either way, we'll surely not forget our meal at the Githiri Family Butchery.

It's the little things...

1. Driving on the left side of the road
2. You can get 3 dozen roses for $1.50 (and you will probably have 6 different sellers come to your car if you show the slightest interest)
3. Lunch at 1pm (restaurants are empty at noon)
4. Kenyan food options: beef stew, ugali (mashed potato texture made from corn & fat), matumbo (corn & vegetable mashed mixture), and sakumu wiki (spinach-like vegetable). End of menu.
5. Everything stops for teatime. Tea usually is cooked with milk already in it. (I'm not a fan...)
6. Cleanliness is a relative term. There is dust everywhere.
7. We think we've used a lot of water when we've taken a 1-minute shower.
8. All the time is a good time for a street vendor to sell you something.
9. We're some of the few people who only speak 1 language.
10. There are hand signs for numbers & prices
11. There is no such thing as chocolate chips or hershey kisses. (However, cake & brownie mix are available for $6/box)
12. "Not far" could mean a long-way off.
13. "Alight" does not have anything to do with electricity or weight-loss.
14. Seen on signs everywhere: To Let (we still think they're advertising toilets)
15. Mazungu = white person. Because you're white, you're rich & a tourist.
16. We're from the States, not the US.

Any Kenyan after discovering that we're American: "We're Cousins! (the Obama factor)