Mombasa!

My business visa expired do I had to leave the country. No better place to go to then Mombasa! Just a short week, but at least some time to catch up with Melissa and to see how the boys are doing and spend as much time with them as I can! And what a warm welcome! The boys came home from school and didn't know I would be there, all the hugs and happy faces! Some still the same, some changed in behavior and appearance! How fast can young boys grow up!
All of them are doing great in school and most even top 3 of their class. All in all, I feel right at home again.
Also being in this city is a great feeling and ill try to use every second of my time! Even though I have to admit I do miss Zanzibar too. So Im going around to all my favorite places, doing a lot of shopping, meeting people and just taking in the feel of Mombasa! The crazyness, chaos, smells, colors, beauty and people. I realize now how different the people are from Zanzibar. More bold, I will not say less respectful, but they are less shy to try to get into contact with a mzungu woman. Its more obvious here. In Zanzibar most people are more reserved about it. Here I should change my name to Baby, I love you or Mzungu, thats all I hear all day. It doesn't bother me though and surely it doesn't impress me, its just the way things are here. Most of the time I just ignore comments, but sometimes I enter a conversation and chat a bit which often ends up in 'I want your number, I want to see you more or I want to marry you'. The fact that I write about it now really doesn't mean it bothers me, its just so obvious and a big difference from Zanzibar.
Zanzibar was the right choice for me to move to coz I wanted to be at this side of the world to be close to the boys and my second home, Mombasa. Its been hard work, long days, difficult moments and a lot of great new friends, amazing relaxed island living and I just love the Swahili people, culture and food, East Africa is home!

Reality of life...

Hey everyone,

Just an hour after my post last week I got a call.....one that changed everything. My sweet uncle Henny had passed away in his sleep. In one of my first posts I mentioned how hard it was to leave Holland, especially after him having a stroke, and a second one just a few days before I left. This was exactly what I was afraid of, that it would be the last time for me to see him. Luckily I had spend some time with him and said goodbye before I left, but this news crushed me...the strong woman that I always appear to be was gone, I was a small girl again that needed her family and was crying inconsolably. On the other hand I kept thinking of my family needing me and I couldn't be there for them. Heartbreaking...I searched for places to find comfort and I looked for ways to support my family members who are grieving. The comfort I found in my family here, the one I work for. And in my friends/brothers/sisters here that can always make me smile and try to comfort me with words. As devastated as I was, I realize that I can be very grateful with my real family that is far away and my new extended family that I found here on this island. What I did on Saturday evening? I went dancing, dancing away the pain in my heart. I know it is good to take time to deal with pain, and I did, but for me this was the only way at that moment because I couldn't be with my family.

Then last Tuesday my mom called that Aunt Mien passed away, I felt her pain through the phone and there was nothing I could do but cry with her. And I broke, I literaly broke! Together with some personal issues here, and these to family members passing away, I just broke!

Yesterday at 4PM (the time of his farewell) I sat down just by myself to remember, remember an amazing person, father, uncle, brother, brother-in-law, friend, boss..... And I found peace in my heart.

I think this has been the hardest situation I have been in in my life. And after thinking that I couldn't do it, I did it. Being away from family doesn't mean you don't love or support them, it just means there is more distance between you and them. And like my mom said, the line between our hearts can never be cut, no matter what the distance. Even though this loss hurts and that will never go away, I learned again that I do have that extra bit of strength to cope with the reality of life. Alhamdullilah!

Here is a link to an amazing video compilation that my cousin made, an ode to his father!

Thank you for all the great memories Uncle Henny!

We will meet again!
Love you!

https://www.magisto.com/video/bU0eOUQbQmspQQZgCzE

What am I up to here?

I'm getting more and more familiar with the company, the staff, he island and its people. I am really starting to feel at home and more relaxed in my mind, even though it's very hard work (a lot harder and more hours then in Holland). My new friends include the dogs, cat and now our own Colubus monkey that kind of became our mascot. She came here a week or two ago and is now coming daily and enjoying the attention that she gets from the family and the guests, and even puts up a show! The local staff are also amazing here. Hardworking friendly and I love enjoying swahili lunch or dinner with them and getting to know them better!

 
The Xanadu family including Patrica, our Colobus monkey

I am enjoying work and also now taking time to relax a bit and go out with friends for a chat, dinner or dancing. That is something you have to do to keep up with the long hours at work. I love spending time with my old colleagues of which some became really close friends. And also in the village I like having some local food at my friends place and having a chat with the people there. I feel like living in two totally different worlds now. The exclusive retreat which is my work place and fits me perfectly and the "real" outside world, the life of the locals which is where I feel comfortable. Being able to sit at the beach all night and chat with a friend under a black sky filled with thousands of bright stars is absolutely worth the hard work and the exhaustion sometimes!

And as crazy as my personal life was in Holland, it continues here! But that is a story only for the confidants amongst you. It's not that I look for it, but as it was in Holland, my life never seems to get boring, let me state it that way ;)

Sauti Za Busara festival in Stone Town

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Amazing sunset in the morning here at Xanadu


A night dancing at Jambo with my friends Khatib and Saidi and the crazy Dutch guests


A Bees nest in my room after I came back from a day off

More pics coming!!!

Love you all!