Fine Indian Cruisine

I joined some American delegates to a trip to the mall. We finally arrived
at the mall after walking through a hailstorm of car exhaust. I swear I
nearly used up my nine lives just crossing the road! The mall had
everything, yes I mean everything under the sun that you possibly will ever
need to live! The store even sold the steel welders masks! Our stomachs
dictated that we stop wandering in the Eden of all stores and find some
food. After much discussion and detours I was so happy that my group agreed
on an Indian restaurant! (I got a serious craving for something spicy,
unlike delicious but plain Kenyan food. Most of the Kenyan delegates hated
spicy Indian food.) Upstairs, we entered the Indian restaurant, the fragrant
aroma of spices greeted my nose before I saw the softly -lit room. It was
like coming back to home. I was a bit homesick for a minute. We sat down to
the luxurious table and I forgot for a minute how to use a linen napkin! I
faced a really difficult challenge- I had to choose a meal from the
vegetarian section and it had to be under 2,000 ksh. I felt like I was in a
candy store and I really wanted to just eat everything!!! To be really
honest, it was particularly hard to stay vegetarian in Kenya with limited
choices. I finally settled on a lassi ( a type of yogurt drink) and daal ( a
mixture of beans soaked overnight with spices). We chatted and laughed ( I
was loud one). Food arrived steaming hot in little copper pots. I ate as
much as my stomach would allow me and I regretted that we could not bring
leftovers home! Once we paid the bill, Greg, Julie, Marc, Ashley and I
chipped in for a cab ride back to KTTID.

- Jackie Pransky