Washington DC

Washington DC in the spring is all about the cherry blossoms. There is an elegance about Washington city that I find completely charming.

The most iconic White House. From this angle you cannot see all the police patrol cars, guards and policemen, barriers and other fortifications protecting this building, almost ruining the view.

The Capitol Building. Building regulations prohibit the construction of any building taller than the Capitol, I'm told, which explains the lack of skyscrapers in this city. No wonder it's charming.

Washington DC's famous cherry blossoms. The spring of  2012  came  early  causing  the  cherry blossoms to bloom earlier than usual.

The Washington Monument

A conversation group at one of the Smithsonian  museums

A group of private school boys walking along The Mall

This lady paid me no mind as I took a picture of her hairstyle to modify it  for  myself later.  A food court above l'Enfant  Plaza train station

Tbilisi

The city is nestled between green, rolling hills and mountains. In the hills sit old forts and monasteries. The languid Kura River runs greenly through the city. Cobbled streets line the spaces between large Soviet-style monuments, ancient Eastern Orthodox churches and inviting outdoor cafes. In Old Tbilisi men hang out on the streets shirtless in the summer heat.

Cote d'Ivoire Night 2 June 2012

I was worried about the venue of this event, essentially a nyama choma (roast meat) spot in Nairobi's Upper Hill district. I thought two thousand Kenya Shillings was a little too much to pay for an event at nyama choma place. I need not have worried. The outdoor restaurant recreated the atmosphere of Abidjan's maquis, outdoor restaurants of varying sizes and quality dotted all over the city that serve Ivorian delicacies. Large strategically-placed screens showed familiar scenes of Abidjan by day and night, making me miss the city where I grew up. The food was plentiful and delicious - barbecued chicken and fish (poulet et poisson braise),  attieke (ground and fermented cassava), alloco (fried plantain)  and tear-inducing tomato chilli sauce, among others. DJ Claver, flown in from "Abidjan la belle" for the occasion, did not disappoint. The dance floor was very quickly packed with revellers dancing enthusiastically to "coupe decale" club anthemns.