Next stop: China

Did you know that the main language in China is Mandarin? Today we will learn five basic terms that you can use

Ní hào  this means: Hello

Huānyíng this means: Welcome

Qǐng xiǎngyòng which means: Enjoy your meal

Xiè Xiè which means Thank you

Zàijiàn which means Goodbye

That is all for today class, hope you enjoyed the  lesson. Let us know where you would like us to go next 

Let's go to France shall we?

Here are a few basic French terms you can use if you are hosting French speaking guests. 

Bonjour! which means: Hello


Bienvenue!  which means: Welcome

Au revoir! which means: Goodbye

Bon Appetit! which means: Enjoy your meal

Merci! which means: Thank You

Hope you all enjoyed our mini French lesson. Next, we go to China

Flower Power II

In today's post we will show you how to create a flower stand.
You will need: 

A Clay Pot
Floral Foam
Binding Wire
Scisssors
Bird of Paradise Leaves
Lilies
Mini Monistera Leaves
Anthurium Stems

The floral foam is cut into a  square that adequately fits into the clay pot. 

It is then soaked in a lot of water to give it more density and weight. 

Once this is achieved, the binding wire is wrapped over the floral foam, and secured firmly to the clay pot.  

Only then will it be strong enough to hold the additional weight of the flowers.

Step 1
Ensure that the stems of the leaves and flowers are diagonally cut
Step 2
Begin with inserting bird of paradise leaves firmly into the floral form, in a triangular shape

Step 3
Insert the colour lilies into the form, in a circular manner

Step 4
Use the mini monistera leaves to fill in the gaps between the bird of paradise leaves and the lilies

Step 4 
Add the anthurium stems next, in our case they are green and red. They contrast beautifully with the lilies don you think? 

Step 5

The flower stand is now ready for presentation. It should be placed in an area away from the sun, more or less in a corner position. An arrangement like this can last for about one and a half weeks. Due to the thickness of the stems of the leaves and flowers, the plant can be watered once a week.

Insider Tip

Always ask florists for flowers in terms of quality. Different qualities tend to have different prices.

Tips for shopping in a hotel gift shop

The hotel gift shop is convenient if you need to get some last minute shopping done before you travel back home or if you are looking for something unique. 

 

Opening hours tend to be flexible, and one can always chose to pay cash in dollars, shillings ,euros,credit card, or charge goods bought to the their room. If you are embarking on a safari, take the time to look at the prices of items at the gift shop.

 

 This will give you a comparison base, for the prices of goods offered by other vendors, thus giving you an edge when bargaining.

 

Always let the shop assistant know what mode of transport you will be using for your next trip, so that they can wrap your goods accordingly. If you need to store the goods for sometime, the shop assistants can arrange that for you, through the hotel porters.

 Be on the look out for special offers and discounts being offered

Happy Shopping!

Greetings from Uganda!

On today's guest spotlight we feature Marjorie Nakalema from Uganda. Marjorie, is an accountant by profession.

She is not only beautiful, but smart too!

 Guess what? Today is her birthday!

Guest Spotlight

On today's guest spotlight we feature writer Kohei Abe & hairstylist Ayako Abe, both from Hokkito Japan, visiting Kenya for the first time. It's had to believe that they arrived today, no signs of jet lag at all.

(left to right) Ayako & Kohei

Ayako & Kohei together with Jackson Kibuchi (Assistant Front Office Manager)

Welcome to the hotel Kohei & Ayako, we hope your safari in Kenya results in numerous beautiful memories

Celebrity Inhouse

Hidden Talent

I believe that every person has a talent

Maya Angelou

This is the quote that comes to mind when interviewing Pauline Mumbi Gichia, one of our Guest Relations Officers at the hotel. Pauline had the opportunity to play a minor role a music video by Kenyan contemporary gospel artist; Victor Mbuvi(@MbuviMbuvi).

How did this opportunity come about?

Mbuvi and his crew were shooting segments of the music video scheduled for release on Mother’s day in one of our presidential suites. They needed someone to play the role of his mother, so they asked me if I was up to the challenge.

Were you up for it?

Of course, I was an active drama club participant all throughout my high school years, and at was at one time awarded the trophy for the best actress at the provincial level during the annual music festivals.  I requested the gift shop attendant to give me two leso’s , then put a little make up and I was ready for my close up.

Does anybody else in the family have this talent as well?

My daughter Sandra does, she has even appeared on a few local commercials on local television when she was younger. She is a natural.

What is your parting shot?

Our talents will always be within us, because they are God given, and time will never change that.

Below is the link to the music video entitled ‘Sweet Nwdale’ featuring Emily Kosgey, Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-e_m2dDqOJs