Easter weekend is the longest holiday weekend of the year. It is four straight days of absolute freedom from work or school and whatever tight schedules you usually have to put up with. If you are like me and don’t mix work and play, it could also be the annual cause for a holiday budget just so you don’t have to spend it alone on the sofa with popcorn and at least eight DVDs of movies and TV series you haven’t seen.
Four straight days of absolutely no plan is a nightmare. No Ifs Buts or maybes about it. If you start it off on the wrong foot, you’ll spend the whole four days stuck in the same plan. Just the mere thought of it is murderous.
Take this for example, if you start out with a serious binge on Thursday evening, you will be stuck with half your budget or less and a hang over to keep you grounded the whole weekend. Talk about a holiday mishap.
If you happen to have a boyfriend, you have the option of scaring the sh*t out of the guy and moving into his house uninvited for the whole four days. The best part is if you are really dating a Kenyan guy you won’t really need a change of clothes. He’ll find you his cleanest tee from the pile on the floor and you might end up wearing it for the whole four days if you’re not careful. But woo and behold, for you with a boyfriend at arms length that probably won’t matter. But having just the toothbrush you bought on your way there is a scary thought. No roll on so I will stink of sweat even if I shower three times a day. None of my lotion and I will probably feel guilty about using his as generously as I use mine. Thank heavens I don’t wear any make up but for you who even wears a little blush and powder, imagine how terribly ugly you will feel the whole four days. Nightmares!!
For yet another single girl, the one that still has mommy and her gang rallied up behind her, you might spend it at your mom’s or at whatever holiday function it is that your family has managed to cajole out of the woodworks : weddings, get-together, even funerals. I think not. It also means the extra hard work of having to locate and brush up that part of your brain that speaks my mother tongue for the entire weekend and knowing you’ll be pronouncing every word wrong. This is an even more torturous option.
Have I scared enough of you yet to make you start a kitty for Easter 2011 yet? It could even be just ksh 1000 from this month and you’ll have 12, 000 by next year. That’s quite a bit to keep you busy next year. Trust me!! Its just four days after all.
I have taken the liberty of doing some research on your behalf to find you the perfect way to spend Easter 2011 if mom doesn’t already have you booked. Whether you’ll have a boyfriend at the time or not is no matter. He can join you if he can foot his own bill and most especially if he can foot yours as well. 🙂
Number one, one of my friend’s absolute favorite beginnings to Easter: The KCB Safari Rally. Don’t be skeptical. It is a real option my lovelies. Find a couple of your friends. Get a car even if you have to hire it for the day, load up on junk food and alcohol and be on your way to the nearest functional spectator. This year they had to cancel a few due to the heavy rains so be on the lookout for information too.
This could be you wading through the mud. Tell me you can’t think of a way to make this fun when you don’t have to wash your hair by morning. You can put getting your hair done on the Monday itinerary on the budget. It never hurts to get down and dirty. I know I could have worked this. There is usually live loud music and you might be treated to a live performance or two. I dare you to say this doesn’t sound fun. Carry your sunscreen and sunhat for when the sun finally veers out. This could also be fun if you have kids but remember to replace the alcohol with drinks. And skip the formal part, with those government people flagging off the start.
This plan starts on Saturday and may involve a long drive if you like; fuel costs, food costs, and accommodation if you stretch it out to Sunday. This plan is fool proof. Watch movies and do the things you normally do over the weekend on Friday. Go for the rally on Saturday and Sunday. Relax and get your hair and nails done on Monday and be ready for a new week. I like it!!
Option number two, stay in the City and bore yourself to death. Which one do you prefer?
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Wacu Mureithi is a part time law student, full-time mother and all-time dreamer. Her work can be found on seriouslypoetic.blogspot.com.