Kisses from Kenya Episode 10: Home Away From Home

Premiered on 6 Apr 2026  Kisses From Kenya

EPISODE 10: Home Away from Home

They're back. After a longer-than-planned break, Vuyanzi and Brendan return to find the news cycle hasn't waited for anyone - and neither has the question of what "home" actually means anymore. 2026 opens with a lot to catch up on and one big question at the centre of it all.

In this episode:

• Whose America Is It Anyway? - a full rundown of what you missed: ICE, Kendrick at the Grammys, nuclear treaties, the Guthrie disappearance, and more
• Lost in Translation - the unspoken rules of flying home: middle seats, plane drinks, and the etiquette nobody writes down
• Deep Dive - what happens when you go back and home doesn't feel the same? Disconnection, cold weather, the news, and the shifting definition of where you belong
• Queer & Black Joy - an all-Black crew on Kenya Airways, and why that moment deserves its own segment

Democrats Abroad Kenya | Expat life | Returning home | Black diaspora | American abroad | Nairobi podcast | Kenyan expat community | U.S. politics 2026

Kisses from Kenya is the podcast for Americans living abroad who haven't stopped paying attention. New to the show? Subscribe and join a growing community asking the same questions you are.

#KissesFromKenya #DemocratsAbroad #HomeAbroad #BlackDiaspora #ExpatsOfNairobi #AmericanAbroad #Season2 #KenyaAirways #QueerJoy

Transcript

Vuyanzi 0:06

Hey, Kisses from Kenya is produced by Democrats Abroad Kenya, but everything you hear in this podcast reflects our personal perspectives.

Brendan 0:20

Yes, nothing we say should be taken as the official stance of Democrats Abroad Kenya, Democrats Abroad Global, or the Democratic Party. And this is an entertainment space and not an official policy platform.

Vuyanzi 0:33

Thank you. Welcome to Kisses from Kenya. We're back. And uh I want to say this, right? Because we had a long break and we both went home. So I feel like it's a pro listen, there's a lot going on. However, I feel it's appropriate to talk about the home away from home. Because this was interesting. Going back home for me was interesting. So that's what I'm thinking we're focusing on today.

Brendan 1:04

So we are here, we're back in Nairobi, but also recognizing that shit is honestly like fucking crazy at home. That shit crazy. And while we love to banter and laugh, which is what we will do. What we do she'll cackle and our will not be audible. Um we want to recognize that while we've seen injustice through the fabric of our American history, um maybe we know that the United States is built on the back of injustice on like so many levels. Um we acknowledge what we've been seeing across the past. We'll get into like the dynamics of like centered in that conversation, because I think that's also really important. But I think just at the front, before we start making the jokes, like it's important to just say, like I mean, I feel like as a queer person sitting here with a person of color, like I feel like both of our communities have used humor as a way to get through some really dark times through history. So I think you know, we're not making light of any of these situations, we're just simply doing some of that.

Vuyanzi 2:15

So yeah, yeah. And so, and and these situations, let's talk about what those are since we've left. There's been a lot in the headlines and a lot that was not in the headlines. So, with as a dramatic reading, I shall say some of the headlines that have happened since we last met. Partial government shutdown ends.

Brendan 2:38

Minneapolis, ice shooting protests.

Vuyanzi 2:41

Huge release of the Epstein files. Trilateral music. Trilateral peace talks at Abu Dhabi. Sentencing for assassination assassination assassination attempt. That's like a Freudian film. I know.

Brendan 3:03

I know. New start nuclear treaty expired. Oh, that's a fall. Jesus.

Vuyanzi 3:11

I know. Kendrick Lamar makes Grammy history surpassing. Allowed me to introduce myself that, yeah.

Brendan 3:21

Artemis to Lunar Mission Delay.

Vuyanzi 3:25

Oh, sorry. Global search for Nancy Guthrie. That's uh the that is, you know what? Wait a minute. Wait a minute, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait a minute.

Brendan 3:40

Wait, it's Major Winter State.

Vuyanzi 3:47

Ice drawdown in Minnesota.

Brendan 3:50

Plot twist. It's not real. Major disaster declaration requests. And that was in Mississippi. Yeah. Why would you ever like someone named Tate? He sounds like he should be like our back making my chicken KFC.

Vuyanzi 4:04

Be careful of the Tate. No offense to any Tates that are here.

Brendan 4:07

Who do you know that's named Tate? I don't know. Anyone that looks like you sh shaped like five horn leghorn.

Vuyanzi 4:14

And new critical minerals strategy. I don't even know what that means.

Brendan 4:21

Harry Dunn Congressional. Actually, speaking of congressional action, I'll talk to you about that in a minute. That's not American politics.

Vuyanzi 4:29

Oh, oh, oh. Okay. Okay. Um, did you read it?

Brendan 4:35

Yeah, Harry Dunn Congressional bid.

Vuyanzi 4:37

Oh, okay. Property tax elimination push.

Brendan 4:40

Because God forbid we pay taxes and have money to fund school. Um, Trump tensions with the press. That's like appropriate.

Vuyanzi 4:48

Um yeah, I mean, that's ongoing. Oh, this is one. Joe Biden's ex-husband charged. With murder. With murder.

Brendan 4:59

Of his new wife.

Vuyanzi 5:00

Of his new wife.

Brendan 5:01

Well, I don't know how new she is. I've been like, I've been trying to tell people like y'all don't really understand what goes on down there in Delaware. Delaware is like the Mississippi of the north. Like a hundred facts. Like you wrote up there and you're like, Y'all got some scrappy white people up here, and I don't really know what's going on with you.

Vuyanzi 5:22

I'm sorry to all my people living in Delaware, because I have some folks that live in Delaware. Okay.

Brendan 5:27

Measles outbreak in detention center, because it's not bad enough that we snatched you from your family and took you off the streets. Now I got me from it. Now we're getting it. Because the white people don't want to vaccinate their children.

Vuyanzi 5:41

You know, I wonder if they gave them blankets with measles, uh similar, you know, the way they did it with the um with the indigenous people of we're like trapped in like a giant production of poltergeists. Seriously.

Brendan 5:52

Remember when they built on like the Native American burial ground and all the confidence?

Vuyanzi 5:56

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And that's when they noticed. Remember at the end, all those bodies were popping out. Poltergeist, one of my favorite movies. Democrats won Red Texas District. Ow.

Brendan 6:07

Oh, Gus. Oh, she's back. Ransom note. You know what?

Vuyanzi 6:15

She's not back. It's just a note.

Brendan 6:20

So sorry, Savannah. I don't really know who you are, but I yes.

Vuyanzi 6:25

So that's a lot of shit to talk about. Well, we don't need to talk about it all, but I'm just curious, as we're reading it, what what come I don't know what thoughts about any of these?

Brendan 6:36

I mean, this series of head, it's like, you know, like the concept of like a turduccin. No, I think no, I would love for you to try it. Turduccan is a chicken that is like deboned and then stuffed inside of a deboned duck that's then stuffed inside of a deboned turkey. And then you put like dressing like in between all the layers. Is this a thing? It comes out like a Frankenstein like bird.

Vuyanzi 7:00

Wait a minute. Is this a real thing?

Brendan 7:01

Yeah, like you cook it like that. People eat it? Yeah, like the the most that they ever did it was like some French feast before like the revolution in it. Um, and I think it was like 14 different because they started with like a quail. Oh my god. And then went all the way up to like whatever, like one of them big land birds that they all killed, like back in the like Middle Ages. Yes. And so they put them all inside each other and then roasted it. So I mean, no, to be clear, it's fucking fantastic. It's real. It's a lot of meat, dressing real good. It's a lot of meat. But this is like a turdecan of shit, where it's like each layer that you cut through is like a new like liquefaction of shit. So you just have like a grab bag of shit? Yeah. And you just keep grabbing for and it's like, no, more. Oh no, more. Okay. Except for Kendrick. We love you, Kendrick. Yeah, I I you seem like you're unproblematic.

Vuyanzi 8:02

Please don't put it. Please don't pop up in the Epstein files for goodness sake. So, so I guess what comes up for me is how much was happening even while we were waiting, and even while we were at home in the States. Um, I was like up to hearing it. Like, and my sister who I stayed with likes to watch the news. Yes.

Brendan 8:24

And it was I mean, my parents are in there late. So well, no, they're my dad's now 80, and my mom's about to be 80. So maybe on that, you know, that generation, it's like every night the local news, and then we switch to like the NBC national news. I'm like, and I still gotta hear the same shit all over again. Just like now it's like up the street.

Vuyanzi 8:44

I was waking up to that. So my sister, well, I won't say her age because she would kill me, but um, I was waking up to the news. So I like had it up to here, and I feel like you know, when we opened up and we said everything's going batshit crazy, like that's how I felt on a like an ongoing basis. And I'm thinking, I'm just here for two and a half weeks. If I'm living here, waking up here, hearing this every day, like no wonder people probably I would say. Yeah, as you go to the coffee shop, the TV is on everywhere, even if you're trying to avoid it. And so for me, I'm thinking the psychologist, the psychiatrist, the counselor, everyone must be making a lot of money. I'm sorry to say that because shit is crazy. So, um, you know, and and and to top that off, when that storm came. Well, but that came after I got back here. Thank God that I was back here when the storm came. But it's almost like nature, and and imagine have what like what is it, over over 30 states. It was almost like nature.

Brendan 9:48

Nature is basically like, look, you fucker.

Vuyanzi 9:50

No, nature is like, this is what's going on. Uh let me just let me just rain on you bitches, because this is the fever.

Brendan 9:58

Yes, and she's trying, she's trying to kill the bacteria. Where the hot wear the bacteria. Yeah.

Vuyanzi 10:05

Like, that's how I that's it, just all came in together. So um, and then all these other things, I'm just like, oh, the measles. Oh, the guy from the um capital, the capital police officer.

Brendan 10:17

Like I just feel like it's one of those where it's like, you know, the the history nerd in me is like, you know, remembering back to the to the dark ages when like literally stupid people were the reason that the world fell apart, because basically, like all the marauding hordes from Germany of all places came down and like ripped apart the Roman Empire, and like, you know, all the smart people died. And I'm just like, are we back? Are we back to this? It's it's yeah, that part. You know, just because some freaking fascist chat wife on Instagram is like, you know, my dad.

Vuyanzi 10:55

Yeah, I saw some guy. I feel my children bar milk because it makes them stronger. I some guy was apologizing. I gotta find out. It was like a musician guy who was apologizing for all his politics that he's been saying because apparently he must have gotten hit hard. I gotta figure out who this guy is. He's this southern guy from Tennessee. Does this sound familiar to you?

Brendan 11:16

He's like a kind of chunky white guy.

Vuyanzi 11:18

Yes, a chunky white guy, yes. What was his what were his politics? Oh, because he was making a big apology anyway.

Brendan 11:24

So I couldn't tell if it was like actually because I didn't watch him, but he always was like super liberal. Oh no. I think it might be I think it might be clickbait to get people to open it, and then he's like, you're a fascist. I don't know.

Vuyanzi 11:40

I didn't finish watching it.

Brendan 11:41

That would be my guesstimate, but okay, all right.

Vuyanzi 11:45

Okay, so now I gotta find him again. I gotta get his name. But anyway, we're we're back here, and I love one of our segments called Lost in Translation. And this was a thing. This was a thing. When I was traveling, I think I might have been the only one drinking on the plane. Now what time was it paramount? When I left here, like it was like one of those almost midnight flights. So it doesn't matter. You're in the air, you're crossing multiple time zones. And then I would see people, they're like You're on KQ? Yeah, KQ, Kenya Airlines or Airways or Airlines. Anyway, they were coming around like coffee tea, and I'm like, Where the bourbon at? And I was like, uh, can I have a screwdriver? You know, so they started giving it to me, and then they started really making it nice.

Brendan 12:36

One thing about the like the KQ flight attendance is like once they know you're a boozer, they're like, ah that's what I finished all the champagne on that flight a few times.

Vuyanzi 12:47

Let me tell you, but no one else, everyone kept doing coffee and tea. I'm like thinking, you guys know you could ask for alcohol. So it it I did feel a certain way. It didn't stop me, but I did feel a certain way. So, what about you? What got lost in translation? Any unspoken rules for you?

Brendan 13:03

So I had someone break an unspoken rule on their own. Oh girl, I was sitting at the Delta Sky Club. What? What? Yeah, let me not be too specific about that. I don't know if you already were specific. But so, you know, there's like this girl who's next to me. One thing I'm good for, it's like I it's like there's something in my aura that like brings people towards me like moths to a flame.

Vuyanzi 13:31

Like a moth to the flames.

Brendan 13:32

So I'm like there, you know, I'm like chatting with the girl, you know, like behind the bar. Because of course I'm sitting at the bar because I'm having a drink. Like, I mean it was like 10 a, but whatever, like I'm under it. It's available. So, yeah, and I paid for it. So give it to me. Um so I'm there. Or maybe it was Mayor. I forget which year. So I'm there. No, actually it was at uh was it JFK? Yeah, it was JFK. Oh I was in literally so many airplanes on this trip. Oh my gosh. Um I'm sitting there, and the girl next to me. I mean, she was the one. And you know, she just like like I was like on like a work call or like I was doing something, so I was like all on my computer, like not really paying attention. I like kind of like walk off and I like look over, and she was like, hey. So we're like talking. You know, she's like a kind of like early 40s, okay, okay, you know, uh attractive African American woman. Basically, she was me. She was a sad baby.

Vuyanzi 14:46

You were not sad. A what baby? A sad. She was a sad. Oh, oh, well. Not me, yeah.

Brendan 14:56

So we're like talking about, you know, like we family, you know, like we both like in the you know, we both in the family. Like so, we're talking about something, and then I don't know at what point it like the conversation just takes like a sharp breath. Because like she was like crying, because it was like, we're like I like someone in her family had died. It was either like her grandfather or like her uncle or like someone, you know, she's like, I'm I'm on my way back to I think she was like from one of those like Midwestern cities. I'm gonna be too specific, so I called her. Yeah, you know, she's like, I'm going, because you know, like my mom's already there, like kind of but like I'm like the one in the family that handles everything, so I need to be able to exort everything. And so she's like crying, and I'm there like, you know, it's gonna be okay. Blah blah blah blah blah. And then somehow, like we've talked about this before. The Church of God in Christ comes out.

Vuyanzi 15:54

Yes, yes, oh I'm singing my songs, you already have it.

Brendan 15:59

But somebody said not join it, you have to be bold, so we sing it and like having a good time, you know. I'm trying to like help her. So the conversation takes like a hard left when she's like, have you accepted the Lord as your personal savior? Because I did, and I like left the lifestyle behind, and now I'm with the man. And I was just like, Why is it always Christians that do not know how to read the like this is not appropriate at the Delta Sky Club?

Vuyanzi 16:36

Uh wait a minute.

Brendan 16:38

She was like, I know you haven't yet. And I was like, But you, I'm like, I just let get my bag blown up. I'm about to go get my back blown up, and I do not have any plans to change that. So I don't know why you thought this conversation over like morning drink as a Delphine.

Vuyanzi 16:56

You weren't gonna change that for me, but that's so interesting. And because you beat her as a stud though.

Brendan 17:04

I mean, she's that's how she presents still. She has the aura. The aura didn't depart her body when she had her I'm not getting no more moment.

Vuyanzi 17:14

I'm not getting no more. I'm delimited. I'm delivered. Clearly, she's still like wait, I can't, I can't so dumb.

Brendan 17:28

Wait, you know, like with like you know how it's like I can't hide anything on my face. So, like at this point, it's like very clear that I no longer want to be a part of this conversation. Because I'm just there, like she's going on and on. And I'm like, Well, I'm gonna pray for your family in this difficult time. I know that's right. I know that's right. You know, I was like, I am very comfortable with my relationship with the Lord and Savior. Yes, but I appreciate your input. And then I like try to, and she's like, and another, and I'm like, Oh, she was like the tower.

Vuyanzi 18:03

Oh, that was good.

Brendan 18:05

It was one of those where I was like, you know, I'm like, I felt like we were having like our like I thought we were having like a sister moment, but really it was like, you know, like Rain Mini and um what's her face, like have a we see each other, but it's like because they were beefers. I'm like, I didn't know we were beefed, but we beef it.

Vuyanzi 18:25

Wow, what a lost in translation moment. That is um, that might be one for the books, actually. Um, and in fact, that just gave me some black joy. I don't even need to go into black joy, but uh I yeah, my black joy is nothing. That is so hysterical that listen, we also we also as much as we love Lost in Translation, we like to share share what brought us joy. That did not bring you, well, it was bringing you joy until it wasn't. I thought we were having a moment, and then I was like, oh you were having a moment of some sorts. Like, I didn't know I was getting proselytized today if I have the ex-game ministry.

Brendan 19:07

And I mean, Gina's ex shoot over here, like what's that woman? Kim, Kim, what's her thing? What's that? That one that's always picking on the the gospel thing. Oh, Kim Burrell is that Bureau? Kim Burrell, yes. Let God be true quickly.

Vuyanzi 19:24

Stop singing in the front. I'm singing this song. Okay. Uh Queer and Black Joy, okay. Um yeah, I mean, listen, this is for some people it might be small, but still it just brings me joy. And that was when I was getting on to Kenya Airlines. It's almost like I'm doing um a push for them, but I'm not. I mean, it's convenient. Y'all could send her a check. Yeah, it's it's convenient. Well, all beautiful attendants, but it's beautiful black flight attendants, and it just to see all I love the KQ flight attendants. They're beautiful.

Brendan 20:04

I mean, the airline itself, we have a tortured relationship, yeah. Yeah, like you know, sometimes you just gotta be where you are.

Vuyanzi 20:11

I need them to update their movies and series though, but that's another story. We're talking about joy anyway. Just seeing them as they smile, carry booty, carry booty. It just all black uh crew makes me happy. And I think I saw the um the pilot as I was uh on my way in and he did a double stare. He was doing an extra long stare.

Brendan 20:34

Did you give him your card?

Vuyanzi 20:35

No, I didn't find him attractive.

Brendan 20:38

But he has benefits that we could take advantage of.

Vuyanzi 20:41

I don't know. I can't we have to talk about that later.

Brendan 20:44

You're watching the city up.

Vuyanzi 20:47

I just didn't find I wasn't drawn to him.

Brendan 20:50

I will take the fight benefits.

Vuyanzi 20:53

Okay, what about you? What brought you queer joy?

Brendan 20:59

Um well, as you know, I spent New Year's in Cuba.

Vuyanzi 21:04

Yes, yes.

Brendan 21:07

So actually, interestingly, like it was a little bit of both because like so I had like a really interesting realization, and like sorry to the Cuban Americans if you're watching this. Like, I so you know, like being an American, growing up in New York, like also spending time in Florida, like I mean, I think like we as Americans think that we have like a concept of like Cuba as like a place and a culture. Totally, totally, and like so literally, like when I got there, it was like I like touched down, I was like on my way to my little school where I was doing my Spanish classes. And I just had a moment, like we like had to stop because like my taxi was having some kind of issue, so we had to like swap it out for another car. So we're like here on the side of the road, like watching this man, you know, selling coconut water on the side of the road, like a few meters in front of us, and I was just Like looking around and I was like. I feel like we had like like this is like real West Africa. And I realized like our image of Cuba is very much like a white Cuban experience.

Vuyanzi 22:14

That's so interesting.

Brendan 22:16

Because those are the ones that like ran away, you know, because they were the ones that wanted the plantation before the revolution.

Vuyanzi 22:20

Like Desi Arnez. Hope from I Love Lucy. Ha ha!

Brendan 22:27

Sorry, it's like you know, it's like all we think is like cafecitos and like cubano sandwiches. Totally, totally like very like like similar to like I mean they all vote Republican, right? So it's like a very specific subset of that culture. So like being there, I was like, oh no, this is like a like a black, like this is like a black diaspora country. Wow. That is also Spanish speaking.

Vuyanzi 22:52

I love that.

Brendan 22:53

So there was that, but then also like my queer joy was like like a lot of people don't realize that, like, I mean, Cuba legalized gay marriage, like I think in like the 90s. Like discrimination against LGBT people has been illegal there for like decades. It's like very pro-gay. Wow. So I mean, speaking of going to Pound Town, like I had a fabulous time. Now I don't want y'all to think I'm like these passport bros that are going to Brazil to sleep with the porn stars. I was not doing that. Okay. Uh yeah. But I may have sampled the local flavors. And I have no regrets, but I know, I know, that's right. Oh, I gotta make it to Cuba. Gee, wizard. So that brought me some joy. I did break a few hearts, but I will tell you about that too. Oh, I'm the one being heartbroken. For once I get to pay it forward.

Vuyanzi 23:50

Really nice.

Brendan 23:51

Good for you. If you like character development, you can also slide in with the eye.

Vuyanzi 23:59

Okay, so perceptions, news, lost in translation, Cuban, breaking hearts. You know what? We've come to the end. We've actually come to the end of this one. And um, and I guess home and even our perceptions for the way we were taught to look at home versus other places, and home versus other establishments and things, home is what we're going to make of it, right? And even being aware that it's home that it's taught us our perception of the world. Even it's the way we live in this in this country, it has everything to do with that concept of what is home and what is the evolving. And I feel like the whole idea of home and today was home away from home, however, this is just an evolving topic. And I feel maybe even long the longer that we're here, maybe the things change and how do we revisit it? So home is what you make it. Any final final thoughts for you?

Brendan 25:02

No, I I think it's I mean, the last couple of years it's been interesting how like similar to what you're saying about like hopping on like the KQ play, it's like you reach a point at which you come back to here, which I know we say home away from home. But now coming here feels like, oh, I'm coming home.

Vuyanzi 25:23

Oh my god, yes.

Brendan 25:25

Like being at home home, like birth home doesn't feel like you're at home anymore. At least in the sense of like your current home.

Vuyanzi 25:34

No, and I feel like you know what, I feel like we missed a little bit of this because I know it's supposed to be closing, but I do want to say that feeling, and I remember that feeling when I used to, before I moved here, when I used to travel for work and come back to New York. And I'd like to say we are not from the city of New York. We're both from the suburbs of New York. Because you say New York and they're like in the city.

Brendan 25:56

I'm three three hours outside the city.

Vuyanzi 25:57

But I will still claim it. I'm not claiming the city, and I'm 30 minutes outside.

Brendan 26:02

I'm just clearing the status of a New Yorker. Because look, local can throw down and that's just from Buffalo, okay? You see her over here tossing Trump around like a sack of the barber. So don't fuck with New Yorkers.

Vuyanzi 26:16

But but when I We will kill you. No, not like words, our words, our words. Jesus. We have that disclaimer below. Thank God. Um, so what I wanted to say was, Jesus. What was that? And the menopausal brain is really kicking in. Oh gosh, yes. There used to be this feeling when I would cross a corner that I was like, oh, I'm home now on the Palisades Parkway. Are you ever from were you ever familiar? Yeah. So I used to be like, I'm home now. Now, when I'm in the uh Nairobi, the airport, Jomo Kingada Airport, there's this certain part where you start entering into where the visa people, they're like, Kenyon's this way, everybody else over here. And I'm like, I'm home. And so that's what it felt like this time around. Um, as they checked my yellow fever card, they haven't checked that in seven years. Oh, gosh, maybe you should cut that out. No, but now they do, they do, and I was okay with that. I mean, I'm yellow fever, but it it's it feels so different and it feels good. I'm not gonna lie, it feels good to be back here. Oh it's a kiss from Kenya.

Brendan 27:34

Yeah. So we'll see you next time. Yeah. Kisses from Kenya. And until then, keep being fabulous. Yeah.