Well, Yared and the other American girl's arrival didn't happen on Tuesday as planned, though they're supposedly coming in today. I expect that much will change when Yared arrives...I look forward to accomplishing something, though for the most part I haven't minded just hanging around chasing goats (those suckers are so dadblasted cute, but fast, too.) And the baby baboon and I are friends, though he did try to poop on me the other day, so I have things to keep me entertained.
The biggest news in my house is that I now have electric lights! Some village dudes coaxed the solar panels on top of the house into functionality, so now I read at night by the glaring light of a compact flourescent bulb rather than by candlelight. Funnily enough, I was kind of hoping that they wouldn't be able to get them to work...there's something romantic about scratching away in my journal by flickering flame. I certainly wouldn't want to spend my whole life living in darkness for twelve hours a day, but I like to think that there are still places on this earth where I can go to try it out for a time. This attitude is, I realize, horribly unfair to the people of developing nations who should of course be allowed the same degree of development, if they want it, that we in the West have enjoyed. It's tempting to want some places to remain primitive just for the joy of visiting, but that is both unkind and unrealistic.
I went with Lucas, the cook, and some other dudes to the market to watch the 2008 Euro Cup finals a few nights ago. Someone had rigged up two regular-sized TVs to a generator in a corrugated tin shed and was charging a few cents to get in. It was completely dark inside except for the light from the TVs, and there were no chairs except for two small wooded benches in the back. Everyone else was seated on grass mats sprawled on the packed earth floor. I think pretty much every young man in Kiganza was there, plus me (I was the only girl.) It was really fun, and almost like a bar (remember those?) Minus the alcohol. And the chairs. And the women.
I'd have more to say on that topic and on many others, but I'm being hurried to leave for the airport to get Yared and Heather (my new fellow mazungu.) More later!
1 comment:
Ahh, the cute little goats! I remember Ziggy, who decided to make our back porch home for awhile. Really cute and quite comfortable to be around, except for the stinkiness and all those little black berries that were from what tree???? Oh, those aren't berries, are they! Sounds like you are having a unique experience over there in the community. So how's the verbal communication going with your neighbors? It's facinating to see how different cultures get along without all of our western 'stuff', and hey, you got to watch the soccer finals in a place you NEVER dreamed you would! I bet it was a blast! We're all really enjoying your postings....can't wait to read the next chapter! Much love to you!!!
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