Watch the Walk

At first I thought of writing a post on the "Man of the Day" awards-- which man was the most annoying or infuriating in his advances on me each day. It could have been funny. It could have been witty. It could have made you laugh, and cry, and feel for me, while wishing you could see it happen just once. But that doesn't do the issue the justice it deserves. First, let me say that islanders have pre-conceptions of what American women are like. They've seen the movies and they know how we normally like to behave. Can I use the word? Sluts. Yeah, they assume that we're sluts. Isn't that a great way to start things off? So every day I have to demonstrate that I'm a woman worthy of respect and not the loose woman they assume I am. Second, let me point to my passport. It's American. If I marry someone not from America it will be (according to speculation) far easier for my husband to go to America. Third, polygamy is widely accepted here, especially among t...

Yesterday I went with a friend to an information session given by a naturally-focused Kenyan doctor. He was telling about the benefits of Spirulina, a diet supplement, but he ended up spending a lot more time discussing diet and mindset issues of islanders (and Africans in general) than actually telling about Spirulina. The issues he raised have been quite evident to me here, and it was amazing to see the islanders' response to his commentary. See, islanders don't like new things. When I make American-style food for an islander friend I never really know if they'll appreciate it. If I go to the market and see something I don't recognize, I generally ask how they cook it. And every islander cooks it pretty much the same way. So when there are selective food shortages, like right now, islanders start complaining a lot. For example, the doctor told of when there was a rice shortage (a couple weeks ago), and islanders were protesting near the market. "There's no fo...

This month has been pretty busy. English classes have started. I'm teaching one class in my town and one class in the town I'll be moving to at the end of this month. Yesterday was Eid al-Adha the day Msms commemorate Abraham sacrificing his son. What a great bridge to talking about deep truths! The Father spared Abraham's son... yet did not spare His own Son (Rom. 8:32).  Instead of writing a lot this time I'm giving you a few pictures to look at. Island life remains interesting. The greatest challenge of late has been avoiding men and their unappreciated advances. I contemplated writing a post about the "man of the day" -- who managed to be the most annoying man during my day... but probably will leave that topic alone. Alright, picture time! Sunset at the beach Trash at the beach. This is the typical beach scene here. Looking across to the port House construction. This is one of my favorite places for a peaceful walk There's a woman blocking the view, b...