Watch the Walk

This one I did get a picture of They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but sometimes the moment passes too quickly and words are all that's left. Today's post features the "pictures I wish I'd gotten." How to ride a bicycle: one day while riding in a taxi I came upon a young man on a bicycle. Now the fact that he was on a bicycle wasn't all that unusual. Nor the fact that he was standing on the seat. But instead of coasting along gently, he was being towed by... no, you probably won't guess... a motorbike, and at a rather break-neck speed too. I was too slow to get a picture of it, but I'm sure your imagination can see how it happened anyway. Rice isn't just for weddings. The other day a lady came up to me and some friends and started pelting us with uncooked rice. At first I thought maybe it was a way to scare off evil spirits. But no, it seems that she was just a little crazy. King of the mountain: On the way to my team leaders' hous...

(I was looking back through my drafts folder and came upon this post. This was written in January 2016. Reading it brought back some great memories for me, so I hope you enjoy it.)  First mango of the season I remember a family camping trip when I was young. It ended with several inches of water in the tent, at which point we decided to pack up our things and move indoors. That was the only time we ever abandoned a camping situation. As we packed up the sopping wet canvas tent, sorted through mushy bread, and tried to salvage some not-quite-soaked-through firewood, my siblings and I (led by Mom) were singing Count Your Blessings. Well, after complaining about the cold here, I feel as if I should give you all a list of the blessings I've encountered here in another part of Africa. 1) Borrowed items: I've been blessed with countless sweaters, a nice coat, slipper socks, and gloves as people take pity on my shivering self. 2) Hot drinks: I never stopped drinking hot coffee on Clo...

Even though I've been living on Clove Island for awhile now, there are still some cultural differences I find funny. It's not that they're completely unexpected, because I know that people think that way, but when I consider them in light of American norms, well, it's just not the same. Like, for instance, the issue of body weight. I was recently told "you should gain some weight before you go home so that your family isn't worried about you coming back here." Implication: fat is good and healthy. Skinny is worrisome. So if your family is worried about your health, they'll want to see that you're gaining weight, not losing it. On a related topic, rice is food. If you haven't had rice in the day, you really haven't eaten, you've only snacked. And an islander portion of rice could feed several American families for a day. No kidding. So what's a great meal? A heaping plate/bowl/pot of rice, topped with some sauce or slow-cooked veggie...