Watch the Walk

Big fruit bats This is Africa, folks. I was reminded of that quite a few times last month as I was wrapping up vacation and traveling back to Clove Island. I had several foreigners unloading on me about various things they were experiencing that seem to be common to Africa: The customs official they fought with over the definition of "multiple-entry." The corruption that is rampant. People who say they believe one thing and then act in contradiction to that (not limited to Africa, folks). The yes that means no, because you really shouldn't have put me on the spot. Personally, I'm over most of the things, most of the time. It's just some things some of the time that manage to get to me. And there's no real escape. It kinda hit me when I was traveling back from vacation recently. I wasn't all that far from Clove Island. Just a long hop on a large plane and a shorter hop on a smaller plane. But travel is rarely simple despite all that. I arrived at the airpor...

I've taken a bit of a break from blogging, but hopefully this post will end that hiatus. After reading over various post drafts that I started and never finished, here's the one I dusted off and finished to share with you: One of my little friends. On the harder, lonelier days I start thinking. Yes means a thousand no's. My "yes" to being here means I'm not a million other places, yet it's one of the best "yes's" that I've said. I'm here. Not home in Washington. Not with family. Not anywhere else but here. And I have to trust that Gd put me here. Not there. And He's got the whole world in His hands. I've got friends here who I enjoy spending time with. I've got opportunities here which would look different elsewhere. But most of all, I've got peace that this is where I'm supposed to be. And that's the most satisfying bit. Last week a friend came to talk with me after class and share what was going on in her lif...

This wrap is traditional to Clove Island. It's traditionally worn like a sari, but over a full outfit, adding style and propriety. Like many other things, it can serve multiple purposes. Here are just a few ideas: 1. Tortilla steamer: homemade tortillas need to steam a little after being cooked. The island wrap is perfect for this. 2. Sweat rag: what better use when you're sweating like crazy on a hike and are wearing yards of extra fabric? 2. Blanket: cold on a "winter" night? Time to break in that new island wrap by wrapping up in it! 3. Curtain: hang it up and you've got privacy anywhere! Too bright out? Hang an island wrap and you're "covered." 4. Carrying bag: not enough hands? Tie it up and sling it on your back. 5. Baby sling: an alternate on the carrying bag concept. 6. Beach blanket: packs small and spreads out large. 7. Towel: forgot your towel? Just pick up your "beach blanket" and towel off! 8. Tablecloth: want a "pi...

Picnicking before the month of fasting begins I find it intriguing how an entire society can change to revolve around fasting.  -- Every morning I hear a guy running around at 2AM telling people to eat before the sun rises. -- Some nights the bakery next door will be baking bread at midnight. It's easier to smell fresh baked bread when you're allowed to eat it, rather than when you're fasting. -- Shops stay open later in the afternoon, but then open later in the evening. Instead of being closed 1-5, they're closed 3-8. This way people cooking for their "breaking the fast feast" can shop later in the day rather than first thing in the morning. Shop owners who are going to pray at the last call to prayer reopen their shops after prayer. -- Everyone is thinking about fasting. At the beginning of the month, the question everyone asked me was always "are you fasting? Did you fast today? Are you able to fast?" Now the question is "How many days did yo...

how's that for a huge nose stud? All fixed! On my last trip to Kenya I got my nose pierced. My nose healed nicely and, when a friend gave me a gold stud for my birthday (to match the style most women with pierced noses here have), I pulled out the old one and put in the new one. The new one didn't fit very well, so I pulled it out and adjusted it with a handy pair of pliers, then put it back in. Three weeks later, I rubbed my nose and the nose stud broke! I'm guessing I killed its' structural integrity when I amateur-fixed it. Now, I've been told that nose piercings close up pretty quickly, so I put an earring in to keep the hole open. Unfortunately, I own zero stud-style earrings. My housemate was kind enough to loan me a pearl stud so I could go out of the house without a dangle earring in my nose. I went off to a nearby town to look for either a new nose stud or a jeweler to fix my old stud. The goldsmith at work After a couple re-directions, I ended up waiting o...

Long hikes can get dirty Sometimes things don't go the way you expect them to go. Like the outing I went on recently with some islander friends. We were prepared for a fairly easy walk up a river. They were dressed in nice wraps and even had makeup on. Several hours later we were clinging to rocks to keep from falling in the river and bushwhacking straight up a large hill. In retrospect, it was a fun outing. Just not as expected. This last weekend I went to a conference for English teachers that was organized by colleagues on another island. We had a wonderful plan. There were 4 teachers from my team, plus 6 islanders all signed up for the conference and we were all going to take a boat together on Thursday. The conference started on Saturday, so it seemed like a good day to travel. Waterfall on the hike Wednesday night our team leader's house helper saw on TV that our boat wasn't traveling Thursday, but was delayed until Friday. Well, that's fine. Bonus day on island! ...

If you look closely, you can see the rainbow! The other day I was observing an islander while he taught how to fill out visas forms in English, providing all the information that governments like to know before someone officially enters their country. And suddenly it struck me again—this is all cultural!  Let me give you an example: addresses. Here in the islands, the closest I have to a physical address is telling the neighborhood I live in and the house owner’s name. A person who is looking for me has to come to my neighborhood and ask the neighbors where I live or where that particular house is. It’s like saying “I live at Daniel’s mother’s house, near the golf course.” Try plugging that into a GPS! Running through town singing after a soccer win Or here’s another one: names. In the US, the most confusing it normally gets is when someone either has two middle names or none. Here, the first name is your given name, the second name is your father’s name, and the third name is the...