Accidents
While here, I have witnessed 2 accidents involving motorbikes. In a taxi, we passed one where the bike was in the middle of the road where I am assuming the driver was hit or hit someone. The other day I was walking to the apartment when a man with a woman on the back of his motorbike made a right and the motorbike turned over after losing traction on the loose sand and gravel on the road. Thankfully the man wasn’t going very fast, so both got up, brushed themselves off and seemed to be fine.
Speaking of accidents, Myjolie burned a pan full of peppers the other morning. I was watching cartoons and had Boo Boo on my lap when it happened, so I got him out as soon as I started to be overwhelmed with the smell. The stink was so strong that it burned my throat and made me cough uncontrollably and sneeze. We had the overhead and floor fan on full blast, as well as both doors wide open trying to air out the apartment. I’d say it took a good 30 minutes before the smell settled in the apartment.
Food & drink
Solange bought a bag of sugar cane while we were out shopping for orphanage items the other day. If you’ve never tried sugar cane before, you put a piece of what looks like a thick stem in your mouth and basically suck the sugar water out of it. When you finish, you spit out the stem. It wasn’t bad, it just isn’t very fulfilling.
The other day, I went with Solange to a fish market. The stink was terrible since the market consisted of about 10 freezers wide open with signs above them identifying each section of fish and their cost. I don’t know what she ended up getting, but she got 2 boxes full of frozen fish.
Since the 3rd week I’ve been here, I have discovered a very satisfying treat on hot days. I’ll put a Pepsi can or Orange Fanta in the freezer for 2 hours, and it comes out perfectly iced. You have no idea how much I look forward to those hot days when I make myself a frozen treat after sweating all morning and afternoon…
Humans
All the volunteers and I, plus Akobe, Mary Claire, and Deanne, met for drinks at the outdoor bar right outside of Deanne’s place. I had a photographer, who I am assuming was the bar photographer, want to take my picture. He didn’t want Jessica’s or Daniel’s or anybody else’s picture, just mine. I politely declined because I just didn’t want my picture taken. He was rather persistent and wouldn’t leave the table, and so I finally had to be rude and tell him to bug off. After that, I had a guy tap me on the shoulder, wink at me, give me the thumbs up sign, then shape his lips to blow me a kiss. At that point, I was finished with his making a fool of himself and turned around. He did the exact same thing to Jessica who had been proposed to by a woman about an hour before-lol.
I have had many guys just automatically demand my phone number here without even striking up a conversation or introducing themselves-nothing. When they do this, I think, “It’s no wonder you’re single with that attitude. I wouldn’t look your way if I lived here either.” When walking through the Ndekoti market with Model (you’ll read about him below) on Friday, I felt as if I were up for auction because I had so many men shouting at me trying to get my attention while walking by a row of motorbike drivers. While there, I had one guy stick whatever product he was selling right in my face. Not to my right or to my left, but right IN my face. My reaction? I was so ticked off that I lifted my left arm up and shoved him right over to the side. Needless to say, his buddies were laughing at my reaction and his getting put into his place by “La Blanche.”
This past Monday, Marie was asking me about the new baby. I was like, “What new baby?’’ Marie took me into Solange’s room where Solange’s sister-in-law (forgot her name) was asleep on her bed with a teeny, tiny baby on a pillow beside of her. Solange’s sister-in-law had had a baby that morning! Apparently, Solange’s brother (Francois), his wife, son (Riquette) and new baby boy (Claude-they let the son name the kid) are staying at the orphanage for a month. This apparently is a culltural thing.
It was raining this past Friday morning, and my taxi stopped to pick up a fairly young woman with a shower cap on her head. She was wearing a v-neck dress and folks, I am not kidding you when I write this, but she had chest hair. Yes, you read that correctly. I did a double take when she walked up to the taxi door. I am finding that a lot of women here have chin hair, even Deanne has it. I find it rather interesting since most women (especially young) in the U.S. wouldn’t dare be caught in public with chin hair. Now I really can’t help but wonder what really is in the water here…
Model, a representative for THEX, has been nicknamed my “bodyguard and protector’’ since he accompanies me whenever I need to pick up donations or when I need help buying orphanage items. Anyway, we went to the market on Friday, and he ran inside a stand to do something so I stayed outside. The stand to the right of me had a man sitting outside of it. I saw a little boy who was about 2 years old wander out of it, who didn’t see me right away. As soon as the child spotted me, he started to panic, then cry, and couldn’t get away fast enough (I have named this behavior CSS, Caucasian Shock Syndrome-lol). He tripped over the stuff on the ground in front of him and immediately went straight into the arms of the man sitting outside the stand for comfort who was laughing at the child’s reaction. Another man standing outside the store watched the whole thing occur and was laughing too. I hate when I run into CSS because I hate the fact that I frighten children, so I was doing my usual reaction (as I am getting used to shocking kids!), which is both hands up to my mouth with a shocked, sorrowful look on my face.
Jeromie
I don’t think I have mentioned this before, but Jeromie and Akobe are originally from Cote d’Ivoire. Jeromie left here the week before last to go to Cote d’Ivoire in order to visit his family and renew his passport for 2 weeks. He took 2 bags with him and only received one bag when he arrived in Cote d’Ivoire (Yes, the stealing here in Africa is bad). With the political unrest there due to the presidential conflict and the rebel militia (another corrupt situation), the UN has stepped in. Since this has occurred, the rebel militia has been on a killing rampage and businesses have been closed. Jeromie couldn’t renew his passport at first, but once he was able to, he had to pay triple the cost because of the circumstances and no banks being open. As a result of the UN stepping in, there is no telling when Jeromie will return to Cameroon. I ask you to please keep him in your prayers and that he returns home safely.
Random Stuff
- The Mediterranean Restaurant has a black and white cat. I like any restaurant that feeds and cares for a cat. :)
- Any flat dirt surface is used for a soccer field no matter what size it may be.
- I have come to the conclusion that the only thing you need to know about driving here is that the understanding amongst drivers is that the road is one great big yield sign…
- There is a club called ''The Blade’’ here; I can’t help but wonder if it is a successful club or not…
No comments:
Post a Comment