Yeah, so it's been hot. And it's been sucking my energy. So I haven't felt much like blogging. I tried going on a "Complaining Fast" for a few days this week. I wasn't going to complain at all about the heat or the dust or the printer cartridges that keep emptying or the rat poo in my office drawer or ... but it's really hard! I need to really get back on top of being thankful for the things that I do have, and the people around me and the fun that it really is to live in this place! So this week, I'm going to try again for a day or two of a "Complaining Fast"! We'll see how it goes...
But yeah, it has been hot. That's not a complaint, that's just a matter of fact! It was, according to the radio, 43C on Friday. That's hot. And that's not a complaint, just a fact. At least it's still cooling down quite nicely in the evenings, and I've enjoyed some star-lit walks around the compound in the stillness of the night. The stars are truly amazing out here, especially since there's no electricity in the city (again, not a complaint, just a statement of fact!). So once the generators go off, it gets nice and quiet and peaceful... well, that is, until Celine starts singing (again, not a complaint, just a statement). But even Celine's heart going on and on can't disturb the peacefulness when you look up at a sky sparkling with stars. It's really gorgeous, and I could sit out in the "parking lot" of the compound for hours watching them, having some nice quiet time and just enjoying the cool, fresh night air (cool being in the high 20'sC!)
This weekend has been pretty uneventful, actually. I had a really nice dinner with some Dutch friends on Friday evening - we had some amazing sausages (imported directly from the Netherlands!) and hutsput (sorry if I spelled that wrong!). It was all topped off by a stroop waffle! I love it that my friend had to go back to the Netherlands for a meeting - and since they know of my Dutch background, they wanted to share their treats with me! Wasn't that nice!? I do think we can add "hutsput" to our repetoire of meals here, as it doesn't take much to make it. It wouldn't quite be the same without the sausage... but...
I also had a tad bit of culture shock on Saturday afternoon. A new supermarket opened up here. Wow, is all I have to say. You can actually take a trolly (um, er, I mean, a cart) and push it up and down a couple of aisles! I think there are 5 whole aisles, brimming with stuff - mostly from Kenya and mostly WAY over priced. But it's nice to know that I can go and find odd things once in a while for something special. For instance, they have icing sugar, in case I ever want to sprinkle a little on my french toast some morning. They also have a nice range of shampoos and lotions, though you pay the equivalent of $9 - 10 for a regular sized bottle of shampoo! But in case of shampoo emergency, at least it's now readily available.
Speaking of shopping, I also ventured into the market on my own on Saturday afternoon. No one else wanted to go shopping, but we needed to stock up on our eggs and tomatoes etc for the week, so I put on my cap, jumped in the truck, and roared off into the sunshine. I had a really nice time in the market, actually. It was quite nice to go on my own, to be able to look at what I wanted to look at, to stop and chat when I wanted, to stop for a bottle of water when I wanted... very nice. I only got one marriage proposal from a man who owned a little "accessory" shop (lots and lots of cheap plastic shiny things from China!), and then the Eritrean guy who sells cold water and soda asked me when I was taking him back to my home country with me.
I also found a few mangos, some pineapple, and the usual veggies. But the real fun purchase of the day is a blue, yellow and black striped mat! I've been wanting to get a little mat for a while now - just something to put down on the floor in case I want to sit on the ground, or to take outside and put on the ground in case I want to lay under the tree and read a book. So I went to my friendly house-hold guy (the same one who we bought our beautiful mugs from) and he gave me a good deal, complimenting my Arabic the entire time :) It's really a lot of fun to be able to communicate with these folks in the market, using my little bits of Arabic, and it really makes them smile, too!
So all in all, it was a very successful shopping day for me on Saturday. It just fascinates me to see all the stuff that's becoming available here these days - really it's so different from when I first came. I still remember the first Thanksgiving I was here (two years ago!) and Grace and I went to the market to stock up for our feast. We were so excited to find our orange tie-dyed flip flops in the market - back then, it was amazing to just see flip flops in the market! Now... wow, it's a completely different scene. I tell you, this town is changing.
I've also decided that as it's getting hotter, I need to have a Sunday afternoon "water-based recreational activity" each week. Last week I had myself a little pool party in the verandah. This week, I washed the truck. I just couldn't stand the filthiness of the truck anymore, so I parked it in the shade, got out the hose and buckets and scrubbed it all, inside and out. It was still a pretty sweaty affair, but boy does that truck look shiney again!
And then tonight, we had our fellowship group and started looking at an Advent series - I'm hoping that in the midst of my complaining fast, I can also focus my thoughts more on the coming of Christmas... and not just the celebration of the birth of Jesus, but the hopeful, joyful expectation of his coming again!
No comments:
Post a Comment