Rain

I don't really have much to say today, and I really should go to sleep soon, since I was up until 4am yesterday. There was a bit of a party yesterday just on the other side of our fence. Well, ok, it wasn't a "party" exactly, but it was "prayers" for a funeral of some sort. Except that when people here have "prayers", it's not a real solemn quiet affair in the middle of the afternoon. Nope. Preparations begin in the afternoon, with the set up of a big tent (like a marquee tent - is that the right word?), tons of plastic lawn chairs and several big speakers. I mean BIG speakers. Of course, you set all of this up in the middle of the road.

From about 9pm, you will start testing out the sound system with the electric keyboard and microphones and speakers. Did I mention that you need some big speakers? You also need to make sure that the speakers are pointed directly at your neighbor's compound, just in case they don't hear you clearly.

Then, when your guests start arriving at about midnight, you start to crank up the volume. As loud as it goes. Actually, maybe you don't need to crank the volume - I think the things just come with one volume setting - as loud as it could possibly be.

Once your guests have arrived, you proceed to shout into the microphone repeated "hallelujahs", and sing and sing and sing many many many songs. But because the speakers are pointed directly at your neighbor's house, you will not be able to hear yourself - so it's not necessary to sing in tune or even to keep time with the "canned" drum beat of the electric keyboard.

You can play some "worship" songs, but also some secular songs with a good dance beat, just in case people start to nod off around 2am. The important thing is to just keep shouting into the microphone and keep the music cranked because you wouldn't want your guests (or your neighbors) to sleep until the sun starts lighting the horizon, around 6:30am. Most importantly, as soon as you see someone start to nod off, you must shout "hallelujah" into the microphone. You really don't want them to sleep, after all. Because keeping them awake all night is surely a good way to convert your neighbors. Even those neighbors who are already Christians will begin to convert to a different religion because they don't feel so charitable towards you at 3:30am when all they want to do is sleep, but they can't because their bed is vibrating from your speakers (did I mention that you have to have some big speakers?).

At least tonight all the parties are a little farther afield, rather than 20 feet from my bedroom (keep in mind we don't have class windows - I live in a screened in house only, so I hear everything that goes on out there!).

At the moment, I can hear about 3 different types of music wafting through the night from three different celebrations somewhere. Someone was playing the usual Celine Dion, followed by her co-patriot Shania. Someone else is playing some "traditional" East African pop, while someone else is playing something that sounds a bit like a hip-hop dance something or other. None of it goes very well with each other, and they've all cranked it up even louder than usual so they can be heard over each other.

I think I'll put my MP3 player on to BBC and let the Brits drown it all out - at least that way I'll be lulled to sleep...