Just yesterday, I was looking through some of my old pictures from this place, and was thinking to myself that I used to have a lot more fun than I've been having lately. I used to invite people over for games and dinner, we used to have potlucks, and go out on adventures. And lately... I sit here on the compound, with my laptop on my lap, or engage in more, well, solitary leisure activities, like gardening and cooking.
I gotta turn over a new leaf. No more. I gotta get out and find some new friends!
And tonight was a good start. We had a BBQ with folks from our Sunday evening Bible study. Unfortunately, it was in "honor" of some good friends who have been here for 5 years, and who are now moving on. I'm really going to miss them, it's just not going to be the same without them, that's for sure. But in the process of saying goodbye, we had a big BBQ, with an almost epic game of frisbee golf on our compound. We used to play frisbee golf all the time, but I haven't played in forever - you should have seen my frisbees when I dragged them out from under the bed!
It happily coincided with the return of two friends who used to be around during the "good old days" of fun, and who are back (one for visit, and one for work). So even though we do say a lot of goodbyes, there are a few faces who pop up again. It was really a nice time, catching up with old friends and meeting a few new people tonight, too.
And strangely enough, Celine is singing about Saying Goodbye. Yes, Celine is in my living room! Well, ok, not exactly. But remember, I live in a brick tent, so there is nothing but screen between me and the giant speakers they put up this afternoon about 15 feet from my house. The occasion? I think it's a wedding celebration. There's been lots of talking with a microphone, but it's in one of the local languages, of which I only know about 5 words (including a few ways to say, "Hi" and "It's all good" and "water"), so I can't really say exactly what it is. But there were a few busloads of happy people arriving earlier, and now they're playing a steady stream of cheesy love songs, courtesy of Shania and Celine, among others. I'm just waiting for "African Queen" to be played, then I will know for sure that it's a wedding celebration.
Unfortunately, these parties have a tendancy to go till the wee hours of the morning, at least, and sometimes until dawn. So it might could be a night of little sleep. I'm hoping I'll be pleasantly surprised and they will shut down at midnight or so.
I gotta turn over a new leaf. No more. I gotta get out and find some new friends!
And tonight was a good start. We had a BBQ with folks from our Sunday evening Bible study. Unfortunately, it was in "honor" of some good friends who have been here for 5 years, and who are now moving on. I'm really going to miss them, it's just not going to be the same without them, that's for sure. But in the process of saying goodbye, we had a big BBQ, with an almost epic game of frisbee golf on our compound. We used to play frisbee golf all the time, but I haven't played in forever - you should have seen my frisbees when I dragged them out from under the bed!
It happily coincided with the return of two friends who used to be around during the "good old days" of fun, and who are back (one for visit, and one for work). So even though we do say a lot of goodbyes, there are a few faces who pop up again. It was really a nice time, catching up with old friends and meeting a few new people tonight, too.
And strangely enough, Celine is singing about Saying Goodbye. Yes, Celine is in my living room! Well, ok, not exactly. But remember, I live in a brick tent, so there is nothing but screen between me and the giant speakers they put up this afternoon about 15 feet from my house. The occasion? I think it's a wedding celebration. There's been lots of talking with a microphone, but it's in one of the local languages, of which I only know about 5 words (including a few ways to say, "Hi" and "It's all good" and "water"), so I can't really say exactly what it is. But there were a few busloads of happy people arriving earlier, and now they're playing a steady stream of cheesy love songs, courtesy of Shania and Celine, among others. I'm just waiting for "African Queen" to be played, then I will know for sure that it's a wedding celebration.
Unfortunately, these parties have a tendancy to go till the wee hours of the morning, at least, and sometimes until dawn. So it might could be a night of little sleep. I'm hoping I'll be pleasantly surprised and they will shut down at midnight or so.
No comments:
Post a Comment