here's one I saw:
a tiniest bird, not but 2 inches from beak to tail and perched a meter from where I was passing, was caroling with all its soul. I stopped, awed into silence. This fruffy little tuft of a guy sang and chirruped like a lark or a wren and s/he put out sound that would have carried to the back of a large auditorium. It was utterly glorious.
Volume
6 litres of saliva a day
is approximately what your salivary glands produce.
Sometimes it seems the same volume of thoughts flood my brain or even 6 litres of words in so many conversations a day
and I lay on my bed, spent, spinning.
I am learning, as I walk along the sidewalk pavers and under trees spilling from fenced front English gardens, to voluntarily relax my involuntarily tensed mental muscles that are fervently driven to 'make sense' of the world..to say,
hey,
let's not wind up tight trying to work out imponderables, like wringing out a towel that's still wet but just can't be wrung any tighter- it's no help!
let's gawk a little longer at birds. let me put my whole self into this moment of gratefulness- not just a mental calculation of thanks or compartmentalized pleasure- but all. here. now. that's what this heart was made for.
In the past 11 months, I must say, a lot of water has spilled over the dam and I've not fully realized or absorbed the experience yet. This forward rushing current- the brain wrung tight over language acquisition, cultural bridging, relationships everywhere- has me still in that same mode: looking forward, quickly back and then to the action-filled present.
But, I have the space in my life for this lesson now. This time will surely pass into another season less spacious. So I welcome this walking lesson. The tilt-back of stance, the round-me gaze, my ear cocked...I hope with all my heart the lesson sticks.
I think for me, this may be part of the 'renewing of your minds' that Paul urged us followers to be open to?
is approximately what your salivary glands produce.
Sometimes it seems the same volume of thoughts flood my brain or even 6 litres of words in so many conversations a day
and I lay on my bed, spent, spinning.
I am learning, as I walk along the sidewalk pavers and under trees spilling from fenced front English gardens, to voluntarily relax my involuntarily tensed mental muscles that are fervently driven to 'make sense' of the world..to say,
hey,
let's not wind up tight trying to work out imponderables, like wringing out a towel that's still wet but just can't be wrung any tighter- it's no help!
let's gawk a little longer at birds. let me put my whole self into this moment of gratefulness- not just a mental calculation of thanks or compartmentalized pleasure- but all. here. now. that's what this heart was made for.
In the past 11 months, I must say, a lot of water has spilled over the dam and I've not fully realized or absorbed the experience yet. This forward rushing current- the brain wrung tight over language acquisition, cultural bridging, relationships everywhere- has me still in that same mode: looking forward, quickly back and then to the action-filled present.
But, I have the space in my life for this lesson now. This time will surely pass into another season less spacious. So I welcome this walking lesson. The tilt-back of stance, the round-me gaze, my ear cocked...I hope with all my heart the lesson sticks.
I think for me, this may be part of the 'renewing of your minds' that Paul urged us followers to be open to?
twins
The palate of variety , in a city like London, is almost endless...but the other day, my twin sat down beside me on the bus. And in my peripheral vision, I watched her act out...me!
Presumably my age, she got on the bus, took to the upper level and sat in the front seat, even if it meant doubling up with someone. She settled in and thought about her day as we made the first few stops, then pulled out a book- parallel texts in French and English (something I also have out of the library). She opened to where she thought she'd left off and read a bit, with occasional looks out our front seat panoramic window, interested in the life on the street. It wasn't long however until she became preoccupied with the thoughts piling to the front of her morning brain that her gaze out the window became persistant and the book lay open and forgotten in her lap. I smiled. Her stop came, she closed the book, replaced it in her bag and set off for the day.
I had thought my twin was in Virginia. In fact [she] sat right down beside me!
Presumably my age, she got on the bus, took to the upper level and sat in the front seat, even if it meant doubling up with someone. She settled in and thought about her day as we made the first few stops, then pulled out a book- parallel texts in French and English (something I also have out of the library). She opened to where she thought she'd left off and read a bit, with occasional looks out our front seat panoramic window, interested in the life on the street. It wasn't long however until she became preoccupied with the thoughts piling to the front of her morning brain that her gaze out the window became persistant and the book lay open and forgotten in her lap. I smiled. Her stop came, she closed the book, replaced it in her bag and set off for the day.
I had thought my twin was in Virginia. In fact [she] sat right down beside me!
recent circles
WORLD
Around the circle of volunteers-in-training we were originally from Hungry, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Ethiopia, USAmerica, Japan, England, DRCongo, Ghana, Afghanistan, Russia.
FRENCH/ WORLD
In French class, where I am easily the junior by 25 years, I enjoy the mix of flavors from England, Korea, Ireland, Switzerland, Austria, Israel, France.
ITALIAN
I recently spent lots of time with a bunch of Italians with my Italian/Cape Verdian friend with whom I speak French. It's not that hard to get the gist of the main topic of conversation, but when went to open my mouth, I wasn't sure whom to address in which language since some also spoke Spanish and English.How confusing! I am not at all nimble in switching between languages.
SLICE OF LIFE
Once a week I walk my neighbor girl to school. It's a brief immersion into the responsibility of parenting and school attendance and little friends and a playground full of all walks of life.
Around the circle of volunteers-in-training we were originally from Hungry, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Ethiopia, USAmerica, Japan, England, DRCongo, Ghana, Afghanistan, Russia.
FRENCH/ WORLD
In French class, where I am easily the junior by 25 years, I enjoy the mix of flavors from England, Korea, Ireland, Switzerland, Austria, Israel, France.
ITALIAN
I recently spent lots of time with a bunch of Italians with my Italian/Cape Verdian friend with whom I speak French. It's not that hard to get the gist of the main topic of conversation, but when went to open my mouth, I wasn't sure whom to address in which language since some also spoke Spanish and English.How confusing! I am not at all nimble in switching between languages.
SLICE OF LIFE
Once a week I walk my neighbor girl to school. It's a brief immersion into the responsibility of parenting and school attendance and little friends and a playground full of all walks of life.
Conversions
And all these years, my Mum told me "A pint's a pound, the world around."
I'm thinking of asking bartender if he's mistaken.
That's not the only wacky conversion around here.
Go to the grocery and the apple bin will tell you it's 1 pound per kilo. Up until now I thought it was 2.2.
Try this list of conversions:
Bri-ish = United Statesian
yard = yard
garden = yard
coffee = 11am
hot drink from roasted beans = coffee
tea = 4pm
a hot drink from leaves = tea
trousers = pants
pants = underwear
half five = 5:30 o'clock
2.5 = half five
ring me = call me
give way = make way
have a look = take a look
mind your head = watch your head
performed at football games = cheers
cheers! = "see ya" or "Thanks for that" or "take care" or "excuse me, thanks"
Isn't language fun?
(and a Brit would say "Language is so fun isn't it.")
Tips on how to be well rested
1) Rest head on pillow to facilitate better concentration for deciding the hour at which the alarm should be set. Wake up refreshed!
2) Carefully plan and adjust alarm to a 'disciplined' (ungodly) hour to arise in the morrow. Happen to not turn alarm On. Bon nuit!
Testimonials:
" I love waking up with the day instead of my bleeping $%"£$%" - Lazy in London
" When I opened my eyes and my alarm hadn't yet gone off, I thought, wow! I must have slept really well!" - Starry-eyed Student
"I just wanted to thank you for these excellent tips and strategies. I have been sleeping so well ever since!" -Happy in Highgate
2) Carefully plan and adjust alarm to a 'disciplined' (ungodly) hour to arise in the morrow. Happen to not turn alarm On. Bon nuit!
Testimonials:
" I love waking up with the day instead of my bleeping $%"£$%" - Lazy in London
" When I opened my eyes and my alarm hadn't yet gone off, I thought, wow! I must have slept really well!" - Starry-eyed Student
"I just wanted to thank you for these excellent tips and strategies. I have been sleeping so well ever since!" -Happy in Highgate
school 2
Some things I enjoy in my course:
The world under the microscope.
I find it utterly amazing. Be it blood or fecal medium, the invading organisms are well, beautiful! The tiny egg made by the Tinea worm is encased with a perfectly pleated and spherical outer wall. easy to identify.
I can diagnose malaria in a blood sample under the microscope!
It's great to be in the company of nurses who share a similar frame of mind, who know how to ask good questions and analyze systems and situations holistically and remain present with human struggle and resiliency, not seeing only a 'problem'.
Our lecturers relate their expertise always to the realities of a resource-poor settings.
Some topics we've had include:
Immunology and vaccines
Populations
Schistosomiasis
Public health priorities
Helminths
Ethical issues
Tropical liver
Tropical dermatology
Primary care
Rabies
Emergency response
etc etc.
school 1
You know you are studying at a school of tropical medicine when invitations to seminars include topics such as:
Molecular phylogenomics of invasive and carriage streptococcus pneumoniae strains from West Africa.
Analysis of T cells secreting single or multiple cytokines by ELISpot and Fluorospot
Molecular phylogenomics of invasive and carriage streptococcus pneumoniae strains from West Africa.
Analysis of T cells secreting single or multiple cytokines by ELISpot and Fluorospot
Semblance of order
Rarely is boredom one of my ailments. Despite my 'tourist' status here in the UK, dis-allowing gainful employment, my days have taken on a semblance of order:
Babysitter. for two young, budding people who live over our garden hedge. Ages 6 & 8, with courageous parents who work as a singer/actor and flamanco dancer.
Information Officer. I am part of a team of volunteers starting to work for the Refugee Services of the Brit Red Cross. My role will involve providing the volunteer caseworkers with basic and current information about the countries from which people come, seeking asylum. Or my work may be to update and collect information about public services available to refugees.
Engrossed student. I really love to learn. So in addition to the Wednesday I spend all day in lectures and lab, I have spent some long hours in the library making headway on the assigned research essay. Being at school on days with all the other Masters and researching students from all over the world whets my appetite for more.
Delighter in Spring.
Babysitter. for two young, budding people who live over our garden hedge. Ages 6 & 8, with courageous parents who work as a singer/actor and flamanco dancer.
Information Officer. I am part of a team of volunteers starting to work for the Refugee Services of the Brit Red Cross. My role will involve providing the volunteer caseworkers with basic and current information about the countries from which people come, seeking asylum. Or my work may be to update and collect information about public services available to refugees.
Engrossed student. I really love to learn. So in addition to the Wednesday I spend all day in lectures and lab, I have spent some long hours in the library making headway on the assigned research essay. Being at school on days with all the other Masters and researching students from all over the world whets my appetite for more.
Delighter in Spring.
Familiarity
Where I come home to:
London has become more familiar.
*I spotted our neighbor boy at the pharmacy
*I recognized a businessman whom I'd rushed past an other day on my way to the bus
*I saw the librarian leave the post office
*The young bilingual mom with two kids on my street was the same crew with whom I'd waited at the bus stop weeks earlier
*I saw the same biker with the same skeleton-shirt flying down the hill
*Met the neighbor, for whom I babysit, on the street corner.
The avenue I take to enter the woods:
House-life here is more familiar or perhaps familial
*barging in for a chat and some laughs and an impromptu brownie party
*learning new games
*sharing the kitchen, bathroom, and tea
*going out somewhere together
Some housemates and I on an outing to nearby azalea gardens today- gorgeous!
Public transport has become more like the back of my hand.
*Yet if I leave my map-book behind, inevitably the route has closures and I wish for my map!
*More than before, I settle into the transit crowd who take their seat and bury in a book, instead of wondering if I should break cultural norm to chat with my neighbor or instead of gawking out the window.
I live near some of the highest hills in London, which afford views back down over the city. This is a part of town we walk to for errands. These pictures, taken a month ago, show the contrast to the more persistent brightness and colors these days!
London has become more familiar.
*I spotted our neighbor boy at the pharmacy
*I recognized a businessman whom I'd rushed past an other day on my way to the bus
*I saw the librarian leave the post office
*The young bilingual mom with two kids on my street was the same crew with whom I'd waited at the bus stop weeks earlier
*I saw the same biker with the same skeleton-shirt flying down the hill
*Met the neighbor, for whom I babysit, on the street corner.
The avenue I take to enter the woods:
House-life here is more familiar or perhaps familial
*barging in for a chat and some laughs and an impromptu brownie party
*learning new games
*sharing the kitchen, bathroom, and tea
*going out somewhere together
Some housemates and I on an outing to nearby azalea gardens today- gorgeous!
Public transport has become more like the back of my hand.
*Yet if I leave my map-book behind, inevitably the route has closures and I wish for my map!
*More than before, I settle into the transit crowd who take their seat and bury in a book, instead of wondering if I should break cultural norm to chat with my neighbor or instead of gawking out the window.
I live near some of the highest hills in London, which afford views back down over the city. This is a part of town we walk to for errands. These pictures, taken a month ago, show the contrast to the more persistent brightness and colors these days!
book stack
Here are the books on my stack. A snapshot of some things running through my head:
What's on yours?
What's on yours?
my new nickname
When Sara lopped off the tree branch and brusquely shoved it into the back of her little red truck before we set off on an all-day journey through Mozambique, I had no idea she was giving me my first lesson in the amazing, resilient moringa oleifera tree.
Innocently, she started a educational revolution by jabbing that smooth-barked nutrient-packed stickling into the soil of every remote community where she partnered with people. Sticklings that flourish in dry,poor soil into a fruitful, flowering reproducible tree within the time it takes to wean a baby. Did I mention it purifies water?
Under the moringa spell, I have been yabbering about this incredible tree to friends in Congo, Niger, US, UK...
And now it has turned into the topic of my research essay due in several weeks. My librarian gasped in delight when I asked for help in my search. He grew up eating Moringa pods in Sri Lanka. So the next week when I arrived at the library, there were a few moringa 'drumsticks' (that's what the pods look like) waiting for me!
Have a look (photo taken in Niger)...
http://www.treesforlife.org/our-work/our-initiatives/moringa/moringa-tree
My classmates have started calling me 'Moringa'.
Innocently, she started a educational revolution by jabbing that smooth-barked nutrient-packed stickling into the soil of every remote community where she partnered with people. Sticklings that flourish in dry,poor soil into a fruitful, flowering reproducible tree within the time it takes to wean a baby. Did I mention it purifies water?
Under the moringa spell, I have been yabbering about this incredible tree to friends in Congo, Niger, US, UK...
And now it has turned into the topic of my research essay due in several weeks. My librarian gasped in delight when I asked for help in my search. He grew up eating Moringa pods in Sri Lanka. So the next week when I arrived at the library, there were a few moringa 'drumsticks' (that's what the pods look like) waiting for me!
Have a look (photo taken in Niger)...
http://www.treesforlife.org/our-work/our-initiatives/moringa/moringa-tree
My classmates have started calling me 'Moringa'.
Up to no good
Yes, I am eating very well. All too quickly lost my African skinny.
Doing the local tourist thing- the famed millenium bridge and St Paul's.
Heading back in history, at Henry the IIX's controversially lavish palace. Traveled back home by river boat on the Thames.
Not afraid to be lost...
I love multi-lingual scrabble! Voici, une amie favorite en londres.
...and hanging out with superstars who visit me on their vacation! I'm so lucky!
.JPG)
Let me know if you need anything translated...
Everything is old here- even grapevines planted in 1796 that still make fruit. This one also made the Guinness World Record for being the looooooooongest vine in the world.
During Easter I took an innocently forbidden photo, which I share with you now...
And three other pass-times include
1) looking out the window (we have an incredible back garden) or escaping to the wood
2)baking bread (for the first time)
3)and oh yeah...studying. Actually that's why I'm here!
4)and wearing green pants.
Doing the local tourist thing- the famed millenium bridge and St Paul's.
Heading back in history, at Henry the IIX's controversially lavish palace. Traveled back home by river boat on the Thames.
Not afraid to be lost...
I love multi-lingual scrabble! Voici, une amie favorite en londres.
...and hanging out with superstars who visit me on their vacation! I'm so lucky!
.JPG)
Let me know if you need anything translated...
Everything is old here- even grapevines planted in 1796 that still make fruit. This one also made the Guinness World Record for being the looooooooongest vine in the world.
During Easter I took an innocently forbidden photo, which I share with you now...
And three other pass-times include
1) looking out the window (we have an incredible back garden) or escaping to the wood
2)baking bread (for the first time)
3)and oh yeah...studying. Actually that's why I'm here!
4)and wearing green pants.
contente et triste
This evening my fingers found the comfort of a borrowed guitar, my voice found the comfort of a melody for a sad heart.
My dialing fingers found the kind reception of a sister at the other end of a call.
Today my spirit felt the rush of risk-taking toward an encounter that left both of us certain of the Divine, giving life to our briefly crossing paths.
My tongue savored the mingling of green and fruity flavors.
My eyes nodded off with the challenge and relaxation of learning by written word.
I give thanks for my small room, for the simplicity and limits.
I am thankful for reasons to go places, to be about.
I am thankful for my body and how it works.
I am thankful that I need others, how it leaves me inextricably part of the human web.
I am grateful for the acts of listening, of forgiveness. Two of the most powerful...
I am grateful for the One who makes forgiveness and redemption possible, that the cycle has been broken.
I am grateful for the capacity to dream and look ahead, to be drawn on by hope and anticipation, for the promise that time passes.
I am grateful for deep sadnesses of the heart, and for the blooms of joy that spring up alongside.
I am grateful to be alive.
My dialing fingers found the kind reception of a sister at the other end of a call.
Today my spirit felt the rush of risk-taking toward an encounter that left both of us certain of the Divine, giving life to our briefly crossing paths.
My tongue savored the mingling of green and fruity flavors.
My eyes nodded off with the challenge and relaxation of learning by written word.
I give thanks for my small room, for the simplicity and limits.
I am thankful for reasons to go places, to be about.
I am thankful for my body and how it works.
I am thankful that I need others, how it leaves me inextricably part of the human web.
I am grateful for the acts of listening, of forgiveness. Two of the most powerful...
I am grateful for the One who makes forgiveness and redemption possible, that the cycle has been broken.
I am grateful for the capacity to dream and look ahead, to be drawn on by hope and anticipation, for the promise that time passes.
I am grateful for deep sadnesses of the heart, and for the blooms of joy that spring up alongside.
I am grateful to be alive.
new setting for home base
I enjoy the setting of a common guest house on a brick-built and leafily-shaded street.
A peek at my basement room and common kitchen beside.
Glorious yard, I mean garden, out back. (and there is more beyond this picture)
I enjoy the company of easy going housemates who live and work at the center. Today was sunny enough for the morning coffee to be held out doors.
A peek at my basement room and common kitchen beside.
Glorious yard, I mean garden, out back. (and there is more beyond this picture)
I enjoy the company of easy going housemates who live and work at the center. Today was sunny enough for the morning coffee to be held out doors.
the London Eye
The London Eye is actually a famous tourist attraction by the river that gives you a bird's eye view from an enormous ferris wheel type contraption. My London eye is more street level:
I walk or bus this street to get anywhere in central London.
If you take a seat on the upper level of the bus, it is a great way to see where you are going and get a view of the streets.
This is a corner I will see each week when I arrive at class.
And this view in the other direction.
I am back to the familiar (but still novel) black, loamy earth, color-brimming blooms...
and grass!
I walk or bus this street to get anywhere in central London.
If you take a seat on the upper level of the bus, it is a great way to see where you are going and get a view of the streets.
This is a corner I will see each week when I arrive at class.
And this view in the other direction.
I am back to the familiar (but still novel) black, loamy earth, color-brimming blooms...
and grass!
Parting images of Niger
My team of colleagues from Niger, Ivory Coast and Mali (L-R)- the supervision team for the health/nutrition centers, all four of us are nurses. This is a rare moment we are all together...on my last day. I am dressed in a gift from one my health center teams- of beautiful Tuareg garments. Many colleagues didn't recognize me! Most everyone we worked with were either Haoussa, Tuareg, or Peulh- each group distinct and beautiful. The tranquility and interdependence between the groups is notable.
I was part of an incredibly international team who struggled and succeeded to get along. This is after one of the Sunday brunches that we started
I held an outdoor party to say goodbye to friends there. We got the supplies there on donkey carts, flew kites, played petanque (bocci ball), listened to music, had traditional tea, stayed until dark and strung lights in the trees...
I spent one night at each of 'my' villages where I worked the most. Here we are relaxing after work- me and another nurse who had come to fill in at the clinic.
No, I am not going to buy a bed at the market! I would have to carry it on my head and I live too far away (is really what I told him!) We had a good laugh.
Another shot of the market in the town where our health center is.
This a most typical small community you will find if you get off the main road. This may be one large or several families. If you stop, they will generously host you or point you in the direction you are looking to go, over the next hill, past the well, beyond the big tree...
I was part of an incredibly international team who struggled and succeeded to get along. This is after one of the Sunday brunches that we started
I held an outdoor party to say goodbye to friends there. We got the supplies there on donkey carts, flew kites, played petanque (bocci ball), listened to music, had traditional tea, stayed until dark and strung lights in the trees...
I spent one night at each of 'my' villages where I worked the most. Here we are relaxing after work- me and another nurse who had come to fill in at the clinic.
No, I am not going to buy a bed at the market! I would have to carry it on my head and I live too far away (is really what I told him!) We had a good laugh.
Another shot of the market in the town where our health center is.
This a most typical small community you will find if you get off the main road. This may be one large or several families. If you stop, they will generously host you or point you in the direction you are looking to go, over the next hill, past the well, beyond the big tree...
How to Get Exercise In London
10 great (and almost FREE) ways to stay healthy in the big city of London:
1) Defy the escalator out of the Tube (The Underground) and count the 172 stair steps to ground level before continuing up the hill to the street.
2)Walk to class. Only takes 2 hours and there is lots of diversion along the way.
3)Stay on the bus just to see where it goes...and then walk home anyway.
4)Follow an outdated flyer at the library to a new part of the city.
5)Go to the park for good cell reception and let yourself get lost.
6)Forget (several) things when you leave the house.
7)Live one floor from the bathroom
8)Make sure the room you rent is 72 stair steps away from your favorite housemates and make sure you forget something important when you go up there so that you can repeat the trip several times.
9)Make a friend who likes to meet at Hyde Park
10) Live on a hill...and then go anywhere!
1) Defy the escalator out of the Tube (The Underground) and count the 172 stair steps to ground level before continuing up the hill to the street.
2)Walk to class. Only takes 2 hours and there is lots of diversion along the way.
3)Stay on the bus just to see where it goes...and then walk home anyway.
4)Follow an outdated flyer at the library to a new part of the city.
5)Go to the park for good cell reception and let yourself get lost.
6)Forget (several) things when you leave the house.
7)Live one floor from the bathroom
8)Make sure the room you rent is 72 stair steps away from your favorite housemates and make sure you forget something important when you go up there so that you can repeat the trip several times.
9)Make a friend who likes to meet at Hyde Park
10) Live on a hill...and then go anywhere!
since when...
some oddities of adjustment:
I still haven't had ice cream (too cold to want it) but I will soon find an occasion.
Haven't looked at a nutrition label for 6 months.
Haven't seen 40 degrees celsius (104 F) since I left Niger last week and swapped it for 1 Celcius in Europe.
Didn't miss billboards and commercials.
Haven't driven since I sold it to a friend last summer but I have gone a lot of places!
I forgot that mirrors steam up if you get too close or take a bath.
I'd forgotten about buildings with 2 stories or more.
and weather forecasts! when I hear them, it seems so obvious that of course its drizzly and cold- because that is what is it's doing outside. And of course it is going to warm up- it always does during the middle of the day with the sun's position. I think I got used to calculating my own daily forecast in Niger by looking at the sky on my little walk each morning down the road to our base office. a strange thought for me.
and no, I don't need to speak French to everyone with an accent (which is everyone). I can just blurt out my thoughts without translating first.
I still haven't had ice cream (too cold to want it) but I will soon find an occasion.
Haven't looked at a nutrition label for 6 months.
Haven't seen 40 degrees celsius (104 F) since I left Niger last week and swapped it for 1 Celcius in Europe.
Didn't miss billboards and commercials.
Haven't driven since I sold it to a friend last summer but I have gone a lot of places!
I forgot that mirrors steam up if you get too close or take a bath.
I'd forgotten about buildings with 2 stories or more.
and weather forecasts! when I hear them, it seems so obvious that of course its drizzly and cold- because that is what is it's doing outside. And of course it is going to warm up- it always does during the middle of the day with the sun's position. I think I got used to calculating my own daily forecast in Niger by looking at the sky on my little walk each morning down the road to our base office. a strange thought for me.
and no, I don't need to speak French to everyone with an accent (which is everyone). I can just blurt out my thoughts without translating first.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
There are so many things I respect about the way of life in Africa, considering the few spots I have been privileged to taste.
Africans know how to find the center of gravity, and USE IT! (these are mild examples. with the harvest, i have seen incredible feats of gravity and balance!)
They know their elements- water, fire, air, soil/sand.
Adaptability.
Patience is like oxygen- essential and natural.
The earth as the floor- You don't have to think twice about tossing the rest of some liquid to the side- it will disappear or dry in minutes.
A shower is simple- a drain in the bathroom floor, normally within feet of the toilet and the sink, and the shower head mounted high. It all dries eventually.
I like how much pleasure people take in greeting each other. They always say its going fine, even if it isn't. you can tell they gain energy from the encouraging camaraderie. I will really, really miss that warm exchange.
No one speaks one language. So their brains are open in ways that many of western minds are not, with the capacity to mix and match, to express and communicate and adjust to the mélange of people around them.
Africans know how to find the center of gravity, and USE IT! (these are mild examples. with the harvest, i have seen incredible feats of gravity and balance!)
They know their elements- water, fire, air, soil/sand.
Adaptability.
Patience is like oxygen- essential and natural.
The earth as the floor- You don't have to think twice about tossing the rest of some liquid to the side- it will disappear or dry in minutes.
A shower is simple- a drain in the bathroom floor, normally within feet of the toilet and the sink, and the shower head mounted high. It all dries eventually.
I like how much pleasure people take in greeting each other. They always say its going fine, even if it isn't. you can tell they gain energy from the encouraging camaraderie. I will really, really miss that warm exchange.
No one speaks one language. So their brains are open in ways that many of western minds are not, with the capacity to mix and match, to express and communicate and adjust to the mélange of people around them.
Water.Color.Palette.
You might be surprised how green it is here. The other day on the way back from the clinics, I counted 7 different shades of green! Admittedly some of them had clear family resemblence to their brother Brown, but I counted them decidedly green:
Thorny acacia trees and a greener more leafy cousin, scrubby plants that I could describe as a dark green prickly ameba, faint prairie grass stretching away in a metallic sheen, and various other grasses and scrubs.
You know when you're sorting tomatoes, selecting the ripest for canning, and subtly the standard of color shifts before you eyes. The last 'ripe' one you choose is remarkably orange compared to the first, but ripe all the same. It is kind of like that.
I am sure now that the shades and frequencies of color are infinite. My eyes have had a 6 month lesson in beauty, staged in totally new surroundings. In each locale, the eyes take in the local palette of frequencies.
"everything is beautiful…in its own way…"
Thorny acacia trees and a greener more leafy cousin, scrubby plants that I could describe as a dark green prickly ameba, faint prairie grass stretching away in a metallic sheen, and various other grasses and scrubs.
You know when you're sorting tomatoes, selecting the ripest for canning, and subtly the standard of color shifts before you eyes. The last 'ripe' one you choose is remarkably orange compared to the first, but ripe all the same. It is kind of like that.
I am sure now that the shades and frequencies of color are infinite. My eyes have had a 6 month lesson in beauty, staged in totally new surroundings. In each locale, the eyes take in the local palette of frequencies.
"everything is beautiful…in its own way…"
CRAVE
While I have adjusted to the arid Sahelién landscape, I miss water. Yesterday, working in the office, a sensation of longing doused me with thirst for rain, out of the blue. (you like the accidental alliteration of images there? that's for my friends who miss my puns :)
I long for a dark rainy evening in which to walk home from work, because I forgot my umbrella. I would love to sit by a stream in a shady forest. When we have a rare cloudy day and the wind kicks up mysteriously, I have the sense it should snow, the dust looks like flurries…
I long for a dark rainy evening in which to walk home from work, because I forgot my umbrella. I would love to sit by a stream in a shady forest. When we have a rare cloudy day and the wind kicks up mysteriously, I have the sense it should snow, the dust looks like flurries…
Awful Thought:
If someone would like to torture me, they could simply lash me to the trunk of a tree in which resides a flock of guinea fowl. In a matter of days, I would go stark- raving mad.(can you guess the background noise I'm hearing?)
You birders might like to find a sample of their tortuous song on a birdsong website, then you'll know what I mean.
You birders might like to find a sample of their tortuous song on a birdsong website, then you'll know what I mean.
Nice Thought
Well, it was a nice thought anyway- winter, that is. I kept chomping after the carrot strung in front of my face, as friends here assured:
"by November or mid-December you'll need a turban, a sweater, socks…"
"just you wait- next week the wind will really start- oh wow!"
"by mid-January it will be cold like Europe"
"just you wait, it's chilly now, but the real cold will come- next week or the next"
Well, with one hand of truly frigid days to note on the calendar (3 in Dec, 2 in Jan), I think everyone here agrees that we've left winter behind in the dust. 40°C in the shade yesterday. When I exclaim that it's hot, they all say now, just wait until May! Then it's REALLY hot!
When I remark on the mal-calcultated forcast, locals here agree that it has been a abnormal winter and people know about global warming. Makes me glad I rode my bike a lot at home. Also makes me brag of all my friends and fam who carpool and bike, so I can tell friends here that we are trying to make a difference!
Already my body starts adjusting. Last night under the moon, when the night breeze finally eased its way out of the darkness, I got cold, and I would guess it was just shy of 30° C (80's)
"by November or mid-December you'll need a turban, a sweater, socks…"
"just you wait- next week the wind will really start- oh wow!"
"by mid-January it will be cold like Europe"
"just you wait, it's chilly now, but the real cold will come- next week or the next"
Well, with one hand of truly frigid days to note on the calendar (3 in Dec, 2 in Jan), I think everyone here agrees that we've left winter behind in the dust. 40°C in the shade yesterday. When I exclaim that it's hot, they all say now, just wait until May! Then it's REALLY hot!
When I remark on the mal-calcultated forcast, locals here agree that it has been a abnormal winter and people know about global warming. Makes me glad I rode my bike a lot at home. Also makes me brag of all my friends and fam who carpool and bike, so I can tell friends here that we are trying to make a difference!
Already my body starts adjusting. Last night under the moon, when the night breeze finally eased its way out of the darkness, I got cold, and I would guess it was just shy of 30° C (80's)
Just Thought About it
That our clinics serve thousands of kids each year, with only natural lighting and no electricity. Running water comes from tubs filled and mounted on stands. Never missed it.
Forgot about cookies and ice cream.
Haven't worn socks for 5 months.
Forgot about washcloths- haven't used one since July.
Half a year in one of the hottest areas on the globe and never once thought about getting a tan. My legs are winter white! My feet on the other hand (uh, other foot?) are brown. And I never use sun screen. I just gravitate to the shade or cover up.
Just thought about it that I am really going to miss this place.
Forgot about cookies and ice cream.
Haven't worn socks for 5 months.
Forgot about washcloths- haven't used one since July.
Half a year in one of the hottest areas on the globe and never once thought about getting a tan. My legs are winter white! My feet on the other hand (uh, other foot?) are brown. And I never use sun screen. I just gravitate to the shade or cover up.
Just thought about it that I am really going to miss this place.
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