Yesterday we pulled out the suitcases to make sure we had enough bags for the trek home. We have started to renew memberships to yoga places, looking into new projects for the house, buying dresses for a wedding this summer and register for school back home.. Life here will soon be over. It's sad, but also very exciting. We are almost ready for the culture shock that will be returning home..
I've realised that I've spent most of our days here only scratching the surface of the reality of this place. I teach at a school that is for well to do families who can afford a decent school for their children. It's almost like teaching at home, but in the middle of Africa.. Michelle has been the one in the trenches.. seeing life for what it is here and really making a real difference. .. Some days seeing handicapped men and women in the median of a busy road begging for money has no effect on me.. We have been here long enough to know that this is the norm.. Other days, it can be alot to stomach. . We were going to a dinner party last night and I had to drive around to a few stores to find a bag of ice. There are only a few places that sell bagged ice, but it took a few stops to find one that actually had it in stock. The 7/11 by our house had a few bags left so I bought a bag.. Because, you need your beer to be cold. As i was checking out there was a group of school children all dressed in the same outfits .. They must have been a singing/ dance group.. I gathered that they were stopping to pick up treats/food for the remainder of the drive home. They were buying loaves of bread for their families instead.. As I walked out of the store, there were two handicapped men, sitting on the ground asking for money.. They are there every so often, but the sight of both of them bookending the entrance of the shop was tough to see. It was 6 pm , the sun was going down, I gave them some money and said thank you... How are they going to get home? where do they live? where do they sleep? How do they get back here in the morning? how do they fix their food? .. As I got in the truck , I just mumbled to Michelle.... "this place is so sad."
Michelle is hearing people say to her (as she preps to leave) 'How can you leave this place when so many people need you?' at the dinner last night, one of the in country co-workers said something to the effect of ' it is like a bad dream that you are leaving.' That's not something you want to hear as you prep for a move back home.
4 weeks left to do what we can. We will soak it up, then head to the insane asylum that is the USA.. I'm starting to think all places are slightly crazy, just crazy for different reasons.. I found out there's a law here that you can be arrested for "wandering aimlessly around in the night".. Which I find hilarious because everybody walks.. And alot of them walk at night.. How do you prove you are going from point A to point B?
Ok , enough incoherent rambling.. I have no regrets with our time here.. I think that our family has benefited greatly from this experience.. It is humbling and puts life into perspective.. Do you really need ice to keep your beer cold?? The answer is an emphatic YES. But, I could probably spare some time and money to help those in need...Especially when they are as kind and good as the people we have met here.
Happy Monday folks.. Go reds. photo below is the guards' shed at night.. Cosmas and Joseph sleep here in the evening. We just had a screen door built to keep mosquitos out during the evening. We purchase candles and matches for them so they can read.. And usually get them a newspaper during the weekends. Also photographed is a hand made toy we purchased on our recent road trip. Other photo I found on my computer from Maura and Frances.
