Back to School

I am so glad I have a fabulous roommate who remembers things in the morning. I am not much of a morning person, I love the morning, but I normally sleep through as much of it as I can. This makes me sad, I would love to be a morning person because I tend to enjoy it when I am awake, it's just that attaining that awake stage is very difficult for me before 9.

All the same, I woke up this morning very confused with Lisa knocking on my door. I couldn't figure out why she was knocking on my door and telling me it was 6:30 until my brain started comprehending English again and heard her say, "don't you need to leave at 7?"  Then the fact that I was going to school with Lyse (I've been spelling her name wrong--Liz is now Lyse).

So the day started off with a dash and is just now slowing down at 5 (no worries, it's not over yet still :-p)

I made it down to the cabinet dentaire (dentist office) at the hospital where I was meeting Lyse. I was there by 7:04. Not bad really since I managed a shower and breakfast and to collect a trillion things to drag with me, just in case. 

About the time I was wondering if I missed her, Lyse showed up. We headed off to School as Lyse was explaining that when she was coming everyone was asking where she was going and she just told them, "to get my sister" And when everyone would ask "who? who?" she would just repeat, "to get my sister." It was quite clear that she was happy as pie that I was coming with her! She also told me that everyone was fighting over where I should sit once I did get there, but she said I wanted to sit with her (quite true, Lyse speaks quite a bit of English and she's good at speaking her French super slowly and clearly so I can figure out what's going on). 

Lyse and Davis's sister (sadly, I can't quite remember her name), Davis, and Lyse outside the school

At school we went to her classroom. Each class has it's own room and the teachers go to the class. While we were waiting for school to start Alexia and Sterly came by to say "hi" (or bonjour, really) from their class (quatreième but that's French system, so it's like U.S. 8th grade, Lyse is in Seconde which is U.S. 10th grade, and Davis is in Terminale which is U.S. 12th grade). And Lyse introduced me to all her friends in the room. It was name after name that was just foreign enough that I really had no idea what their names were. But I tried my usual headnod and smile and "oui" and it seemed to work. (Later they wrote them down for me and then they made more sense. 

First up was English class. I'm not really sure what hapened, but I think it wasn't English. The professor introduced himself in English, but what with all the other students chattering in French and the professor not speaking very loudly and Lyse and my seat being in the very back, I only caught that they were not having class today and that I was welcome to come back another time. Which actually kinda makes sense now, but at the time I took "class" to mean "school" and I thought he was maybe telling me to leave, except that he kept saying I was welcome. So it came across something like, "You're welcome here, but we're not having class today, so come back another time (not today?) and welcome, but not today." I was thoroughly confused and looked to Lyse for help, except he'd spoken in English and I don't think she followed either.

He asked if I spoke French, I believe he asked this in English. I responded in French, and he looked confused, so I repeated "Un peau" in French. The kids started laughing and doing that "oooh" like "oooh some one's in trouble!" noise. Then I realised. This is the ENGLISH teacher speaking to me in ENGLISH and I am for some reason responding in French. I was throughly confused about what language I was speaking in all morning really. But I'm just hoping he wasn't offended that I didn't think he'd understand English or something and takes it as the poor confused white kid. 

Anyway, then he started calling out names and numbers and then names and then students were calling out numbers while everyone was talking. This went on for about an hour. After a while I determined based on a few clues (like one equation on Lyse's notebook) that he must've given each student an equation and then recalled them and they were giving the answer. But a couple of students would say answers frequently and they were all different...so I don't really know what was happening and either I didn't understand what Lyse was telling me or she didn't understand my question about what was going on. Or more likely it was both.

After English/turned math/socilization time it was recreation time. This is a little break where you can get up and walk around and go buy a sandwhich or say hi to friends.  We met up with Davis (Lyse's brother) and went and got a sandwhich. They asked what kind I wanted but I couldn't tell what kind they were so I told them to choose and I ended up with viande which is meat. It was really fantastic. I didn't get to most of it until 3pm, and I question my sanity since I let it sit in my purse till then...but oh well. If I start puking my guts up soon I'll have learned my lesson. 

Lyse and Davis introduced me to a biology teacher and a math teacher and the director of the school before it was time to return to class.

Davis, me, Director of the school. They are both nice and friendly....even though they look kinda angry in this picture. People here don't always smile for photos. But I did, which makes this photo sorta funny looking.

Lyse had Biology next and she was part of a group giving an expose (presentation). As best I can understand this expose was on growing plants and the variable factors to growing a plant (manioc seemed to be the example) outside versus in a greenhouse where you can control the temp and water and add extra CO2, etc. 

After the group gave the presentation there were remarks. I don't know what they were, but the students were sure getting into it. Pretty much all I caught was "I have a simple remark" and then whatever he said next wasn't very simple sounding to me. The kids were jumping up and very exuberant.

And then came question time. Oh vey. I have never seen highschoolers fighting to get a chance to ask questions! They were all angry when they thought they were being ignored too long and everyone had questions and then the presenters had to answer them. If the presenter answered in a way the class liked then they'd break out into applause. It was hysterical. All these teenagers so excited about fields versus green houses. At the end they were all yelling at eachother. I think some were angry at Lyse, but it's hard to tell since yelling at someone and looking angry seems to also just be how they discuss anything here. I have no idea what it was all about, but just that difference of students fighting to participate in school versus wishing they had nothing to do with it was facinating. 

It's a very relaxed atmosphere during class. The kids all talk (while still listening and debating somehow) and at one point Davis showed up with her camera and was walking around the classroom taking pictures. I found this terribly awkward. But no one else seemed to care. 

After Biology was another break. During this break some of the girls around us asked me tons of questions. Pulcherie asked the most. She wanted to know everything about school in the US. These was difficult for me since I was homeschooled. To be honest, normal highschool is really a mystery for me. I work off of movies and I have no idea how accurate those are. My friends tended to just say the had classes and lunch and that is about as detailed a description I've ever managed to hear. So I explained that I did school at home and was taught by my mom with my siblings. This amazed them. So they asked what I subjects I learned. Then they were amazed that I'm 23 and have finished university (college). They said that you are normally 30 when you've finished here.  They also asked if young people are Christians in the US, so I explained that some are and some aren't but that schools tend to be pretty anti-christianity so that makes it difficult for students to know what is true.  It was pretty interesting conversation. I had a hard time understanding Pulcherie because she talked very quickly and not very loudly . There were lots of other students around talking loudly so I could rarely make out everything she said. So she'd ask something quickly and then look expectant. I would try and make since of it and then say something like, "encore? Doussament!" And then Plucherie would smack Lyse and ask her translate. Lyse would then slowly repeat whatever Plucherie had said a few times while I pieced it together. It was slow but it worked!

In back there is Pulcherie and me. She was super excited and came jumping out of her bench and running around to sit by me for the photo. It was funny. That's Jeanne right in front of us.

I've been told that this is because of lots of strikes and canceled school days etc. These mean that kids often end up having to repeat a year because they didn't have enough days in the year to count as a school year and of course people fail too. Davis is repeating his last year again because he didn't pass English, but I've heard that's pretty common too. 

I was introduced as an English Professor (or teacher really) all day, which I felt a little bad about, because I haven't actually ever taught yet. But I guess it's close enough. 

After a little while we went off to find Davis. He and Lyse took me on a tour of the school. There was this bizzare painting of a distraught looking man with a giant ant eating him. The ant had entirely swallowed his foot and didn't look nearly satiated. I pointed it out  and said something about the ant eating the man, and Davis and Lyse seemed to think it perfectly normal and explained something but I didn't really understand. I'll have to bring this up Sunday when Lisa is around to help explain! It was really a little creepy.

We came across more of my friends, Alogia and another girl I think maybe Gina or Pricillia and then another girl I know named Mimita.  And there was lots more picture taking. I asked Davis to bring his camera next sunday so I can get the pictures from him. All their friends wanted to be in a picture with me. It was pretty funny.

Then it was time to head back to class. We went back after promising Davis to drop by his class. After waiting around a while Everyone got up and started leaving saying "we're finished." I thought maybe they didn't take Spainish (although that didn't explain why they came back to sit around. And then Lyse explained the Spanish professor wasn't there today so we could leave. So we went down to meet Davis's class.

This was awkward. Davis introduced me, then he wanted me to say something. I asked if he meant in English, and he said "no, in french" so I gave it a go. I really didn't have much to add to what Davis had already said and I got the impression they just wanted me to speak. But my French was pretty awful which amused them and then all the students told me to speak in English. So I apologized for my French and proceeded to say the same things again but in English. Then Davis wanted me to see his desk. And then he wanted a picture of me in with the class, so people made room for me and then I think people were starting to get a little uppity with their comments so Lyse decided it was time to go, which was fine because the whole thing was a little awkward really. 

You would think that would be a good end right there, but no!

However, it's time for me to go, so the rest will have to wait for another installment tomorrow!

Three Photos and More Words

Here's  a few photos from this week all of which I really love.

First up is a fantastic sunset on Sunday. I was walking back with Joanna and the kids from up by the school after watching Luke and Sarah and Christine (one of the PAACS resident's and my French teacher's (Rachelle) little girl) during the PAACS Bible Study. The sunset was phenomenal and I happened to have my camera! 

Here's the same sunset but from a different angle and different direction down by Keir and Joanna's house. 

Then here's a great photo from up at the school with the kids this week. It's been incredibily hot latley thus I am sweating buckets, but it's a cute photo still. One of my favorites. The kids love to take pictures with my camera so sometimes I just let them run around take turns photographing stuff. Most of the time they are not so great, but sometimes when I go to delete most of them I'm surprised by a great one. Although this was actually thanks to the timer. But if Sarah hadn't been playing with the camera we wouldn't have set it up...

In other news, pretty much everything is fabulous. I miss everything here and I haven't even left yet. I'll be in the US in just 29 days and I can't even believe it. I want to hide and stay. I also want time to go faster. Depends on the moment.

Today I went on the grand tour of Lebamba (we have visitors) again. It was still fun. I was preposed to (if you can call it that). And I got apple soda. It was an exciting trip.

Tonight Lisa and I went over to the Kelly's (their house is attached to ours) and we made a Gabonese style meal together. We had Capitain fish (not prepared like they would, but it was fried and there were two girls over, Alogia and Grace, who instructed us in the ways of scaling, gutting and cleaning fish. It would be easier if the knives were sharp, that's all I have to say. But I also might be down to 8-9 fingers if they were. So I won't complain to bitterly. Then we had sweet potatoe fries (which are simply amazing), fried plaintain, and aubergine (little funky, bitter eggplant) from our plantation trip. It was a tasty meal. Alogia and her brother stayed for dinner with us which was fun.

I'm going to school tomorrow with Liz and she told me to make sure I didn't forget my camera, so hopefully I'll have good stories and pictures for you all tomorrow.

I need to force myself to finish my super sour tea and go to bed so I'm ready for tomorrow! I think I'm getting sick, I have a bad sore throat and a little cough. So Lisa told me to put a lemon in tea for the vitamin C. Maybe a whole lemon was overkill. 

à bientôt,

Jessica

Plantation

Sadly, the other layout started having problems, so I'm trying another.

Yesterday was plantation day. I went with Lisa (My roommate) and Amanda Kelly to a plantation with two friends of Lisa's. Lisa met Mamma Antoine and Mamma Odeille at the Alliance Women's retreat and they go to Makombo (the church Lisa goes to when not making the several hour trek to Dousala).

Walking out to meet the mammas was pretty funny since we walked through the hospital and past the highschool (who have class on saturday). We looked pretty goofy (Tim Kelly said it looked like Holloween) with our head wraps and long skirts, machetes and Amanda with her own panier (that's the basket everyone carries to and from their plantations.)



These ladies were super nice and let us tag along to their plantation. We started out a little later than expected and we had problems meeting up with them in town because we went to the college (highschool) and they were waiting at the primary school. While we were waiting for Mamma Antoine to find us we got this cute picture of the three of us while sitting in the shade of a little building.



We met up eventually and introductions were made. Mamma Antoine's 16 year old son, Walker (named after one of the doctor's here) was a part of the group also. After walking a way behind the school past little houses we came to the edge of the jungle. Mamma Odeille led the way with a machete clearing the path. They go pretty much every week but everything here grows so quickly that the path becomes overgrown in very little time.

Amanda and I got a lesson in wielding a machete against the wiley jungle plants as we walked along the first leg of our journey. It was amazing how quickly they move through the jungle. It was difficult to keep up hopping over logs and vines and nearly running over the uneven ground closed in on either side by plants taller than me.





After a while the sceanary changed from tall green grasses and smaller trees with the occasional pineapple plant to more of a forrest with enormous trees all around. We eventually came to the Langonier river where there were a few pirouges docked.



I was thrilled to see that we were going to get to ride in the pirouges (this was on my list, after all!) We had to take two trips, with Walker being the master pirouge captain. It was pretty tricky to get into the little dug out boat without making it wobble much. Mamma Antoine and Walker put their sandals down as shoes for us (they can do all this traveling through the jungle in flip-flops!) and when riding in the pirougue I felt pretty confident that I might just tip us all over before the day was done. Thankfully, it didn't happen, but I did make it rock an uncomfortable amount a few times...

Walker took us across the river and down a ways to another bank where we got out and walked more. We forged through a shallow part of the river (I slipped and slided all the way across while they continually called out "doussament! dousament!" (Slowly! Slowly!) And yet whenever I slowed down I had a fear of being left behind since they seemed quite good at sprinting through the jungle. At this point I do believe we were all sweating buckets. It is harder work than I would have imagined just walking through the jungle.

Antoine and Odeille showed us some sap on a huge tree at one point which they let us smell (it has a strong pine like odor) and they said their ancestors would use it for a torche (like a torch or a flashlight). It burns very well and would keep lit for a few hours. After our quick and fascinating lesson we took off again.

Traveling through more woods and more little swampy river fording until we reached the river again where Walker met us with the pirouge. We took another short ride and continued walking. This next walk took a while but finally led to the plantation.

The plantation looks very similar to the rest of the jungle except that most of the plants in it are edible or produce something edible. There are no clear rows. As I understand it, many of the plants grow naturally wherever they want within the plantation. Lisa, Amanda and I were shown how to use the machetes to start weeding the plantation while Mamma Antoine and Odeille found Aubergine (they are small, round, bitter eggplants that come in red, green and orange), Okra, a few squash and Manioc leaves.

Weeding seemed like an endless and futile job since we were essentially weeding the jungle. But after thinking about how quickly everything here geows I imagine it is an important job to keep up on, otherwise I'm sure that the plantation would be every bit as overgrown as what we walked through to reach it!

I was exhausted by the time we reached the plantation and definitely wishing I had brought water along. The weeding was difficult as we were not familiar with the plants and had only a vague idea of what was a weed and what was not. To further complicate things one prolific crop were the sweet potatoes which grown on vines crawling all over the plantation floor. It was difficult to maneuver without stepping on all the vines and to then find the weeds hiding beneath and between all the plants so we could remove them. I was shaking and sore and feeling a bit like I might black out so after a while I had to take a rest. It was amazing to see Antoine and Odeille working and selecting the fruit with the ease that we American's pick up vegetables from the produce stands in Wal*Mart.

We were unfortunately a little crunched for time as we needed to be back for a baby shower for one of the resident's wives. This led to a bit of stress as time dragged on. Finally it came time to leave. Antoine and Odeille carefully arranged the harvest in their paniers and then explained that they were going to quickly stop to get some bananas from another plantation.



I was so excited when it was time to go since I did not really want to find out what would happen if I passed out from exhaustion in the plantation. The news of the bananas was a touch disappointing, but I knew they were easy to cut down so I wasn't to worried.

Once we made it to where the banana trees were they also began to dig up tubercule douce (sweet manioc, which you can eat more as is than the bitter manioc which they prepare by mashing and souring). It was fascinating to see Odeille chop down the tubercule tree then rip it out of the ground then chop off the roots and go on to the next while We helped walker collect the tubercule in a bag.

This took a little while but we were shortly on our way back to the pirouge. We kept the panier in the pirouge rather than carrying them between the two stops.


Walker, Lisa, Amanda, Odeille, Antoine

The river was higher than on our way to the plantation making the places we had to forage seem much more ample. During one such area I placed my foot part way down a little slippery, invisible trench. The water was very muddy and impossible to see through and the ground was slimy and slippery. My foot immediately slid down into the trench and I plopped down into the river. It was really quite refreshing and thankfully my camera and Lisa's cell phone which I was carrying survived alright. Any pride that I might have had (which was very little since I was already proving myself to be very American after tripping over every branch and catching my feet in every vine and even managing to cut my thumb with the machete) disappeared at this point. But at least it helped me cool off a bit.


At the second pirougue station I went on the first trip with Mamma Antoine and the panier. We each took a panier (I had Amanda's littler one) and walked back to the primary school (which was a much longer walk than I remembered) and out to the road. We were looking for Tim who was coming to pick us up and give us all a ride back. But he had had to go back to pick up Luke since he was watching him for the Baby shower which was starting in a few minutes. After a short wait and discussing the weather and trying to explain how it is sunny in the US too but it also gets very cold (and still sunny) and how even when it is hot and sunny everything is so far that we drive and so we don't have to walk in the sun like they do here. Mamma Antoine pointed off to a distant mountain which seemed quite a ways away as she explained their other plantation was on that mountain and that next time, we would go there with them. I felt a little weak at this idea and right about then the second group appeared. They were able to call Tim again and just as we were setting out to start walking till we met up he pulled up. I have never been so happy to see a ride in my life I think.

We dropped off Antoine, Odielle and Walker and they gave us Amanda's panier full of aubergine, okra, bananas, and squash even though Lisa tried to explain that the experience was really all we wanted. They wouldn't have it though and insisted that we take some.

Then we came and home and managed to shower and get dressed up for the baby showe in just a few minutes!

It was, all in all a fantastic experience. I'm still debating with myself if I would ever go again, and I'm vaguely hoping that they won't go to the distant one until I leave so that I don't have to decide! I'm not nearly as tough as these amazing women here!

This morning Lisa said Antoine and Odeille were leading worship and energetic as always, while we are sore and achy. It's really quite incredible.

We made our share of the aubergine that evening and had them for dinner and then again today. They're pretty good, but we learned you should peel these smaller ones from the forrest or they are incredibly bitter. But I think they're pretty good. And Lisa made fried okra that were fantastic. It's neat to think that all this food was just picked yesterday! I think it makes it taste that much better!

Jessica

The Weekend

After making my list the observation hit me that I do not see wild animals here...I only eat them. 

Although I haven't eaten Monkey still. I think that and seeing a Wild one (and Elephant) are the least likely things for me to acomplish while still here. We'll see. Maybe it will work out!

I've been told I need more photos on here. I think that's a fair enough comment. So I'll add some this post.

Now we're going to flashback to Saturday 11 April 2009. (Yes! I remembered it's 2009!)

10am-- I went to the river with a whole bunch of people. Thelanders, Dave and Becki, Paul and Meladee, the Oliphants (visiting family), Renee, and Tim, Forrest, and Zach Kelly. It was, as usual, a fabulous time. I like the river. It's not to intense, but it is really interesting. 

This time we saw termites or driver ants or something(there was dispute, I would say termites, but they were out in the sun and I'm not an expert, so take that with a grain of salt) making their way across the river on a fallen log. Doesn't seem to exciting except that there were thousands of them! And they made this little tunnel which they were all crawling through. Then Keir and Tim knocked off a little bunch of them. The little blob that fell were confused, but the other insects quickly filled in their missing part of the highway in under 2 minutes. It was neat.

I don't have pictures of this, because I didn't take my camera, I probably should have though. But I'll steal a picture from Becki really quick on Facebook:

After the river I got all dressed up in my african ensemble and went to a wedding. There was a Pasteur getting married and I sorta tagged along with Karen and Lisa to the wedding.  

First they had the cultural wedding on Thursday in Mouila where the groom has to pay the brideprice to the bride's family. I've heard it includes things like large quantities of fabric and oil. They normally have a set price, but then during the ceremony the family jacks it up a bit and so the groom has to come prepared with more.

But Saturday it started out with the Civil cermony at the Mayor's office in Lebamba. This was pretty funny actually. The Mayor kept making all these jokes and hamming it all up.

The bride and groom had to declare if they were going to have a monogamous or polygamous marriage. They chose Monagamous and everyone cheered and clapped. And then the Mayor made certain that they really wanted a monagamous marriage. 

Then they had to declare if they were going to keep their possisions mutally or seperately. They chose to own them together. 

Once it got to the vows the Mayor made them repeat their answers more loudly and during the kiss he made sure that they turned and repeated it so that everyone could see. 

After this ceremony they made a tour de ville with the happy couple, but Karen and Lisa and I drove and dropped up Karen's guest Romain and Mamma Jackie (she's the administrator's wife) at the church for the next part and then took a quick bathroom break up at the station.

The second part of the day was the Church ceremony.

The bride and groom were danced down the aisle with lots of loud worship songs to a white decked out couch where they sat during a sermon on obstacles to a good marriage.

Bride and Groom on the couch at the front of the church. You can see the people singing to the right:

I was sitting by Karen which is great because she translated parts for me. This means that I can share some of the obstacles to a good marriage.  Now, as a disclaimer, I don't mean this in a mocking way at all, but it all struck me as a little funny because the things they brought up were either so different from what people talk about at a wedding in the US or presented so differently that it struck me as almost funny. But it was really a beautiful ceremony and I think their points were all very good. I actually liked what they said more than most of the wedding ceremonies I've been to in the US.

Anyway, some of the cautions and advise went like this:

To the groom:

Your wife is like a lamp. She'll provide light for your whole family. Don't beat her, if you beat her, that light will go out.

To the bride:

Submit to your husband (they really hammered this, which is good, but I think most people in the US are not so bold as to talk about that for 10 min at a wedding!), not because you are afraid of him or are less than him but out of love.

Oh dear...it's been to long and I can't quite pull out the rest of the advice from my brain. But it was interesting. 

The people doing the sermon were facinating. They also struck me as comical, and people laughed a lot so they were apparently funny.  But what got me was there was the guy giving the sermon in French and then the translator (I'm not positive which tribal language he was translating it into). They were both animated, waving hands and very vocally expressive. The funny part as how the translator mimiced the tones and hand gestures and everything exactly. It looked like he must've been great at driving his siblings mad with the copycat game when he was younger. 

Here's a video...because it was so amazing (things to note: The translator mimicing the pastor scratching his head at the end (It think that's what's going on anyway) Pasteur Andre(groom) taking notes--he had been instructed at the beginning to write it all down and was given a pen and paper):

I left the wedding ceremony a little bit early to go help Mamma Jackie, Lisa, Joanna, and Renee decorate the wedding cakes. Mamma Jackie had made somewhere around 13 round cakes (2 stacked to make one...) . We were whipping up icing and colors and covering those cakes fast as we coul while Joanna piped out nice little designs on them! We thought was had about 30 minutes for the lot, but Mamma Jackie explained that the Gabonese aren't particularly constrained by time restraints and schedules, so we didn't need to be worried about being "right on time" since they wouldn't be needed by then.

We got them all decorated, and then the trick was to get all of them down the big bumpy hill and over the bumpy roads to the college (school) where the reception was being held.  We only had  people and 2 cars, so 2 were driving. I managed to watch 4 cakes as we bumped along and somehow we managed to make it just fine. 

Prepping the cakes:

Lisa and I hung out at the reception but somehow we didn't end up getting seated so we didn't get any food. It wasn't a huge deal though, I enjoyed hanging out in the kitchen with the cakes and seeing how theings worked in there. It was also neat to see everyone all dressed up and see bunches of friends.

Bride and groom cutting the cakes:

The night ended at about 10 pm, when we came home and Lisa had to make a pie for the next day I had to boil eggs for Easter dinner!

Sunday (sorry this is so long! Iwill go quicker now (because I have to go watch the kids!)

Easter Morning I went to church with the Thelander's at Mandji. They had some special songs and dances. 

Then I went to Sunday school with Joanna and Becki. Beckie taught the Easter story. At first the kids were being pretty rowdy, much more than usual it seemed to me. So I was praying against any spiritual attacks right then that were trying to distract the kids and keep them from hearing the Easter story. Afterall there's the most important thing they'll ever here, why wouldn't Satan want that stopped? But things quieted down after a little bit.  

here's some boys listening with rapt attention:

Becki also taught the kids the "He is Risen!" "He is risen indeed!" declaration and response (in French: " Il est ressucité!" "Il est vraiment ressucité!"). I'm not sure I should add another video to this post. But I'm going to anyway. Here's a little video of Becki and the kids going back and forth.

Here's another picture of Anna and I. She and I met the week before easter when I was saying hi to different kids after church. She actually kept talking with me beyond "what's your name." And she remembered me this week in Sunday school when I handed her a coloring paper (I guess I do sorta stand out here though). And then she hung around me after church. She's super sweet.

After Church they had communion for Becki and Joanna, Jamie (visiting family) and me since we'd been in Sunday school. Then they had a meal that the Thelander's and I stayed for.

After that it was back to the station. I quickly (well, tried, the eggs were being difficult) made deviled eggs for the potluck. then visitors came over and then it was time for the easter egg hunt and  dinner. It was a great day. 

Sorry for the long post, but it was interesting stuff, so I thought I'd share!

Jessica

Here and There

Quick update today...

I've found I have a bad habit of not posting when I'm busy because, well, I am busy, and it's a daunting thought to try and convey everything I'm thinking. So I don't. But then when I am not busy I don't really feel like posting about what I'm not doing.

But here I am moderately busy, so you get a post!

I actually had some things to update you all on.

1) I changed the way this site looks. You're at the right one--no worries.

2) After praying a lot and talking with friends and family, I've taken a job teaching in Gudalajara, Mexico for this coming school year of 2009-2010. A lot of you probably know this, it wasn't a secret or anything, but I haven't really posted it on here either. So now you know! I'm going to be teaching high school English (two sections of 9th grade and then one of 10th, 11th, and 12th). It's a christian school there and I'll be teaching in English (the kids are fluent or close) to mostly mexican kids but the school also has missionary kids and other nationalities who live there for various reasons. It's the same school that Marcella taught at.


3) Because of the above reason I have to leave here a bit earlier than originally anticipated. I need to be in Mexico in early August and with various family things going on this summer and a trip back to Lima to see everyone and the need to repack to leave the country again and hopefully a little rest somewhere in there, I'm planning on leaving here May 21st. This will give me about 2 months in the US to acomplish all the above and more. It will be a busy time I think. I'm super sad about the fact that I only have 37 more days left (if I've been telling people less than that, that's only because I started getting a little confused and counting days as having 5 days each...I'm not particularly good with numbers. Which is why I'm not teaching math next year.). I can't believe my time here is drawing to a close. I'm thrilled at the idea of seeing my family and meeting the new dog at home and being able to talk to everyone in English (although I am really starting to become fond of French and can finally manage conversations in it!). But it will be really hard to leave. I can tell that already. I'm constantly tempted to start looking for a way to stay, but I really think God is leading me on to Mexico, and I hate to start throwing a fit. I wasn't always too sure I really wanted to come here and it's been great so I have faith that Mexico will be a good experience as well!

4) On the bright side, my upcoming departure date means that I feel an urgent sense of "oh no! I have to do everything now or I may never get to try it!" I'm not sure how I'm going to go about getting everything done, but I'm going to try. This means I should be doing interesting things and you should get some interesting updates (unless of course I get too busy :-p)

I think I'll add my list of things on the side here if I can figure out how and then you can see what ridiculous things I'm hoping to get into and what I have escaped alive. (actually they're not that exciting mostly. But I think I will add crazy stuff I have done as well just to make my list more impressive.

5) The first things I'm getting myself into are coming up on Friday and early May.
With my urgent "do-it-now-sense" pushing me on into unexplored waters I found myself asking a friend who was over Sunday if I could go to school with her. She's in Highschool and is about the equivalent of a sophmore in the states. She's very nice and speaks a fair amount of English. She and her brother and a younger sister come to visit Lisa most Sundays and they've become friends of mine too. Lisa wasn't back from church yet sunday when I brought up this fabulous half-baked plan and it took quite a bit of work to make sure that this was ok. I was certain based on their reactions at first. But Liz is going to ask her professors (she was quite certain they wouldn't mind) and then she set up with me to meet her down at the Hospital Friday morning so I can come along to school for her morning classes. They have class in the morning (English, Biology, and Spanish in this case) and then a break for a few hours for lunch and then more classes. I'm only going to the morning classes so that I can still watch Luke and Sarah in the afternoon. I'm very excited about this though!

And today I talked with Joanna about riding up with them to Libreville and back when they go up in early May sometime. This way I can hopefully see people more and say that I made the trip by car. I'm excited. :-)

That's about it for now! If nothing to exciting happens then I'll plan to share some of the highlights of this past weekend before the week is over!

Tears and Trust

Monday night I ate dinner at the Thelander's. They had invited over a visiting general surgery resident and his wife and two little boys who are all here for a month.

The older little boy (he's 3) really hit it off with Luke and was having a great time playing with him. However, he and his brother (1) are young so they had to go back to go to bed about 7:30. And the poor kid was distraught at this idea, to the point where it was almost comical.

When it came out that it was time to go home he started crying. His mom tried to reassure him that he would be able to come over and play again to which he responded, "No we won't! No we won't! I just know we won't!"

At the time this struck me as a totally bizzare response. The adults tried to reason with him that he is staying here for a month and they right next door. They even tried telling him what day he would come over, but for several minutes it was all no use as he just kept up his mantra, convinced that he'd been brought to have the time of his life only so that it could be torn away from him forever.

He eventually quieted down and they went home.

Today he and his brother were back at the Thelander's having a great time dying easter eggs and decorating giant sugar cookies shaped like eggs. It was probably an even better time than on Monday!

It struck me the other night that I am so frequently just like that little boy.

God gives me something good but once it starts to come to a close I start crying and getting angry and challenging him since I'm certain now it's going to be worse. Surely the whole experience was just a way for him to whet my appetite and then leave me with a consuming hunger for more and nothing to feast on.

But just like this little boy had loving parents who only have his best in mind (since if he did stay and play all night he would've been miserable) I have a loving God who knows that sometimes I need to step back and sometimes I need to go somewhere else for the night. Not to deprive me, but so that he can give me something even better later.

I think it's just as bewildering for this little kid to be told he has to leave as it is for any other person to get hard news or to face any kind of change. Afterall, it seems so much easier to just stay in one place. Keeping with the status quo can be a pretty easy. Familiar is comfortable, but sometimes you really have to just look up at God, hold back the tears and say, "Ok, I trust you on this one. I know you love me and it will turn out great." Then you let him take your hand and lead you on to whatever he's got planned next.

What did you do today?

Tonight I was reading in the living room, I brought down my little battery powered alarm clock so I knew what time it was. The plan was to go to dinner with the Kellys, Thelanders and Paul and Meladee. 

We went to the Restauraunt and it was a fun time.

After coming home I didn't do anything in particular.

It was a fine and dandy, perfectly normal evening.

After calling home I was getting ready to go to bed and was about to go to sleep when I remembered my alarm clock was in the living room.

So I got up and walked down the little hall when I got to the three steps down into the living room, I naturally scanned for snakes on the stairs.

This is natural because once you find one snake in your house you're always looking out for more.

There wasn't anything on the steps and we had the christmas lights on so I could see well enough and didn't bother with the light.

I proceeded down the steps and headed towards the table with my clock--for some reason I went a little further left than necessary (probably to avoid being to close to furniture which could harbor lurking creatures like spiders or snakes or mice or tarantulas) and I kept scanning for snakes, which I remember thinking, "you never see anything, and you already looked around, why are you worried now?" but somewhere in there a think black line started quickly slithering away on the bamboo mat I was stepping on just a foot or so away from me. I stared at it as it rapidly slid towards the tv table. I squeeled and quickly pondered what to do while I sprinted to the stairs to flip on the light and then ran for the machete. My fear of the cockroaches in the cabinet where the machete was made me hesitate for just a second as I then decided a snake was worse than cockroaches and flung open the cabinet. I grabbed the machete (but not without a quick glance for the offensive bugs on it) and dashed to few feet back towards the tv stand. The problem was that the snake was moving and heading in the general direction of the book case where he could easily hide. Determined to not lose him I had to decide between stopping him with the machete or getting help. As Lisa had already not noticed my squeel or the banging cabinet I figured help might take too long and the snake might get away. So using the near-by rocking chair as a shield (at least mr. late-night visitor could'nt directly lunge at and bite me!) I positioned the machete just below his head and struck. He was little and the blow was accurate enough that was in two pieces before I almost realised what I was doing. I gave him another little cut because it seemed like everyone normally hacks the critters to pieces, but I figured with his head off their would be no problems. I watched the blood trickle out over the floor and the gravity of what just happened started to sink in.

As I stared at the glassy smothe body I took note that he was not the same as our African tree cobra. He wasn't black. He didn't have a yellow belly. Instead he was a cool steel Grey with a milky belly. Ice ran through my veins as I realised that if I had stepped a few inches further to the right I would have stepped on a baby black mamba and could have potentially been dying on my floor at that minute.  

At about this time Mr. Mamba decided to start squirming. At first I tried to convince myself that it was just twitching of his lifeless body. But as I watched him for the next few minutes, both pieces  continued wriggling on the ground while his significantly abbreviated head and upper body repeatedly opened it's mouth revealing the tell-tale black mouth for which the creature is named. I realised that he wasn't dead, he was slowly dying and showing all the bravado he could muster in his last minutes encouraging me that he would gladly introduce his fangs and deadly venom if I would only be so kind as to stick my finger close enough to his rather un-mobile head.

I may not be the cleverest person around, but I obliging that apparent desire of the snakes seemed like a stupid idea. So instead, I ran and got my camera and tried to get a good picture and video of the snake. Unfortunately my camera didn't feel like focusing and my footage makes big foot pictures look as detailed as a Van Eyck painting . 

Nonetheless, I have to share. Unfortuneatly my commentary on the video is a bit to quiet to hear, but my poor traumatized brain decided to share something along the lines of, "Here's the black mamba I just found and killed with the machete. He's still alive. I could be dead right now. See now he's opening he's showing us his black mouth from which he derived his name..."  You have to see it to realise how funy it is.

Here's the photo:

I am so thankful to God that he showed me the snake so it's not still slithering around our house and that I was able to kill it without any problems!

I couldn't really sleep after that so I called mom again. Poor mom. She answered the phone and I blurted out: "I just killed a black mamba in my living room." That's exactly what a mother wants to here her daughter say. She did well I think. But I do believe I freaked her out a bit. Then I stayed up till 3. Once I did go to sleep I dreamt I was bitten by a 6ft long African tree cobra and got his fang stuck in my hand and I found at least another 3 snakes in our house who I kept trying to kill with a machete. It didn't go so well as in real life...I was certainly happy to wake up and find that I was dying from a snake bite, but the four and a half hours of sleep I'm working on today is going to catch up to me later I think...

Tune in next time for hopefully a little bit more boring! (Although I do feel sorta proud of being able to say I've killed a deadly snake with a machete all on my own, even if it was sorta tiny...)

Love,

Jessica