Learning

 [NB:  This was meant to be posted before I left on my retreat a week ago, but I had a last-minute meeting (like there's any other kind).] 

Yesterday, I was vibrantly ill.  Not like the time in Mali when my ribcage felt like it was being crushed by a giant, but ill nonetheless.  My first cold at around six months – that’s a good milestone. 

I’d thought I was suffering from allergies due to my giant nose (which made everyone in my office laugh as apparently ‘beak-like’ doesn’t constitute ‘large’), but when my throat felt like I’d swallowed a cactus and I was bundled up in three shirts, socks, and a blanket and exhausted by 10am, I realized I had a bigger problem.   

So I spent the day with our house helper, who was quiet, hardworking, sharing stories about his children, and generally making me feel guilty for publicizing that I wanted to take him down with a ninja kick in the spleen.

But I also realised that I really missed my walks across the city.  I have befriended a scarf vendor who has recently expanded to trying to sell me skirts (I don’t know how entrepreneurs work here).  I once asked her name and then asked about her twin – whose existence I guessed because her name is Cikuru (pronounced Chick-uru), which is a name usually given to the older twin, while Cito (Cheeto) is the younger.  She was impressed by my knowledge of Swahili (fine, my general recognition of some Swahili words), and a friendship was born. 

Bus drivers have also started to recognize me now, and inform me that they know they’re going where I need to go.  One, seeing me in a dark red salwaar kameez for India’s Independence Day, asked if I’d eaten some ‘tomato bread.’

I laughed, though I hadn’t the foggiest idea what he was talking about, and this appeased him enough that he offered me a free ride the next time ‘round.  I was so shocked when the passengers and conductor tried to tell me not to pay that I just whispered C’est pas vrai.... holding out a bill and tottering after the bus as it picked up speed. 

The conductor, likely driven beyond the bounds of sanity by a foreigner holding out money that he wasn’t supposed to take, grabbed it out of my hands before the bus drove away.

And I ain’t even mad.   

I will forever treasure this one time that I was offered a gift instead of being made to feel like a walking ATM. 

Speaking of which, it’s been great (if a little cynical at times) to talk to Butters everyday and try to work out what we expect to be our impact, our view of humanitarian aid, and the situation in the Congo.  I can`t wait until we meet for our team retreat soon to see what people have struggled with and how they envision maximizing this country`s resources and strengths.   [Mixed success.] 

Full disclosure:  I’m also hoping to buy cheap facewash and conditioner because this country regards the former as superfluous and the latter as worth $10, for which I can buy two weeks of groceries.   [Oh, you poor, innocent fool.]    

Seriously, though, it’s nice to get to be honest; I’m not sure I’d be able to discuss my experiences in quite the same way with a local.  Quite rightly, they would feel defensive, regardless of this country’s flaws.  Sometimes I’ve had people subconsciously deflect to criticizing India or Canada.   

Yeah, but at least we don`t...

And then I remember that I`m meant to be part of the solution and not part of the problem. 

In addition, I`ve been able to teach Butters how to operate one of these:

And he`s been kind enough label this, which had no discernible purpose other than perhaps to strike people with sharply (okay, so maybe this was more wishful thinking than anything else):

Unfortunately, I still can`t figure out how to use one of these:

The Queen of Sheba was a pro – she`d iron clothes, sheets, anything that basically sat still long enough for her to saunter by.  I avoided napping in the living room for this reason, but maybe I should have taken more time to observe her.  I’ve set it on top of a pile of my clothes, even plugging it in sometimes, but all to no avail...

See you on the flip side of our retreat!   [Honey, I'm hooome!]