My good friend Kathryn and her family live in Uganda. She blogs all the time (way more consistent than me) and she always does a good job of explaining life overseas, like little everyday things that I guess us living over here take for granted...like hand plowing fields, women carrying wood on their head, a baby on their back, walking uphill, and crocheting all at the same time. Anyway, you should check out her blog sometime...(its on my sideboard - Livin' the Good Life).
So, I mention Kat because this post is kinda like that. I hadn't really thought twice about the flying ant season this year, but I figured I would share that experience with you because it isn't something we experience in America.
Maggie and I decided to go out to eat the other night. Taryn, one of the friends I saw in Madrid, thought it was quite funny about the 5 places I have to choose from to eat at here in Mzuzu.
So here they are:
Foodland
A1 Indian Cusine
Graceland (malawian cusine)
Hot n' Spice Indian Cusine
Big Bite
(They basically all sell the same thing: Chicken n' chips or nsima.)
Well, Foodland is the new "hip" place in town so we decided to go there. It is owned by an Iranian guy and they sell the typical chicken n' chips, nsima, the african version of pizza, and that's pretty much it. Well, as we walked into the restaurant since it was dusk, the flying ants were everywhere, and they were really attracted to the lights.
As we were standing there talking to one of the waitresses, white ants are flying all around us. I felt them crawling up my legs, hit me in the face, and land in my hair ...you just kind of ignore them. They are covering the floor, and you can't really step without stepping on one of them. No lie: I saw one guy just kind of pick it off him and eat it. heh.
I mean, can you imagine that happening in the states? Talk about not getting an "A" for the health code! I think the most bizarre part was that I was okay with it and it seemed pretty normal.
Side note: the 60 year-old Iranian guy that runs the place? I thought he was just being nice and chatting with us all that time...nope. Find out later its because he wants me to be his wife.
And that my friends is another reason I'm now wearing my fake engagement ring!
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Friday, March 18, 2011
Ooo! I smell steak!
I had a bit of a rough afternoon the other day. One of those days where not much seems to go right...
I had finished school with the boys. It went fine. No problems there. It has been serious rainy season here, and I'm as pale as a ghost because of the cloud coverage everyday. I haven't seen the sun since November! But that day was paticularly sunny and gorgeous.
We have a retreat at the lake at the end of March, so I was attempting to build up a bit of sun resistance so I don't turn into a lobster the first few hours I'm there...so I decided to go outside, sit in my chair basking in the sun's rays, and read a book.
Well, while I was thoroughly enjoying my Lori Wick novel, my Jack Russell was just barking and barking and barking just on the other side of the flower bed.
I finally got up to try and make her stop, when I saw what she was barking at: a green snake.
My first thought was MAMBA! He was much smaller than my previous one, only about 2 feet long. I called and called at the top of my lungs for my gardener to come and help me. But no one came running. The kids just looked at me like I was screaming crazy Mzungu things, which I guess I was... So, I finally gave up and decided to deal with it on my own.
I ran and got a shovel and a stick.
Now, the stick was to hold down his head so I could analyze him and see if it was a harmless green snake or a green mamba (a.k.a one of the most poisonous snake in the world). I got his head pinned down and inspected this thing for a good 3 minutes, but I just couldn't tell him his head was as flat as a mamba's is supposed to be.
I figured that a one dead green harmless snake was better than letting a Mamba go free, so I chopped him in half and carried him away. (I found out later it was just a harmless green snake). Right as I was putting the snake away my gardener appeared. Talk about timing.
So, I decide to head inside from my little snake adventure.
I had bought some fresh green peanuts in the market and I wanted to boil some. Unfortunately, my housekeeper wasn't aware of a southerner's affinity for "boy-eld pee-nuts" so she had shelled them for me.
I figured I would try and boil just the nuts...I mean, it couldn't hurt right?
So, I put the nuts in some water and salt and threw them on my stove on high. I watched them for a bit and then realized I needed to pee. So, I went and did that (sorry, is that too much information?), but while I was in my room, I totally pulled a ADD classic move....
I saw my computer on my bed and thought, "Oo! I didn't finish that NCIS Season 2 episode last night! I should watch that before dinner!"
So, I pulled up my computer and started watching a 45 minute episode. Now, my windows are open and my fan is on in my room. I have a great crossbreeze going through my room. About half-way through the show, I notice it smells like someone is cooking steaks in my backyard. "Mmm, I thought...that smells so good! I should do a braii one of these days!"
I kept watching my show, and when I finally finished it, the smell of something cooking over a fire was really strong. I stuck my head out of my window to see if it was my gardener, but the smell was not strong outside at all. I thought that was a bit weird.
I turned around and looked into the room across the hall and saw it filled with smoke. I ran into there to see if there was a fire outside the window but there was nothing.
So, I came into the hallway and was shocked to see my entire hallway was filled with smoke! It was so thick that I thought my house was on fire. The only way to get out of my house was through the kitchen, so I really thought I was going to be stuck. I ran up the hallway and looked in all the rooms thinking that my house going down in flames. The smoke was incredibly thick! I ran into the kitchen only THEN did I actually remember that I had put peanuts on the stove over 45 mins ago!
There was no fire, just very, very, very burned nuts in the bottom of my pot on the stove.
I finally got the smoke cleared out.
When I walked into the Laffoon's house that night, Lisa said, "What smells like smoke?"
It was ME!
5 days later, my house still smells like smoke.
I tell you what, my guardian angels should get paid overtime.
I had finished school with the boys. It went fine. No problems there. It has been serious rainy season here, and I'm as pale as a ghost because of the cloud coverage everyday. I haven't seen the sun since November! But that day was paticularly sunny and gorgeous.
We have a retreat at the lake at the end of March, so I was attempting to build up a bit of sun resistance so I don't turn into a lobster the first few hours I'm there...so I decided to go outside, sit in my chair basking in the sun's rays, and read a book.
Well, while I was thoroughly enjoying my Lori Wick novel, my Jack Russell was just barking and barking and barking just on the other side of the flower bed.
I finally got up to try and make her stop, when I saw what she was barking at: a green snake.
My first thought was MAMBA! He was much smaller than my previous one, only about 2 feet long. I called and called at the top of my lungs for my gardener to come and help me. But no one came running. The kids just looked at me like I was screaming crazy Mzungu things, which I guess I was... So, I finally gave up and decided to deal with it on my own.
I ran and got a shovel and a stick.
Now, the stick was to hold down his head so I could analyze him and see if it was a harmless green snake or a green mamba (a.k.a one of the most poisonous snake in the world). I got his head pinned down and inspected this thing for a good 3 minutes, but I just couldn't tell him his head was as flat as a mamba's is supposed to be.
I figured that a one dead green harmless snake was better than letting a Mamba go free, so I chopped him in half and carried him away. (I found out later it was just a harmless green snake). Right as I was putting the snake away my gardener appeared. Talk about timing.
So, I decide to head inside from my little snake adventure.
I had bought some fresh green peanuts in the market and I wanted to boil some. Unfortunately, my housekeeper wasn't aware of a southerner's affinity for "boy-eld pee-nuts" so she had shelled them for me.
I figured I would try and boil just the nuts...I mean, it couldn't hurt right?
So, I put the nuts in some water and salt and threw them on my stove on high. I watched them for a bit and then realized I needed to pee. So, I went and did that (sorry, is that too much information?), but while I was in my room, I totally pulled a ADD classic move....
I saw my computer on my bed and thought, "Oo! I didn't finish that NCIS Season 2 episode last night! I should watch that before dinner!"
So, I pulled up my computer and started watching a 45 minute episode. Now, my windows are open and my fan is on in my room. I have a great crossbreeze going through my room. About half-way through the show, I notice it smells like someone is cooking steaks in my backyard. "Mmm, I thought...that smells so good! I should do a braii one of these days!"
I kept watching my show, and when I finally finished it, the smell of something cooking over a fire was really strong. I stuck my head out of my window to see if it was my gardener, but the smell was not strong outside at all. I thought that was a bit weird.
I turned around and looked into the room across the hall and saw it filled with smoke. I ran into there to see if there was a fire outside the window but there was nothing.
So, I came into the hallway and was shocked to see my entire hallway was filled with smoke! It was so thick that I thought my house was on fire. The only way to get out of my house was through the kitchen, so I really thought I was going to be stuck. I ran up the hallway and looked in all the rooms thinking that my house going down in flames. The smoke was incredibly thick! I ran into the kitchen only THEN did I actually remember that I had put peanuts on the stove over 45 mins ago!
There was no fire, just very, very, very burned nuts in the bottom of my pot on the stove.
I finally got the smoke cleared out.
When I walked into the Laffoon's house that night, Lisa said, "What smells like smoke?"
It was ME!
5 days later, my house still smells like smoke.
I tell you what, my guardian angels should get paid overtime.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
whoa...it's March?
I can't go to the hotel to do my internet anymore because a young fellow has decided that he loves me and tends to wait around for me there. So that has seriously cut into my internet time.
Also, I feel like not much has been going on that is "blog" worthy.
And Mr. Laffoon just told me that he needs the internet, so we'll just put stories of my house filled with smoke, killing another mamba, being attacked my flying bugs while eating my food at a restaurant, and Sunday in a grass hut on hold.
I'm coming back...I promise.
Love,
Lauren
Also, I feel like not much has been going on that is "blog" worthy.
And Mr. Laffoon just told me that he needs the internet, so we'll just put stories of my house filled with smoke, killing another mamba, being attacked my flying bugs while eating my food at a restaurant, and Sunday in a grass hut on hold.
I'm coming back...I promise.
Love,
Lauren
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