6:00am- alarm goes off snooze, snooze, snooze
6:30a- get out of bed. Breakfast is four crunchy laxoox (la-ho, a somali crepe) with sugar, and two cups of coffee. I am reminded by our cook to pick up the (live) goats while I am in town.
7:00-7:50, getting dressed, getting Kenai out of bed and dressed, packing for the day, getting the car keys, making the list of ttd in town. I also have a full conversation, IN SOMALI, with one of the students' cooks- good morning, good morning, how are you, I am fine, how are you, good, where are you going, I am going to hargeisa. This was followed by big grins and many 'very good, very good's. Small things. : D
7:50, I drive to get our driver. He was 'too near' and we were off. On the way we picked up four hitchikers. Another step towards being native- I have hitchhiked and given rides to hitchhikers here now. There was a wedding in our village last night and these folks were making their way back to Hargeisa. Hopefully picking them up creates good karma.
8:20 or so, started the morning of errands. Cashed a check and successfully asked for $20's instead of $100. Again, small things. Met with the VP and Managing Director of a Qaran Express/ Zaad (cell phone money transfers) about the AT programs. It was beautiful- they were talking about this American who transferred money and was complaining because it was taking so long. Guess who that was? Ha! At least it proves I am a customer. :) We laughed about it and clarified how to make the transfer quicker next time. Meet with a few more big-wigs of companies, and the CEO of the largest construction company in the country. Also navigated through the market in record time to pick up my newest dirhas (dresses) from my tailor. The guard and driver were highly impressed- apparently a few other staff members and our driver tried to find the tailor yesterday and couldn't. Another step towards becoming a local- navigating the market more quickly and efficiently than our driver. Love it! Is shopping in multiple countries appropriate for my resume?
9:45- Goat time! Time to buy the goats. I forgot my camera again, but maybe next week I will remember and snap some pics. At the goat/ sheep/ camel market, while the driver was getting the goats, one of the goat brokers came up to the car and told the guard that he wants me. The guard slapped him and told him to get out of here. The fabulous thing is the whole conversation took place in Somali and I understood! While far from a linguist or fluent, I am getting there with Somali. Almost local!
10:10- few more errands, fed the goats some bread (their last meal), and Kenai named the goats Max and Ruby. He talked to them for most of the car ride. Then Max peed in the car. There is something fabulous about talking with CEOs of large companies one minute and being the car with peeing goats the next.
11:00a- Stopped at National (glorified 7-11) to pick up eggs for the teachers. We/ National has been out for a few days, so eggs (bed) will be welcomed with open arms. Again, most of the transaction was in Somali. :)
11:30a- On the way back to Abaarso, we stopped for a family of baboons (dayar) crossing the road. Moms, babies, the whole family. Maybe 30 of them. It was lovely! Expecially with goats eating bread right behind me.
11:40 dropped the goats off at the 'slaughter house.' Reality is it is an older woman of maybe 70 who does it in her back yard, with a single, sharp carving knife. I will pick Max and Ruby up in the morning. Kenai has requested a horn so he can always remember them.
Home before noon. Lunch, emails, and heading back into town for some work this afternoon/ evening.
This is a fairly typical day here in Somaliland. Still loving it!
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Monday, December 6, 2010
Blind Side, Goats and Kenai
Here is a relatively quick check-in. I hope to post more in the next few days- I finally went to the goat skinning and want to recap soon. But for now, we are well and I hope you are too!
I have two Kenai stories. First, we were talking today about his math objectives for the year. The kids take the SATs a few times a year and I told Kenai I want him to take that and do better than some students (mostly not really thinking he will do better than them, mostly...). He asked what the SATs were and I told them they were an entrance exam for college. He replied with 'well, if I do good and go to college next year, I definitely shouldn't have to pay. I am only 6, they should pay me to go!'
We were snacking on dates today and saving the seeds to plant in our garden. K was chatting, "mamma, I wonder how we are going to get the dates off the date palms when they grow. Wait! I know this from a Jack and Annie book!" He proceeds to pull the exact book Jack and Annie book from the shelf (we have about 15+ of those books), then flips almost immediately to the page that talks about how you shake the trees to get the dates down. He is a reading maniac right now, and he is retaining ALL of the details about what he is reading. He never, ever ceases to amaze me.
*****
A few days ago I finally watched 'The Blind Side' with Sandra Bullock. A few things struck me. First, the crazy primped women with perfect hair and make-up. Wow. I am just not used to seeing that!
Second, when the main character was in the school, then one of the teachers found the story Mike wrote in the trash, it talked about how all around him he saw white. White people, white walls, white everything. That is not a sentiment I feel here (seeing 'black). Sure when I go into town I am stared at, and constantly asked "how are you?" or "You fine?" I expect it on many levels, but I also know that when I look someone in the eye and smile, greet them (in Somali!!), or just nod, when the gesture is returned, we are truely just seeing each other person to person. I do not feel out of place, shunned, or anything 'othering.' Maybe it's because I am an adult v. a kid in school, or because the people here are genuinely warm, or because this is reality and not a hollywood movie. I took offense when they were talking about it though. Maybe because they gave more attention to what made them different instead of all the ways people are just people.
Finally, there is nothing like a movie about taking someone 'less than' into your home and transforming them into just how you want them to be. Aye. "He is changing us," or whatever the line like that is in the movie- whatever! Everything- the store bought Thanksgiving meal, shopping the day after, buying him the fancy car... So much for appreciating the person for who they are and meeting them where they are in life. Not that Sandra did not do a nice thing by helping Mike, but there was something ungenuine about it and a little 'white supremecy.' No doubt he heart was in the right place, but for that to be so glorified and given the hype that it got, there are so many more ways to value people than to turn them into little yous. Im glad I saw the movie, but it did not sit well with me.
(new day) Last night I watched the Constant Gardener. What a different kind of movie than the Blind Side. I could relate to and liked this movie much more. There were many 'isms' in the movie that were right on- the goats in the street and kids asking for shillings, for example. And there was not talk of feeling differences or any focus on that. The premise for that movie is a woman taking on drug companies that are experimenting on people in Africa (Kenya I believe). She was working with and for the people on their terms instead of bringing them all into her world. I like to think K and I are doing that on some level here.
*****
Thanksgiving was fabulous here. Although we did not get to celebrate on Thursday as planned, nor did we feast with the students, on Friday we sat down as a staff to a meal of roasted chickens (from Brazil), eggplant parm, peppers with a tuna and rice stuffing, traditional t-day stuffing, very garlic and butter mashed potatoes, and cooked guava for dessert. I started cleaning the kitchen and cooking around noon. It was nice because 'kitchen Christine' had the space to herself for the most part, and the troops came in around 3 to finish their dishes. I did not know I had a 'kitchen Christine' persona, but more than one person made a comment to me. Hmmm. I had plenty of helpers and others were in there, entertaining me, just fine. Regardless, the meal was lovely! Tastey, colorful, made form scratch, and shared among good friends. Really, isn't that what Thanksgiving is about?
I have two Kenai stories. First, we were talking today about his math objectives for the year. The kids take the SATs a few times a year and I told Kenai I want him to take that and do better than some students (mostly not really thinking he will do better than them, mostly...). He asked what the SATs were and I told them they were an entrance exam for college. He replied with 'well, if I do good and go to college next year, I definitely shouldn't have to pay. I am only 6, they should pay me to go!'
We were snacking on dates today and saving the seeds to plant in our garden. K was chatting, "mamma, I wonder how we are going to get the dates off the date palms when they grow. Wait! I know this from a Jack and Annie book!" He proceeds to pull the exact book Jack and Annie book from the shelf (we have about 15+ of those books), then flips almost immediately to the page that talks about how you shake the trees to get the dates down. He is a reading maniac right now, and he is retaining ALL of the details about what he is reading. He never, ever ceases to amaze me.
*****
A few days ago I finally watched 'The Blind Side' with Sandra Bullock. A few things struck me. First, the crazy primped women with perfect hair and make-up. Wow. I am just not used to seeing that!
Second, when the main character was in the school, then one of the teachers found the story Mike wrote in the trash, it talked about how all around him he saw white. White people, white walls, white everything. That is not a sentiment I feel here (seeing 'black). Sure when I go into town I am stared at, and constantly asked "how are you?" or "You fine?" I expect it on many levels, but I also know that when I look someone in the eye and smile, greet them (in Somali!!), or just nod, when the gesture is returned, we are truely just seeing each other person to person. I do not feel out of place, shunned, or anything 'othering.' Maybe it's because I am an adult v. a kid in school, or because the people here are genuinely warm, or because this is reality and not a hollywood movie. I took offense when they were talking about it though. Maybe because they gave more attention to what made them different instead of all the ways people are just people.
Finally, there is nothing like a movie about taking someone 'less than' into your home and transforming them into just how you want them to be. Aye. "He is changing us," or whatever the line like that is in the movie- whatever! Everything- the store bought Thanksgiving meal, shopping the day after, buying him the fancy car... So much for appreciating the person for who they are and meeting them where they are in life. Not that Sandra did not do a nice thing by helping Mike, but there was something ungenuine about it and a little 'white supremecy.' No doubt he heart was in the right place, but for that to be so glorified and given the hype that it got, there are so many more ways to value people than to turn them into little yous. Im glad I saw the movie, but it did not sit well with me.
(new day) Last night I watched the Constant Gardener. What a different kind of movie than the Blind Side. I could relate to and liked this movie much more. There were many 'isms' in the movie that were right on- the goats in the street and kids asking for shillings, for example. And there was not talk of feeling differences or any focus on that. The premise for that movie is a woman taking on drug companies that are experimenting on people in Africa (Kenya I believe). She was working with and for the people on their terms instead of bringing them all into her world. I like to think K and I are doing that on some level here.
*****
Thanksgiving was fabulous here. Although we did not get to celebrate on Thursday as planned, nor did we feast with the students, on Friday we sat down as a staff to a meal of roasted chickens (from Brazil), eggplant parm, peppers with a tuna and rice stuffing, traditional t-day stuffing, very garlic and butter mashed potatoes, and cooked guava for dessert. I started cleaning the kitchen and cooking around noon. It was nice because 'kitchen Christine' had the space to herself for the most part, and the troops came in around 3 to finish their dishes. I did not know I had a 'kitchen Christine' persona, but more than one person made a comment to me. Hmmm. I had plenty of helpers and others were in there, entertaining me, just fine. Regardless, the meal was lovely! Tastey, colorful, made form scratch, and shared among good friends. Really, isn't that what Thanksgiving is about?
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