I’ve never really found Africa to be the simple, relaxed, and slow-moving place a lot of people say it is. Now, things go slow like buses, governmental offices, and paperwork. And people usually run late. But I always feel rushed and crowded and frustrated. Things are loud and people are constantly yelling at me. There are random people always knocking on the gate. But sometimes I can find some calm. This day was one of those times.
Filed under Animals
Kali has chosen to live here in my town and is fairly confident she will live here for the rest of her life. She gets frustrated with the day to day life about as much as any other foreigner here, but she feels like the community she has made and the life she is creating for her kids makes it worth it. She loves talking about music, art and culture. When we get together it is so easy to converse and relate – which is rare thing living in a culture where there are so barriers – that I have come to very much appreciate her friendship.
Filed under Portraits
There is an obvious difference here between good shepherds and bad shepherds. If you drive a little outside of the city, you will start to see them everywhere. The good ones protect their flocks (whether they are sheep, goats, cattle, or camels) from dangers – like cars. But the bad ones, and there are many, will just let their flock walk right in front of cars. The people I ride with like to yell out the windows of the car and tell the shepherds they are being terrible, and then yell congratulations to the ones that do a good job. Side note – there are girl shepherds, not that many, but you see them well enough. I have never seen a bad girl shepherd, just saying.
Filed under Animals, Countryside, Travel
Looking down upon this place, I felt as if I could have been anywhere in the world. Was I in Mexico, South America, West Africa, South-East Asia? Usually, I feel stuck, sometimes even smothered by this country. But from this perspective, I felt free.
Filed under Travel
This is Philip. He is pretty awesome. He is four years old. He loves punching, German heavy-metal music, water balloons, and hugs. He lives next door and comes over sometimes to hang out with me, though I am pretty sure he comes over mainly to see if I have any cookies.
Filed under Portraits
So Milli and I have made a commitment to each other to try and have more fun. Milli had an idea last week to have our own African Thunder Over Louisville the same night that all of our friends back home were celebrating. But of course, we don’t have fireworks – but we did have two glow sticks that someone sent us for the kids. We just cracked those open and waved them around outside. It lasted about 2 minutes, but at least it was something for us to laugh about. Bonus, we got to try and explain what we were doing to our guard who didn’t know what fireworks were. That was awesome. We made him wave the glow sticks around too.
I guess you can take the Louisvillian out of the Derby but you can’t take the Derby out of the Louisvillian.
This one was taken by our guard. I’m pretty sure he has never really held a camera before.
Filed under Louisville
Looking out onto the countryside of my new home with people from my old home feels beautiful and yet somewhat bizarre. Being able to share this place with others, in a way, makes me own it more. For a week, I became an ambassador to another world. As we traveled up and down mountains, through tiny villages and large towns, passed camels, shepherds, and donkeys packing, well, almost everything – I got to witness the expressions of new eyes. The same expressions I must have had months ago.
These visitors brought refreshment and news of home. They provided an exciting break from monotony and much needed companionship. I am very thankful for their hearts.
Filed under Countryside, Travel
There was a time when I listened to Ryan Adams religiously. Song lyrics of his still swirl around in my brain, though his voice is absent from the speakers. The lyric “I want an easy plateau, some place to rest my head, for awhile” would not leave me alone this past week as I traveled through the mountains in the countryside. I can take this sentiment very literally – I get carsick like it’s nobody’s business. But I was also given a beautiful metaphor for my life recently. I have been traveling a hard road and I am ready to find a place to rest my head. Just for a little while.
Filed under Countryside, Landscape, Travel
only snapshots 