Culture shock central.  After being away for 2+ weeks in southern central Africa building a house and sweating from sun-up to sundown, I’m back!  Right now am vegging in front of the TV.  What a novelty!  And Internet?  Like OMG!

I feel like if I had a million years I could never explain everything I’ve seen, and if I could explain it it wouldn’t convey how it was really like but I’ll try:

1.  We came an accident on the highway moments after it happened.  A child was hit by a hummer and was lying in the middle of the road covered with a chicengi (like a sarong or wrap).  The woman who was driving was sobbing in her car while the police were talking with the other two passengers.  It seemed like the whole village was there, standing by the side of the road.  There was a funeral the next day not even 20 feet from were the child died.

2.  Children everywhere, everywhere.  A few children were scared (not having sen a white person before), but most were excited.  “Give me bottle,” or “give me money” was the standard line besides “Unzoonga, uzoonga!!”  which means white person.

3.  Covered in sweat and brick dust as a regular state of being.

4.  Seeing all the women and children carry things on theirs heads from one pen, to purses, to 50 lbs. of flour to 3 foot deep buckets of dishes to wash in the lake.

5.  Eating goat.  Twice.

There is so much more, but jet lag calls.