An Opening

Warning in advance of some not very sorted stories

Week 2

I haven't listened to as much music as I expected, you know when you're looking for the exact and perfect music that hits the spot of exactly where you are and what you're experiencing? 

Haven't nailed it yet (yet!) 

I'm particular about what music I'll want to associate with these African grounds. 

I wear long flowy skirts and walk back and forth from room to kitchen to hospital. 

The people greet you as you walk by everywhere you go (it's a must and not to be ignored) 

With "You're welcome" (not a response to thank you, but an actual welcoming) 

Or a "Well done!" in place of "have a good day!"

It makes me smile when I hear it. 

The girls and baby Samuel are a blessing in disguise for me because there aren't any other kids around

The people have more stern faces than I expected 

but give you a quick smile if you wave and smile first. 

Mostly because half of them haven't seen a white person 

so it's a little scary and strange to see (that's me: scary & strange)

I'm learning of funny and cute small traditions that are foreign to me. 

Small superstitions like 2 hugs will give you twins, or yawning is a secret sign of hunger. 

The trees so far are gorgeous. They're the best thing to see everyday

I'm not going to tell you about the food because I'm shocked and slightly embarrassed 

(at the sight of myself in a towel: s/o to my veggie fans) 

Of how quickly I tired of rice here!

(Only a little bit ashamed because it's my favourite food of all time) 

Week 3

I realized today that there are not many smells here (at least where I've been)

I got a whiff of the kitchen cooking while in a hotel and it hit me

 that in Peru, there are constant smells- good and bad ones. 

But almost at all times there is a smell of something. 

Here, it's only when you're close to a kitchen actively cooking. 

Smells are amazing

They can be terrible & rotten obviously

But even the trash all over Peru holds a memory 

and throws you back into the streets of Iquitos 

Smells hold memories better than writings sometimes

They love remixing pop songs here

which makes them more tolerable

(But not handsome enough to tempt me)

They have surprisingly good music at times

Think Bob Marly on steroids

They also love DJ Kalhid which makes me laugh

Regardless. I found the music that will hold my memories of this place (not DJ Khalid) 

On Sunday at Church 

(for the first time in what seems like years) 

I heard a whole church congregation turning pages in the Bible

It's such a beautiful sound that you don't hear in US churches anymore. 

I love it

It's like American churches have eliminated the need for the bible

People hardly carry them into churches anymore

Maybe I'm going to the wrong churches haha 

The hospital is full of stories of mothers young and old 

with the cutest babies that I would like to keep. 

And mother's of mother's who usually take me by surprise 

by their behavior, customs, treatment and responses.

but always serve their daughters black tea in their African Gomez dresses.

and always say thank you afterwards 

Week 4+

What different times in comparison to the first few weeks here. 

Building relationships and hearing people's life stories

One of my favourite mornings here was one of my last days 

we went in search for some terrible Nigerian soaps

(Opera soaps as Lydia explained) 

while the soap took its jolly time downloading 

we exchanged stories, country history, and cultural meanings

Tony told me the first time he talked to a white was only 2 years ago 

(he's probably 30) and how he was scared and nervous to speak 

He has stories about living in "the bush" as he says and walking to find water holes 

and the people from "town" who could fetch from a well 

Somehow 8 of us ended up in a circle getting into African Politics

and poor Kiyoungo wasn't taken seriously about taking politics serious 

Should you build a hut and buy land to burry your ancestors or give the house to your wife? 

(You aren't a man til you have a hut of your own to come back to for funerals)

I love the English phrases they use 

and the old man who couldn't say one sentence without laughing halfway through

Gloria plays my ukulele and gets the giggles, its so cute

and dances with literal glee when she can play her songs.

She fits her name well. 

We drive 7+ hours to wedding ceremonies (3 of them) 

on bumpy dirt roads with pot holes the size of water beds 

And talk the whole way of cultural differences and what's acceptable or not. 

about generational awareness and cultural handmedown traditions and mindsets

about grace and about anger 

about whether to make lists for your someone or not (funni)

about adoption and having your own kids or not 

about tolerating conversations with Americans who think they're starving 

and how everythings the worst

coming from a life of fleeing the Sudanese wars 

to plopping into an American life near hollywood

It's all they know 

and they only know what they know 

she said thats what gets her through, thats what she reminds herself

there are many little great things to love about being here.

The roasted corn we eat in our spare time 

that we cook over a coal stove during the longest storm

The storms are beyond gorgeous with lightning that would take anyones breath away

the trees. the trees still win as my favourite

The sunrises I watched during my runs became my favourite routine 

I've learned about the Weaver birds with their cool nests

And went to an Island of chimpanzees (not monkeys even if I still call them monkeys)

Crossing Lake Victoria was peaceful 

and we waited 30mins on the water watching the storm pass in front of us

When in hotels I do devotions on my 4th story balcony 

and wake to the roosters crow across the street

I found out the hotel has a sauna the day before I left and friiiiick. 

Time to wake early to try an African sauna (it didn't work)

I fall asleep to black and white movies on my own when I need it

I mostly only miss strong laughs that you have with close ones

and a little bit of sarcasm cause that clearly doesn't exist here

sometimes I miss a cold glass of milk or cheese because they're not huge on dairy

but thats a tolerable miss

these are only brief insights to random memories I'll hold from here. 

ahh you know

For now I'll leave you with the words that carried through this place

(An Opening- Charlie Cunningham)

"Come in", they said
Come in you might
Be yourself by the fire
The words don't arrive
The stars don't align
This place isn't mine

To see the whole thing as an opening
A glimpse into the world you wouldn't find
And you don't think it's happening