Sometimes only a Laugh makes it Better...

Sometimes You Just Have to Laugh...

 

Today the honeymoon ended. After a full week with water and power every day, we realized that although things are pretty nice here, TIA. (This is Africa!) No water and a bucket shower started the day. The power was off for 7 hours. Neither the cars (we are using a taxi until they arrive) nor our shipment of household, personal and church office goods was released from customs AGAIN today. So, on days like this you just have to look around and laugh......so you don't cry.

So, these are some of the things we did today that made us laugh.

I stopped outside a store to talk to ONE vendor about strawberries. This was the result. I was swallowed up by a mass of vendors wanting to sell me everything you can imagine and I barely escaped with his strawberries and basil in tact. Learning to focus through the desperate chaos of those wanting cash is difficult in face of the need.

 

 

We've been having terrible trouble with the washer we share with the Jamesons. When it spins, it dances across the room and vibrates the whole house. At home a washer that is off balance would stop itself. Not here. So, they are trying everything to make it stand still long enough to finish... It worked but the technician was called and he rode the washer until he brought the one from down stairs. Since we alternate wash days we all had a good ride without needing to put a quarter in the slot.

 

We are excited to have a lawn. The process is to hire someone to extract small root plugs from someones garbage pile of grass diggings. Then plant each plug. Of course the weeds are going to come up as you water so you hire someone again to eliminate the broad-leaf weeds. Here is the crew with no broad leaf weed spray...just big smiles for ten hours per day. 

Some people come home to find the family dog greeting their arrival with tail wagging... well we felt greeted, tail kinda wagged but no sloppy kisses.

We saw a whole group of young men carrying mattresses and running as fast as they could go. From our vantage point, you could only see legs moving under the mattresses-like little mattress-head people. And nobody dropped anything! at least not this time. They are headed for the mattress market... yes a fresh-air RC Willey's

This clever system of watering newly planted trees gave us a chuckle. Only in Africa could recycling be so resourceful. Who says plastic water bottles have to be thrown away...

 

The mosquitoes are killing us. Every night when we sit down at the computer, they swarm under the desk and bite about 50 times - it could be a stake blood drive if... So, Sister Jameson found a new protection system--the wrap and the blue fly swatter (in the background.) Elder Jameson says he was just waiting for her to jump up and run for the next spin cycle.

I think we were slap-happy by the time we saw this shop. Anybody need a new mom or sister for the family? This is the place to go. Family Spare Parts!

 The medical director tells us to not hang clothes outside in high humidity areas like this one. It seems that a small fly lays eggs in the clothing.  The eggs hatch after you wear them and the larvae burrow into your skin and take up residence. So we tried to get a dryer authorized... Here it is:

 I know it kinda looks like a bathroom with string but with the window open it qualifies as a dryer... that and the hallway.

Then... you want a new building?  This is the way all construction is done... Yes those are logs and sticks that hold things apart or together or in place while the concrete dries.

 This is a shoe store... the selection is small but if you look closely you will see that it is really only a front for a spy ring... Count the shoes... odd number... yes that other shoe is up to his ear... Get Smart...

Don't need shoes... how about a tailored suit - look out Mr Mac

That is using your head!

Maybe tomorrow we'll cheer if the car comes or the shipment or even if we have power & water. But today we laughed!