TIA – This Is Africa

Written Saturday, February 10, 2007

It’s kind of funny. My life here is hardly dull, yet I’ve gotten rather comfortable with the crazy things that happen on a daily basis. I’ll have these strange experiences and I’m not fazed by it, just really, really amused.

For example, recently Lindsey and I inherited some cassette tapes from a lady visiting from Canada. Two of them where praise and worship tapes, but the third was much less ordinary. It was none other than a tape of Arab Christian music. Yup, that’s right. The other evening we popped it in the tape player and listened with Job during dinner. (Job is one of Mr. Mulli’s brothers and the man in charge of MCF Yatta. We take our meals with him. Everyone calls him “Uncle” and he is very much like an uncle to us.) We had a great time trying to figure out how we would dance to this Arab praise and worship music. We came up with some moves that were kind of like a toned down Indian style. It was pretty funny to listen to Arabic music with eating our ugali and scuma. It was another one of our Africa experiences.

Another experience was when I rode on a matatu the other day. I climbed in and squeezed into my seat and suddenly I heard all of this squawking. There at my feet on the floor of the minibus were chickens. And not just one or two – a whole flock all tied up and riding along with us. The chicken had squawked because I had stepped on it. So sorry. And it wasn't even just a couple of chickens. No, it was a whole flock on chickens. The best part of it all was when one of them laid an egg. I heard a clunk sound and saw an egg rolling along the floor. I scooped it up (it was still warm) and gave it to the lady who owned the chickens. She nodded her thanks.

So, these are some of the things I encounter in Africa. Right now I’m sitting in my favourite Internet shop. The music playing is like a tribute to Canadian rock – Avril Lavigne and Nickleback. Another great Africa experience. TIA – This Is Africa.