Early January Update

Here's some mini stories for you all...

 

In the cuteness stakes, there is a little girl that lives near the office that doesnt really say much but loves to be around you. We were doing hiv/aids outreach two days ago with all the new IVs, and I was holding the presentation props, including a fake penis, on my lap (waiting to blow everyone out of the water with the fantastic condom demonstration I get to do each day). The little girl came up and was fiddling with everything, pointing at the penis and trying to take it off me. She ran off for a few moments before returning with 5 peswas (cents) to buy the "candle" aka fake penis. It was very cute :)

 

The kids at our house wanted to see any photos that we may have, so Sarah brought out one of her and her boyfriend, to which all the kids, girls and boys alike, declared the boyfriend to be 'very very beautiful' and Sarah to be very lucky to have him. I have a few photos here, one being a big group of friends (that we took at church one night for steffs birthday, for those involved). The kids were keen to know who everyone was so i went through the whole group and told them the name of the person and how I knew them. One girl announced that all of us were very fat and should stop eating so much (nobody in the photo was really overweight at all!) though she thought Sam Gray and Dave Stay were 'so fine!' said only as an african girl can. Gave me the giggles :)

 

This is the gross story :) . Last night Iris and I rearranged our room to seat up a couple of chairs and small table to relax in in one corner. We were moving our bedside table across the room so I went to grab my pile of books off it (they were on the lower shelf and kinda in the dark). I went to grab what i thought was a bracelet off the top of the books but knocked it by mistake and everything fell on the ground. To my horror it wasnt a bracelet but the head of a very dead mouse, brains slowly falling out and no body to be found. I almost threw up and used at least 3 L of hand sanitiser hahaha. Almost as bad as the time I stood in a drain by mistake because it was so incredibly dark by the internet place. Drains here carry rubbish and water and sewrage and anything else you can think off, truly a disgusting moment that I do not want to think about again ever hahaha. unfortunately I got stopped by a ridiculous amount of guys on the way home and had my patience realllllly tested!

 

Speaking of guys, they are hilarious. All declare their love or interest in you, say some of hte funniest things and really don't take the hint. I resorted to telling htem all that Josh, one of last months IVs who only just left, was my boyfriend, or that I'm married with kids back home, but even then they suggest that you could have an African man and a husband back home. The best is when they pull out the 'I will pray and fast that God changes your heart' line, because 'I knew from the moment i met you that we are meant to be together, my heart believes it and I can not deny my heart'...oh the gold ones are 'I very very love you girl....and sorry what is your name again?' Apart from camp politics and finding dead bodyless mice in my room, the guys are probably the most frustrating thing here heheh. Oh and the new late night church sessions they are running about ten metres from our house.. good times hehe.

 

I think I may have mentioned the forest behind our house before, no? Where people go to get high or relieve their bladder..or both.. So a few of us went exploring a couple of days ago, lots of fun. Its this lovely rainforest style thing with a stream and all these dug out areas, lots of people playing board games or poker, a little veggie plot and its much cooler than the rest of camp. A friend of one of the guys led us around and then we reached all the stoned guys :) :) My favourite moments include :

 

Our guide friend was telling us, while smoking a joint, that 'the forest is a place for us to escape the frustration and congestion', while one of his equally stoned friends was off in his own world, stating in a chant-like, almost melodic manner, "frustration... congestion"...I half expected people to break into some disney Scar and the hyenas song routine, one of those moments you think 'holy crap im in africa on the other side of hte world in some random forest with a bunch of stoned guys and disney really wouldn't condone this but heck it'd be funny and why again am i here?'

 

Second moment was all of them telling us that 'we Liberians are peaceful people' but none of us really hearing a word their said cause a huge fight/yelling match broke out behind them :)

 

Last thing that is making me smile as I write this is thinking about our security guards, both nice guys but they are a little crazy, both completely sure that the other one is trying to kill them :) I guess that works in our favour though, both so concerned in staying awake all night for their own safety that they are sure to stay awake and keep an eye on our house.

 

And one last thing, I promise, the kids here are so adorable haha, their names are really something else hey, next door to us lives 2 year old Tigger, behind us lives 4 yr old Queenstar, up the road lives 13 yr old Fanta and other names include Push, Surprise, Prince, Queen, Queengirl, Nanna (poor little boy!) etc.