hi! this is sheena and i am writing from a slow internet cafe in lokossa on a french keyboard with eric sitting next to me. i have come down to visit him for the weekend, where weekend means saturday evening to sunday evening since we have class on saturday mornings. since we dont have a lot of time i will just briefly describe my and erics life here. I live in a compound-like concession and my papa has many wives, six or so I think, and therefore many children who are always hanging around me but fun to hang out with usually. I live in a little building outside the rest of the concession so I have some privacy. my place is two rooms of concrete and I even have electricity! I get mywater from a well every morning. My mama and papa are farmers so they go to the fields everyday and everyone, kids included, works very hard. in some respects I am living what some people might think of as the stereotypical african host family experience and overall I am loving it. And my tozn of Aplahoue is really small compare to where eric lives ni Lokossa. Eric lives with his mama and papa who are older in a nice house that is quiet and child-free since the children have grown up. His parents are really nice and he loves it here. Now to important things, the food! Mama at my house wants me to "bien grossir" meaning she wants me to get fat because that is good here. So she feeds me about a pound of starch, either spaghetti couscous or rice everynight with some spicy red sauce and eggs or cheese; I got sick for a bit i think because the food is heavier than what i eat normally and no vegetables! hopefully that will change now that i told mama i need to eat green things. on the other hand at erics last night we ate an amazing salad and some corn bread type stuff that was light and good.
I think thats all the time I have. just to finish up Ill say that class schedule for me is pretty grueling and we have class from 8 to 1230 and then 3 to 545. I have no free time really. eric has more but not a lot.
Last thing- start sending packages! send things in BUBBLE ENVELOPES ONLY, no boxes. things I want are dr. bronners soap in lavender bar form, foods mixes like cake or brownies, and anything else you think we would like. That will be very exciting for us! bye for now everyone and well try to write next time we are in lokossa together or if eric has time!
11 comments:
I am so excited to read your blog! I just got back from Kenya last week and am slowly catching up on my email backlog, and I found your message with the blog address. We will send you a care package for sure. It sounds like much of what you are experiencing is familiar to us from living in rural Kenya, but also very very different in many ways. The population density sounds a lot higher. Also, living in your papa's compound sounds quite interesting -- again, some familiar things and some very different. I know just what you mean about the food. Starch is a big deal here, and everyone wants you to be fat. Anyway, we are all thinking about you -- keep those blog posts coming! Love, Aunt Susan
Oops -- I meant starch is a bid deal THERE (Africa) - I guess that slip shows that my head is still there. Love, Aunt Susan
I am very happy to hear that your families are working out well. Sheena, you must get your bf to do some posting here! What kind of greens do they have in the area that you have access to? Do they have "horny melon"? I don't like them but some people do -- they taste like cucumber with lemon, I think, but with a really weird texture. Keep on posting because it is very enjoyable to keep up on your status. Hope that all continues well.
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Hey Sheena,
Im glad to see that everything is going well. To bad about the food though. I had a great time in Oxford and did all kinds of great stuff. But my few days in Paris were the best, saw all the main places, Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Arc De Triumph ect.
We spoke with Eric today from Lokassa -- he sounds great. Eric and Sheena have a very tiny pipeline to the internet in Lokassa, so it's difficult to write. They also haven't yet been receiving any mail, although I know they've been sent some starting 2-3 weeks ago. Eric reports that the only animals he's seen are domestic goats! Eric says that he and Sheena are happy and healthy and are truly enjoying themselves!
Julie and I find your comments extremely interesting! We count ourselves among your many admirers and look forward to reading more!
I wanted to let you know we are "in the loop"!
Love,
Louise
so good to hear from you.
take care
-Pauli
We just returned from Crescent Lake. Sure did miss you and thought about you while cooking on an open fire!!! It was cool this year...Mod shivered so much in the night that he was exhausted during the day. A and H and dad did the boat and swimming thing. Jill and Darryl say hello. David too. I'm putting a package in the mail to you tomorrow. Love, Denise
Dear Sheena and Eric
I located Lokossa on the map (I did get the book--the only book it seems) and also a CD which I haven't lookedat yet, but I know roughly where Lokossa is. It sounds to me as though you both are having an interesting and different life in West Africa and you both are having a time and liking it..
Sheena, I iwll send supplies--how about dried soup mix? And other dried food as well as cookie and cake mix? Nice blog --send another when you can. Love, PA
This is your dad...haven't taken the time to figure out how to get an ID. Well, we are back on the road - this time to North Carolina to visit your Grandma and Aunt Julie. I talked to Jolee yesterday and we both got a big laugh out of your mama's efforts to fatten you up. She is doing well and had a great summer - when I caught her she was in line to buy discount tickets to a musical in SFO. She is not super excited about ending the summer and getting back to work at school. I know you won't have much opportunity to blog, but we really do appreciate your efforts to keep us informed about what's going on in your new lives. Abby today said she can't wait till you get back to see your pictures. You are taking them, aren't you? Weird to think she will be a senior when you get back. Have you seen much wildlife yet? I almost ran into a herd of deer in Sunriver last week - they were right on the trail when I came around the bend. Scared us both!
I have been enjoying not watching TV or reading the paper for a few weeks. The world goes on but I've stepped off for awhile. It is amazing how much less stress there is.
Well, that's all for now. We look forward to your next entry. Your care package is on the way. Love, Dad.
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