So, for those of you who have not heard - I was hospitalized last week!
Don't worry - I'm fine!
In fact, it took 4 separate issues to bring me all the way down - malaria, typhoid, hypertension and a bacterial infection.
The people in the hospital couldn't believe that this was the first time I had ever been in the hospital in my life!!!!
They took really good care of me and I'm doing well! I finish up my pills today!
Thank you for your love and support and you will hear more from me soon!
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Friday, June 5, 2009
Driving in the Dark!
Interesting night last night -
We went to eat at Cafe' Hellinique and I was beyond excited with the fact that I got a fresh salad!
Well, we were on our way home and the van is broken down so we had to take motos. Normally this wouldn't be a big deal except it was after dark. We've heard stories of guys taking off with girls on motos after dark, because people can't see as well and do anything about it. Well, normally this doesn't even enter into my mind as a reason to worry.Of course, I temporarily forgot where I am - Africa.
So, we are all in a row going home and my moto driver doesn't follow the other motos with my friends on them - he continues on down the road. I then scream "Atcha!" Which is Stop! I swing my arm out and start yelling "A Gauche" which is "to the left" in french. Well, finally my moto driver takes the hint and realizes everyone else is not in front of us anymore.
Unfortunately, we are out of gas as well. So he pulls over to by gas from a street vendor. Then he realizes that he is even farther away from the other "wazungus" and he starts to worry. A lot of time the drivers forget that I know Swahili and they'll start talking not realizing that I understand them. So my driver starts freaking out. He says "I'm gonna get in trouble for taking this muzungu woman. They are going to capture me and put me in prison. I better get her there faster." And so he speeds up, trying to catch up to the others, but they are long gone.
The problem now becomes me staying on the back of the bike, because we are flying over these large bumps in the road and I am bouncing up and down on the back like a rag doll. Normally, the drivers go slow, but he was so worried about what they would do to him if they didn't get me home!So, of course me bouncing up and down on the back made me burst out laughing like crazy.
So now the driver thinks that I am laughing at him getting into trouble instead of laughing at me trying to hold on. This makes him even more scared because he thinks that I am excited that he is going to get in trouble. The moto driver now gets scared because he thinks now that maybe Grant is my husband. Well, if any of you have seen the pictures of Grant yet, you will know that Grant is a football player and as the Congolese are unusually small people anyway - he looks even bigger. So now the driver is terrified that Grant is going to beat him up and now I'm laughing even harder at the thought because Grant is a big teddy bear!
Finally, I get calmed down enough to tell the driver "Iko sawa sawa, hakuna matada! Tunarudi nyumbani sasa" Which is "It's fine, no worries! We return to my home now."The funniest thing of all, was that the others barely even noticed that I had deviated. The guy didn't have to worry about Grant beating him up!
All in all, it was an adventure of a night!
We went to eat at Cafe' Hellinique and I was beyond excited with the fact that I got a fresh salad!
Well, we were on our way home and the van is broken down so we had to take motos. Normally this wouldn't be a big deal except it was after dark. We've heard stories of guys taking off with girls on motos after dark, because people can't see as well and do anything about it. Well, normally this doesn't even enter into my mind as a reason to worry.Of course, I temporarily forgot where I am - Africa.
So, we are all in a row going home and my moto driver doesn't follow the other motos with my friends on them - he continues on down the road. I then scream "Atcha!" Which is Stop! I swing my arm out and start yelling "A Gauche" which is "to the left" in french. Well, finally my moto driver takes the hint and realizes everyone else is not in front of us anymore.
Unfortunately, we are out of gas as well. So he pulls over to by gas from a street vendor. Then he realizes that he is even farther away from the other "wazungus" and he starts to worry. A lot of time the drivers forget that I know Swahili and they'll start talking not realizing that I understand them. So my driver starts freaking out. He says "I'm gonna get in trouble for taking this muzungu woman. They are going to capture me and put me in prison. I better get her there faster." And so he speeds up, trying to catch up to the others, but they are long gone.
The problem now becomes me staying on the back of the bike, because we are flying over these large bumps in the road and I am bouncing up and down on the back like a rag doll. Normally, the drivers go slow, but he was so worried about what they would do to him if they didn't get me home!So, of course me bouncing up and down on the back made me burst out laughing like crazy.
So now the driver thinks that I am laughing at him getting into trouble instead of laughing at me trying to hold on. This makes him even more scared because he thinks that I am excited that he is going to get in trouble. The moto driver now gets scared because he thinks now that maybe Grant is my husband. Well, if any of you have seen the pictures of Grant yet, you will know that Grant is a football player and as the Congolese are unusually small people anyway - he looks even bigger. So now the driver is terrified that Grant is going to beat him up and now I'm laughing even harder at the thought because Grant is a big teddy bear!
Finally, I get calmed down enough to tell the driver "Iko sawa sawa, hakuna matada! Tunarudi nyumbani sasa" Which is "It's fine, no worries! We return to my home now."The funniest thing of all, was that the others barely even noticed that I had deviated. The guy didn't have to worry about Grant beating him up!
All in all, it was an adventure of a night!
Monday, June 1, 2009
Choir Concert
On Sunday, the choir from UCBC - Ebenezer performed at CAP in Beni. We wanted to do a benefit for more music equipment. The whole concert was awesome because a lot of my Congolese friends got to come and see me sing in 4 different languages. I am excited about continuing my language development in lingala and french. It was fun to practice all of our Congolese dance moves as well! We raised over $500 for the music equipment - so it was all worth it!
I received a lot of compliments, but the best one of all came from my friend Noe'. He said, "April you just proved that you love us Congolese, by getting up there and singing and dancing the same way that we do!"
I received a lot of compliments, but the best one of all came from my friend Noe'. He said, "April you just proved that you love us Congolese, by getting up there and singing and dancing the same way that we do!"
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