Dear _____,

Motorist…  Um, do you really think that thing is safe to ride with a tire that flat?

Newsletters…  Somehow, having you on my to-do list always seems to inspire me to work extra hard…on everything else.  (But I am almost finished with it.)

“Christmas Cookie” scented candle…  You smelled exactly like one of the cookies I tasted Christmas day.  I was impressed.  (And thank you, Auntie Cheryl!)

Cranberry sauce…  So good to see (and taste) you again!  I’m not sure when I’ll run into you next, but it sure was fun having you on the table at Christmas.

Elbows…  Yes, dry season is here.  You have officially declared that.  Ouch!  (But I’ll take dry season any day over humid, clothes-sticking-to-you-all-the-time weather.)

Fireworks…  To be honest, I’m not sure why you were so popular before and on Christmas.  New Years I understand, but Christmas…?

“There’s a tea for that” t-shirt…  I think you’re probably the funniest t-shirt I’ve ever had.  You’ll make me smile and think of a certain dear friend every time I wear you.

Casino…  You know, for a supermarché, you’re rather unfortunately named.  I’d prefer that my grocery shopping not be a gamble.

Bites covering my ankles…  You itch!  But I’m really thankful that I don’t get bites (mosquito, spider, whatever…) very often, and even when I do, they don’t usually itch.  This time is just an exception to keep me on my toes.  Or something.

Jar of green olives…  I picked you up at the store the other day, and didn’t realize until I got home that I’d neglected to read the fine print on the label, which would have informed me that you still had the pits in.  (Can someone just tell me what exactly is the point of buying olives with the pits?  I mean, really.  You can’t eat them.  They don’t add flavor.  You have to spit them out.  Pointless, I say!)

Guy wearing a “Don’t mess with Texas” t-shirt…  Yeah, um, do you know how far away Texas is?  I’m pretty sure that won’t be much of a temptation.

Potted rose bush…  I’ve seen loads of bougainvilleas here, but hardly any roses.  (In fact, you may be the first; I’m not entirely sure.)  Now I could really stop and smell the roses.  If you even smell.

Neighbors…  Yes, that was me, singing the same Christmas song over and over and over after Christmas.  I can assure you it was for a good reason, and not simply to be annoying.  (Last minute practice for a duet with my friend Anna.)

Shaun the Sheep…  What an entertaining way to learn French!  We watch the cartoon (without the sound), and the helper narrates in French.  And, Shaun, for a little lamb, you have some hilariously grand escapades.

2014…  Ready or not, here you come!  Wow.  Crazy.  I know I do this every year, but I can’t believe this year went by so fast.  I don’t know what you hold, 2014, but two things I do know: it’s going to be a year of grace, and God is here with us.  And that is enough.

Gorée Island

So, here are pictures (lots!) from our little class excursion last Friday.  As I said, the island was nothing like I expected, and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing it.  I'd love to go back sometime.

 

(Facebook friends: Yes, these are the same pictures I posted today.  Nothing new.)

 

 

I don't know why, but I really like this.

 

 

 

 

 

Cool beams and arches

 

 

This reminds me of my all-time-and-forever favorite book, Evangelists in Chains, because the main character was in a dungeon right by the ocean for part of the story.

 

 

 

 

Bougainvilleas are my one weakness.

 

I love weathered paint...

 

...and quaint little alleys.

 

There's some of our group, moseying down the street.

 

 

Textures

 

For the tourists.  (There was actually a lot of tourist-y stuff, but I was much more interested in the buildings, the views, and the bougainvilleas.)

 

 

Here, kitty, kitty.

 

 

 

 

 

Bon Appetit!

 

Odd pods

 

One of my classmates just had to climb up this double canon.

 

 

 

Italian pastries, anyone?

 

If I could have scooped up this little cutie and taken her home with me, I would have.  Alas, I could not find a way to manage that.

 

 

Heading to the ferry for the ride back (we were about 10-15 minutes from the city).

 

My family is somewhere out there.  Waaaay out there.

 

 

Land-ho!

Technical Difficulties

I'd planned to give y'all a tour of my apartment.

"You've been living in that apartment for how many months and you're just now giving us a tour?  What were you waiting for, girl?  Christmas?"

Yeah, not intentionally.

And then, you know what?  I couldn't get the video to upload.  So...we'll have to settle for pictures.  And that'll be another day.  Sorry.

Joyeux Noël a tous!  Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.  Or...something.

Dear _____,

Dusty car at the gas station…  Okay, I almost laughed out loud when I saw that someone had scrawled Lave moi s.v.p. (Wash me please) across your windshield.  I’m used to seeing that on cars in the States (in English, of course), but seeing it here just struck me as really funny.

Monday…  You were the day of critters – of roosters and pesky insects and flying cockroaches.  Never a dull moment.

Mimolette…  I love you, I love you, I love you!  You taste like good, sharp cheddar.  In fact, I think you taste more cheddar-y than the cheddar I’ve had here!  I repeat: I love you.  You just might be my new best friend.  Well, you and Rue.  (Can’t hurt any feelings here, you know.)

Audio recorder on my phone…  Wow.  You are FULL of French files!!!  Hundreds and hundreds of them.  I wonder how many hours’ worth you contain?  I don’t know, but it’s going to take me a while to work my way through all of them for review.  It’ll keep me out of trouble.  Maybe.

Brain…  I’m amazed at how, when I’m sound asleep, you can process sounds around me and weave them into my dreams.  (Last night the horses next door were very persistent neigh-sayers.)

Guy wearing a t-shirt that said “It is what it is”…  Yup.  My sentiments exactly.

Can of pumpkin…  I’d been saving you for a special occasion, and last week’s Christmas party with the girls was just the thing.  I debated a considerable amount over what I should actually make, and then I remembered Mom’s delicious Pumpkin Spice Cake with Browned Butter Frosting.  Oh, yum.  (Not as good as yours, Mom.  I guess you’ll just have to come out here and make it for us.)

Hairspray…  You have many uses besides just keeping hair in place.  One of them being to stun cockroaches so I can kill them.  (It’s not really a good idea to whack a shoe against a glass shelf in the bathroom, but I wanted to make sure the stupid thing didn’t crawl away, so…hairspray to the rescue!)

Olive cheese balls…  You’re a family tradition for Christmas, and I’ll carry that on from West Africa.  It’s not a Christmas party without them!

Mom…  You know how you’d save the orange and apple peels, toss them in a pan with some water and cinnamon, and let it all simmer on the back of the stove?  I did that last week, and the smell brought back lots of homey memories.  And while we’re on the subject of memories, thank you for giving me so many good ones.  I don’t want to take my blessings for granted.

Gorée Island…  You were nothing like I imagined.  Not only would I go back for another class field trip in a heartbeat, I’d move there if I could!  (Pictures to come soon.)

Cockroaches…  Thanks to you, I’ve developed lightning-fast reflexes.  Doesn’t work out so well for you, does it?

Santa at the supermarket… I don’t know why, but your half-hearted attempt to “scare” me made me laugh.  Which I really needed that day.

Chocolate…  Someone [you know who you are] likes to say that the best way to deal with temptation is to eat it.  I followed that advice.  It’s a good thing there wasn’t more of you to eat…

Well-toned, strikingly-colored chestnut horse…  Out of all the horses I see in the city every day, you are my favorite.  Mom says I should stop and pet you.  I’m not sure if that’s acceptable or not, but it sure is tempting.  Oh, and also, you have crumbs in your whiskers.  Just thought I should let you know that.

Broccoli...  I came (to the produce aisle).  I saw (that you looked good – a rare treat).  I conquered (and by conquered I mean purchased).

Young lady around the corner selling coffee in the evenings…  You always have an extra-friendly smile and greeting for me.  The last few times I’ve been past, I haven’t seen you, and I’ve missed your cheery presence.

Friend who I went shopping with one day after class…  Those stores were something, weren’t they?!  I had no idea such a place existed here.  As a rule I’m most definitely not a shopper, but I had a good time with you.  It was exhausting, by the time all was said and done, but it was fun.

Fellow missionaries who’ve been here at least a year…  Okay, I’ll admit.  When I first came (right in the middle of dreadfully hot-and-humid August), I thought you were crazy.  You say it gets cold?!  In Africa?  It’s now December, and yes, you were right.  It hasn’t been consistently cool the past month or so, but there have been times where I’ve curled up under a blanket…or put on a hoodie…or closed all my windows.

Christmas Eve…  You don’t feel exceptionally festive thus far, but you are a day off class, and therefore a day to sleep in a bit, which I can hardly complain about!

Ranch seasoning…  Your anti-caking ingredient is, by all appearances, no match for West African humidity.

Goat… You climbed on a pile of rocks to watch me over the wall as I walked past.  You didn’t take your eyes off me once until I was safely out of view.   Did it have anything to do with the fact that I’ve been saying I’m going to “kid”napp one of your babies?  I can’t say that your fears are entirely unfounded…

Brothers Grimm…  I’ll bet you never imagined that when you penned your spooky tales of crumb trails and lost children and evil witches in German, they would one day help me learn French.  Did you?  Yeah, I thought not.  (We’re using “shared stories” – stories both the helper and the learner know, such as fairy tales or Bible stories – in this part of the program.  Obviously they’re told in French.  Not English.  Or German.  That wouldn’t be very helpful for learning French.)

Singing teakettle…  You’re one of my favorite sounds of the morning.  Hot water for a shower!

YOU…  Thanks for stopping by.  I’ll be back tomorrow (barring any unforeseen circumstances) with a little something for Christmas.

Rue

…because I may or may not be slightly obsessed with this little creature.  (But really, can you blame me?  I mean, look at him.  He’s so cute!)

 

 

 

 

Tidbits

First of all, this is my 500th post.  Crazy!  And now, in no particular order, and with no profound importance to anyone, here are some tidbits from the past week or so:

~ You know that mint sugar I bought by accident?  Turns out it’s pretty good in black tea.  I did buy plain sugar for the Irish Apple Cake I made Saturday, though.

~ Creaming butter and sugar “until fluffy” can be done by hand.  It just takes a good dose of elbow grease (and a lot more time than it would in a mixer)!

~ It seems there has been a recent explosion in my apartment’s cockroach population.  I’m seriously contemplating instituting a “one-child” rule.  It’ll never work, you say?  Maybe not, but it’s certainly worth a try!

~ I think this week, I may have had my most interesting taxi ride to date.  And this time it didn’t involve marriage proposals from taxi drivers (thankfully!).  My friend and I were shopping, and she got an office chair.  It wouldn't fit in the trunk of the taxi, so guess where it ended up?  Across the back seat, partially on my lap.

~ While I was walking home from class, I passed one of the roadside nurseries and what should I glimpse?  Several chickens and ducks, sitting right on top of the plants like they belonged there.  Silly things.

~ I’ve discovered an acceptable substitute for when dry pinto beans aren’t available: “pink” beans (haricots roses, the label called them).  I’m pretty sure that they’re the same pink beans used in Mexican cooking sometimes, and the taste is similar to pinto beans (actually, kind of like a cross between pinto and black beans).  Score!

~ Apparently geckoes molt.  I saw Rue up on the ceiling one night this week with a wispy something hanging from his tail.  So I looked it up, and yes, they do periodically molt.  You learn something new every day.

Christmas Musings

I must say, this Christmas season is way different than just about any other one I can remember.  My brain got stuck somewhere back in September or October, thanks in part to the weather, and thanks in part to life in general.

 

But here we are.  Smack dab in the middle of December, and it feels like Christmas could almost be months away.

 

No familiar carols greet me when I walk into a store.  Christmas décor is sparse.  I’m still wearing short sleeves and sandals.  There’s no anticipation in the air – for the most part people seem to be going about life entirely as usual.

 

I want to stop them and say, “Don’t you know it’s almost Christmas?!”  But it feels so unreal even to me.  Perhaps it’s because I’m…well…here.

 

I’ve been away for family birthdays, Easters, and Thanksgivings before, but I had always had I’ll be home for Christmas to look forward to.

 

Not this time.

 

When self-pity starts to sneak in (yet again), I have to remind myself that He left His home for me.  He left the glory and beauty of heaven to walk our dusty, dirty streets.

 

God Himself came down to us.  His first cradle was a feeding trough in a barn.  His hands were rough carpenter’s hands.  His feet were sandal-clad and dusty.

 

How does all that even matter?  So 2000 years ago, this Baby was born, He grew up, He died on a cross, He returned to His home in heaven.

 

We live on planet Earth.  We live in a world riddled with wars and famine and cancer.  Christmas cheer, however merry and bright, can be overshadowed by the fears, questions, and heartache we face at one time or another.

 

But…

 

This is our hope - Emmanuel.  God with us.  Not God was with us.  Not God may be with us.  But Emmanuel, He is with us.  No matter what.

 

You know that story about Peter?  The one where Jesus is walking on the water and Peter gets out of the boat to meet Him?  What happens when Peter starts sinking?

 

Yeah, he cries for help.  But what does Jesus do?  He doesn’t calm the storm.  Not right then, at least.  Through the wind and the waves, He reaches for Peter’s hand…and pulls him up.

 

And we learn that our God may not always instantly calm the storm.  But He will reach out and take hold of us.  He is with us.

 

Emmanuel isn’t just some warm, fuzzy sentiment for cards and carols at Christmastime.  It’s for the storms, the ordinary Tuesday afternoons, and the wee hours of the night.  It’s a promise, an unshakeable reality that we can hold on to every. single. day.

 

And that is what I will choose to live by.

Tidbits

 

Multiple choice: What do you think is the best explanation for this picture?

A)   I’m trying to start a new fashion trend.

B)   I thought I’d try out for a part in a Western movie.

C)   I do this every so often just to scare people.  (Works like a charm!)

D)   My friends felt like I was being too much of a chatterbox.

E)   I got back from a week-long workshop, my electricity had been out for two (warm) days, and there was food that needed to be cleaned out of the freezer.  Things like meat, cheese, garlic carrots… (Yes, it smells as bad as you’d imagine it would.)

 

 

A mountain of dishes resulted from the afore-mentioned calamity.  Not really the most enjoyable welcome home.  But I’ll let you in on a little secret: you deal with it.  You deal with it and go on, because you have to.

 

 

This has nothing to do with the previous subject.  It’s just the horse next door.  (For you, Mom. J)

 

And here are a couple links I enjoyed this week:

 

Stephen and Dawn VanKampen (who I know from training)

Ten Worst Times for a Power Outage (a friend here in West Africa)

"A Hallelujah Christmas" (music video)

 

Of Labels

 

Why does my sugar package have these green leaves that look like mint?  Um, that's because I didn't read the label very well.  Sucre a la menthe.  That's mint sugar, Rachel.  Not plain sugar.  I won't be making banana bread with this...

 

Okay, I know it's nail polish remover, but it's still disconcerting to see "ricin" on something that you put on your nails.

 

Also (on a unrelated note), if you look at the small print (which is hard to see, I realize), second and third lines, you'll see why I love Portuguese.  I've never studied it, but I can read it because it's so similar to Spanish.  Which makes me feel smart.  Like, Hey, I can understand this language and I didn't even "learn" it.  Then I go out and try my still-shaky French and get blank looks and I come back down to earth.